Gettin' together -- May 2005
 

Hey, Ladies,

May is here! I went to the gym this morning. Since it's Sunday and raining, the place was practically empty. Rob said I should call it the YMCA-Marge. Well, it was funny when he said it. I see a guy there on Sundays who gets on the elliptical and works out until he is literally soaked and drips a puddle on the machine. I wish I could say I'm exaggerating.

I have a good feeling about this week. Have a fantastic Sunday, gals. You deserve it!

yay, It's MAY!!!! Love the Spring...Wtg marge, you are doing great, well, this week, I will be right on with ya...I would love to take the train down, but have never been to NYC and DH will have to come too, or else he won't let me LOL...Maybe for the Holidays, I have always wanted to go to NYC for the Holidays, to see the decor! Well, am off, have fun ya'll :)

Okay, so Im a little slow--apparently, I skipped over the FIRST sentence of Marge's post in the last thread, so here's the whole message I just posted in the April thread :p :

Happy Sunday, all! It's almost 11:30, and I'm still waiting for my turn in the shower. His cousin made us breakfast, though, so at least we don't have to go out for one meal this weekend (mmm...pancakes, sausage, and potatoes). I think the plan for today is to go to the park and walk around the pond and feed the ducks, then to lunch at Luigi's (one of his favorite restaurants that happens to be near the park), then to see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with his younger cousin. Then, of course, we have to watch Animation Domination on Fox tonight--brand new episode of Family Guy--woohoo!!! I do love me some baby Stewie. No PA Dutch Market today--apparently, it's only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so we missed our chance.

Yesterday, we went to the Orioles game, but we left before it was over because it was very wet, and they weren't winning, anyway. So we took the train home, and then Jeff and I had a minor spat, so that took up most of the evening between tears and trying to talk and silent treatments, but it's all good now :)

Yes, Aimee, alcohol=bad. I have completely stopped drinking--haven't had alcohol since last July. I wouldn't say I was an alcoholic or anything like that, but I definitely couldn't stop when I'd had enough. I never had just a few drinks, I would always at least hit the double digits. My view was that if I'm going to drink, I was going to make it worthwhile and get totally trashed. So, yeah, some interesting things happened as results of my drinking in college (and a little after college), so I have decided to just stop before it does become a major problem. Jeff also does not drink a drop of alcohol, so it's easy for me not to as well.

I guess being semi-active on the weekends is what keeps all the restaurant food I eat on the weekends not catch up to me so badly. Limiting my calories during the week helps to balance it out, too, so my body is definitely not stuck in a monotonous diet rut. When I go to the doc's on Monday, I'm also going to request some blood work. I'll have them check my iron and cholesterol and do a FULL thyroid test. I have been sluggish even after 12 hours of sleeping on the weekends, and, like I said before, I have been cold much more frequently (I'm usualy almost NEVER cold). Also, I have been dieting since January, and just finally lost a total of 10.5 pounds?! I usually hear people talk about how quickly it comes off at first, but 3 months for 10 pounds? ARGH! I know it's good that I am heading in the right direction whether it be slow or fast, but if there is a reason it's so slow, I would like to know so we can maybe fix it. If not, then I guess I'm just not doing what's right for me and my body (which will be equally as frustrating, since I don't really know what else to do). Alright, off to wait for my turn in the shower. Have a great end to the weekend, ladies! OH, and are we starting a new thread for May?

I almost posted on the April thread! Whoops. ;)

My mom and dad are coming over at 2pm and we're all going to the YMCA together. They're having an open house this weekend and mom's going to turn in their application for financial assistance. Shoot, if my MIL and her best friend were both approved for a discounted rate, I sure can't see where my folks won't be. My mom would benefit so much from the arthritis water class.

Well, gotta scoot. WTG on being in a new deca of pounds, Aimee! More soon, y'all --

Goodmorning, I have about 30 minutes left to my morning. I am working today, but got to sleep in a bit.. unfortunately the kids upstairs decided they didn't want to sleep in, and wanted to jump up and down right above my bed. Gotta love that!

So it's May, closer to the summer! It feels like summer here today, the sun is out, and it's warm! :) And I'm heading to work, aren't you all jealous? Whoops, and if I don't leave now I'll be late! Have a great day :)

-Aimee

Ugh. I need help, grrrr! I don't know what to do, and it's not *really* my problem, but it just feels so complicated. So I started this new job, with the title of part time 3rd key holder, it's on the thing I signed and all that jazz. So today I was working with this girl Gemma, and for some reason it came up about my title and what I was hired for. I told her I was hired as the above position, and she informed me, thats her job title right now. This all came to be because I answered the phone and was chatting with another staff member I hadn't met yet, and I told her about her shift this week, and how she had a meeting with the manager, and the girl told me she thought she was going to be fired. I know nothing about this though. I just listened to her. Gemma was standing right beside me and knew about the conversation, and we looked at the schedule, and the girl who thinks she's going to be fired has been written off it. What a crappy situation!!! Almost the entire staff is in the position of being fired, or forced out, I'm getting more hours than them, more responsibility. I told Gemma I didn't know what was going on and hoped she wouldn't hold this against me, and that I was just hired for this position not knowing. Does this crap follow me? Is it a product of crappy retail jobs? Or... is it me? I'm starting to feel like drama follows me!! I just don't know, and really hate being in the position of being the "new staff" and watch as the old staff gets slowly picked off, one by one. So far only 3 staff members have quit since this manager started March 29th-ish. My plan thus far is to keep my nose out of this stuff, listen if people have concerns, and be myself. Also, not let anyone know that I feel the manager is being incredibly sneaky with how she's doing all of this... oops I let that slip? ;)

