Sometimes there is just no improving an idea, which is why I have begun the 2nd 2 week Sprint Challenge...

Finish line is not that far away and this is BYOR-- Bring Your Own Rules...

For me... I am very motivated to see another decease on the scale ...
since I have been movnig so slowly, one pound by Aug 1

I also challenge myself to journal more..

And get back into water mode...

I continue on my long range goal of being able to "run" 10 flights of stairs by year end...

....

Hope everyone is doing well.... we seem to be in a storm pattern... big storms on Monday created flooding .. Some places got more than 6" rain in less than 24 hrs... rest of the week is forecast for more storms...

Am considering a change is schedule w/ the new job.. 4 10 hr days... 3 days off ( Sat, Sun, Mon) ... but DH is very against it... Would have to drive as bus doesnt run late enough to take advantage .... and frankly, after 7, the downtown area is pretty lonesome..


so... I don't have to give an answer till Friday.. but I've got a pretty good idea what I'm going to do...

anyway...

*****
Thought of the day :

"What lies behind us and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Question of the day ;

"If you were to be paid to write a new book on any subject you wished, what would it be about?"
--From IF (2) by Evelyn McFarlane & James Saywel

***

Ok... here we go... 2 weeks!

WORDS WOMEN USE
******************************
FINE
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
FIVE MINUTES
If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.


NOTHING
This is the calm before the storm. This means "something," and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with 'Nothing' usually end in "Fine"

GO AHEAD
This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.

LOUD SIGH
This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing"

THAT'S OKAY
This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

THANKS
A woman is thanking you. Do not question it or faint. Just say you're welcome.


Send this to the men you know to warn them about future arguments they can avoid if they remember the terminology!
And send it to your women friends to give them a good laugh!

Thanks for starting a fresh new thread, Kaylets. I could use a fresh new anything! I'm feeling rather stale......I have to get back to journaling too, something I deeply believe in, but have let slide because I just can't look at it right now. But that's all about to change--here's to shining a light on those dark places and letting some fresh air in!

kaylets-thanks for starting this new sprint challenge!

eydie-i too am feeling rather stale in areas and this is just what i needed. am putting food program in to higher gear; adding more water consumption; and continue with food journaling, exercise, and stress management techniques.

onward and downward! take care, royals.

Yo! Thanks, K, for starting a new thread! Greetings and salutations to all s, mentioned and unmentioned, but mostly unmentioned as this is a flyby!

I've (once again) realized I need to put some limits on posting, as well as other areas of life (no more 18 hours days). For the nonce, I'm really wanting to focus on the Calorie Clublette thread ... posting my menu everyday in the journaling thread got to be too much detail, but I do like to post the total calories. Basically, my journaling is taking the form it did when I lost 100 pounds ... just jotting down the calorie numbers and a few notes.

When I journal this way, I'm in a better position to work and live freely in the kind of moment-to-moment lifestyle I seem to gravitate to. When I start writing down exactly what meal I had, it kind of works the opposite way from the intention. If I eat some of the recorded food item but don't want it all and decide on a bite of something else instead, it sets up a negative unfocused thing in my paltry brain ... e.g., I tend to eat all of an item that I write down, even if it's not what I want, and then go ahead and have the bite of the something else I want, which defocuses me and I tend to then feel my eating is out of control and I go have a binge!

But when I just graze through the day and write down the numbers for each item or spur of the moment substitution (say, an ounce of cheese instead of 80 calories of a half-eaten sandwich), it all just clicks for me and I can do better at staying away from the bad stuff.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Flybye! Thanks for the new sprint, Kaylets.

Looks like dh will be coming home tomorrow but with me giving shots in the tummy again and there is not an unbruised part to put one. But he's eager to be home and I'm eager to have him so we do what we must.

Joy! New low this a.m. - 200.6 - mostly I've been on target except for the runin last night with a (fortunately, almost empty but not almost enough) carton of ice cream

Surprise, surprise - when I went back to hospital late this afternoon, I found out dh was coming home tonight. So he's showering at the moment and after tomorrow and a lot of rush stuff, we should be on our way back to "normal" or what passes for that around here.

Hello all!

YAAAAYYYYYY!!!!! Anagram's DH is back home!!
This is GOOD NEWS!!!


Ceara- Amazing how much we rely on our computer systems now isnt it??
Who would have thought? If you had asked me 10 yrs ago I would have just looked at you wondering what made you think I'd be so "nerdy" to be able to talk on my computer to folks...Amazing.

Empress---I understand but am not happy that we will see less of your posts...
I guess I'll have to visit the calorie counters thread... but trust me, since my recent job switch turned my schedule around, I CAN RELATE...

sometimes all we can do is all can we do...

Hmmmm... that might be a good thought ....

hmmm

WSW-- are you getting as much of these wild rain storms as we're seeing here in DE?? CRAZY !! Lightening, thunder, flooding...

Eydie--I CAN RELATE!!~ somehow I've gotten bored w/ green salads.. but will eat a whole pound of carrotts.... I 've been thinking that sometimes its the Flavor as much as the Feeling...
hmmmm...


***
Thought of the day :

"A gentle word opens an iron gate"
-- Bulgarian proverb

Question of the day :

"If you had to name the worst song to wake up to in the morning, what would it be?"
--From IF (2) by Evelyn McFarlane & James Saywel
***

Well, my friends, I must be off...
Remind me to share my thoughts regarding taking the wrong bus yesterday am...
it immeadiately made me think of a binge...

KETTLE IS ON!

Great news, Anagram!

