yesterday was my 39th wedding anniversary, se went out last night and I did not eat OP, but I enjoyed it. Monday is a new week, and it WILL be better.

Barbg

Goodmorning!!

I was reading Oprah's magazine while having and wanted to share this:

I realized that the commitment to do well and be well is a lifetime of choices that you make daily. The space to live in is not "I'll try". Not "I want to". Not "I really want to." It's "I have decided". Oprah quote.

I have thought I had decided many times - but they must not have been very strong decisions or I wouldn't still be overweight.

Maybe I have to decide to decide!!!!

c bo be:

I know what you mean. It doesn't matter your age because the music and dances are FUN!!! I told my friends I was with at the "Winter Dance Tour", SOMEONE should have a back to the 50's party where we can dress up and dance. Of course some things never change - it's hard to find enough males to dance with!

TIP: If you have sons teach them the fun of dancing - they will have a much better chance at finding girlfriends.

Way to go Andria!!!! That's a lot of inches!!!!

jawsmom: Way to go on the loss.



Skit: I thought it was funny too so maybe you just have Northern Midwest humor.

BarbG: 39 years to the same Alvin???? Must be


Off to do some exercising!! YES you heard me right!!!!

I have to exercise up a storm to look like my idol!!!

Is it me? Or does Betty Boop look like she has an open wound peeking out of the top of her bikini bottoms? Disturbing. Nice shape though. I'll take it! minus the gaping wound.

Skittles...that was a nice trip down Memory Lane! I do remember a lot of that! I grew up in the 60' and 70's so I even got to see the transition from the 50's ideal! I remember watching in awe and wonder as my teachers starting showing up for school in mini skirts and bell bottoms!

oops...gotta run, I'll be back...lots more to say!

Happy Sunday afternoon.

I have had a good weekend. I got a lot of things done and am now having a relaxing cup of Chai Tea.

Did you hear Oprah is going to be on Desperate Housewives next week?

I have been trying to "be in the moment" today. No matter what I did I reminded myself to "be" there. It actually made the task more enjoyable. Who would have thought? I SO am always thinking of the next thing I have to do - I never enjoy what I am doing at the moment. This was an eye opener.

Hi all!
Just a quick check in. Sounds like everyone is doing well and staying busy!!! Happy anniversary BarbG! 39 years is worth a celebration!

OK, bad news. I've been on a 3 day eating binge and I'm not proud of myself. It has been really bad. But I'm admitting it here instead of acting like it didn't happen and hoping that I can get myself back on track. UGH! What is wrong with me? I knew exactly what I was doing but couldn't seem to stop...

Oh well, tomorrow is another - and better - day. I hope everyone has a good one!

Laura

Oh, Laura I know what you mean. Mine was shorter in duration (Friday night) but I beat myself up all day Saturday. Today I watched a Dr. Phil show and he said beating yourself up just keeps you binging - already bad so why not keep eating!!!

SO, I decided to quit it right there and look forward. I ate well Saturday and today.

I have been trying to "see" what triggered my binge and WHY I let it happen. No great insight as of yet. I guess this is why "some" claim journaling is good! Hmm the word "lonely" just popped into my head.

Off to think on this. Thanks Laura for sharing - I think it's important to talk through these things if we want to put our "demons" behind us.

Laura, I love that you posted so honestly. I was actually thinking about that today...how easy it is in this forum to hold myself accountable and then move on. I would have NEVER admitted a binge to, say, my husband. There were plenty of times that I would drive through and get a hamburger or something after I'd run an errand - and that would have been AFTER we'd eaten dinner. Then, of course, I'd hide the wrappers under the seat. Or, I'd eat, eat, eat, while he was out mowing the yard. I don't know who I thought I was kidding - obviously he could tell I wasn't loosing weight. But, it is the same as pounds lost - I would never even think of not being honest if I didn't meet a challenge goal or something. I guess the feeling that we are all in the same boat makes it easier. Maybe that there is a certain amount of anonymity. I don't know exactly what it is, but I am glad we have it.

Don't be too hard on yourself, we've all stumbled. And even if you gained a pound (you probably didn't), so what? You'll still be better off than if you had to start again at your original weight.

