Afternoon all.

It was a busy morning for me. I worked on the budget and then walked the boss through it all - took much longer than the one hour he allotted for the meeting, but now he knows what I do for that, and we made several adjustments on the spot. I finished with the rest of it after the meeting, and now I just finished eating a late lunch.

I missed both of the two WW meeting times that were options for me today. There's a meeting at noon tomorrow I can go to.

It's bf's birthday today. It will be up to him to go out to dinner tonight or tomorrow night.

It feels like today is a Friday, but alas it isn't. At least the day is going by quickly.

==
Michelle - I hope the WordPress workshop is helpful. That's really bad news your friend got. :( I will keep him in my prayers. I'm glad your trainer is aware of your back issues and will watch that during your sessions.

Happy - I guess you won't see this for a while, assuming you're enroute to your mom's as I type this. Hope you're having safe & smooth travels. Enjoy the time with your mom.

Shad - You sound busy as heck! Whose blood are you cleaning up and whose bandages are you changing - yours or kitty's???!!! Bummer about the phone - everything just goes to heck while you're gone??? At least the hair appointment went well. Speedy recovery wishes to DS. Yay for the weight loss!!! Must be all the gardening! :flow1: I bet you're having a ball now that you can get your hands back in the dirt. :D I'm doing some pushups, but not doing an official challenge at the moment. Just trying to not be such a sloth since the sum total of my weekly exercise lately has been one Jazzercise class. Today I managed 13 knee pushups.

Ceejay - Have you figured out who's adding stuff to the computer? Maybe that's what was causing the popups?? Is today your Friday??

Hellos to Terra, Susie & Annie!! :wave:

That's it for me! TTFN!

Good morning ladies,

I just found out late last night that a dear family friend passed away. Very sad. He was in his 80s though, and his health had been failing the past 6 months so his passing was not unexpected Hard to believe he's gone though...he was always the life of the party. For my dad's milestone birthdays (50, 75 and some in between) this man would dress up in costume and jump out of a cake! He was always quick with a joke and a laugh, and he was very kind and caring as well. I'm going to miss him. I'm going to the viewing on Sunday. The funeral is Monday morning and I'm not sure I can take time off work to attend, with my vacation coming up in 4 weeks, I don't have any vacation time to spare right now.

The WordPress workshop went well. After the instructor went through his presentation, there was time left and he asked if anyone wanted to demonstrate their WordPress site. Since my company's site uses a lot of cool WordPress plug-ins and functionality, I volunteered.

After that was acupuncture and then I went to the gym. I only rode the bike for 1/2 hour though...but better than nothing.

Not going to get to the gym today. I'm picking Bob up after work and we're going out to dinner and then I'm dropping him off at his parents and I'll be getting together with some women friends.

==============================

Laura - Glad you got the budget sorted with your boss. Happy belated b'day to your bf. Did you go out to dinner last night or will you tonight? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Pretty quiet around here...so I'll check back in later today to see what y'all are up to.

Much love,

Michelle ~ Yeah I wish I could of got 10 for the dvd but I hope I have better luck on Craig's List, I didnt make it 30 mins, I have to work up to it but I will.

Laura ~ Thats cool that your like Kabob's also, We just made white chicken chili on Wed. night and that is a recipe I got from school, We made it in the first cooking class I joined, Not the one Im in now, The meal turned out really good.

CJ ~ I've been a member for my cooking class for awhile now.

Shad ~ Im glad you like the new thread title, I hope we all burn up calories this month too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up at 8:00 AM this morning. So far today I've let Clyde outside and I've taken my pills, I have also cleaned my tube and mask and thats all I've done today. Im gonna do laundry today and do my 5 mile walk tonight and thats all my plans for today. Im Bummed, Im back in the 290's....Grrrr.....Oh well I'll just have to try harder.

Afternoon all. Happy Friday! Still doing some more tweaks to the budget info, and I also submitted my input for our department’s July report. The boss is under the gun today – trying to finish up the budget data and get it to his boss before he’s out next week for meetings/vacation. I have a feeling the tweaking will be going on all day. Also had a meeting that ran into the time for my ww meeting, so I guess I'm just going to miss this week.

==
Michelle – So sorry for the loss of your family friend. :( He sounds like he was a great person to know. You had a busy day yesterday, and another one today. Your posts make me tired just reading them! :faint: Enjoy your weekend.

Terra – White chicken chili sounds tasty. I’ve heard of it before, but never made it. Ever since my bf found an award-winning chili recipe, he’s used that one. I don’t even make the chili in our house anymore! Get back on track with the exercise and eating and your weight will go down again. That’s the big lifelong struggle – keeping at the good habits the vast majority of the time and not letting the bad ones take hold again. In my ww meetings, even the lifetime members (who’ve made goal and maintained their weight) say it continues to be a struggle. Just know you’re not alone in this!! :hug:

++

After work last night I picked up the book “Gone Girl” from the library – it’s the next book for book club. The movie version of this book is coming out this fall, so I’m looking forward to reading the book first.