Okay enough venting.. on to food porn!! I had the WORST dinner/dessert of all time! I had perogies for dinner with sour cream, and then had 1 chocolate chip cookie, and 1 cup of ice cream. I didn't stop there, I had coke and pringles as a snack. lol. It's pretty funny how bad I ate really.. bad to being good tomorrow :) Have a good night gals :)

-Aimee

GM ladies....So tired this morning, but am off to CURVES in a few mins...Funny thing, but I think that your plan, Aimee, is a good one to stick with. You have only been there a cpl of days, so the situation is new, and you have no idea how terrible the employees' attitudes may have been or may be, and she feels this is the only way to get fresh faces...There must be a reason why she is hiring new ppl and firing old ones. She could have filled you in on the plan so as to not be clueless. :)
Women....they can be hard to work with and deal with...
I filled in my food intake into Calorie King yesterday, and even as terrible as I thought I had eaten, It was below calories, fat, and carbs...I am so surprised...Shocked even..lol...well, that is good I guess..I just need to be more consistent and drink more water..Okay, am off...HAG1!!

hey there~ Jill, I beat ya , Na na na na noo no :~ lol...Anyhoo...That dress is just lovely...I personally would not wear spaghetti traps, not with my flabby and stretch marked arms, LOL but that is just me...You are going to look beautiful, just beautiful...I had Wine and dark green in my wdding though we only had a bout 30 ppl total at ours. and had to wear a misspiggy dress since I was too fat to wear a normal on. We plan, on our tenth anniv...in 4 years OCT 9, to have a renewal, and I WILL WEAR the gown of my dreams...and my best friend HEATHER will be my MOH...I had no choice last time, his sis was, Heather and I had not gotten back in touch yet...We have already planned it, and know what we will do after ( a huge pig roast)...we are getting new rings too, mine is nice, I am keeping the rock, but getting new settings, we want platinum. Anyhoo, just wanted to tell u I like that dress. Have a great day!!!

Diana, you'll love Christmas here, definitely come. They have several markets that I go to usually, at Union Square, Grand Central and Bryant Park. The Bryant Park one isn't all that great, but it's still fun to see, and near the Grand Central. Lots of great decorations on 5th Avenue/Rockefeller Center. I was going to say it gets cold, but lets face it, where you are it's much more arctic in the winter time!

Jill, that dress is HOT! I love it! Hope you post pics of you in it.

I can't believe how much running around you do, I got tired reading your two posts :lol: (Been there with the evening wasted to relationship drama. Rob doesn't drink either, btw, or he'll have a couple of sips. It's funny, after I turned 21, drinking wasn't exciting anymore, heh. Now it's a beer or glass of wine and I'm done.) Good luck with the doctor's appointment. Glad to hear you're having your toe looked at! If you really feel frustrated with the diet routine, maybe he/she can recommend a nutritionist. At JC the counselors are nutritionists, and that helped me.

I've lost about 11 lbs since January (March was a big bust for me, I actually gained a 1/2 lb that month! grrrr). Hang in there. We'll do it. It's going down, right?

Aimee, I agree with what's already been said. Majorly sucks that you have to be in the middle of the drama. I'd say have a plan for yourself and try to keep your head above it all. Usually it's a power issue for a new manager to come in and replace the staff. Think of this as a learning experience :o

Did you see that Oprah episode where the husband was harrassing the wife for gaining 50 lbs? Oprah said she thought every heavy woman 1) feels she doesn't deserve to be loved, and 2) a lot of heavy women feel that if they get a hot body, they'll end up out of control (sexually). Interesting...

Well, Mondays are always my busiest day, so I'd better get to it. Of course today is gorgeous since it's MONDAY! Have a good one!

Originally Posted by DianaLS:
We plan, on our tenth anniv...in 4 years OCT 9, to have a renewal, and I WILL WEAR the gown of my dreams...and my best friend HEATHER will be my MOH......we are getting new rings too, mine is nice, I am keeping the rock, but getting new settings, we want platinum.

I meant to comment on this, that is wonderful! Your first wedding sounded so romantic too, bet you this one will be even more special, to renew after 10 years! And you will be HOT! (is Marge pushing for an invite??? heh heh).

not to mention a fall wedding upstate, going to be gorgeous. sigh.

Diana, your redo wedding and new rings sound so cool!!! I just had my ex wedding ring reset a month ago so I feel comfortable wearing it again. It looks nothing like it did before and I was able to design it so it's extra special to me now... I love diamonds!!!

Jill, that dress is very sexy and you will look amazing in it no matter if you don't lose anything more than you have already... although I *know* you're gonna lose at least another 80 pounds by then just to be extra hot! I love that color... It looks really good with all skin tones (even pasty!).

I am sitting in work now... boring. I lost only 2 pounds this week, but I went over my measurements from beginning of Feb to yesterday I lost just under 30 inches!! WOW! That made my day just to see that number! Saturday I did a benefit walk, it was 4 miles and I did it in 1 hour and 10 minutes. about 15 mins better than last year! AND my mom who's 125 pounds, was sore and complaining after about 2 miles!!! I love it! I know that's mean, but she really has gotten on me for being out of shape in the past, so to show her up like that is really a good feeling...

Well ladies, have a great day!

Howdy, y'all. Read everyone's posts, but for some reason just this thread at 3FC is loading really wide for me. I have to scroll sideways across the page to even view it all. My eyes are tired now! :tired:

Aimee, it's hard being in the middle of the weirdness at a job, I know. I think your plan's a good one for listening if people want to talk, but keeping a distance.

TFT, two pounds is a really *good* loss -- nothing "only" about it. If you lose too quickly you can end up burning muscle tissue not just fat. It's healthier all around to go slow and steady. The diet industry is who pushes big numbers, not dieticians and trainers.

