So we have been shifted to our new home. Thank you Suzanne.

Feeling fuzzy round the edges today and no it is not because the All Blacks lost. No I didn't tie one on. Some chick rang me at 20 to 6 this morning. Haven't been the same since :lol: No names, no pack drill.

So I have abandoned the list for the day. I have spent a couple of hours in the hammock, but it has got too hot out there now. So I may just have another siesta when I get off here. Which reminds me. That bloke has not brought my computer back yet. He said he would do it today. Time yet I suppose.

I have done some work today. I finished pruning the roses and the lavendar hedge. So I guess not all has been wasted. Yesterday I did my filing and I also burnt all the bits of paper that I can't send to the dump in case some idiot gets hold of my identity!!!! Life used to be so simple. The baddies wore the black hats and the goodies wore the white hats. Now they don't wear hats!

Simon and his mate came home from the B & S Ball a while back. They turned on the tv and fell asleep in front of it. Apparently they had a good time. B & S??? Batchelor and Spinster. There is also one from time to time called D & D (Desparate and Dateless) maybe I should go along myself.

Hang iin there Teel. There can be no better way to go than to go in your sleep. Just go to bed and never wake up. Hard on those left of course, but which ever way it goes, it is hard on those left. My Dad sat in a chair and never got up, my Mum lingered on and on and on and not to be too hard about it, I think both she and me were glad when she finally went. Still the void is permanent.

I see the shadows are creeping across the lawn, courtesy of neighbours big tree. Maybe I shall drag the hammock over to there and lay in it again.

Have a good sleep everyone, or a good day or whatever it is in your neck of the woods.

Ah yes, I see we've been moved to a new neighborhood. A little crowded, kind of like the city I'd say ;) but I'm sure we'll adjust.

Teel, my condolences on the loss of your friend. His pain is gone now, but it's always hard for those left around to handle and accept the loss. You and Edwina and her daughter will have to rally round each other and help each other through your grief. :grouphug:

I know what you mean Shad about the identity thieves. We can't burn, we have to shred. I am very uneasy about those things. So you are sitting and swinging in a hammock. Can I be more jealous???? Hammocks are just one of those wonderful things in life, kind of like Saturday naps. :love: We had a gale of a wind storm this week. Found the BBQ grill tipped up against the side of the neighbors fence. I raked the leaves in the yard the day before and they are all piled up against the corners of the house again. More to mulch my garden with. Have to get out tomorrow and make a nice winter's bed for my lily of the valleys, among a bunch of other things.

Yes, one more month of these classes. I am counting the days. The group is in total confusion with a high dose of apathy. I am doing the best I can and not worrying about that which does no good to worry about.

Spin class, eh Kellye? I used to watch the class when I was at the gym doing my thing on the stationery bike. Never thought I could make it through 5 minutes without keeling over. Spin class - if the others don't know about it is an organized program whereby you get on a thin racing bike (stationery mounted) and peddle like your life depended on it for 45 minutes to an hour. People walk out of there soaking wet when it's done. It's an incredible cardio burn and you either love it or hate it. Several people I talked to said they managed to maintain their weight or lose with just 2 spin classes a week and a light workout of stretches and weights. I think it's like jogging, once you get used to it, the adrenlene rush is addictive. It is hard on the bum and legs though, so much so they make special padded pants for spinning. Good on you Kellye if you can handle it!

I'm sure east of here in Amish land there is probably a class where the ladies of the community get together for a rousing spinning class that involves spinning wheels and yarn Shad. :lol:

We picked up take out dinner last night and stopped by the video store to rent a few movies. DH's TV program is about over and the movie is about to start so I'd best be going now. I try to take a break on Thursday and Saturday evenings - can't spend my whole life doing work, school and housework ;)

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Cute Joke
 

Was browsing the rest of the forum here trying to get re-aclimated to how things have moved around. Found a thread with some jokes. Thought this was cute... although you are going to have to explain the Australian shepard one to me. Circles???

How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb?


DEPENDS ON THE DOG:

Golden Retriever - The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb.

Border Collie - Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code and repaint the wall where you scuffed it in the dark, before moving on to the plumbing.

Dachshund - You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

Rottweiler - Make me.

Boxer - Who cares? I can play with my squeaky toy in the dark.

Lab. - Oh, me, me!!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeze, please, please, please pick me!

German Shepherd - I'll change it as soon as I've led everyone from the dark room, made sure no one was hurt, checked to make sure I haven't missed any, and made one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the dark situation.

Jack Russell - I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

Old English Sheep Dog - Light bulb? I don't see a light bulb, I don't see a lamp. Where am I? Where are you?

Cocker Spaniel - Why change it? If I pee on the carpet in the dark, I won't get caught till you step in it.

Chihuahua- Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

Pointer - I see it, there it is, there it is ..... right there......

Greyhound - It isn't moving..... Who cares?

Australian Shepherd - First, let me put all the light bulbs in a little circle.

Poodle - I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

THE PARROT - Shhhh! Now that it's dark, its my nap time.

THE CAT - Dogs do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is: How long will it be before I can expect some light, some dinner and a massage?



ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS...........CATS HAVE STAFF.

Love the joke Happy. However, shedding light (now there is a bad joke) on the Aussie Shepherd, the only thing I can think of is that he is like the Cattle Dog and the Kelpie a natural herder. He would round up all the light bulbs and then sort out the bad one.
Why - dunno. I have a dog that tries to herd up the kookaburras on the lawn and all the lawnmowers into a neat row. Sometimes even tries it with people.

But I do like the joke.

OH I lost that post and have to start again...:comp: ..:sumo: :rollpin: :sumo: :rollpin:

I have only two things to say having read your posts.....

1. YOU ARE ALL MAD!!!!!:lol: :crazy: :rofl:

2.Welcome to our new home!!I got lost oin the desert....(trying to get to the D & D Ball).