Bf and I went out to eat at the restaurant I went to for the fundraiser wrap-up party the other night. They have an extensive beer list and small $1 samples, so we tried several. Two of the three I tried I enjoyed - Crispin Pear cider and Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat. Bf and I each had a cup of soup, and we split a sandwich and truffle fries between us. It was nice not to fill up, because we both wanted to eat the slices of birthday cake my sister sent home with us last weekend. She made a really delicious carrot cake for my birthday.

This weekend I will go to Jazzercise class on Saturday morning and then meet a friend for a late breakfast. Nothing else planned. BF is having a friend over on Saturday evening, and on Sunday he’s going to a car show with some friends. I plan to spend some time doing yardwork over the weekend. I need some new sneakers, so I might go out and try on some of the Brooks brand shoes since I hear they're very supportive.

That’s it for me! Everyone have a great weekend!! ;)

Terra - Laura is right about getting back on track with eating and exercising. Portion control is key, as well as tracking. I track what I eat on MyFitnessPal, even when I'm not making the best food choices, so I can clearly see what foods I need to do a better job of limiting. It also helps me see that if I want to eat the (insert high calorie food here), I'll have to do so many minutes of exercising to balance it out.

Laura - Your dinner last night sounds yummy. I've never heard of truffle fries. Those beers sound mighty tasty. Have a great time at Jazzercise tomorrow and at breakfast with your friend.


I'm having the munchies today. I really wanted something crunchy, but thankfully I have a couple apples that I usually save for the afternoon snack, but I cut one up and it seems to have satisfied the need to crunch. I'll have lunch in about 90 minutes. Unfortunately, since I'm not going to have time to workout today and since I'm going out to Chinese food tonight with my friend Bob, I'm going to go over my calorie allotment for the day. :-( I'll just make sure to get to the gym tomorrow and Sunday for at least 45 minutes. These last 11 pounds are being quite stubborn, and I just can't have that. I want to have surgery in November before Thanksgiving, which means I should try and get these pounds off by the end of this month (or mid-September at the latest). And yes, if I have surgery before Thanksgiving chances are I won't be able to eat most of the yummy Thanksgiving foods....but I'd like to visit my sister and relatives in Southern California for Christmas...and the doctor doesn't approve of travel for the first 4 weeks post op, which means a pre-Thanksgiving surgery (just gotta lose the pre-op weight).

Hi Everyone. I am not a happy person right now with my weight. I went to TOPS last night and I thought "I am going to be down; I have been watching my food, eating in my calorie range, on the treadmill" and the scales showed a 4 lb gain!! :(:mad::?: I just couldn't take it. I left after I weighed and when home and cried. I just don't understand.

It has taken me a lot to come post this. I am mad, hurt, depressed, feeling unmotivated. I know I will get back on the tract because I can't stay at this weight...I just can't! But I have no energy for it right now.

Any advice...how do I get through this "BLAH" feeling?

Susie - Sorry about the gain. A few questions...is it at or near that time of month? Have you been eating a lot of foods high in sodium? Restaurant foods, pizza and processed/packaged foods have a lot of sodium. Have you been drinking enough water? (caffeinated beverages don't count toward fluid intake, and diet sodas have a lot of sodium).

Are you eating any of the calories earned while exercising?

I would suggest keeping up with the tracking, even if you have a bad eating day, track everything, then you might be able to see where you want/need to cut back.

Also, is your MyFitnessPal set up for a certain daily calorie allotment or a number of lbs per week goal? Try and go for a lower calorie allotment or a higher number of pounds per week.

One other question...I'm not sure what percentage of your food is carbs versus protein, but I have heard that unburned carbs turn into fat...at least that's what a doctor once told me.

Have you been under a lot of stress at work or home? Stress causes our bodies to produce cortisol which is our body's fight or flight hormone, that causes us to hang on to calories in case we need it to fight or flee from the threat causing the stress or in case there's danger of a famine.

As for the "Blah" feeling...just take the scale as information...it's just feedback. Even when you're doing everything right and there's no way to improve, sometimes our body just holds on to calories/weight.

I can almost guarantee that if you keep exercising, don't eat the calories earned by exercise, eat a higher percentage of lean protein and veggies and fewer carbs, and limit sodium, you should see the weight come off over time.

One last thing...are you sure the scale was set to "0" before you stepped on? Just a thought.

