Judy, the snow at Crater this time of year is normal - at my house it's still a bit unusual. The pool dropped from 72 to 63 degrees during the return of winter days. But it's upt to 70 again. Thank heaven for the solar panels. I'm hoping for a swim tomorrow. I'm also thinking of buying a wetsuit so I can swim earlier in the spring and later in the fall. I do love that pool :)
Marie

Ooo la la!!!! I just bought an aquaskin full suit for swimming in the cold waters. I chose the winter weight for temps in the 50's. I'm so excited. They also had a pretty fitness swimsuit for cheap and ultraswim shampoo and conditioners so perhaps my hair won't turn green this summer. Ah, I wish my suit was here - I'd dive in right now. But I did choose 2 day air. :)
Marie

Carol - I hope you had a lovely time at the shower, I'm sure it was a big success as you are a great hostess. By now you're probably having that wine by candlelight! ;)

Marie - Yes, I do need to shake up the exercise a bit. I have been doing tons of yard work and I'm doing an hour of yoga a week. I still need to do some more aerobic exercise though. Like it or not, I'm going to have to start walking again! Hopefully my foot will cooperate. You are so lucky having a pool! Good idea to get a wetsuit for the cooler weather. Now you'll have a longer swimming season :swim:. Good thing you have solar - it must save you a bundle on heating! :sunny:

Judy - Oooo Margaritas - my favorite! We saw Cars some time ago - it's amazing how they did that animation! I think it was way too long. Little kids, who were the main audience for the movie, would probably get bored. Yep, I'm going to have to catch my fat cells off guard! More exercise would probably scare them off :lol:. I've switched to cottage cheese with fruit instead of my usual toast and egg for breakfast so that I can reduce my gluten. Maybe a few changes like that will help.

Nikki - I hope you had a good weekend and that your studies are going well :book2:.

We just got home from a fund raiser "Car Rally" put on by one of our chapters. It was tons of fun. Each group got a list of clues and we had to write down things along the way (kind of like a scavenger hunt). The route was a lovely hour and a half drive through the countryside which ended up at a clubhouse where a lavish tea was laid on for the hungry travelers. I "saved" some calories by having very little for lunch so I could enjoy some of the goodies. I actually managed to stay under 1600 cals for the day!

Marie congrats it sounds like it was a super purchase one you will use for a long time. Good idea to get the pretty suit to. Sometimes we wait and then go back to not beable to find one we like. Us fussy ladies yah know!
This weekend I managed to spend a few dollars on myself with a new skirt, 2 tops and a pair capris. Sometimes yah can't find anything. All that I can use for work etc. Of course all on sale at 45% off how could I not. $75.00 for all. And it was Liz wear. Fits nice but the skirt is a little big I am wondering if I should go try on the next size to see how it goes. I will leave the tags on and see I think. Cause if I lose what I want it will be to big in the waist. The shower went great on time with it all the food, presents and dessert and it ended right on schedule. Family and friends helped with the clean up and we were out of there by a little after 4. She got some beautiful gifts. And the future mother inlaw complimented me on the organizing and cooking etc. she was surprised I think of the spread. A lot of people requested my recipes for the Black bean chicken salad with the lime dressing. I made one with ck and one plain for the veggies. Oh never made enchilildas before but were they a hit. One kind with ck and corn one with refried beans cheese and jalopenos. Cut them in half to serve them. The whole wheat ones don't wrap well only crack oh! Had to switch over to reg. So now I have 16 shells to use up. Quesadias I think will be good with those. Now that is over the wedding is next one mile stone at a time. My daughter was so grateful and told me many times how great everything was. Not to brag but it did all work out quite well no problems at all. The girls decorated the hall and how great it looked all with Mexican flair. THe whole theme from invitation to the honeymoon was all based together. On the food front for me last night I was pretty good til I ate the carrot cake a small piece of choc. mouse cake. Oh naughty must of been the release of stress momment. At any rate today will be better cake is gone. I made a strawberry tart that was very good a Taste of Home recipe. Lots of ladies choose that over the bakery cakes a surprise to me and loved it. Real easy and the appearance is great as well that was my first time making many of these dishes talk about risk. But all was well and I am glad it went so well and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Today I will try to get back into the swing of things with my intake. I hurt my back yesterday bringing a heavy box into the house ouch this morning having troubles moving around much hope as the day goes on it eases up. I will have to use some extra perfume as the Ben Gay is stinky. Penny it was wine on the deck last night and bed by 8;30 beat! Penny you do sound very motivated good for you with all the efforts a pay off is due soon! Judy I will party with you my frienda little drink is sometimes in order not often but once in awhile its good for us to let our hair down.
Well off to work I go first I need to get some bills ready to pay yuk! Take care and keep us your good work together we will make our goals. I had compliments yesterday and it felt real good. That always gives us some reason to keep going after my little cake thrill last night it was stress relief and emotions for sure. But oh so good! Take care Nikki your graduation must be real soon? You have so much to be proud of work wise and health wise. Congrats to you!

Marie- Good job on your new suit. That will last you a long time.

Penny-Good job on staying on track with your calories.

Carol-Doesn't it feel nice to shop these days?


I had a nice weekend. I have been eating carbs and noticed I am very sluggish I cannot wait to go back on Atkins Wed. I bought a graduation dress this weekend. I will upload pics from graduation so you ladies can see. It is a cute v neck black little dress size medium woohoo. I also had to buy a dress for a conference Saturday. It is a blue and green water pattern.That one is a mock halter. Size 8 !!!! go me lol. I meet with my professor today and am hoping to be ready to bind my thesis by Wednesday. I am praying I dont have to go to school again tomorrow. I should be able to spend tomorrow making minor changes from home. I graduate May 20.

