happy weekend everyone,
i had a nice relaxing evening last night, i went shopping and bought myself 3 new pairs of jeans and some spring tops. all in my current size. i have been holding out wearing the same 2 pairs of pants to work everyday not wanting to spend the money on clothes i won't wear forever. it felt great to just go shop! i did good all week, had pizza for dinner last night but didn't over do it. today i will plan for next week, putter, cook and clean. not much else going on.

judy- thanks! glad you are feeling so focused!! stay with it girl!!

holly- not sure if green is a mood but your colors sound great! i love bold colors on walls. good luck with the painting!

mychoice- thanks, i'll let you know if there is anything i don't quite get after the appointment. great job on the loss!! keep pushing forward!!

spores- hope you get a minute of me time this weekend! glad the rush will be over soon hang in there!!

annie- grab up all the support you can! TOPS is great from what i hear. good luck!!

djcbt- welcome !!! hop right in!!
enjoy your weekend ladies!!

Blatant Decadence!!!!
I slept in till 10am. Weeeeeeeeheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! My face is all puffy and sleep creased.The house is quiet.I even let the fire go out. I am sitting in the quiet drinking coffee #2. Oh what to do ,what to do.
My freedom is limited. I will leave at 2pm for the hockey tournament. The boys are spending the whole day there to watch all the other games. DH laughed at my lack of tournament ettiquette. *giggle* Who knew you were supposed to stay and watch. I saw it as time wasted. *more giggles*

There is a TON of tidying and cleaning to do from all the kids this week and post flu bug. I have been very tired in the eves and have not gotten much done. I was smart enough to know my body needed the rest so that is what I did. I have also been snacking a bit a night but i am wondering if my body needed that too. My snacks have been healthy. I have maintained my loss, so this week I will focus more on the not snacking and exercise, although i did put in several hours of shovelling this week!! I love exercise with an obvious purpose. As opposed to just bettering my health. LOL!
DH is starting with a new builder on Monday! We are still hoping for a call about the church job. It was still listed today and it is going to a committee, it may be a while.
DH is very keen for it. He was silly and lighthearted last night. We laughed a lot!!!
I had a hottub at the folks after dropping DD off,mmmmm. I chanted ohm while in there. It “scares” my Mom, seriously freaks her out. My Dad laughs his *** off. I enjoy that too. Rotten kid.ROFL!!!!!!! My Mom thinks I have all kinds of harrassment coming from my 2. My Dad thinks they are screwed because I have tried or done everything imaginable at least once and they dont stand a chance. It will be fun to see how it plays out.ROFL again!!!
I should look and see what I am teaching at SS tomorrow and then tidy up, dust vacuum, scrub a couple of toilets.Hmmmmmm , what tunes shall I listen to.......70’s mis, 80’s heavy metal, Rod the Bod, Kalan has been sold out in the stores here for weeks, I refuse to pat $45 online. My life is just so complicated* giggle*. Gawd I am hilarious today.

Spores~ I have missed you this week. It is wonderful to be valued and to know you have touched someones life!!! Cherish the praise!!!!! You deserve it!!! Hope you make it to next week unscathed!!! HUGS!!

Jodi~ the shopping sounds fun, good for you!!!!! Have awonderful relaxing weekend!

Judy~ditto, have a wonderful weekend!!! Congrats on the positive momentum!!!

Susie?? Girlie?? How are you gals doing??

BTW on the John Tesh radio show last night he talk about Emotional Inteligence. It was interesting. There is a link at Tesh.com.

See ya Later!

Good morning Ladies,
I missed you all yesterday. I had a lot to do around the house and with this cold it took me longer than usual, and I didn't have time to get online. I'm starting to feel better with the cold. I woke up this morning and I'm able to breathe out of my nose.....hey..got to celebrate the little things!

Last night DH and I went to dinner at Red Robin (great hamburgers!) and then to see "Wedding Date". It's a very cute movie....such a chick flick.

I'm doing ok with my food. Got to get back to exercising. Trying to decided if I'm going for a walk today at the Y. I feel like I don't want to overdo, but I need to start moving again. I think I will go for a walk.

I got some new spring catalogues in the mail, and I'm going through them and cutting out things that I would like to buy for this summer. I picked out one outfit that I'm going to buy when I lose 10 lbs, one for 20, and one for 30. I know they might not be available but it's the idea that I have a picture in my head of how I'll look in them when I get to that weight and I can always find something similiar. It's just a new motivating tool for me. Got to keep that motivation fresh.

Holly: I think I would love to live in your house with all those bright colors! No wonder you have so much energy. It sounds like things are going ok with DH and the job hunt. I've still got my fingers crossed.

Spores: Good to see you back. What type of magazine are you publishing? You asked about a towel at the gym. I would have one to put down on the machines and benchs. Some people don't wipe them down with the cleaners and that protects you from what they didn't clean up.

Judy: Come on lady...let's get moving and get in those 230's and get moving out of them.

Jodi: I'm so glad that you went out and bought some new things. I know it seems like a waste sometimes to buy something that we don't plan on wearing for a long time, but you need a few things that fit now. Sounds like you are really focused.

Anne: It's nice to see you here. Did you get a chance to check out a TOPS group. I know that it really helps me to have a weekly weighin where it's being kept tracked of by someone other than myseld. TOPS provides that for me and it's not expensive.

Have a great day ladies. Rest, relax, rejuvinate and get plan for a successful week. We can all do this! We are doing it!

Susie

Susie~ you sound much brighter today. Glad you are on the mend!!!! We have 6ftX6ft picture wondows in most rooms too. Very cheery. I am not a fan of beige or grey. I usually wear red or orange or bright green and blue. I like colour!! Go and have a nice gentle walk and ease into it!!!

My 3X tops are baggy, almost getting sloppy. I am not quite a 2X though. Mom bought me a 2X t shirt and it fits but is a little too clingy for me. I have very broad shoulders and big(DD) boobs. I like things to flow smoothly.The size 20 pants I just put on are generous. They were tight in Sept!
Gotta love NSV's.
Yesterday was fantastic. I took advantage of the fire being out and cleaned the woodstove out and then vacuumed down the ceiling and walls and and all the brick. Then i dusted and did the rugs too. It feels fresh!!
I did the upstairs floors and bath last night!
Hockey was good. The boys lost but my little guy really hustled. He has improved so much. He beams with angelic joy after each game. Brings tears to my eyes.
No news from DD . I am assuming all is well. She has my folks pretty much figured out and batts her eyes and is spoiled!!
Right after church I scheduled appts. for photos for the church directory. Cool, we are due for a family portrait.
Watched bits of Cool Hand Luke last night ( MMMM Paul Newman, YUM) and printed off some of LindaT's recipes to try(YUM) LOL.
Went to bed at 10:30, slept til 7. Yippee.
Hockey at 1 today then we are all going to the Lake for a hottub and pizza!!