Total attack of the munchies...except this time I really feel hungry. I was just about to try and justify in my head why I "deserved" to purchase some of those yummy shortbread cookies from the vending machine, and then I remembered I have even more yummy (or differently yummy) Quest protein bars in my desk. Almost the same amount of calories, but at least the protein bar has 20 grams of protein and lots of fiber to balance out the carbs. While I would've preferred to avoid these calories all together, at least it's better than the cookies' empty calories. *Bummed that I don't have time to hit the gym today to burn off some of these calories.*

Morning all,
Just a brief post before I go out in the garden again. I have some timber sleepers to cut and fashion into garden beds. That should make my garden easier to manage since I don't seem to be about to keep to a straight row in the normal garden and then can't find the carrots or the onions or whatever.
DS2 came over for dinner last night. Neither of us could finish the dinner. Never the less I am up today on the scale. :cry: Still just have to hitch up the pants and get on with life.

Susie - so sorry to hear that after all the effort, you are up again. DO NOT GIVE UP. Much as we try it is not going to all come off in one go. It didn't go one in one day, so why should it come off in one day. Just keep going. Keep exercising, watch portions, drink the water. Ensure you get enough sleep and balance your life. Once you get all the things of a good life in balance - health, wealth, spiritual, physical, etc. then you will find the answer. It is never easy.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...evergiveup.jpg

Michelle - get your fingers out of the snack machine. It isn't good for you. Those 11lbs will always be the hardest of your life and feeding the munchies won't help.

Laura - pity you had to miss weighin, but you will no doubt make sure you get there this coming week. Happy birthday to B/f.

Okay - better get on with it. Otherwise today will slip away from me and I will achieve little. I'd like to take a trip to the mountain tomorrow - day off from the hedge, the garden, the house, the car, the cat and the cleaning and clearing. I'll be back.

Will call my uncle in a few minutes to tell him I'm not coming this week end. I just am not in the mood to drive that far. Plus I'll need to go next week end for the concert.
With the furniture gone I do have more space in the living room. Was busy rearranging the furniture yesterday.
Thunder woke me up early this morning around 5.30 and we've had more rain this afternoon. We were beginning to need it. It's supposed to rain sometime during the day through out Tuesday.

--------
Susie
Don't let this weight gain get you down as Michelle said there are a lot of factors that could have caused it. Sodium is my worst enemy.

Shad
So you are back home and in the garden and getting things done around the house.

Michelle
I'm very proud of you for taking the "bull by the horns" on your weight loss. I didn't realize that your surgery was scheduled for November. Sending good vibes to your friend Bob.

Laura
You are a busy girl. What is truffle fries?

Happy
Have a safe trip

Laura ~ Yeah, The white chicken chili was very good but it was a little on the spicy side due to the seasoning packet my mom added to it, She added 4 packets cause she double the recipe but it was just too spicy for me so I cant wait until she makes it again, She said next time she isnt gonna add as many seasoning packets so hopefully it wont be so spicy next time.

Michelle ~ Yeah I track on my fitness pal also, I walked outside Monday Morning trying to do 30 mins but since its been awhile since I have walked outside I could only do 1 time up the street and back to my house when usually I could do it 4 times in a row but I'll just try harder.

Susie ~ I went from 284 back up to 293 so I have gained also so your not the only one :), Im here if you want to talk since right now we are in the same boat. We just have to try harder.

checking in early. don't have that much to do today, except rest and relax. I am going to finish decluttering in the spare bedroom. I had moved most of the small stuff in there to get it out of the way of the workers who put down the new flooring. I still have a lot of things to go through before I move out of the apartment next year. And move to Missouri. I also have a lot of questions for my sister.
I need to plan out a menu for next week. Think I will go with the whole foods. That seems to work best for me. I'm going to keep it simple.

Terra
One walk down the street is a good start to getting back on track. If we didn't have so many young hagglers on my street I would do that. I may start going back to the gym. I'm thinking very seriously about it.

Thank you everyone for all your support and advice. It took me a couple of days but I have my head back on straight and my mind set is back in place.

Michelle: Good for you for not getting those cookies. What you deserve is to be at a healthy weight and to feel good about yourself. Those cookies can not do that for you.

Terra: I'm sorry that you have gained back some weight. You are right, we just need to try harder. We can both DO THIS! I am here for you too!

Shad: Thanks for the advice and the picture. I printed it out and put it in my dairy (that I had not been using but am back to it....writing and reflecting helps me to balance.

Ceejay: Did you get your menu planned out for the week?

Laura: How is your weekend going? did you get to try on the new shoes and did you buy any?

Hi to Happy and Annie.

Morning all,
The best laid plans of mice and men go astray, as they say. Seems that I am going to have to plan my activities and plans for the house around the times that my friends and family work and have my weekends free for 'other activities'.

Hope Happy got away alright on her trip to Chicago and Mum. No doubt we will hear from her at some point.

