I am looking forward to 199, too. I am a SAHM of 3 young kids, so I try to exercise as much as possible - the treadmill, walking around the block, weights at home, sit-ups. And chasing my 2-yr old around. I am just trying to incorporate everything I know - mostly WW - and make a whole healthy life-style change. My first goal is the 10% at 207. It's seems to be going SO SLOW, but I know that's how it is and it's better that way! Thanks for listening and I can't wait to get to onederland with all of yoU!

Hi,
Well, I was up BIG time at Thursday's weigh-in. I gained 3.75 lbs. Since I was ready for it I'm doing ok with it, because I know that I did it to myself and I also know that I can undo it as well.

The good thing is that I'm still under the weight I've promised myself I will never go back over again and that's 245. I had a heart-to-heart talk with myself, in front of the full length mirror. I asked myself a really important question: Do I want to stay where I am or do I want to continue on in my weight loss journey. It was something I had to be real with myself about. Right now, I'm doing ok. I'm finding cute clothes I like. I can even wear regualr XL t-shirts. I'm fairly fit. I can bench press 65 lbs and walk 2 miles in 30 min. Men find me attractive (I was shocked by this!--my husband pointed it out to me) and my husband loves me as long as I'm happy with me. From a health point I'm doing ok. Blood pressure is good, cholestrol is good, etc. My doctor even comments that I'm in great shape despite my weight. But you know what? I want to be under 200..so I'm not staying where I am...I want that 199 (actually I've set my goal as 170 and a size 12-14)...so I'm choosing to go on. It was high time I had that talk with myself.

I'm a huge Oprah fan. I subscribe to her magazine and the April issue is a great one. In her column, What I know for sure, she is talking about: The Ultimate in being healty is to operate at full throttle-physcially, emotionally and spirturally...I WANT that. She talks about struggling with what she thought was a weight problem for over 25 years, instead of looking at my out-of-balance life and how I used food to repress the facts. (Ladies that's me!). She goes on to talk about caring for your true self and about conquering the fear that we need to work through instead of overeating. She says "Conquer the fear and you'll fly. This is the par that got me: "You need to schedule more rest and stop sprinting through your life as though it's some race you have to win. You've already won. You're still here, and with another chance to get it right, to do better, and be better--staring now".

So if you are doing well...keep going...you are an inspiration to the rest off us...continue to tell us how great it feels to do this to take care of yourself.

For those who have lost their way...every day is a chance to get it right...keep pushing through...have that talk with yourself...in that same article I was readying Oprah says "What you do today creats every tomorrow. To own the abundant life that's waiting for you, youv'e got to be willing to do the real work. Not your job. Not your career profile. But heading your spirt, which is whispering it's greatest desires for you. You've got to get silent sometimes to hear it. An check in regularly. You must feed your mind with reading material, thoughts, and ideas that open you to new possibilities."

I've put the entire article in my journal. I know I"ll have to pull it out and read it again and again..but for me I know it's time...and I'm starting NOW.

Spores: I think your plan is a great one. Believe it it...I do!!

Anne: How exciting that you found a walking buddy..you are really going to enjoy those walks and you will build a support system.

Judy: Tell us about the pep talk.

Mar: Welcome to the board.

Holly, Debbie, Girlie...thinkng about each of you.

Today I went with our friends to Children's Hospital while there 16 month old was beign checked out for a heart mummer. Thanks be to God that she is healthy and it's nothing to be worried about. You want to talk about knowing what's important...it was very effident to me today.

I'm detoxing ladies...no sugar sweets...I made it though today without them. I journaled, I posted, I napped (we were off work for Good Friday) and I'm happy.

How are you doing?
Susie

Good morning everyone,
How was your Easter holdiay? We had a very nice day with friends.
DH and I get each other small Easter baskets. DH was very considerate and didn't get me much candy. Only a box of peeps and he's agreed to hide them from me and ration them to me (I just can't control them). The one thing that he really surprised me with was a gift certificate to a spa in Cincinnati. I was so shocked! He had been saving money for it since Jan and I can't wait to use it.

I'm headed to work. Just wanted to do a quick check-in.

Susie

Happy Monday Everyone!

New day, new hope. This starts my first week with my walking buddy and hope to get to TOPS tonight. Yahoo!!!

Susie - I loved the info from Oprah mag. It is all so true. We hear many positive ideas that we need to truly apply to our lives. That is certainly one of them. Thank you.

Spores - I think your goal is very doable. I am with you on the great plans then falling off the wagon with what was planned in just a few days. Maybe we need to talk to ourselves more and try not to give in to the evil ways of eating. I really relate to your delimma. Let's make this work this time. Wadda ya say?

Hope everyone's holiday was wonderful. The tacos were delicious, and can say I over ate like crazy. Am still full this morning. I had this yummy strawberry cake that my nephew's GF brought. She used fresh strawberries and rich creamy butter (lots of it). It just melted in my mouth, however stuck to just one piece and declined taking some home with me. (small victory) However the chips, salsa, and gaucamole' were quite calorie ridden. I kept thinking about today being my new day of a new eating habits and exercise. Going to try to eat more protein, less carbs (but not eliminate carbs), little or no sugar, drings lots of water, and walk with my buddy. Planning on TOPS tonight also.

