Hi everyone, it's a wonderful weekend. I've been out hiking twice in the mountains, once to an area I haven't been to before. Hiked down by the river and the rapids. It was so beautiful.

Welcome Penpal, we are definitely neighbors. My son also goes to OIT and was supposed to graduate this June, but didn't do his senior project, so he has to do that next year. He's a software engineering student. What is your sone going for? Hey, my birthday is in August too. I'm hoping to hit the 180's by then. :)

Nikki, I don't remember what I was at when I started the June 8th goal, but I do know that I want to lose 10 more pounds by July 17th (day I fly back to MN for a trip). BTW, how was the big date????

Judy, it's hard not to be moved by Memorial Day. I'm definitely not anti-military since my DH is military :) but I'm definitely anti-Iraq war even though I totally support the troops. Just the fearless commander in chief I don't support. Anyway, I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy your homespa.

Carol, hope your camping trip is great. I thought of you a bunch yesterday when we hiked by several campers.

Freda, marblee, and everyone else, hope you're both doing great!
Marie

Hi, Penpal! Congratulations on doing so well! I hope you like this thread. We've had our ebbs and flows, but it's been plugging away for quite a while.

Marie, we're on the same page re the guys in charge...Several of my family members have served in the military once we were allowed to (although none are on active duty at the moment). I'm angry about how the military has been used to support policies I'm very much against. Right now the streets are buzzing with motorcycles (the annual Rolling Thunder); it sounds like the cicada invasion a few years back...Otherwise it's all very solemn and sad. Coming home from the grocery store, I could see the people decorating the gravesites, and the elderly vets everywhere.

It's been a good weekend so far. I'm being healthy and thoughtful, working out and eating on program. Back to the laundry--judy

Hi Marie & Judy - thanks for the warm welcome!

Marie - our son is in the Mechanical Engineering class that is graduating in a couple of weeks. He just went to a retreat this weekend with his CF group to Lake of the Woods. I checked on Tripcheck and the weather has been awful there - rainy and about 33 deg. - it even snowed a bit. Still, I hope they had a good time and managed to get outside between rain showers! :rain: Of course, it's supposed to be in the 70's by the middle of next week! :sunny:

What a coincidence that we both have birthdays in August (when is yours?) and we have about the same goal for our birthdays. Maybe we can inspire each other to reach our goals. :)

I envy you for going hiking. I would love to be able to hike (or even walk a bit) but I'm having a lot of trouble with the arthritis in my feet right now. I'm still able to work out at Curves 3x a week, so I hope I can keep doing that. I was reading that you've got orthotics - it reminded me to dig mine out and try them again (I found them uncomfortable in most of my shoes) but they are supposed to help if you wear them regularly.

I hope everyone has a good Memorial Day. God bless our troops!

hello ladies-

MM- I wil join you on the June 17th 10 lb goal if you don't mind.

Penpal- I don't know if you remember me but we were on a thread with Misty for awhile. Anyhow goof to see you and congrats on all the loss since I last saw you.

This weekend my big date was great. We had a real nice dinner. I put the diet on the side but didn't do to bad. i made dinner my only meal on Saturday. I had a steak, chowder and salad with a bake potato. I have not weighed at all since friday. I am due for my TOM so I will try not to freak when I weigh. Friday night I had a salad and yesterday I had a banana, and split a heap of fries with my boyfriend for lunch. Then I had 1 sausage for dinner. Today so far I had a banana and some salad. Not bad for the weekend. We will see what the scale says tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I spent the afternoon cleaning my bedroom, which wasn't the most exciting thing to do, but it was awfully rewarding. The room feels like a calm refuge again, instead of a yard sale. I had a good workout this morning (Fat-Burning Aerobics for Dummies) and have been eating lots of veggies.

Nikki, I hope the scale reflects all of your discipline and hard work! You are really bearing down to meet your goal.

Penny, I have arthritis, too, in my knees. I can walk, if I'm religious about 'sensible shoes,' but hiking wacks my knees out. I go to Curves, too. Tell me what you think of it.

I've revised my year-end goal to 200 instead of 190. I've gotten off to a slow start this year, and I'd rather focus on a goal that is a stretch but still doable. If I average at least a pound a week, sometimes more, I'll get there. I'm feeling really good and in the zone right now, wish me luck!

