Good Morning and Happy Monday!!

Sounds like everyone's week is starting off well....

Sandi - Glad to hear that Maggie is home and trying to feel better.

Judy - Great job on staying OP while traveling. It is so hard when we stop at gas stations, not to just by junk to munch on.

Susie - Whew Whooo. down 2.5, congrats! and the 5K walk, you go girl!

Spores - Goodluck on the finals. My daughter is taking her finals this week also. Her study habits stink tho, and she is boy crazy, which doesn't help her focus much.

Holly - the painting reminds me when I was 7 and my brother was 12, we had to share a room, so every couple of years we each got to pick the next color for our room was to be painted. This one year I picked HOT PINK, and my brother had to suffer for two years, then it was his turn for revenge, his color choice was DEEP OLIVE GREEN. OMG, I felt like I was living in a dungeon. hahaha Neither of us has forgotten that.

Friday night, didn't do much, stayed OP. Saturday, worked at Kohl's for 8 hours, was long day and was somewhat tired Sat night. Stayed OP but have not walked, the weather has literally stunk for the past few days, and doesn't look like it is going to get much better the rest of the week. Sunday was not too bad, I did go to the baby shower. Didn't eat any sweets or cake, but had more than my share of cheeseball and crackers. I am a sucker for cheese of any form. It is like chocolate to most others. Then I got home and my son had made spaghetti for dinner. There goes the no pasta for TOPS this week. I will owe 50 cents for eating pasta. I couldn't tell him no as he was really proud of his spaghetti accomplishment. (He is 16, and does cook great!) However, back on track today, ate Heart Smart Kashi cereal for breakie, then had a lean cuisine for lunch. No walking in today, it is too cold out there. I know, excuses. Maybe will do WATP tonight.

Must get busy, stay focused.

Annie

Buy junk food, not by junk food, DUH, blondie here.

Annie: Sounds like you're doing great. Hard to turn down food when loved ones make it special. My BF checks with me before he cooks now to see what I'm eating since so often I am eliminating this or that.

Lookee, I am posting twice in one day. I had a great day and wanted to share. Did my exercise, cooked a healthy dinner and actually enjoyed it. Bypassed the doughnuts in the fridge (BF leftovers) all day long. I'm feeling positive about the whole shebang. Here's to a good start to the week! Hope everybody's doing well.

Good Morning all.....

Just wanted to say hidie ho. TOPS tonight, I feel good about it. Altho I had a little bit of a slip up on eating last night, and no walking. Was too pooped to get in gear.

Will check in later, have to get busy this morning, and its way too early.

Hugs

Annie

Good morning! Here's a quick attempt to catch up on the posts:

Spores, hooray for having a great day! I call those "gold star" days, and literally put a gold star on that page of my food journal if I feel that I did an outstanding job being OP.

Annie--I'm on a low-carb diet, and I guess spaghetti wouldn't be my meal of choice, either, as much as I love it! Tomorrow I'm going to a good-bye potluck dinner at one of my colleague's homes. She's already informed us that she's making a vegetarian pasta salad. So when I said that I was bringing seafood burgers (which I already made and froze last Saturday), she looked surprised, clearly thinking that a big protein-free bowl of carbohydrates would be the main dish....so I will have a spoon of the pasta, and know that at least there will be one or two other things I can fill up on.

Holly, thanks for sharing the visualization exercise. My apartment and my office have been exceptionally messy for weeks now, totally reflecting the pace of my life and my lack of control over my time. I will do the exercise later today, and see what's in my mind's eye.

Sandi, I have been anxiously following Maggie Jane's progress. I hope that you are feeling better, too.

Susie, congratulations on the 2.5 lb. loss! I managed to lose two pounds last week, much to my astonishment. I don't know for sure, but I think you are so 'hungry' because your body is shifting in response, trying to get those pounds back and maintain its equilibrium. Hang in there! And you have my admiration for completing the Snow-a-thon!

Jodi, Girlie and Debbie, I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Almost time to hop in the shower and head off to the first of three doctor's appointments today. I did want to respond to the book query. Like Sanid, I usually have three going at the same time. I'm reading Jeffrey Eugenides' novel "Middlesex," which I'm really enjoying. I'm also reading a book on American social justice movements called "Reluctant Reformers." And I'm nearly finished with a book by Julia Griggs Havey called "Awaken the Diet Within." She lost 130 pounds, and writes for Ediets. The first little bit of the book is about her personal story, and a little melodramatic, but the bulk of the book is really helpful, I think, very down-to-earth practical advice that's more about mental focus and behavior modification than trying to sell a specific eating plan. I highly recommend it!