Nikki

Morning all. Nikki, the graduation is really just around the corner. I take it you made it through the data part. The dresses sound cute - you made me smile with the go me - I totally agree. Go Nikki!!! My aquaskin is a size SMALL. Wow-wee. I sure hope it fits. Totally was in the height and weight so that would be awesome.

Carol, take care of your back. Rest and drink more wine. :) The shower sounds like quite the gift to your daughter. You're such a generous person.

Penny, the scavenger hunt sounds like fun. Was it part of your British group? Having teas sounds so proper and fun.

Today is my DH's and my 24th wedding anniversary. I made the red velvet cake we had at our wedding. I love the frosting that is part of the recipe but the bakery back then said it wouldn't decorate so they used a cream decorating icing. I'm thinking of decorating it to match the wedding. Just for the fun of it since I do know cake decorating (I've actually made wedding cakes). We're having a monster turkey on the weber grill. I sort of over did it with the turkey - he's 25.4 pounds. He is just a little big for the grill but DH said he'll make him fit. :) And I'm going to swim this afternoon. I'll probably scream again when I surface from diving in, but I don't care. I just love swimming so much. I also realized that I have a ocean about 3 hours from my house that I'd never swim in because it's too cold - now I'll have aquasuit. DH was happy with my purchase (a definite change - hehehehe).

Well, time to do something. Perhaps a bit of stained glass - I have today off although the supt has already called and I did some work for her this morning. :(

Marie

Marie - We finish the data part in a few hours. We just have to sumarize it. enjoy your night with DH.


Nikki

Everyone sounds in good spirits today!

Nikki, congratulations on the size 8 dress, and on almost finishing up the thesis. I do't think I've ever heard anyone say that they couldn't wait to get back onto Atkins, but I guess that's a testament to how motivated you are! Go, you!

Carol, I bet the shower was lovely! You must be very pleased, so go ahead and brag as much as you lke, you earned the right. Although I'm worried that the stress of led you to eating a "chocolate mouse cake," yuck! ;) Aren't new clothes fun?

Penny, I'd forgotten about your poor foot. I hope you can find a good aerobic activity that doesn't aggravate it.

Marie, I hope you're not working anymore today, on your day off.

I went to sleep late last night and got up at the last possible minute this morning, so no time for a morning work out (or to make a salad for lunch). So I grabbed a Lean Cuisine, and brought strawberries and sliced veggies for snacks. I went to Curves at lunchtime, and will work out in the fitness center after work. Sunday nights are always hard for me. Usually a show like The Sopranos gets me all wound up, then I lay in bed thinking about what's facing me back at work....I was planning to do some calming yoga before bed, but my mom called late and I skipped it. Anyway, it's always something, so I need to get a handle on a destressing routine.

It's nice to hear about the smaller sizes your ladies are slipping into (even small, alright, Marie!). I will be excited to get to a 1X at this point. I feel smaller, and people tell me I look like I'm losing weight, but the scale isn't registering much change yet. I will do all that I can to generate a whoosh between now and May 20. Maybe I'll join Nikki on Atkins :D .

Enough already. Time to refill the water jug and get back to work!

judy

Judy - I know what you mean about the night time munchies. I actually feel alot better on atkins I know it is strange. I figure I may be sensitive to carbs and never realized it before because I ate them all the time. I am hoping between now and May 20 to get down to 149. If I can do that I will consider my challenge a success. 146 would be awesome though.

Nikki

Carol - Thanks for sharing about the lovely shower you gave for your daughter. You're the hostess with the mostest! It was a nice touch to have a Cinco de Mayo theme. Just about everyone likes Mexican food. You deserved to have a little treat of a dessert after all that work - you must have burned off a ton of calories! It's nice you got some compliments - that always makes us feel good doesn't it?

Nikki - I can't wait to see the photos. You must be getting really excited about graduation, May 20th isn't far off. Size 8! Woohoo :woohoo: I know what you mean about carbs making you sluggish. I always feel that way after a carb binge. It's nice to get back to "clean" eating.

Marie - Congratulations on your anniversary! :congrat: I hope you and your DH have a lovely time. Red Velvet cake mmmmm :drool:. Hope your hubby can wrestle that big ol' turkey onto the grill! You'll have plenty of turkey for a month afterwards. Have fun swimming. It's warmed up here today, so you're probably enjoying some sunshine too. Yes, the scavenger hunt was with my British friends (and American friends too). I like going to teas, but they can throw me off my diet if I'm not careful. Oh no, we're not "proper" at all! You should see what a wild bunch we can be! :lol:

Judy - I hope you soon find a destressing routine that works for you. At bedtime I love to play my "ocean sounds" and "thunderstorm" dvd's. I spritz my pillow with lavender, read my Birds and Blooms magazine and my cares just float away (usually :rolleyes:).

I've been doing well so far calorie wise today. I made some chicken curry with tons of veggies for lunch today and it was delish. I had a good workout at Curves although my back is playing up a bit after all the yard work on the weekend. I have a few plants that need moving and I also want to put in some annuals. Got to make the most of this gorgeous weather!