This week will be a short one for most of us. Hope everyone gets off to a great start!

judy

Thanks Judy. It is so nice to have support here. Good luck with your goal. You have 6 months to go I know you can do it.

see you in the morning
Nikki

Nikki - Sure, I remember you from way back! Long time no see. You are doing great too :cheer: I'm glad we're on the same thread again. My weight loss has slowed down lately, so I'm trying a few things (a bit more protein & a few more calories) to shake things up and get losing again. Calorie counting and keeping a food log seems to be working for me but I get impatient sometimes :tantrum:.

Judy - I have orthotics too, but I don't use them :o. I think I have shin splints (going to see doc next week) so I'll probably have to start putting them in my shoes again. I sympathize with you for having arthritis in your knees. I have it in my feet, right knee and hip but I must say it's gotten quite a bit better since I lost some weight, especially my knee - it doesn't hurt going up and down stairs anymore! :cb: I love Curves (especially since I can't walk far) and I think the leg exercises have strengthened my knee. The arm/shoulder exercises have also fixed my frozen shoulder. I was a wreck when I started there 2-1/2 years ago and feel much fitter now (except for my stupid leg). I'm hoping my feet get better too (maybe after I lose some more weight) so that I can do some walking. Gosh I don't usually whine so much, but it's been getting me down! :(. Good luck for reaching your goal :goodluck:

Have a great week everyone! :sunny:

Hi everyone, the BBQ is being slow so I though I'd jot a quick note. Penpal, I love my orthotics. I can tell when I don't where them. I have bone spurs in both heels and plantar fas... (sp?) so if I don't use them, I'm miserable. The only shoes that I can wear without them is my TEVA and my Berkenstock sandals. Even then, not everyday. I think I have arthritis in my hip seeing that exercising isn't making the pain go away. But for now, I just keep walking and taking Gloucosimine. Gee my spelling is atrocious. :)

It's also my TOM so I'm not weighing in tomorrow. No need for bad surprises. But Friday for sure.

Nikki sounds like your date went well and CONGRATS on getting back on track right afterwards. That's a major accomplishment. Also, my Goal for 10 pounds is July 17th - no way can I do 10 pounds by June 17th (although I wish I could).:p

Judy, I always view cleaning a room like a good enema. Yucky to do but well worth it.:o Good luck on the revised goal.

Penpal, it was 30 degrees this morning and Lake of the Woods is about 30 miles from my house and up about 1000 feet. I'm sure it was colder there. Brrrr. I want summer to come back!!!!! BTW, when you're down here for your son's graduation, maybe we can get together for a skinny coffee. I would have suggested a walk, but that sounds like it might be torture for you.

Marie

Marie - I'd have loved to get together with you for a coffee, but we're leaving here early, going straight to the graduation ceremony and returning the same day. We can't stay overnight as I get dizzy from the altitude :(. Thanks for the suggestion, though. :D Please look me up if your up this way sometime and we can have that skinny latte! :coffee2:

I started taking glucosamine and a high dose of fish oil a couple of months ago and my hip is quite a bit better. I think my arthritis comes and goes depending on the weather or something (maybe food related too?) I don't take any pain pills as I'm afraid they might mess something else up. I did take Vioxx for a couple of years :yikes: It worked great but at what price???? I thought it was too good to be true and my naturopath talked me into giving it up right before it was banned.

My son and his friends had a good time at Lake of the Woods despite the weather and even went kyaking and did some skeet shooting. At least the weather is nice today for the holiday.

