Nikki, I hope you don't feel down for long. You set an ambitious goal on purpose, to really push youself to stay on track, and it sounds like you did! Plus you lost a buncha weight while you were working on a thesis, and are already thinking about your next big milestone...you are a winner in my book!:flow1:

Carol, I've done the SB diet before, when I felt I needed a jump-start that still gave me plenty of choices, and wouldn't rule out fruit and grains altogether. I'm getting over the fruit thing now, and a small amount of berries or whatever will be back on my daily menu in another week or so, so that won't kill me. I read the book a while back, but I found a copy for $2 on Saturday at a discount store (coincidence? I wonder....).

Okay, big epiphany: I have spent this year trying to be something I'm not: a morning person. I pushed myself to start waking up at 5:30, to have time for meditation, working out, making lunch, having breakfast, etc. I haven't used my alarm clock in weeks, and it feels so much better to sleep until I'm ready to wake up (around 7 or so). If I don't have enough time for a long workout, I do a short one, and then go to Curves or do another workout later on. Or I work out in the evening, in the fitness center or in my apartment. The other night I even used my mini-DVD player to work out while watching a basketball game on TV. I'd been trying to stop eating before 8:30, even though I don't get home most weekdays before 7:30 or 8...now I'm having dinner at 8:30 or 9, after working out, and guess what? I'm not hungry again before going to bed around 11PM. So much for late-night snacking. Despite my crazy worklife, I'm feeling good and losing weight I'll weigh in officially on Saturday before heading to the airport, but I know this is working. So the moral of the story is that what matters is what works for you, not what works for most people.

Sorry to go on so long! Marie and Penny, I hope you're having a good day.

judy

Marie - I'm glad your taking advantage of the nice weather. It's been nice here too but of course it's supposed to rain on the weekend :dizzy:.

Judy - I like the idea of your "plum yums". I love prunes and could eat a whole bag (probably with disastrous results!) They are very high in calories but so good for you. I usually find myself rummaging for carbs in the afternoon, so I've bought a big bag of low fat string cheese to snack on. I like peeling the little strips off and eating them slowly. They are quite filling and only 70 cals each.

Carol - The mulch would probably cost about the same or a bit more delivered than the bags. I like to get a few bags at a time and spread it when I get a chance. Our local Fred Meyers has it for only $2.99 a bag, so it's quite reasonable. I don't think I could face a mountain of mulch (they have a minimum delivery). We don't have many apples (the trees get too much shade) but we have tons of pears coming on our four pear trees. It also looks like we'll have a lot of paw paws this year. Last year was the first time we had fruit on them and only had three but they were so delicious. I planted two tiny paw paw saplings about six years ago and it's taken this long to get fruit but it was worth the wait. I don't use any bug sprays. We have lots of spiders and ladybugs and they seem to take care of the aphids, etc. We had a big tent caterpillar nest in one of the apple trees last year but they seem to be gone.
Sorry to hear about your childish coworkers. I think you're right to say you're not going to give them the time of day any more. They should find something more constructive to do than cause trouble.

Nikki - Don't be down - you're doing great! TOM is probably to blame for your slow down.

Judy - I'm glad you've come to terms with how you want to plan your day. I figure this is a lifetime thing for those of us who have trouble with our weight and we need to make things as "doable" as possible so we can stick to them for the long run. Sometimes we need to shake things up and try something different once in a while.

I tried my new yoga DVD. It looked easy the first time I watched it but I was only able to get half way through when I actually did it. It's a lot faster than the yoga I'm used to and you really get a good cardio workout - which I need. I'll keep on trying it and hopefully will build up my stamina over time.
I did a lot of yard work this morning and also went to Curves, so I had plenty of exercise today.

Penny - Don't you just love how easy yoga can look until you try it ! Nice work on all of your exercise :)

Judy -It is great to hear that what you are doing is working.

Hi all!!! Judy, I thought I wasn't a morning person but then I knew I wasn't a night person either. I was a sleeper. :) LindaT is the one that got me to give the morning exercise a try for a month. It worked and I'm hooked. I'm still not a night person, but I am a morning person. I think it was more I was just lazy whereas my kids are definitely night people and I think DH probably is also. I'm glad you found what works for you because there's no point in being miserable when exercising - the habit will never stick then.