Today for breakfast, thus far, 2 hard boiled eggs and a handful of peanuts. (not the healthiest, but better than the past few months of eating junk for breakfast).

Lunch will be breakfast food again, as we are having an all site luncheon today and they are serving breakfast food. I figure I can eat the eggs with salsa and the fresh fruit.

Hope all your days are positive, upbeat and OP.

Hugs to all...

Annie

Welcome Marque! I am a SAHM with 2 kids and I babysit 6 others.

Susie~ what a thougthful gift form DH!!!
Annie~ good luck with your new initiative!

Easter was perfect!!!
Nice, nice ,nice!!!
Saturday was relaxing, sorta. DS played hockey but DD and I stayed home. At 11am I took the kids to town for an Easter egg hunt put on by Optomist. There were at least 200 kids. Fun!
Then we went for groceries. It was social hour at the store. We saw about 10 people we knew. That was fun too. Came home and fine tuned the Parent Handbook. I need two blurbs from other sources and it will be mostly complete. It is coming along well. I have put about 20 hours into it. My hip are sore from sitting. I have been doing lots of stretches. I have no idea how people with desk jobs do it.
I made my desserts for Sunday. The fudge is yummy, needs to be room temp to get the full Irish Cream flovour. I made a frozen Maple Syrup Mousse. It is probably the very best tasting, looking, feeling food I have ever made. This was my second time making it for Easter. It may become a tradition. If it ain’t broke, dont fix it.It is nice and cool and light and mapley. I may post the recipe if there is interest. It is NOT diet friendly.
Sunday was the LAST day of hockey. The kids played the parents. My 2 boys went. DD and I went to church. The kids sang Do Lord and Jesus Loves Me.
At home. DH cleaned up the back yard and I power cleaned the house. Zip, zip. I set a pretty table. I made personal CD’s for each person as a place card/gift.
My 2 angels and DN hunted for treats out in the yard( snow). There are 11 of us all together( my family). Much wine, laughter and chat all afternoon.
Dinner was a roasted leg of lamb, lemon&herb roasted new potatoes, blanched asparagus and my aunt made a stunning marinated salad with thinnly sliced: red onion, beets, oranges,celery tossed with pecans. YUM!!!
More wine and laughter & chat to follow. Both 6 year old boys had mini melt downs and everyone went home at 8pm. Kids went straight to bed. I watched Desperate Housewives and soon followed!!
Had a deep sleep. Just enjoying a coffee at the moment.
That it!
How are all you other wonderful chicks doing?

I'm struggling to get to the 199 mark myself. I feel like I'll never get there! But I've come such a long way already I'm just working hard on staying positive and reading the stories here of people just like me. It's keeps me very motivated. Thanks Ladies!

Marquetho: Welcome! Glad to have you aboard. Hop on in!

MychoiceSusi: Sounds like you have some really great perspective. Thanks for the inspiration. Good for you on the easter stuffs. It's great to find a way to make holidays not be all about food. The spa sounds amazing...what a great gift! Have fun!

Annie: Sounds like you did really well in the face of a totally overwhelming social eating situation. Good for you! I too am starting fresh today, so let's kick those bad habits out together!

Holly: Sounds like you had a lovely Easter with lots of great food but even more great fun with family. Glad to hear it!

SoccerGirl: Welcome, glad to have you. Feel free to join in!

Whoo. Okay. Monday morning. Spring break is over, and I'm feeling very back-to-business. New eating plan starts today. I have planned each meal and snack for the week, and I have scheduled my exercise. I have all the tools I need to succeed. So now it is a simple matter of just doing it. Good start so far: breakfast of oatmeal with fat-free soy milk, wheat germ, a touch of honey, and lots of cinnamon. Lunch will be a low-fat noodle cup. Will carry my water everywhere and drink lots. I can do this.

Hope everyone's week is starting off great!

Hey everyone;
Sounds like everyone had a great easter. we got 2" of rain sat and sun. They even had snow just a few miles away. We just had the 4 of us Dgs spent Easter with his moms (real bummer). He's too old for egg hunts but we still miss all of that. That is best part of getting old is grand kids.
I haven't made it to curves yet today, but I've been doing better with food. I haven't given up sweet tea yet, but I always drink diet sodas go figure that out if you can.

Spores: I have oats 6 mornings a week. I feel like it a better choice than what I was eating. Sundays is a traditional breakfast day. We have eggs and sausage gravey and biscuits. Bad I know but thats the compromise I had to make with dh to get him to eat oats the other 6 days.

Holley: Your Easter sounds wonderful. You have such a full life.

Anne: welcome! I love your outlook new day, new hope. That's me if I slip up I'm ready for a new start the next minute.

Susie: A spa, How wonderful!!

BIG HUGS TO ALL.

Afternoon check in.........

Did really well with lunch. Eggs and fresh fruit, 2 turkey sausage links. Not bad, could do better, baby steps.

Still looking forward to TOPS tonight.

Have a wonderful evening.