Shad you should have told that daft chick to s*d off and call back later and sort out the time zones across the universe. I am sure that if she has read your posts she now feels really guilty and would want to say sorry a thousand times.....:mad: :foot: :sssh: :sorry: :sorry:

Teel, if I thought that the chick didn't need to talk things through or to sort out a few things and/or I didn't have the time or inclination to chat then I would have said rack off buddy - time has not yet begun or something to that effect. However all things being equal it was good to catch up and talk about the birds and the bees!.

You had to love happy's joke - Holly must come somewhere between the Dachshundt and the Jack Russell terrier. Shad looked at me when I asked him why the Aussie Shepherd would round them up into circles and gave the canine equivalent of 'get a grip woman, of course they all have to be herded up first so that you can have a good go at the bad one. All must be controlled first. Don't you understand anything that I've taught you over the years?'

Back to work. Need to get finished and edited.

Hmm... perhaps I'll have to check out the joke section more often, good to bring a smile to people's faces.

What a weekend. Got a call on Saturday. DH's aunt out east fell at home. They took her to the hospital and while examing her found that she not only hurt herself in the fall but also has congestive heart failure AND colon cancer. She is being operated on Tuesday. Got a call from my cousin today, her mom got taken to the hospital with chest pains, looks like it is stress related - my uncle passed away earlier this year after a long illness and she has been depressed. Found out that my SIL is trying hard to hold up but she really suffers over the holidays missing my brother who passed away in 1998. She said she thought it would get easier with time but it really hits her hard over the holidays. I felt terrible for her and hope I never have to go through the pain and loss that she feels.

The class I'm in with the group project is a horrible mess. Things aren't working, things aren't getting done and all they want to do is point the finger of accusation at each other. No one wants to help FIX things. :mad: The workmen were supposed to be here Thursday, Friday and Saturday to finish the sanding and priming of the walls. No one showed up. The had BETTER be here Monday or I will go looking for them.

Now that I have gained a few pounds, I really feel it in my clothes. I am trying desperately to get on plan again tho finding it hard to work around the salts and carbs given food choices this time of year. I also realize that sitting and working at home each day, I NEED to get exercise in, no matter what. So I have vowed to dust off the Walk Away the Pounds tapes come tomorrow since my treadmill is buried under the rubble in the basement and won't be seen again for at least 3 weeks.

Oh and I have to read all of DH's mumbo jumbo from work as it is time to decide on our medical and dental insurance options for 2004. They have changed the plans and I have to read all sorts of pages and sift through things to decide on the right and most cost effective coverage for us. Like I have time for this. :no: :hyper: :stress:

I did read something in one of the journals, perhaps it was Miss Chris who said "... I realized that if I didn't spend so much time fighting it, this nasty task would be over alot quicker". What a revelation! So, I just plod through what I have to get done and yes, it does get done faster if I don't grumble over it.

I'd better get to bed now. Hoping the workmen don't come while I'm doing my marching to the tapes, otherwise they might wonder just what IS that lady doing up there to make the floor so squeeky :o

Hope you all have a good Monday.

Yay chickies we're back in business!
 

Oh what an awful time Suzanne must have had getting Humpty Dumpty put back together again. It's an I.T. nightmare what happened. But we are all back again safe and sound. :) Happy Day!!!!


I just hope this doesn't mean if we're restored back to 11/17 that I have to go through finals, Thanksgiving and Christmas all over again :yikes:

Oh goody, our little family is back together again. Oh happy day.

I just hope that Suzanne will be able to rest easy for a while. She has put in a tremendous effort for all of us.

How lucky she had that copy. See I knew it paid to save things in strange places. It's just a matter of remembering where all those places are.

No happy, you don't have to have or do all those things again. It's just a blip on the memory banks. You really were here, did that, said this and just was IYKWIM

Hope you saw my mail from Teel this morning. I'd best send her another tonight to let her know we are back together again.

Like the idea of pedalling around the world. Shall work out some routes tonight.

Not only was there the disaster of losing all the info on this site for the past 6 weeks, but notice that we are also lost the forum updates that Suzanne made the weekend before Christmas - no "quick reply" box at the bottom of the page. If I were Suzanne, I'd be tearing my hair out. Can you imagine the personal time it must take to try and maintain this site? God love 'em all !!!

Yes, I did get your email, thanks very much for passing it along. I hope she will be ok too. And back posting soon. just don't tell her we don't have all of our new smileys back yet

I found that when I was doing the bike I had the worst time with it. In order to finish I either had to have my trainer pushing me along or distracting me with chatter or I needed some really pumped up music on the Walkman to listen to in order to take my mind off the fact that I didn't think I could push my legs one more rotation. I hope you find a good distraction as the bike is a good exercise.

I did my Pilates tape tonight. I have all sorts of exercise tapes that weren't being used in my cabinet and have decided to use them for the variety and while the basement is still dusty, under construction and generally unusable save for the laundry room.

I had to go into the office today to meet with some people on a project. DH worked from home today as they are repairing the window in his office. Can you believe he ate 12 - TWELVE of the cookies I made? And they weren't small either, bigger than the palm of my hand. I would be in a sugar coma if that was me. :hyper: :hyper: :corn: I guess the guy has quite the "Sugar Jones". I was only kidding when I said the plate would be empty in 3 days but at this pace it just might!

Oh how I lauhed about the mango happy. I think I know what you tried to do and that is cut the thing in half.
If you hold it pointy end down (ie the stalk bit is at the top) you will see that it has a sort of line down it. Do not cut on this line.
I think I will have to go grab a mango to describe the rest of the procedure but generally speaking you cut the cheeks off either side of the mango and can either scoop the flesh out of those with a spoon or make it pretty and decorative. The big stone in the middle you need to cut the skin off, hang over the edge of the sink and gnaw off the flesh. (Even better if you have several of them, sit naked in the bath and slurp) I'll see if I can find some pictures of cutting and eating a mango tonight.

