Marie - Our neighbor had a huge husky that loved to escape and run up the hill on our property. If I didn't know him, I would have thought he was a giant wolf! That dog was huge - but totally soppy and harmless. He had a bad hip so he kind of galloped and wobbled at the same time but he was always happy with a big smile!

Judy - Thanks for the advice about the shin splints. I've been able to do some yard work this weekend, so I'm going to start back at Curves tomorrow. I'll take it a bit easy on the leg machines for a while. What a bummer that you have to bring work home. I work from home, so I have to be careful not to go too near my office on my time off or else I'd find stuff that needs doing and I'd be stuck in there all weekend!

Nikki congrats on the scale. I have been known to try to get off it then back on etc. Move it to another spot on the floor to make sure its even and right. Funny aren't we all. Sometimes it helps then other times not!
Marie isn't it fun taking the little ones in the pool. I love seeing them get introduced to a life time of fun and exercise. Its so good for them. Then they take nice long naps. Enjoy that baby they all growup to fast.
Judy hope you did well at your sale. We have one on saturday this week. Hope the weather is better for it. Sounds like your doing well keep it up.
Nikki your right just maintaining with the kids visit maybe a smart move. We are eating more stuff. I did manage to get in a long walk this weekend over rocks along the shoreline. The weather was a bit rainy but then straightened out just chiller than our normal at this time of year. Winter jackets on at some points all sitting around a warm campfire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. It was fun and brought back many memories of the past when my son was little. Love those kids! Today I have to go off to work I wish I had the time to spend home helping them build Aunt Sandy's room. I will pitch in later on though. They will be off today purchasing stuff. My hubby will be the lucky one to get more time with them. Oh well thats okay he deserves it as well. We are planning a trip to have dinner at the casino and gamble a bit one day. We will pick a rainy one maybe or later in the evening. They are only here til the 24th. Somethings we will do afterwards like painting, rugs, flooring. Thats stuff I can take care of myself. I need his expert advice and skills for the rest of the project. Remodeling is always fun! Dusty etc!!!!!!!!!!
Penny I FEEL YOUR SHIN SPLINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yuk! I have had them also. Lately my hips get sore. Maybe its old age I hope not. The kids always remark on what great shape I am in. Oh better keep my aches and pains to myself. Wouldn't want them to think I AM aging. Not me! No way!!!!!!!!!!!! I will try something to make myself better exercise is one of them. I hope to go walking this week sometime. Maybe a short walk today after a picnic. The state group home has a big picnic today. I am going to try to be good. No roll maybe a hamburger, salads etc. I will try my best to limit my intake.
Marie I think 1400 cals is great. If you watch what you eat that can be a lot of good healthy foods. I range between 1400 - 1500. Try not to go above that most of the time. It works well and you can have a nice balanced amount of food. I think your doing great your friend could be a bit jealous of your success! That happens to bad but its the truth. So good for you keep it up you deserve the loss its been lots of hard work. Now results are coming your way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HURRAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!
Talk to you all soon I am off to work still trying to catch up on things. Last week only worked 4 days these short weeks are killing my paperwork. I think I am going to bring some stuff home. Oh how I hate to do that. But sometimes it the only way to catch up.

Morning Ladies-

I hope you all had a nice weekend. I had a real fun weekend but had to little water and to much salt so I won't even look at a scale until tomorrow after I have a chance to drink a ton of water. I went on 2 real nice short hikes over the weekend. On Saturday I hiked about a mile and yesterday we did 2 miles. My legs are aching today I guess because the terrain is tougher then walking 2 miles on pavement or around the house.

Nikki

Good morning everyone. Well the next few days are supposed to be colder and not very nice. So I guess I'll mostly be indoors. But today, if DH gets up before the scattered thunderstorms roll in, we'll take the doggies out for a stroll. Since Kody was bad the other day, he'll be on a leash. And Blizzie hurt her foot the other day so maybe be they'll all be on a leash and we'll go around the block (the 3 mile one).

Yesterday I was in limbo about exercise. I wanted to swim but everytime there was a moment, it would drizzle and be cold. So I finally gave up on that. I couldn't take the pups out since Blizzie was still limping a bit. Rollerblading meant driving to town with is a half hour a way, so I decided to do Richard Simmon's Sweatin' to the Oldies 2. It was sort of fun. A nice change. Longer than I remembered. But, when I was done, the darn sun came out and warmed the temps to swimming temps. Murphy's Law or what???