penPal welcome aboard the more the better. Sounds like you fit right in nicely. The camping was fun I caught the biggest fish 2 days in a row! We didn't keep them let um go! It was fun just catching them for a bit. I didn't do too bad and was brave enough to do the scale. No loss no gain so woo glad thats past me. It is hard being away for sure. I did have a couple of coolers and 1 reg. soda, some choc. covered peanuts, 2 marshmallows and a few chips. But I also had my reduced fat crackers, cheese and limited my breads. I made the girl friends some omelets and we put them with some shredded cheese in our whole wheat pocket breads they were great. The girls liked them too. The guys slept in what brats they usually cook breakfast. But we ate healthier as I cooked instead. I tried to becareful but it was hard having some extra around that were healthy was a good idea. The guys even ate my cheese it reduced fat crackers. I tried not to over do it was tough for sure. But when I did eat extras I limited myself. We took lots of walks. Just to get to the bathroom is a hike up the hill. I managed to fall down it two times with sandals on. Changed to sneakers before breaking a leg. The sunset was breath taking on Sunday. Such a pretty lake. We did manage to enjoy going boating no swimming this time. Lots of walking did the pier which is about a mile long really cool. Lots of boats were out this weekend. Some rain on friday and some monday early morning little thunder storm thank God for a camper. So my wt. didn't go down but for where and what I did I am okay with it. I set myself for 4lbs. by the 8th. So forward march I say! This week I am only in the office 2 days then I am going with a friend to a conference in Saratoga Springs about 2 hrs. away pretty area. On friday its over at 12 time to shop and explore. I plan on watching my intakes closely.I hope to swim at the hotel and maybe workout as well. Its a Holiday Inn usually there is a workout room. I will take some healthy foods along for inbetween times, fruit and veggie snacks. Judy I am with you on the war. My father and grandfather served years back. I just read some kids vandalized some grave sites. Why would some one do such a thing. Boy life sometimes pays back I'd be scared of the consequences for sure. Awful thing to do. Nikki keep moving forward I would be really pleased with 9lbs. one lb. not lost isn't a big deal you should be so proud of yourself for losing the 9 its not easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!
Marie your walk sounds wonderful glad you got out there. Camping is lots of fun but work also getting ready then unpacking. But its all worth it . I liked getting into my own bed last night. It was around 87 degrees here yesterday a hot one first of the season. I think we are in for one hot summer. I can't get over the kids will be home on the 8th time goes by so quick!
Take care and everyone have a super day watching cals, exercising and reaching for their goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

Marie I forgot to mention your loss! Great good your doing well passed me right by. I will have to work really hard to catch up with you! Keep it up and you will meet the family with a lovely new outfit on and feel like a million bucks in it. Good luck keep pushing forward it tends to get easier when we see some results to know all our hard work is paying off.

Hello ladies-

Penpal-you are really doing awesome.

cacmsc- I am glad you had a nice camping trip. It sounds like you stayed on track.

Marie - I meant July 17 I was just thinking its already June so I guess that is why I typed June. Awesome on your loss!

I weighed this morning and as I suspected I am up 2 lbs from bloat Tom and not being perfect this weekend. Realistically I know that I its ok and by tomorrow I will probably be down one of the two if not both just from drinking my water again. Not time to panic yet. Besides my weigh in is not until Friday so I have time to lose yet this week.

Nikki

Morning everyone, sounds like everyone had a nice weekend. I bought a new Weber BBQ to go along with our gas one and we BBQ'ed the steak on it last night. Yummy. Also had a baked potato with 1 T sour cream and fresh chives from my garden. It was a good dinner and worth the reduction of calories earlier in the day. I didn't weigh in this am since TOM is being pesty.

PenPal, no problem on getting together. I will be in Portland but only the airport in July. Maybe some day. :)

Nikki, you're note solidified why I didn't weigh in. Good for you not to get upset about it, but when I get an undeserved weight gain, I stew about it even though I know it was temporary. I put in my diet software the start date of our 10 pound challenge so I'd know what I was at when we began.

Carol, sounds like your camping trip was fun. I used to like to camp (tents) but now I like hotel rooms. I guess I'm spoiled. Plus, living where I do, I have a house where most people would choose to camp so I can sleep in my bed and still hike the mountains in the morning. BTW, that is what I'm going to do this morning - once the temperatures warm up some. It's about 35 degrees right now. Brrr.

DH is going back to swing shift starting today so I'll be "alone" in the evenings. I put that in quotes since DS, GF and DGS live with us, but they usually in their living area and I don't see them a whole lot. I'm not looking forward to this. :(

Well, I'll chat with you later.
Marie

Marie - I just calculated there are 48 days until July 17. We can defintely lose 10 lbs in 48 days.

Nikki

Hi everyone, sounds like you had a good holiday! And most of you managed to stay on tract, unlike me. It was our first barbecue of the seasonl and I over did! Not a great deal, but I had a steak, 1/2 a baked potato, some pasta salad (low fat dresing). I didn't have dessert, just watermellon! Not too bad.