Annie

Hi, all--I had a lazy, uneventful Easter weekend, a good mix of chores, working out and being self-indulgent. I spent much of the weekend gearing up mentally to reach my Memorial Day challenge of losing 12 pounds. I made lots of lists, thought about obstacles, and really tried to visualize achieving my year-end goal.

Spores: yes, we can do this! We ARE doing it. :cheer:

Holly--what a nice weekend you and your family had! Sounds like Thanksgiving in March.

Susie: your DH sounds like a sweetheart. To answer your question, my weigh-in pep talk came from the senior nutritionist. She encouraged me to use my natural creativity (craziness) to make a game out of the challenges, particularly in social situations when I go with the flow and have dessert or margaritas because everybody's doing it (and because of course I want to). She also encouraged me to exaggerate the consequences, if that's what it takes to say no to temptation. If I were diabetic, I'd certainly say no to things that are unhealthy for me. Mostly, I needed to sit with someone who would give me the drill sergeant treatment, and push me not to make excuses about lapses.

Annie: I think that small victories don't get enough respect! If we put together enough days and weeks of them, we'll certainly reach our goals.

Hey, Debbi, I'm getting into a groove with Curves. I made it there Saturday AM and this morning. I can feel my muscle tone getting better every week.

Marque and Soccer Girl--it's good to hear from you. This has been a great group for me.

judy

hello everyone! sorry i have been MIA. i am here in spirit with you all though. i have been struggling a lot to say the least. i managed to go to my WW meeting saturday and was up 2.6 not bad considering i haven't been taking very good care of myself. i am back on track today and will give it a good effort this week. easter was great! relaxed and fun. sounds like everyone had a good holiday! spring is on the way and i couldn't be any happier.

mychoice- i love the O mag, she really gives good advice on many things and is a real inspiration to me. no worries about the gain, you have been really stressed with school and DH. look forward girl!! lets get back to it!!! i'm with you!

holly- upbeat and positive as usual! it is so nice to read your posts! glad you had a nice easter!

annie congrats on going to TOPS!! and the walking buddy good for you!!!

hello everyone else time is short so sorry about the group hi, but it comes with a hug and i'll post more next time welcome newbies!! hop right in!!
have a great evening everyone!

Debbie: Glad you had such a nice Easter. I too tend to splurge on Sunday breakfasts. I am finding that it's easier to stay on plan if I know I can take one day off. Compromises.

Annie: Good for you on making good choices! Best of luck with TOPS; let us know how it goes.

Judy: I also sometimes wish for a drill sergeant to yell at me and get me going. Guess we all have to find our inner drill sergeants. And then also find our inner nurturer. And keep the two from fighting in our brains too much. Sheesh, I need a few more personalities!

Jodi: Sounds like you've got a lot going on; just keep going. You can do it. We're all pulling for you! Take good care.

Well, the first day of the rest of my life went well. Stayed on plan, did my exercise, journaled, didn't freak out and eat an entire resturant. Now on to tomorrow. One day at a time. I keep reminding myself that this is not going to be a repeat of past failures. This is about my whole life. So I will go to bed and get some good sleep and repeat this success tomorrow! One day down, one lifetime to go.

Good morning everyone;
Dh's new job has up by 4:30 now. Thats ok since I'm a morning person. If something needs done it best get done by noon or it probably won't get done at all. I did fair yesterday on food, but never made it to curves. I didn't go in the am and got distracted and didn't make it at all. I feel like I'm making progess with portion size. That is what I am focusing on for the time being. I do better that way. If I work on too much at once I somehow can't keep up. I no longer have a snacking problem. Next I plan to tackle my sweet tea addiction. I use a cup of sugar per gal. I drink no less than a 1/2 gal a day. We make it so weak the dr says it is counts as water, but I have got to give up that sugar. The puzzle is I like Splenda and use it in most everything else. I guess the tea is one of my comfort foods.??? As a child tea was served with every meal. Hot or cold.
Today, I plan to be at Curves when they open. No excuses....


Spores: Great outlook... I am a hopeless optimist. My glass is always half full... of sweet tea. lol


Jodi: Good to hear from you. I guess we all ramble some. I sometimes have a problem sharing keyboard time. With 4 adults it can be a challenge.

Judy: I'm also feeling stronger and have more energy since I've been going to curves. The only machine that gives me any trouble is the squat thingie. I do it my 1st curcuit then next times do squats behind it without the weight. It makes my knees hurt so I'm going to work into it slowly.

Anne: Baby steps... Those will take you right to your goal.

Holley: I'm sure you are up a running already.

Girlie, Susie: Hope ya'll are well.

Everyone have a great day.

BIG HUGS

Good Morning Everyone!

Bright and sunny, high 70 today. Whew weeeeeee, good day to take off! ;^) It sure makes your outlook and attitude more positive and bright. Altho I will be at work, I will do my walk today and truly enjoy it.

Judy - sometimes I think I need a drill sargent also. Just someone to watch me so I don't eat the wrong things or too much of them. Wouldn't hurt to whoop up on me to exercise either.

Jodi - Hang with it, you will do it. Be strong.

Spores - Great job on staying OP with your new plan for life. One day at a time and baby steps, that is my motto these days.

