Don't Let It Die!!
 

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted but please don't let this thread die! I need you guys! Don't leave me; I have separaton anxiety issues! ;)

My computer has been whack-o of late so that's why no postings for a while.

Things here are good. DH surprised me w/a night out of town Friday. What a sweetie! He rented a nice two room suite in Nashville dirt cheap from priceline. Gotta love my little budget nerd! :D So we went out to eat, back to the room to watch UK play-yes-I'm a march madness nut! And just relaxed and enjoyed being together. I slept until 9:30 and took a nice long hot shower w/o anyone beating on the door asking for something! Then we just kind of meandered home. We stopped and got DH some cigars-he just likes one every now and then. We also stopped at a local winery to tour it but they don't do tours on Sat. :( We've always wanted to tour a winery-just b/c it's something we've never done before so we may have to go back sometime. then we came home and fixed a nice meal and watched a movie. Very relaxing.

Diet wise, I'm doing good. I reached my easter challenge of 5 pounds gone-YEAH! Now, I've joined another challenge forum called the Memorable chickies Memorial day challenge. Join me! It's a really good group of ladies. Anyway, my goal is to lose 13 pounds by Memorial day. that will put me in onederland! Barely-but I'll be there! Also, exercise 30 minutes 6 days a week, at least 64 ounces of water and limited sweets-once a week.

Marie-I liked the idea of the point system. Might try that myself. there's a book I want and I might just use it for my reward. I'm glad you're getting back on track. We've come too far to turn back now! Your quilt sounds lovely. You are a very talented lady. I'm trying to find someone to teach me to knit or crochet-don't really care which one. I do cross-stitching-which I really like but would like to learn more. my sister has offered to teach me but as she lives 2 hours away, that might be a little difficult!

Hots-thanks for keeping this thread alive. Congrats on your weight loss! You really doing good.

Well, I promise not to be so long gone again. Thanks for hanging w/me, ladies. Talk to everyone later!

TOF-I miss you. Come back to us soon.

Hi Hots and Skinny,

Glad to see you back Skinny. Hots definitely kept this thread alive. I'd all but given up on it. I post regularly on Full time working stiffs. It also is a great group of ladies.

I had a little trouble diet wise today. I would say I had around 1800 calories instead of the 1400 calories I roughly aim for. I had to made a dessert for a party and it was so easy to stick my fork in it. Not a good thing.

Exercise has been hit and miss lately. I've been so busy that I miss the exercise time after work. Before I know it, it is time for bed. I can't exercise for about 90 minutes before bed - keeps me awake. So tomorrow I will aim for exercise again.

Speaking of tomorrow, it's a day of beauty. I'm getting my hair trimmed and frosted. I've been growing it out for the last 6 months and it's finally to a stage that I like it. So a trim will shape it up and I decided to add a frosting to it. I've been coloring it red, but it fades back to my natural dark blonde quickly. With swim season and sun around the corner, I didn't want to color it red only to have it fade in a week or two. I have a pool, so the chlorine would strip the color right out of it. So I'm going to have light blonde chunks put in it tomorrow. Should be cool.

Have a great Thursday.
Marie

just a quick pop in before getting ready for work! Glad to see everyone back!!! Skinny you deserved the trip!! As for you goal, it sounds very attainable!! My eating has been lousy... don't wanna get on the scale on friday..

Marie it must be a day of beauty around the world! I'm dying my hair a new shade of red...Hope you love your your new cut and color!

Keep up the great work ladies!!

Good morning, my friends!
 

Hope this day finds you doing well! Things here are good. I exercised 60 minutes on the gazelle, was on-point (op) and met my water goals. Feels good to be healthy, doesn't it?

Hots and Marie-I guess this is the week for glamour. I'm going Sat. to have my hair trimmed and highlight auburn! I can hardly wait. I think I'll keep it the length it is-little longer than shoulder length. I like it, especially w/the cut I have. It kind of frames my face and I can curls the ends under or flip them out. I have natural auburn highlights anyway so it should be a nice subtle change. I used to die mine red as well but decided on highlights this time for the same reason Marie stated. Hope both you great ladies enjoy your new dos!

