I had a wonderful weekend despite this horrible sinus cold....yes its the second cold since the beginning of this year...which is rather unusual for me but being that I have been under a lot of stress...well I am trying to cope with stress better..I dont want to get sick again for a long time.

I am down to 152 pounds...so I lost anoter 1.5 pounds last week!! I am so excited to see those numbers go down on my scale. I am hoping to see 151 by next weekend ..before I get myself on that plane to San Fran.

Well, I had a wonderful time with Mario...he is just my cup of tea...I met his brother, his brother’s 2 kids (very sweet kids indeed) and his brother’s girlfriend...and it went well...they were very polite and welcoming so it all turned out fine...On Saturday, we went over to my friend’s dinner party...and it was so much fun and Mario fit in well...my friends liked him alot and conversation flowed naturally and freely. I think he is a definite keeper now. I told him I wasnt ready to cook for him at my house or to introduce him to my Dad...he was perfectly fine with that...so I went over to his house Sunday afternoon and we hung out...went out to a movie...Hitch...and then we went out to dinner..went back to his place ..hung out some more and then he went to play soccer at night....and I went home...all in all...it was a great weekend and I didnt tire of him ...I actually wanted to spend even more time with him.

He gave me a rose for valentine’s with a poem he wrote me....sooooooooo SWEEEEEEEET!! Ok..enough mushy stuff.

My food intake was great this weekend...I didnt overeat at all.

Food Plan for today
breakfast: carnation breakfast with skim milk
lunch: Panini sandwich with side salad
dinner: leftover meatloaf with mashed potato
snack: fruit protein drink and a fruit of some kind
beverages: water tea and diet cola

exercise: if I feel up to it...I will cycle...this cold has the better of me right now

Cjunk...looks like you are reconfirming your committement to your weighloss plan..which is great. I find writing down what I eat helps me with portion control..it helps me stay accountable...now I am no way perfect but seeing how much food I eat really helps me...I hope it will do the same for you.

Have a great day

Cyan

Looks like this cold is starting to clear up. I am still coughing and blowing my nose a lot but at least I am getting my energy back. I have been bad with the exercising this week...too tired to do anything after work except the basic essentials...eat, wash up ...watch a bit of tv, talk on the phone and go to bed. Gee..it sounds like I am a teenager… Oh well.

I did great with the food intake yesterday...I didnt have my frozen lasagna for lunch...didn’t feel like it..instead I had a mortadella sandwich with a side order of vegetables...sweet pepper, brocolli, slaw..home made kind...it was awesome...I couldnt eat it all..so I will have the rest of it today for lunch. Dinner from a beef and potato stew my Dad bought from the portuguese take out place.

I had valentine’s chocolate at work...three lindt chocolate hearts...those were good...which ofcourse made me crave sweets all day long but thank goodness I didnt have any sweets at home so I wasnt able to binge on any. Those cravings can be very intense.

I spoke with my Sweetie pie on the phone...he is picking me up at work since he has to get his paycheck for the work he did at our offices and then we are going back to my place for dinner And of course a quick introduction to my Dad. Mario is taking me to the airport on Saturday so I figured he should meet my Dad before then. Anyway, hopefully things will go well and they should...its just me and my silly ideas but I think its time to at least have him say hello to my old man.

Meal Plan for today
breakfast: carnation breakfast with skim milk
lunch: mortadella sandwich with vegetables
dinner: chicken stirfry with vegetables...broccoli, bell peppers, onion, palm hearts
snack: protein fruit smoothie
beverages: water, tea and diet cola

exercises: not feeling to good yet.

Have a great day

Cyan

Oh how I hate weather like this..I am freezing at work...so cold...it looks like its closer to 5pm instead of 10 am. I would much rather be in my bed..under my covers snuggled with my kitty...or my BF.

Speaking of my BF...he met my Dad last night...it went well...it was a pleasant introduction and then my Dad left for the evening..even though he has a bad cold...I gave him my cold..poor fellow. Anyway, he still wanted to go out to see his friends...I guess hard habits die hard...anyway, I then made a chicken and vegetable stirfry..very healthy and we enjoyed that. I showed Mario some of my pictures from my travels..he got to see some of the places I have visited and what I looked like when I was in my 20’s. He said I havent changed much..bless his heart...he said...you are as beautiful now as you were then. My heart melted. Later he told me that he is falling for me...this is while he has me in a big bear hug and looking deeply into my eyes...I thought I was in a soap opera..I tell you. Anyway, the evening was great...I enjoyed just chilling with him...not doing much and watching tv in my house clothes...that was a test...I wanted to see how he would react to me in loose pajama bottoms and an oversized tshirt...his first words to me...wow..you look sexy!!! I think I will be checking for batteries at the back of his head soon cause he is just too sweet to me. Anyway, before I go on and on I will move on to how I did with the food intake.