Debbie - sweetened tea can be hard to kick. It took me one entire summer to kick the sweet tea habit. By the end of summer I was drinking it straight. Now sweet tea taste funny to me.

Holly - You holiday weekend sounded wonderful. I love how you make the best out of everything. How is the parent guide book coming along?

Hello to everyone I may have missed. Welcome to others I have forgotten. Great place and great support.

Didn't do too awful bad last night on food. Didn't exercise. I did go to TOPS and guess what? They no longer have the meeting at that site anymore. However I am still motivated and have found even a closer TOPS meeting that meets on Tuesday nights (tonight, yehaw) with better times for me too. So tonight will be my first night at TOPS. I am actually excited about it.

I go to the doctor today for my check up on meds (blood pressure, anxiety, and depression). I am hoping with weight loss, I can come off most meds. Will get my official weight at the docs too.

I had a major melt down last night and cried an hour for no apparent reason. My head hurts and eyes swollen this morning. I think it was just the, I am overweight, lonely and struggling to come out of a financial mess from the divorce. Sorry to unload. Today is a new day, better attitude, and it's sunny out.

SOOOOOoooo, everyone have a great Tuesday, stay OP, and be happy.

Annie

Annie: We are all here for support. Venting is part of it. Putting a voice to our problems helps us cope. Sounds like you have a good outlook. Just keep your head up ad stay focused on your goals no matter what or how many. Remember baby steps! Always be kind to yourself. It is sppose to be in 70's here today also. I'm dressed and ready to run out the door to Curves, Just waiting on washer to stop.

ENJOY THE SUNSHINE TODAY!!!

Thanks Debbie, have fun at Curves.

Debbie: Taking it one thing at a time is a great idea. I too get overwhelmed with all the things I should be monitoring or changing...best to break it down into workable steps. Sounds like you are doing well! Good luck with the sweet tea. Maybe you could try making it with half sugar and half Splenda? That would help cut down on the sugar without losing all the taste. I like stevia as a sweetener. It tastes less chemicaly than artificial sweeteners, at least to me.

Annie: Glad you found a new TOPS meeting! Let us know how it goes. Baby steps, for sure. I too would like to get off all medication by losing weight. That is a great goal. Glad you are feeling better today – you can always come here to unload! Sometimes we all need to just let it all out. Today is a new day.

Well, I am feeling awfully mopey today for no good reason. It is beautiful and sunny outside and I have the whole day to do happy healthy things for myself, but instead I want to crawl back into bed. Maybe I’m just tired. I ate a good breakfast, at least. So that is a good start to the day. Now I just need to get myself in gear and get moving. I will make this commitment to myself: today will be a good day. No matter what I do or don’t do, I will enjoy today. This is the only May 29th, 2005 I get, so I am going to make it worthwhile. I will nourish my body with healthy food and I will take pleasure in moving my body with exercise and activity. I will replenish my body with lots of water to help me feel less tired. I will treat myself with kindness and acceptance.

Yep, that’s what I’m gonna do. Hoo, boy. Harder than it sounds.

Hello All,
I'm having a quick lunch at my desk today. I had to take my lunch hour earlier in the day so that I could stop in to see some friends who were stopping through on their way home to NJ from MO. It was so nice to see them. I want to remember to be thankful for the small things, and today I'm very thankful for my new job because it's the sort of job that if I need to leave the office at an off time, I can. I didn't have that in my last job.

When I saw our NJ friends, they kept commenting on how "skinny" I look. It was so great to hear that! Makes rationing those Peeps worth it! lol.

Ladies, I've got to get back to work.

Oh wait..one more thing...here's a small victory from yesterday: I went into the breakroom at work and there was a cake...one I could eat. I thought about getting a piece, but then I thought, nope..it won't get you to your goal..which one do you want most. I choose the goal...victory for a day ladies! It's spurred me on today.

I'll try to do some personals later. You guys are the best support group! I love how we share, and share and share!


__________________
Susie

Afternoon Ladies....

Well now the challenge is on. Just got back from the doc. Weight was still down from my orginal start of 264, weighing in at a whopping 256. My blood pressure was slightly out of whack. Weight loss will certainly help that, therefore my doc wants to see me in a month with a 10 lb loss. I can do this, I will, I will, I will. I am tired of feeling like crap as I know weight loss will help all of this.

Spores...must be the time of month to feel mopey. You have a great attitude and I KNOW you can stick to your goals set for today.

Susie...congrats on your victory over the cake. I am sure it took a lot of talking to yourself, however you overcame it. Yippee!!

Check in tomorrow!

Love the support too!! This is great!

Annie

Me too Me too!!!
 

My name is kim. This is my third or fourth maybe 5th attempt at losing weight with WW. I am really motivated (at the moment) I have always been on the larger side of life as I am very larged boned. I hope to reach that 199 mark soon soon soon. There was a time in my life where I never thought I would even reach 199 and now I am begging to be back. Silly how that happens. I am so glad to have all of you as support. It means alot to be a part of something and have it matter. Anyway As you can see after 4 weeks of WW I am off to a snail start but maybe become a turtle soon. Well that is it for me. Thanks for all the support! :lol:

I made it to curves....