Carol and penpal, I like what you said about maybe her being jealous. It never occcured to me that perhaps there was sabotage going on. The reason that she mentioned it is that I said I was hungry all the time. Which I guess ins't quite the case, just a lot of the time. She said I exercise so much that I need more cals. Maybe that's the case, but I don't think so. I searched the web yesterday and 1200 is still the bottom line so I think 1400 is probably okay with the exercise I do. Thanks so much for your input. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing. Once I feel a bit better about my weight, I'll probably increase it 200 cals and lose slower, but for now I want results (not that I saw much last Friday).

Carol, enjoy the time with your kids. They're staying pretty long, aren't they? Cool for you. I totally agree maintenance should be your goal till the June 24th, then you ge right back on board.

Nikki, I know what you mean about terrain adding more work to the walks. My walks around the block are hilly and much tougher than WATP but aren't as fast (making WATP a great aerobic exercise). Going hiking takes that even a step further since it's rocky, hilly and an uneven path. Then there's the rollerblading which has the last half as a slight incline and the wind is always head on. Most of the time I feel like I'm in horrible shape but I know it's just because each one is so different. Good luck on the weighin tomorrow. I'm going to join you on the weigh in since Friday was so disappointing.

penpal, I think all huskies just love people and are the sweetest animal on earth. Only mean people can make them mean. They look "scary" to some people but they're sweethearts by nature. I've never seen my doggies hunch up, lower the tail or growl at anyone. They love all people who come to visit, especially the UPS man. They think he's there to bring them a package. Good luck at Curves and take it easy on those shin splints.

Judy, hardly a slacker. You do Turbo Yuck. I'm very impressed with that. And you do curves. I'm just a very outdoors type of person so I find fun outside. BTW, leaving the work at the office is the right thing to do. Enjoy your weekends.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I'll be back later. I have the day off (my last one of the fiscal year (ends June 30th). Today the school board votes on my raise and change in my contract. So it could be a big day.
Marie

Hi everyone, Hope; your weekend was wonderful. Mine was really good. Cold here again, but warms up in the afternoon. We went to my GS baseball game Sat. morning and almost froze! I had taken a blanket to sit on and had to wrap it around my shoulders! My weight seems to have stabalized and is still the same. So, I guess this is the weight it wants to be and i'm ok with that. Now, maintaining this......

Marie, Don't hurt yourself batteling that scale! you know they win everytime anyway! Sounds like you had a wonderful time taking GS swimming.

Judy, hope your garae sale went well and you didn't do like I do!! End up buying more stuff than you sell.

Penpal, Shin splints are the pits! Just got over them too. Our rehab Dr. at work showed me simple stretching exercises to do and said that would prevent them.

Niki, hope you're doing well!

Go make it a good day, Freda

Sometimes all you can do is laugh...I had an early meeting at another office this morning, and this is the start of a long and busy week, so I made a big point of getting organized last night and meditating this morning. So what happened? I got so relaxed meditating that I fell asleep and was nearly half an hour late to my meeting

Penpal--When I was a consultant, I worked from home (when I wasn't on the road), and I loved it! But it was hard to separate out my work life, and I missed the steady paycheck and benefits.

Carol, good luck at the picnic. You are dong so well at making good choices while traveling, campling, etc., a picnic oughta be a breeze!

Nikki, good luck washing away the salt! I've heard that food high in potassium, like carrots and bananas, help.

Marie, re the metabolism question: yeah, your friend might have issues, but she might have a point, too. Everybody's body responds differently. The Curves people go on at some length about deliberately adjusting your intake up, then down again, then up a little, to shift your metabolism and not get stuck in a plateau. Whatever, everyone has a different answer, you have to go with what feels healthy for you.

Freda, the yard sale was okay. I didn't have much to sell, mostly books, but I made about $30 between 8-noon. I'd forgotten about my tote bag collection, though. I accumulate them somehow, at conferences and the like. I managed not to buy anything, because I'd already decided to buy a mini-DVD player so that I can take workout videos with me when I travel. No excuses! I hope that we have a sale in the fall. Maybe I can unload some of my Xmas decorations. Now that I'm single again, I don't bother getting a tree, cuz I leave town for the holiday. I didn't think folks would go for Xmas stuff right now, but maybe in the fall they will be interested.

