...lol....Thank you Redballoon!! I will take all the cheering I can get!!!

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to check in and see how everyone is tonight. My parents got into town and I spent the evening with them so that was cool. So far no major lectures and I think they see I am trying to lose weight and that it is hard for me.
Susanne- Good for you going to the gym and eating right!! Great job! Keep it up!

red balloon- you crack me up!! I like your cheer for Susanne. I think you are right that people we surround ourselves with influence greatly our success in losing weight. The best weight loss I ever had was when I lived with this girl that was really into nutrition and juicing. She also walked with me everyday- the thing was for her it was normal life- she didn't think of it as a chore or a program to follow- it was just everyday life for her- business as usual. I kind of followed her lead and it became part of my everyday life as well. I hope you had a great Christmas eve and don't let work get you too down- it will work out I am sure.

I am guessing everyone else is busy doing Christmas things- I will be out most of the day tomorrow so my next post might not be until Sat. Next week though- starting Sunday I am going to try to get us back on track with the check in days and the question of the day.

Have a great Christmas everyone! Thanks to all of you for your support and kindness- I feel truly blessed to know you all.
Merry Christmas!!

Thanks Crime girl, for all your work with this thread. You've really brought people together and I'm looking forward to hearing more from you again starting next week, including your question of the week, which is fun.

Glad the family wasn't hard on you. Losing weight is no easy thing. Gaining it is a cinch. At least for us. Some skinnies would say the opposite. Anyhow, we want to do this and we're going to do it. FEEEEEL how great it'll feel to have the body you want and the be able to look smashing in the clothes you want to wear and . . . on and on. I'm going to start thinking this myself, really try to get jazzed about it all, which I haven't been but I'm gonna try. . .

Okay, Merry Christmas to you all!! :sman: :merry: :sman:

Hi everyone! Made it to south Louisiana! Today will be my cheat day. Once you get into eating healthy it is hard to cheat without feeling guilty. I brought a couple of DVDs with me to work out and I did them this morning for 45 minutes. My abs are sore today. They have not been sore in a long time. I did Tamee Lee's I want that body Ab program 2 and wow it works! I know when I am sore that it is a good thing.

Red balloon, I really must have misread a post and I apologize. I hope that you have a Merry Christmas! Do you have special plans? Reading through your posts this morning cracked me up. You have a great sense of humor. Remember each time you laugh it adds years to your life (or so they say).

Susanne, you can do it! Keep it up and have a wonderful Christmas!

Crimegirl, you sound like you are having a nice time with your family. Today should be interesting. If I can make it through the day without strangling my dad it will be a good thing! He drives me nuts. Fish, friends and family begin to stink after three days! So we are heading home on Sunday! Have a Merry Christmas!

KJK, I assume you are still snowed in. I have not watched the news but my friend in Dayton told me it was pretty bad. I hope that you are able to enjoy your Christmas.

Michi-Hope your mom enjoys your housekeeper gift! I hope that you are doing well and Merry Christmas!

Little Grasshopper, hope you haven't worked yourself too hard. Give your hands a rest this weekend. Have a great Christmas.

Southernbelle, hope you post soon. You may not even have electricity in Memphis b/c of the weather so we will forgive you (LOL). Have a great Christmas!

To everyone else, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Good morning everyone. It's Christmas morning. Still dark but I think it's going to be sunny. Just after 4 a.m. Going to make the long trip to the riding club, give my horse her new halter, have a lesson, give my teachers some great chocolates, come home and enjoy the day I hope! I'm taking off work. I just didn't want to be there on Christmas Day. I want to spend this day with the things and those I love.


*************

stormy -- Glad to hear you made it to New Orleans! Are you staying with friends? Oh, it would be nice to be somewhere different for Christmas. Enjoy yourself. Don't think of this as cheating. If it's something you want to do then do it. You know a couple days here and there of doing things that would, multiplied hundredfold, have grave effects, will NOT harm you if done over a period of only a few days. That is, unless you do some really bizarre things?!?!?

No need to apologize about misunderstanding a post. I just pointed it out so others didn't start saying something. Before long, I wouldn't know where I was!

Great going on your workouts. That is inspiring. I have been long away from the gym and soon it will be closing for the yearend. At least I get some walking and riding in. If I could make some room in my room maybe I could do some videos. But really, for now I'm mostly concentrating on diet. Last night, I got my box of macrobiotic supplies for 8 days. Look forward to doing this when I think I can find 8 days or so where I can really stick to it. Kind of a scary thought but I want to see change!

