Happy 2006 to all. Today is the last day of the holidays for a while. December and January are hard months for weight loss here. Not only is there Xmas and New years but my oldest's birthday is Dec 18th, oldest son's is Jan 5th, 2nd son's is the 18th and 2nd daughter is the 21st (already mentioned mine is the 12th) Party down. I plan to try following the diet in a book called The Gold Coast Cure. It would be hard for me to go low carb as we are vegetarians. We already eat whole grains, grind our own flours and all that, so I figure this diet will be easier for us to incorporate. I want a diet that I can follow forever and is healthy. I also bought myself an early birthday present, my Mom always gives money for birthdays so I ordered the Turbo Jam dvds. I hope I like them. My daughter received Irish Dancing dvds for Xmas and that looks like a workout but she knows how to dance, I don't. I would like to find a way to make exercise more enjoyable. (is that possible!) I also plan to start yoga and meditating daily. I hope I can pull it off. Even though I am a stay at home person I still seem to always be so busy.

Thanks for all the nice welcomes.

SusanB, thanks for the nice comments. I do have some greens growing at the moment and plan to start more soon in outdoor cold frames. In time I hope to grow a nice size small garden in cold frames all winter long. The kids said I should warn you not to get me started on gardening, or I will never shut up! Heyyyyy! I guess gardening is my passion.

Cyndy, I understand the difficulties of a sick husband. Though our situation is different from your husbands, my husband too has disabilities. A little over two years ago he was in an accident at work. Another worker on a construction site forgot to put a loader in gear and my husband was walking in front of it when it suddenly hit him in the back of the knees and pinned him up against a truck. It was bad. He almost lost both legs but due to great drs he did not. He can walk now with a bad limp but he can no longer work or do many of the hobbies he use to enjoy. He is in pain all the time and I guess that is from severe nerve damage and is permanent. He found out very quickly how workman's comp is not for the worker and has yet to get on disability. He has had a really hard time accepting what has happened to him. Hopefully as time goes by he will adjust to finding new ways to enjoy his days. The last couple years though have been hard on the whole family.

Dee, I am very sorry to hear about your American Eskimo Dog. I use to have one when I was about 8 and I loved that dog so very much. I have always been an animal person. About 6 yrs ago our youngest wanted a Siberian Husky for Xmas. We got him two. Hank and Drover (both females! named after the Hank the Cowdog books) Now we have 10 Sibes and my son uses them for scootering, snowskating (similar to a small snowboard), and sledding. We love dogs here.

The wind is howling outside, though it is warm it will make working outside not very appealing. Good day to clean the house and prepare for school to resume tomorrow.
I hope everyone has a great day.
Candace

It's been 50+ years since we've had the parade with rain (1955) . . . Lot's of clouds and heavy rain scheduled, but currently only intermittent in Pasadena.

My family thinks I should have "outgrown" this, but I love to watch!

Have coffee mug in hand, trash at curb, dog's been out, big screen on & computer in lap -- what's not to love about starting a day like this? My POD (Plan Of the Day) includes parade, treadmill, booking next business trip, a bit of reading and writing, charging up the blackberry. I had turned it off because people feel absolutely NO restriction about calling while I'm on PTO (personal time off, if that's not an acronym you are familiar with).

Tomorrow, I'm back "on" -- and going full bore. The entire department fis flying in to California today and tomorrow and we're holding an "all hands" staff and training week; I coordinate these for our organization about once a quarter, rotating at various of our company's sites. By Sunday, I'll be on a plane to an Eastern state, then Thursday heading to Pacific Northwest, then Sunday (mid Jan) I'll be flying back home. The toughest time to follow plan for activity and food is (1) during events when meals are static for the group and (2) during travel. Since the training is based out of my "home" facility, however, I'm bringing my own food this week.

Got to go friends -- Parade is starting NOW!!!!

Hi All
What a great group. My husban, my dog and I went for a walk last night after dinner. I am starting back on my Gazelle ( I know Toney Little is a dork)
Well my power just went out and I dont know how long my battery will last.
KJK

Good evening,
I did my walk, only 1 but was one and a half as I did the two side streets too. first since surg. and made the hill good. Yes Debbie I had chinese on my bday and was up from the day before. but oh well today I weighed in at 188. was 190 day before and before that was 186 so guess it had to be chinese. lol
Dh is in some rotten mood, he isnt sleeping so hope he is dozing while watching tv. and hope he sleeps past 4 am. seems he is really worrying about a lot of things again. but then there are a few pressing things that he cant control so....
Went to the city to see about a wall unit thingy for the tv. and checked on mum and dad. they werent too bad so thats good.
well guess better go get some tea,I AM NOT eating after 7 pm so it is nearly 7. and after 8:30 no more drinks as I am up too many times to the bathroom.
HOpe you all had a great day. cya later

Hey All~

It was a very dreary and it rained here all day.

Just got done eating supper - great meal this evening, one of my favs - salmon, broccoli and salad. Simple but good. I drank a BIG glass of water before meal too, so I feel so extra full. I am trying not to eat past 7:00 either, just like fit4me. It seems to help me. I have been doing fitday too, and it says that I have been under calories everyday since Dec 27 but one...I was bad.