Jill, I can relate about the BP. To be eating healthfully and have such high readings really stinks! I didn't get mine tested at the doctor's today, but at the YMCA open house, it read 128/86 on the wrist-cuff the nurse used on me. My pulse rate was 89, though, not good considering all I'd done was ride over in the van and walk inside.

Jill -- it's that long URL to the wedding clothiers' site that's making this thread so wide. If you edit your post and replace it with this snipurl (a shortened forwarder that will point to that page), it will fix that problem: http://snipurl.com/emaf

Kimberly - Thanks for figuring out the scroll thing it was driving me nuts! As for my "only 2 pound loss", I *know* that it's healthy to lose slowly but my eyes really want to lose fast! I like seeing the big drops on the scale. I really want to lose another 24 pounds before mid July when Sam and I go to Wisconsin Dells. Having to be in public in a swim suit for 5 days is gonna be pretty ugly if I don't get those pounds off!!! YIKES!

Jill - first, you suck! Diana TOTALLY beat you, and not by a small amount either! Hehe. Finally you go to the doctor! It's really hard to balance all the things we need to do to eat healthy, and work as much as you do. My only advice is to eat at least 5-7 servings of veggies a day, my mother always said that once I do that the weight loss will follow. Thats my motherly advice to you :) I love the dress!! I'm jealous! I wish I was a little more glamour-like, where I was wearing dresses, or had places to wear dresses. The dress of my "dreams" has a puffy bottom, almost like the princess thingy, but it would end at my knee's, with a tube top or maybe even a bustier (sp?) top. In like a bright pink colour. I really have nowhere to wear it though.. I should work on that.. lol. I also wanted to add something about how your weight loss is going, while it's not going fast, you are very steady. And you aren't giving up a whole lot to achieve it, I think you should keep going. You will get there. While I don't think people should give up foods to lose weight, everything in moderation right? For me and my mother that just doesn't work, I have so many things I just can't have in order to lose weight.. it's very possible that it's a medical problem. but most doctors are such pricks they just don't *get* it. Are you taking a multi vitamin?

Diana - you are still going strong on those workouts, thats so awesome :) The wedding plan sounds great, I want pictures, of course :) If I had money, I'd totally tag along with you and Marge wandering around New York.. heh.. if only eh?

Kimberley - this site is doing that for me too! It's annoying, I found a way to center it so I can read things without having to scroll side to side.. otherwise I'd go insane! I'm half way there now... but better to be a little crazy than completely normal! ;)

Sara - 2 pounds is GOOD!! Thats so good, I'm happy for you :) I'm totally with you on that *only* part, I have to keep reminding myself that instant gratification is BAD!! 2 months and 30 inches is pretty good instant gratification though! I love the idea of doing walks, they are really expensive out here, min of 40 bucks a walk, so I don't do many. What else do you do for working out? I've been adding weights in, just because I notice a big difference in how my body feels, and how many inches I lose.. and my goal is to have 13-14 inch arms by July. I'm down half an inch already.. so I just gotta keep it up!

Marge - oh marge.. marge marge marge.. it's like talking to an American version of myself.. I did see that Oprah, I cried. The girl on that show Trina, was on this Canadian show called "Taking it Off". She lost just over 25 pounds, it was funny seeing her on Oprah, she was SO quiet, and held back so much. She's one of those people who is a lot of fun.. but definitely has to learn about tact. She wasn't my fav person on the show.. there was this guy, he was SO fricking sweet, like a big cuddly teddy bear. He ended up losing 103 pounds, I was so happy for him I actually cried. I shared every Saturday morning with these people for the last 6 months, the show was on from 11-12. It's endearing watching people lose weight, and share their insecurities, and their process with all of Canada. I just wanted to go hug them all by the end of it!!

Holy Cow, do I get an award for longest post in the whole entire world? ;) I'm going to go take a little break.. I'll ttyl! :)

-Aimee

hi all
 

I just wanted to jump on and say hi really quick. I hope you are all doing wonderful(as I know you are). I have finals this week and next, so Im trying to study hard. I had a 2 pound loss during TOM, so Im happy. You guys are all doing so great! I'm really proud of all of you, and you are my inspiration to keep going when I don't feel like it much. Oh, and I had cheese today....well, I guess you can count Velveeta as cheese...lol...not as much as I normally do, and not as much as I would have liked, but enough to kill the cravings. and its been soooo long since Ive had cheese..lol.
Di, you are the best, and I love ya and can't wait until I get to see you. I think we should all go to Marge's house for Christmas..lol. I used to live in NJ, and have been to NYC a few times for the holidays, and it was fun. Now we usually just stay in town...and you can all visit me sometime..lol. I think I can fit you all....ummmm...well, i'll find the room.
well, im off to study. Hope you all have a Marvelous Monday, and I'll jump on when I can. Huge hugs to all of you.

whew u all wore me out lol...Everyone to Marge's for the Holidays, lol, maybe we can book a cheap hotel or something and buddy up...lol sounds good to me.We should plan for that some year...And when we renew in 4 years, ya all come, hehe nothing like upstate Ny for the Fall foiliage..Our first wedding was in an old Stone church in the heart of the adirondacks. i want the next to be more special though, because I will be THIN.hehe...and SEXXXXXIE! ya know today, I actually got honked at while walking the dog...nice to get an ego boost like that from time to time...Okay, now, am off to sleepy land..Love ya all, Have a great one! And yes My Heather LOVES cheese more than any person I have EVER known.lol...I don't think Velveeta is considered real cheese though, they call it Cheese food, whatever the H that means..ROFL...