Missing Cerise. Also, Punkinseed and Wildfire, and Frogger!

anagram-so glad to hear dh is back home with you!!

kaylets-it has been wild here with the storms too.

hi ceara! i know i don't like it when either my computer or i am having "technical difficulties" and am unable to get online.

empress amarantha-whenever i am reminded of how much weight you have lost(!!!!) coupled with your enthusiasm and all the encouragement you give everyone, it gives me such a boost. we can do it!!

hi eydie! speaking of having lost so much weight--. having reached your goal continues to inspire me.

hello to all royals! hope your day is a good one. plan to try and get some much needed errands done this morning. take care.

Anagram, very glad to hear your DH is back home and doing better.

Kaylets, for the new thread - is it just me, or does it seem our group is struggling? Maybe some short sprints would be a good idea...less time to fall off the wagon and more frequent fresh starts?

This week has been brutal. Both my boss and the other accountant at work are on vacation which left ME (the new girl!) to deal with year-end auditors all week. Today was particularly frustrating, trying to explain schedules the other accountant prepares and I have had no involvement in....hope SHE is having a good week on vacation. "No, I don't know why that journal entry was done last AUGUST because I wasn't even HERE then." *sigh* Wasting so much time digging up explanations that wouldn't have to be wasted if ONE of them had come to work this week. Ridiculous.

DH has said he will join the gym and go with me in the evenings. We had planned to start this week, but I've been so cranky and frustrated we thought it was in the best interest of public safety for me to stay home. Next week, though. Having had a break from journalling, counting (points/calories/etc), even getting on the scale, I think I am ready to get back to that. I don't even know how much I weigh currently, as the last time I got on the scale (probably two months ago) it said I weighed 986 lbs. Guess it is time for a new battery. At least I hope so!

I think we need to make this a hoppin' thread again! Too much lurking and not enough posting going on, and I'm guilty of it, too. Let's just get in here and post whatever we feel like/have time to post...if there isn't time for personal replies, so be it...post a hello, a weigh-in, a food find...whatever...just post!

Gotta go...Big Brother Five is on!

Well, ok, here I am again with a headache the size of Pittsburgh and yes missing the ol' days on here when we used to talk more ... dietwise doing well, otherwise not so well.

Not the same ol' Amarantha. Will probably delete this in the morning!

And here I am, awake WAY TOO EARLY again. Don't delete, Empess! Nothing amiss in your post. None of us can be a cheerleader all the time.

I too am missing our fast and furious days when I could come on several times a day and still not be able to keep up with all the action. Summer doldrums? All of us slim and healthy? So much peace and contentment throughout the kingdom that we have no complaints? I suspect none of the above. My suspicion is that it's a bad case of "Life Happens" - job changes and stresses, births, deaths, relationships, etc. The court has been so good for me through all of the above - my own stresses and everyone elses. So I'm hoping we can do the Phoenix thing and I do think the sprint thing for a while is the way to go.

However, a few specific questions. Zadie and Wildfire -- how are the new babies? I have a new great nephew myself - however, he lives in Alaska and don't know when or if I'll ever see him. Samuel looks like a real cutie though in his one day old picture.

wsw - so happy you're able to get out a bit between storms and heat wave. Storms here have been horrendous with a tornado touching down about 30 miles away and a small one a lot closer. Kaylets and I usually share the same weather system.

Wood Nymph, has been good hearing from you lately. Is the party tomorrow?

Empress, I would have a TERRIBLE time going back to a 9-5 ish regimen once I've had more freedom in my schedule. But glad your food's going well again.

Kaylets, your vibes from new job seem to be so much better despite schedule changes.

Ceara, any travelling lately? Summer with teenagers is a pretty full time, as I remember.

Cerise, honey, I hope you're lurking and that you haven't given up on your singing plans and your love of walking Seattle. Know you're grieving still and sending out hugs.
We miss our Ramon reports too.

Punkin, it's still not Friday w/o you. Maybe just a shoutin today?

Frogger and Tad, keep us in mind. I'm sure your days are tremendously full and that you're in the slightly rotund mode. I know it's not your exact date but would like to point out that 9/15 has produced some really nice and really modest people, moi for an example. So I'll be crossing my fingers for that date.

I don't think I've done too badly foodwise considering all recent stress. Think new medicine is still upsetting my stomach a bit and making me feel more "hunger pains" that really aren't. That's not to say I haven't had my indulgences but is just an awareness of what could have been. I'm going to try to eat with reasonable care over the weekend but not going to impose too many goals on myself until we have a few more hopefully serene days under our belts. "serene" these days is defined merely as not a whirlwind of stress and activity.

Ah, heck, this was better than sleeping any day. Make it a good one!

Or not.

Well I am pledging to stop in each day and bore whoever might be in the vicinity with my latest attempt at getting back on the wagon and finally losing 30 lbs.

Took one positive step today - had a salad with grilled chicken pieces for lunch rather than the burger I have been ordering of late. Tomorrow is the day I plan to really get into the swing of it again...journalling, gym, water, etc. Have buy a battery for that scale, too. I am declaring this a whole new journey.

Amarantha, hope the headache has cleared and today was a good day for you!

Anagram, my nephew came home from the hospital on Wednesday! He is doing well, and cute as all get out! I did the Sears Ship-A-Gift thing to send my sister a fancy stroller...one of those three wheel rigs and it includes the car seat & base, too. I have the most adorable little outfits here to get in the mail...little Tommy Hilfiger diaper shirts...(of course, bought at a bargain...you know me!)..and the cutest litttle two-piece blue outfit with little green embroidered frogs on the jacket. Congratulations on your Great Aunthood! Samuel is a good name. How is DH today?

to all our MIAs...off to watch a movie with DH.