Life is just peachy!!!!!!!!!

Jodi: Hooray for the new clothes. That’s such a fun feeling. Congrats on a great week.

Holly: Glad you got some relaxing time in Good for you, listening to what your body needs. I know I don’t do that enough; it’s hard!

Mychoice: Your catalogue idea is great! I might give it a try. It is always so depressing when catalogs come that don’t have my size...that would be a way to make it fun! Thanks for the towel tip. I am nervous about gym stuff, but I get a bonus check next week, and am thinking I will spend it on a membership and just see how I like it. I had a membership for six months last year and didn’t use it much—just for some classes, but I didn’t like the teacher much, so stopped showing. But I really would like to try the weights. I think it would be fun and empowering. Oh, my magazine: it’s an independent journal of literary humor. My passion. I publish it with my bf. Such fun, but so much work, and at this point it is a money black hole. But maybe someday we’ll see some profit!

Well, I had a decent week. Planned to workout 3x and eat out 2x, and those numbers were reversed...but still, not bad. I haven’t weighed in ages because my scale went bad, but think I will buy one soon. Having a solid number might give me some motivation. I am finally past the insane busyness of end-of-term! Hooray! Celebrated last night with Indian food (overdid it, but mmmmmm) and a movie. Going to watch the Oscars tonight and relax a bit. And then, March begins! My March goals: exercise minimum 3x a week and eat out maximum 3x a week. I think that’s doable. I would like to do more, but I need to set realistic goals. There was an alpaca show in town this weekend, so we went this morning and walked around looking at the adorable animals...makes me want to move to the country and buy a farm. Alpacas are so darn cute! Got to pet one (they’re skittish, so not usually up for petting) and it was SO soft and sweet. Maybe someday.

Hope everyone is having a lovely wekend and has a great start to the week. What are everyone’s goals for March? Let’s keep each other going through the month!

I am a little stressed right now. I will post ,shower and hopefully switch gears.

The weekend was really quite nice. I have been fighting off a cold though so I was tired out easily. The boys won their last game. It was a high for them. We went to the folks and I soaked in the hottub. My Dad made homemade pizza. It was irresistable. I ate too much. The rest of the day was bang on. I was a little disappointed in myself. We got home early. the kids were off to bed early. I watched the Oscars and cleaned on the commercials and boring bits. Yesterday was super busy. I feel tired out today.
DS was irritable and emotional this morning. he is worn out too. I had another 6 year old this morning. They were butting heads. Both at fault. It was stressful for me.
I have 4 kids right now and 2 more coming.

The minister and 4 others are coming here for a meeting about the photo directory. It was the only way everyone could get together. I am not worried about the minister being here ,he is pleasantly flakey. I am sure a lot of the towns folk are intching to see what we have done in here. It was a local eyesore before we bought the joint. And a land mark in the history books as it was a diner and gas station in the 60’s and 70’s.
I am a little bold in my design ideas. I dont really care about what others think but i would like it to be tidy.
2 kids go home at noon and 2 nap at 1. That gives me an hour to do a mad tidy up!!

I NEED TO CENTRE MYSELF.

OOOOOH! This is exciting. I just did my measurments. Looky here....
Measurements
July 12 2004
WAIST-41
HIP-52
THIGH-26.6
UPPER ARM-15
NECK–14
CHEST-47.5


Aug 5 2004
W-41
H-50
T-26.5
UA-14.5
N-14
C-46.5


Feb 28 2005
W-40
H-49
T-25.5
UA-14
N–13.5
C-45

Morning all. The weekend went by so fast. Had a great time in Chicago...gosh, ate some YUMMY food. Thai, Japanese and Spanish. Had fun with my sister in law too. We took a cab from where we parked at the Spanish cafe to the concert - it was two miles in between. After the show around 11pm we decided to walk back to the car and save the car fare. We also got lost, so I got more than two miles in, walking down LaSalle street. It's cool to walk in the city because you're busy looking at things.

Stopped at Trader Joe's for groceries and picked up a lot of nice things you can't get around here. I just love that market! mostly organic/healthier foods at much lower prices.

Gonna go make a cup of tea and start work.

PS - my interview on Friday went very well. They'll be bringing in the qualified candidates for 2nd interviews this week...hope I get a call!

Girlie

Holly: Wow, your measurements are so inspiring! What a great accomplishment. Hope your meeting goes well and you have a less stressful afternoon!

Girlie: Glad to hear you had a great weekend! Sounds like loads of fun. Glad the interview went well; hope the phone rings soon!

I am pleased with myself for getting in my treadmill today -- and early, which is difficult for me. Looks like I am not going to have time for lunch, so will try to find a healthy snack. Cupboards are bare, as tonight is grocery store time, but hopefully I can find something decent to eat on the road.

Spores--I like your idea of sharing our goals for the month. I will be down to at least 235 by Easter, that's my primary goal. A secondary goal is to bump up my formal workouts, and to meditate more often. More Miss Manners for the gym: keep your cell phone in your bag (other people's conversations are annoying, and some people are freaked out by the camera capabilities in the locker room, yikes!); swipe away the sweat when you move away from the machines, even if you don't feel sweaty. I'm still too big to wrap those gym towels snugly around myself, so I take an oversized spa wrap with me. You can also Velcro a big white towel and make your own wrap. Since my adolescence, I've been tremendously embarassed to flit around the locker room in my birthday suit, but the last gym I joined helped me get over it. I had every intention of enjoying myself in the steam room and hot tub, so after a while I stopped worrying about it and just relaxed! :)

Jodi--Yaay for completing a great week! Where do you buy jeans? I have a hard time finding ones that aren't too short, or that don't fit weirdly.