Kim: welcome.. maybe you'll go from snail to turtle.

Anne: Great loss.. thats some baby steps!!

Susie: Isn't that a great boost.. to see how other who don't see you daily react to your weight loss.

Spores: I have to tackle 1 thing at a time. I have a feeling I'm ADD. Both son's are and now as I look back at school I'm sure I am as well. I've learned to deal with it... MOSTLY! lol

hello everyone!!
today was a wonderful sunny warm day! i love the hints of spring in the air! small signs of life in the flower beds outside! i am feeling great, i did really good with food today! i ate a lot of veggies and fruit, i drank my water. now just a few hours till bed time and i don't want to blow it!!

debbie- good luck kicking the sweet tea! great job going to curves!!!

annie- you can do it! you are making good choices and positive changes keep it up! sometimes a good cry helps things a lot hope you are feeling better! good luck at the meeting tonight!

spores- you have some great ideas there, you can do this! i love the "ths is the only 3/29/05..." saying. we really do need to live every day to the fullest don't we? on saturday my WW leader said " the only one holding you back from fulfilling your dreams is YOU" i wrote this out and stuck it on the fridge, it is not only true for me with weight loss but for so many things in life. you had a great day yesterday, i hope today was wonderful too! hang in there!

klengeek- welcome! i am doing WW too, i just started 3 weeks ago. it is slow going for me too. i am hoping to pick up my pace soon! great job so far stick with it!! check in here often it is really a big support!

mychoice- good for you passing on the cake!! it is always so nice to get compliments, glad it gave you the boost you needed! keep up the good work!

hello to everyone else! hope you all have a great evening!!

I have been reading, reading, reading!!!! Nice to see everyone here. I am feeling pretty healthy today. It was a VERY full day. I had 8 kids from 8-4:30 and then the 2 school boys came home at 3:30 for a grand total of 10. DH was home. He puttered outside a lot. Split some wood for next winter. he has had several calls and interviews.1 offer but they were vague about the pay. NOT.
It was +12C today and sunny. most of our snow melted. Kids were incredibly MUDDY!!
I am finished the Parent Handbook. I need to add 1 topic after a workshiop on Thurs. I am feeling proud and empowered about the whole thing. The article I wrote for church was in the Newsletter on Sunday. A woman stopped in today to tell me how moved she was.
I am soon to bed. HUGS and support and love to all!!!!!!!!

Mychoice: good for you for making the healthy choice over cake. What a great victory!

Annie: You can definately reach that 10 pound goal. Health is such a great motivator; reminds us what's really important in life. You can do it!

Kim: Welcome; glad to meet you. I too remember the day when I thought I would surely never see 200lbs...and then 210...and then 220...et cetera. But we'll all shed those pounds together!

Debbie: Woo hoo! Yoyu made it to Curves! Good for you. That must feel great. Keep it up!

Jodi: Glad you had such a good day! It really is great to post up those sayings that stick with you. Last time I visited my best friend back home I opened her cabinet to get a coffee cup and she had a sign that said "Check your perceptions" taped inside the cabinet. I thought that was so cool! I tend to glaze over the stuff on my fridge and bulletin board because those areas are so cluttered with stuff. I think I am going to tape some things inside my kitchen andbathroom cabinets to sneak some little revelations into my life.

Holly: Glad to hear things are going so well. Good for you!

Okay. Here's the deal. Had a pretty great morning and afternoon: ate on plan, got a ton of stuff accomplished, when I got hungry I snacked on carrots, I did my workout even though I didn't want to and I actually enjoyed doing it. And then, poof, all that goodness out the window and in came the Chipotle and Dairy Queen. Gugh.

I know, I know, this is only day 2 of my little program. I feel so lousy, like I must be an awful failure if I cant even make it two whole days. And this is the same old pattern. Start really strong and the fizzle out faster than a dud firecracker. So. Not going to fall victim to negative thinking and go back to the negative habits.

So I guess the first thing is to wonder what went wrong. I think the main thing is that I just got too hungry. I don't deal well with hunger. I have a tiny little window where I am okay, but if I get even a little more hungry, I totally panic. I cannot seem to convince my little instinctive reptile brain that there is a Safeway two minutes from my house and the fridge is full of food and that there is no massive famine approaching. When I get hungry, I go all instinct-like and want LOTS of food right NOW. So one thing I can learn from this is that I need to make sure I don't get that hungry. When I start getting hungry, I need to stop what I'm doing and eat something healthy. That way I can slow down and make good choices instead of going into panic mode. The other reason was that my BF also wanted to get fast food. And of course, as soon as he said he wanted it, it was somehow "okay" for me to have it. So I need to find some way to stop looking to him for enablement. I need to be answerable to myself for my choices, and not look for permission from an outisde source.

Okay. Well, I am going to have a great day tomorrow. I'm not going to dwell on one little failure when I have lots of little successes to think about. I did awesome for a day and a half! That's something! And I can turn that day and a half into many many more great days.

Thanks everybody for listening. Your support is a lifesaver.

Good morning all,
It's a great day here. Sunny and in the 80's. I have to go back to work, so this will be short.
I did good on portion size. I could have done better on content. My p-chop was the size of the palm of my hand. Yeah..
I plan to go to curves after work.

