theresa, Allie's costume reminded me of this so I thought I'd share: when my daughter was 2-3 years old she was really into Barney so we picked up a BabyBop costume on clearance after Halloween. BabyBop sort of became her alter ego and anytime she was pouting or whatever we would ask her if she wanted to be BabyBob and she would always tearfully nod her head. So I have all these pics of her dressed as a green and purple dinosaur all tear-stained and pouty. She was BabyBop at the grocery store and all other sorts of errands and it was even funnier b/c she wouldn't go anywhere without her Easter Pig (that's a whole other story). So dang cute. I got all kinds of looks from other people but of course any mother we ran into would totally interact with her and complement her costume "You are being very good for a dinosaur!". I love that stuff. We never had any money for the cutesy kids' clothes anyway so I just let my kid wear whatever she wanted as long as it matched the weather--although a few times we had to put on long johns under BabyBop and then boots and a coat--the little tail stuck out of the back!

awww melra i bet she was so cute! Allie has a princess costume from last year that is now in her dress up box and she likes it more than all the other stuff in there. She is now saying she wants to be a care bear, though at first she said bears stink and now she wants to be one. She also mentioned a dragon (Dragon Tales), so I'm just gonna take her and let her look. I'm sure once she sees all the options she'll pick something totally different. This is the first year she is old enough to care what she wears so it's fun.

I made a mistake, her eye appt. isn't until tomorrow so today is just the grocery store. The doc is in Shelby where all the stores are, so shopping for the costume will have to wait. I'm relieved because all that running with the kids in one day would be ****.

I blew the diet last night, so have to be strict today because WI is tomorrow. It's looking like I'll maintain AGAIN. I have to get on the ball or I won't make my Thanksgiving goal, which will throw off the goal to be under 200 by my birthday in Feb. I have to refocus on those goals.

Allie woke up today soaked in pee...this will make the second night time accident since she was trained over a year ago, so it was a big big surprise. I had to give her a bath and even her hair was soaked in it, which meant I had to wash it and get out the hair dryer since it's chilly out there now in AM. That put us running late, so I got hubby out of bed and made him drive her...to cut out time on me getting myself dressed, we were that late. I also made him go get diapers because I ran out last night and all the stores in our town were closed. Of course, when I only had one left he had to poop in it :p

Anyway, the day feels rushed and I"m going to sit back with Tyler, hold him and try to slow it down some.

Theresa

i ended up doing okay on diet yesterday--not great but better than I have been. I haven't done much strength training at all this week and it's just going to have to wait until Monday. Today's our anniversary so for lunch I'm going to the restaurant my husband bartends and I will have a salad.

I forgot to mention that even though i haven't lost any weight in a month now, the new swimsuit I bought yesterday was a size10, which surprised me. I never would have picked it out for myself but the gals that worked there fitted me.

Way too cute Melra!

Thanks too to sandisuze-next time I have an apple on the menu I am going to bake it. It just sounds like a delicious treat!

Theresa remember that determined young woman last week and reread your resolves! Plan the night before what your menu is going to be for the next day. I have found that tool immensly helpful. I get hungry, I go look at what my meal is and act accordingly and I know exactly how many points I have.

I know the bike is working cause when I got on it this morning, my butt hurt (what little I have) and my legs were a bit sore too. Right now I am just getting on it a few times a day but already by my last session, I was able to go longer. It sure took a load off now that I have something I can use to get some excersize. I was feeling bad because I never was able to get out there and get some walking in and it is such a pain to load the kids up and washington rains so much too. Now if I have a few minutes, I just hop on the bike and make sure the blind is closed-I just don't want to subject my neighbors that side show. Seeing those pictures of myself last night really bothered me and really come **** or high water, I am never going to look like that again. I should put one of them on my fridge if I am tempted to eat more than I need. It is absolutely repulsive.