Nikki, my TOM gave me a beloved 4 pound weight gain. So that you lost is just excellent. After logging all my food choices over the weekend, I knew I hadn't "gained" weight. I just LOVE being a woman. ;)

Carol, those co-workers need a kick in the behind. What jerks. I'm sorry you have to put up with them. Sounds like the boss is on to their game.

Penny, it sounds like your garden/yard has loads of wonderful treats. I've never had a paw-paw or even heard of it. What are they?

I jogged/walked this morning and then swam this afternoon. My hair is already turning green. I did some major clarifying with it after swimming this afternoon. I have a haircut appt on Tuesday - I don't want her to cut it off. The clarifying took most of the green out. I tried a new solution for keeping the cholorine out - I was wetting it and applying conditioner before jumping in as my stylist said. This time I did the wetting and condition, then put a swimcap over the top of it. There was still conditioner in my hair when I was done so I may have a solution. I don't like swimcaps but I hate green hair, love my long hair, and won't give up my pool. So the swimcap won.

Guess where I'm going on Friday??? Skiing!!! Almost DIL are driving to Bend tomorrow night and skiing on Friday morning. They're open 8 to 1 pm. This is the last week that they're open. So then we'll drive back down and I'll swim in my 86 degree pool. Oooo la la!!! The best of my 2 favorite worlds.
Marie

Marie I love the pool but that happens to me too. I had a call from the young guy I purchased my kayak from yesterday. I used to do day care from him about 20 years ago family friends son. He offered for me to go kayaking with him and his friends about 12 of us sunday. I told him no rack yet he said thats okay I will pick you up. I guess the age gap doesn't apply here! Thought that was really nice. So today I will go purchase my life saver. I told my daughter she thought it was really cool he asked me to go. I hope I am up to the speed of the rest of them I will give it my best shot along with some advil the night before hah hah. So exercise is in my forecast. I cleaned the house last night vac. washed the floor etc. that was it for my exercise. But I am glad it looks better Bear does a number on it with his in and out stuff. He is going to get groomed and to the fit it shop next month I made the appt. I purchased him some treats which are herbs in them to calm down the crazy pup a bit just a couple little treats a day. Not sure they really work but he likes them and will sit for them. On the diet front I ate pasta yesterday and was a bit hungrier at dinner cause I only had yogurt for breakfast and a salad and whole wheat roll for lunch. I guess planning better is in need. Got to get back to the protein and eggs in the a.m. that helps keep me fuller. Work is still nuts but I am just doing my own thing. That helps! Tonight I am going to get out walking. Nikki we are all very proud of you and all of your accomplishments school wise and wt. wise. Your one smart cookie! Keep up your efforts even if it takes a little longer you still will reach your goal!!!!! Judy you have to make your schedule work for you whats good for someone else just might not be as natural for you. Finding the right time isn't always so easy with me I have to kind of schedule it or I don't do it. Penny the string cheese I am purchasing some food today for better groceries to choose from in the house. I am getting low and thats part of my problems. Judy you and I paid the same for our book how funny! Lots of good recipes in it I think today I will pack it in my bag and ck out what I need at the store. Make some yummy and healthy for dinner they have pasta leftovers good night to play in the kitchen and create. Well have a good day girls and keep it up! Marie you enjoy swimming even with green hair you'll be looking great!

Marie - I had the same problem with my hair when we lived in California and had a pool (my hair was blonde at that time!) I did some research and it turned out that it's not the chlorine, but the copper in the water that makes your hair green. This can come from the pipes, the heating coil or from algaecide that is made from copper. Like you, I found the best solution was to wet my hair first (not in the pool water) and to wear a bathing cap (yuk). I've also heard that using a rinse of lemon juice or vinegar works to get the green out. Lucky you going skiing and swimming! Certainly the best of both worlds. Paw Paws look a bit like a long mango and have a creamy flesh that tastes like a cross between a banana, mango and pineapple. They are native to the Northwest and need freezing temperatures over the winter. They have a few 1" long black seeds. They ripen in August or September. They taste very much like a Cherimoya (or Ugly Fruit as it is sometimes called). They haven't been grown commercially much because they are hard to pollinate as bees don't like the flowers and they rely on flies and beetles to get pollinated.

