New thread for Feb!!
 

Here we go at last! Finally got the new thread going. Seems it wanted the title changed a bit.

Newbies, don't be shy. Hop aboard! We can use all the people we can get!

:dance:

Oh I brought it!

Early Friday morning here. Well, not so early anymore but I want to try to touch base with you all.

Derry -- We had problems getting a new thread started. Seems there were technical problems with the forum or something. Finally got it going as you can see. I'm sorry to hear about the doctor's diagnosis. Since that route isn't offering you much help I would look into alternative therapies, many of which are downplayed by "traditional" Western medicine. I would think the best path here with arthritis would be nutrition. I know that many foods, especially dairy products, are supposed to aggravate or cause joint pain in many people. I would try to surf the Net and find information on this. How is your doctor going to help you with the weight loss, by the way? As for yoga, it will definitely maintain and improve flexibility. You needn't worry about meditation or breathing or unnatural positions. Yoga is from wherever you start. You do not have to be in a certain position in order for it to "work" or so. Wherever your limits are now, that is where you, naturally, must start from. More importantly, wherever you start from is from where you start reaping the benefits. It's like any exercise. It will help at any point. As for WW points I don't know about them. Certain yoga routines are very calorie consuming, others are mere stretches and I doubt they eat up calories. I understand your not wanting to try to fit more things into your busy day but there is much of yoga that can be done just as you go basically. Even a few stretches while you're still lying in bed can be very beneficial. Watching TV too is a great time to move into a few positions. I would focus on doing that. Just try to get familiar with things. You don't need special mats and clothes to move and be conscious of your body, which is what yoga is about to. I'm afraid so much of the yoga boom has made this out to be some sort of packaged exercise, something to be taken into a studio and done there like aerobics or step classes. It's not. It can be but surely shouldn't fall the victim to that kind of thinking. Yes, as far as I go, the salad and apple were very important in ways. As soon as I lose a little weight I usually put it right back on because I am not making these lifestyle changes. I have to do that and this is what it's about, taking fruit with me while I'm on the move, making sure I get vegetables in me during the day even if it means a bit of extra preparation. Good for you, Linda, on resisting the donuts. If you can break the psychological cues of such things as this -- quilt days = donuts etc. you will be making major changes! Good luck!

Chachee -- Good for you for doing your walking. 45 minutes is longer than you usually go, right? Do you walk watching TV? Yes, bad choices, just not wanting to be bothered thinking about eating "right." That's what happened. The usual story of my life. I've been so busy and there is so much to do that anything I do just doesn't give me a sense of satisfaction. I then eat out of anxiety or something, some feeling of dissatisfaction. Of course, this only makes it worse. It seems I don't get much of a sense of achievement out of a lot of very good choices I make. They have to be bigger, like making that salad was. And they only seem big when I haven't been doing them in a long time. It's like everything. I can be doing so well and the longer I do "well" the less it seems to be a big thing and then it's like I want to swing the other way just so I can feel the swing back to better ways. Of course, this constant swinging is what keeps me stuck at the same place. I suppose what I should do is force myself to go even stricter, much stricter and then the swing back would only take me as far as a "good day" instead of a "bad." Hmm. I may be on to something there.

jolly -- Sorry to hear you're not doing well. And ok, if you want to crack down on yourself, that's a good thing. BUT, please don't get down on yourself while you're doing it. You have EVERY justification. Look at your schedule!! And I'd say that's more than a "glimmer of hope" with the not eating at work. That is MAJOR!! :bravo: It's this kind of thing. DON'T downplay it! These are victories!

llpounds -- hi there. Are you joining the thread? Tell us a little about yourself. I see you're brandnew. I'm afraid I don't know anything about WW and their points. Maybe Derrydaughter can help you. Come on and chat with us.

Apple Blossom -- hello there. Glad to see you're still with us too! No dessert, no beer sounds tough. Maybe just try for one or the other at first and then ease into both? I don't know about you but often I will think of my victories as useless because I'm looking at the failures too. You know, all or nothing. That kind of thinking is self-defeating. Hope you don't do that. So, even though you had that gooey dessert, at least you had the Lean Cuisine. Keep going in the right direction. You're still ahead of me in the weight game. ;)

he he sorry Red, I couldn't resist!

NBK -- what are you doing over here!! You know this isn't where you normally hang out! Are you looking to expand in more acceptable ways! No really. This is the thread I hung out at before joining Bulge and I try to keep up the two. Sometimes it is way too much for me but I find when I'm in a talkative mood I can handle the two. I tend to do both or nothing. . . story of my life.

As you can see, I spent so much time catching up here today I'm going to have to keep Bulge waiting till this evening. I did nothing this morning for work or exercise, except my fingers. I think that's ok though, considering I was so quiet recently and all that typing I did last night. You guys must be sick of me!