Oh, Susie...I've been 240 for a couple of days now....I know that you'll be in the '30s by your weigh-in :goodscale

Holly, congrats on your progress so far! It's exciting to see the numbers. I'm terrible at measuring myself. I was measured at the doctor's office in November, I'll ask them to do it again in May.

Girlie--I'm so jealous that you got to hang out in Chicago. Last week a co-worker asked me what to do there when she goes in a few weeks, and the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Get Garrett's carmel corn." Chicago is a food paradise for me, right up there with New Orleans :ink: Good luck with the interview process. You can give our names as references!

Back out into the snow. Have a great evening, ladies.

judy

Judy: Thanks for the etiquitte tips. I never really change in the locker room -- I just head home in my sweaty clothes and shower there. I hate changing in front of others. And cell-phone cameras...scary! Your goals are awesome. I too have a hard time measuring myself -- I'm never sure if I'm doing it right. I just measure by what fits. I didn't know the doctor would do measurements. Maybe I will ask next time I go. I wish there were faster ways to measure results tangibly. Ideas, anyone?

Good morning. I didn't get a chance to post yesterday but I did get a minute to peek in and read the posts.


I've come to the realization that I'm going to have to logg my food for awhile. Since it's the beginning of a new month, I'm going to start today doing just that.

I also did my ab work and core strenghting exercises this morning. Even though it only takes me about 10 min to do them, I feel that I get my mind on the right track for the day by working my body just that little bit.

It's snowing in Ohio today. Spring is only 19 days away? Oh well, if gives me a chance to wear the new boots that I bought on sale for an end of the season buy...I don't have to wait until next year to wear them. I've got to look at the bright side.

How's everyone else doing? Anyone have an goals for March?

As I stated earlier mine are:

1. I will logg my food daily for the month of March
2. I will continue to do my core strenghting and ab work
3. I will check out the Yoga class that meets on Saturday mornings and determine if this is something I want to add to my weekly workouts.
4. I will make time to write in my journal everyday
5. I will make an effort to compliment one person each day and give them a geniune smile.
6. I will remember to take 3 deep breathes every day.

Have a great day everyone. I'm headed to work.

Susie

Susie:
I like your idea of giving someone a compliment and genuine smile every day. Especially in the workplace, it gets hard to do because there is so much phony stuff around!!!

Judy:
Chicago was very fun. Fortunately I didn't snack, but had very nice meals. Everything was so outrageously good. My friends ordered dessert at this Spanish restaurant and I knew that if I did, I'd really gorge myself. So I "tasted" theirs. Oh, so decadent. One was a steamed banana covered in home-made caramel sauce with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream. The other was the best dessert I've ever had...I don't like things that are very rich...this was PERFECT. French vanilla ice cream rolled in a delicate crepe, drizzled with real strawberry sauce and garnished with strawberry and whipped cream. It was absolutely fabulous. I was proud that I didn't order any - but the home made rice pudding with raisins sounded very good!

Spores:
Regarding your gym manners...some people wipe off the machines before and or after they work out - I typically don't, just because I'm lazy, I forget and I usually shower right after I'm done working out. I don't think most people care that much if you clean the machine off - they are the people who typically wipe it off before they begin anyway. Also, in the locker room, it gets a little cramped in there and it's nice to leave people with some room. But usually when I go it's not bad at all and I like to spread my stuff out. I bring my own gym towel that is more like the size of a beach towel and I use that to walk to and from the shower. I get a little self concious when getting dressed, but I mean, there's nothing I can do but either feel ashamed or just live with it. There are days when I haven't shaved in a while, etc and you know in the end, who cares. I'm there at the gym, I work out hard and I deserve to feel confident and comfortable. The only manners type thing I can think of is to be quick if there is ever a line for the showers. We have five separate shower stalls and occasionally there is a line, like in the mornings. Otherwise, I take a long shower...I love them!

So here I am having Chex Mix and tea for breakfast. Arrgh. It's always hard to get back into the exercising/food after a mini vacation or trip! I am so proud to say that I didn't take one single drag of a cigarette. It was my first roadtrip with girlfriends since last April when I quit smoking...I usually would pretty much chain smoke when I drove long distances...and in the city, in bars, etc...but I didn't. That was a success for me!

Feeling groggy today.

Girlie

Good Morning Lovely Ladies......

Didn't do so well OP yesterday. Went on an eating frenzy, but think I have it under control now. Fingers crossed.

TOPS in my area is on Monday nights, and as luck would have it I had to work at Kohl's last night, however I do plan on getting to TOPS next week. I wish I knew someone else that attends or would attend with me. I do better with a buddy.

My new boss, Kelle, gave me her Windsor Pilates tapes, from basic to pro, including tights and bunz workouts. Never been opened. Total of 5 tapes, no I have NO excuse to not get some exercise, with the WATP and the Pilates tapes, things should happen, once I implement a workout regimen. Kelle is in buff shape and goes to the gym 6 days a week. I don't think she ever had a weight issue tho. She even has tight bunz.

Holly, you sound in such a great mood and place in life right now. Congrats! How's the job search going for DH?

Susie - I love you can make goals and stick to them. I am good at making goals but not keeping them for long. You are an inspiration.

Judy - if you order you jeans/pants on-line from about anywhere, you can get them in tall. The last pair I ordered was from JCPenney catalog.

Jodi - Great job on a week well finished. Keep up the great work.

Girlie - sounds like you had a fantastic time in Chicago. Hard not to eat when traveling. It is the getting back into gear once I return that is the hardest for me.

Hello to everyone I might of missed. Stay OP and focused. We can do this. I want it badly.

Cheers!!

Annie

That is thighs and bunz, not tights and bunz. lol, sorry in a hurry as doing this at work and trying not to get in trouble.

Howdy chicks. I have been in to read. I have a rotten cold. Mostly in my nose and eyes. They really aches and itch. Toddlers!! ACK!!
A VERY long day yesterday. Quiet day today. All i have felt like eating is cereal.

I wrote an article for our church news letter about bullying. I am proud of it. If you are interested PM me and I will email it.