Tip from a Mango recipe site from the Northern Territory Mango Farm:
Eating Mangoes
The very best way is to cover your self with a towel, peel
the mango and just hoe in.
A more socially accepted method is to slice the unpeeled
mango lengthways off each side of the stone. Score the
halves into cubes, flip inside out and either eat or slice
of the cubes into a dish and eat with a spoon.
You can, also peel and slice the mango flesh off the stone
and eat .
[Cook's Comments - Any mango left on the stone can be scraped
off and pureed for future use]

Thank you for the instructions. I can relate to sitting in the tub and slurping :lol:

Well now that I am educated, I think I may have another go at it. I did make a total mess of it, and did wind up scooping some of it from the skin before I got too slippery and decided to stop before I cut my hand off - which is a definite possibility and I just could not TOLERATE the look on DH's face while I was bleeding all over the floor so I stopped short. Should have let him try and cut the little bugger. :headache:

I was mumbling and grumbling and thinking this sure makes cracking a lobster quite easy. All the more reason I would not last even 3 days on a show like Survivor.

But thanks for your help. And how do you tell when they are ripe enough? It was sort of soft feeling with the outer skin just loosing it's taughtness yet the soft part of the mange was only a hair on the inside - most of it was still rock hard - not counting the pit in the middle of course.

I don't know about ripeness. I tend to get them when they are a bit firm but not rockhard. I don't really like them too soft. They should not be mushy nor rockhard. Guess it takes a bit of getting used to. A bit like Avocado. I have a friend who can pick a good one at 20 paces, I am a bit hit and miss unfortunately!

By gee it is quiet around here at the moment I'll check back later

Oh oh, I thought I posted here last night. Must have been dreaming. Last night DH convinced me to go out with him. He had some errands to run and we needed to get a new kitchen faucet to replace the leaky one and we stopped at the bookstore to use some gift cards we got from my nephew at Christmas.

I picked up the South Beach Diet book - been toying with getting that for a while. I also picked up a Bill Phillips cookbook. Bill's big out here and I have a few of his books. I like him because he is really sensible and incorporates emotional eating, food and exercise into his program. The cookbook has alot of good looking things, low fat, low carb - stuff I could deal with. It's just that he uses alot of spicy stuff which will be great for DH but a little too much for me. I'm not into jalapeno peppers even if they do boost your metabolism.

Good news is I'm down 2 pounds for the week. The result of being focused I suppose and the fact that I had a crown replaced on my tooth and it's not right. It hurts to bite down hard so I've been chewing soft and carefully this week. Will call the dentist and get it fixed next week. These teeth are driving me crazy lately. Still have 5 pounds to lose before I get back to where I was in October when I started working from home full time. But I'm happy, it's a good start.

I plan to spend this weekend cleaning up and decluttering. And it won't get done sitting in front of the computer as I have for the last hour so I'd better get hauling. Will check in later...

Logged out again!!!
 

The site keeps logging me out. Have no idea why but it's no get hassle to log in again I suppose.

Happy I am so pleased that you have lost 2lb. That's great news. It means that you are getting back on track again. We will get there one day this year, I can just feel it. Not that I have lost anything this week. I seem to be holding water again despite the tablets.

I've heard the name Bill Phillips but from where I don't know. Guess it has come from somewhere round the weight loss forums somewhere. We have a tv program starting up here called Bill's food. I thought it was Australian, but I'll have to watch it to check it out.

Haven't heard from Teel again. Maybe I'll drop her a line tonight to see how she is. She is making me nervous!!!!

Had a long chat with MEL from the journals on the phone today. It was real nice to chat with her and find out a bit about her situation and circumstances. She sure is one gutsy lady.

We have a living room full of furniture at the moment. Simon has brought his lounge suite home from the house he and a friend were buying together. He and the friend have come to the parting of the ways. I did try to warn them to talk about what they wanted from this property. One wanted an investment, one wanted a home to live in!! But they are young men. They know everything I think!!!!

Been a bit lax today and haven't achieved half of what I set out to do, but I guess one has to have a bit of a slack day at some stage or other. Yesterday was busy getting a whole stack of little jobs out of the way. I may go and paint the bathroom ceiling later but the problem with that is that you have to clean up afterwards, maybe I'll leave it to tomorrow.

Anyway I best go get this finished and go fix dinner. Very plain fare tonight - pork steaks with peas, beans and potatoes. Simple meal. We have some lo fat icecream to finish off with and I bought some mangoes today so one for after dinner is a good idea.

Have a good Sunday when you wake up to it. See you soon.

I dunno - we're going to have to rename this the Happy and Shad thread soon - will sound like a couple of drunken sailors :lol:

Teel - do you hear? Subtle hint to check in again. Also Shaker you said you'd be joining us in the new year and it's here! ** Nudge, nudge... ***

When I saw Mel's journal about the phone call, I figured she was talking to you Shad. She sounds like quite the wild woman and highly entertaining. Boy I sure do hope you have a good calling plan on your telephone!

So does this mean Simon will be taking up residence with you again full time? Sorry to hear things didn't work out but sometimes it works that way with housemates.

I kind of blew away yesterday planning our April trip to the west coast with DH's sister and her husband. Needed to get some hotel info and touristy things covered so he could discuss with her and we can finalize our plans so I can forget about it and move on to other things.

Today I need to sit down and plan my meals. I think I'll have the best success if I go to the WW planning I did in the olden days which means figuring out ALL the meals for the week. A bit tedious but it does help keep one on the straight and narrow. Then it's grocery shopping, cooking, laundry and before I know it the day will be over.

I have procrastinated terribly on my class. If I don't do a bunch of catch up work tonight, I might as well drop the class. I do admit I hate the subject topic (a particular programming language which I can't seem to comprehend yet need for the on the job work) so I have been ignoring it.

My focus for today is also exercise and I want to try a new video that I got for use with the exercise ball which I need to find and dig out of the basement. You are doing quite well at the gym Shad and I feel I must keep up with you or rather follow your lead... :strong:

Best get the old butt into gear and get rolling. Have a good Sunday!