Susie - good to hear that you are back and stronger than ever to get this weight off. With you and Terra being 'buddies' it should help to plan the war on weight. Maybe swap menus from time to time and critique each others food. Always helps.

Ceejay - Good for you to decide not to drive all that way every weekend. For those of us who work, there is a need to have a bit of ME time during weekends. And driving is not always a pleasure these days.

Hope Michelle is not munching. Maybe she is enjoying the weekend. And Laura is no doubt celebrating the B/F birthday. Have fun whatever you are doing.

So my weekend is over. I have been out to dinner with friends, had the DS2 over for dinner and regained a bit of weight. Need to try harder too, Today, I need to get over to the DS2's place and pick up some bits and pieces to get on with the garden beds. Apart from the other stuff I need to do, I want at least one of them in place today. The plants I bought wont sit in the punnets for much longer.

So having said that, have a good day. Think before you eat. Ask yourself do you really want to add that whatever to your food diary. Drink the water and get on with the exercise.

CJ ~ Yeah I think walking down the street and then coming back to my house is a start to getting back to walking outside, What are haggles? Just wondering.

Susie ~ YES!!!!! We CAN do this, I believe in the both of us.

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I woke up at 6:00 AM this morning just an hour later then I had planned. As always I got all of my morning duties done. Im currently eating breakfast before I do my 2 mile walk with my Leslie Sansone DVD. Im also gonna do a 1 mile walk at noon and then I'll do my 2 mile walk again later on tonight so then I'll have my 5 mile walks in before I go to bed tonight so thats good. Im also looking forward to going to Walmart today at 2:30 pm. We are gonna do some food and non food shopping.

Good Monday morning ladies,

I had a busy weekend, and it went way too fast. And I've got a big graphic design project to finish up that I've barely started because I'm having trouble with a few of the key elements.

Anyway, I hope we all have a great week! Just as an FYI, my weight loss surgery isn't scheduled yet. It won't get scheduled until I'm at or within 5 lbs the goal weight the surgeon set for me. And then I absolutely HAVE to be at the surgery weight or below by the time of the operation. I'm hoping for November, which means, I'd better get these stubborn pounds off.

I'll try to check in later.

Much love to all,

Morning all. Sorry I was MIA over the weekend. No reason for it except I hate to sit at the computer after I’ve done that all week long. :shrug:

It was a nice weekend, but not productive. I went to Jazzercise class Saturday morning. Breakfast with my friend was cancelled because her cat was very sick and she needed to take him to the vet. :( I did some laundry, swept the 3-season room, and that was about it. It was a beautiful day, so I did some reading in the 3-season room as well as outside in the yard. I also took doggy to the dog park. Bf had a couple friends over, but I was wiped out (Jazzercise did it) and hit the hay early.

Sunday was more lounging – reading the paper, reading my book. A couple more loads of laundry. Sewed on some buttons. Dog walk. Ho hum.

==
Michelle – Truffle fries are really truffle oil fries, and truffles are some sort of mushroom, so they give the fries a really rich flavor. I’m not a huge fan of French fries and usually seek a substitute for them, unless they're seasoned nicely, and these fries were yummy. I hope you did okay with the Chinese food on Friday – it can certainly be a calorie bomb since the American stuff is all about gravies and sauces, as well as deep-fried stuff. And let’s not get into the sodium content! You’ve certainly considered the timing of the surgery carefully, so I hope you can get those 11 pounds off so the surgery can be scheduled as you want it. And then you have to make sure you stay at the weight by surgery date – not too much pressure! :stress: Re the snacking…when you’re truly hungry, it’s easier to justify “I need to eat something” – be it a junky something or a healthier something. All weekend I was jonesing for something chocolate, but there was nothing in the house. Same for salty junk. I ended up eating Laughing cow with a few crackers, and some almonds - could have been worse. But why wouldn’t I choose watermelon or a hard boiled egg? Sigh. It’ll always be a struggle. That’s all there is to it. But we won't give up!!! :no:

Susie – Sorry the scale wasn’t kind to you, but I agree with the others. There can be many reasons for scale fluctuations. One I don’t think I saw mentioned was the muscles holding onto the weight after they’ve been worked hard, so maybe the walking and your other activity caused that. Regardless, it’s discouraging when you’ve been doing the right things. Like Shad said though – never give up!!! Get back on the scale this Thursday and keep plugging along. Re the shoes – nope, didn’t get out to even try any on. Shopping isn’t one of my favorite things to do.

Shad – Yes, I will get to a WW meeting this week. You were making me tired just reading about all you were doing!!! Did you get a chance to get away from the house/garden yet??