Everyone sounds pretty good!!! Have a great day. I just smiled genuinely at all of you!!!

hello everyone!
i feel like i have been away for ages, i am doing well. keeping busy. eating good. i haven't exercised this week but it is only tuesday going to try and fit that in tomorrow. the dr. went ok i had a mamogram (ouch!!) i have to go back next week for a sonogram, the dr thinks i have endometriosis (sp?) he wants to do a laproscopy (sp?) in the near future. so we shall see. my mood is much better. it is going to be a good week.

holly- sorry to hear about the cold, hope you get well soon. what 'cha reading? good for you with the measurements!! that is fantastic! it is so great to see the numbers going down!! keep it up girl!!

annie- good luck with the tapes. i really love the WATP's (when i am not too lazy to do them of course) the exercise really does help though. i'm telling you as a pep talk for myself. lol we can do it! i also think about going to TOPS wish you were over here i would be your buddy. going to get up my nerve and try it i think.

girlie- glad you had a good time in chicago! good for you not smoking! it is fun to unwind with the girls! you can do it girlie just hop right back in to the exercise, you always do so great with it!

mychoice- good for you with awesome goals for the month!! you can do it. it is snowing like crazy here again. i'm thinking spring will never get here! if you know anything about endo-whats-a-ma-call-it or laproscopy (sp?) send me a PM. i've looked it up online and my dr. told me lots but i am always looking for more info!

judy- i found some very good fitting jeans at walmart thet are lee riders strech in women's sizes. i am not too tall 5'6" so the length isn't an issue although they do come in petit, average, and tall. they are zip front with just the tinyest bit of stretch to them. they are very comfortable. they run big though i can wear a size 16W in them but in all other pants i am an 18-20.

spores- good for you getting on the treadmill!! you rock!! keep up the great work!!

sorry if i missed anyone! hope you all have a great evening!

ooops before i forget....
my goals for march
1) loose 5 lbs
2) walk 3 times a week min.
3) make healthy choices as much as humanly possible
4) don't beat myself up when i fall off the wagon.
nite chicks!!
xoxox

Mychoice: Thanks for sharing your goals! I like that one aboutgiving a genuine compliment. I am going to add a goal: I will make an effort to ask one genuine, caring question to each person I deal with on any significant level. I too have been thinking of logging food again. I find that sometimes it works for me, but sometimes it's just too overwhelming. I feel like I write so much down already, and it makes eating take that much longer. But I know it helps. Do you measure your food as well or just eyeball it?

Girlie: Thanks for the gym tips. Your attitude is so great -- I am just going to go out there and do it and try to forget about the staring eyes. Good for you on the trip -- not ordering desert when your friends do and not smoking in bars...those sound liek impossible challenges!

Annie: Oh, do let us know how you like the pilates tapes. I've thought about trying them, but I'm not sure if they're out of my challenge zone right now. They look hard! I too wish I had a buddy nearby -- so much easier to go to those meetings and workouts with someone else.

Holly: Sorry to hear about your cold. Hope you feel better soon!

Had a long and stressful day today, and put off my workout several times. Didn’t want to do it; wanted to work and cross things off the to do list...but then I thought, “Hey, I need a break, and what better way to relieve stress than to workout?” So I did it! And was glad I did. So hooray for that. Not so great on food today, thought. Try again tomorrow.

We got a lOT of snow overnight. DH is home, busses were cancelled. He drove DS and friend to school. The friend thinks we are mean, “but it’s a snow day!” LOL!
I have 4 kids here. 2 more coming. We were supposed to go to the sugar bush for a field trip but I am NOT driving 6 kids, 5 not my own on bad roads.

DH is bugging me already. A running commentary on how bad the other parents drive, what I am feeding the kids, blah,blah,blah..... get a life!!!!! Stop trying to create some self importance. LOL!
I felt super crappy all day yesterday. This virus is mostly in my eyes. They are itchy and achy and really puffy. It is NOT pretty.
I am feeling much better today. Not as irritable so far. Although DH may inspire some!!
I watched Idol last night and out of curioslty I watched The Amazing Race. Boston Rob and Amber from Survivor are on. He is babe-ilicious. I LOVE his personality. He cracks me up and turns me on. Most people think he is an ******* but I tend to adore good looking *******s, my Dad is one, Dh is one, DS is headed that way. I DONT think they are *******s but they are very direct, blatantly honest, super funny, often outrageous....I LOVE them!!!!!! Even when the drive me batty. I couldn’t stop watching .I laugh out loud at everything he does on the show. I finally shut it off at 10 and went to bed.
Food was weird yesterday because I was sick. I had cereal for breakfast and lunch. I made hambuger patties with onion gravy, rice and veggies for supper. Comfort food.

Hope today is better.


Annie~ you are sounding focussed. You will do this!! I would like TOPS better if it was more anonymous. In all small town I see the 10 memebers everywhere I go. Maybe it helps keep the junk out of my shopping cart.

Girlie~ did you get back on the exercise track!!! Congrats on not smoking!!

Susie~ how did the goals go?? Thay are fantastic!!

Jodi~ Glad you are feeling better.

Spores~ congrats on CHOOSING to workpout!!!!!!

Judy~HI! How's it going?

Jodi: Glad to see you! Sorry to hear of doctor stuff; no fun. Hope all is well. Love your goals, especially that last one" "Don't beat myself up when I fall off the wagon." Thats one I need to work on as well.

Holly: Snowed in with so many people! Yikes! Hope you can find some time for yourself.

I had planned to workout early this morning, but that time ahs slipped past. I do not do well with early workouts. I do not do well with mornings. If I have someplace to be, I can get up and going, but if I don't have to leave the house for a few hours, I just wallow. I'm also kind of sad today (no reason), so am moping about and not wanting to do much. How to deal with this? Usually I would throw up my hands and consider the whole day a bust at only 10am. But that is a tendancy I want to overcome. So instead. Hm. I will find a balance between desire to curl into a ball and need to care for body. I will take my extra time this morning and do my hair all nice and pretty so I feel nice about myself and have a nice day. When I get home from my classes, I will hop on the treadmill. I will think of that half hour between the time I get home and the time my bf gets home as my time to reward myself for making it through the day. I will pop on a Kids in the Hall episode and watch and laugh as I walk on the treadmill. I will ignore the dishes in the sink and the blinking answering machine and take that half hour just for me. I will pack myself some healthy snacks today so that I'm not starving when I get home. I will ask my bf to cook dinner with me so that I'm not tempted to go out for junk. I will ask him to do the dishes and not feel guilty about it. This is what I'm gonna do.

How is everyone? Having a good week so far?

Spores~ I love your plan!!! Way to turn it around!!!!

