Jaime-They are going to love you!! I'll keep my fingers crossed just in case.

Heather-I'm the same way . . . I hate not being in control. Good luck tomorrow and just do your best.

Lucy-Way to go!! Being POP is awesome!!


It's Day #12 OP. :D Eating my weight control oatmeal with bananas and a little skim milk right now. Having left over spaghetti for lunch with the whole wheat garlic toast I made last night.

It's killing me waiting to hear back from this other job! I will need to guys if I don't get this job because I just know it will try to send me in an eating badly frenzy and I do not want that to happen.

That negative thinking is what led me to be 44 years old and 230 pounds. We all need to make a decision to control our lives and not let our lives control us. I think you will get the job. But, if for some crazy reason you don't, I know that you can handle that with grace and control.

Morning girls :)

I did my strength training workout yesterday. Took me an hour to do all the exercises and stretches after that. The only place hurting today is my upper chest. Dinner was OP which is always good. I still don't know what's wrong with our sleep schedule. It hasn't been right since the DST if I remember it correctly. I am not getting enough quality sleep. :cry:

Oh I started using real sugar for coffee since yesterday. Since I drink only 1 16-20oz cup in the morning I figured I'd give it a try. As long as I account for the sugar calories it should be all good. I'll try it for few weeks and see if I notice any changes. I still use Davinci SF french vanilla syrup in coffee so I'm not completely off artificial sweetner but taking baby steps. Any thoughts?

Jaime, I hope you get the apartment. Good luck with the landlord. Oh btw the spreadsheet I sent you has a typo I meant sets instead of reps :).

Jen, awesome on staying OP :). And when the moment arrives where you are feeling down and looking for food to comfort you just remember how wonderful it feels to stay OP and how much effort you have put in to stay healthy. And remember that food will only make you feel good for that brief moment and then the guilt and other feelings later will make you sad. Then you turn to food again for the brief moment of high...and hence the vicious cycle never ends. You don't want to go back, do you? So find another way to vent your frustrations and feeling down moment. Hence, right now (when you're feeling good) is the time to find a hobby or something to do if the moment of weakness hits you. And good luck for the position. I hope you get it. :)

Rhonda, great job on staying OP. And yes today definitely schedule some treadmill time.

Heather, I hope things move soon. I hate it too. I usually drink more water. And umm...scales could be up cuz of this issue.

Jo, Sorry, you've said you're a data person and hence would be checking your BP the right way :). I hope you get over the fear soon. I know long time ago I used to check mine randomly and few times a day until I read stuff on it. At the moment I have stopped checking mine but I'm trying to figure out what time of the day would be best for me. And the scale is evil.

Billie, woohoo! on the scale moving downwards. And I don't like cottage cheese either.

Have a wonderful OP day everyone :D

Anna - Bravo on good food day. Have a carrot. :carrot: And potatoes/beans are grainy? That's the last word I'd use to describe them. Interesting.

H - granola is dangerous. SM makes really good homemade granola that is low-fat, but low-fat doesn't mean jack when I can (and will) eat 3c in a sitting. And TOM could explain the backed upedness. Bodies are weird and gross.

Billie - 50 cals over isn't too bad. You'll balance it out in no time.

Rhonda - CALL THE PHARMACY. Don't keep making yourself feel crummy. Get the damn meds. Feel better.

Jo - just a PB ban, or all associated nut butters as well? Hurray for downward movement again, however small!

Jen - I agree with Rhonda. Don't let yourself turn to food. Food won't help. Eventually you WILL have to learn to deal with stress and disappointment without food, and that is tough. But you might as well start trying now. I hope you find out about the job ASAP!

Anjuli - Thanks for the spreadsheet. I figured the rep/set thing was wrong, as it didn't make sense to just do 1 rep of an exercise! Glad you got your workout in. I haven't tried it yet. I guess I missed where you said you were going off artificial sweetener. There are lots of natural sweeteners that are not cane sugar (as I'm sure you know). Baby steps are good, I hear artificial sweetener withdrawal can be a btch!


Today's plan -
B: lf oat bran muffin
L: chicken salad w/celery on wasa bread, pear
S: undecided - yogurt perhaps
D: Beans and rice

Anybody want to come visit me once I get this job?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7823812.stm

I saw a blurb about this job early this morning on CNN. That's going to be an incredible experience for somebody.