We have a Memorial site not far from where we live, with the names of the fallen souldiers from all the wars on it (local). We took the grandkids and talked about it. Chan understood a little but of course the 3 year old just had a good time running around. We explained how we have to be grateful to all the soldiers and the sacrafice they made for all of us! I totally agree with the rest of you about this war now! I am thankful to each and every soldier there. But I feel this isn't "our" war, it's Bush's war". Don't want to step on any toes.

Our weather has gone from cold to HOT. the holidays were miserabally hot, in the high 90's. I told you I would be complaining about the heat, after comlaining about the cold all spring!

Niki, good to hear that your big date went well! Hope you had lots of fun!

Judy, we spent the weekend cleaning too, with the exception of the barbecue! We got the front porch and the garage cleaned and some more of the basement! It is such a wonderful feeling!

Penpal, I took vioxx too and stopped just before it was recalled. I still blame it for my liver emzymes being messed it! But it did make me feel so much better. I haven't found anything to replace it that has helped so much! Maybe someday they can make a safer drug that will be as beneficial. I won't be quick to hop on the bandwagon though. I think I would fear anything they put out!

Marie, You live in our vacation spot! I can only dream about such a place! Maybe after we retire.

Carol, ( i never knew your name before) your camping trip sounds like so much fun! And another trip planned! You gadabout! I want to go too!

Take care everyone, and keep up the good work! Freda

Marie - Your bbq sounds great. Nothing like fresh chives right from the garden on a baked potato (a little butter is good too :devil:) I think we'll fire up the old bbq next weekend if the weather's good. I like your idea of "saving" some calories so that I can have some of my favorites.

cacmsc - Thanks for welcoming me on board. I'm envious of your trip - I love fishing (catch and release - they're too smelly to keep! :lol:) We live on a river, but there are too many snags in it. When we first moved in I lost about 6 rigs before I gave up! I bet you burned off a lot of calories with all those outdoor activities.

Nikki - Don't worry, the 2 lbs. is probably due to TOM. It will probably come off soon.

Freda - Pleased to meet you! :D I'm with you on not taking stuff like Vioxx. I guess we just have to grin and bear it! :^:

I went to the docs today and, sure enough, I have shin splints :(. Don't know why - I haven't been going crazy with exercise - just the usual. At least it's something that will eventually go away (I was a bit concerned the leg pain might have been artery problems, which run in my family). I've dusted off my orthotics and will start wearing them again - much as I HATE the things! :mad: It's odd, but my doctor said the shin splints are probably what's also causing the foot pain. Hopefully they'll both clear up soon. :crossed:

Have a good one.

Hi everyone, now that DH is working in the evenings, the internet is now my pal for the evenings. So I'm back.:devil: DS, DGS, and DS's GF are here and now that I started to write, they came out of their room. Timing???

Penpal, I would get new orthotics if yours aren't comfortable. My podiatrist said you shouldn't be able to feel them. I don't feel mine so I think he was right.

Freda, I agree with living in vacation land. I love having all the areas I love near by. I miss the ocean - which I know is only a few hours west, but since the Pacific is so cold, it's not the same. I miss the Atlantic (I used to live in Virginia). Other than a swimable beach I'm in heaven here.

Nikki - definitely we can do it. No sweat - oh no, I guess that should be lots of sweat. ;) ;) ;)

I didn't make dinner so DS and GF are in my just cleaned kitchen making hemselves food. How much do you want to be it won't be clean anymore. Sometimes I miss the idea of empty nest... Anyway, they asked when dinner was and I said I had frozen lasagna and a salad and was done. If they'd only get I don't want to be their servant if they'd only help, it would be so much better. But they don't get that.

I did financial icky stuff all day. Yucky!!! I think a huge piece of chocolate cake should be my reward - just kidding. :D I got it done and that's all that matters. Besides I left room in my calories for a small ice cream cone. I get that in about 1/2 hour.

The hiking was great and my doggies are exhausted. I love taking them into the mountains so they can run free. I have sled dogs so they pull like crazy on a leash so hiking is much less painful.