To all the Basics regulars -- NBK is a wayward Kiwi taken to wandering around the board popping up on various threads in mysterious ways. She is one cool cat so have no fears! ;)

No worries. I am sure the typing counts, and I know I for one could never get sick of you. Sorry for the intrusion back to basics people, I'll go back to where I belong now!

*grin*

NBK - Feel free to pop in at will.

Red - Sounds like you're still fighting a great deal of stress, did anything ever resolve on the job front?

Jolly - I hope the surgery goes smoothly, and your recovery is quick!!

I got the stereo jack adapter finally. It's only been what... 3 months? Who knows. Anyway, today I'm driving to Arkansas with V - it's roughly a 10 hour drive, maybe a little more. Then trimming and booting classes, and drive back Monday. Then start working on a web site and getting my business cards printed up. Hopefully I'll start getting some folks in who don't mind a beginner working on their horses' hooves. I have to practice on something, right!?!? *sigh* I can only trim my horses' hooves once a week at the most - that's mostly just a light rasp to keep them in shape. I need real challenges to help me learn. I also have three more classes - hoof anatomy, intro to live trimming, and my first mentorship to take before I am officially recognized by the AANHCP as a practitioner in training. One step at a time, eh?

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

I found the new thread!
 

Red, you have several good points. I think I might visit the library this afternoon and see if there is a yoga video I could try out and maybe some books on it. Also, perhaps there is an arthritis cookbook, I might be able to incorporate some stuff into my diet? I do know that I have what are called "flare ups" and some days are so much better than other days, maybe some of it is food related?
I do think some is humidity related, I am best on dryer and sunny days.
Red said:
>Yes, as far as I go, the salad and apple were very >important in ways. As soon as I lose a little weight I >usually put it right back on because I am not making >these lifestyle changes. I have to do that and this is what >it's about, taking fruit with me while I'm on the move, >making sure I get vegetables in me during the day even if >it means a bit of extra preparation. Good for you, Linda, >on resisting the donuts. If you can break the >psychological cues of such things as this -- quilt days = >donuts etc. you will be making major changes! Good >luck!
I think that is what it is all about for most of us, don't you all? WE have certain habits, the "cues" are very much there. I always go into this doughnut shop to buy coffee on my way to my quilt group on Thursday mornings. Nothing wrong with having some coffee, right? But, when I get in there, the smell of the doughnuts is almost intoxicating. Yesterday, when I passed on the doughnut, I kept telling myself..... you HAD breakfast already, you HAD a nice bran muffin (homemade even!) and you HAD an apple, you should feel quite full. Had I not smelled the doughnuts, I'd have been ok. But, I talked myself out of having one. I did buy some of their low carb "Mountain Bread" to bring home and try. It's like a pita bread, but folds out into large squares. Had with dinner last night and it reminded me of making better choices for myself.
I knew I would want a second helping of the rice pilaf (a family favorite that is NOT low fat) that I made for dinner as I love that stuff, but I had the low carb mountain bread instead of the 2nd helping of the rice. It is big and chewy and takes awhile to eat (we were joking it was like eating shoe leather!). I didn't "love" it, but it occupied me to eat it long enough for my stomach to recognize I was full!
Yeah for NSVs!
Red, I know you live alone. When you make a salad, do you make a BIG salad, so you can take portions of it to work with you or eat it at home as well? You should, if you are not already. I used to know a woman that bought a huge flat plastic container and would make a huge salad every two or three days, she would take servings from that and the family members in her house always knew there was salad available, any time day or night. I guess we could all learn from that as they were a skinny family! Guess they just liked salad?
The best thing about her flat/low container was that it fit on a refrigerator shelf and she could store some stuff on top of it, so she didn't feel like she was sacrificing space in the refrigerator to do this, I guess! Smart lady!
Red, you could always prepare salads and put a few in zip lock bags so you could have them stacked and ready to go! I'm into convenience. I can get very lazy and sometimes the salad that is NOT made won't ever get made... do you all have the best intentions and buy all these great salad ingredients and then have them go bad and not get eaten while you eat other stuff - shame on me! I think I'll make a big salad today!
Yes, welcome to our newcomers, and if I can help out with WW info, I'd be glad to! Chach does WW too.
NBK, you don't have to feel that you need to "go back where you belong", you are welcome. Sounds like you might be fun!
Well, as for me, have to head to a news conference today, talk about emotional! Yikes! If I were going to a doughnut shop today, it sure would be hard. The teen center where both my kids go for music and theater programs has lost funding and slotted to close the last day of February, they are having a news conference to announce this and make a final appeal for more funding from the community. I hope they make it, my kids would be devastated if this place closes. If I were rich, I would fund them. So, I have to get my emotions in check today and not let my sadness rule what goes into my mouth.
Linda

Hey Raven, you post popped in just as I was doing mine..... glad you are getting this new venture of yours in gear! Keep us posted. I hope this all works out for you in terms of making an income and being "your own boss".
Linda

Hey all. Time for a real quick fly by post. Glad to see we where finally ableto get February up and running. That reminds me, I need to change my calendar . . .