I bet they pick a hot, young dude -- somebody we want to watch surfing, diving, swimming, sailing, etc. And I'll bet he has an accent, also.

Oh damn, that sounds like an awesome job. Soooo wonderful :) . If only I could swim :p

Jaime, I just decided this weekend to go off artificial sweetners. I didn't know there was a withdrawal issue with artificial sweetners. Great! Well, if you guys see me behave more weirdly than normal then you know what's the problem :D . It will be a while before I completely go off them but its a step in the right direction I think. I'm trying to stick with low calorie natural sweetners.

Did you attach a link? If so, it's gone by now.

Jaimie- you had me thinking this was what you were referring to in your earlier posts! If only!!

Jo-if Jaimie doesn't get the job then a fine looking dude will do.

Jen-12 op days is a feat. Cool. I'm starting off on day2. I sidestepped a pastry platter so far. Re:reactionary eating- first, I hope you get the job and it is a non issue. I can often see off plan landslides coming so I have been trying to gear up for them as of late. Whatever works...;)

Rhonda- call the pharmacy.

Anna, 4 year olds are delish!

Billie, I cannot get over that the next closest ups is a 40 mile trip. Wow! Thank goodess you got the 411.

Pinto, I have been thinking about art. sweeteners but have made no changes. Please update about withdrawal!

Later,
Lucy

Heather, good luck at thhat lunch. It's prob happening right about now!

Running with kid stuff rest of the day-

I'm fighting the battle attacking DH's bacon. For some reason I am being drawn to it. The only thing I can think is PMS related. I CRAVE meat usually. I know I am weird. I am sure you guys have done horrible things to it above and beyond what was done during its life and processing.

The only other thing right now that sounds good is mac and cheese. It is one of my comfort foods. Another reason I am thinking PMS. My cycles are messed up though so I won't know until it starts. I am going to raid the pantry in a few minutes and come up with a lower cal alternative.

I think if Jaime is pulling that kind of salary taking care of the island she can afford to fly us all down for a few weeks.

Lucy - Want two more 4 year olds? I've got a set up for grabs.

I'm baaack!

Anna, delighted that you had a positive church going experience and took the family too!

Artificial sweeteners...BAD, BAD, BAD for you! Very smart to give them up! Some of the withdrawals I've heard about come mostly from sodas, finding a replacement beverage, which doesn't sound like your issue? Stevia, agave syrup, & xylitol are alternatives we've tried. We stick to stevia or real sugar for the most part now. Read up on excitotoxicity if you want to strengthen your resolve to ditch the chemical sweeteners.

I am no help with bacon cravings, alas...it has an evil pull and must be banned.

I am going to treadmill, that is at least something positive I can do for myself today.

I had potatoes for dinner last night thanks to you all I am sure, an insatiable need pulled me to them when I got home ;)

thanks, but no thanks :D for the first time ever, I looked at a baby and felt NO PANGS of awww, I could use another one!!-- even a girl baby ;)
done. fishished. finito :)

Glad it's moving down.

Look at you OP!! :carrot: What time are you doing the treadmill? I want it on your outlook calendar.

Food isn't going to make you feel better no matter what happens. *****ing whining and moaning are better ways of dealing. So is breaking a sweat. But doesn't matter because you're going to get it!! :D

I'm not really sure that you'll notice any changes? I don't use artificial sweetners but noticed no difference when I gave it up, you know except the chance of cancer and god knows what else decreasing. A tsp of sugar has only 15cals - totallly worth it.

Visit ****, I'd move.

Lunch was fine. Salad came with cheese, I made dude get me a new one since they even had on the label with my name "no cheese". Dur. Oh well one of the admin staff who is a vegetarian got it. Sigh, I keep trying to convince her to go vegan but thus far a big FAIL on that front.

Bacon is nasty and I wouldn't get close enough to it to do anything gross to it. Get the Lightlife brand or get tempeh and make your own.

About damn time. Potatoes are gooooood. And go go go on the treadmill.

Lunch is totally not going to keep me more than an hour or so. So unsatisfying.

Have not heard back from new apartment people yet, I am incredibly impatient! I need to be able to plan, people! In fact, I have a guy lined up who really wants my current place, and he's coming over tonight! I need to be able to say with certainty that I have a new place or no!