Ceejay – Nice you decided to stay home this weekend, especially if you want to make progress with your decluttering project! My mother is still working on getting my brother’s house in shape to sell (not by herself –she’s getting help), and then she’ll be working on her own house. She’s got a lot of decluttering in her future… So I have the same question as Terra – who are these hagglers on your street and what is it they want with you??? Must be annoying for you to not want to go for walks in your neighborhood.

Terra – That’s something I don’t like about cooking – the first time you try a recipe, it might not be exactly to your taste, so you have to tweak it a bit the next time. I always try to take notes so I can refer to them the next time. How did the walking go over the weekend? There’s definitely a difference between doing indoor walking and outdoor walking. Outdoors, you might not even realize there’s a slight incline making it more challenging for you - until you compare it to an indoor routine. Keep at it and make sure you’re challenging yourself!!

Hi Happy – Hope you’re enjoying your visit w/ your mom.

Hi Annie!! :wave:

==
Where did the morning go? :?: I got interrupted with a request from the boss and it took me longer than I thought. Oh well, makes the day go by faster. :)

Everyone have a great day.

Laura - Glad you had a nice weekend. So sorry to hear about your friend's cat. I hope it's doing better now. To answer your question, I asked my friend Bob if he'd mind if we went to Applebees instead since I knew they had a lighter menu and it would be easier for me to eat within my calorie budget there. He's totally supportive and wants to help me lose the pre-surgery weight, so he didn't mind at all.

Hi Everyone. I needed a moment of me time..so I'm taking a short break at work.

I woke up this morning to pain in my left foot...not the one that hurt in the spring that was the right foot.

This one is painful in my instep. Not sure what is going on but it is hard to walk. It might be from the walking as I have been going at a good clip on the treadmill--4.2 miles an hour for the most part. DH thinks I bruised my instead. So I'm icing it, and will do a gentler walk or a walk away the pounds DVD tonight and then ice again. I don't know what the heck is up with my feet! :?:

Laura: It sounds like you had a nice weekend. You got a few things done and also relaxed. YES, you WILL make it to the WW meeting this week...I have faith in you.
I hope your friend's cat is doing ok.

Michelle: That is really nice that you could go to AppleBee's and that your friend Bob supported you in that way. I hope your graphic design project is moving along well.

Shad: I feel that my friends and family feel like I should keep my weekends open for them but with working I can't always do that. I loved the way you put it that "For those of us who work, there is a need to have a bit of ME time during weekends". I will be sharing that with them. ;)

You are very good with the pep talks..your "Think before you eat. Ask yourself do you really want to add that whatever to your food diary. Drink the water and get on with the exercise." quote is going in my diary.

Did you get your garden bed in place like you wanted to?

Terra: I like the way you have broke up the walking to get your 5 miles in. How was the trip to Walmart.

Happy: I hope you are having a great trip!

Annie: :hug: How are you doing?

Hello All....

Just had my 3rd interview at Wells Fargo....I think I aced this one as well.
Thinking I may get an offer before week's end or next early. EXCITED....feelling blessed and happy....still need prayers for a great result....thank you all for everything thus far.

SUSIE...sorry to hear you are having foot pain....nothing like it. We have to walk and when it gets difficult, everything is messed up. Hope it gets better soon.

LAURA...glad you had a nice weekend, but sorry about your friend's cat. Just hate it when our pets are sick cause they cannot talk and tell us what is going on. Sass went through a day of having to piddle every couple of hours, outside, on the kitchen floor and once on our bed. I made a vet appt. but my the time Monday rolled around she was fine. Weird. I think she has issues when I give her the Trifexa pill once a month.

CHELLE...I am praying for your weight loss and surger. Just one thing...and I mean it with all my heart, DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC drinks anytime after EVER.. Very addictive. You don't know how bad it is. Just sayin.

TERRA...how is the walking going...are you currently working??

SHADDIE...yeah...best laid plans by man...the saying I like best is...Man Plans, GOD laughs....my old boss used to say that. Seems true in my life.
Also like your never give up cartoon...fits me perfectly!!

LAURA...talking about beer samples. I went to a wine fest a few years ago and really enjoy this promegranit (sp) wine that I do not remember the brewery, dang it. But it was very tasty.

CEEG...sounds like your move to Missouri is getting closer and closer...good for you for decluttering and getting ready.

HAPPY...hope your visit is going well and your momma is not driving you nutso!!

Sissy's water heater is out, they cannot afford to replace it just yet so they have been coming here for baths and laundry. Cool for me I get to see the babes every day. I may try to come up for the money for a new ont, but up to them to get installed.

Baby Boy will be coming up for his birthday meal on the 23rd. He will be 26, where does time go. He wants my homemade pizza, breadsticks, and something strawberry for his celebration. Also serving salad with my ranch dressing. A veggie tray on the side.