NIKKI SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your doing great all the way around wt. wise, health wise and school almost over and time to graduate! You should be swinging from the street lights! Yes it feels great to shop and have things fit better. My new skirt is a 12 I have been wearing a 10 or 12 lately. I might go back to see how the 10 fits and get the smaller size. I put on a shirt purchased last year it fits so much nicer now. I squeezed in a 15 min. walk yesterday at work walking to our other building. I have to go pick up a ck there today so hurray another sunny break from the desk. I am going to try to do this a few times a wk. I do feel good I haven't been following my SB but I think I will go back on the phase 1 for a few days the munches stress has gotten me a little. Marie way to go thats what I call a big bird! What kind of grill do you use for him??? I would love to try to grill a turkey let me know. Mothers Day we do a family get togethers at moms its yard work day for us. We should all thank our lucky stars gram is still with us all at 85 a little hard labor never hurt anyone. We plant her summer gardens etc. buy her plants to put in, rake and trim. It really is a great thing and nice to see almost everyone pitch in. Maybe I could grill a bird for the occassion? Happy Anniversary to you and the hubby. That is one tasty cake recipe I have it! Oh so good! Judy I picked up a Sopranos first series dvd the other day for $2.00 just cause it was a good price. Maybe I will put it on ebay? Just bought it because it was a good deal crazy huh? Yeah the cake was a little over the top. Way to go on grabbing something quick but still healthy. I ate shower left overs for dinner last night. I am going to take some of the yellow rice and mix it with fresh salsa for lunch today over a bed of lettuce. Few lime chips crunched in. Not too bad on cals.
Penny tea sounds so good I think I will make a cup today! Isn't it lovely to have a cup of tea? Yes the party was fun and I think everyone loved the theme and I was surprised to how many older folks enjoyed the mexican food. Fun to cook for people like that. On the lavender note Judy I have a body lotion and some nights I will rub it on my arms and neck before going to bed its so relaxing. Penny I forgot about the spray I have used that for my pillow in the past and have a big lavender candle near my bed. Better make use of it and lite it huh? Well girls got to go get ready for work soon. I think I am going to start at 7:45 today I want to get out a bit earlier today. Take care and it sounds like we are all very motivated and thats a super feeling Hey!

Penny- I am betting I will see a slight gain tomorrow too. However, as long as I lose about 13 or so I will be happy for my challenge.

Carol- 10 and 12's are great ! go you ! After I finish this thesis I will be swinging LOL. I have to make edits etc until Thursday morning. Once Thursday comes I will be relieved and sad at the same time. For a year all of my energy has been spent on this. Now I need to spend energy on getting a good job :)

Nikki

Nikki, I know you'll find a job that is exactly right for you. You're very well qualified (with the Masters). It's all stages - I remember being so glad (and relieved/depressed) about finishing my masters, the being glad about getting my first job (and the next, and the next) and now I wish I could just retire. But you're a bit younger so maybe you're not counting the days to retirement.

Judy, I think you should try the lavendar spritz on the pillow. I'd love to do that but I'm pretty sure my lungs would have a hissy fit. I agree with the others that you need to perfect the destressing for your health's sake. I hope the Lean Cuisine was okay for lunch. Just don't weigh in after one with all the sodium they load into frozen meals.

Carol, I love Mexican food but had NEVER had it growing up. My parents, especially my father, hated Mexican food so I never, ever had it. Wow, one bite and I was hooked. I'm glad that even the older folks liked the entrees - good thing my father didn't crash your shower. :)

Penny, I'm sorry but I met you, remember??? I can not visualize you wild. :) no way!!! And you mentioned Thunderstorm CD's and oh, I'd like that I love thunder and lightening. We rarely have any here although it currently is rumbling and I saw a lightening bolt on my way home. Truly that was the only GOOD part of my day.

I'm still working and it's nearly 8:00 in the evening. Luckily I'm working from home and if the power goes out because of the rare storm, I'll have to go back. Currently I'm resetting file ownership on the webserver and it's working as I surf here.

I did walk 1.4 miles and jogged .6 miles this morning. I also finally logged my food for Fri, Sat, Sun and Monday. I tried to over estimate since I knew I'd forget about everything I ate. I just wanted a relatively close idea for our challenge. Today, I'm totally logged so I'm back on track. No anniversary cake for me tonight. Beisdes I love my lite ice cream even more than the cake.
Marie

Marie the recipe I used that everyone said was really great was from Cooking Light. I got it free here on the net. Black bean chicken taco salad with the lime dressing. I am hooked on that dressing oh so good. And with the tomatoe season coming it will be one of my favorites throughout the summer. I am marinating some chicken breast in fresh lemon rind and juice with garlic etc. for grilling tonight with some fresh green beans. I had leftover tortilla lime chips and got into those last night few left I will take to work and they will be gone quickly for sure.
Nikki the job will come and then you will have completed the whole circle. I remember in 98 when I finished school and found this job that was almost 9 years ago. My professor said your ready get out there and start looking what are you waiting for. I was a bit nervous to leave the job I had for 10 years. But I never regretted going back to school and working hard for my degree. Its an accomplishment for sure I was 43 it was now or never with my hubbies illness it was something I knew was right. I remember my sister the older one saying why in the heck do you want to do that? Well glad I did my own thing and didn't listen to her. Good luck and someone will be very happy to get such a talented well rounded person. When you set your goals you make them happen.
Judy are you planted at home for a little while? Haven't heard of any trips coming up or did I miss something?
Penny hows it going? Are you feeling better with foot? Exercise is tough when we have an issue going on.
Time to get breakfast before work.

Hi Ladies-

Well my suspivion was confirmed. I had a 2lb blip on the scale this week after eating carbs. I go back on induction today and I am sure in a day or so the blip will be gone. I think I will also feel better. I have to go to school today to pick up my cap and gown. I cant believe I graduate next weekend.
Nikki

Hey, it's almost Mother's Day! Everyone starts the advertising so early nowadays that I get caught off guard. I had to scramble to get cards in the mail today. My mom's birthday is coming up soon, too, and want to think of a nice present (that's easy to mail).