I think they have to clarify that it really is food, LOL! I like it in recipes, though, have to admit that. For salads and sandwiches, though, give me shredded sharp cheddar, mozerella, etc. We eat cheese every day almost, just count one ounce as a serving of dairy and count the calories and fat.

That's what I love about what Howie and I are doing -- we don't give up anything, really. We chose to give up fast food cheeseburgers because those were specifically trigger foods for each of us. But as long as we keep to 5 servings of fruit & veggies, 5-6 whole grains, 3 dairy and 1-2 servings of lean protein every day, we're good. I find I eat a lot more when eating well, just because many of my choices are lower in calories and fat, and they're almost "freebies".

My new jeans shipped today from Lane Bryant. Whoopie! Last night when we went to Meijer, Howie waited while I tried on several outfits I had no intention of buying. I just wanted to see what size I could wear at this point and see what styles/cuts were most flattering. Howie and I are going to be dangerous when we're at goal, I tell ya. We're like kids in a candy shop now...We'll be monsters by the time we're finished! It's such a joy anticipating being able to shop anywhere.

Me being silly yesterday, courtesy my DH... :lol:

Kimberley - nice picture :) Clothing is addicting, fortunately for me, and my wallet, I'm a deal shopper. I just can't pay full price for most things anymore, I have to LOVE it. I do sometimes worry what will happen when I shrink enough to wear clothes at my FAV clothing store.. I'm an 18 now, and have to get to a 12 .. so I have a few days ;) I am SO SO SO jealous of people like you, not having to give up anything in order to lose weight. I'd kill to be able to watch my calories and exercise in order to lose weight. Don't worry though.. I know that killing people fix my frigged up body.. so you are safe!! .... for now ;) You are posting late.. are you trying to beat me for a late post.. teehee.

Diana - it's been a busy busy day in here, eh? Phew, I almost couldn't keep up myself. So, have you decided on the style of dress you are going to wear? you could have already said.. but I'm so sleepy I forget to look up and see.. heh.

Alrighty, I was a bad girl today.. again. Junk food in my house is evil I tell yah! I did my weight program though, I'm going to try and be consistant with exercise. I tend to get bored easily, really easily.. I have exercise and diet A.D.D. ;) I am off to bed, nite nite! (hey Jill, shouldn't you be getting up soon?).

-Aimee

I'm up, I'm up! I'm already at work, too! And I have NOTHING to do here! And so begins another intensely-exciting day at CSC :rolleyes: Anyway...

I fixed the link so the page isn't so wide anymore. Quick fix--I just popped in some line breaks. The link still works (as far as I can tell). Sorry, guys!

So, about my BP...I tracked my sodium for the day when I was reading labels to count my calories anyway--WHOA :o I'm not sure how many mg of sodium you're supposed to have in a day, but I'm still pretty sure that mine is way high. I guess that's what happens when every meal you eat is already prepared food (cereal for breakfast, Lean Pocket for lunch, mac n' cheese for dinner...). I'll talk to the nurse practitioner when I go in for blood work on Thursday and let them know that I'll adjust my diet a bit and come back in, I dunno, a month or so to have it checked again. Hopefully that's all that's contributing to the BP problem. I guess I'm going to have to do a lot more planning ahead since I don't have time to cook at all during the week. The more weekends I spend at Jeff's house, the harder this becomes. This coming weekend, I will be home (and no car shopping to take up all my time!), so I should be able to make some chicken and stuff for the week, but then the following weekend, I'm at Jeff's again, so we'll see. Can I cook chicken and then freeze it and heat it in the microwave? Or maybe I can actually make stir-fry (veggies included!) and put it in single-serving size containers and freeze it and microwave it, kinda like having a frozen dinner?


Oh, Aimee, you make me laugh. ME, eat 5 servings of veggies a day?! :lol3: At this point, I'm lucky if I get 1 serving a day! I do eat fruit every day (though only one piece today since I have yet to go grocery shopping for this week), but veggies are a problem. The problem really is--I don't like them! I don't like celery or carrots or tomatoes or cauliflower or peppers or [insert name of almost any vegetable here]. I don't mind cucumbers, but to eat them, I need to add salt (and my BP says NO to salt!) or lots of dressing or dip. Same goes with broccoli--I only really like it when it's either swimming in dip or cooked to the point where it gets mushy instead of crisp (which usually means most of the nutrients have been cooked right out of it!). I also love potatoes and corn, which happen to be the starchiest veggies possible (I think), which loads 'em up with calories (I think). God, I wish my tastebuds would just fall off so I could eat healthy food all the time and not worry about what I do and don't like! I also know that if I try to force myself to eat foods I don't like (as I have tried to do in the past), that'll just push me to the drive-thru (2 cheeseburger Happy Meals, please!).

So, I snuck up on my scale this morning (I know, I'm not supposed to weigh-in till Thursday!). I just wanted to peek and see if I had done any major damage from the weekend. I hopped on fully expecting to see about 301.5 or so (since I was at 300 on Thursday, then gorged myself all weekend long), but to my surprise, it read 299.5. I would just like to point out that THAT IS BELOW 300! I have not been below 300 pounds since probably before Thanksgiving. Hopefully, that .5-pound loss will carry over to Thursday so I can be excited on my actual weigh-in day :crossed:

Kimberley--can I just say how THIN and fun you look in that picture? It's awesome! I can't wait till I reach a point where I don't pretty much hate every picture of myself. I've got plenty of "before" pictures--hope to have some "afters" real soon :p

Velveeta = Cheese Food :lol: Can definitely say that's a new one to me!