Babysit over the weekend. The babes were at my house. Sis finally called at midnight and said she and Chris would be coming over and would just spend the night with us (due to water heater being out). It was very nice, however I missed church on Sunday due to the chaos and not getting to bed till 2 am, and to sleep at 3am... Fix breakfast and they didn't leave till about 3 pm. What fun and chaos.

Bout it for me, homemade chickie noodles and mashed tators for dinner, will think of some kind of veggie to serve with, probably greenbeans.

Make it a good week ladies.

Love and Hugs

Terra
To me a haggler is someone who makes smartelick (sp) remarks. These particular guys are young black guys. They watch my house most days. I'm not afraid of them. Just don't like them hanging around. Most people do not like city employee's and I do work for the city.

Michelle
Good choice with Applebee's. And nice that Bob didn't mind.

Laura
I love my sister's sun room. She has a deck at her condo in Branson. Sometimes we just need to chill out. I have that same problem with the sweet and salty things. I bought a lot of fruit this week end.

Susie
Bless you on the foot pain. I hope it is just bruised. Yes I did make out my menu. I did fairly well this week end. And so far so good today. I've chosen times to eat today and that's really helping.

Shad
Is work doing things around the house?

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Not much is going on in my neck of the woods.

You were typing above my head, Annie,
This job at Well's Fargo does sound very promising. I see those truck sometimes when I'm at the bank. I bet they have to be very particular on whom they hire for any position. Sending you good vibes. Sad about the hot water heater going out for your daughter's family.

I'm still so sad about the passing of Robin Williams. I think what gets me the most is that I've been there in deep despair and depression. A couple years ago, I was at a point in my life where I thought ending it was the only (or at least the best) option. There are no words to adequately describe it. So ever since I heard the news of his suicide, I keep thinking, there but for the grace of God go I, which makes me so sad for him...and so grateful to be alive.

I hope his passing serves as a catalyst to those suffering with depression or other disorders to get the help they need so they don't feel the need to leave this life.

I also hope his passing helps to life the stigma about addictions, depression and other mental health disorders. These are diseases and can be just as deadly as cancer or heart disease.

Morning all.

Ceejay – Re your "hagglers" – I agree with you - I wouldn’t be comfortable walking down the block if I had people hassling or heckling me.

Annie – Keeping you in my prayers that an offer is coming your way! Nice you’ll have your son over for his bday dinner – so nice that you make him the dinner of his choice. Sorry to hear about DD’s water heater going out. It’s always something, isn't it? Nice that you got to see the family, but I hope they’re able to have a new water heater installed soon. Big brother should help with that – he does plumbing work, right?? Next time you have a wine you like, you should take a photo of the bottle's label, or the name of it on the menu.

Susie – I hope your foot is feeling better today.

Michelle – So nice your friend Bob didn’t mind the change of restaurants. Good idea to go to a place that has lighter menu selections. Re Robin Williams – it’s so very sad. I hate to think of someone suffering like that and feeling that was the only way out. I’m so very, very happy you got through that horrible time and are enjoying life once again.

==

Nothing much to report. I worked on the mail basket last night and it doesn’t even look like I made a dent in it! :mad:

One of the movies I “voted” to see tonight was “Boyhood”. Now I learn it’s 2 hours, 45 minutes long!!!! Really??? Why does a movie need to be that long?? Answer – it doesn’t!! Anyway, I wish they’d chosen my other choice as the final – “Get on Up” – the one about James Brown. I’ll still go, and I’m sure it’ll be good, but I’m sure I’ll be ready for it to be over at the 2 hour mark.

Hi Everyone. The foot it a bit better today. When I got home last night I put it in the boot that I had for the other foot and that seemed to help a lot. I think it is just bruised and will take time, ice, and back to gentle walks or get to the work gym and use the bike.

I got on the scales this morning to see how I am doing since that big gain last Thursday and I was down 3.5 lbs so almost all of that 4 lbs is gone. I can smile about that and keep working at it. I would like to go on Thursday and have the 4 gone as well as 1-2 more. I am trying to not eat my exercise calories and also to eat in the middle of my calorie range. I think that it helping.

Annie: Praying, praying and praying for the Wells Fargo job. Sorry to hear about DD water heater issue. I went through that 3 years ago and it was expensive. Of course I had to have a special order water heater because mine is in a older home and is smaller and has to be for the "closet" it is in. I hope they can get it fixed soon but it sounds like it was a fun Saturday night/Sunday morning at your house!

Ceejay: Good for you for getting those menus planned and sticking with them!

Laura: I haven't even heard of the film that you are going to go see. It does seem like a long film. Get on Up was very entertaining and enjoyable...I hope you will get to see it sometime soon. How is your exercise/challenges coming along?