Well, that's about it. I'll chat with you tomorrow evening.
Marie

Penny we almost all have had those awful shinplints at one time or another. Not fun so sorry for you. Yeah fishing is kind of fun and relaxing. I enjoy just being outside within the touch of nature.
Scales down 1.5 from yesterday yeah!!!!!! I must of been holding onto some water wt. from salty foods etc. Maybe the exercise this weekend helped too. At any rate I am not sad! I was a good girl yesterday stayed within my cals. and ate well for the day. Grilled steak last night and had a 1/2 baked pot. with a little butter and salad. We all are in the steak mood. My current wt. today is when I had my nice loss on 5/2 I ck'd. Nice keeping a intake journal you can look back for the good and the bad. So if I keep this off I only need to lose 2.5lbs by the 8th. Not bad maybe I will even beat my odds if I try hard. I posted a note piece of paper on my ref. with the number of lbs. on it. When I open the ref. it is a reminder of my goal not anyone else knows what it stands for or has asked yet. So its working for me. I also drank lots of water yesterday it was near 90 its going to be one hot summer.
Girls living near the mountains and the ocean sound wonderful if I didn't have children and an aging mom I would love to move. But this is where I will spend the rest of my life most likely. But my son keeps me traveling for sure.
Continue to make healthy choices and when you want the goodies save room in your intake for them. We will all meet our goals. I can say girls on the Tom subject he has been leaving me alone and I am pleased. Haven't had to worry about that since 3/06 and before that it was months. So I hope he is gone on a long trip with a no return in order. Have a great day. I might not ck in until saturday. I will be off for my conference on Dementia and Alzhemier disease. At least maybe we will get some good info. such awful things to have to deal with. We work are whole life trying to relax when we get a bit older and get hit with all this stuff!!!!!!!!!!!! Be good!

Morning everyone. I am down 1 pound from yesterday woohoo. I am hoping to knock back down below 158.8 friday. I was 158.8 last friday. If I can do that it will be 6 weeks of consistent weight loss. Grant it I usually only go down a pound a week or so but I will take it.

Marie -good for you on the dinner thing. I think it is awesome that you can go hike with the dogs.

I still am not at my TOM I am right before it waiting. I can't wait to get that over with.

Nikki

Marie - Yes, I might need to get new orthotics, mine have never been real comfortable (podiatrist said I'd get used to them!) Too bad I wasted five hundred bucks! Your puppies must need a lot of exercise - which means you get a good workout with them too! I'd love to have a dog (we have two kitties). One of these days when I can walk a bit further I'm determined to get one!

cacmsc - Congrats on the 1.5 lb. loss :carrot:.
Looks like Tom is about to be history! I haven't seen him for four years now and I'm glad to see the back of him!!!:lol:
It must be so hard to have a parent with Alzheimers or Dementia. I'm lucky that my mom and dad (both 84) are still doing ok - especially as they live so far away in England. I'm thankful that my sister and brothers live nearby and visit them all the time.

Nikki -WTG on the pound loss!! :cb: It's awesome that you are losing so consistently. I'm lucky to lose .5 a week - usually less. I've just started eating a bit more protein and I think it's working as I'm down a pound from last Friday. It won't be "official" till Friday, but I'm hoping it won't come back!

Way to go on your loss Penpal:cheer:. I know I always see a loss when I up protein. In fact today I had chicken for breakfast and will have meatloaf for lunch and more meat for dinner. I am hoping it will hep me lose on fridays weigh in .

Nikki

Nikki - Yes, it seems like such a simple change, but it works for me too. I log my food on Nutridiary, otherwise I wouldn't have known I was low on protein. It's supposed to help build muscle too - which is good! :lifter:

I'm feeling a bit blah today, but reading your posts have perked me up. Thanks...:hug:

Carol , Penny and Nikki, hooray for the weight loss! My TOM is just starting, so I'll ignore the scale for another day or two, and use Friday as my official weigh-in day this week. I'm glad that so many of us are using the same dates to set goals. I used to join the "fourth of July"-type threads, but I don't consistently have enough time to keep up with more threads than this one.

Marie, your last post cracked me up. I hope that you have an understanding with your son regarding when he and his family will fly from the nest. One of my aunts now allows her daughter, her grandaughter, her little great-grandaughter, her son, and now her son's girlfriend to live with her...along with her hubby and her dog. They say my poor uncle spends all his time in his bedroom or in the garage, trying to get some enjoyment out of his crowded retirement.