OK. I am back. Derry, I don't know too much about how food effects arthritis, but I know weather is a huge factor for a lot of folks with arthritis. Also, for exercise, walking and pool work are wonderful for it. My dad has finally gotten his pain a little better managed, and is walking quite a bit - he has lost weight, which helps the pain too. And any swimming, water aerobics, or even just walking in the pool is good. Allows for exercise, without so much stress on the joints. Just make sure the pool is warm enough, or the cold can actually cause more problems.

Welcome new voices. Raven, I hope this weekend is terrific. Glad you popped in.

I only have 1 1/2 days of work before my surgery :D I am excited. Plus, the two days off of work will be nice. Still needing kicks though. I am getting soooo lazy, and I need to be getting back in the routine as soon as I can after my surgery.

Have a great day all. Will try to hop on more over the weekend. Throwing a Mardi Gras party though, so we'll see.

Finally, the new thread.

I guess I missed what Linda said about her arthritis. My mom suffers from that and I do also in my knees. Not horrible for me, but my mom has a very tough time with it. I know when she eats a lot of yeast and/or sugar, it really affects how she feels with it. She's in a lot more pain and it's more difficult for her to move around. I'll have to go and read the old post once I respond here and see exactly what is going on. I agree with Jolly, walking and water exercises are the best for relief from what my mom says.

Jolly: Good luck with your surgery. Will you be MIA on the boards also for awhile? I'm going to say a bunch of prayers for you, but I know you will do just fine! I can't wait to hear how great the vision is and how well you recovered. Have fun with your Mardi Gras party.

Red: I usually walk 60 minutes each morning on the treadmill. I could probably get more miles in, but I give myself a good 10 minute warm up and 10 minute cool down. I'm usually sleepy in the morning, so I'm careful warming up so I don't trip on my own feet! I loved your "swinging" analogy of your weight loss journey. Isn't that so true!! Maybe that swing could come my direction and lop me upside the head!

Raven: Have a great weekend, and be safe! Come back and tell us all about your wonderful trip with V!

Hi to NBK. Welcome to this thread.

Ladies, it's the weekend, so I'll be ducking out for the next two days. Have a great weekend and I'm going to stay on program. I have a haircut tomorrow, brunch on Sunday (always a challenge) and finishing my mom's birthday quilt so I can take it with me. Whew, only two more weeks then it's vacation time!

Happy Friday!

Chach

Good morning people. Sorry, no time to catch up here. Saturday morning and I had another late night last night but I'm off to work in a few minutes thank God. No missed workday like last week! Glad to see so many people posting. And Linda, thanks, by the way, for the ideas for having food on hand and so. I need to think up more of these things and incorporate them. Ok, I'll be back. Take care all!

Hi everyone! Well, it was a nice suggestion in terms of having food ready, but I should be doing it too! Yesterday was spent running around like a maniac, but I did manage to eat reasonably well.
I also did my body sculpting tape and got on the treadmill for 20 minutes, so about an hour of exercise for me! One of my good friends told me my butt looked skinny yesteray and I was looking really good and that I must be close to goal! That made it all worthwhile for me! Let's all try to remember to give people we know positive feedback when we take note that they look better!
Linda

Linda, sounds like you are doing well with your exercising and eating despite your busy schedule. And that's great that you got a compliment, a well-deserved one! and something to lift your spirits. Yes, it's something we should all remember, to say nice things about people!

I had a horrible day yesterday. I ate and ate, really had a sugar binge all day long. I am disgusted with myself but know why I did it. Because I was out partying again Friday night and was so tired and ill Saturday but we were busy at work and I ate when I only wanted to sleep but couldn't. Another reason to either forgo the partying, be extra vigilant the day after or just put a stop on my emotions and stop the downslide that comes when I feel I've blown it. I've been this bad, why not some more kind of thinking. Well, I'm not beating myself up about it anymore. I'm learning from it all. Learning how to deal WITH myself and not try to force myself into some mold of SHOULDS and SHOULDN'TS. Even though yesterday was bad, I did make a big salad and got some healthy food in while shoveling in the junk. And I did make it to the office and I did work when I came home so all was not lost.

Hope things are going well for you all out there. Hope to hear from you soon! :wave:

Good morning all. Red, I hear you on the lack of sleep thing. I finally went to the gym yesterday, but I am sitting here posting to you guys while making lunch, when I should be at the gym today. I had my Mardi Gras dinner last night. Everyone left late. Got to bed even later after I cleaned up. Early church and Sunday school this mroning. And, a lovely headache due to decreasing my caffeine. I have been slowly weaning myself off. 2 cans a day for several days. One can today, one tomorrow - then done. I timed it to finish off the case of diet pepsi I had purchased and my surgery date, since I can't have caffeine that day anyway. So, all that complaining aside, yes, lack of sleep makes it very hard to make healthy choices. Sigh.

So anyway. Off to the barn in a bit. I shouldn't be MIA, unless things go really wonky with the surgery. I can post before I go in, and you should have marked improvement by the next day. Let's hope.