Hope everyone has a great day.

BIG HUGS

Good morning Ladies,
You can't live in Ohio today and not be happy. It's going to be 75 degrees! The sun is shinning and I wish I had the day off. Since I don't, I'll drive with my windows down at lunch time.

I'm not much of a plant person, but I do love them..just don't have a good green thumb, however, last year for my birthday I received an African Viloet. The thing is still living and this morning it had a bloom on it again. I just couldn't help but smile!

The warmer weather gives me a boost and I just feel like I can tackle anything.

I've been doing good this week with food. I'm not overdosing on sugar. I'll tell you though, the workplace sure can be a source of temptation if one lets it. This morning in the breakroom there is a plate of iced sugar cookies...ladies I love them...dunked in milk..but I talked to myself about them when I was filling up my water glass...and I know that I don't want them as much as I want my goal...so no cookies for me...and anyway I have my rationed Peeps to look forward to!

Debbie:I'm so proud of you for going to Curves like you have. Doesn't it make you feel good an enpowered?

Spores: Don't despair. I'm sure you didn't do that much damage at Chilpote and DQ. You might not have made the best choice from the menu, but then again, there's only so much of it so you didn't overeat as much as you thought. Also, there isn't any food that is bad...all food has some sort of nutrional value...it's important that we choose those foods with the most value so that we feel good and keep from being hungry and overeating..but it won't do us in if we make a bad choice here and there...it's over with...move on....(huggggsss)))...also, give yourself credit for looking at why you overeat and that you now have a plan so that won't happen again.

Holly: Glad to hear from you. That's great about the handbook and the article. I think there's a writer lurking inside of you...let her out girl! I'll come to your first book signing.

jodi: So nice to see you back on track. You are doing great. I bet you finished the day yesterday on track didn't you?

Anne: Ok..you have a challenge...show that doctor that you are boss of yourself...you are in control.

Kim: Welcome to the board..hope to see lots of posts from you.

Ladies, I have to get back to work..but felt like I needed to check in. I do have something that is nagging me at the back of my mind. It has to do with DH. He goes back to work tomorrow and he's not in the best frame of mind about it. In fact last night he was really hard to get along with. I know that no one likes to work, but so what...we all have to do it. I've told him that if he wants to do something else...figure that out..do what it takes to get to that point and do it. He would rather wallow in the misery I think, and as much as I try to not let it bother me...it's there to deal with. I know I need to vent about this or it will eat at me and I'll start using food to comfort and deal with my frustrations...I don't want to do that...so I'm getting a good grip on it from the beginning by talking about it here.

Susie

Susie~ Men like to wallow, in my experience, it takes them a LOOOONG time to process their feelings. In the mean time they are just crusty. HUGS to you. Try not to let it get you down.Congrats on the sugar victory!!! My Grandma said on the weekend, you always were a writer. Wish someone had told me!! LOL.

I have just 2 kids today, going home at noon. I cleared out 3 closet this morning for the thrift shop, 3 entire large tub of misc stuff, 3 large bags of clothes.I have 2 big boxes or burnables and 2 large bags for the dump!!!!!!
Next this weight is gonna fall off too!!!!!!!! Weeheeee!!!

Hi there everyone from sunny Indiana, 75 here today also, Susie, don't you just love it and makes for a great frame of mind!

I went to TOPS last night (VICTORY). I absolutely love it. I joined and everyone was soooo supportive and made me feel very welcome. My weigh in at the doc and at TOPS were both the same, exactly.

Wow Susie you are making some great choices, food in the work place is very hard to bypass. We all know men are the biggest babies and love to wallow.

Debbie - great food choices and good job of going to curves. You rock!

Spores - we have so much in common. Do a wonderful job all day then come evening, look out! Eating Frenzy. We just have to grip it and be strong.

Kim - welcome to Race to 199. We are a great support group, keep coming back, you will love it here.

Holly - Become that famous writer, be rich. I truly think you have it in you to write.

Gotta get back to work. Just came in from a 15 minute walk and hope to go back out again for another 15, since I didn't take my lunch hour today.

Howdie to all I missed....

May the force be with all of us, stay OP, and exercise.

Annie

Group hug to all of you! :grouphug: The sun is shining, here, too, yippee!

I've been reading other threads and don't have time to comment on the conversation here since yesterday. But it sounds like everyone is identifying issues and thinking about the best ways to deal with them, which is what it's really all about, yes? My Haitian friends have a saying that I used to think was very depressing: "Beyond the mountains, there are mountains." I would think, wow, that's so pessimistic. But actually it's a good reminder that the nature of life is seeing challenges and overcoming them. Once you accept that, it's a lot easier to take the long view and be balanced, I think. The part of me that relates to Buddhist teaching also appreciates that sentiment. For this particular challenge, it reminds me that once I hit my three-year goal (and I will!), then I'll move on to the challenge of maintaining a healthy weight. Maybe I'm weird, but it helps me pace myself, and keep my ups and downs in perspective.