Freda, as far as I'm concerned, watermelon is a fine dessert...but it has to be really good watermelon. Nothing disappoints me more than biting into fruit that doesn't taste right. Well, that's probably an overstatement. But really good watermelon on a hot day can't be beat. Congratulations on making good choices at the BBQ.

All of a sudden it's turned tremendously humid here. Even at 7AM it was draining to do a Turbo-Jam workout, and afterwards I was sweating like a fountain. Guess I'll have to break down and turn on the AC so I don't pass out! Even so, it felt good to get through the workout. I worked too late to go to Curves last night, I'll go this evening. Eating has been on program, but when TOM's around I tend to mindlessly snack at night. Now I have a little book about not eating at night on the table next to my favorite chair, which I hope will keep me on track when the urge strikes.

judy

Hi everyone, it was a busy day at work. But I sure did work out today when I wasn't at work. I got up at 5:15 this am and WATP 3 miles. Then after work, I stopped at the post office and my TurboJam package was there. So I did the intro moves and was interrupted (like usual) by DS, DGS and GF. It was cool though. I enjoyed chatting with them. Then DS suggested that DGS wanted to go on a walk and it was too bad I was exercising. I said, no problem, someone go with me and I'll take my doggies out for a walk. So DS's GF and I took DGS and the doggies on a 2 mile walk. I'm a little pooped now. Tomrrow I hope to do a little more of the TurboJam. Judy has me motivated to get into it. And Judy, you're so right about blah fruit. I like it when it's flavorful. Especially peaches - my favorite food on earth.

Carol, great job on the 1.5 pounds. Here's hoping that your conference doesn't throw a wrench into your plans.

Nikki - you are awesome, chickie!!! Maybe in a year or so, we'll be maintainers not losers. I'm looking forward to that. I really want not to be fat anymore. It's very motivating.

Penpal, my orthotics were about 500 and my insurance paid for them. They didn't pay for all of my sons' (both of the kids) but after I paid the 250 deductible, they paid 90%. Check with your insurance. Your podiatrist was doofey if he thought you'd get used to the fit. My dr. said I had to get used to wearing them (sort of slippery) but that they shouldn't hurt.

Food was good today - about 1400 calories. Water is above 75 oz (which is my goal) and exercise is a little overboard. So I guess I'm doing good. Work will be busy tomorrow again but that's not a bad thing. I have a couple reports to do then I get to design web pages that are driven by a database I developed last week. In other words, I get to PLAY!!!!
Marie

Mmarie - you are doing awesome with your exercise and everything.

I am in a slump today I actually got my TOM and weiged in at 159.4 not bad hopefully 2 lbs of bloat is on me. I have walking less because I've been achy but I'm going to try to start again after my TOM . I think maybe I should get indoor walking tapes since it seems like it will be a HOT summer. This weekend we are getting our pool set up so by next week I should be swimming daily. That is bound to help me lose.

have a good one
Nikki

Marie - WTG with all that exercise! You're doing great with the calories and water too!

About the orthotics - we have lousy insurance (we are self-employed and pay a fortune for our premium - currently $8,500 a year - plus we have a huge deductible of $3,000 per person!) We can't change companies because I've had cancer so they hold us to ransom upping our bill by 25% a year :( I dread going to the docs now because you never get out of there for less than $150 these days and then if there's any tests.....:yikes:

Nikki - I hope you feel better soon - take it a bit easy till you feel up to more exercise. Your pool sounds great - it will be a nice refreshing way to exercise in the summer.

I haven't lost any so far this week, but I did get a new pair of pants in a lower size (14) yesterday :carrot: They are real comfortable and I couldn't believe they fit so well!

Hi All, WOW!!!! Everyone seems to be doing so well! Way to go team! It does help knowing you're going to have to "fess" up or have someone to cheer you on when you do well!

I love fruit too! Heck, I love most things! Cherries are my all time favorite and Michigan cherries will be comming in soon. I can't wait! I buy huge bags full and eat them untill I can't. They aren't in season for long. Thank goodness they aren't terribly high in calories. This was the first watermelon we bought that was really sweet. We had gotten one other one that was just blah! So disapointed. After a hard winter that first fruit of the season is SO.... good!