Food intake yesterday was great...I stuck to plan...no chocolates or deserts. I didnt exercise though...I will see how I feel tonight. I think I can finally go see my Mom...thank goodness...I hate not being able to see her but I understand that it is dangerous to go to the residence if you are sick with a bad cold. They are very strict about that...but some of the residents there are rather frail and old...I would feel horrible if I would make them sick...I already made my Dad sick and he is in bad shape now..I feel very bad for him right now. I hope he gets his strength back soon.

Meal Plan for today
breakfast: protein shake..about 4 oz, 1/2 bun with reduced fat peanut butter
lunch: last night’s chicken stirfry with taboule
dinner: meat loaf with mashed potato
snack: yogurt and fruit smoothie
beverages: water, tea and diet cola

exercise: maybe cycling if I have the energy

Have a great day

Cyan

Can I join?? I need some motivation desperately. I do really great some days and really bad other days! I'm 29, have an 8 year old daughter and weigh 228.5 lbs as of this morning. My goal is to get to a size 8 or 6. I'm 5'5". In 2002, I was down to 192 and completed four 5K road races! My weight high was 234 lbs and my size low was size 8 (in 1997)!

There's a 5K on April 9, 2005 that I really want to enter. I would need to lose some weight to enter though. I really loved doing the races! I would walk a little and run a little in them. But my last one was completed in 39min22sec. Not too bad for 192 lbs and 3.1 miles! I really, really want to do that race. It's a course I ran in 2002 and loved! Would you all mind to help a little with some motivation and kicks in the butt when necessary?? It would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Stephanie

~ And I also have a really great guy (who is 6'2" 220lbs and very very handsome) that has fallen in love with me despite my feeling I'm not at my best. And I would love to show him how I am when I'm more confident about my looks!

Ack! I've lost two posts somehow!

Ok! Anyway, I forgot to tell you all that my boyfriend and I have dated since October 2002 and he moved in with me November 2004. We're not engaged yet but it will probably happen sometime soon.

And for diet, this is what I've eaten so far today!

2 eggo waffles for breakfast ~ 200 cals
2 Thin mint cookies at my morning break ~ 85 cals
frozen sesame chicken meal for lunch ~ 320 cals
4 thin mint cookies at my afternoon break ~ 170 cals
10 hershey kisses while at my desk during day ~ Cals unknown right now
Dinner will probably be a Manwich sandwich lest it go to waste. Made some on monday evening because my boyfriend likes it. And I don't think he's eaten it all yet. And I don't want to be wasteful so I will have that for dinner if there's any left. So Dinner will be yummy but will be horrible for a diet!

I usually don't get any exercise in but really need to! I've bought one of those little trampolines (36" diameter) for in the house so that I can hopefully jog in place for a bit without hurting my knees or my neighbors feeling like I'm trying to singlehandedly demolish my townhouse. I'll try to get in at least 20 minutes jogging on my trampoline this evening. I'll let you know tomorrow how it went!

Thanks again!
Stephanie

Ok. I did not do so well last night as I would have hoped. The only exercise I did was walking round the mall a little after my mother lured me there with sweetness and the promise of a barbecue chicken pizza! After she left the mall, I checked out a great sale that was going on. I got a pair of pants, 3 sweaters and one shirt for $20.74. -Not bad! And it all 'Just' fits which will give me room to lose weight and still be able to enjoy my good finds for a while!

I have discovered that I don't really do badly while at work. That saves me through most of the day. It's after I get home that I partake of the REALLY heinous things. I resisted cookies and cheesecake at the mall. BUT when I got home, I ate two small manwich sandwiches and finished off the valentine's day cake that I'd bought for my daughter and I to enjoy. (all this on top of the 10" barbecue chicken pizza that I'd had at the mall) Was I hungry? NO. Why did I eat? I don't really know. But I do know that I must do better than all that.

Thanks for all the help! So far today, I've just had my two eggo waffles at 200 calories! No snacks, no hershey kisses yet. Much better start for the day!