I forgot milk while I was out yesterday and I ran out of stickies for the pictures so it is another outing today! Plus if the weather holds, I really need to get to the market and buy those apples. I was going to make some breakfast cookies and realized I am out of applesause. Didn't buy any because I was going to make my own. I am going to cook up a pumpkin too. Between josh's chocolate pumpkin muffins ect, I am buying alot of it lately and I get alot more miles out just making my own there too. Plus it keeps me busy. All this energy is new to me and now I just don't know what to do with myself half the time.

Everyone have a great OP day!
Melissa

Melissa you have lost so much! How wonderful! You'll break into the One-derland soon! And, if you really have so much energy, I can send some projects your way to keep you busy!

Right now I would take them. It is like night and day for me. I used to always be behind in the housework and it would look like a tornado had struck. Now I usually have my chores done by 11a, get the girls their lunch and then think ok, now what? Boredom is a huge trigger for me to eat along with stress. Working on those pictures yesterday was the fastest two hours I have spent in awhile and there are still alot to do for them. I got some wallies for the kitchen and bathroom too. They are like wallpaper but easy to remove. Fish for the bathroom and sunflowers for the kitchen. So I will have some projects for awhile now. When support gets here, I am getting shelf liner and going to clean out all the cupboards, murphy oil soap them and put in paper. That will take me a bit LOL. Well I need to dress the kids and go on a milk run. I hadn't realized how low I was yesterday and since Josh has no school tomorrow, better to do it today instead of dragging all three with me.
Melissa

I am off to chicago. We had a dog crisis this morning. The kennel where I always board him closed suddenly, and we found out when we went there at 9:00. We had to find another quickly. Luckily our vet boards so he will go there. (a friend stays at the house but he is afraid of the dog) It's always hard to leave.
I will stay OP all weekend, no matter what. I will not fall into my old awful way of thinking that if I am eating out, I can eat anything on the menu that looks good.
See you all on Sunday. I hope everyone has a good weekend and sticks to her goals cause we are so terrific together.
Laura

Melissa, you can come clean my house :D There's always something that needs done here, no matter how hard I work. My son is the best mess-maker around, you can have him a couple hours and he'll give you lots to do :lol: Right now Allie is trying to teach him to play tea party and he just doesn't get why he can't bang the little cups on the floor and smash them together like he wrecks his cars...I think she'll give up on him soon.

I was over 1300 calories after lunch today :eek: because I dressed my chicken up in a casserole with cream of chicken soup (not easy on calories) and then topped it off with a brownie :nono: When will I stop doing this? I was telling myself no but went on with it anyway. I need to refocus and none of my usual ways of doing that are working. I would normally quit by now, so you guys are really keeping me going. I am past the "I WANNA QUIT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE" stage, and onto the "ho hum, I wont lose again anyway so why not enjoy myself some." Then I feel horrible and want to kick myself. I haven't gained anything, but this lose a few, sit still awhile is frustrating.

KAYELLE....how did you just resolve to do it and drop everything? You lost so fast, I must be missing a link that makes it go smoothly??? How do you get going, i'm finding it so hard.

Theresa

congrats on the great new swimsuit melra! that babybop costume sounds adorable!
laura, don't worry about staying op during your trip. hopefully you will so busy you won't have time to think of any unhealthy food.
yesterday was good calorie-wise. today i hope will be even better, so i hope i have good news on the scale-front today, if it's even working :mad:

o.k. ladies – I have not checked in for a WEEK!!
Hopefully, I haven;t missed anyone here!! ANd hope my replies to you all aren't too old. :^:
Theresa – Glad to hear you and hubby are doing better. You must do this for you and if he can’t support you in it…. Well he needs an attitude adjustment!
Don’t stress about the lb, if your pants are feeling loser, than that is what counts!! Your toning it up Girl!!!
Caldwell - great job on the loss!!
Melissa – I hope you get your support $$$ soon – the loser!!! Congrats on the 2 lb loss!!
Fancy – try not to stress about moving – it will all fall into place for you!!!
Sweatpeaches – great job on the 3 lb loss!!!!
LauraB – great job at dinner with your friends! You deserve the pie! Enjoy your Trip!
Misty – congrats on the dress pants and the 3 lb loss!!
Kayelle- congrats to you also on the 2 lb loss to add to the rest! You are an inspiration to us all!
Ice – hopes things are better for you, you can do it!!
Melra – I have been feeling the same way lately about eating, but I am not beating myself up about it – I am going to get back on track and get out of this plateau (weight-wise) that I am in. Just keep thinking good thoughts!!