Ok, ladies, now you have me wondering about this Turbo Jam! is it a tape, certain kind of exercise? I'm always looking for something new to try. I get bored with one thing and besides, I think the body gets used to the same thing and isn't challenged after awhile.

Am I the oldest person on here? I haven't seen TOM in years and good riddence! Couldn't wait to see the last of him.

Take care all, Freda

Hi everyone, today's been a good day. Work passed in a blur and I babysat my DGS. He and I took two of the doggies for a walk. I must be insane. Here I have the big jogging stroller with a baby and two pulling dogs on leashes. I must have looked like a fool. But DGS has been cranky today and he NEVER cranks in the stroller. He loves going on walks. I think he likes the bumpy mountain roads. So I figured I'd pass 45 minutes on a walk. It worked, then I fed him, then my DS came home and I was off the hook. :)

Freda, TurboJam is a DVD workout system I ordered when my internet was down and I zoned out with infomercials. I ordered it - I was a sucker... Anyway, I just did the teaching of the moves and haven't done a real workout yet. Maybe tomorrow. So far, walking after work with the doggies and DGS has ranked higher. And in the mornings I do the WATP.

Nikki, our pool still has the winter cover on it. We've pulled it back a few times to add cholorine and algecide, but it's been so cold, why undercover it? We have solar panels mounted on our house to heat it and without sun, it's not warming up. I used to swim laps, but then I started to see my dream pool as a punishment, so I stopped that. Now I just play and dive in it (I hav e a diving board and love doing back dives - strange passion). Anyway, I did notice when I did laps 2 years ago, I always weighed heavier the next day. My guess is that I was water logged? :) I sure hope you feel better. Since you got me started on this healthy diet/eating I haven't had TOM symptoms. Mine came on Monday and no PMS or anything. Very cool.

Penpal, congrats on being a cancer survivor - that's awesome!!!! Health insurance is a horrible necessity. At least you have major medical and they can't cancel you. But yes, I can see them holding you hostage. If you can afford it, I would get the orthotics though. It might help with a lot of the other aches and pains. And the SIZE 14 pants - WAY TO GO!!!!

Talk to you later.
Marie

Morning everyone-

Today was my weigh in day and I weighed in at 159.8. I am not surprised. Last night at about 9 I was craving salt and grabbed a handful of chips. I am sure next week after TOM I will b back down. I won't meet the June 8 goal but I will meet the July 17th one. I hope everyone is having a good day.

Nikki

Hi Everyone, I had to turn on my computer before work and tell everyone that I lost another 2 pounds. YEAH!!!! Can you tell I'm happy???? That's 10 pounds since we started on April 25th. Double digits.

I also logged my walking and I'm cruising. Since I started on January 12th, I've walked 349.7 miles. To me that's a miracle. My May Goal was met and past. The was 65 miles and I walked 89. So far for June - 8 miles. I'm a walking maniac. :) :)

Nikki, good luck with the salt craving. I rarely have those - thank goodness - they really screw up your weight tracking.

I've decided that I like seeing a 2 pound loss. Really like it. I'm going to weigh only once a week - on Fridays because they're always good days. The Tuesday weigh ins are going to stopped, at least for now. I like the big chunks of progress. Eight more pounds for the July 17th goal. We can do it!
Marie

Way to go Marie :carrot:

Yay Marie! :dancer: Congrats on the 2 lb. loss - all that exercise is paying off! :carrot:

Today is my weekly weigh-in day too and I'm still at 189 - at least I didn't gain and I'm happy because I bought some nice size 14 pants :D.

Have a great weekend everybody :sunny:

Alright, Marie, two big pounds!!! And Penpal, the idea of size 14 pants gives me the shivers! Congrats to you both.

Freda, I'll be 50 next year, but that's not so old anymore--I hear it's the new 21!

Nikki, I'm also TOMming, so my official weight is about a pound higher than my ticker. If I don't go on a salt or chocolate frenzy, it will be down a bit in a day or so.

Speaking of frenzies, I have been on program for over two weeks, but last night I met a friend who was in town for a job interview. We had margaritas and fried calamari, so I'm being extra good today, lots of water and veggies. I had a hard workout this morning, and am heading off to Curves, so there shouldn't be too much damage done by two giddy hours of laughing like a fiend with an old pal. But it broke my long string of smiley faces on my calendar. Today is the first day of a new streak.