LuckyLadyBug: I've tried journaling before and I didn't really gain any insight. I think for me there really isn't a "trigger". Maybe a couple of excuses but no real triggers. I found that I typically ate just because it tasted good and I wanted to. And that sentence really should be written in the present tense because I still struggle with that. If anything I guess I would be classified as an emotional eater - and ANY emotion will do. LOL.

And speaking of binges, I am heading to bed before I start one. I've alreday tried the cup of tea trick I've seen so many people suggest but it didn't work for me. If I stay up I just know I'm going to give in. I made a pan of rice krispie treats and I've resisted them all day. I just watched in misery as Greg popped one after the other in his mouth. And I don't even really LIKE rice krispie treats. Now, there is one left. Just sitting there. Alone. In the pan. Waiting. To be eaten. Yep, I'm off to bed. If I so much as took a pinch of it I'd be in the cabinets looking for the next goodie. The sad part? I AM NOT HUNGRY!

Have a great night - check you all in the morning.

Tricia

Lucky and Tricia, thanks for the support and encouragement. It helps to know that others understand what I go through. And you're right, it is done, I can't undo it, so there is no sense in continuing to feel so guilty about it. Tomorrow, I'm going to be back in control. Thanks girls!

Laura

I want to thank you all for letting me be a part of this thread. I'm going to take a break for awhile and not do much posting. I spend so much time trying to keep up with all the threads I visit, that it's taking time away from my weight loss goals and my family. I need to get my head back on straight and get the kinks worked out of my routine. Thanks for everything. I'll be reading what's going on but that's about all I can handle right now.

Love you all!

~chris

Good morning everyone! First I must comment on Betty Boop, I think that gapping wound above her bikini line is her stomach definition. Never seen that before, but i'm pretty sure thats what it is. But my main problem is her extra large head. Please don't tell me that's what happens when you lose weight and look like Betty.

Anyway, I am one of those weekend bingers too. It started fri. night, we went out with friends, then sat. was our monthly euchre night and more eating, then sun. my husband wanted to go out for fried fish, then we went to the movies and more snacking, the weekends are killers for me. And so much of our entertainment and socializing with friends and family involves food. So, Laura, I can definately relate. Yes, I feel guilty this morning. The hard part is once I start and let myself endulge I dont stop. That is until monday morning. And then the cycle starts again. I need to break this pattern.

Anyway, Happy Anniversary to you Barb. That's terrific.

Ok, i need to get to work, and i am going to toning class tonight with a couple of co-workers who are joining the class. That will make it fun for me. Have a good one everybody. cheryll

Hey, it's Monday! Half way through our challenge...still plenty of time to redeem yourself from any of the mistakes of the past week. I know we've all been there, done that on the binge thing and I guess the best advice that I can offer is to just keep moving forward. Don't perpetuate it by saying, "Well, I've already blown it, may as well keep eating!" One thing I will do is get right up on that scale on the scale as soon as possible. Usually the damage is not as bad as I thought it would be, and I realize that I don't want it to get any worse so I stop. Also, admitting it here is a great way of facing it, analyzing it, and moving on. Good for you, Laura! Confession is good for the soul!

Lucky, I like what you're saying about "Being in the moment." I have to remind myself of that frequently. I used to keep a quote at my desk, someething along the lines of, "This is LIFE...it's not a dress rehearsal." Thanks for reminding me!

Tricia, I was nodding my head vigorously when I read your post. Most of my overeating is done in private, I don't want people to see what a pig I am. Sad. One thing I've tried to nip that in the bud is to picture myself eating in front of a crowd...or even in front of a mirror! Scary!

BarbG...Happy Anniversary! That's quite a milestone!

chris...good luck to you!

Time to take the boy to school, then off to the gym...see you later!

Morning all,

BarbG, Happy Anniversary! That is so great to be with someone for that long. How do you do it?

I have to confess, I had KFC last night. And I shouldn't have, but my hunny talked me into it. Actually I don't think he did. His mom mentioned she made her famous fried chicken and it made me want fried chicken, but neither one of us wanted to cook, soooo.... where there is coupon, there is food. So we got fried chicken, but there is a good side to this, I felt really sick after eating it and felt awful all night. So maybe that will make me not want to do that again.