Michelle: It is so very sad about Robin Williams. What pain a person must be in to think that dying would be the best thing. Depression is real and it does hurt. I have watched my DH going through it and I experienced a bit of it after my dad died several years ago. It is awful to not feel like yourself and even when you try you just don't feel happy. It is a medical issue...your brain shows low levels of seriton (sp) and if anything else would be low in our bodies we would take something or do something to get them right; with depression there is this silence that is a very bad thing because really that persons body/mind is screaming for help and many times not heard.

Hi to Happy--I hope your visit is going well.

Hi to Shad!

Hi to Terra!

Ok..back to work for me. I will stop at noon for lunch..my stomach is telling me it is time and I'm giving it water and telling myself that perseverence is good for the soul! ;)

Susie - Congrats on the weight loss! :bravo: I'm glad to hear that the foot pain is easing up too.

Susie - Glad your foot pain has eased up. Good idea to baby it for a while until it's back 100%. Yay for the weight going back down - yup, probably something other than a true gain causing that fluctuation.

My exercise challenge - at this point it's just doing some pushups - is going fine. I'm almost able to do 15 knee pushups now.

Hellos to Happy, Shad & Susie!!

Laura - I haven't heard anything about "Boyhood". That is a LONG movie. Ugh. I've heard Get On Up was good. Good for you on doing the pushups!

CJ ~ Thanks for explaining what Hagglers are.

Susie ~ Hi to you too

Michelle ~ I was very shocked when I got on facebook yesterday and saw all of the R.I.P. Robin Williams messages, I cant believe he is really gone, He was a great actor and comedian, He will be deeply missed.

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I woke up at 7:30 this morning and I got ready for the day and then around 8:00 am, Mom,Scott and I left to go to his appt. and then after his appt. we went to pick up my mom's meds and then we went to cd trade post and then we went to Walmart cause we forgot some things when we were there yesterday and then we came home and now we are home for the day. I just plan to get at least 1 of my 2 mile walks done today and then I'll go for 5 miles on Friday.

Not much going on. I'm with the rest on the passing of Robin Williams. I liked all his movies/shows, his funny attitude, but who knew that he was suffering from depression.

Happy Birthday Michelle :balloons:

Susie
Glad your foot pain is better. Think you've given it to me, except mine is my bunion. Must be going to rain. Congrats that the scale is down too.

Laura
My exercise challenge is just try to exercise a bit every day. Last night I rode the bike for 15 minutes and did 10 minutes of toning. I'm a whimp. I can't even start out with 2 pound weights. UGH.

Shad, Happy and Terra
Hello :wave:

Ceejay - It's not my birthday (not until next month). But thanks for the good wishes. :D

CJ ~ Hello to you too

Michelle
For some reason my FB account has your birthday in august. I'll change it.
_____________
I'm pleased with my eating plan this week even though I stopped and bought a foot long cheese cony. I thought that the sodium content would put my body out of sinc but I eaten enough produce that's loaded in potassium this week to offset it, I hope. Plus I have exercised twice this week. Tonight I'm dong a Yoga DVD.

More later.

Morning all.

Ceejay – What’s a cony? Is that a hot dog? I still love hot dogs, but we have them very infrequently these days. A good garlicky kosher hot dog…yum. Good job with the exercise!! If you keep up with the toning workouts, you’ll eventually get to higher weights.

Hi Terra! How much walking did you get in yesterday? I have to get over to Walmart. I still haven’t bought a fresh battery for my pedometer!!!

Hellos to the rest of the Worldlies!! :wave:

==
I enjoyed the movie “Boyhood”. Ethan Hawke starred as the father, and I especially liked his performance. Yes it was a bit long, but didn’t feel quite as long as it is. It was really interesting to see the same young actors who played the son and daughter growing up over the years – that’s how it was filmed, over the years from age 6 to 18. Nice movie.

It was quite a contrast to get home and find bf and a friend of his watching the 2nd Hunger Games movie on dvd, with the booming audio coming through our sound bar, LOL. Different movies by 180 degrees for sure.

Tonight I’m attending a library program about advanced directives – getting your medical treatment preferences documented in the event you are unable to communicate them yourself. Should be informative. It was a late bedtime last night, so I hope I don't run out of steam by the time the program starts tonight.

That’s it for me. TTFN.

Hi Ladies,

It is quiet at work today and I LOVE it! I can actually think. I'm getting a lot of things cleaned up with my two managers gone this week. I do have a few meetings scheduled today and so that is breaking my concentration on what I want to get cleaned up but that is ok.

Tomorrow I will work for about 2 hours and then we have a offsite meeting with all of our Business Unit. It is a "fun meeting" where they will serve up lunch and there will be games to play and compete in. It's about a 40 min drive from our worksite and it is down on the river at a place called "The Sandbar". I think it would be fun to go there with friends, but I am not a fan of this sort of thing at work.

