Marie hurray for the 1/2 way mark that is super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have worked so hard on this and now your 1/2 way there. Traveling is hard but for the most part sounds like a great trip and you exercised so much to keep up with your normal pace. I am sure it was wonderful to see your son. I talked to mine the other day and its always so wonderful to hear their voices even across the miles a comfort that is for sure. Congrats!
Judy thanks for that extra support cause it made sense. And your right I do know what to do. Maybe I will have to visit with Leslie as well. I am going to ck out the library. They may have something like that to see if I like it first. Dinner last night I broiled a 4oz. piece of haddock and put some sauce over it in the end and some mozz. cheese. It was good in place of pasta. I am trying to make some healthy choices. Tracking my cals. increasing some exercise so maybe pretty soon I will see some changes. Got my hair cut yesterday a bit different style. Sometimes yah need an overhal all together. I did throw away 1/2 my yogurt cause it was reg instead of low cal. low fat. Boy your doctor might of been onto something with the gluten stuff. Especially if your feeling better etc. It can do a lot to your body if you have an allergy like that. Good luck with it. Penny this is a tough season but I am going to try my best to at least get a jump start. If I can be good til Turkey day then after that fit in all my holiday parties with watching cals before and after them I might make it? But I think exercise will be something I need to concentrate on to be sucessful. So along with the rest of you that is the route or high road I am taking. I am going to make myself a chart with lbs./cals/exercise/ and motivation blurbs on it. Talk to you all soon. Yes I agree Judy wish some of the folks would stop in again. That would be nice. The more the merrier.

Marie - Good to hear from you! It's great that you've reached your halfway mark - way to go! Especially since you've been 'on the road' and subject to the usual temptations when away from home. I bet it was great to get together with your son. That haddock you had sounded good. I haven't had any for years. We used to be able to get Finnian Haddie (smoked haddock) at our local grocery store, but they don't carry it any longer (I guess it's an acquired taste!) I hope you don't get a UTI too. Drink tons of water and hopefully it will go away. I'm still sore but with no infection, so it could be a food sensitivity. Always something!! I hope your trip home goes well.

Carol - That's a good idea to make a chart. It's kind of what I do on Spark People - keeps me honest (more or less!) We've decided to go out to a restaurant buffet for Thanksgiving. It's actually less tempting than having all the leftovers hanging around. We have a very nice restaurant nearby that does a wonderful buffet and I'm looking forward to it - especially since I won't have to cook. We get invited to friends every Christmas - so that's going to be easy too.

Judy - Hope everything is going well for you.

I had a nice get-together with the ladies from my women's group today to price and sort out the bazaar items for Saturday. It's amazing how creative we've been, considering most of us never saw a glue gun or did crafts till we turned 50!

Penny your soaps sounded great I wish gathering was next to me. Sounds like a great place to get some christimas stocking stuffers. I'm going to try to make some more soap this year. Is the lime an oil like lavender? I don't think its around my craft stores but maybe. I have some stuff left from last years adventures in soap making. It is a lot of fun and I like giving homemade gifts. Wish I were a bit closer to stop by. I love haddock and it is at all our fish fry places locally. I had some the other night and broiled with sauce on top and a little moz. cheese oh so good. Tonight I have a piece of salmon marinating in lemon juice and spices since yesterday. I think its ready! I worked late so I picked up chinese. It wasn't too high in cal. but I did eat an egg roll. That was my naughty of the day. Everything else healthy. My cals were a bit high around 1700 after I added them up. But I did do the treadmill for a bit after dinner. Trying to get a routine going. When I add in almonds for a snack it brings the cals up high quickly. I know their good for us nuts but heck their high in cals. We have had Thanksgiving at my home for the last 17 years or so. I enjoy cooking and entertaining so its okay. It would be really nice to have my son home and daughter in law some year for this holiday. Wishful thinking I guess. Your most likely right on leftovers. But I do send a lot home with others. This year the SIL will help eat them up as well. I picked up an extra little bird for christmas as they were only 28 cents a lb. with a 25.00 purchase couldn't go wrong. I can't buy the legs to make turkey soup that cheap. Nice winter meals.
Marie have a safe trip home.
Judy hope things are going okay for you. You have a lot on your plate for work. I tell yah the better we are the more they want. I have some case they want me to take on. Well I was already promised to one family now I guess the upper hand wants me to do another. A well known family whom requested my services. Well how about the little guy not so well known. Of course I don't really have any choice in the matter now don't be silly I told myself. But its my job and I will do whats expected by the company. Stress!
So Judy a nice little glass of wine at the end of our week might be in order. Well take care girls my charting is going well. I am doing my journal and that always helps get me on track.