Have a good rest of the day all. Off to ride, then to a Super Bowl party.

Hi guys, just a quick post from me, sorry I missed yesterday - Super Bowl and it was a super food fest for me.... oh well.
I have an all day meeting today, making quilts for children with cancer!
So, will be back later on to tell you all about what a dismal job I did.
My own scale is showing me three pounds UP, what the heck? That can't be right and that can't be just from yesterday, no what have I done?
Linda

Derry, Heh, there, don't stress about the scale. You probably didn't DO anything wrong. If you can't think of it then it's just got to be water or something. It'll go away again. Making quilts for kids with cancer, how sweet of you. I'm sure your work was beautiful! :sunny:

Hey all. just got to my work computer. I have a couple of "saves" to report. 1- I threw out a lot of leftovers from my mardi gras party. Get rid of temptation. 2 - I actually had breakfast food for breakfast today. 3- I made it to the gym. 4 - I had my last can of soda. And nobody has died yet. Today has been a day of good choices overall. Hurray.

Have a great day all.

Hi there jolly, Good for you!! What a day! Is it your birthday perhaps?! Maybe there is a hint of spring in the air and you are feeling empowered! Send some my way, please!

Hey everybody. I just have to do one more flyby post, to report another NSV. I got home tonight from my day job, to hear a message from the place that is doing my eye surgery, wondering if I had cancelled my appointment.:fr: It turns out that the doctor decided to only do my kind of surgery in the morning. Nice to tell me less than 24 hours before an appointment I have had scheduled for 3 months, and make me have to rearrange transportation etc. Needless to say, I was a wreck!!!! But, I didn't eat. I was thinking about self medicating with some ice cream at my part time job, but didn't. Didn't have anything at all.

Major.

Have agood one everyone.

Wow, jolly, this makes two congratulatory posts for you in a row! That was major. Don't know how you did it. Good for you! :yes:

I wish you all the best with your surgery. Let's just say the 24 hour notice will work out in your favor. At least you were able to keep the appointment, right? Maybe the doctor is steadier in the morning! less tired!! so this probably is a very good thing for you.

Hey
Super Sunday didn't go well for me either, but today did so there! :p
I watched the game at my SIL and recently I haven't enjoyed my visits there. She has a wonderful family and all but I always leave there feeling really bad about myself. She and her husband are frequently critical of other relatives and friends and I always wonder if they talk like that about me when I'm not there. I always manage to say one stupid thing that I regret and then the rest of the visit is ruined. Plus they have alot more money than we do and thier house is gorgeous and their kids are well behaved and smart yadda yadda yadda. As you may have guessed, I have a bit of a self esteem problem. So I'm thinking the least I can do is lose a little weight, it's not THAT difficult and I'll have one less thing for people to criticize me about. Oh this sounds so terrible. I'm not THAT insecure. I'll be fine.
I'm having some problems with my oldest son too. He's 7. Two days in a row he has hurt the baby (8 mos old) The first time he was "punishing him" for dumping some toys out of a basket. The second time he claimed it was an accident. I saw it happen and although he may not have intended to actually touch the baby, he shouldn't have been doing what he was doing anyway. He of course reacted to my punishments with a tremendous amount of anger and he hates me and all of that. My main concern, well there are 2 concerns. His anger and his lack of compassion. How can I teach him that?
Sorry to vent. I usually try just to stick to weight loss issues here but this is weighing heavy on my mind (no pun intended) and I needed to unload.
In other news, the battery in my scale died and I'm king of glad and won't be rushing out to get a new one.
Linda- I've taken yoga classes and I absolutely love them! I highly recommend a class, because it makes a huge difference if there is someone there to tell you what you may be doing wrong. You can't really get that from a video. It's not that you'll hurt yourself or anything, it just feels better to do it right. And don't worry about your wandering mind. I'm the same way. Yoga doesn't have to be about meditaion, but you will be amazed at how calm and peaceful you will feel when you are done.
My husband is away all week, so I'm giving myself a happy face for each day I do well while he's gone. Hopefully there will be 5 smiley guys by the week-end.
Later, chicks!
:D

Hi there Apple Blossom, glad to hear from you again. Sorry to hear you didn't have a good time for the game at your sister in law's. I don't know what to say except that if you're not enjoying yourself then I would just not go. I mean, it doesn't sound like a self-esteem problem necessarily. Maybe they have a way of making anyone feel bad. Why think it's your fault? Some people just love to ***** and criticize about people, kind of like a hobby. It can be a real downer. On the other hand, if it's constructive criticism then so what? In any case I hope you don't feel too down. Nobody chooses relatives and I think it's unusual when people do hit it off. Don't worry about it. Maybe you could meet them outside next time at a restaurant of YOUR choice or see a movie together and go for a drink afterward. That way you won't see the ritzy house and you can ignore the kids. Don't compare!