Nikki, I'm so excited for you. So many people drag out their theses until it becomes a black cloud over their lives....good for you to just bear down and grind it out! I'm serious about putting myself on some kind of limited diet for a few weeks. Maybe I have too many options right now, and am undercutting myself with too much mixing and matching. Clearly have a strict routine works beautifully for you!

Carol, I like Cooking Light's recipes, they are so much more interesting than the ones you usually see in magazines. I will be traveling again soon, heading to the Northwest. I might even get to see the wild and crazy Penny! And where did you find that DVD so cheap? Did you buy it from a member of a certain society:devil: ? It costs nearly $60 at the store.

Marie, my grandfather was killed by lightening when my father was young, and thunderstorms have always made my mother nervous from experiences she had as a child. So I'm surprised that I actually like thunderstorms. The only issue is that where I live now we seem to lose power at the drop of a hat, and there have been times when it's taken days for power to be restored, for reasons that aren't at all clear to me.

Penny, I have lavendar pillow spritz, but I forget to use it. I like to read in bed, then turn on an hypnosis program as I'm falling asleep. The difficult time is between 8:30 to 9:30 or so, when I settle in front of the tube with the paper....I did well last night, no food after 9PM, which is supposed to be the rule.

Okay, back to work--judy

Judy-
I really did not have a choice. It is due this Saturday. My program gives us a year to do it. Anyhow lol it is almost done we just have to look it over for format later tonight. Today is my first day of having next to nothing to do and I am so antsy lol.

Good job on your eating.
Nikki

Happy Wednesday to everyone!!! It's sunny and pretty out. I think I'm going to walk to the store at lunch for a Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi fountain drink. I love fountain drinks!!! We're going to DS1's apartment for dinner tonight. That should be interesting. :) Then tomorrow we're going to Eugene for a conf. I have to attend. DH is taking the days off

Okay, now a bit later - I walked to the store (about .5 mile round trip) and it was so cool. I'm wearing a jean skirt (just above the knee) with no tights/nylons. I switched my sandals for walking shoes and went. At no point did my thighs RUB together. No rash, no sweat. How cool is that???

Nikki, you should play outside on your down time. Spring is so fresh and alive. I bet you're so excited that you're done with the thesis. Enjoy induction (I have trouble thinking that would be enjoyable but then...)

Carol, how about you post the recipe here or at least the dressing. It sounds like a great dressing for the summer. Your dinner sounds delicious!

Judy, I sent my mother a gift card to one of her favorite restaurants (TGI Fridays). I told her to open the card when it gets there and that I was taking her and my dad out to dinner on Monther's Day. Worked out great!

Penny, I hope your excited getting ready for your trip to Boise. I sure wish you were going to be in town tomorrow evening. We could have gotten together.

Well, I guess I should work again... :(
Marie

Carol - You sound very motivated - I hope it's catching! I'm sure you are giving a bit sigh of relief that the shower is over and was such a big success. Now you'll have a little more "you" time. Your Mexican salad recipe sounds nice. I get a lot of recipes online, like a delicious chicken curry salad I made with leftover deli roast chicken. My DH loved it and asked me to make it again soon. It had celery, raisins, halved green grapes and apple in it - so it's quite healthy. I get most of my recipes from Epicurious and Allrecipes. I got some excellent curry powder from a local Indian grocery store. I asked the owner which one was a popular brand. It's so much more flavorful than the one from my regular grocery store.

Nikki - You must be relieved all your hard work is coming to fruition. Don't worry about the little blip on the scale. I'm sure you'll lose again when you go back on induction. I hope the final touches to your thesis go well.

Marie - When I met with you and your DH I was on my best behavior! We brits can be a pretty wild bunch (don't let the accents fool ya!) I'm getting excited about our trip to Boise to see our DS. Sorry I won't be able to get toether with you this time. Hopefully you'll be up this way again before too long. Yay for you and your jean skirt! :carrot: I rarely wear a skirt, so I don't know if mine still do - I'll have to try it out. I like thunderstorms so much I even told my DH I'd like to move to an area where they have more dramatic weather. Trouble is, it can be a bit too dramatic with tornadoes and hurricanes, etc. that go along with it. I think I'll have to stick with my Thunderstorm CD!

Judy - I think we had more thunderstorms when I was a kid in England than we do here. I remember hiding under the stairs in a little cubby room and drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies (that's probably where the pleasurable connection lies!)

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I probably won't be checking in for a few days while we're away.

Girls I flipped over to get my recipe and lost my note oh well. At any rate I walked an hr. last night and feel a bit sore on my back. But that has been an issue lately. After I am up a bit it goes away. I am trying to exercise a bit everyday and get in at least 8 miles a week or 2.5 hrs. of exercise. I am not sure about the scale as I haven't tried it latey just going by my clothes and how I feel. And that is good! Almost scared to try the scale as maybe it will make me less motivated if I am disappointed crazy huh? Funny how our minds work. At any rate here is the salad recipe and oh so good. I cheated a little and bought a spice mixed already McCormick Chili Lime seasoning oh its great on everything I am hooked.
Black Bean and Chicken Taco Salad Recipe:
1/4 cup chopped seeded tomatoe, 1/4 cup cilantro fresh, 2 T. olive oil, 1 tsp. grated lime rind, 1 T. fresh lime juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. blk pepper and one garlic clove minced. Blend it in the blender til smooth. I added a bit extra lime to mine.
Salad: 8 cups lettuce or greens, 1 1/2 cups grilled, roasted chicken (I grilled mine after marinated in lime and lemon with a splash of vinegar and garlic, salt and pepper) 1 cup of tomatoes diced, 1 cup green peppers, 1 cup red onion, 1/2 cup of cheese shredded reduced sharp or taco cheese or both. 4 cups of fat free tortilla chips on the side of it to scoop I used the lime flavor oh so good! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. You can even leave the chicken out I made it both ways for the veggies in my family.
Well talk to you all soon and have a super day !