I would be exstatic to lose "only" 2 pounds a week! A slow, it'll benefit you in the long0run cuz you'll also be able to keep it off better than if you lose too quickly (I know, we've all heard it all before, and it sucks to know that slow is best, but it is!). Remind me of these things I say when I get all pissy about how far I have to goal still ;)

No way, Aimee, I totally get the longest post awards--ALL of them! I think I should also get the award for the MOST long posts ever! Jeez, I just start typing and can't stop--if only the same were true for exercise :lol:

Skinny? Compared to where I came from, yes -- but 51 more pounds to go, and I need to work for that. I know Plateau City looms, and I have to keep telling myself that it's normal and I can get past it.

Still, I'm feeling pretty good! Right now the hardest thing is keeping off the Sudafed (generic) until I get another BP reading; that drug raises blood pressure. :o

Oh -- the recommended daily allowance of sodium is 2400mg/day, from all sources. That said, less is better. The recommended amount differs in the US and the UK, for instance. Check out this site for more info.

All right, the Quest for Veggies: One thing you can do to sneak veggies into your diet is puree green beans or spinach in your food processor or blender, then mix them into your spaghetti sauce. I kid you not. You'll not notice them, and you get all the benefit.

Once a month cooking is a great thing, just the ticket for anyone with a hectic schedule. Get it all done at once, eat for a month! Google's results about it. This link is a good one, especially: Real Food For Real People

I find that things like spaghetti sauce, rice, soups, casseroles, chicken (yes!) and beef freeze very well. When you re-heat these things, add a teaspoon of water before you reheat them (that will keep them moister). Be mindful not to overcook them when reheating. You'll get the hang of it.

Cooking up a batch of whole grain brown rice at the beginning of the week is great, too, because you then have a low-fat , healthy grain you can use in various quick dishes all week long.

LOL, that would be great! the holidays at Marge's. There's supposed to be a cheap hotel in Queens, a Comfort Inn. A friend of Rob's stayed there, I'll give you the scoop when I get more info. We'll get you here, Aimee! Jill, you can take Amtrak too. It's a 3 hour ride from the main station in Washington, DC.

and Jill, congrats on getting under 300!! You're doing it.

I lost only 2 pounds this week, but I went over my measurements from beginning of Feb to yesterday I lost just under 30 inches!! WOW! --Sara

I personally never use the word "only" with any loss :lol: You are rocking, Sara! And 30 inches, man! I know what you mean about always wanting it to be faster, especially after the differences really start to show.

there was this guy, he was SO fricking sweet, like a big cuddly teddy bear. He ended up losing 103 pounds, I was so happy for him I actually cried. I shared every Saturday morning with these people for the last 6 months, the show was on from 11-12. It's endearing watching people lose weight, and share their insecurities, and their process with all of Canada. I just wanted to go hug them all by the end of it!! --Aimee

Yes, Aimee, my Canadian twin, heh, I love those types of shows. And as for the woman on Oprah, the husband wasn't that fantastic looking, and if my husband appeared on national tv flirting with another woman, well, there'd be some real talking going on :lol:

I was just thinking the other day that I'd love to know what happened to the other weight loss contestants on Dr. Phil, you know, the show where he had about 10 people competing. It's like hearing half a story -- except for about the top 3 who lost all the weight.

Take it easy, gang.

Yeah, I looked up the sodium amounts online today, too. I found in a few places that a good rule of thumb is 1000mg of sodium per 1000 calories, so basically, your sodium should not exceed your caloric intake (2400mg of sodium is for a 2000-calorie diet, but the actual wording is "less than 2400mg of sodium"). So, that in mind, today I had just over 1400 calories. My sodium was probably at nearly 2700mg. HOW BAD IS THAT?! Huge issues on the sodium front...The worst for me sodium-wise is the mac n' cheese dinner thing I have for dinner. I can't help it--it tastes good, I can eat it cold, there's no preparation involved, it doesn't need to be refrigerated, and it only has 190 calories. Now I have to find another perfect dinner food :(

Kimberely--you had mentioned that tip about the veggies in the pasta sauce before. I thought it was a great idea then, and I still do, except that I don't eat pasta, nor do I have a blender or food processor :p I still have a few $$ left on a Target gift card, and I made a few bucks last night (I don't ever want to hostess again--I made $54 serving last night, but I know if I were hostess, I would have been there a half hour longer and only made about $35!), so maybe I'll check food processors there after I leave here in an hour. I have a very difficult time finding whole-grain pasta where I shop, and I can't afford the stuff at the specialty stores :o Maybe I'll hit up a different grocery store this weekend--I think the Giant has a whole health food section. Hope pasta isn't too high in sodium! Ialso bought some brown rice a few weeks ago, but I haven't had the chance to cook it yet. Hopefully, I will actually be able to accomplish everything I want to do this weekend without having to worry about things like new cars and exploding passenger windows :dizzy:

Marge--there just so happens to be an Amtrak station about, oh, 2 miles from my apartment--I hear the train whistles as they go by ALL the time. I think the planets are aligning...:p

Goodmorning!! I have 6 minutes left to my morning.. yay! I almost wish I was still in bed, but I was getting a headache from being horizontal. I did do weights yesterday, I'd love to say I'm really enjoying doing them, I think I enjoy the music more, and the feeling like I've accomplished something. I just have to get to walking..

Jill - you were 1st! You go girl ;) So I peaked at my scale too, but I wrote my weight down, AND changed my ticker.. lol.. it's an addiction!! You must have crossed your skinny fingers for me, because my scale is still saying 257! Thats down 3 pounds, I just have to hold onto that until Thursday! What you need to do for veggies is soak them in a low fat dressing (with low salt!) and force yourself to eat them! Come here, I'll get you on South Beach with me for 2 weeks, you will be crying for some fruit, or even juice, or ANYTHING not veggies! Find something you like, make a soup with all veggies, you gotta get 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies!!