Looks like we're going down the the evening shortly. Good, guess that's no excuse NOT to study then, right? I need a beating... :lol:

Hah, I glanced to the right and there's an adverstisement for an art school - "do you like to draw, can you draw this?" Geez, I used to do that all the time as a kid. Was pretty good too as mom told me but she never sent me to art school ;)

I meticulously planned my meals for the week - am going to try and go back to the high protein, low carb, 5 or 6 mini meals that I started when I first began because that did work for me provided I stuck to it. Was hard to do the mini meals when I had to go back to the office but now that I'm working from home, no excuses. I had a good talk with myself and my biggest downfall is no self discipline. So, like you said make a check off list and like Mel will actually make one, I think I'm going to try that do. Like you said if it's in your face you may try to ignore it anyway, but it's harder if you're always reminded.

Have a dinner of grilled salmon, asparagus and a salad planned. Will do my exercises once DH is done with the footy games.

Shad you are just rising now to greet the day, actually more like you're probably heading out the door for another week of thrills on the job. Have a good one.

G'night all...

Mel is not quite as she sounds. Sure she is highly entertaining, but there is doubt and hurt under all that - same as most of us I guess. We all put up a front to the world and show our best bits off and keep the other bits tucked away and only show them to close friends and family.

Simon has always lived with me. He bought into the house as an investment, but as previously said, things don't always go to plan. He is a bit upset about it and although he has his money back, he made no profit or interest on it, and to make a sorry lot worse it has broken a good friendship. A valuable lesson to be had by all there, in that you must communication your expectations and outcomes before you decide to go into partnership or contract with someone.
I know the feeling on procrastination. Brendan did that with a lot of his classes when doing his degree as well. I had to speak very sternly on occasions about payment of semester fees not forthcoming for failure etc etc. If you need the language, then you had better get on with it. If not then drop the class. Only two choices here buddy.

I like those exercise balls, although I have to admit that I wasn't very keen on it at 6.45 this morning. Picking it up with the legs isn't the problem, swinging the hips around with the ball between the calves was. It's all fun isn't it. We are keeping up with each other not following. You work as hard at this as I do. I wonder why fat is so easy to put on and so hard to get off.

Oh my goodnight!!!WE are back!!In one piece, I think...oh well done well done to the 3fc's for glueing us together again!! :D :cp:

I have been very VERY bad. I got on the scales last Monday. I have put on 7lbs over the Yuletide season so that on top of the 5lbs I had already gained means I am nearly a stone heavier than I was a couple of months ago.I am really cross with myself. I know having nearly three weeks of doing nothing might have something to do with it, but 12 lbs....12 POUNDS! :devil: :( :mad: :s: :bomb: I amreally disheartened and don't know where to start. Not helped by going out to dinner tonight with a couple of old friends.It took me SO LONG to lose it in the first place that I know how long it is going to take 2nd time around.STUPID STUPID GIRL. :drill: :ziplip: :tape: :sorry: :tread:

Ooops I pressed the wrong button. Good job it was to submit it!!!
Physically I am not very well, still plagued by diffuse chest pain which is controlled by a pain killer but still manages to break through from time to time. The central, crushing chest pain has gone but I wonder if it is still hiding there but covered by a blanket of Oxycontin twice daily.The drug is a controlled drug here, so it should be effective. I have yet to see the pain man again and I have not seen my cardiology consultant yet. This is getting quite tiresome, like the rest of my life. As for money from the benefits lot....well what can I say????How long can they possibly delay for?? Are they going for the record??? :mad:

I have skimmed through your posts but have not retained any info except something about eating mangoes in public..(needs investigating) and the fact that I think you are all alive and well. :wizard: The new site looks rather good, does it not? :yes: Perhaps if we all rub the lamp at midnight GMT, we can magic up Shaker and see what she has been up to!!!:genie:
Well I had better go and make myself look as if I am happy to be going out tonight. I'm not, actually.Don't know what has got into me.I'm too miserable to come out today!! :stress: :sumo:

[Yes, I did get your email, thanks very much for passing it along. I hope she will be ok too. And back posting soon. just don't tell her we don't have all of our new smileys back yet


Ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!I have just seen this bit!!!!

:comp: :rofl: :rofl: :gossip: :gossip: :grouphug: :grouphug: :flow2: :flow2: :dancer: :cb: :comp:

Teel!!!! So glad to finally hear from you. :cp: :cp: :cp: Shad and I have been worried about you. Things are not quite as colorful when you're not around.

Sorry to hear about the gain but you MUST put that behind you and strengthen your resolve that a new month has begun and the holiday eating is over. Do not dwell on anything other than a new plan. And you can go out with friends, it just means you have to be aware of making better choices for food rather than what your eyes immediately decide on. I must admit, easier said than done as I have that problem myself which is why I have cut back on the eating out.

I know you have medical issues but I have found myself that when eating fattier foods, I also have constant chest pain. When I go back to eating as I should, the pain disappears. I know this may not be the case with you, I simply mention it because I think in some ways it contributes to the distress. Please be of good cheer, we can all hold hands and help each other on our journey.

I'll be back later, must go earn a few pence...

Hey Teel, great to see you back. I was about to send out the hounds again to see where you'd gotten to this time.
Sad to hear the chest pain is still there and even worse that some of the weight has gone back on and the good work is undone, but hey, it's a new year and we can all get it off together - the weight I mean. Geez I'm glad MEL's not in this thread, she would have a field day with that one!.

Scrappy, crappy day today. I've been rushing around to get things done and managed to forget to put the neutraliser in my contact leans case and therefore have managed to burn one eye. Such a stupid thing to do. It will stop being red by tomorrow but it really is a stupid thing to do. Then I managed to bash myself with a weight doing pump this morning. Bruise appearing on neck. I really do look like I have been in a fight today.

The Body Pump today was quite a workout eventually. I didn't think it was going to do much at first, but by the middle, I was feeling it in my legs and shoulders and was quite pleased to get to the end eventually.