Okay, gotta go drink some water, like Nikki--I just ate a bag of popcorn...

judy

Nikki it sure does make a diffference where we walk. Sometimes we burn up more cals. and work different muscles. It sure is good to try different places. Good work!
Freda the wether here hasn't been great so I feel your pain. We went camping last week and I think the kids were thinking we left Hawaii for this. But they were good sports and had fun. After all my daughter in law is from Colorado orginally. They will head back there in a year or two. I like that area to and its closer.
Judy way to go relaxing hah hah! Keep up your good work and thanks for your words of wisdom they are always welcomed.
Marie some people think we should go up in cals. one day and a little lower the next? I guess it tricks our metabolism. Its called Dee's diet I think. At any rate your doing good. See when I have 1400 cals or around there I don't really feel hungry. Maybe you should try an apple or pear before or after working out. They have fiber and that tends to make us fell fuller. I have to say when I exercise I do feel much more hunger than normal. I have been hiking this past weekend and did gardening last night. Trying to stay ahead of my veggie and flower beds not an easy task. My daughter inlaw commented on don't you ever run out of energy. Well I do if I sit down its all over quickly if I stay moving things get accomplished. So few cals burned last night. I planted a few more plants. Now we have some hot peppers, sweet peppers and cukes too along with all the rest. Hopefully it all does well. The kids have been busy starting the extra rooms. They redesigned the plans and it will be easier and more space. I think it will be really nice when its done. They are both so talented we are so lucky and the hubby has been busy helping too. He loves seeing his son and spending time with him . They all went out for lunch yesterday at the Olive Garden. Well I am trying to stay on track its tough. I did well at the picnic yesterday and knowing I was going drank a yogurt shake for breakfast. Boy they help keep you filled at a 100 cals. not bad. Have a great day everyone hope I didn't leave anyone out.

cacmsc- You sound like you are doing great. Are those yogurt drinks any good? I eat yogurt for breakfast maybe I should switch it up with the drink. I think that the terrain defintly affects us more then the actual miles. I was so glad we found the woods. It is going to be our spot and we are going to work up to 3-4 mile hikes. It is so nice to have someone to exercise with.

I am waiting a little while before I weigh in but then I will let you all know how much damage was done over the weekend. My ticker won't change though since Fri is my official day.

Nikki

Ok so I weighed in and I am at 159.8 that is a 2lb increase since Friday. I am slightly concerned but not much. I know I can get back down by Friday. I just wish I did not have these bounce backs they stall me in the beggining of the week. I have to figure out what to do to kick them. Friday nght I had soup and salad. Saturday I had 1/2 a wrap and 1/2 a quesidila. I really don't think that was alot since it was all I ate all day. Sunday I blew it I had an egg mcmuffin and chicken from KFC for dinner that is full of salt and fat. Oh well, Marie I hope you do better then me. As I said since this is unofficial I wont change my ticker. I have to say it kinda feels god to gain and still be in the 150's I can't wait to see 155.

Nikki

Hi Everyone, It's a lovely, cool day here in Michigan. One day we have the heat on, next day the furnace! I guess that's typical weather for us this time of year. I took my GS to school this morning (last day of the school year) and went on the the mall and got my walking in. Did my lifting yesterday so i'm doing ok.

Judy, WOW, can you meditate!! I've never quite got the hang of it. I just can't clear my head enough! What a good goal, to get a portable player so that you can do your exercises where you go! Something to look forward to. And you'd be surprised, people buy Christmas decorations all year long!

Marie, You just have to do what you think is best for you. I think it's trial and error untill you get it right. But 1400 calories sounds good. You could probally go up a little bit. But no lower than 1200, so you're doing well. And you exercise great! I love all dogs and I agree, they're so often what we make them. My son has a rotweiler that is the biggest baby ever. He was lap trained and still thinks he should be able to sit on your lap!

cacsmc, Sounds like you are having so much fun with the kids there! Enjoy every second! And I agree that walking in different places uses different muscles. Even on the treadmill I try to change the sped and elevation from time to time. Makes a difference. I wish I had more room for a bigger garden! That's good exercise too, very hard work!

Nikki, it is so much more fun to walk with someone! You start talking and don't even realzie how far you've gone!

Take care, Freda

Freda, I'm just learning how to meditate. If you listen to CDs, it's not so hard, after a little practice. I was doing it almost every day earlier this eyar, then fell out of it, and it feels good to take it up again. It makes me feel so much more centered all day, and more in control of everything. I just got a hypnotherapy CD for weight loss, and while it's almost the opposite of meditation, it has the same affect of helping me stay calm and thoughtful. It just takes 15-20 minutes and is like taking a little tiny vacation.....

Nikki, unless you ate a whole chicken, I don't think you can blame 2 pounds on one meal. You're eating so little most of the time, I think your fat cells are in a life-and-death struggle for survival, and hanging onto every little slip for dear life. You're winning the fight

Carol, it sounds like you're having a lovely time with the family. I hadn't realized that your son might be moving stateside again in a few years. That must be a relief!