Hello,
I did very well with my goals yesterday. I'm really glad I started to log my food again, because last night I was eating these Orange Slices (you know..the candy kind) and I realized that I had 6 of them and that if I wasn't going to write down my food I would have not taken them into consideration. Because I was logging my food, I realized that I had made my choice to have my "desert" then, so I couldn't have anything later. I'm wondering (although I have a pretty good idea) how many of those type calories I've let slip up on me, and in turn they let the scales slip up to a higher number?

We received some snow last night and the roads were slippery, so my Accounting class was canceled (didn't cry about that one! *smile*), so I got an extra walk in. I walked for an hour and went just about 3 miles.

How's everyone else doing? Anyone else dreaming of summer? I am and I see myself just about at that 200 mark, and looking thinner than I've looked for years, attending all the high school graduation houses I have to go to this summer, yep..there I am...tanned, my stomach not sticking out, my arms sculpted from all the weight training, my toenails painted coral, in strappy sandles, with a really cute sundress....oh yeah...I see it. I'm smiling...everyone is saying "look at you...how much weight have you lost?"...man does that feel good!

Spores: I love the way you turned the day around. I think it's important to write that out like you did. You have to have a map, so you can see what direction to head in. You asked if I measured my food or eyeballed it. I usually eyeball it but sometimes when I know that it's something that I like to eat, I might measure it out so I'm "real" about how much I'm taking.

Holly: I hope you are feeling better. I completely understand the comfort food. I was smiling when I was reading about Boston Rob. I don't watch Survivor but a friend of mine does and she talks to me every week about him.

Jodi: I'm glad you made it to your doctor appointment. I'm going to PM you.
I like your goals, they are good ones.

Girlie: I hope you hear something good about the interview.

Annie: Did you check out TOPS. You are correct that it's easier to have a buddy to workout with and attend meetings with, but who knows, you might find a new buddy at the meetings. The best way to make a buddy is to be one.

I better get back to work. Chat with you all later.

Susie

I hope I can join you on the race to 199!! I can't wait to see 199 again. I'm currently at 226 lbs. I'm trying to get back on track with my eating and exercising after a bought with bronchitis all of last week! I'm 29 and would like to see a better figure by my 30th birthday in July. I also was wanting to try to participate in a 5K roadrace in April, but I still don't know if I will lose enough to put myself out there. (I wanted to try to be at 195 for the race, I completed it in 2002 at 192 lbs) I have an 8 year old daughter and a very sweet, cute boyfriend that lives with me. It's really neat to read about everyone else just so excited to see under 200 lbs. It's good to know I'm not the only one longing to be there again!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

Good Day, everyone.

I like how everyone has goals listed! I would like to lose 5 pounds this month too. That is totally doable.

Anne:
Let me know how the Pilates is.

Spores:
Don't worry about the "staring eyes"...you'll find that they are more worried about getting stared at themselves. Just be confident, look people in the eye and smile.

Susie:
Great job on checking yourself with the orange slices!

Holly:
Hope you feel better!!!

Jodi:
I've read lots about people having a lap. I hope all goes well, whatever the outcome!

Stephanie:
Welcome! You can do the 5K but I know how you feel. I ran my last 5K when I was around 180...at 230, it's harder to run...but doable. Our 5K is coming up in May and I will not be prepared, but will probably do the walk portion anyway. Trying to get DH to do it...and maybe next year it will be our run together! I was never any good, but the rush of finishing is just awesome.

Well, I haven't gone to the gym yet. Hope to make it tonite. I got a call back from the company and have a 2nd interview on Friday. I only have one suit, so DH is going to look at suits with me tonite, and hopefully we can make it to the gym as well. Five miles on the elliptical tonite and tomorrow will get me feeling good for the interview.

Talk to you all soon!

Girlie

Hi, Stephanie! Welcome, I just jumped into the group a month ago myself. Everyone is very positive, it's been a big part of my success so far!

Girlie: Congratulations on making good choices in Chicago (my kind of town, Chicago is!). I hope the interview goes well on Friday--I know that you'll look fabulous, anyway....

Susie: I love your visioning yourself after you've met your goals. I have a hard time doing that--I think that's part of my mental stuff that causes me to self-destruct when things are going well. I've broken my goals out in lots of bite-sized pieces, in part because I haven't weighed my ultimate goal--165 or less--in thirty years, I don't have a clear picture of myself at that place. But I can see 191, so I'll start there, and cross the next bridge when I come to it. I hate doing it, but I agree that keeping a journal makes a big difference. :write: I do log my food and exercise, but since I don't count calories, I don't worry too much about specifying exact amounts. I travel and eat out a lot, it began to be a reason not to write anything down at all. If I know I'm having more or less than a serving of something, I will write "two servings of squash," or something like that.

Spores: I hope your day is going per plan. Re measurements: I've been checking in with a bariatric doctor's office. They measured me when I first started, and took pictures, too :( I'm going back tomorrow morning for my first weigh-in in three weeks.

Jodi, Anne: Thanks for the suggestions on the jeans. I'm not so terribly tall (5'6"), but I have a hard time finding ones where, if the leg is long enough, the crotch isn't somewhere near my knees, or the waist isn't too big. I have big thighs and butt (Anne, I need to borrow your tape :lol:) and rarely like the way that stiff denim fits me.

Holly: I do hope that you're feeling better today!

Make good choices, everyone!

judy

MychoiceSusi: What a great visualization! I have heard that it is one of the most important techniques for weight loss. I always have a hard time with it; I can visualize the body, but I can’t seem to put my head on it. Maybe I’ll try writing it out. I too think I need to start measuring so I am more real about how much I eat. The thing that gets me down is the extra steps. One more step to get to eating. One more dish to wash. One more bother to hunt for and wash up the measuring cup in the sink. I need to work on my impatience. Eating for me is either comfort/emotional satisfaction or pure and simple physical need. In either case, I want it and I want it NOW.

Stephanie: Welcome! Feel free to jump right in. We’re all in the same boat here.

Girlie: Good luck with the interview! A new suit is always a confidence-booster.

Judy: Bariatic doctor? I’ve never heard of it. Can you tell me what it is? Yes, eating out is a challenge. I always blow it when I eat away from home, because I look at it a “treat time” and just splurge. So I need to work on cooking at home more often. Like, tonight.