Thanks for that tip on eating before exercise Happy, it seemed to work just fine this morning although I only had the banana - chicken or meat is too much for this fat chick at 5.00am. Tonight I may boil an egg or something to take with me. I'm going to do a body balance class after work - sort of mixture of Pilates, Yoga and Step (I think) to see how that goes. I don't just want to do weights and treadmill for ever. It gets boring, so I sort of thought that a couple of classes through the week would break it up a bit and also a couple of days doing exercise at night and not always mornings might help. Got any other ideas??

Guess I better get back to this doco yet again. One day I may be finished with it. I'm totally, totally sick of it. If there are any more rewrites and updates or reformats I think someone should do it - someone else except me!!!

I owe, I owe, so it's off to work I go (again)

Originally Posted by Shad:
Geez I'm glad MEL's not in this thread, she would have a field day with that one

Well, there's no saying you can't invite her over to our merry little group. However she did say her eyes are acting up again and she has to cut back on the Internet time. But no harm in asking...

I enjoyed your journal entry today Shad regarding the body pump class. You are a stronger person than I. When I was taking water aerobics, one of the ladies there tried to get me into body pump. I did make one session but was so intimidated I never went back. I kept asking the club to periodically start up beginner sessions or even have a few special 1 hour classes for those of us clumsy and shy by nature who were unfamiliar with the routines. They did accomodate my request, however they scheduled these 1 hour intro sessions mid morning or mid afternoon when the majority of us were working and could not get to the club. :dunno: So much for that.

Glad the eating tip helped your workout. I was told to eat a protein to fuel the muscles and a carb to give you an energy boost to get you through the session. If you can't handle an ounce of chicken, tuna or turkey that early in the morning, an egg will do. They also have protein bars but you have to read the labels carefully as many are full of fat and sugar. Sugar is BAD before a workout. Gives you that quick energy boost then drops the sugar levels and tires you out half way through the routine. Good carbs are a 1/2 bananna, 1/2 cup of oatmeal (you can make it ahead of time and just microwave a small portion for your pre-workout meal), even a slice of multigrain toast - no butter or jam. :( The protein was the hardest part. I didn't want to eat an egg every morning although you could if you don't eat the yoke, so I got used to the bit of turkey or chicken. Another option is a protein shake/smoothie but this takes a few minutes. Get a cannister of protein powder. Take a scoop of it, 6 ice cubes, a cup of cold water, a bit of yogurt and a handful of berries and toss them on the blender while you are getting your stuff together. The berries, banana or rockmelon provides the carb, the protein is in the powder. When I was going to the club, I was leaving the house at 5:15 and DH was still in zombie land so this was not an option for my early morning workouts. I did do it a couple of times when I had a lunchtime session with the trainer. Fruit juice is a bad choice - too much sugar in it.

Morning vs evening exercise? Depends on you. I HATED getting up at 4:30am for my workouts, but it got me done in time to not be late for work. I found myself that I made far more excuses to skip the evening workouts, so I'm better as a morning exerciser. They say mornings also give your metabolism a jump start all day long rather than in the evenings when your body naturally slows down to prepare for sleep. So you get the benefit of an increased metabolism for a longer period if you're a day exerciser. Of course, it all depends on your schedule. When I had to go into the office more, I had to stop the health club and then force myself on the treadmill at night. I find now that the best time for me is right after I quit work at 5 - I do my thing for 30 to 45 minutes and then start supper. Since I plan ahead, we don't eat later than 6:30 and that's ok with DH or he will start things for me.

As for the type of workout. My trainer said to be fit and healthy you should do 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week and 2, 20 minute weight sessions. This was the minimum. If you wanted to lose weight, add more time but don't go overboard - you just get tired and burned out. Like you, I needed variety. In levels of intensity from low to high your choices are 1)treadmill, 2)running on treadmill, 3)bike, 4)swimming (swim laps not water aerobics classes which are basically just stretching or as my doctor says keeps your face out of the refrigerator for an hour). The best thing if they have one at the gym is the eliptical glider. I tried it a few times and not only do I not have the coordination for it, but the slightly bent skiers type of posture you need irritated my back and knees. Then there's step classes (I was a klutz at this), dance aerobics and even just walking laps on the track for more cardio choices. I need music to keep me motivated and in with the beat so I make my own music tapes to listen to. Have been known after a treadmill session to do a 15-20 minutes stint of good old fashioned disco dancing to keep the blood pumping a little longer. DH laughs upstairs because I wear my walkman on the treadmill and like Mel, sing my favorite songs. He doesn't hear the music because I have headphones on but my off key singing does drift up through the floor. :o Doesn't stop me though :lol:

There is no getting around the strength exercises though you can use free weights, the gym "weighted machines" or the trainer showed me some exercises like leg lifts where you use your own body weight as resistance. I would alternate the 3 for variety.

Pilates is great for stretching, strengthening your abs and improving your posture. But it works the abs and legs only. Crunches are great for ab work and since the abdomen recovers the fastest of all the muscles, it's the only exercise that focuses on a single muscle group that is safe to do every day. (Walking uses many muscles and is more gentle so it doesn't follow that day of rest rule). I would also do yoga for stretching and I have some exercises from physical therapy that use a resistance band.

My core program is walking 5 days a week, twice a week 20 - 30 minute weight sessions, two flexibility sessions (1 Yoga, 1 body stretches) and 2 Pilates sessions. That works everything and keeps me the most fit. It's what I'm trying to work up to now.

My advice is give everything a try, find the stuff you like since you're most apt to stick with things you like. If you can do the bike or treadmill and a stretching or weight routine and then combine it with a lunch time walk, you'd have a great plan for yourself.

There, now after all that advice you'd think I'd have a body of iron, don't you? Just goes to show you, I know what I have to do, just need to get my act together and DO IT!