Marge - the good thing that "Taking it Off" does is they did another show where they checked up on all the people who did it in season 2. The unfortunate thing is none of them succeeded at keeping the weight off, and one of the guys was even going to go get the weight loss surgery. I wonder what it actually takes to lose weight, I don't feel like I necessarily have it, but I push thru because what other choice do I have. I think once I start to believe in myself, I'll get it off consistantly. If my boyfriend was flirting on national tv? I'd cut off his balls. Maybe not, I'm dramatic. But if he were to flirt with anyone when I'm around, I'd be very very angry. We discussed cheating very early on in our relationship, every boyfriend i've had has cheated on me.. and he got his heart broken by his first gf (I am his 2nd, the 1st one was when he was 16, so he didn't seriously date anyone from 16 until 20). If either of us cheats, thats it, no second chances. Period. Normally I'm all for second chances, but thats just one thing I can't tolerate, I'm lucky to find such a good man.

So New York, heaven, shopping heaven. New York is such a huge city, and there has to be tons of flights going there.. which makes them cheaper.. not only that, I can even fly from the USA (brother lives in Seattle), so I could get there. Can you imagine? Oh New York.. I'd have to go to a club, just to say I went. I secretly want to live there...maybe if I become a famous plus size model I will! Alrighty, time to get my head out of the clouds and get some grocery shopping done! Have a good on gals! I shall be back later!

-Aimee

Try the frozen chopped spinach, Jill. Make sure you squeeze it really dry in a towel before adding it to your sauce. Spaghetti sauce is really good on brown rice, actually. Add a little fresh-grated parmesan-romano cheese for flavor (takes less, less fat, nice flavor). Yum!

Aimee, good for you (even if ya did peek, LOL!).

I've been scrubbing the shower today, oh joy. It was really nasty! Have any of you tried Greased Lightning? Works pretty well, but it stinks -- glad there is a window in our bathroom along with the exhaust fan. My plan is to do one room a day during the week, just maintenance of dusting and vacuuming. We only have five rooms total, including our bathroom. Like Howie said, we've changed our eating habits until they're natural, so I ought to be able to make a routine of this.

Why is cleaning soooo different? :^:

Kimberley - cleaning sucks.. thats why! I also believe in cleaning one room a day, it just makes things easier in the long run. I hate cleaning the bathroom, especially the shower stall... ours is enclosed, like it's just a shower with glass doors. Anywho, so I once used "scrub free with bleach", it gave me a nasty headache! We don't have a window in our bathroom.. I cannot wait until we move into a bigger house. You know, with a diningroom, normal sized livingroom..

So I realized that I'm in "virgin weight", I have such a short time of being in this time... The last time I tried to lose weight I was 245, and then once before I was 232 when I tried to lose weight.. the only time I haven't lost weight was from 257 (now) until 245. Lets hope I get there fast.. hehe... I love you instant gratification! :)

-Aimee

Instant gratification is definitely an upper! :) After all my wheezing in that nasty cleaner smell, I still had a cruddy shower floor (it's textured and hard to clean). Finally I dug out a bottle of orange-scented scrubbing bubbles and they not only smelled good, but did the job. Just have the bathroom floor to do tomorrow and I'm done. Next...The not-so-bad bedroom. Oh, Lord, my life is really exciting lately.... ;)

Tomorrow's YMCA day. Time to make my belly muscles hurt!

Kimberley - I attempted to clean my bathroom today.. I was inspired by you! I didn't get as far as you though, only got the toilet, sink, and some of the stall done.

How about a challenge? I started something up in the South Beach forum.. by why not do it 2 places?!? Exactly! So I'm thinking, week 1.. we drink at LEAST 3L's of water a day. What do you all think?

I am off to bed, have a great night gals!

-Aimee

I inspired someone to clean? Well, how about that?? Most of the time I can't even inspire myself to clean, LOL!

Liters...Hmmmm....Gotta convert that to ounces before I can wrap my brain around it.

Okay, according to Google calculator (Oh, I love Google!), that's a bit over 101 ounces. I could do that. I try to drink two or three 32-oz (.95 liter) cups of water a day, chugging one down right when I get up...Except first thing on weigh-in day of course! :D

I know I'm supposed to be sleeping.. but the bf isn't tired.. so I'm awake too. I have a realllllly early morning tomorrow, the phone company says they are coming between 8:30am and 12pm. I am really getting sick of them.. poo heads. I took the day off work to hang out waiting all day? woowee!

Anywho, I should have converted the L's into American.. aka.. about 96 oz. I like my idea.. my next thing is I think no eating past 8pm? or like 3 hours before bedtime. I just can't chug water, so I end up sipping all day.

Alrighty, really going to bed now.. so sleepy! Nite :)

-Aimee

Whew, I'm in late this morning! Of the crazy things, I actually had WORK to do when I got to the office at 6am today :o But now it's done, so here I am :D

I definitely drink a ton of water during the day. I just keep refilling my little 16-oz bottle. Once I've had 4 bottles (8 servings), I stop counting, but I pretty much always have more--and that's just while I'm at job #1! At job #2, I continue drinking (Minute Maid Light lemonade--5 calories per serving, plus I do about 2/3 lemonade and 1/3 water to water it down even more). I used to drink diet coke at the restaurant, but I find it doesn't really quench my thirst (plus it has sodium!), and I can't drink the water there plain--so icky! So I do my lemonade-water mix and that gets me through the night. Also, after running around all night, I am usually quite thirsty when I get home, so I drink a tall glass of water (sometimes 2) right before I go to bed. As for eating after 8pm (or 3 hours before bedtime, since our schedules all vary so drastically), I don't know if I could ever commit to that. I think what that rule is really helpful for isif you have a problem with night binging or grazing, which I don't have time to do :dizzy: But sometimes I don't get a chance to have my last snack (or sometimes even my dinner) till about 9 or 10 pm, so count me out on that one.