See you tomorrow! Keep making good choices--judy

hi chicks!!
beautiful day here today too. i started to post earlier but stopped so i could go out for a walk. i knew you would all understand! i walked my videos back to the video store, 2 mile round trip. i feel good!

judy- you sound very positive! good for you!

annie- so glad you enjoyed tops!

mychoice- i didn't mess it up last night! i ended the day with a mini bag of microwave popcorn low fat even. i stayed on track all day today too. i got some exercise i am feeling like i can actually do this. i hope DH gets over his funk. maybe he is just stressed about jumping back in since he has been off for a while. don't let it get you down. he will work it through. be as supportive as you can, but don't forget to take care of YOU!!

holly- good for you!! i need to get spring cleaning myself. so much to go through so little time. you are so upbeat! nice to hear!!

spores- hang in there girl!! why do we do what we do?? that is the mystery of the ages. good luck!! you can do this!! we are ALL going to do this!!

debbie- good job going to curves!! keep it up!!

Good morning,
I can't believe the month is almost over. In Ohio we have been enjoying great weather the past two days and it looks like March will go out like a lamb.

Tonight is my weigh-in. I'm hoping for a good loss at the scales. I'll let you know.

I brought a great big salad for lunch. Once I got off the sugar, I've notice that I feel really good. I need to remember that.

DH went to work this morning and seemed to be handling things ok. He does have something very exciting to look forward to this weekend. A friend of his was given 2 Final Four tickets, so they are going. I'm very excited for him! I called my girlfriend and we are going to go out to dinner, see a movie and maybe hit a club for some dancing. It's going to be a fun weekend.

I've got to get to work. Have a great day.

Susie

Good Sparkling Morning!!

High today only 60, but should be warm enough to get my bunz out and do some walking. I did really well with staying OP. Ended up with 1180 cals for the day and 30 minutes of walking. I am very excited for myself as I have not done that good in months. Today for breakfast 1/2 cup oats with splenda and an apple. Lunch will be tuna with lt. mayo, 5 crackers, and an apple if I am still hungry. I did bring veggies to cook in the nuker, but will only eat them if I am still hungry. I work tonight at Kohls so staying OP is always easy on Kohls work nights.

Susie - your weekend sounds wonderful, hope your weigh in goes great!!

Jodi - great job on the walk! Keep up the great work.

Hello to all.

Annie

Debbie: Hooray for the nic weather. That makes things so much easier. Good for you on portion control! That is really hard for me.

MychoiceSusi: Hooray for you! Good weather, good choices (darn those mysterious work foods that lay around tempting us), good attitude...you are doing so great! Thanks for the pep talk. You’re right, there are no “bad” foods. Food doesn’t carry some intrinsic moral value. It’s all about choices and what best nourishes our bodies. Sorry to hear about your DH’s grumpiness. That can be hard to deal with. Good for you for talking about your feelings instead of letting them build up. Sounds like you have a great weekend planned. Fun!

Holly: Yes yes, do keep on writing! My secret mission in life is to turn everyone I meet into a writer. The world needs more good words!

Annie: Congrats on making it to TOPS! How wonderful to find a good supportive place to be. Yes, evenings can be so hard. I don’t know why exactly; maybe because the distractions and pressures of the day are over and it feels like time to unwind...and for some reason I think unwinding means french fries! I bet having an evening support group will really help with that. Keep the commitment going all the way through dinnertime!

Judy: I love that saying, “Beyond the mountains, there are mountains.” What a cool idea. It makes me remember that this is a lifelong journey, and it will never get boring because there are always challenges, and that every beautiful view is just one in a series I can look forward to if I keep going. Speaking of Buddhist thought...I got my Master’s at a Buddhist university, and Boulder is a very Dharma town. And at first I felt a bit out of place, because I have never met a fat Buddhist, but the more I learn about that way of life, the more enamored I become of certain ideas, and how they realte to healthy living. Like, the idea of non-attachment: I am not the cookie, and the cookie is not me. And the idea of compassionate, mindful actions: Each choice I make is part of a larger cycle, and I make choices with the mindfulness of how they impact each aspect of the larger whole. These are great ways to approach weight loss. I’m not always good at practicing them, but it;s good to keep trying.

Jodi: Gee, skipping your posting to take a 2-mile walk? I dunno...hee hee. Good for you! Sounds like things are going very well; glad to hear it.

Well, yesterday I was awfully sad and stressed all day. Had a little tiff with BF and it put me in a funk all day. The good news is that we worked it out and I’m feeling better. AND, I didn’t overeat in reaction. I stayed on plan and actually skipped the potatoes at dinner in favor of a big salad. I did not wind up getting in my exercise yesterday, though. But that is okay. I ate well and recorded my food and wrote in my journal. My goal for this week is three workouts, and I am still in good shape to reach that goal. Today will be a good day. I have my meals all planned out and my exercise planned as well. It’s pretty nice here too, though we may get some rain.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Hey; I 'm on a short break just flyby posting. I make it to curves after work
yesterday... I ate my oats for breakfast...then came the chinese buffett at lunch. I didn't eat as much as usual but still blew my portion thing all to pieces. doing lots of walking at work but not enough for what I ate. Everyone have a great evening will post tomorrow

BIG HUGS ALL

hello everyone,
another nice day here too. work was not bad at all, the day actually flew by for a change. i did a lot of outside stuff so i could enjoy the weather. the weekend is near that always makes me happy. i had a bad girl evening last night, darn easter candy, did well today though, hopeful for this evening too. not much time to post but i am thinking about you all!! have a good evening!!