It is so great to hear everyone is LOSING!!!! :bravo:

I will update my ticker for excercise as best I can recall for the past week!
Missed you all - glad I'm back!

Melissa- I second Theresa's invite- you can come help me anytime!

The baked apples are yummy- I am on an apple and pumpkin kick - they are affordable at least although peaches are still 1.29 a pound for now. Grapes are cheap too but dangerous for me as I can't stop eating them when I start. I even made a really good chicken and apple recipe tonight for dinner and everyone inhaled it like it was the best meal they ever had.
I made the pumpkin - angel food cake muffins tonight . 3 months ago my family would have turned up noses at a lot of the foods I buy and prepare - now they will eat most of it.. Not all but most.

I had a WW smart ones for lunch today- I used to eat all those meals like crazy- but today it was ugh- I haven't had one in a while and it was "gloppy"-I think my taste buds are not used to sugar and salt and gloppy :lol: any more- I won't be buying anymore of them -. I used to drive by BK or McD's and be desperate to grab a burger or fries- But now they just smell greasy when i drive by. though driving by a subway I get all stomach turning and want to drool when they are baking bread- I get told eat at Subway as they have healthy food and Arrgh the bread will do me in- That is something I can't eat is the bread.
Melra- I had to laugh at the baby bop story- it was a princess dress for my little one- and last year she sweet talked my friend who can sew into making her an angel costume for Christmas so she could be an angel. She wore the costume and halo all over walmart- grocery store...etc.. of course when she is told aren't you a sweet angel she goes "yes I am,That's so nice of you to say that, thank you very much." of course this is the child who goes thru the stores asking everyone if they are having a good day-

Theresa You are such a great motivator- and look how much you have lost- and all the things you listed--You keep going girl :cheer: and don't give up!
Candace good luck on weigh in-

I am really getting annoyed at all this PMS and TOM struggles I am having- I know it's because I am getting older, and the body is changing :blah: but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Everyone have a great night and :thanks:

We just got back from the farmers market-if I had known this one was so small, I would have just bought more when I went before and it was in Everett. The guy was very nice though. Josh ate his dehydrated apple samples and spilled all his toothpicks and odessa stole his plate of pluots and he kept smiling! Josh loved the apples and mom has a dehydrator so I am going to make some for him. They were 5 bux for a small bag there. Josh bought 3 bags of kettle corn and he took one to my Dad for being a great grandpa and odessa already dumped one all over the carpet and Amanda is making angels in it. Love kids! It is hard to stay away from that popcorn-kettle corn is like my absolute favorite but I have determined I am not eating it. Nothing is worth staying fat over. So tomorrow I will be making applesauce and my SIL is supposed to be here sometime tomorrow too to see about the divorce and see the girls too.

Hurry back Laura-we will miss you.

Glad to see you stilltrying too. I don't know how you work the long hours you do!

Sandisuze I think we are in the same age bracket and I know what you mean. I feel like a rollercoaster half the time and then I miss a month or I got the achies crampies for two weeks before I start. I just want the whole mess to be done with. I figure I have more than put in my time for pities sake. I can't stomach very many tv dinners anymore either. They just don't seem filling enough for me or they are gooey, rubbery or wind up with cold spots.