So last night, I was serving again. Good, I figured I'd be home by 10 (since it was pretty slow business last night), I'd make a few bucks more than if I was hosting, all would be good. But of course, that was all too simple. Instead, one of the kitchen guys called out, so one of the servers who was supposed to close last night got pulled back to the kitchen to cook instead (he worked in the kitchen before--they really don't just randomly make servers cook :p ). So then we needed a second closer (entirely too much work for one person to close alone), so of course, they asked me. I hesitated and said I would do it IF no one else would. Well, no one else would. SO luck me, I was there for forever and didn't get home till a few minutes past midnight. the silver lining, though, is that I walked away with 78 bucks in tips (and that's after I tipped out the host, salad bar attendant, and bar tender). Not bad for the hour-and-a-half of sleep I had to sacrifice. I also kept in mind that I do not have to work on Thursday night (gave my shift to someone else who wanted to work and wasn't scheduled), so I know I'll be able to sleep extra both tonight (since I have a dr appointment at 8am, I get to sleep till 7!) and Thursday night (podiatrist appointment is at 8:30, so again, I get to sleep till 7!).

Tomorrow morning is weigh-in, plus I'll be able to go to my TOPS meeting again since I gave my night shift away. Hopefully the loss will still carry over to the scales tomorrow and nothing from the weekend has "caught up" with me. I honestly think that since I restrict my calories so much during the week, it all balances out (usually between 1400-1500 calories per day during the week). I think it also keeps my metabolism guessing, since it's pretty much 4.5 days on plan, then 2.5 days off plan (it all starts with dinner on Friday night!). I'll go on thinking this way till I hit a plateau and get frustrated :p Oh, I cut some sodium out of today's allowance by making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch (light white bread, 1tblsp strawberry jelly, 1 tblspn Skippy reduced-fat peanut butter) instead of my usual Lean Pocket Ultra. I have to be careful when I make my PB&J sandwiches--I could honestly sit down with a jar of Skippy reduced-fat PB and a spoon and just eat the whole thing--YUM! So, sticking to the 1 tblspn of PB on the sandwich and NOT eating any directly from the jar was a minor accomplishment this morning :D

Well, off to try and stay awake till 3, then off to job #2 (where I have to say till about 10:30-11 since I am hosting tonight). I can't eat anything tonight because I have to fast for my morning blood work, so not even any lemonade after 10pm tonight, and no breakfast before I leave in the morning. Should help the answer I get on my scale when I weigh-in tomorrow morning ;) Catch all you Fab Chicks later--have a great one!

Marge--there just so happens to be an Amtrak station about, oh, 2 miles from my apartment--I hear the train whistles as they go by ALL the time. I think the planets are aligning... --Jill

That's great. :) My favorite part of the ride is going over Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The tracks go over the water in an almost scary way.

I wonder what it actually takes to lose weight, I don't feel like I necessarily have it, but I push thru because what other choice do I have. I think once I start to believe in myself, I'll get it off consistantly. --Aimee

I think everyone who wants to really do it and is ready to do it has it. For me it has been more like a puzzle, figuring out what works and what doesn't. I think I had to figure some personal issues out first before I could really do what I needed to do. I think that's why I always like the idea of Phil's keys, because it approaches weight loss from a lot of different angles. And it's like you say, if I don't do it I stay the same weight or gain, and I don't want to do that. Hey, it's a lot of work, no question about it.

If my boyfriend was flirting on national tv? I'd cut off his balls. Maybe not, I'm dramatic. But if he were to flirt with anyone when I'm around, I'd be very very angry.

:lol: Heh heh. I've never thought of myself as a jealous person, but I've had a couple of episodes this past year. I don't like getting jealous. I don't know what I'd do if Rob actually cheated, he isn't that way at all, so it's hard to imagine. I know couples can get past it; don't know if I would. Hope I never have to deal with that situation!

So New York, heaven, shopping heaven. New York is such a huge city, and there has to be tons of flights going there.. which makes them cheaper.. not only that, I can even fly from the USA (brother lives in Seattle), so I could get there. Can you imagine? Oh New York.. I'd have to go to a club, just to say I went. I secretly want to live there...maybe if I become a famous plus size model I will!

Yeah, NY is a hub for flights going everywhere. There's Newark, La Guardia and (my personal favorite) JFK. So, when you're looking for a flight you can check out all three airports. They're all about the same distance. Lots to do and see here. I haven't gone dancing in years, and I mean YEARS :lol:

We're going away for the weekend after next and I'm a little worried about that food and exercise wise. I'm not "firmly" into the 60s yet and would love to be further down so that there's not a chance of popping back up into the 70s. It's all psychological. I know we'll do a lot of walking, but I may end up missing a day of gym. Hard to believe I won't be eating over since we'll probably eat most of our meals out. Restaurants usually are my weak spot.

I drink about 70 to 80 oz of water/day. I can try to up it a little (gurgle, gurgle!). I'd do the no eating after 8pm. I have a yogurt snack with a glass of milk at 7:30pm.

Well, gotta put my nose to the grindstone.

Quiet morning so far, eh?