OK, gotta run. Take care all! Have a great weekend and please post when you can.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
I hope you all have a very special day!!
:merry:

I will be on later- just wanted to spread some holiday cheer..

:snf: :sball: :sman:

Merry Christmas everyone..Hope everyone has a good day..

Thanks Crime girl for the cheer. So sweet of you!

Thanks to you too, michiemish, good to see you! Come out from hiding and play with us more often, OK? And, I love your signature about the smiles. We all need more of them, don't we!?

Cheers. I'm already in the 26th here. Had a good Christmas, thanks, in part, to you all! Enjoy! :sman:

Hi guys - it's 10:05 Christmas night. We came home. Stormy - you're VERY right - fish and family.......my mom drove us all nuts this time! She gets sidetracked SO easily that she's usually about 4-5 hours late for EVERYTHING. It's hard to get anything done when she is involved. I had to MAKE her turn the phones, TV and Computer off for 10 MINUTES to open presents because I knew she wouldn't be able to not get sidetracked if I didn't. We went to Christmas dinner without her and she showed up 2 hours after we ate (4 hours late). I love her and wouldn't trade her for anything, but there is some serious chemical imbalance going on there!

Mostly behaved myself well until my aunt gave Greg (BF) candy for Christmas. There wasn't a single food all weekend I could have eaten without being WAY off track. I made a lot of my own food and they ate some of it. I think it was a bit too healthy for most of them. I did have a small dessert and had some crab salad too. After all it IS Christmas.

My mom, in an effort to make Greg feel welcome (we've gone away every Christmas before) bought him tons of Christmas presents. She even bought "us" a waffle maker....I will NEVER be able to have a waffle. Everyone in the house knew it....they even commented on it when he opened it. She didn't realize until we were opening presents that she didn't get me anything except the waffle thing. Oh well, that's mom. I know she felt bad but there wasn't a lot I could do for her aside from tell her that I appreciated the effort and that Greg WOULD really get a lot of use out of it and I will too, so don't feel bad. Just reassure her I love her. It's hard sometimes though to have a mother so easily distracted... I had to remind myself a lot that my attitude needed to be checked.....BUT that put me in an easy position to eat crap....I have officially eaten 6 small candy bars and have not the will to stop eating them. My nose is running, my throat hurts from the shock and I have a headache. I am going to stop eating them now. I need to get control over this.

My family is a HARD family to be healthy in!

I hope you guys had a wonderful holiday. BF and I came home early to enjoy the last day of ours and each other's company. I'm going to go do that right now! See you guys tomorrow.

Hi everyone!
Well- Christmas is now officially over and we all made it! Congrats and I hope you all had a really special Christmas.
I had a great time with my folks but like Stormy said- only can take so much of the family. I can't complain though- my mom gave me Martina McBride's CD with a note saying that she dedicates "In my daugther's eyes" to me. It was so touching to me..I think that alone will keep me motivated to stay on track. I really want to feel like I am the kind of daughter she can be proud of.

Anyway-
little grasshopper- I am sorry things were rocky for you-the funny thing is I also got a waffle maker (Winnie the Pooh). I absolutely love it and I am going to look for healthy recipes that I can cook in it. I will let you know if I find something good.I am sorry your mom was so focused on your bf- parents sometimes can have tunnel vision and we just have to assume they meant well. It sounds like you handled it with real class. I am so impressed that you didn't just give in to eating all the bad things- I was horrible today! Tomorrow, however, is a new start for me and I am officially back on track.

red balloon- Thanks also for the holiday cheer! It sounds like you had a good holiday and I am betting things will look better job wise for you in the new year.

Michimesh- I am so glad you popped on the board- we have missed you. Let us know how you are doing and I am still keeping your mom in my prayers. Despite life's struggles I truly hope you had a great Christmas!

Well I should go- stay chatting when you can everyone. I will start a new thread tomorrow and get us back on schedule and start posting daily questions. Maybe things can get back to normal.

Have a wonderful night everyone! Thanks so much for the support and care you all provide me everyday.

Just stopping in quick to say Hi!! Hope you all had a great Holiday. I am hoping the madness will be over soon and life can resume some sort of normalcy!! LOL

We are moving to Battle of the Bulge #5...
Here is the link..
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50759


Today is weigh in day so anyone who wants to give me their weight feel free-
if not, go ahead and record it for yourself somewhere..
I am going to do a recap of anyone who reports their weight to me so I can get a new start weight for those who are getting back with the program..
Hope you all had a great Christmas!!