Big thank you for that wonderful load of information which I shall read and inwardly digest again.
I'm still enjoying the gym and it is no hardship to get up and go in the morning apart from the rush, rush, rush of walking a slow dog, and getting my sh*t together, only mornings like today tend to get at me. I'll do silly things when stressed and tired. I've promised myself an early night tonight.
I sing in the car. I have a bunch of CD's of oldie but goodie songs and tunes and I sing and hum and beat drums until I see people looking at me weirdly - then I get a fit in my head that I should stick my tongue out or something equally childish. Doesn't happen though.
I shall mention to MEL that she might like to put the odd entry into our thread. She and Teel could be good for each other, since they both have problems that I would find exceedingly burdensome, but they both come up smiling and entertaining us! They could have us in fits about mishaps and accidents in wheelchairs!

Anyway, I'll best be off and unpack todays gym gear (ughhhh) and pack tomorrows stuff! Then get emotionally prepared for this trainers workshop. Ah well they are feeding us for the 3 days.

Depression strikes
 

I seem to have descended into a blue funk. Tears are not far away and I have to try to pull myself together for this workshop.
There are times when I just feel that I will never get out from under with all the tasks I have set myself. I'm tired of living in the way that I do and tired of the job and yes probably a bit lonely too.
Sorry to dump this lot on you all, but it is at the moment just getting too much and I need to get out from under. If you don't hear from me for a day or so, don't worry I will be back.

Hey now! Hey now!
 

Hey now....here is a huggle, no, not a bear hug, more like a gentle squeeze.I have no pearls of wisdom to offer you, dear Shad....I am probably the last person you should ask for hints on surviving a depressive brick landing on your head.But I will remind you again that we are all here for you, so you can dump all this on us any time you need to. I am sure Happy would agree with me. You have been such a strong tower of cement to me all through recent times and I can only pour love and strength down the airwaves of cyberspace and hope they know which galxy highway to take to reach you in Australia.
Do not take too much time out, my friend, for we shall be missing you and greatly awaiting your return, but return strengthened and renewed in body and spirit.

Lots of love coming over to you.

Hi ladies, Shad you cheer up you have a lot to be proud of yourself for.. staying on this site and encouraging all those ladies when they needed it!!.. Don't let work get to you as it is only a job and you have more imporant things than letting that drag you down.

Annie is still in Wollongong and has managed to loose quite a few pounds which is good news! I myself am doing very well and had a great Xmas and New Years as have the rest of you. Summer is here and we love it, have spent lots of time on the beach and walking etc.. Shad we did hear occasionally that you are going through the heatwave, my family live over your way in Camira so know doubt they will be feeling it to!!
I still stick to the ww eating habits although get sidetracked with the odd crazy diet plan every now and then - managed to stick with bfl for 8wks and got some muscles with that, they soon disappeared though and made me realise I must do something that suits my lifestyle that I can keep up.. haha!!! I have adopted Leslie Kenton's book as my new best friend and only eat High GI carbs now, no bread or rice or porridge and boy I tell you when you drop those from the equation the weight drops off - that is what our annie is doing. Takes a few days to get off the carb crave but if you can hang in there is certainly worth it.. if you want to try just do the no carb in the evening's first (meaning potatoes etc).. carbs from fruit, vege etc are good ones.

Well have a nice day all, I am leaving work early to do the groceries and go enjoy the sunshine, think we have had a bit more this year, but I must say that it takes about 5mins to get sunburnt...eeekss.. guess the ozone is disappearing a little bit more each year... soon we will be all the same colour.. red.. byeeee

Oh Shad, I too join the others in reaching out sending some comforting vibrations over to you. Not sure if you're east or west so I stood in both directions and reached out. Figured one way or another they will catch up with you. If you by chance feel a slight breeze russle your hair, it's just me patting you on the head. I do not want to see you sad, you are a great and caring friend to us all. Hope you de-funk quickly as we will miss you. But take the time you need to sort out your thoughts - tip your head to the side, dump the bad ones out, let the sun put good ones back in again.

Provided you are not standing next to Shaker or anywhere in Kiwi-land, you could probably do this for a bit of time without fear of getting burned to a crisp.

Shaker and Teel, good to have you checking in with us again. Also thanks Shaker for the update on Annie. I dare say she is approaching the stick insect she has always aspired to be. And it appears her DH did not drag her off to Sydney as he wanted to.

It does seem like everyone is jumping on the carb bandwagon. I am giving that a bit of a try myself but it's still hard to accept after all these years that fat is not so bad but sugar is worse. I have heard that people said get the carbs in during the morning. There might be something to that. Have been watching what I eat and if I had something rather sweet at dinner, seems by 9pm I am hunting the house down to look for something to stuff my face. Tonight I had orange roughy, brown rice and a salad for dinner. The munchies struck again around 9pm but nowhere near the intensity of the last 2 nights. I was pretty much able to ignore them. So maybe there is something to the High GI afterall.

It's off to bed for me. I've been trying to go to sleep earlier but am slowly shifting back to late night habits. Tah for now. Keep posting, I hate talking to myself.

Good morning all, well yes I will try and be more regular - in a nice way.. ha ha. Annies hubby tried a lot to get her to Sydney nearly destroyed the family :( but they seem to be working it better now and he stays in the city a few nights a week to save all that nasty driving :D

As for the carb thing well I went cold turkey on it.. such wit this morning!.. :hun: for about 2 days I felt sick and shakey and just really amazed me what an addiction carbs is, once you start you want more and more.. well that was what I was like. So now I can take or leave them and I tend to leave or just say no and have other things, for my sweet I make a bowl of that ww jelly, 1/2 punnet strawberries (only .5pt) and a couple of big tablespoons of diet yoghurt, considering you can eat the whole bowl of jelly with the rest of it I am yet to manage it. So that could be a good evening thing to have, although I suppose you might have to repalce the strawberries for something else.. what sort of winter fruit do you get happy???