Okay, first part of the day’s plan went well. Did my hair, snacked pretty well at school, did the treadmill. Now comes the dreaded “cook dinner at home instead of ordering chineese” part. So hard. I’m really hungry, and I really want the treat, and I HAVE to do dishes before I can even think about cooking, and I really hate doing dishes. It would be so much easier to order some nice fried delivery. But I ate Chipotle last night (unplanned), so I want to balance that by being good tonight. And I have tons of work to do. If I order in, that is a sure recipe for wallowing in front of the TV and eating all night. The best way for me to break this pattern is at the source: no delivery. No take-out. No dive-thru. Just take the perfectly fine food in my refrigerator and put it in the magic cooking machine and eat a meal out of my own kitchen. Not so hard.

Hope my bf gets home soon and offers to do the dishes. That would make it easier.

Thanks for listening, all! Today’s been a struggle for some reason, and talking it out really helps.

Hey everyone, Once again I have wandered back. I'll try to keep up. I've gone back to taking my lunch to work. I do better if I take lean cuisine or ww. I tend to make VERY bad choices when I eat out.
March 7-11 Curves is having their food drive. So I am joining next monday. I don't have the money for the full service fee, so this is great. I can help others and myself. I am very excited about it. I hope it is the motivation I need. I have been doing some better staying op this last week.
I miss everyone.

Goals for March:
1. loose 5lbs
2. measure food to reaquaint myself with portion size.
3. post here daily
4. be kind to myself.

welcome to everyone new.

BIG HUGS TO ALL

Girlie - That's awesome to know that someone else my size is out there participating in 5k's too! It's a very empowering feeling to complete one, isn't it? I completed 4 5K's in 2002 with my last one completed in 39min22sec. Not the best in the world, but I was very proud at 190 lbs to complete it in that time!

Thanks to everyone for being so welcoming. I'm finally getting back on track today!! I've brought my lunch with me. Someone else said that if they didn't bring their lunch to work, they made bad choices. I do the same!!! So far I've eaten 200 cals for breakfast, brought a 320 cal lunch with me and brought some mini carmel rice cakes for snacks!! Those are 60 cals for 7 mini cakes. And they taste great!! I'm so happy to be back on track again. Maybe this evening I'll even get some exercise in! I'm so looking forward to seeing 225 lbs. Maybe I'll get there by Monday!!! That would be awesome!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

Steph~ I didn't say Hello and WELCOME yesterday!!!!! Glad to see you back today!!

I need a kick in the pants!!!
I have been terrible with eating at night. I have reasons and excuses but it is hurting me. I sat down with a giant bowl of leftovers last night to read journals. I ate til my tummy ached. I was tired but was too full to lay down. HELP!!!!

My days are good. Exercise has mostly been shovelling and lots of it!!!!! Last night I did a full hour of it .The snow was light but up to my knees.
The shop cats frolic about when I am out there. I LOVE it. Very peaceful. The littlest one kept diving into fresh 3 ft snow and would tunnel through and pop up across the yard. I was scared he was going to sufficate but all is well.
DD went out yesterday aft and the snow was up to her armpits. She was jumping off the swing set into it.
It is still snowing BTW. Not storming though just steady fluffy flakes for the past 24 hours. The snowmobilers were out in full force yesterday.
I digress, I am feeling physically run down form that flu bug and then I came down with a head cold. I am busy with kids, school council and SS stuff. That mostly uses my brain so I am not sure why I think I need to eat more to keep me going.

Last night at TOPS we took measurments. Last Feb and then again this Feb. Here’s the good news. Chest down 3 1/3 in, waist, dwon 3 in, hips down 4 in, thigh down 4 in! This is great. My weight loss for last year is around 10 lbs. This here shows that the yoga( mostly) and WATP is doing something.
SO STOP EATING SO MUCH, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT!!!!!!!

Debbie: Nice to see you! I didn't know Curves did a food drive -- what's it all about? Sounds like a good deal.

Stephanie: That 5K sounds like a great goal. Something really tangible. It's so easy (for me, anyway) to get caught up in the abstract of numbers and forget to have lifestyle goals. Good for you!

Holly: I too have trouble with eating at night. I think it's because I get into this "time to relax" mindset, and it makes me feel like eating. Don't know why I think eating and relaxing go hand in hand! Sounds like that shoveling is keeping you busy! What a great workout -- good for the body and practical too!

Not so great on food yesterday, unfortunately. Hoping today will be better. I have to go get my teeth cleaned in a few minutes, and that always keeps me from eating much because I don't want to lose that clean-mouth feeling. Hope everyone i having a good day!

Judy:
Yes, I'm with Spores...tell me about your bariatric doctor. I thought they deal with things like gastric bypass surgeries? Hope all goes well with your weigh in. Also, about jeans...my favorite pair are these Tommy Hilifiger boot cut. I splurged...but I look and feel great in them. They are in the women's section of nicer department stores. They were called low-waist boot cut. The waist isn't super low on me, because I'm short, they fit in the right spot. Plus, they aren't stretch - I don't like stretchy jeans because they don't fit me right. I've broken this pair in perfectly and I can wear a heel with them. They hug my booty just perfectly. I carry a lot of my weight in my behind!

Spores:
You sound great, a great improvement on attitude from when you first started coming here. I know what you mean about getting home and not wanting to do dishes or cook! That's totally me. So I try to have simple things around. Sometimes even a Lean Cuisine seems harder than getting Chinese! I get into these ruts. Last night I did cook because I told DH to take out chicken and the thawed chicken was there, staring me in the face. I boiled it for lack of a better idea...then when it was cooked through, I seared it in a frying pan with olive oil, just to get that "fried" flavor but not fully fried. I have these microwave packages of broccoli with low fat cheese sauce and just threw that in the microwave...and there's dinner. I sometimes feel like if I can't cook a whole meal basically from scratch, it's not worth it...but these convenience foods would be better than going to order out...although you can get a lot of veggies in by ordering out wisely.

Holly:
Just realize why you overate last night and admit it and move on :) You have done a great job! You tend to keep this place peppy with your great attitude!

Stephanie:
Your time was better than mine! Mine was almost 45 minutes. I mean, someone could fast walk that in the time I did it, but my goal was just not to stop, to keep a steady pace and go. Plus the hills were terrible! I walked the 5K last year at the same route and it's not easy! There is a larger-size running group called the Clydesdales that meet up for races nationally. You can google "clydesdales running" and find their site. I think heavier runners are stronger because they have to carry more weight. I'm not up to running yet, but I hope to be going for runs outdoor over the summer.