Marie-I'm just like you-I can't exercise before bed. It keeps me up all night! I exercise in the morning and mid evening most days. Let us know how you manage to squeeze exercise in today. Have you ever made desserts made w/splenda? They're excellent, taste just as good as made w/sugar but far far better for you. They have a website: splenda.com Check it out. Might help the next time you have to make a dessert.

Hots-How are you feeling? Are your new meds working good for you? How about the upset stomach it gives you? Let me know how it's going.

Gotta run. Have a great day, my friends!

i want to join this bandwagon!!!! 50lbsloss sounds great to me!!!! can we start a new post for it? that'd be awesome!!! thanks!!! woohoo...trying to be peppy and motiviated!!!

Please join us - we'd love more people. About starting a new thread, we're sort of comfortable with this one. Maybe it's the mispelled word (loose should be lose). Anyway, chocolatecatz, please join us.

Skinny, I'm obsessed with black forest anything. I love cherry and chocolate together. Why don't you post the recipe and I'd give it a try.

Things have been hard lately weight wise. I follow my good track and I still have gained weight. I will continue to try to be good but it if very frustrating. Exercise wise, I'm doing so-so - probably 2-3 times a week. I need to improve on that.

The hair thing went ok. I like being a redhead and now I'm blonde again. But I knew that in the summer my hair would bleach out so I didn't want to die it red again. So I'm a dingy blonde again.

Marie

Welcome Choclate!! Hello Skinny and Mmarie...I'm hobbling aroudn...trying to make it back and forth to work...bus to work...walk home..the walk homes always make me feel better...no weigh in on Friday cuz it's TOM!! Plus i had a bday party to go to..but didn't eat too much!! Sunday sucked...bag o chips and toaster strudles...but trying to get back on track...see everyone tomorrow!

Good morning, my friends!
 

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Things here are good. I took yesterday off from exercise but hit the Y bright and early this morning and did the circuit room for thirty minutes.

Hots-how's the new do? Are you happy w/it? As for your weekend: everyone needs to eat what they want every now and then. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just jump right back in there and kick some butt! :D You can do it!

Marie-I'm sorry, but you are definitely not a dingy blonde or any other color of dingy for that matter! :) Glad you like the hair. I like mine too as it is very nearly my natural color and that's what I like. I think I'm done experimenting and will stick w/this color. If it wasn't for my gray, I wouldn't fool w/coloring at all. I think as soon as I become a grandma, which will not be for several years, I hope as my DD's are only 13 and 16! :) Hang in there, Marie. You stay faithful to being healthy and one of these days you'll have a break through, I just know it. Don't give up or back down. You can do it! We're all cheering for you and sending postive thoughts to you! :cheer: :grouphug:

Chocolate-welcome to the board! :wave: You're in the right place for support, encouragement and accountability. Glad to have you!

Well, ladies, I took my oldest DD shopping the other day and just out of curiousity, I held up my old size-20 and held up my new size-16 in front of it. I told my DD to look at the difference. She said, sheeze, mom that's a lot. You're going great. It was encouraging to have a visual of how far I've come. I still have a way to go but I have come quite a long way, as have all of us! Try this little experiment next time you're out and about. I'm sure you'll find it encouraging, just as I did.

Have a great day!

Morning everyone, things are slow at work and I'm importing/exporting files. That means I'm sitting on my butt waiting for the computers to do their thing so I can start it all over again. So I'm a little bored. Not too bad since I don't have the nromal work munchies - but time enough to read the journals and the forums I subscribe to.

Skinny, glad you like your hair color. Going near natural is always a good idea. That's where mine is now - natural during the summer months. I, like you, always say that I'll stay near the natural, then come November or December and I have to go red. It's an annual thing I guess.

Hots, smart of you to stay away from the damn scale during TOM. I didn't and it really screwed up my mindset. Next month, I pull the batteries from it's little brain if I dare to step on it.

I finished the 12 panels of my sampler quilt and I realized I was having trouble remembering the names of all the squares. So I had this brain storm to do their names on counted cross stitch and put it beneath each square. So far I've finished 3 of their "name plates" and it looks really cool. I'm having fun designing this quilt. Did I mention that it's going to be put on the wall in our living room? I think that's going to be really neat.