I don't like doing the physical games (and P&G is very much into that and very competitive). I might enjoy them if I was smaller and in shape? I usually try to find the least physical game and participate there..most likely it will be corn hole.

Terra: It sounds like you were busy yesterday! You have a good walking plan in place.

Ceejay: Sorry that your foot hurts too. A friend of mine had bunion surgery last year; she's really glad that she did it. She said her pain wasn't too much more than the pain she would have after walking distances.
Good for you for getting back to the exercise. It's ok to start small and build....you are being good to yourself and that is important.

Laura: I'm glad you liked the movie. I am interested in hearing about the topic you are going to find out about tonight.
:carrot: Yeah for you for being able to do 15 knee pushups! That is an accomplishment.

Hi Michelle, Shad, Annie and Happy!

Time for me to get back to work. I might not get here tomorrow but I will try.

I have TOPS tomorrow night so I'm anxious about what the "Official Scales" will say. Fingers crossed for a loss!

Happy Hump Day ladies,

I went to a weight loss surgery support group last night. It was interesting to hear about the successes and challenges. There were three other "pre-ops". One of the women at group who was 9 months post-op had hit a weight loss "stall" and was having issues with her body using her muscle tissue for energy because she was working out over an hour every day and not eating enough healthy carbs (veggies and fruit) for the body to use those as fuel. The doctors and nutritionists tell wls patients to "eat protein first", but sometimes, especially when newly post-op, your new stomach doesn't have room for much else after the recommended amount of protein is eaten. But by 9 months, she should have at least some room in her stomach to increase her healthy carb intake, and she may have to reduce the amount she exercises. I guess too much of a calorie deficit (between eating and exercise) causes the body to not only hold on to weight and, if not enough healthy carbs are consumed, cause the body to start to use/burn muscle tissue for energy rather than fat. I don't understand the why's of it all. I'll ask my niece the bariatric nutritionist next time I talk with her.

Tonight, I'm working with the personal trainer and then taking Santa to the dog park.

I've been finalizing my plans for my road trip to Washington and Oregon next month. I've got the car rented, the first three nights of lodging booked, and I'm working out with a friend to see if she can fly into Portland rather than me having to drive 2-3 hours out of the way to pick her up.

=========================
Ceejay - Great job on the exercising, and good for you for doing well on the eating plan. I don't eat hot dogs much anymore. How do you like the Yoga DVD?

Laura - I'm glad you liked the movie "Boyhood". From your description it sounds very nice. Interesting that they were able to use the same actors for the children as they grew up. Definite contrast to "Catching Fire" (the second Hunger Games movie). Good for you for attending a workshop on advanced directives. I have to fill out a form and get it on file with the doctor/hospital before my surgery. They also recommend that patients have their will made out. Those serious complications are extremely rare, but any surgery has risks, and it's better to be safe.

Susie - Glad you're having a quiet day. I don't like super physical "team building" competitions. I hope you have fun playing corn hole. The company I used to work at everyone was younger than me and wanted to do PaintBall or Xtreme Obstacle courses. I suggested bocce ball or going to a music festival. :rofl: Good luck at TOPS.

Terra - How are you doing with walking? How is the quilt coming along?

Hi Shad, Annie and Happy!!

Well, gotta get back to it!

Much love to all,

Yes
 

MY SISTER FRIENDS....

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, LOVE, PRAYERS, GOOD VIBES, THOUGHTS AND ALL THINGS CROSSED!!!!

I GOT THE JOB AT WELLS FARGO, START SEPTEMBER 8, AND MORE MONEY AND BETTER BENEFITS THAN HUMANA.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE AND HUGS

Congratulations, Annie!! I am over the moon happy for you!!! :woohoo: I know you will do great in your new position!! I'm so proud of you, girlfriend! Enjoy these next three weeks with the kids and grandkids.

Congratulations Annie. Well done. It's been a stressful time for you but now it is time to relax a little and enjoy the next chapter of your life. You go Girl!!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Can't stop now. On a roll in the garden. Time to get those plants in the ground and start thinking about the next medium sized project while working on the pros and cons of the next big project.

Laura ~ Yeah its alot challenging to walk outside then it is to walk to my Leslie Sansone dvd thats for sure.

Susie ~ My trip to walmart was good. Im glad how I broke up my walking to get my 5 miles in too.

Annie ~ The walking is going good, I just got back at it since gaining some weight back. Im currently looking for work. Congrats on the new job, Thats great.

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I woke up this morning at 5:00 AM, As always I got my morning duties done and I've already done my morning walking outside. I have to start watching for the bus at 11 AM and then I'll come back home at 3:30 pm. I'll be sure to get my evening walking using my Leslie Sansone DVD tonight though and thats all I plan to do for the day.