Stephanie

Cyan - I definitely don't mean any disrespect with what I said about my mother 'luring' me there. I totally enjoy spending time with her and my sister and daughter all together! I can't imagine how difficult it is for you with your mother. My prayers and thoughts go out for you and your family.

Stephanie

Hey Stephanie...pashaw...dont worry about offending me...you are lucky you have a Mom that lurs you. That's what mothers do...they bug, pester, lur, love and give great advice..most times..nobody is perfect. I miss my Mom but she was not an angel either...so its all good. Feel free to be yourself..this is what this weight loss journey is all about...you have to be honest with yourself..its the only way I have found that works for me ... I had to get to the bottom of why I was overeating and not respecting my body...it takes time..its a life process full of decisions , trials and errors..but eventually you figure it out.
Ack!! After work I have to go over to the university for my Flash computer course..Ack!! Oh well...gotta get done. My cold is still with me...maybe I should give it a name...its getting better...its at the stage where you blow your nose a lot...so I am hoping its clearing out. I have been taking extra vitamins and eating the best foods I can muster to eat.

I cycled last night for 20 minutes...6kms...that was a nice introduction back to exercising after not doing it all week. My food intake has been very good this week...I haven’t really fallen off the wagon and that is very good especially since I had my period this week. I ate on plan...no real extra unplanned foods..so its all good.

I spoke with my Cutiepie on the phone last night however brief...I wont hear or speak to him today..our schedules are too crazy on thursdays...I have work and school and he has work and then later on in the evening when I am getting home...he is going off to play his beloved game of hockey. only gets home after midnight.

On friday, I have to bring my car over to my friend Ivano’s house..he will store it for me while I am away next week...he is an awesome friend. I am going out to our favorite Indian restaurant for dinner and then Ivano will drop me off at home. Mario is coming over for 8 pm friday night..gonna snuggle and watch a movie. He is taking me to the airport Saturday morning...and then picking me up when I get back.

Meal Plan for today
breakfast: carnation breakfast with skim milk
lunch: meatloaf with mashed potato
dinner: maybe sushi
snack: fruit smoothie and yogurt
beverages: water, tea and diet cola

exercise: if I get home early enough...I will cycle

Have a great day

Cyan

I've learned something very important today! I won't die without a dessert at every meal! It's still kinda scary but now I know it's true. I wanted something sweet with my lunch. I made myself wait. (I have those hershey kisses in my desk if I start to go crazy for something sweet) I got back to work and still kinda wanted something. I almost took one. Then I looked at them and said "NO". I said " I am not hungry". "I do not need to eat the candy". A second after that the little voice started (very gently) and said "but you can have just one, it won't kill you". -I usually give in to that little voice! But then I said (to myself) firmly "NO, I am not hungry". And it worked!!!! And now I am fine. It's several hours later now. I don't even want a candy now. I survived!!!

I don't know if anyone else has ever had this revelation (probably so) but it is just so wonderful!! And Please forgive me for posting often. I just really feel the need to keep myself motivated. And this is such a wonderful hurdle to have come past!!!

Smiling now!
Stephanie

That is awesome! That's how you do it! Just jump right back in and get going. Great job. And you have a safe and wonderful trip! I will probably continue posting while you're gone just to keep myself motivated.

Except on the weekends since I don't have an internet worthy computer right now. My boyfriend's family has given us a computer (a dell 4-5 years old)because a family member got a new one, but somehow it hasn't gotten to us yet. It's stopped at his uncle's home and his uncle is doing goodness knows what with it. I think he's changing stuff out on it. I'm afraid to know what all he's done. Hopefully we'll get it soon! (without many problems)

Have a great trip!!

Stephanie

Woohoo! I did so good yesterday! I ate 1,362 calories for the day and I jogged for 30 minutes! I've started today out excellently also! I had two waffles and 1/3 cup yogurt for a total of 270 calories and walked for 10 minutes! I'm going to hit the gym this weekend and see if I can log some actual miles on the treadmill!

Cyan - have a safe trip! And have lots of fun!!

Stephanie

Hi Stephanie,

Welcome to the site!! I have been posting here every week or so for the past few years. You will find us a friendly and caring bunch with lots of good advice for one another. I really enjoy this group.

I read your posts and have to say that normally I do pretty good at work as well and then sabotage sometimes in evenings. For me (although it may be different for you), it is sometimes connected to boredom in the winter. So now I am trying to enjoy some winter outdoor activities even if it is for a short period of time just to get me off of my butt and off of the couch. The irony is that I am currently writing this while on my butt on the couch!!