As for your boy I think the best thing is always not to punish but to do a lot of "showing" and some explaining. Usually the kids just want attention and a hug. The older boy could be feeling very left out or frustrated. He could be very jealous. I wouldn't think of these as issues or anything. Did you try sitting down and really talking to your son, open and non-judgmental? Maybe it was an accident. Maybe he's testing you to see if you love him, if he FEELS you love him, there's a big difference there.

Oh, Apple, don't feel down. Kids always "hate" parents and get very emotional. I would just talk to him and give him attention, not try to punish him but do let him know he mustn't punish the baby himself. I mean after all the kids are just copying what the parents are doing (well, I don't know if you hit him but even so or not, the boy is trying to find his own way of "punishing" no doubt). You can guide him here, not with reprimands but with teaching. Seven is very young. Kids should be emotional and there's nothing wrong with anger. Teach him an outlet that won't hurt himself or others, like pounding a pillow, screaming into a pillow, running fast or playing baseball (great swinging that bat). It's never about getting rid of anger it's about channeling it. I mean, kids and teens are full of anger. I know I was but I certainly turned out OK. In fact, I think my anger when I was younger was really my saving grace. It taught me to protect myself. I'd say, if anything, people who have problems with anger escalating when they're older are usually the people who were forced to suppress their emotions when they were children, either they were directly told to or they did so out of fear. If any emotion is not given expression it will come out in unacceptable, unwanted or even dangerous ways later.

Well, I'll get off my soapbox here.

Good luck for this week. I hope to see lots of happy faces by the end it! :yes:

Hey guys, I bit down in the dumps this morning as I totally blew it. I weigh in today and we'll see what the results are, but I am sad. Why can't I just stick with this? Why can't I eat what everyone else seems to be able to eat and when I have one or two indescretions, the scale JUMPS. I hate food, I love food, I need food, food sucks, food is wonderful and fun.... mixed up, right?
Thanks for the thoughts.
Apple Blossom, I seem to recall my oldest "punished" the youngest as well, they are 2 1/2 years appart, but I had to step in often. It's probably quite typical, but certainly adds stress.
And, I feel for you about the family members who seem to put others down all the time. I used to live near a woman that was like that all the time. I found myself going along with it, but felt awful about it. I think it taught me to be a better person. I have TRIED (boy is it hard) to have a philosophy that if you can't say something nice about a person, say nothing at all. The one I used to know who did the most criticizing, I think, was the most insecure. I kind of figured her out after awhile and realized that she made herself feel better by putting other people down.
One interesting thing, also, is that this one woman also had a very ritzy house. Her kids were NOT perfect, but she sure tried to give everyone around here the impression that they were. Here I am "talking" about her, though.... hmmm.... At any rate, you don't know her, don't know her name, etc. anyway, but she was awfully caught up in making impressions on everyone. Just remember, (good for all of us) the only person you have to worry about it yourself and of course your own family, I mean immediate family.
Like Red said, you can pick your friends but not your relatives! I'm sure you are not in a positition to choose not to go there, but you can try to remain positive and change the subject when things get uncomfortable. You can be especially sweet and helpful, and kind of "kill the with kindness".
Jolly, hope you got your schedule straightened out.
Linda

Hi everyone --

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Last week, I was so busy with work and then also going to the gym every day. Then on Thursday, I came down with bronchitis. It started on Wednesday afternoon as a sore throat and raspy voice. By Thursday afternoon, I was running a fever so I left work at noon. I was home sick on Friday too. I went to the doc on Friday and he put me on antibiotics and Prednisone to help clear out my lungs. I basically slept all weekend. I went to work yesterday, and then to the gym last night to do the training session (I'd missed Saturday's session due to being sick, so I didn't want to miss another one). Luckily, we did mostly weights, and I did okay.

We also weighed in and measured last night. This past week, even with being sick and not being able to work out for 4 days, I lost 4 lbs and 6 inches (throughout my whole body -- though I seem to be losing more on my waist and thighs). This brings my total lost since starting this challenge at the gym to 8 lbs. and 14 inches. Woooo Hoooo!!

As I said, we did a training session last night, and I have another one tomorrow night. I may go to the gym tonight to do cardio...I'm going to wait and see how my lungs feel. On Saturday, we're doing a boot camp! Yikes! Our trainer said there will be weights, abs, cardio, including jumping jacks and mountain climbers - which I don't like. There will be 4 trainers, each doing a different station, and we'll run from station to station. It'll go for about 2 hours straight. She told us that we will work very, very hard -- we will swear, scream, maybe even cry. She is a great trainer, but she is a drill sergeant.

She gave us all goals for this week. My goal is to lose 6 pounds and 8 inches. The other people's goals are equally challenging (and possibly unrealistic) too. She said anyone that meets their goal for this week doesn't have to do the second boot camp which will happen in a few weeks -- definitely good incentive. So I'm going to work out as much as my recuperating body will allow and eat right. I don't know if I'll be able to achieve my goal, but it is something to strive for, and all losses are good ones.