Speaking of that, I haven't been exercising. It's been a week. I'm going through one of those phases. I spent two hours trying on suits last night with DH. He's all into tailoring and stuff, so I like to take him with me. I went straight to the size 20's to try on the coats and DH said they were all too big. I ended up needing a size 16! Wow. We couldn't find the matching pants that I needed, so I'm going to the same department store in a different city tonite...they were on sale. I am sure I'll need an 18 for the bottom, maybe even 20 for my bubble butt. Who knows, but I'm excited about the 16.

Talk to you soon!

Girlie

Spores - A 5K is very tangible. It's also a very substantial goal. You can complete a 5k and also spend lots of time perfecting and bettering it after that!

Hollyhock - your kitties sound absolutely adorable!! I have 3 indoor kitties. The youngest one is constantly flitting around the house like your little one was playing in the snow. I like to say that she 'runs the rooftops' because she can't go under anything she comes to, she always has to go over it! :lol: If only I had that much energy. But then I guess I would have to change venues for work - with that much energy, I'd never be able to sit at a desk!

We have sunshine today! Finally! It has been dreary and snowy all week! It's so nice to see sunshine. The temp is only in the 40's but it still makes all the difference in the world to see it pretty out!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

Girlie - I was posting at the same time you were!! Thank you!! The 'Clydesdales' huh?? I'm a horse person! (I had a GORGEOUS 16.2 hand high GREY Thoroughbred gelding that I sold after my daughter was born -couldn't afford the horse and the daughter since I was a single mom) To be a Clydesdale is so much more glorified than a chunky-butt girl who decided to try to run!!! I love it!! You have totally made my day telling me that!!! Clydesdales are just beautiful too! I will definitely do a search to see if I can find them!!!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

Girlie: Aw, thanks for the compliment. I DO feel like my attitude's changing, at least a little bit. Weight loss seems an eensy bit less impossible these days. It so helps to have support and sharing. I too get into that all-or-nothing mindset where I think I have to cook everything beautifully from scratch or give it up and go our for burgers. I need to find a better middle ground. Stocking up on healthy convenience foods would help. My mom has a big freezer in her basement, and she puts up lots of veggies and homemade things from the garden so they're easy and convenient. I don't have that kind of freezer space, but maybe I could try it on a small scale. I also need to work on my attitude about eating out. I think of eating any food that's not from my kitchen as free-for-all time. I have this attitude that if I'm spending money on it, I should get what I really want. Which is silly, I know. After all, I spend money on groceries too! So I'm going to try to make some better choices when eating out. Just maybe one little choice a week, and go from there. Not getting the "super-size" option, obviously. Ordering a side salad instead of fries. And going to overall healthier places. There's a great Japanese fast food drive-thru near my house, and I know any meal I get there is waaaaaay healthier than Taco Bell, and it's just as satisfying. "Teriaki, not Tacos" shoudl be my motto!

Stephanie: A 5K does sound sort of doable eventually. I always think of that kind of thing as a race -- is there a competitive element? Is it nerve-wracking?

Good day so far today. Did my treadmill, so now I have four whole stickers on my calendar this week! Yay! Hoping to add one more tomorrow -- that would be the first time I exercised every day of the week in, well...ever. Cool. Food okay so far too. Had a Clif bar for breakfast and a lean cuisine and yogurt for lunch. Plenty satisfied. I know I'll need a snack or two this afternoon/evening. I will plan on veggies with peanut sauce or low-fat dressing for one snack. I'll have a peach if I need another snack. I'll bake a whole bunch of chicken breast and freeze them this afternoon so I'll have some easy dinner-making materials. Maybe for dinner I'll make pasta with chicken, zucchini, and tomatoes. Assuming I wash the damn dishes. Sheesh.

Spores - like Girlie said, it's really more of a challenge to yourself. She wanted to go through the race without stopping. My goal was to better my times. So I wasn't really competing with the other entrants, I was competing against my last time. And it's really good to just compare yourself to yourself in an effort to better - yourself. The other entrants were always very nice and polite and could usually relate their beginning running experiences to me. We all knew I wasn't there to win. But I was there to complete the distance, get the shirt, and get the refreshements at the end of the race! I even won a trophy for my age group at one race!! It was a 50 degree day in May 2002 and no one else in my age group showed up to even try it in that weather. Isn't that awesome!!?? And it's so empowering to complete a 5K. I would recommend training for and completing one to anyone who doesn't have medical conditions or joint complications keeping them from jogging a little! When you're on your treadmill, see what distance you're going. You may already be doing the distance there! A 5K is 3.1 miles. Sorry to rant so, but you asked and I'm very passionate about 5K's and horses!

Thanks for listening to me rant!!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

well hello everyone!!
sorry i haven't been around much again this week. i am doing my best to keep up with you all though! everyone sounds very well, it is so nice to hear! i've been doing well, not really counting calories but 3 good squares a day and no crap snacks in the evening. i haven't exercised at all this week, i just made excuses every day, shame on me. it will come i'm not going to stress about it, the good food thing is good enough for right now. i had one of those nothing is going right kind of days today that started at 6:30am and went progressively downhill. looking forward to going to bed and waking up on FRIDAY!!! thank goodness another week behind me!

stephanie- welcome!! good luck getting ready for your 5k!! you sound very positive! you are going to do great!!

spores- i hope your dinner went well. i used to have the same problem i wanted to eat out everyday. i finally settled on cooking sun-thurs and eating out fri and sat. we have a family of 5 so i plan all the sun-thurs stuff in advance on saturday usually and then shop and prep everything so it is super simple for me to come home and get dinner on the table in 30mins or less. i stick to the plan i make for dinner unless there is an emergency or something. i try lots of new recipes, my family really loves it. they also like knowing what we are having in advance. i feel the same way about eating out, i'm paying for it i want all the goodies! good luck making your choices, you can do it!! i'm going to borrow your gold star idea i need a big motivator thanks!

girlie- good luck with the interview! and a big congrats on the 16 jacket!!! that is fantastic news!

holly- good job with the inches lost! it is nice to look at the big picture and see progress! i get discouraged sometimes with up a pound down a pound week to week. but when you look into the long term it is all progress! hope you had a good day! boston rob is a cutie but i am not cheering for them, they already have their million!! there is a couple on the race darn i can't think of their names right now but they are "dating on and off" they are from my town. i am cheering for them. such a good show!

mychoice- good for you counting the orange slices, i too let "little" things go uncounted too often and they all add up. good luck at your meeting. you have been doing a great job with exercising pat yourself on the back!

debbie- good to see you back! great idea taking lunch with you to work! it really works well for me to pack everyday, now it is just part of my morning routine. your goals sound great!

i hope i didn't miss anyone have a great night ladies!!