Carol - How fun that you have been invited to go kyaking by that nice young man, I hope you have a good time. That's funny about the herbal doggy treats to calm Bear down. I wonder what they have in them, maybe I should give them a try! I'm having eggs for breakfast again too lately as they really fill me up and I was getting a bit low on protein. Now I have one egg plus the white of an egg so it saves some calories and cholesterol. The string cheese seems to keep me going in the afternoon and sometimes I wrap it in a lettuce leaf and a slice of turkey for some extra protein.

Judy & Nikki - I hope you're having a good day.

I did some yard work this morning and spread a big bag of grass seed on the bare spots. I watched the antics of the squirrels and scrub jays for a little while and fed them peanuts. I'm trying to teach the humming birds to eat out of my hand from the little nectar tubes I use. I've already had one of them do it and it's funny how they look you in the eye and buzz their little wings in your hair. They are sold bold and fearless. I'm reading about them in my new hummingbird book. They have quite a hard life and not many of the babies survive. They have to eat 2-1/2 times their weight in nectar a day and many of them fly thousands of miles when they migrate.

Hi, checking in! I have been in full fundraising mode all afternoon, so at the moment I'm sick of being charming to total strangers:blah: It takes a lot more energy than you'd think. I'm still on track today, eating on program. I did a 25-minute power walk this morning and will stop by Curves on the way home. I will also stop by the store to pick up some food for the airplane on Saturday. Everywhere I'm staying will have a fitness center, so I'm going to challenge myself to get in a workout everyday (except Saturday, unless I wake up really early and organized).

Marie, the Skiing Mermaid....how wonderful that you get to spend so much time outdoors getting fit a fun way! Re the morning or evening thing: I can manage okay on less than 7 hours of sleep now and again, but I really do better with 7-8 hours. I get home too late to get into a pattern of falling asleep earlier than 11 PM during the week. I still have time for some quiet and 45-60 minutes of cardio in the morning, and that will be fine.

Penny, are you a chemist or a botanist or something? Re eggs, I often fry up one for b'fast, but the EggBeaters seem healthier, and are very easy, too. Eggs with a little Paul Newman Black Bean Salsa and a wine glass of lower-sodium V8 is my idea of a fine way to start the day. The hummingbirds sound lovely. They do have tough lives for such fragile little bodies.

Carol, your meddling co-workers will get what they deserve, what goes around comes around. We haven't been hearing so much about Bear lately. I guess he's falling into the family routine. What are you feeding him, "dognip"? :cloud9:

judy

Oh girls I was going to tell you what herbs are in his treats but Daddy put them away and he is still in bed. I will catch up to you on that one. Oh he is still being quite the dog. I guess I am getting my monies worth. He sure is active and this morning he has already been into some things. But he is getting better about bringing things to that he is not suppose to have. I will call him 50% of the time he will come back and give it to me. Funny huh? But he will eat all kinds of plants etc. outside. My SIL says he has a huge salad buffet in my yard. Yesterday I planted 3 new blueberry bushes which already have berries on Bear though oh how good those look. I stopped him before any were taken but he is crazy. Eats the branches off of my pine tree etc. just nuts. If you tell him to go get his toy he will. There are a few toys he will get by name. He is no dummy just crazy fits in well I guess. But I have never had a dog with so much energy. Next month to the fixit shop he goes. Maybe that will calm him a little.
Oh am I ever glad its friday.This has been one heck of a week. Sundays weather is to be on the colder side guess kayaking will be a bit cold. I will still go unless we get rain then I will back off. My hips in the a.m. have been killing me. After I am up awhile they calm down old age I guess yuk! I had a nice breakfast this a.m. eggs and one piece of toast with triple fruit on it. I find if I eat the eggs I stay full much longer. My coworker and I had a long talk yesterday. She tried to blame things on another girl then started to talk about the other ones meds. I put my hand up and said stop right there I don't want to know nothing. She continued to try to tell me I repeated again and she seemed to get the message loud and clear. All I want to do it go to work do my job and go home I told her. She agreed. We will try to keep peace but once a snake always one I am not trusting anyone again. Just keep it clean and do my stuff. Hopefully the boss will see that its just like that from here on in. I got my exercise gardening last night. Think I will plan seafood for dinner tonight. Well grocery day and I plan on buying some healthy things to encourage eating healthy. Sure helps when things are in the house to choose from. Penny I will try that when my hair gets green this summer. Marie keep swimming sounds like your enjoying your pool more than ever. Judy enjoy your trip!

Time for a new thread, ladies :)