I add a lot more mustard and throw in some hot sauce.

Is that 2 mortgages on 1 property? I was told by our acct. that with 2 props can only get tax credit on 1 of the mortgages. arg. this guy is regularly making errors that cost us tax interest. heathre do you do ny/nj?? :D

Well, that is totally different. You only can get the deduction on your primary residence, but it applies to any loans secured by the home. A second property is not primary residence, so no deduction.

I am so tired today. OMG. I am way down on cals because I have been too tired to get off the couch to snack. How sad is THAT?

I still enjoy the journey-fitness.com podcast. She put out a new one this week. And after all of her talk about how important exercise is, after only three hours of sleep, there was just no earthly way.

is that a jillian michaels thing?

be well.

I am just popping in to celebrate a small success. It's a tough night for me and I wanted nothing more than to pop myself into a food coma and go to bed. I have almost alternately picked up the phone to order food and driven out to various fast food places to go to the drive-thru (where I would inevitably order food enough for a small army).

However, that is not how I want to live my life, nor is it how I want to deal with my emotions anymore. It makes me feel even more terrible to do such things. So instead, I fixed myself a quick sandwich. It's not gourmet, but it satisfies the hunger, and now I will go find something productive into which I can channel my emotions. I think the kitchen needs a good cleaning.

:woohoo:

Oh Jaime, SOOOOOOO proud of you. I know it's really tough for you right now but you did not give in to temptation. Totally wonderful!! :hug:

I don't do anyone's taxes other then my mother's and my own - Sorry Lucy! I like auditing, taxes bore me to the point of tears. However I have to know about them.

Okay here's the more detailed deal on your itemized deduction for home mortgage interest.

1. If your total AGI (adjusted gross income) is higher then $159,950 (2008 MFJ) then certain itemized deductions will be limited including mortage interest.

2. Yes it can (in general) be on two or more loans and on your primary and secondary homes. The secondary home must be for biz, investment, or other deductible reasons. Anna- this changed in recent years, you can deduct on two homes.

3. Lucy - get a new accountant!

4. There are small exceptions here and there and since I don't know specifics he may have a legit reason for not deducting both but I'd take a look at publication 936 and talk to your accountant.

Jaime!! That's freaking awesome. I for one would be two bottles deep into wine and about half a pack of cigs. I'm so proud of you!! :carrot:

I said nothing about cigarettes :p

I have not touched the wine tonight either, but the dog downstairs is howling up a storm and I just may need some help getting to sleep if it keeps up. Ugh.

Jaime, I think you are handling the stress well. You are strong and life will be beautiful again for you soon.

It is a HUGE success. I hope you are well tonight. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.

This is where my day could fall apart. I know that today's lowered calories are in the long run, going to offset the foodfest that was Saturday. It's all about the average. But part of me is thinking, "Hey, I still have calories left...."

I am going to knit instead, but I can HEAR cheese and crackers calling that would still get me to my 1100 target.

Here are the journey-fitness links:
Podcast and current blog

Original site with inspiring pics

I am very proud of you Jaime.

I don't smoke but for some reason that is always my first instinct when I am upset. On the occasion that I have it takes me two weeks to clear my lungs back out and get the taste out of my mouth.

I figured out part of my food problem. I need to go back to basics. Plain fruit, veggies, and whole grains. I've been sneaking in processed crap and it is messing with my head. I'm going to be up peeing all night long because I am trying super hard to flush the sodium out of my system.

Drink your water ladies.

Anna, did you resist the cheese and crackers? Inquiring minds want to know.
Billie - glad you found a possible solution. Hope you start seeing great results.

No woosh on the scales yet. They are still stuck in one spot. I will get on the treadmill today. I'm old. My body must have tons of exercise to lose weight.

Jaime!! I'm so proud of you!! You ROCK!!! :hug:

Morning Ladies :)

Hope everyone is doing good this morning. It's still very cold here...16 deg this morning. I'm ready for some warm weather. Yesterday, I did my cardio after 2 months. It felt good after but during my workout I thought I was going to die. I used to do HIIT on my tready and since it's been a while I'm so out of shape. I just hope my health cooperates. I have to take my cardio slow for the moment. Today is my strength training day.

Food intake has been good and OP. I know crazy right? :dizzy:

Heather, I thought you'd like to know that one of the guys on my team is a vegan :) . I knew he was a vegetarian but wasn't sure if he was vegan or not. I asked him yesterday and he said his whole family is including his 3 little kids. He's a nice guy. Oh and I recently realized that most of the food I cook and have been cooking past few years is vegan too (at least 50-60% I'd say) . I just didn't know. So, if you ever venture to my side of the country you'd be a happy person at our place ;)

Jaime, I hope you got a good night's sleep.