Marie, it's good to hear from you. Hope you're almost home! I mostly enjoy traveling, but it always feels great, even after a marvelous vaction, to come back home again. It must have been so nice to see your son....Way to go on the halfway mark

Penny, I turn 50 next year. Will I turn crafty, too? Will I be looking for deals on ribbons, glitter and scrapbooks? I've managed to avoid hobbies so far. I used to be really into houseplants, but that went away....

Carol, your posts always make my mouth water . I don't know if I'll wait 'til the weekend for a glass of wine. I'm speaking at an event in Boston tomorrow night, and I think I'll have a little nip, as my aunts used to say, when that's over.

The scale is still saying nice things to me. I'm down another pound or so, but since I'll be on the road for two days, this way I'll need to be careful if I want to maintain this long enough to change my ticker on Sunday.

Hang in there, ladies!

judy

Judy good for you. My son inlaw to be is in Boston on business to. Busy place I guess. Never really been there to look around. I think after speaking I'd need a glass of wine a little nip never hurt anyone. No gluten in that. I went out for breakfast and lunch today. I tried to becareful. I left the roll and ate the cornbread instead, had pork slices with barbecue sauce and blk bean salad. Then for dinner broiled my fish, ate a sweet potatoe, rice. So not totally bad. I am trying to be better. I turned down the offer for key lime pie it did sound great though. Well we will chat on thurs. Night everyone. I am trying to keep motivated stopping in helps.

Morning I am going to try to drink enough water today and to eat healthy all day long. No out to lunch or breakfast stuff today. On friday is the scale day. I hope to see something but it might take a bit more time. I have been more focused but not an angel. Have a super day. Penny I looked for lime oil for soaps only found some citrus? Do you remember where you got it or do you just grate in some lime rind????

A dark and gloomy day! I'm sure my flight will be delayed this afternoon due to high winds. I hope not too long, or I risk missing the point of going up to Boston at all. I'm working at home this morning. I did an extra long workout and am eating very lightly, and packing a "feedbag" so I'll have no reason to eat off program. I don't have as many meetings scheduled on Friday as I'd hoped, so perhaps I'll have a little time to slip into the original Filene's Basement for before heading back.

Carol, your meals sound reasonable and healthy, keep it up!

judy

Judy - Maybe you'll get crafty too when you hit the big 50! I never even tried doing crafts when I was younger (too busy raising our son and working). I can't sew but I'm pretty good with the hot glue gun! I'm glad the scale is being nice to you I think I've gained a pound or so, so I'm going to have to watch out.

Carol - I bought a lot of my essential oils a while ago at Wild Oats. They used to have a wonderful essential oil dept. where you could get dozens of different oils and have them filled into the size bottle of your choice. They moved last year and the new location only has a small selection. I have also ordered oils over the internet from Brambleberry but you have to pay shipping & handling and they only have larger sized bottles. I buy my soap base from a local wholesaler in 20 lb. buckets for about $35. This works out a lot cheaper than buying from a craft store if you want to make a lot of soaps. I like experimenting with different scents and additives, like finely ground oatmeal, pumice and even coffee grounds for hand soaps. I even made a clear Earl Grey Tea soap scented with Bergamot oil and actual tea leaves. Right now my most popular soap is the cucumber scent.

Tomorrow is our setup day for the bazaar so I'll have to avoid the "refreshments" area with all the cookies and cakes!

Well girls as I promised myself I got the scale out its Friday! Down a half a lb.This isn't a great loss but I will take it anything thats a loss I will consider it one. My intake this week has been pretty good I must say. I am trying to eat healthier less bread, more fish, smaller portions. I took a lean cuisine container for work yesterday just the right size. Put in a measured 1/2 c. cottage cheese, 1/2 c. prepared tuna, and baked a sweet potatoe added 1 T. shredded cheese to it. Not bad followed by and apple. I made homemade soup in the crock pot. Just threw everything all in my SIL kept saying how great it was best she ever had. I did throw in 1/2 cup of salsa. She doesn't even like that what they don't know won't hurt them. Another late work night but at least today I only have to work til I think 2:00. Then I am going to do my own thing for a little while. My exercise last night after work was to carpet clean my rugs with the steam machine. Wow I had no idea they were that dirty. Well with all the construction I guess that didn't help. But needless to say I didn't need to get on the treadmill for exercise last night. Judy hope your flight got out on time for you to speak on time. Hope you also get a little shopping time in. That would be cool we had Felines here for awhile but then they closed. I liked that store. You made me laugh with the feed bag comment. Funny but true name for it I think. Boy we are always focused on food. Some people could care less as long as their full. Oh well we I am sure are more interesting and creative folks. Penny thanks for the soap info. Last year was my first time I made them and really liked doing it. I love mint/cuke it was nice. I will ck with getting the oils at my naturetyme health store I bet they will have the lime. I want to experiment with the lime, lavender and poppy seed. I have some molds to use. I never made a loaf and sliced it I should expriment with that as well. Thanks for your ideas it motivates me. Have fun at your sale I am sure you will do good. When people like the soaps they will come back to get more. I made a great oatmeal soap last year with almonds in it sprinkled a little cinnamon on it. Wrapped it up nice with a cinnamon stick on top and red ribbon. Nice little gift. Take care I am going to make my oatmeal and pack some soup for lunch.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! I spent way too many hours in airports on Thursday and Friday, especially considering that the flight time is only about an hour each way! But the weather was bad the day I left, so I got into Boston very late, the program I was speaking on had already started. But it was good to be there, I saw some old friends, and the event went well overall. I bopped around Cambridge all day Friday, windowshopping, and picked up bargin music and movies at Tower Records, which is going out of business. Due to total airline incompetence, not weather, coming home was even worse than leaving the day before. After many delays and two cancelled flights, I had to fly to the Baltimore airport (National Airport is only a few miles from my home). Instead of walking into my apartment at 8:30 PM, I arrived closer to 2AM, achy and aggravated. Today I stopped by the library, did some grocery shopping, and watched football--yaay, Ohio State