Did well so far today. Stayed on plan with food and even doubled my usual walking time. But now...really wanted to go out for cheeseburgers for dinner but instead made healthy stir-fry. But now I am feeling very unsatisfied and really want some sort of big sugary dessert. Am trying to remember that I want the weight loss in the future more than the sugar now, but that now seems awfully overwhelming. Sigh. Just thought I'd post and vent. Hope all are well.

I was a grown up all day and I am not done yet!!
Did the usual morning mad dash plus I showered and got spiffied up and packed a lunch for me.
I took the whole day off from babysitting. There is a workshop put on by our school council today and tonight at the school. I attended this aft as a participant and tonight I am taking notes for the parent handbook.It is a conflict resolution procedure that is taught to the kids , the teachers use it and is being offered to parents too. Way cool!!! That was this aft. This morning I went to court to support a friend. Apparently when your husband is killed by someone who didn;t see astop sign and you are left as a single parent( soul provider) of 2 young boys at 29 it is not enought to bear. Banks, insurance companies and your inlaws tie up all your free time and money in court for a year. GIGANTIC SIGH!!! How about greiving and supporting your family and helping your boys get through this.
The MIL is sueing for custody rights to the children. HELLO????? She was estranged from their father for good cause.
Anyhow, I went to court with my dear friend so she can fight for the right to raise her own children as she sees fit!
We had a sitter come tonight so we could both go to the workshop tonight.
DH has an interview tomorrow that he is keen about!!!
Life is good, busy and I am feeling blessed.

Oh, I was the same at TOPS. Better than gaining!

Spores~ what about fat free chocolate gellato( ice creamish). I find it very satisfying.
Jodi, Debbie,Annie,Susie, Judy... HI and HUUUGGGSSSS!!!!

Good morning,
I did a little better on food at dinner. I ate a roasted chicken wrap from kfc. I did more walking than usual at work. They wanted a full inventory. I was assigned 215 cars to locate and account for. Nice weather so it went fast.

Holly: Good for you! Your friend really needs you. That great you take time to be there for her.

Spores: KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE...
I like some diet snacks but not many. sf
chocolate pudding topped with ff coolwhip
is pretty good and won't totally ruin your plan. I sometimes put low fat vanilla wafers, sf vanilla pudding, bananas and ff coolwhip for a reduced fat snack. I try not to fix it often. because I tend to eat too much of it.

BIG HUGS TO ALL

Debbie~ good job on making a better choice for supper.Extra walking too!!!

I love my Hubby!
I am feeling very proud of my man. He came with me last night to the conflict resolution workshop at the school . 1) he is very shy, we sit in a circle and take turns talking about ourselves and then go on to other things, 2) there is a LOT of talk about emotions and their impact when you react. He did the exercises, listened to and participated in everything,even gave feedback. This was HUGE for him. A gigantic step outside of his comfort zone.I am soooo thankful he came and was open to it!!!!! This would not have even been close to happening a year ago.

I had a big ,deep sleep last night. 3 kids today, my 2 are in school. No hockey this weekend. I am teaching SS. It will be enjoyable to have a whole day at home tomorrow.
The basement is sealed. We could start painting.The catch 22 is that when DH is laid off we have time to do this stuff but no extra income to do it. So we go into a bit of debt and then spend the whole summer getting back on track. Such is life I suppose.
Food was small meals throughout the day.
More cleaning out and tidying today. A friend called me to say she has cleaned out her closet and has clothes for me.Yippee!! I need summerish stuff.
Not much else going on. OH, the program director form last night wants to fine tune the Parent Handbook with me.Formatting it etc....I am excited about her interest.

The sun is shining, there is still snow in the bush but the yard is clear.I will check for rhubarb today.
Have a delightful day!!!

Good morning,
I was down 4.50 lbs last night. I was just standing there on that scale...grinning..as they kept moving that slide down. I'm really glad that I had DH ration those Peeps! My goal for this week, is to have another loss. That's what I'm focusing on right now, just a consistant loss each week. Doesn't matter how much..just as long as the numbers go down.

Holly: You sound so happy. I loved your "day as a grownup" post. I hope the interview goes well for DH. Be sure to be extra kind to him for stepping out of his comfort zone..that takes a lot of courage. I also support all your writing efforts...keep it up.

Spores: I'm very proud of you for working through the BF conflict without turning to food. You are working your way thin lady..don't ever forget it.

Debbie: You are the exercise queen. Curves and walking inventory..I bet your legs and tush are looking firm. Exercise not only helps us to lose weight but by being tonned we look thinner. Isn't that a great plus?

Jodi: Be careful of that Easter candy...it will get ya! I should know...before the rationing of the Peeps I was in big trouble!

Anne: I'm so proud of you for staying on plan. How was the evening at Kohls? I really love that store.

I must get to work ladies and earn my keep. Have a great day!
Susie