I hope you all are doing okay. Now that I've checked in, I hope to get some time to catch up on all your posts.

Michelle, great job on the loss, sorry you are not feeling well, though.
As for me, I went to my ww meeting and I did have a teeny loss of .2
Not much, but better than a gain or even staying the same.
Linda

Thanks for all the support everyone!
I am feeling better about myself today. My son really is a normal kid. He's definately jealous of the baby (and his sister) and he has a hard time when his dad has to travel so much. Yesterday was the first day of a long trip and he seems to have a hard time on that first day. I need to calm down a bit and set a good example.
And my sister in law is really an awesome person, I love them (the whole family) all very much. I just feel really overwhelmed when I visit and it's worse if I'm having a low self esteem day. I wouldn't turn down an invitation to visit especially since my kids love going there too.
Do you ever think that "if only I lost some weight everything would be better?" One less thing to worry about. One less thing to bring you down. I have a feeling it doesn't make all that much difference......It's who's inside that counts. Unforunately out society emphasizes physical appearance and i's become a huge part of self-esteem.
So far I'm having a decent day. I took a walk with the baby in addition to the walks to and from school. I made cupcakes for my meeting tonight and so far I haven't eaten one. If I do there won't be enough. I did lick the spoon. And bowl. And spatula. And wisk. :^: If I eat a Lean Cusine and refrain from cupcakes and beer tonight, I should earn a smiley face. See you all later...

Hi Ladies,

Sorry I've been MIA. I've been stressed, eating horribly, and trying to find a balance. Let's see, where to start...

My FIL had surgery this morning. Has a very bad hernia and they had to do a lot of repair and fixing for him. He's off work for two weeks,and that will put a strain on them financially. We help out with $500 each month, so I am hoping it doesn't need to go above and beyond that. I say that because...

My parents have been struggling since shutting down their business two years ago. They both have full time jobs, but with so much debt left over from the business it's hard for them to make ends meet. My hubby and myself have been very clear that they just need to let us know if they need help and we'll help them out however they need. We made it clear that they needed to let us know in a timely manner, so it's not an overwhelming amount to pay at once. Well, in speaking with them on Friday I found out they are 1 1/2 months behind on bills. I know they are pridefull, but dang, tell me sooner rather than later. So, this in addition to having hardly any groceries in the house is quite a problem. They have spoken with a lawyer and are planning on filing bankruptcy for the business, protecting their home and vehicles. If the judge decides to take the truck,then we have to purchase it and sell it back to them so they don't lose it. That is $4000 approximately. It wouldn't be such a problem, but....

The substantial raise my hubby was due to get mid-January has not posted and got "lost". It's all figured out now, but we will not be seeing that money until March 1. We had hoped to see it next week. (By substantial I mean close to $1000.) And then...

My son got sick last night. He was throwing up and was so sick. I had an appointment here at work at 2:00 pm, so I had to be here for the afternoon. Hubby went to work this morning and then came home so I could come into work. We did not get to bed until midnight because the battery in the smoke detector in our bedroom died and the chirping kept us up until we disconnected it from the home. And now...

It's snowing outside, and I need to go to the store and get medicine for my son. There is about a foot on the ground that has fallen since around 9 this morning.

Sorry to vent also, but dang, will it ever end? I turned to my friend food for comfort and it didn't help, just made me feel sick.

Jolly: I'm keeping you in my prayers for a wonderful surgery and quick recovery. Keep us posted when you can.

Linda: Great job on the loss. I am at the same point with food right now that you are. Just peeves me.

Red: Thanks for holding us together these last two weeks. Seems like you are the one who has been faithful with support and everything else.

Apple: Relatives...what can I say? I don't have a lot of them because there have been so many that have screwed me and/or my family over. I write them off. I can't pick them, but I can also choose not to associate with them. It doesn't seem as yours are as horrible as mine are, but remember that you can choose to not spend time and get involved in their cattiness.

Michelle: Great job on the gym. You are doing so well!

Alright, back to work for me. I will try to get in here and post more frequently. Ugh, just a lot going on.

Happy (?) Tuesday

Chach

Hey all. Just a quick fly by post, so I can go rest my new eyes. The surgery went well. I can see. It was a pretty scary procedure, but I am happy so far with the results. I will try to post more tomorrow, after I have had time to rest.

Take care all, my thoughts are with you. And thanks for your thoughts and prayers :)

Hi jolly! So glad to hear things went well. Get some rest now!

By the way, Derry! It's Wednesday here, first day of Lent, right?! I'm going to do something. Are you still game?