Okay, time to go get poked, prodded and scanned.

Be well, everybody!

judy

GOOOOD MORNING EVERYONE,
When I weighed at curves last week during the food group meeting. The scale didn't move. I knew I was retaining water, so I didn't stress too much over it. I made sure I drank all my water and watched my sodium last week. It really paid off I was DOWN...
8LBS.!! I pray at least some of it was fat.
Yesterday I ate my yogurt b-fast. I had 2 sm leftover BBQ chicken thighs and a small salad for lunch. Mid-afternoon I ate apple slices with p-butter. Dinner was a stuffed bell pepper, a few pieces of fried yellow squash and a lrg salad.
Spores: CONGRATS ON A 2lb loss. Good job passing up the donut. I'm not sure I could have. LOVE them.

Annie: I too have trouble passing up any cheese snack. I can turn down a sweet but cheese is a my weakness. I buy the bags of string cheese for snacks.

Girlie: I tell dh that going to yard sales is great exercise. This w-end I found dgs some shorts. He is growing like a weed. He's 8 and wears a size 10. All legs.
I have such a bad body self image that I don't feel good in any of my clothes. I just buy what I really have to have. I'll try on some beautiful clothes and hate how they look on me. I just stick to my jeans and t-shirts. I really pray that I can change that.
It must have been exciting growing up in nyc and philly.

Holly: What do my rooms say about me??
A real junk collector. Over the years I have collected 303 shot glasses. A few years ago we built a bar to display them and my steins ect. You would think we are drunks. Funny I've had 1 marguarita and 2 glasses of wine since new years. and dh hasn't had over a couple of beer's. Maybe time to remodel But I don't want to part with the glasses. They all have memories.

Everyone have a blessed day

Judy: we must have been posting at the same time. CONGRATS ON THE 2LB LOSS.
The seafod burgers sound good and I like the fact they can be made ahead of time and frozen. If you have a chance I would love that recipe.
Good luck with your 3 dr appts.

Hello,
I've decided that I don't care how busy things are in my life, losing this weight is important to me and it's my priority, so I'll be here once a day, every day.

I got up and did my ab work this morning and I've got my workout bag packed for a lunch time workout. Not only do I want to lose the weight, but to feel good, and working out makes me feel good.

I also wrote in my journal this morning. I know I need to do it then or it doesn't get done. I wrote about how on the weekends I get out of control and I use food to comfort me. I decided that when I want to use food for that I will:

1. Acknowledge that I'm seeking comfort
2. Recite the TOPS pledge
3. Use the time that I would have used to binge to get some of those things done that I'm feeling overwhelmed with.

Debbie: What a great loss! Doesn't it feel great. I think that with losing weight and trying on different clothes you can overcome the bad body image. Keep working at it

Holly: I didn't do the room exercise, but I'm planning to in the near future. I think it's great to visualize.

Jodi: You sound busy! Glad to see you getting here and posting.

Judi:Hope the appts. went well. That's one way to get them over with..do it all in one day.

Spores: Celebrate all those little success..they add up

Girlie: Great goal with the clothes. I find myself doing that also.

Annie: Sounds like you are doing well. Keep up the good work.

I'm sure I forgot someone..but I need to get to work. I've got to stay caught up on all areas of my life, or I'll feel overwhelmed. So everything in it's time and place...got to run....

Susie

I have been super tired since Sun night. Yesterday was nice. Took 3 kids to storytime and 2 went home at noon and then I took 1 kid to walmart for a couple of hours.3 big kids came home. They played in the basement. DD had dance. Put the monkeys to bed and watched 24. Went to bed myself. Had a great sleep but it feels like I could sleep til noon. I am reading Clara Callan by Richard B Wright. Highly acclaimed.
7 kids all day today. 3 of them nap!

Today is the first anniversary of Ben’s death. We are going to his home for dinner with another family, S and the boys. I am making a ground beef, mexican casserole.

Not much going on. I have been getting a headache late aft. Might be allergies or the weather changes. The snow has melted off the beds and I still have daffodils.

I need to get groceries for tonight. I might have to transport 7 kids and do it. YIKES!!

HUGS chicks!!!!!!

Good morning everyone!

I started the day with leftover fried chicken from popeye's. So I'll have my breakfast for lunch and make it better.

Feeling bloated and tired...duh...sure the chicken didn't help. We learn from our mistakes.

Haven't been sleeping well at night. Back has been hurting and I can't get comfortable no matter what I do. I think my back muscles are getting weak. It goes away when I'm exercising very regularly like I was doing a month or so ago. Plan on gym tonite. I have told myself every other day...because every day I think, "will I exercise today?".