Just running though to say "hi." It's one of those days when a dozen or more little windows are always open at the bottom of my computer :dizzy: . I went off program last night with a friend who was in from out of town--wine and creme brulee, and only a short workout yesterday morning. I'd planned to workout in the evening, but the only lifting I did was of glasses and cutlery :devil: . But today's another day, and so far, so good.

judy

Judy, I shared your "lifting" with a co-worker at the conference that I'm bored at. We both laughed. You have a great sense of humor. I always have about 12-15 windows open as I work. The queen of mulit-tasking...

So the conference, I'm so bored. Big time bored. I did the two projects they assigned and now I'm here. :) But it's okay and parts are interesting. They had chicken caesar salad for lunch and that was yummy. I skipped the cookies but did have a piece of garlic bread.

Before we drove up to Eugene, I did the jogging and walking. The hotel has a fitness room so tomorrow morning I should be able tos tay on track. My co-worker and I just found a Dutch Brothers Coffee a block away and we too an unscheduled break. I just had a skinny iced mocha. That was exciting. ;)

Penny, I hope your trip is fun. I looked at a map of how far it was. I hope you have a good weekend.

Carol, thanks for the recipe - the seasoning sounds great. I'm going to look the next time I'm at the store.

Okay, maybe I'll pay attention for a moment...
Marie

Tahnk goodness its friday! Wow what a busy week. Conference all day for me on monday at one of our local hotels. Should be a good one a great speaker its on austisum disorder etc. Something there is always room to learn more on. My job gets more demanding by the day. We are now going to be trained I've already started on abuse etc. as we are to investigate when there is a concern for anyone whom lives at home on our case load. Just one more thing to do. I am not overall comfortable with investigating a rape or allegation if you mess up one little thing it could go the other way etc. no longer can those files be handed over to Adult Protective for our clients. Oh wow! Anyways lots of added stress no added funds to make up for all this extra. I think we should make a list of how many responsibilities we carry on our shoulders though no one higher up seems to care. Okay I have vented sorry guys! Just had to let it out I guess. Well I am real glad its friday and I am buying some nice garden gloves today and going to do yard work to burn cals this weekend at home and moms. Take care and hope you coffee was really tasty Marie. Sounded good! Judy that was a nice outing we all need a break once in awhile.

Hi Everyone

I just wanted to pop in quickly. I hope everyone is doing well. I will be back to normal Monday I can't wait. The first 2 days back on induction atkins went very smoothly.

Penny- I hop your trip is fun

Marie-How long are you at the conference?

Enjoy your weekend everyone. I have a conference Saturday morning where I have to defend my thesis. Then it is all over. My mom and boyfriend arecoming so I am nervous.Wish me luck

Nikki

Okay, I'm back to being responsibly on program again :cool: . After work last night I went to the fitness center. I like to do 10-15 minutes on the recumbent bike, 10-15 on a ellipitical trainer, and finish up on the treadmill, for a total of 45-50 minutes. The bike has always bored me to tears, so I do it first to get it out of the way. Because there were a lot of people working out yesterday, I stayed on the bike for 40 minutes, which is unheard of :ebike: . Before I would have sulked and left after 15 minutes. So yaay, me! I was entertained by a couple of guys who clearly don't really know what they are doing with the weight machines, but act as if they are in the Olympic finals, with extra huffing and flexing their arms :rolleyes: . I don't want to be around when one of them hurts himself through carelessness or showing off. The fittest people seem to be the ones who have a routine or a circuit, keep their heads down and just knock it out. I'd rather be one of them...

Nikki, good luck tomorrow! I'm very excited for you.

Carol, you are taking on some very heavy responsibilities. It's one thing to have an opinion, but another to know that someone's well-being (and maybe someone else's criminial charges) depends on your investigation. I hope the supervisors understand how much you're doing. Digging around in your garden should help with the stress.

Marie, I bet you have been whispering and passing notes throughout the conference. I hope that today is a little more engaging!

Penny, I hope you're having a good trip.

I went to Curves on my way to the office this morning. I was the only one there, so it was nice and peaceful. I will try this for the rest of the month, and maybe I'll start enjoying Curves again.

Have a great weekend! I will shop for clothes, work in the office a bit, and start the first week of South Beach (I'm low on fruit, anyway).

judy

Way to go on your workout Judy you rock !

Judy I bring my concerns forward for what ever it is worth. I told my supervisor my thoughts on this matter. She said that if I had to react for someone she feels confident that I most likely would handle things in the right manner. That our instincts are greater than we realize etc. oh now I feel better hah hah! Fill me with confindence huh? Well it is a pretty day and I plan on doing some garage sales then yard work and last but needed grocery shopping too! Well have a great weekend and to all the mothers of the world Happy Moms Day! I will be spending the day helping my mom with her gardens and spring clean up. Hope my back is better its one of those oh it hurts mornings. Not fun but the Advil should kick in soon and then it just goes away morning old age I guess. I hope to kayak at some point and time this weekend. Gotta get it out and ck it out first run for the season. I think it will just be on the canal for the first time if I flip its not to bad of a swim to the edge but of course I have no intentions of flipping. Good arm exercise this weekend.