I am glad Teel is still around as well and still fighting the system. boy that suxs.. :judge: DH is on leave now for a few weeks with the kids, he sowed a new lawn yest, OK not new just killed the prickles from the old one and put some new nice stuff down.. but this morning I took a peek out the window and although it said it had bird deterrent in it (.sp?) they were still a few there pecking at it..(maybe needs detergent for the birds??) So I guess it may take a while to grow :dunno:

It is rainy today and looking forward to a lovely :sunny: w/end.. DH is going fishing with a couple of mates as one has bought a boat :dancer: so we are going out to the beach on Sunday as well for a bit of boating and frolicking with the kids.. Well hope you feel more groovy soon Shad.. you certainly have a lot of friends to :gossip: to here!!!

Shaker, I am jealous that you are going on a beach and out on a boat but I am not jealous that you can't stay out longer than 5 minutes without getting sunburned. Good to see that you have overcome the carbs. I have been paying close attention to food lately and what it does to me. I would have to agree with the "more I have the more I want" philosophy. It's like opening a black hole. I am trying to cut the carbs - have to fool my brain because the minute I say I won't have something, I immediately want it. I did notice if I have anything too sweet at dinner, I get made cravings for food a few hours later. Cut the simple carbs out and come 9pm I'm just looking for something to snack on but I can generally ignore it or have a small piece of fruit.

There was a time when our winter fruits consisted only of apples, oranges and banannas. But now we get a lot of imported fruit from other countries having summer during our winter. We get oranges from Australia, grapes from South America and last week I have a real adventure with a mango from Ecuador. To this point I had only seen them peeled in jars or cans. I had no idea what to do with a real, live one until Shad gave me instructions. We get berries all summer long and for a short season like now over the winter. They are priced dearly but fairly good tasting. We get pineapple all year from Hawaii. The pears aren't bad either. However some of the fruit that comes from out of the country out of season - peaches, nectrarines and especially melons in particular are pretty terrible tasting and definitely not worth the extra marked up price. There is more variety now, I just tend to eat more fruit in the summer when I want something cool and it tastes better.

I have yet to find something that keeps the birds off the lawn when you seed. People here used to buy pre-grown squares of grass (sod) but have found that seeding a lawn produces better results. They often throw hay on the soil to cover the seed and keep it from blowing away until it takes root.

I swear aliens must capture me at night or something. It was 10:30 on the clock and now it's almost 1am and I don't know where the time went. I am falling down on the mark with my promise to get to bed before midnight.

Good to have you back with us again Shaker. Try to drag Annie on in if you can. Even as a special guest appearance and good going on the carb plan - you can keep giving us tips!

Good morning .. well another beautiful day in the city of sails, I love waking up to sunshine and feel sorry for you happy with the winter there.. summer goes so quickly though in this place, not like Shad and her lovely climate all year long! We should maybe get another month and then will be all over.

I have been asked by a very good friend of mine to be her bridesmaid at her wedding in March back in my home town so I am really looking forward to that. Hopefully within the next few days i will receive the pattern and material and will find a dressmaker to put it together for me.. so well worth losing those extra pounds for! It will be a reunion of sorts as I don't go to my home town anymore and will have plenty of people to catch up with.

I too had an episode with a mango a few weeks ago, the kids insisted I buy one as I never have as I am not that keen on them. I puzzled over how I was going to cut it and then thought I would cut it like and avocado and take the stone out.. ha ha.. no go.. anyway got some decent sized pieces off it, the kids hated it and I got to eat it all.. ha ha. The nectarines and peaches we get here now are nothing like we used too, they go off in a few days and are very small and sometimes hard. I remember when they used to be huge and juicy.. they only come up from a few hours away but I guess all the best gets exported these days.

Well I won't be back till Monday so hope to see you then Shad and have a good w/end all.. my new years resolution was not to spend money on junk and I tell you that is harder than losing weight!!! ka kite..

Funny story about the mango Shaker, that's about the same way it went down with me too. Guess we both learned it's not like an avocado! Your peaches and nectarines sound like what we get over the winter. They are pretty looking on the outside but rock hard. When you get them ripened they wither quickly and are rather "chewy". I stick with the summer ones which are ripe and juicy and just what they should be. We must both import from the same country - haha.

Your friend's wedding sounds like fun, especially being able to go back to the hometown. And if you are feeling all that much better about yourself, all the better. Is DH enjoying his Harley?

So will it be a lonely weekend on the thread for me here all alone? Perhaps it is a sign that I should tackle my own to-do list also.

I went and got my hair cut and colored again tonight. When I got home DH said the school called and they have once again cancelled my class due to low enrollment. I was supposed to start next week. Ordinarilly I would be happy but this is the second time they cancelled it and I need it for my certificate program completion. Because they gave me enough notice, I can still register for another class next week without losing any class time. And I have to keep plugging away with school because I refuse to do the accellerated summer semester and if I stop now, I won't go back again.

I have been doing well on plan this week. Not perfect but watching portion control, trying to control cravings and starting back with exercise again. Not sure if I will see a loss this week but I do have the satisfaction of knowing I have made success in other areas.

Little by little, I say. Have a good weekend everyone!

Oh bother.I lost the original post so I will start again.No news really.Why is it that if I eat more at lunchtime, I feel hungrier during the afternoon than if I simply have a cup-a-soup? :?: :lol: I have been trying to follow the eDiets plan so had a grilled bacon sandwich for breakfast and a grilled cheese sandwich and tomatos for lunch.Now, one hour later, I am hungry :(
Today I feel in quite a grumpy mood. Sorry. It is all to do with the fact that 20 years ago today, I started my general nurse training, expecting to be still in the thick of it for some 40 years, instead of which here am I, medically retired, rising 40 years old and unhappy, dissatisfied and with no real (or imaginary) plan for the rest of my life.Hmmmmmn.I think I had better go and come back tomorrow when, hopefully, my mood will be more sanguine!! ;)

Shad, SHAD!!!Where are you?????Come back, we need you!!: :genie:

Well now, I thought I would have a new look for the new year! Shame that is not the same as changing your body image!!