Penny, I love soaps. I often buy bar soaps at Marshalls or TJ Maxx, where they are a little fancy but inexpensive. Homemade is the best, though. i hope the bazaar was fun today.

Carol, I would like to clean my carpets, too. They always look so nice after a cleaning! But pushing that machine around is hard work (plus moving the furniture), that must have burned lots of calories.

I was pleased with most of my food choices on this trip. The gluten thing isn't too difficult, but I have to really think about things...for example, I had some gumbo and remembered the next day that the roux that thickens it is made from flour. But in the airport, especially, it was helpful just to have all baked goods off limits. The Thursday night event had most wonderful-looking dessert trays but it didn't killme to ignore them after all

Sunday I will catch up on paperwork and filing, and make the day last as long as possible. Hope it's a restful day for you, too.

judy

Hi all, I'm back. Actually I got back on Thursday night and Friday I was blah and tired. Yesterday just busy, busy busy. Today is a relaxing day. I already exercised this morning (2 miles walking, 3 jogging). DH and I might take the doggies out for a walk (2 miles) in a bit. They're missing their walks.

Well, I blew my diet (sort of - not horribly but not calorie contained) Sunday through Thursday. I was so SICK of the car that eating was my entertainment. I'd say I was about averaging 2200 to 2500 cals those days. I reigned it in on Friday to 1900 and yesterday to 1700 (which is where I want to be). So I'm back on track. I will weigh in on Tuesday (letting my body detox from the doritos that I was addicted to in the car). Hopefully not too much damage.

Yesterday I went to town and bought black jean material. I'd ordered a black jeans skirt from Chadwicks and it was icky material and didn't fit good. So I decided to sew one instead. When I was getting the material it was so inexpensive due to a sale that almost daughter in law sort of looked at me with longing so we bought enough for two skirts. So I guess I'll be sewing 2 of them. I'm going to cut out mine this afternoon.

Judy, your traveling sounded icky. I hate being in airports even more that in the car. I can at least bring as much beverages as I want in the car. Enjoy your day of rest.

Carol, good luck with the new client(s). Whoever you'll be servicing, they will be lucky. I too am making dinner here. Both DSs (yes, youngest is now home for the time being - I htink he'll get an apartment soon) and almost DIL and DGS and DH will be here. I love turkey and love the leftovers. So healthy. So far I have 3 in my freezer. At $.19 a pound, how can I resist? I'm going to get at least another one. That'll keep me in the bird for a few months. On Thursday I'm even going to make stuffing (only DH and I like it). Usually through the year I only do the potatoes that the kids like.

Penny, your soaps sound heavenly. I've nevre done that. But since I have so many crafts, I can't add anymore. I'm very in love with a cucumber/lime soap from bed and bath.