I made a buttermilk chicken tonight and it was delicious. 6pts for it but man I felt like I was eating something naughty. Odessa ate two drumsticks herself. I messed up on the directions but my way was easier anyway. Well I need to hose down the kids, mop the kitchen and clean up all this popcorn too. Amanda is covered in it now. Ugh
Melissa

I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!

I finished milestone 5...FINALLY! Now I just have to finish 6 by halloween night, 60 miles which will be no problem. That's only like 3 or 4 miles a day and I do more than that most days.

I'm nervous about WI tomorrow AM because I just really want to lose. Even just one pound will thrill me to no end right now!

Okay ladies, cough up the recipes! I'm talking the apple chicken and the buttermilk chicken...what do i need and how do ya do it? I am anything but a cook and am trying to learn more recipes as I go, so please share.

Theresa

Hi all! Sounds like everybody is doing well!! For those of you that have gone over on calories lately...don't worry about it...just put it behind you and do better the next day, and then be proud of yourself for not letting it turn in to a weeks long binge.

Congrats on the size 10 swim suit, melra!! And to everybody else who has had any victory recently!

Theresa to answer your question....well I guess I don't really know how to answer that one. It's like something just clicked for me. Like I said, I started slowly, wearing a pedometer and making sure I got at least 10,000 steps per day and eating at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies every day. That was pretty easy and I was losing so it gave me the motivation to start cutting the bad things out of my diet and replacing with good things. It's hard at first but you do eventually lose your cravings for your trigger foods. It does seem like I lost it pretty quickly, but believe me, at the time I thought it was coming off so slow. Generally I'd lose 2 - 3 per week but sometimes I'd lose a little more and sometimes I'd go over 3 weeks w/no loss at all. There were a lot of frustrating times but I was losing enough to keep me motivated and to eat better and exercise more all the time. Also...it did make it easier for me that my kids are older and I can go for a walk or a jog or whatever whenever I want to and don't have to worry about my kids. That's an extra responsibility that a lot of you have right now and you are all doing a great job of sticking with your plans while taking care of little ones. Also...I just kept reminding myself of all the reasons why I wanted to get fit. Every excuse I came up with why I couldn't just seemed so lame because there really was no good reason to stay unhealthy, so I just forced myself to stay away from that bad stuff no matter how bad I wanted it.

I got my school pictures back today (employees have to get them, too) and I actually like them! It's the first time that's EVER happened. Even when I was a student I always hated my school pictures. As an employee I dread picture day every single year...and I finally have some good ones! I was even having an OK hair day that day! I walked into the office and one of the secretaries said..."your pictures came in and you have to see them, they're beautiful!" Really made my day. She is a really sweet person and most likely said the same thing to me last year, but it still made my day.

You are all such an awesome group of ladies and you all have so much determination. I know it won't be that long and we'll all be celebrating meeting our goals!

Buttermilk Battered oven-fried chicken
1 1/2t paprika
1t salt
1/2t pepper
1/2t garlic powder
1/2c flour
41 crushed saltine crackers
1/2c lowfat buttermilk
3 6oz skinned bone in chicken breasts
3 5oz skinned chicken thighs
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425 degress
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Place flour in a large heavy-duty zip top plastic bag; add 1 1/2t paprika mixture. Toss until thoroughly combined. Place cracker crumbs in a shallow dish; add remaining paprika mixture. Stir until well blended. Pour buttermilk in a small bowl.
3. Add chicken, 2 pieces at a time, to flour mixture; seal bag and shake to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag; dip in buttermilk. Dredge chicken in crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat proceedure with remaining chicken and flour mixture.
4. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 23 to 25 minutes or until chicken is done. 6 servings.
points 6
calories 280

Ok what I did-LOL I mixed the crackers and flour ect all together and dipped the chicken in buttermilk and then dredged the chicken. I would also use foil on the pan cause the spray doesn't cut it for easy cleanup. I also did 2 chicken breast and then about 6 chicken legs instead since the kids prefer that part of the chicken. The kids loved it and I thought it was really good too.
Melissa