I have been experimenting with cooking lately and discovered that if you feel like dessert at the end of a meal--don't take it away, just replace it with something that feels indulgent and is still pretty good for you.

This month's chatelaine has a good recipe for banana/chipit spring rolls using low fat phyllo pastry---yet they look decadent. I also buy frozen yoghurt bars sometimes, I buy fresh fruit--grapes and strawberries are usually decadent feeling and I dip them in melted dark chocolate (not milk) which is usually lower in calories. I am allergic to regular chocolate thickeners but discovered that the 75-85% chocolate is fine by me. So I say don't deny yourself the dessert just find some healthier dessert choices and then eventually a handful of grapes will feel like dessert in many cases because it is so sweet!!

May I make some suggestions?? Try and change up your waffles for breakfast. These are often refined carbs which may make you crave more food and often foods high in sugar (like the hershey kisses!!). I think if you can replace the waffles with a high fibre cereal or fruit etc. you may find that your entire day might be easier.

You are doing great---keep up the great work and the determination!!! I admire your ability to run--running makes me feel miserable--my knees always hurt so much when I try to run. Good for you for entering races!!

Cyan--it sounds like a fantastic romance you are in right now and it is inspiring me to spark up my own!! I have a great guy and sometimes forget to enjoy how fantastic he is!!

I read a magazine article where Will Smith (my hollywood boyfriend --ha, ha,--cute, funny talented, and unassuming), said he left a note for when his wife Jada came home which was next to an overnight bag that told her to pack and meet him at a location where he swept her off of her feet for a night out. I am thinking of doing something like that for my guy as I liked the idea, but I need some inspiration from you Cyan!! It sounds like your weight loss is going well and thank goodness your cold is almost gone!!

How are you doing Lisa? Haven't heard from you in a while!

I have had an emotional roller coaster week because of those raging hormones we women have regularly!! I got through those few weird days and now I am feeling much better. I increased my iron to 2 tablets per day during this time and it has really helped me!

Gotta go,

Cjunk

Hi everyone Just a quick hello. Still not back on track with my eating or exercise. Just cannot seem to get things under control. I need some heavy duty motivating! One big thing is finding time to get back in here more often!! Just doesnt seem to be enough hrs in the day. Anyway, wanted to check in. Hope to be back soon.
Miki

Well I am back at work...and boy is it hard..after having a nice week off...sleeping in...lazy around..it is very hard to be back to my normal routine...but I think its a good thing. I ate way to much stuff I dont normally eat..not necessarily bad food...for example...I ate more prepared foods and too much cheese. So this week is going back to my way of eating...I am also not regular from last week..so working on getting that back on track...sigh!

I had a wonderful sunday yesterday...spent it with my cutiepie...Mario picked me up at around 10.30 am..we went for breakfast...then he needed to get a couple of jeans...he asked me to help him out with that...so I picked out two really nice jeans...different styles..one is tommy hillfiger ..relaxed fit and the othe is buffalo jeans button fly for slim fit...man oh man ...what a great body he has...he looked so hot...I wanted to jump his bones right then and there...lucky me LOL. We then went back to my place, I made dinner...roasted chicken thighs with bell peppers and tomato salad. We then went over to his place and we hung out there for awhile… by 6.30 I was pooped...still a bit jet lagged so he drove me home ...he had a soccer game at 8..which I was supposed to go and watch but I was too tired for that. I got home..took a hot bath...finished unpacking...put away my clothes that I had washed earlier. Konked out in front of the tv and was alseep my 9.30pm.

Wish I was still sleeping..it was so hard to get up this morning..but I did..and somehow managed to make it to the office.

I weighed myself this morning and I am up 2 pounds from before my trip..I will see if it will come off once I visit the bathroom..if ya know what I mean..otherwise...I gained two pounds ...argh! I am planning on going to the gym tonight...time to start my workout.

Meal Plan for today
breakfast: carnation breakfast with skim milk
lunch: frozen lasagna
dinner: tuna salad sandwich
snack: yogurt, banana
beverages: water, tea and diet cola

Have a great day

Cyan

I have been so sick! I missed work all last week. I'm trying to get over bronchitis (which has also moved into an ear infection). I'm feeling much better today but I still have an horrendous cough. I'm hoping that I can jog for at least 10 minutes tonight. I haven't done anything all week. Haven't watched what I was eating either. I was just too sick. I hope to be back on track in a couple days! Just wanted to let you all know where I've been! I'll let you know if I manage any kind of jogging tonight!

Stephanie