I FOUND the Firm tapes, took me quite a while, but I did finally find them. Took awhile to read through the info, there is a rotation to them, I guess with most tapes there would be - I think I am going to like them .. I have had people at my home again this afternoon, and daughters boyfriend is still here now, I will get to do a short version of one of the tapes after he goes. Sounds like an excuse, but it is the truth, I would feel funny getting down to exercise with everyone watching me. Was bad enough I fell the other day infront of two people - I was not only hurt, but embarassed.

Hi everyone - please don't wish for work to start tomorrow as that means my vacation is over, boo hoo.

Went to the gym today. One of my downfalls is gas station cappucinos, and I have decided that I have to do 45 minutes on the treadmill at the gym, to earn my cappucinos. I just know the gym is going to become horrible though when everyone puts their New Years Resolutions into effect. I hope I don't have to wait around too long for a treadmill.

Boo hoo, work tomorrow.

I went shopping today and bought the Walking off the Pounds dvd, I'm going to try one tomorrow before work. I also bought the Sonoma Diet book, and I'm going to start on Friday after I've read it through. Right now I am just trying to watch what I eat and get more exercise. I didn't get my walk in today because of the rain and cold wind.

Hi
Its a snowy day here in Mass. just did some shoveling hope that counts as exercise. I guess its time to take down my tree and decor that will take a few days. Fit4me I drank water all day to help with the chinese food i guess it helped scale was down a little in one day. Dee2121 I have also found an exercise tape of mine while I was hooking up my tivo. Richard Simmons, that guy has more energy a little nutty but helps a lot of people. Buddha Belly a cappuccino made with non fat milk is only 2 points in weight watchers which isn't bad at all and that a grande 16oz. Well i guess I but get started I also have a repair man coming to fix my stove. Its only one year old a the fan for the convection oven doesn't work and I only use i once.

Boy I better check my spelling before I reply must be sleepy

Debbie

Good morning all!!! Glad to see we all got some kind of exercise in. An seem to be some plans forming up great!!. So nice to have all this enthusiasm now lets hope we can boost each other through the yucky months of feb and mar. ( april here too but oh well) Candace that is too bad about dh, and I can uncerstand the no good for nothing that they feel but I can only help so much. Also I love to garden only learning but this garden we bought needs help as it was great but hasnt been cared for in a few years overgrown isnt the word. lol

It is nearly noon but I have had some energy and doing housework that I am able. I would say all but vacum and lift heavy stuff now. I will get out fo rone walk this afternoon and another later on.
I had a great GI breakfast and am doing great. I am so pleased. Now how do we get DH out of such a terrible grouchy mood. geesh.
so cold but sunny so out I go. cya later
Cindy

Good Morning~ALmost Afternoon -

Well, I tried to do one of the firm tapes, that's when I realized how old I was- and out of shape....I did do the 20 min warm up to the first tape, then rode my bike for about another 5 min...all and all I got in 25 min of exercise this morning! I will do the warm-up on that tape until it gets easy, then move on to the next part. I had extra resistance too - my weimeramer is only 6 months old, she kept thinking it was play time for her.

djm~ I too have a richard simmons tape, sweatin' to the oldies - not sure where it is though, I will have to find + drag that one out too.

fit4me~ I was in your country this August, only for a day, it was a beautiful place. I got to visit Peggy's Cove, loved it there.

My daughter and I took most of the decorations off the Christmas tree this morning too....just lights and tree remaining. Will leave that to hubby to take down later this evening.

Is anyone here signed up for the National Body Challenge 2006? You go to the discovery channel and do it there....I did the other day, they sent me an email with info for it, but I haven't had a chance to read it over. I saw where they were giving you meal plans, I think that might be something that would work for me.

Greetings, all!

Was able to jump in on my treadmill / weights routine this morning! Hope to continue on plan for meals; some goof brought a GIANT bag of candybar minis. I'm taking them to the meeting we're having so everyone else will eat them and they'll disappear rapidly!

Really BUSY today and have to run . . . but I wanted to check in! Have a great day.

I succumbed to the candy monster today. I ate 6 choclates at work! I'd been good all day and when it was 20 mins left in my shift I just about dived into the box. I'd better have some protein soon before my blood sugar crashes.

But all in all it's a good day today. I have to do some exercise yet but I will. See you all around.

hi all,
Susan dont you just hate when that happens. but hey good most of the day counts for something.
I walked once not twice cos my neighbour wanted company to drive to town with her and we dont do that often and also since dh was driving me nuts thought be a nice break. we got her chore done and then went to this really nice country store, sells upscale stuff but so nice to browse. i found a tv entertaniment unit but wow 1,000 almost as much as the tv. lol
ate well all day other than I had one cookie so am pleased with today.
cya later

I got up and did the 1 mile WATP dvd before work this morning, I was able to do it pretty easy, but I'm not going to pump it up until the end of the week, then I'll be used to getting up a little earlier, and will know that I won't get sore. I'm going to figure out how to get some more exercise in in the afternoon after work too. I also took a water bottle along to work and carried it around all day, got about 30 ounces or more in today so far.