Wednesday update
 

Gosh, Chach, I feel for you. What a situation you are in, no wonder you turned to your friend food. You are right in saying "when will it all end".I hope your son is better. My son was home sick the last two days and went off to "try" to make it thought a day today. He's had a cold/virus/flu thing with a bad cough and whatnot. Not fun. So far, the rest of us have not "fallen".
Jolly, you must tell us more about this procedure and how it all went for you. I have thought of it myself, but am scared.
How's it going Red? Any news Raven?
Apple Blossom, you sound much better today. I agree that sometimes I do think that if I just could finish losing this weight that everything would be ok. But, you are who you are, no matter what. I guess that's a good thought for the day.
I'm still ME, I will still have insecurities and still do about the same things I do now, I guess. I just need to establish more self control.
I was in control for supper last night, and I was proud of myself. We ordered take out from a local pizza place, as we had two meetings to attend. I usually can't resist their onion rings and French fries as well as pizza. It's really, really bad. But, last night, I ordered a pita sandwich, turkey on pita with lettuce, tomato and VERY light mayo. It was good. In fact, it was so big when I got it and it was cut in half, I put the other half away to have for lunch today, an NSV!
Today will be a day of being very busy, it will be a test of my control.
Also, we're expecting up to 18" of fresh snow today, now what will be do with that? We still have tons left over from the last storm.
Linda

Good morning, Ladies.

Jolly: I'm so glad everything went well for you. We welcome you and your new eyes back once you can make it! I'm so glad you got this procedure done. I'm sure it's going to make a world of difference for you.

Linda: Okay, Lent started, right? I couldn't remember the exact date. I am joining you for this. I had some time to think about it, and I know what I need to give up. I could say chocolate, but I would fail at that. I could say sweets, but I would fail at that. So, I'm going to try and tackle one of my biggest hinderances in my weight loss struggles. I am a compulsive snacker. Not even when I am hungry. Just snack snack snack. I woke up this morning and decided on it. So, here is what I shall do to make sure I am successfull:

On days that I work, I will allow myself one snack mid-morning (preferably a fruit) and for mid afternoon/evening snack I will pop a bag of FF popcorn. What I don't eat mid-afternoon will then be my evening snack. I will cut about 8-10 points off my day by doing this. Now, when I am on vacation, I will also have two snacks in a day, I just can't tell you what they will be.

Some may think this is not a big thing to give up, but let me tell you, considering I usually have 4 snacks at work and two at home, it's big.

I'll commit for the next 45 days, or whenever it ends.

Happy Wednesday!

Chach

Hi all. Well, I had my check up this morning, and I am now 20/25 in one eye, and 20/30 in the other. Good enough to drive. They think it will get even a little better as the eyes stabilize, and I will most likely not need another procedure. This is pretty good, considering how bad my eyes were to start. The procedure does not hurt at all. The hardest part is when the make a flap in your cornea. it is hard to stay still as they are coming at your eye. We are all so protective of our eyes!! Again, it doesn't hurt. YOu do feel a little pressure - kind of like when you get stitches. There is some tugging, but no pain. As freaked out as I was yesterday, I am so glad I had it done, and it is well worth it.

Chachee, i hope things work out for your folks, and settle down for you soon.

Apple, I used to think I had self esteem problems because I was overweight. As I travel on this weight loss/ self discovery journey, I have come to realize, I have my weight problem because I have low self esteem.

I think I will give up chips for lent. I already gave up caffeinated sodas, and am trying to only drink non-caffeinated ones as a last resort. Chocolate would be a bit hard right now, so I will try chips. I too am a queen snacker.

Have a great day all. 6 more days until I need kicks in the butt to get back to the gym.

Hi guys! Fascinating to read about your procedure, Jolly. Cool! Glad to see some others giving up something for Lent. We can do it! Today is DAY 1 without chocolate! I've done it and I bought the snack packs of pudding in vanilla and tapioca (just 2 ww points each) to have for my desserts. I like them, especially tapioca.
It's funny, I didn't miss chocolate today, at least. Maybe I just knew that I was "off" it today and that was that? It seemed almost too easy. But, the true test will be Valentines day, usually a chocolate festival in this house.
So, chips, extra snacking and chocolate are now "out" until Easter. Anyone else "game" for this?
Linda

Hello all. I'm on the second day of no sugar, none at all, no added sugar in sauces or crackers, nothing. The only thing I'm allowing myself is sugarless gum and that just sometimes. I will not worry that much if I eat out though, like if there's sugar in a sauce or bread, but if I'm buying, I'll check the labels.

Actually I'm making this a "Four for Forty" thing. I'm giving up four things for Lent.

1. Sugar
2. these filled dumpling things I always buy at the covenience stores
3. these deep-fried "croquettes"
4. all nuts!! (natural peanut butter is OK)

I decided if I'm going to do this I may as well go all the way. Giving up sugar is not that hard for me anymore as I've done it many times before, once for a whole year. It's just recently I didn't feel like "deciding" to do it. But I am decided now and so I know I can do it. But then I got thinking, why not really suffer a bit and give up all the things I turn to when I give up sugar, which are the above three others! The nuts is going to be hardest because I love cashews and have them every day!

I didn't think of this soon enough though so I started No. 1 the first day, No. 2 and 3 today (the 2nd day) and will start No. 4 from tomorrow, Day 3 of Lent.