Billie, glad you figured out the problem cuz figuring out is half the battle. I had little too much sodium last night too.

Rhonda, you're doing great staying OP. :hug:I know the scale is stuck and it is frustrating. Believe me I understand. But try and focus on how great you feel when you stay OP. You can do this, stay strong. Exercise is good but don't beat yourself up if you don't do it. Remember baby steps. If you can't get 60 mins then get 20 mins. Something is better than nothing.

Jen, did you hand in your 2 week notice?

I did resist. The scales were down, so I got some positive reinforcement. Tonight is rehearsal, so no snacking option available. I hope to run before rehearsal, but today is crazy full.

I just looked at my stats, and I have lost 3.2 pounds since the beginning of the year. That is a pound a week. I don't know why I have been so pissy about it. That is a totally reasonable loss, AND I am not at a weight where I can expect to see big losses each week. On one hand, I am really happy about it, but a 2-3 pound drop in a single week would be a great motivator. As it is, I am proud of what I have done this month so far. I had a few ugly days in there, and January always will be a month that sucks for me. It would be really easy to get 2000 calories a day in alcohol alone.

good morning. crappy start to my day. but improved after a run.

seems like everyone is holding on tight.

here's to a good OP day :cheers: :broc:

My scale doesn't hate me as much as I thought. Either that, or I peed it all out, lol.

Anna - You should be more than proud of that loss for what you weigh.

Rhonda - Hang in there girl. Go journal all the feel good stuff so you have something to look back on.

Caribbean red beans and rice with salad for dinner. YUMMY!

Pinto - I think I gave this to you last time I made it

Caribbean Red Beans and Rice - Serves 4 or so

1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used 1 medium onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter or oil
3/4 cup rice, short grain like Arborio(sp?)
14 oz can of broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt (I don't use it since the broth has enough)
1/4 tsp allspice
green onions for garnish (I use a whole bunch, sliced thin)
lime juice to taste (I use about 1 tsp per serving)

Cook onion and garlic in oil to soften. Add rice and saute until brown. Add broth, milk, beans, pepper and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until rice is creamy and tender. Stir in lime juice and garnish with green onions.

nom nom I think I'll make that soon! ohhh that would go good with jerk seitan or butternut fries

I've never had seitan so I have no clue. My aunt does make some killer Caribbean Chicken though. Wonder how that sauce would taste on a cutlet?

I'm overall not a fan of seitan but I love the jerk sauce from VwaV and it's one dish I keep making with seitan.

In my best Tina Turner voice

CELEBRATE! CELEBRATE!

Buhbye 250's.

Congratulations!

I'm waiting for the coffee to brew. I need it more than usual this morning. Last night was a fun insomnia night. I made the mistake of calculating my outstanding medical bills for 2008. I guess the realization that I owe $1300+ dollars made it tough for my brain to relax.

On one nice note....my scales smiled a tiny bit this morning.:) Now, to hold onto that bit and add to it before Monday morning.

YAY!!:carrot::carrot:

No I haven't yet, but I have been so freaking tempted too. This CPA guy who was supposed to be here to help the "company" streamline things seems to be just bothering and overlooking everything I do, which is really starting to tick me off. So to be honest I'm having a hard time not turning in my 2 weeks notice now just out of principle. I don't want to jump the gun though until I talk to the owners of the studio and make sure the terms with them are acceptable. I can tell you one thing though I'm going to be putting in my notice as soon as I possibly can.


So as you can tell I'm pretty pissy this morning and I'm trying not to be, but it's not working. On the bright side today is OP day #21 and even with the stress and frustration I'm going through at work I have not let it ruin my OP streak. Which is saying a lot believe me. Right now I just want to scream!

WOOOOO HOOOOO!

I hate that.

I am deeply resentful of the people who live in my house. I hate their messes; I hate having to MAKE them clean them up; I am tired of their existence. I want my little apartment back where everything was neat, quiet and no one bugged me.

*dons hermit hat*

Everyone hates CPAs even when they're trying to help - why the **** do I want to be one?
I'm pissy now, sorry. I don't have the desire to eat which is good. I wouldn't mind sitting in a dive bar with by pal Jack D and some smokes though.

Grats Billie!!!

I am sick. Blargh.

I love my CPA. She is a rockstar. Not enough incentive for me to want to be one.