I also have noticed something about myself. I am afraid to eat in front of other people. I don't like letting them know I eat food. Even though I'm a cow, and they can clearly see I must eat food, I don't like letting them see it. Which is really weird, but I don't know what to think of that.

I have decided to start reading my Dr. Phil book all over and start from the beginning as I lost my place in the move and never got to work on it everyday like I should have been doing. So, best to start a fresh.

This is one of my Daily Om's that I recieve and I thought, this is something that we could use, and what a great way to think about food and what we eat. I have highlighted in blue some of the key thoughts but have posted the whole story for you all to read.

"Charming The World
Sweet Nature of Koalas

If ever there was a creature made to cuddle, it is the koala with its soft, fuzzy fur, cute, rubbery nose, big, fluffy ears, and gentle nature. The arboreal marsupial is a native of Australia, but it is adored all over the world.

Koalas remind us to savor life, slowly and sweetly as they do, spending much of their time sleeping and eating. Since they feed almost exclusively on the leaves of select eucalyptus trees, they have a sweet, medicinal, cough drop smell (like a favorite elderly aunt). The koalas' diet is so complete; they seldom need to drink, obtaining enough water from the leaves alone. Perhaps we should be as selective in our choice of foods, eating only what nourishes us.

When they're not eating, koalas are usually resting, sleeping up to 18 hours a day! Nocturnal by nature, they snooze in the fork of their beloved eucalyptus by day, becoming most active after sunset. Those of us who are not "morning" people can relate. If only we could all follow our own internal clocks instead of being molded into a nine to five grind.

Koalas are sometimes active during the day, meandering slowly through eucalyptus, even jumping from one tree to the next in a burst of energy. With an excellent sense of balance, long, muscular limbs, and sharp claws, they are well suited to trees. On the rare occasions when they do come down to the ground, they are vulnerable to predators. We would be wise to follow such an example, being more aware of our strengths and weaknesses.

Solitary creatures, koalas often have their own tree, content to live alone. During mating season though koalas socialize, calling to each other over long distances with bellows. Mothers and babies make soft clicking, squeaking sounds and gentle humming or murmuring sounds to one another, as well as gentle grunts to signal displeasure or annoyance.

We can learn a lot from the koala - how to slow down, spend time alone, and chew food for thought thoroughly."

Hugs and love to you all, I must go and fold the laundry, bbl.
Skitt

I left before to go to the gym, dressed in my gym stuff, had my water and my towel with me. After I dropped my son off, I stopped back at home, thinking " I just have to...I don't remember what now...so I'll leave the car running and be right back out."

Came in the house to...I still don't remember what...got side tracked, sat down at the computer, and...AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER...I remembered. Not what I came in for, but that the car was running!!!!!! I hopped in the toasty warm car, zipped over to the gym, but by then there wasn't a parking space to be had and besides, the class I wanted to take had already started...so I came home.

DUH.

I'll get some housework done and go back later on...there's a 4:30 Body Pump class that I think I'll, make that, I WILL take.

I'd better get moving before I get sucked back in to computer land!

See you later!!

Well, Katrina, if it makes you feel better I took my son to work with me one time. This was when Will was still a baby. I don't know what I was thinking but I passed right by his nursery, drove on into work. Unloaded him and his bag and made my way to the building. It wasn't until I got into the building and our security guard acknowleded that I had him with me that I realized what I had done. Talk about embarrasing. I made myself feel better by pointing out that at least I wasn't absent minded enough to have left him in the car and forgotten about him until the end of the day.

I think I have pinpointed what discourages me most about losing weight and I am curious if it happens to you guys and how you handle it. It seems that no matter how much weight I lose I don't see my progress. The scale shows I'm doing well, my clothes are baggy, Greg comments that he notices a big difference and so I KNOW my plan is working. But I look in the mirror and still I look exactly the same as I did at my highest weight. It is so depressing. I got serious about losing weight to improve my health and that is still my most important goal. So I don't want to quit because of it but -darn it- I want to SEE my hard work pay off. I hate the idea of reaching my goal weight and still feeling fat. Anybody else feel this way?