Happily the conference it over. Day 2 was better than Day 1 probably because I knew I'd be going home to my doggies and pool. But the co-worker and I skipped out early on Day 1 and so DH went to Kohl's and bought new swimsuits for us both so we could use the hotels pool and spa. It was very nice. I then used their treadmill on Friday morning - it's not nearly as nice as mine. When we got home my doggies were thrilled to see me. I truly despise leaving them. I hate it so much.

Today we took dear doggies to Hamaker mountain to run free. The donkey found a rotting animal to dig into and the smell was unbelievable on the way home. I was gagging, trying not to throw up. Did heave a few times but I stuck my head out the window with my sweatshirt over my face. BTW, dear jack *** got a bath...

We then swam this afternoon. I got my new wetsuit and I tried it on. Unbelieveable but the small fit. If I grow it won't. :) But I didn't need it as the pool is up to 81.5 degrees. The air was way colder at 67. And about a 20 mph nort wind. I stayed in the water this time and swam over 1/4 miles. So with the 3 mile hike, that's a good day.

Nikki, I hope the defensive of your thesis went good. I bet it did. I'm glad you're happy to be back on Adkins.

Judy, way to go on the workouts. I agree with getting bored on the bike. I found it was WAY better listening to audiobooks. Then I could zone out and pedal. You did do better than moi on not laughing at the foolish Olympians. I'd have been too entertained.

Carol, I'm sorry your job is getting even more stressful. I bet you'll be right when you suspect something. You have a good head. I hope you take it easy on the yard work for you mom. I know wshe wouldn't want you to injure yourself, especially when you have so much to do before the wedding.

Well, my pizza is done so I'll chat tomorrow.
Marie

Mothers Day was nice but I didn't hear from my son that hurt a bit. But I will accept the fact that they may of gone away or what ever. My daughters spent the day with me and helped my mom. The one whom is getting married gave me a lovely card and it said it all. It almost brought tears to my eyes and she wrote it herself grateful for all my help, friendship etc. Oh so nice! My oldest daughter brought me lots of love and both girls gave me plants and flower seeds for my beds. My mom enjoyed her day with all of us. We also had my 7 yr old grandaughters birthday celebration too. A busy weekend it was but nice. I have a conference today at a local hotel. It should be nice I am glad you got to get out and enjoy while you were away at yours Marie. We skipped out of the last hr. of ours last month. Sometimes you just get the little devil in you that says hey this way lets go have some fun! I guess our weather temp is to be 80's on tues. sounds great I say! Today is to be in the 70's. I will plan on walking this evening. I cleaned my closet this weekend and got rid of 2 garbage bags of clothes. Still need to do the shoe closet oh no! Not my shoes! But the time has come to part with some things to make room. I tried to organize it so my clothes will be easier to choose for work days. Then I have a pile of camping gear! Got to go buy my life saver for kayaking never got there this weekend. But next week we are off for the weekend and have a site that I can pull my kayak right up to for the whole weekend. I plan on going off on it alot. Just enjoying life and the natural beauty around me. The other couple we are camping with are bringing extra folks. So I plan on spending some quiet time to by myself or with the hubby. Well take care and have a good day not to bad of a weekend food wise except a few chicken wings and pizza friday night. I think I worked them off. I need to go try on a smaller size in my new skirt. Maybe it will fit better or I will need to keep this one? That will be the after work adventure today. At the conference I hope to eat healthy today if there is dessert I will share a piece with someone or bring half home for the SIL.

Hi everyone-

Happy Belated Mother's day .

Carol- I am sorry you did not hear from your son. However, I'm glad you had a nice day with your daighters and grandaughters.


Marie - I know what you mean about being relieved something is over :)

I am done with school. My thesuis defense went well. Also,my professor is lookng for a research assistant part time for the summer and I applied. It will be somewhat slave labor but it will look good on my resume. I am still on induction and in ketosis. I am seeing 3 ish pound los since I went on it. I am hoping to reach a 5 lb loss this week. By sunday I'd like to lose 4 more I think it is doable.

Nikki

We got back from Boise last night. We had a lovely time visiting our son and really liked Boise and the beautiful scenery. Boise is a very vibrant city which is growing at an incredible pace although luckily it has preserved its interesting old buildings. We drove along the Payette River to Cascade Lake watching the kayakers taking on the Class V rapids. I hope our DS doesn't take up that hobby! Our son is very happy there so that's the main thing. There's so much to see and do - I'm looking forward to going again.

My DS bought me a Yoga For Dummies DVD for Mother's Day - it's what I wanted, he wasn't being mean :lol:. My DH gave me a book on hummingbirds, which I love. The weather was great - around 85 deg.

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. Congratulations on finishing your thesis Nikki!

Hi all, sounds like everyone had a nice weekend. Nikki, congrats on the loss. I hope it stays away. It's pretty awesome when you find something that works.

Penny, I'm glad your son is doing great in Boise. Perhaps you might want to migrate there at some point. I couldn't live inPortland - too much rain. We're having gorgeous weather today. It's sunny and in the seventies.

Carol, go try on the smaller skirt. It's worth getting the smaller size even if it's just a tad on the tighter size. I know that I have very little wiggle room to grow with my wardrobe. I like comfy clothes and they become tight, I'll be miserable - good reason to stay on track.