I am with you on the dive bar. I want to run away.

Heather - I don't hate CPA's. I love them. Of course, you're the only one I "know." :D

Jo - Hope you feel better quickly.

I love my soup.

I've been making a great soup. Found it on 3fc. broccolli cheese soup. seriously yummy. made with lower fat cream cheese. and toooons of veggies. and broth. and some salsa or white pepper, depending on my mood. pureed with immersion blender.

O. M. G.
have it on the stove right this minute :)

Yay Billie!
Feel well Jo.
Heather, you can tell'em to go stick it (after you hang with Jack ;))

I must get out of this part of my house. was super OP, had just the right cals, and then inhaled about 300cals of well it's here and I'm here food.

will enter kitchen ONLY to finish soup. will not loiter in kitchen.

have a good night.

Broccoli cheese soup seems to be the soup du jour. I had potato kale soup for dinner which was yummy (Veganomicon recipe - highly recommended, though up the soy milk and garlic, then stick a smidge of earth balance in your bowl when serving - yummmm).

Eating has been pretty much OP for two days now, huzzah. Had another fight with the little devil on my shoulder telling me how much I wanted fast food for dinner and emerged victorious once more.

My friend from grad school is coming for a visit - her plane lands in about an hour. She and I had a VERY enabling relationship with food when she was here for school - I put on 20lbs in a year in her presence (not to blame it on her, but we both enabled each other's poor decisions). I used to complain about her on 3FC a LOT, actually. She's a great person but I am a little worried about the food-enabling. Just have to keep telling myself, I am not the same person I was a year ago with respect to food, I'd kind of like to keep off the 30lbs I've lost since then.... Doesn't help that when we were talking about what to do she listed off the restaurants she wanted to eat at again.

So I have compromised and picked 3 restaurants for four days (a dinner, a lunch, a brunch), all of which I can make healthy choices at as far as I know. Remaining meals will be at home. And no matter what, no dessert when eating out! We'll see how it goes!

Now I want soup.

Jaime -- I hope you have fun with your friend. Great idea planning ahead, I think that can really help you stay on track in general!

Lucy - I wish someone would lock my kitchen except during meal times!
Jaime - Way to go on the planning. You're tough and can beat the enabling!


This past week has been the suck for me foodwise and exercise wise. Since I have the race tomorrow I'm just going to walk with the dogs but kicking up the exercise next week.

Menu-
Break - Taco, soyrizo, romaine, tomato, onion, avocado, salsa
lunch - snobby joes and butternut squash
snack - apple
dinner - stuffed kabocha

Heather - Hope you enjoy your race.
Jo - How are you feeing today?
Jaime - When you last hung out with your friend, did you cook like you do now? She might be in for a very pleasant surprise if you cook some of your favorite recipes for her.

Last evening, we went out for sushi. I looked up the calories before I left and I stayed on-plan. I had no feelings of entitlement for being on-plan for 22 days. We stopped at Wallyworld on the way home and that was tough. The end aisles are packed with Valentine's Day candy. I told Paul to show me how much he loves me with jewelry and leave the candy sitting! :D

Yesterday, some men were clearing out the vacant lot next door and cut our business phone line. The phone company said they will have it fixed before 6pm today. I just might have a quiet day.

I'm sure that deep down it just breaks your heart.

Jaime - Rhonda has a very good point. I would try to make as many cool dishes as you can from home. If she just wants to get 'out' then you can take her for a run/walk or maybe still sneak in some gym time.

I don't hate CPA's, I just don't like this guy (He just has no manners or common sense). His help is welcome, but not when it's stopping me from getting my end of the year stuff done. That is what I had the problem with. I would LOVE it if you were the CPA over here! :hug: You want to be one so that you can be a CPA that people like. :D To be honest I think now that I have the other job lined up I'm having a bit of short timers attitude about being here and all I want to do is get my job done so I can move on. I don't want my pissy-ness (yes I just made up that word LOL) to rub off on you. :( Have a great time at your race tomorrow! YOU WILL DO GREAT!

I hope you feel better soon! :hug:

Great job kicking the :devil:'s butt! Planning ahead for your friends visit is a great idea! Way to go! :carrot:


Sorry about the pissy mood yesterday, I think I'm better today. ;) I decided to just spend all day today getting everything the CPA dude needs from me, that way I can have next week clear to do what I need to do for the end of the year. Shockingly I haven't turned to food. I'm hoping it's not a fluke, but I'm just amazed that I have held it together. I even exercised for 45 min on the Wii Fit last night.