Weighed in this morning and I'm still up the 2.5 pounds I gained in the last week. Considering that is like 8750 extra calories - I know I didn't get the joy of eating that much. That's the depressing part. Gaining when I've watched what I've eaten. I'd love to say it was muscle from exercising, but that's not the case since I have been hit and miss on the exercise. But this morning I accepted the weight gain and am going on from there. I will lose it and more. Determined, that's what I am.

Did I mention I went on a clothes shopping spree this weekend. Oh what fun. I'm wearing one of my new outfits today. It's springy and the weather isn't but I don't care. I wanted to wear some of my new clothes. Hopefully I won't fit in them for long. :)

Have a great day and stay on track. That's my new motto.
Marie

Hi all, I've missed you! Been a bit off the wagon diet wise, but now with a new computer and nice weather I'm ready to tackle what I'm calling part II of a journey that will have many parts I'm sure. How are you all? I think about you a lot. How's the healthy lifestyle, diet journey going. I've gained a bit. I actually hit a low of 167, but now I'm back up to 175 so here we go. I hope you'll take me back.

sw 210
cw 175
gw 160 (by end of June), 150 (by Sept.)

How many times have you welcomed me back?!?!?!? So, welcome back. I was glad to see your name.

Things are going pretty good except that the damn scale won't budge. I'm not giving up and have been exercising and eating right. Today a lady on the journal area inspired me to go caffeine free like my dr. wanted so I'm tired but know I'm doing the right thing.

Don't feel too bad about gaining weight, TOF. We all fall off the wagon. I think the trick is how quickly you get back on. That's my new outlook, at least. Get right back on track after a goof up.

Marie

short and sweet
 

YAY!! TOF is back!!! We've missed you, my friend. :wave: I was soooo glad to hear from you! Of course, we'll take you back-always! Everyone messes up every now and then but it seems that you're determined to get back on track and we're determine to help you, that's for sure! Again, so glad you're back!!! :grouphug: :balloons:

More tomorrow. C-ya!! Have a great evening!!

Hi Skinny, Marie and all the new folks, I got up early this morning and was so moved by the pope's funeral - a good man.

I'm so glad to be back, this is such a positive place to communicate each day. You have given me more than just weight loss support, you've given me life support. Thanks so much.

I have received so much positive feedback for my weight loss - it is amazing (a little sad though since I've worked really hard at becoming a better teacher and people could care less and for the weight loss it is like I've been crowned). I'll take it though as the positive feedback is invigorating and I know this is a healthy journey, plus I really like the feeling of moving with less weight and wearing clothes that are not uncomfortable or too tight.

To get back on track, I'll have to plan and track again. When I do it "publicly" on this site it helps so much. Here goes:
Today - cereal, coffee - breakfast (200)
lunch - salad with cottage cheese (300)
snack - smoothie (300)
dinner- sweet pot., turkey (300)
snack if I need one - strawberry drink (50)
total - 1150 cals (That's the plan, I'm sure there will be some additions, but starting with a plan really helps)
exercise plan: very good work out Sat. morning

Marie, I'm a coffee addict. What are the benefits of going caffiene free? I'm wondering if the coffee is what is making me so tired all the time at the end of the day. Thanks for any info you can provide. - T

Hi ToF, my dr. wanted me to be caffeine free because of the meds I'm on for bi-polar. But I have to admit, I failed today. I laid down on my office couch since I was ready to fall over. I then decided to have caffeine so that I don't get fired. I feel so much better. Also my family dr. said that was why I had fiberous threads in my breasts. When I went caffeine free 5 years ago, the rope like lumps went away too. But it's not a big deal to me so I guess I will enjoy my caffeine and ignore the directives for now.

Good luck on the eating plan. I can't say that I've been good today since I had my weekly ice cream for lunch. It the reward one if I've been good all week. Since I have been, I had ice cream for lunch. Not too much of a deviation from the good eating plan, but I bet I would have found something healthier at the salad bar. I enjoyed it though, and I'm not hungry. That's a really nice effect of eating off plan. I've been hungry lately and that's made it harder.

Enjoy your exercise tomorrow morning. I will be exercising tonight. 30 minutes on the Gazelle. It's a good workout. TTYL.
Marie