Today is Kodiak's 5th birthday. I keep telling DH he's been around 5 years to torture him. :) I made him his breakfast of dog chow and put a big 5 in whipped cream on top. He was quite the happy doggie. And I made him a carrot cake too. He'll be surprised when I give him a small piece this evening. I know, I spoil my doggies way too much. :)

Yesterday I didn't walk, hike or job. Gasp!!!! It was sort of strange. Instead I swam for a 1/2 mile. It was wonderful. I'm hoping for time to swim this afternoon but I'm not sure that will happen. :( Both DSs and DS1's GF and DGS are going to be over for dinner. Somehow, Kodiak's impromptu b-day part got out of control. GF and DS want the cake. :) Tomorrow is to be in the 80's and I think there's a chance my cough, cough will get worse... Actually it will if I don't move the lilacs I put on my desk. They're aggravating the astma. But they smell so BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

This morning I was back on the treadmill, walking 1.4 miles and jogging .6. I'm on track food wise, but I haven't been good the last few days. Between the conference, anniversary and Mother's day, I was eating too much. But I'm on track again - at least for now.
Marie

Didn't mean to be gone so long, the days just got away from me. Saturday and Sunday I went shopping, to retire some of my more worn or saggy pants. The weather was so beautiful, I spent a lot of time just wandering around outside in the warm sunshine. Today was very hectic. Plus I was a little spacey, which may be due to missing my daily apple and other fruit. But I'm eating plenty of food, I'm certainly not starving :broc: .

Carol, I'm sorry that your son put a cloud on your Mother's Day. Your daughters sound very sweet! Your upcoming weekend sounds fun. Hope your back is feeling better.

Yaay, Nikki!!!:yay: :yay: :yay:

Penny, I should will finalize my itinerary on Wednesday and let you know where I seem to have space in the schedule. Sunday late afternoon is still the most promising. Maybe Carol can give your son kayaking lessons ;) .

Marie, whatever happened to the concept of "a dog's life"? Your furry beasts have it pretty good.

judy

Penny the DVD sounds good thats where I would be starting too. I saw my first hummingbird sunday. Flew so fast I only got a glance. He will be back soon. I just bought a new hummingbird feeder yesterday and filled it last night. Its really cool looking. I found it at the conference today a trade show person was selling it. I bought two one for a gift. There amazing to watch and sometimes scare me in the garden by buzzing so close by my head. Sounds like you had a good time.
Marie sounds like you'd better stay home with all those issues a day of swim is in need. The doggies are quite lucky. I watched a dog show on t.v. last night the Monks in training how to walk the dog etc. Bear and I will make an attempt to follow their ideas tonight. He had me up last night around 1 I took him out standing on my porch in my tee shirt crazy dang dog! I wouldn't kayak in the rough water oh no! Calm water is more my speed though I think it would be exciting and challenging maybe someday but not yet! Judy I am back to my old self and will call him this week or attempt to but not mention it to him just let it go.
Nikki way to go to town on that wt. loss. My clothes are fitting well I still haven't used the scale yet. I did manage to win choc. dish filled with lovely choc. yesterday at the conference. I did manage to eat some but on the other hand at least it was good dark choc. I shared them with the kids and the hubby they will not last and soon will only be a memory of tasty times. I grabbed out my clothes from last summer and they all fit or are a bit loose so that is a good feeling. I do need to do the scale one of these days. Sometimes not tracking that goes better for me. My rings are another way for me to know how I am doing if they move easily etc. So all signs seem to be good at this pt. Hope that summer job goes your way sure would be pretty on your resume. Out of the office all day yesterday for a conference and this a.m. for an appt. with a client. Hopefully no one will ever need me to be an investigator but if it ever comes my way the upper hands are going to be really involved cause I am not taking it on alone! I have made up my mind on that one.
Food wise not too bad. I only had a small muffin at the conference for breakfast didn't touch the extra sweets. Then the lunch was veggies, salad and ck breast stuffed with spinach and a pepper sauce. Very good! Dinner grilled a hot dog off the diet a bit and a salad. But I did manage to eat the candy! Bear and I exercised in the yard a bit playing no walking yesterday but will manage to exercise today after work. Take care everyone I think we as a group are doing really well all motivated and seeing some results hurray for all of us! If we look back we can see a difference wow look how far we have come to make some positive changes in our life styles that is something to feel good about. Take care and keep moving forward everyday we do a good habit it becomes routine after awhile.

Carol- Clothes and rings are an excellent way to tell. Way to go on not eating all the chocolate.


Judy- Why did you miss your fruit are you trying to lo carb or just a hectic day?

Marie-Hope you had a nice time at Kodiak's bday.

I have a scale question. I norally weigh in my room. However, I noticed that the needle sways a bit on my floor and it is hard to read .. so it is hard to get an accurate reading. So, this morning i weighed on our solid tile floor and I got a consistant needle. My question is which do you think is the more accurate weight? The solid floor one is a bit lower and I'm afraid to accept that weight becaue I think I might be kidding myself.

Nikki

Marie - Sounds like Kody is one lucky pup having a mom like you! He should have bought you a Mother's Day card! :lol: It must be nice and warm down your way right now - good swimming weather. Yesterday was our warmest day so far this year - 81 deg. I did some lawn repair and enjoyed looking at the flower beds with the bark dust which seems to be keeping the weeds at bay (for now). I still need to get about 25 bags of mulch to finish the largest bed but will do it a bit at a time as I don't want to wreck my back again. My DH wants to help do it but his back is in far worse shape than mine and he has to mow 2.5 acres every week!

Judy - I'm looking forward to meeting you if it works out with your schedule. I hope the weather stays nice for your visit.

Carol - I was thinking of you when we were watching the kayakers! I don't think I'll be attempting anything like that in this lifetime! Good idea to let the situation go with your son. It took my DH about 3 hours to wish me a happy Mother's Day (he suddenly realized when my DS wished me a happy Mother's Day when we met for brunch). I figured it wasn't worth making a big deal about it and I'm glad I didn't as the day turned out great. Guys can be a bit "gormless" as we say in the old country. I view it as a genetic disability! :lol:

Nikki - I read in my Women's World magazine yesterday that you should always put the scale on a hard surface to get the correct weight. So, the lower one would be correct in your case! :D Way to go with staying on track with Atkins.