I did yoga this morning but I didn't do my walk. My ankles are a bit sore, I haven't been so good about stretching. I don't want sore ankles or shin splints, so I pulled out my book of stretches and will cut back on the long walks until next week. My eating has been on program the last few days, except there's a tin of mixed nuts at the office, and I've eaten more of them than I shoud. My favorite new discovery: Klondike Bars Slim-A-Bear. I don't buy diet desserts, they frustrate me and make me crave the real thing, but I had a dollar-off coupon, and they were buy-one-get-one-free at the grocery store. They'll be good treats--on days that I don't eat too many nuts

Judy - I hope the meditation and hypnosis work for you. I tried hypnosis once (with a hypnotherapist) but it didn't work for me. I do like meditation and especially enjoy listening to 'sounds of nature' dvd's - my favorites are a thunderstorm and ocean sounds at bedtime. I find them very relaxing when I'm stressed.

cacmsc - Sounds like quite a remodelling project you've got there. A lot of work, but worth it when it's done. Roasting marshmallows and hotdogs brings back memories for me too. Sometimes it's the simple things that mean a lot. I love yogurt shakes too. I sometimes put yogurt in my morning breakfast shake and it keeps me going till lunch without getting hungry.

Marie - I hope your contract renewal, etc. went well.

Nikki - Don't worry about the temporary gain - you're doing all the right things, so the 2 lbs. should come off soon.

Freda - I know what you mean about having the furnace on at this time of the year. One day it's 80 deg. and the next in the mid 50's! Walking at the mall when the weather is lousy is fun and you can window-shop at the same time!

I went to Curves yesterday, so I'm gradually getting back to my exercise routine. The shin splints seem to be getting better, but I'm being a bit cautious because I sure don't want them back again! We're looking forward to DS's college graduation next weekend. He's starting work next Monday with an engineering company in Portland. His job is only 12 mins. commute from his apartment, so that's great - especially with the price of gas these days!

Judy - I feel like my body is figting me on this it does not seem to want to go below 157. When I get there I gain. I am hoping to break it this week or next.

Penny- I am so glad you were able to get back to curves,

Freda - It is amazing how lost you can get in conversation. This weekend I will ask my boyfriend to take a walk with me after dinner. I am sure I can go father with company !

Marie - I hope you are having a good day.


Speak in the Am ,
Nikki

Hi everyone, I had to laugh. Nikki wrote that she was hoping I was having a good day. Not even close. I hate Tuesday's and today was really yucky. But now I'm home, listening to my doggies play and I'm playing on the computer. The day is looking up. I just love all of you guys. You cheered me up, except Nikki's temporary weight gain.

My unofficial Tuesday weighin was good but I won't count anything until Friday. I got up at the crack of dawn (actually a little before that) and exercised. I should exercise again just because it de-stresses me and I could use that. But alas, I don't want to.

I have to find something for dinner. I was going to make dinner for DS and me, but he ate at McDonald's on his way home. It was a dinner that both of us love, but his GF and my DH don't. So I thought since we were the only ones home, it would be a perfect time. Apparently I should have told him.

No word on what the board did last night so I don't know what's up with my contract. I'll let you know when I know.

Freda, our weather is icky. Not too icky, but very windy and chilly (high of 65). I want my hot, desert summer to arrive. It's sort of maddening when you pour chemicals in the pool week after week without being able to swim (although I did get in with DGS on Friday).

Penpal, I'm glad that Curves went okay and the shin splints are easing. It's too bad that you have problems with altitude. I would have loved meeting you before your DS graduation. That would have been awesome.

Nikki, I know what you mean about the body fighting weight loss. If we stick with it and NEVER give up, we will win. Judy did make me laugh with the idea of eating the whole chicken.

Judy, I always thought that meditation would be cool. I did a little in graduate school but never really got good at it. My mind likes to fly about, flitting over every subject imaginable. Judy, I bought the one mile Yoga Walk WATP DVD and was thinking of doing it tonight, just to unwind. I'm just not very flexible. Oh, and I saw on Regis yesterday a DVD called Yoga in Bed, they were showing easy yoga moves that you could do in bed. If I had a normal bed, I think I'd order it. But sitting on a waterbed is nearly impossible. Also, Judy, the Slim A Bears are great. There a really good treat.

Darol, once, many years ago, I lost 40 pounds by having one cheat day a week. And I really cheated. But then last year, I read that varying the cals didn't help the metabolism, that it was a myth. And that having a cheat day was ridiculous since all calories add up. So now I'm an angel (at least I am now) and stick to the plan 24/7. It was a bad article... I liked the cheat day but it does make mathematical sense.

Okay, that's about it. Time to scavenge for dinner for one. Talk to you tomorrow evening.

I've been doing better w/working out.. My last dance class is thurs but I want to work out a lot b4 i leave