Talk to you later!

Girlie

PS- how do you make the mexican casserole?

Mexican Casserole ( not diet friendly)
1 pkge velveeta cheese
1 lb browned ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, liquid squeezed out
layer in casserole dish
bake covered at 350, for 45 min
stir, top with grated cheddar, serve with nacho chips( I use scoops)

Spores~ happy to hear you sounding positive!!!!!!! Yay!! for your success.
BTW I love goats, keep thinking I might get a pet one. We have room and a shed for a small petting zoo.
Annie~there were lots of early birds today!! Hope your weigh in is a good one!!!!
Judy~ hope all the test go well. Did I miss what they are for? I hope all is well. You sound great!!
Debbie!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yowza!!!! All that working out is paying off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Girlie~ drink lots of water!!!
Susie~ Every day is like a weekend for me because i am always here with the same piles of stuff in front of me. I am trying really hard to keep the house picked up since it is in such good shape right now.
DH asked what i would do with myself when renos and decorating are done. HMMMMM......go for walks, read, walk, read some more, garden.....walk!
In my journal people commented about my "home" being nice. The point seemed to be missed that "I" was doing nicely.Cause a few months back neither the home or I was in good shape.I keeep going back to the Gary Zukav thing about asking myself before I eat something it is for my highest good to eat this food.HUGS!
Jodster~ HI!

Judy: Oooh, gold stars. I am a sucker for stickers. Maybe I will try that! Thanks for the book recommendation – that sounds like a good one.

Debbie: wow, 8 pounds! Good for you! All you rhard work is really paying off.

Susie: Good for you! Sounds like you are really making a great commitment. I love your strategy for dealing with emotional eating. Keep it up!

Holly: Sorry to hear this is a sad day for you. Wishing you some peace.

Girlie: Oh, back problems are the pits. Hope the exercise helps!

Well, today is going well so far. I am stressed because a student from last semester is appealing her grade, and it is turning into a big messy annoying accusatory thing. Makes me feel angry and under fire. So my goal is to not eat in response to it. I need better ways to deal with stress than junk food. Maybe I’ll try journaling. Also, I ran out of pages in my food journal, so I have not been writing down my meals today. But I’m sticking to the meal plan I made, so I think I’m doing all right. One day at a time.

hello chicks!
it is raining and chilly and i am wishing there was a little more sun! doing very well with the food. today i had an interesting thought. for the first time in a very long time i feel like i am taking care of myself. like the way i have been eating is good and nurturing and not a punishment. this is a very big deal to me because i always seem to feel deprived in some way when i am eating fruit and veggies. like i was missing out on something "good" does anyone know what i mean? could this be the turning point here? i hope so, i have been just sort of hanging out for a long while gaining and loosing the same 5 lbs. giving myself "treats" for a job well done that ended up turning into binges. i really want to be a healthy person. i really want to take the best care of myself, i have done a really good job for 3 weeks now. i hope this is finally becoming a habit! well enough about me!

holly- hope the dinner goes well, i know this is a sad time for you and your friends. ((((holly))))

mychoice, debbie, judy, annie and anyone else that lost CONGRATS!! wonderful job keep it going!!

spores- good for you not eating in response to the stress! you can do it!!!

girlie- hope your back gets better soon! nothing worse than a bad back ache! take care of yourself!!
hello sandi and anyone else i missed!! hope you wonderful chicks have a great evening!!

Good Morning,
I had another op day yesterday. When I had my yogurt I put some flax meal in it. It didn't change the taste, still good. I had a grapefruit mid-morn. Had a leftover stuffed pepper and a lg salad for lunch. Then afternoon snack was a apple with p-butter. Dinner was 1 measured cup of homemade chili. The amount is better. I am using a lot of spinach in my salads for more nutrients. Having same b-fast today taking a chicken wrap and orange for lunch. having a crockpot roast for dinner. Going to curves today before work. Everything at home is very routine. The same old, same.

Jodie: I truly know what you mean. I also pray that these changes will become a habit. At 50 I'm not nearly as worried about my looks as I am my health. I am not on any meds nor do I have any health problems, and I want to keep it that way.

Spores: One day at a time is truly the way..Hugs to you

Girlie: Hope back gets better. be careful at the gym and don't overdo. stretch good first.

Holly: recipe sound good I saved it to try on my family

Sandi, Judy, susie and anyone I missed
Hellloooo

Got to get ready.
Bright sunshine and big hugs to all