:cb: :cb: :cb:

What?? No-one in this evening!!Ah well, thought I had better bump us up from page 1-near-the-bottom!! ;) :devil: :lol:

Sorry Teel, at the time you were posting, that was just as I was finishing up work for the day, putting dinner in the oven and getting ready to exercise. I really like your new Avatar. Why are skies always bluer the colder it is outside?

I see that you said you are hungry. Perhaps you are getting too much bread and not enough protein. Maybe it's time to drag out the crockpot again and make yourself some nice soups and stews with lots of meat and veggies. Stick to the ribs kind of stuff. I've been paying close attention to what I eat and how I feel afterwards. Found that if I have something sweet with the meal it really brings on the cravings for more food in a short while. Not craving anything specific, just more food to stuff in my mouth. I made a sausage and bean stew in the slow cooker last week. It was warm and quite filling.

I know that your life of late has been full of pain and stress and probably some justified anger but please do not dwell on what might have been. I have 2 friends who have been nurses for over 25 years. They both speak of the toll the job has taken on their bodies - with our private health care the the continuing practice of insurance companies trying to keep their practice, our health care has been compromised. Not only are my friends bodies worn out, but they are also made to do the work of 3 people and they simply can't give the kind of care to patients that they want to. And that makes them sad and angry. Both said they do not know any other kind of work and are counting the days to retirement. One in fact was looking at the possibility of doing medical billing as an alternate career.

You are kind and compassionate and know what it's like to deal with incredible pain. There are many people who could use a loving hand and emotional support. It is indeed not fair what life has dealt but you are by no means finished with your work here. The hardest part is finding the next step.

:grouphug: to you

Shad, I hope we hear from you soon. I am starting to encounter withdrawal symptoms...

Good Morning everyone
 

Yep, c'est moi and it is 10 to 6 on a sunny Queensland Sunday. We will all begin to dry out today I think. :dancer: :dancer: :sunny: :sunny:
First a huge thanks to you ladies on this thread and also to Mooz and MEL for the care and love I felt flowing across the world. :grouphug: I am pleased to say the worst is over now and I have lost the totally overwhelmed feeling I had. Also I have lost a fairly large list of things to do. They have been scattered to the four winds. :cb: :cb: This is not to say that they don't still need doing, they do, but I have adopted a theory from a female accountant I knew some years ago who said that if the problem sat in her in box for six months, then it wasn't much of a problem. If it reared it's ugly head before that then it would get done. Otherwise it died a slow death in the inbox. Actually she also had a saying about her inboxes - There was the impending file (inbox) the expending file (the out box) and the depending file (depending on when she felt like doing it!)
I've been carrying on at the gym. I have a small program mapped out for me by the trainer, however I don't think that it will end up all that small. I have already upped the weights that he gave me as it did not feel like I was stretching or pulling anything. And there is not enough cardio in there. Weights alone will not shift the flab. I did a pump class the other day but have not got back for the body balance yet. The timetable doesn't always suit.
The last week has been a time of what is known in Queensland as 'The Big Wet'. We have had buckets of rain dumped on us and also storms nearly every day. Some places north and south of here have had hail and wind damage to their houses and yards. We had a storm blow up out of nowhere yesterday afternoon and that same storm caused a problem with one of the theme park rides at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. People stuck on the ride for more than an hour after a tree blew over onto the ride and injured several people. My front yard has been underwater for several days as the drainage has not been able to cope with the deluge (Shad the Engineer did not allow for the slope of the land and the water in summer when planning out the garden. Shad the Engineer has learned much since!). We are told that this is the wettest summer all over the State in 12 years. :rain: :rain: :rain: But at least the raintank is now full.
Today I have a couple of jobs on my plate and I also need to pack for Perth. I wasn't supposed to be going there, but someone else decided not to go and I got the job. I'll be gone for a week and possibly the following weekend being Australia Day Weekend. Because this is a long weekend I have asked them to put back my Friday flight and I will spend the weekend in Western Australia to try to get some touristy things done and maybe also meet with a lady whom I speak to on the phone once or twice a year and whom I have never met. We got to know each other through a job about 1990-91.
It's good to be back and great to see Shaker back and hanging on to the reins of a family racing in different directions household. Cherish the good weather Shaker. :sunny: They are having some good stuff in Wellington and the SI as well. I used to really love those hot summers in the South Island. Mind you everytime you walked out into the sun you burned to a crisp. It was so dry. None of the humidity that we get here with the heat. I don't burn here, just turn a bit red and go brown overnight.
Must be time for Kim to come in and report on things as well! :cp:
Teel, there is something out there for you. It's a matter of finding the door that will open and show you the way. :yes: :yes: You have a valuable hunk of knowledge floating in that brain. Just where to use it and how. :dunno: :dunno:
One thing I have found over the years is that there are two varieties of people who have pensions.
The first is the person who doesn't really want to be there. They have a vast store of personal integrity and are usually bright, friendly and educated. They are there through no fault of their own and they do not get what they deserve. These are the people that this system was set up for. These people also tend to get very depressed because they can not contribute the way that they used to.
The other is the hanger on, the one who takes, takes, takes and takes some more and when the going gets rough tries to take more advantage of their sometimes minor situation. They do not want to work, or contribute anything to this world. :censored:
You my friend belong in the first category. And the DSW is treating you very badly indeed. It always amazes me how they can intimidate the helpless and hold little accountability themselves. Try taking them to court! :eek: :yikes: Anyway what is your SW doing about it?
Maybe we should find some Psych doc who needs his experimental note typed up for his lectures on the intractable pulsating brain nodes or something. :comp:
Well I think I have rambled enough for my first day back. I'll try to catch up as and when I can in Perth.
Have a good weekend Happy and a good Sunday to Teel, and Shaker is probably getting close to Sunday lunch.
:thanks: :thanks: :thanks: to you all. Your :angel: kept me going upwards again.