It's not my weigh-in day yet, but I had to peek to see if I gained over the weekend with all the traveling and eating. Luckily, it's the same as when I left, so I still have a few days to get moving downward again. Like Carol, I can tell if I'm retaining water by my rings and they have been really tight.

I'm going to start doing my Yoga for Dummies today as it looks doable (although a faster pace than I'm used to). My instructor is away this week so there won't be any yoga class today.

Morning all, I'm at home today. :devil: I have a long "to do" list on my fridge. Unfortunately I played sleepy head and now have a headache. But it won't slow me down too much. It's supposed to be 81 today and sunny. The pool was 82 degrees yesterday so it'll be even warmer today. YEAH!!!

Nikki, without a doubt the hard surface is the right weight. Never weigh on carpet. You'll never get a consistent, accurate weight on carpet. So congrats on the lower weight. :)

Carol, is your son the child in Hawaii? If so, the time difference is probably the problem. I'm 2 hours behind my parents and whenever I look at the clock to call them when it's good for me - it's bad for them. Dinner, too late, lunch, etc. Sometimes manuveuring the time difference is tough. I hope it all works out fine. I almost forgot to call my mom because I was going to call at 3:30 pm and I realized that was 5:30 - their dinner time. So I went swimming, then out to dinner with my son, and as we were playing with DGS, I looked at the clock and it was 7:15. I took DH's cell phone and called from their apartment. But of course I had to apologize for calling so late. You son might be in the same boat.

Judy, sounds like you're enjoying spring. Don't you love the re-birth of nature. Enjoy the shopping for smaller clothes. :)

I did a 4 mile WATP this morning. Way easier than my treadmill walking/jogging routine, but it was fun to do something different.

Well, time to tackle the list. :(
Marie

Nikki, I've always heard to use the scale on a hard surface, not on carpeting, for a more accurate and consistent reading. I would opt for whichever one gives me the lower numbers :D . I'm missing fruit 'cuz I'm South Beaching for a while, so for the firt two weeks, no fruit at all. I get plenty of vitamin C, fiber and other good stuff from a variety of veggies (like snacking on red bell pepper slices), and fruit will be back on the schedule soon. I love fruit, in part due to the sugar rush, and have been eating too much of it as a "healthy" evening snack...I even invented a goofy treat I call 'plum yums.' Are you ready? You stick an almond into the indented side of a prune :dizzy: . Hey, it works for me! But even that makes me rummage around in the kitchen for more carbs, no matter how much food I've eaten. So it's good to cut back and learn to be more conscious.

Back later on--judy

Penny on the mulch note would it be cheaper to get a truck to del. it? Just a thought I like the bags as well because you carry them and dump them a little less work I think. Just a thought. Want to come do my gardens too? I have to plant some seeds and a few pansies as well. My apple trees are in full bloom never had so many blossoms. Does anyone know when do I spray? I killed some worm nests in them with a torch the other night a womans work is never done. Oh work now that is a crazy thing! The ladies the two whom did not attend the conference heard from our old boss whom was there which is ones good friend it got out early. So she convienced the other buddy of hers to turn us in for not returning to work for an hr. on a 80 degree day. What brats they are we are all a bit upset and just not having anything to do with either one of them they are just out of control. I can't put up with their petty behavior anymore there is not trust or friendship at all. How jealous and troubling they are huh? At any rate the boss said to us on the quiet end that she knew what they were up to. And she didn't really mind as the course was planned to be longer and it was a conference day not a reg. work day. Thank the lucky stars for that one. What an office huh? Human Service oh yeah! More service of neg. behaviors than anyone of us needs. Yah try to be nice to them and include them in things and exactly what do you get I am done with it! No more pretending to be nice on my end.
Nikki oh take the lowest reading at any rate its an improvement you've worked so hard. I did have a piece of choc. just can't keep that stuff in the house.
Marie I guess I am a bit jealous over the contact they have with her mom. Oh giving myself a little pitty party. I know its tough but it still is something this mom looks forward to. At any rate they will be home next month for the wedding and some good times.
Judy I am going back to phase 1 again starting thurs. for a little while. Isn't it amazing how the cravings come under control. I guess after my choc. thing I should do it again forsure. Let me know how you do. I didn't think the first two weeks were all that bad. I guess having such knowledge of what we should eat takes the guessing out of it. Did you read the book? Maybe I shoudl just do phase two and follow the recipes and program closely. I will review that tonight and decide. Well good luck and hopefully it will give you a boost in the right direction. You sure have been good with the exercise end of things lately results have to be showing up soon. Take care everyone I have to go get breakfast and off to my lovely office for a day of attitudes. A for attitudes! Not letting it stress me this time around just people are so crazy with their own lifes got to make someone elses off balance as well I guess sad that they are so angry with life. You'd think people would have more to think about that raising issues which are so little.

Hi Ladies-


It sounds like everyone is doing well. Judy and Carol it is nice to have fellow low carbers :)
I am a bit down today. I wont make me goal for Sunday I am still 8 pounds away. I only lost 2 lbs this week despite the scale saying 4 yesterday.That means I only managed to get back to my weight prior to my carb week. My TOM is 2 days late and I'm sure that is contributing but it is still bumming me out. I am trying to think if I ate anything this time around I did not the first time but nothing I can think of :( Oh well. I will weigh on Sunday to get the final number and then start a July 4 goal. If I can even half meet each goal I will be there faster :)

Nikki