Wish me luck!!

derry -- Good luck with your challenge. You've got a three-way one, don't you? Don't even mention chocolate. Please! I have been on something of a chocolate kick myself these days, which is odd, because normally I wasn't that big into chocolate. Really, with Valentine's Day, I was thinking, I can't remember ever having not eaten chocolate then so I guess even if I did give up something for Lent, VDay was considered an exception I guess. Sorry to hear your son's been sick. I hope he's better now and you don't come down with anything.

jolly -- yes, thanks for telling us about the procedure. Very interesting. I wonder why they do the procedure with you awake. I don't think I could do that! You're much braver than I am! I really hope your eyes improve and you won't need another procedure. Interesting point about the self-esteem -- weight problem vicious cycle. I suppose everyone's slide into overweight is different and then once you're there it makes a lot of things worse and hard to see whether it was the chicken or the egg. Good luck on your Lenten chips abstinence too! You're making me feel very bad about not getting to the gym. I haven't been there in weeks now. Wanted to go tomorrow morning but since I just remembered it's a holiday here they won't be open early enough to go in the morning and they'll close too early at night to go after work. Darn!

Chachee -- you too, good luck on your regulated snacking! Sounds like a great idea and believe me! I DO know how snacks can get out of hand. Lent is until Easter, 40 days from Feb. 9. How is your son as well? Over his illness? Really sorry to hear about the money troubles. I suppose it was very hard for your parents to talk about not being able to pay the bills. Only 1.5 months behind is not much. Perhaps they were hoping for another way to get out of it or just wanting to turn a blind eye to it. I know how disappointing and problem-causing it can be to be counting on money and then not have it come in. Wow, I've flipped a few times in such cases. At least it'll be there come next month. Hang on!

Apple -- How are you doing? It sounds like you calmed down a bit. That's good. You sound like me, trying to stay away from the beer. I don't think I could handle baking cupcakes and not eating one or two or three. . .

michelle -- good to hear from you again. Wow, a lot of illness going around. Are you totally over it yet? I had bronchitis very bad once. Doc put me on bed rest for a week. Said it was nearly pneumonia. On the weight loss side, however, WOW!! look at you go!! :cp: It must be so exciting for you to see your body changing this way. I sure hope you can keep this up after this challenge is over. It sounds fantastic. Have fun!

Wow, Red, are you ever on board with the Lent thing, cool! My son is better, now my daughter is sick. I wonder if she's got a sinus infection? May call the doctor, but getting her there would be difficult as we are in the middle of what New Englanders call a N'Oreaster (blizzard). Wonder if they would give her something over the phone?
They usually don't.
You know, I don't recall any Valentines Day, ever, that I didn't have chocolate. But, I will get through this! Day one was easy. Just finished breakfast and day 2 is starting out "in control". I haven't been working out that much as I've been totally swamped. But, today, I will.
I really wonder if chocolate has made me more out of control with my cravings? Seems like it became awfully important to me, more than just sweets or anything else. I wonder if I might do better, overall, with my weight loss with this challenge? Time will tell.
Great job everyone, really amazing!
Linda

Hey all. Back to work today - oh joy, oh joy. Wait - I can't see! I must go home :rofl:

OK. Enough of that.

Red, you have to be awake because you have to be able to focus on the right spot, to have your eye positioned properly for the laser. Otherwise it might not hit the correct spot, and you wouldn't get the right correction. Like I said, it is painless, just freaky being your eyes.

Well, the hardest part for me is being back at work and not snacking on chips or having any soda. I will allow myself some caffeine free soda, but ONLY if I can't stand it otherwise. I would really rather not spend the money.

So, back to work. I hope everyone does well with their resolutions, has family getting better soon, and sees the money they expect to.

Have a wonderful day.

How the mighty have fallen. And in such short order, too. But I will not let the disappointment of my shortcomings dissuade me from my goals.

I was up to running nearly 5K last fall. Today, I am so tight and inflexible that 3 minutes into my walk (WALK!) and my achilles tendon is aching like ****.

It is all about building up to it again, I know that. Again. Again and again and again. When will this become my life instead of something I do for 6 months and stop? This must happen.

In the face of all this, I still felt wonderful on the treadmill. It felt so GOOD to be on the right path again. It is one of the few places I can go to get away from everyone. I listen to my music with my headphones on, and everyone knows to not bother me when I’m out there. It’s my private time. Time to daydream, visualize goals, create plans of attack, and let my mind wander.

Treadmill - 2 Miles, 38:30.

Hey all. Just a quick flyby post. I caved in this morning and got a doughnut and some low fat chocolate milk. BUT - I passed up the chips several times, and that stubborn little twit of a child inside me really wanted some, just because I said I wasn't going to have any. Same thing with soda. I almost bought some diet, decaf - just to have in case. In case of what? I teleport into the Sahara??? Stupid. So, two mini battles won.

Have a great night all.