Good Morning All!!

I have been absolutely rotten this week. I cannot tell you about the pilates tapes yet, as I HAVE NOT EVEN OPENED THEM YET. Lazy!! and eating, Mooo is my middle name. I am pathetic! At least I realize it. Let me confess and get this off my chest. It is 8:30 am, at work and so far I have had a slice of swiss cheese, yogurt, baked potato with BBQ sauce (I can eat BBQ on anything), and two stinkin donuts. I need to get in a better place in my head. It is so great reading all these inspiring posts, especially about the 5K run. I have promised myself I am done eating like this, at least for today.!

Stephanie...welcome to the group. Everyone is so helpful and supportive. I had to leave the group for several months, due to various reasons (no internet at home, changing jobs, etc) and came back in a week or two ago. Everyone is so receptive. You will love it here.

Holly...Are you feeling any better? You poor thing, maybe move to a warmer climate? You and me, the beach area? Wadda ya say?

Susie....you and your goals, and how you stick to them, really inspires me. You are an awesome person. I have not gone to TOPS yet, I had to work on the night it was offered in my area, but I AM GOING this coming Monday night. I can hardly wait, I need that kind of support and am excited to get it.

Debbie...Great goals!!

Girlie...great attitude, keep it up, you will get far with this whole thing. Go go Girl...

Spores, jodi, and all I have missed, howdie and stay focused.

Chat at cha next week! Have a Marvy Weekend!!

Anne

Jodi - Thanks. I certainly am trying.

Some days are so much worse than others! Last night I ended up snacking! I blew a great day on some darn crackers!! I ended up eating 1,700 calories for the entire day yesterday. On the upside I did walk for about 12 minutes yesterday (during my 2 15-minute breaks at work) and I cleaned house like a madwoman last night. I broke a really good sweat and got my heart rate up. I'd say I cleaned straight for 3 hours. I actually cleaned from about 6 pm to about 10 pm but I sat down for a couple minutes here and there. I am very sore today from bending over so much! But my house looks so much better. The good thing is that I live in a townhouse, so when I'm doing laundry and stuff, I constantly have to be up and down those stairs putting it away!
Today has started off very good again! I have had my 200 cal breakfast and today I brought a 250 cal lunch with me. Along with my mini carmel rice cakes if I want something sweet. I have to be really diligent during the day to keep my calories down. I have a tendency to consume lots of calories at night. Keeping my cal intake as low as possible during the day leaves me plenty of calories to work with at night. Maybe one day I'll get better about not wanting to eat everything in sight once I get home. But until then I will just go with this approach. I have to say that I was doing great not eating too much last night until I sat down around 10 PM. I should have just went to bed. I was tired. But instead, I stayed up an hour longer and added 630 calories to my calorie intake for the day. I was at 1070 calories for the day before I sat down at that time. And I WASN'T hungry. How silly I am sometimes. I was just craving those stupid crackers. Next time I will just go to bed if I am tired. I will not eat something when I am tired enough to go to bed and it's bedtime!! I will do better!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

Anne - Thank you. I was apparently posting the same time as you. I need the support desperately. It's so hard to stay on track by yourself. I'm glad that everyone is so nice and helpful! We will all get there together!

Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW

Good Morning all. This will be somewhat quick. I'm taking the afternoon off of work and have somethings to get done before I leave.

Stephanie:
My goal again is to complete a 5K. We do Race for the Cure here, we are the hometown of the Susan G Komen foundation. I'm so excited because MEN can be a part of the race starting this year!!!! I will walk it this year...but the fun thing about the walk is that many people jog parts of it too. My hubby loves horses...grew up on a cattle ranch and gave his pony away when he started dating me!

Spores:
Do they do Race for the Cure in your area? There is a 5K run that starts five mins before the walk does. And during the walk, many women walk and jog parts of it as well. Lately though, there have been so many women that there's hardly any room the whole way. Last year, we had around 30,000 women participate. That IS HUGE! And so very exhilarating to see so many women. I love looking up the street at the top of the hills and seeing thousands of women!

Anne and Holly:
I am in an eating rut as well. Let's start anew next week, and just make a goal to make next week "better" than this one.

Jodi:
I'm proud of you for the good eating. Maybe next week, just try to do one day of exercise in addition to your great eating. You may end up with 3 days of exercise or more!


I had a strange night everyone. I went shopping and the store in the next city over was smaller than our department store here and I found no suits. They didn't even have suits in "women's" sizes. I found a matching suit in size 18 but I looked like a penguin, it was pinstripped and the jacket and pants were too generously cut. They had no smaller size and I didn't feel good. I was getting REALLY depressed and feeling fat and ugly. I wanted to cry. Then I had to pick myself up and say that's no way to feel before an interview. I'm GOING to find something that makes me feel good about myself. So after THREE hours of shopping at the same TWO stores, I settled on a great pair of chocolate brown wide leg slacks with cuffs, a nice button up shirt with vertical brown and pink stripes and a pair of brown leather heels. It is quite sharp if I do say so myself :) DH said WOW when I showed him! I also splurged on some Estee Lauder makeup and got the bonus stuff, and trouser socks. I'm going home at lunch and changing into it then. I will feel really good in this, and do a great job.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Girlie

Girlie - Good luck on your interview. I'm trying to find a job myself. My current job started out as temp to hire, then they decided to merge with another firm. Needless to say, they don't need two receptionists! My last guaranteed workday is March 11th. 1 week from today. It's so aggravating to know that you don't have a job lined up and yours will end in a week! I do hope your interview goes well though. The outfit you've found sounds awesome!
Everyone have a great weekend! I may not get to post again until Monday!
Stephanie
234/226/125
SW/CW/GW