Well, time to read up on the walking board, then I'm ready for breakfast.
Marie

Judy sorry your trip wasn't the best with traveling stuff beyond your control to fix. At least you returned safe and saw some friends etc. Sounds like you found a few good buys too. I did a little christmas shopping this weekend. My friends and the SIL went to a beautiful christmas sale. It is setup in a ladies home. The its an old farm house and she decorates 3 lg. rooms and a porch. Some stuff is homemade some purchased for resale. But the quality is nice and after that its hard to compare other places to it. I went to Joannes on sunday. Left with nothing and realized that the quality didn't shake a stick at the other stuff. I will be going back to the other place she has it for 2 weekends then the stuff from the house is moved into her little shop size of a one car garage but old fashioned setting with warm fragrances of hot apple cider cooking. Wish you could all see it. Puts you in the mood sort of say for the holidays. Yesterday I started for preparing for the fest. on thurs. I am working this wed. so lots to do before hand. I made a pumpkin pie from scratch all the way even fresh pumpkin. Then a piled high apple pie. Homemade pumpkin bread and muffins. So I am started. I had to have a little cupcake size muffin to try them out of course. But otherwise wasn't too bad this weekend. Friday was my high cal day as planned, saturday and sunday in control. So I will try this a little longer and see how it goes. My high day this week you can all guess is thurs. Its nice to look forward too. Judy in a way having to stay away from certain foods is not so bad in many ways. The effects might be in a positive way.
Marie you will be jumping right back into the routine you had. Just a little vacation break. I have confidence in you! Its so easy when on vacation and bored with traveling to dig in what else is there to do. Glad you had a good time and so nice to see your son. Turkey I purchased one yesterday about 22lbs for the special day. Less for dinner as far as folks this year. My daughter will be stopping in but has to have dinner with the IL as their moving out of state in the summer job related. So I totally understand. So for appetizers I will have about 23 then for dinner sit down 13. So it will be okay. Then on friday the crazy girl friends and I are going to shop at midnight actually thurs. to the outlet mall about 1 hr. away. We are nuts! But this is its first yr. doing it so early and we want to go the weather is suppose to be around 50 -60 no snow that day. Next year it might be different. I want to do most of my shopping that day for christmas. Then wrap early and enjoy my holiday. One day I will bake several cookies maybe 2 days then freeze them up. I will do the scale on wed. this week. That is my goal. For the week then again Sunday. I am going to try to enjoy my holiday but not go wild give me strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great day everyone.

Welcome, back, Marie! I know that you're happy to be home again. Don't worry about those Doritos! Once you're back into your regular routines, the thought of junk like that will be totally unappealing . You have such great discipline, and you began planning right away for how to leave all that behind. You are fierce!

Carol, you sound like a regular Mrs. Claus. You love to bake, so you must really enjoy these next several weeks! I passed by a baked goods stand at a farmer's market, and the smell of the spiced pumpkin breads and such was so wonderful I nearly passed out from longing....but then it went away, thank goodness. I had some cinnamon tea soon after and that helped, I think.

I am glad this is a short week; this past weekend was not long enough. Tomorrow I go back to the clinic to check in with the nurse practioner who's kind of my caseworker for the healthy weight program. My weight is still wavering between 227-229. I want it to be no higher than 227 for my weigh-in, but if not, I'm still pleased with my progress so far. I've been thinking of a mantra or a slogan to get me through next year, which I know will be challenging at work. So far I'm thinking about "Fifty by Fifty," or 50 lbs. less than my New Year's Day weight, by my 50th birthday in December 2007. Your alternate suggestions would be appreciated, you crafty women!

judy

Ooo, Judy has a birthday coming up. Didn't think we'd notice that, huh???

I think 50 by 50 sounds perfect. But I think you should do 50 by 50 starting on your birthday this year. That way you'll be flying by new years.

Carol, can you post your pumpkin bread recipe? That would be so awesome. Sound slike you had a good time shopping. I'd never do the midnight thing. I heard that retailers were trying the midnight thing from 5:00 am but I'd thought, who'd be crazy enough to do it??? Well I guess I know who now.

I weighed in this am and was up 1.4 pounds from when I left. My stomach is still irritated from traveling so I have hope when it settles then some will go. I was expecting a .5 pound but not 1.4. Oh, well, I'm good on track so it'll leave. The bummer part was that put me back to 49% lost not halfway.

I walked 2 miles and jogged 3 miles this morning. Tomorrow should be the same, then tomorrow morning the minor surgery on my foot is scheduled. So Wednesday, who knows. Maybe pedalling the exercycle but we'll see. I'm taking Wed- Fri off so it's a really short week.
Marie

Marie - Welcome back! You did well to only gain 1.4 lbs. on your trip. I find that I get bloated and retain water when I travel. I hope your foot procedure goes ok and that it doesn't slow you down too much but at least you can do the exercycle if it's too sore.

Judy - If you put your best effort into it you CAN lose the 50 lbs.! I had given up losing any weight when I was 50 (I'm 57) and although it's taken me over 2 years, I've lost 40 lbs. - so it's never too late! What's worked for me is counting calories and writing everything down that I eat. It's a bit of a pain, but it's the only thing that's ever worked for me in the long run.

Carol - You sure are a busy lady. All those baked goodies you mentioned made my mouth water! I love going to bazaars and that old farm house you went to sounded just the thing to get into the "holiday spirit".

I'm recovering from our bazaar and tea on Saturday. It went very well and I think we raised a record amount of money. My soaps sold well, as did the other crafts my chapter made. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. I'm having some tummy trouble because I've eaten too much white bread sandwiches, sausage rolls and Christmas cookies that we had laid on for the "worker bees". It happens every year and I should know better by now!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.