Jill - Sleeping in is fun, since I got this new job, I get to sleep in all the time. Probably not for long though, I gotta think about a new job. There is this course/test I can take which would make it so I could be an insurance agent (it's gov regulated here, so you gotta take a test and be certified), once I take the test I can make a min of 12 dollars an hour. Which is a lot better than working my min wage job until I decide what I wanna do with my life.. Those tips have to be nice, I think I'd get into being a waitress just for those tips. Extra money :) There is a shoe store here that does commission, you get 12% of every shoe you sell.. and they cost a min of 100 bucks each. Not too bad if you actually sell..

Marge - I like the idea of Dr Phil's key's too... I know I have issues.. they scare me though. I don't reallllly want to deal with them, it's like facing the fact that my childhood is partly responsible for how I am today. And I love my mom. It's hard. But it'll all be solved by going to New York!! :) I want to go ice skating like in the movies, and see the tree.. and meet Carrie Bradshaw.. and Mr Big, cuz he's so cute. lol, I am CRAZY :) I think you will be fine on your weekend away.. just eat lots of salads, the Canadian Marge says YOU can DO it!! :)

Well I am off to do some bathingsuit shopping, only because I will get 50% off. And if I wait longer they will be sold out.. My friend says she'll taken it in for me when I shrink. WHEN I shrink.. not if..

Jill - tomorrow is our weigh in day! Keep your skinny fingers crossed for me, and I'll keep mind crossed for you! Deal? DEAL! :)

-Aimee

Hi gals!!! Whew...u all wear me out, lol...I agree with the veggies in the pasta sauce too, and really you should get that crockpot working and make your own frozen dinners, much better for you, less sodium etc...As far as the eating late thing goes, DH read recently, that it is a complete myth that no eating after 7 pm thing...AS LONG as you have NOT consumed all of your caloric intake for the day, AND have done your work-out for the day, then it is fine to eat late if you have no choice. AS far as water goes..I read this somewhere, and a nurse told me it too...for obese and overweight people, you need to consume 8, 8 oz glasses of water, and add in another 8 oz of water for every 25 pounds of weight you have to lose...I normally, on average consume 100 oz of water every day, sometimes more...sometimes less, but on average 100 oz each day...and no soda, only on occassion. I do have a thing for raspberry or lemon iced tea. But only 1 a day...and my coffee...
Woke up with a huge sinus headache this morning...Did not make it to the gym...will go Sat. to make up for that. And, have had 3 sals this week, which is a good thing, woo-hoo...One off my ebay, and 2 off my site today...Will post the link to my craft sale below...
went to get some flowers today, a huge, gorgeous hanging basket full of hot pink dbl impatiens, ( love them, as they need to be deadheaded I just shake the basket and off the dead heads fall...so simple)...some Million bells for a planter I set in a small bicycle, and some New Guinea impatiens for an area in the front of my porch...Almost set with flowers but not planting them til the last of the frost...Anyhoo, ladies, am off, got lots to do b4 bed...

www.ezcraftshow.com

look in the Primitives category and find me there "Primitive Punkin Patch"

I had a bad sinus headache today, too, maybe a mild migraine on top of it. Not sure if it's weather, allergies, or rebound from yesterday's bathroom cleaning chemicals (or maybe a little of each). No YMCA for me.

I took the generic of Advil Sinus, finally, but sleeping with my nose partially covered by my shirt helped some. I don what I've come to call my "sinus burka" - covering my nose with something so I breathe the warmed air -- when my head's bad, for the room temp air feels like daggers going in my nose with every breath.

I wasn't taking anything with pseudoephedrine because it raises blood pressure, but I finally just had to get some relief from the pressure. My BP was 128/86 at the YMCA's open house Sunday, so it was better and I'm just going to wait until Friday to get it taken again at the doctor's.

awww sorry to hear that Kimberley..I have a problemwith Air conditioning and my sinuses...Funny I never had sinus problems when I lived in OH. Now I have them a lot, started after I moved here, must be the higher altitude for me, and my DH loves the Central Air..I get bad ones when we have the air on in the truck or car sometimes. Our neighbor is a Pharmaceutical Sales rep, he says it is the natural air that makes my sinuses go nuts, but, to me, when the Air cond is on, is when I get the most sinus headaches, when I am out in the fresh air, I don't get so many...I am clueless..I am getting my new car soon, we go to show the mngr who happens to know my husband our Matrix, and he is getting me a Navy Blue Toyota SE from somewhere else, so in a cpl of weeks, I will have it, WOO-HOO! Okay am outta here, HAGN!

I just had a pretty horrible day.. woke up.. waited for the phone company.. called them, they hung up on me, got transfered SO many times, yelled, talked calmly, and still ended up getting no where. The guy showed up at 1:30pm! An hour and a half late, and has NO solution, can't figure out whats going on. What I suspect is the guy upstairs was fiddling around and crossed some wires.. but of course he never does anythign wrong. Even though before our internet wouldn't work because of the way he crossed some wires. Stupid people. So anyways, my "friend" came to pick me up to take me to look at some bathingsuits.. that went... well? I dunno, we went to one store, and then she spent 2.5 hours in a store picking out 3 shirts and 1 pair of pants. I got home an hour and a half late, and the bf said if I was later than 6pm he wouldn't take me to my fav walking spot. So no walk for me, not only that, I can't go to the little fruit stand I want to.. because it closed at 6 as well. Ugh. Stupid girl. So she was "taking me home", but had to stop at the bank.. of course... and then she turns, but didn't look. A car was literally 1 foot away from hitting me, at a fairly high speed too. This happened 2 times on the way home... remind me WHY I ever hang out with her?!?!? I am so cranky and upset right now, my next chance to go to that fruit stand is Monday. They are just cheaper, and their stuff is fresh. Sorry, I'm venting.. I should probably go for a little walk around here to cool off before I go stalk her and hurt her.

-Aimee