Have a great weekend.

judy

Judy- I felt guilty not changing my ticker to reflect. However, I know I will be down by next week.

Penpal - You are doing awesome I am so proud of you !

I am going back on my eating good today. The last few days I wasn't so good I gave myself the excuse of being PMSed. Enough of that 157 here I come ! Isn't it amazing that often times we know what works to lose but we stray from it. I'm going to add my walking ticker back because that motivated me to get my walking in. The one week I dont get all my walking in I gained. Back to walking LOL.


Nikki

Happy Saturday everyone!!! It's a beautiful day here and I was out hiking with DH and the doggies. I love being out in the woods. We had a nice morning and now DH had o go to work (Guard weekend). So here I sit in front of the computer.

Nikki - I definitely don't worry about TOM weigh fluctuations. That's why I didn't weigh last Tuesday. Then I found the greatness of having a whole week go by and the joy of a whooping 2 pounds leaving my body. I want that feeling every Friday. :) And thanks for the congrats. We're doing so good.

Penpal, way to go on the size 14 pants. That's awesome. I'm not there - yet, but I will be. I hope your weather up in in NW Oregon is just as beautiful as S Oregon. I'm loving it after the icky spring. And thanks for the congrats.

Judy, sounds like you had a great time with your friend. There are times that eating is part of the social aspect and just so it doesn't throw you off track, it's not a bad thing. The margaritas sound good. I like fruity stuff. And thanks to you also.

Well this a.m. DH and I planned our trip to Minnesota. We not going to be there long (7 days with 2 of the 7 being flying days) and we have to see both sides of the family. I was starting to dread it and DH suggested we go to Duluth (where we used to live). So we got a one night hotel room and we're oging to visit the North Shore. It's beautiful up there and we lived the 9 years - and didn't take any pictures. We're going to this vacation. We also made reservations for a train ride along the St. Croix River. It's a semi-formal lunch "cruise". Sort of spendy but we wanted to do it. So now I have to tell our families they each have aobut a day and a half. Oh well, we're the one spending the fortune to travel - we should have some fun, right????

Well, that's about it. I'll chat with you later.
Marie

Sounds like fun! I think I'm due for a margarita (especially now the weather is getting warmer). Isn't Curves great? I love it.

Nikki - Glad to hear you are getting back on track with your walking - it's great exercise.

Marie - Your trip to Minnesota sounds like a lot of fun, especially the train ride along the St. Croix River. Our weather has been great the last couple of days too and I've been doing TONS of yard work (now that my shin splints are getting better) including digging out new flower beds, weeding (yuck!) and transplanting stuff. I thought to myself today that there is no way I could have done the amount of digging and hauling, etc. this time last year before I lost most of the weight. I think working out at Curves has definitely helped build my strength :strong:. I went to another doc about the orthotics and he said I should get different shoes (the ones I wore with them weren't deep enough). I got some New Balance shoes and they are much more comfortable. Thanks for your advice about the orthotics.

Have a nice Sunday everyone!

Hello everyone! Woo your all doing great. Keep up the good work. Marie now that you are seeing results there is no stopping you! Isn't that a super feeling? Nothing quite like it once the motivation is turned on high its full speed ahead. At any rate my conference was very good. The key note speakers for each session were doctors. They gave great information and it will help me at work and home with my own relatives as well. So it was worth the trip. I had a good time except I did overeat one day. I really was satisfied and not so hungry but my friend wanted a burger and we went. Of course we had fries too it was around 8:30 pm. My stomach paid the price later on oh was I not feeling so well. So it was a bit more cals than I needed and too heavy. I haven't gotten on the scale and decided to wait til friday this week. I am going to exercise today either at the gym or the lakes. It seems to be a nice day so outside may be fun. Its been a bit. My kids come home from Hawaii this week and needless to say I am thrilled. The time together will fly by and the next meeting with them will be my daughters wedding next June. Time together is always gone by so quickly. I will take a few days off but because of my long vacation in March don't have alot of time. Judy when I turned 50 was my turning point with my health. I had decided if I didn't start to take control of my health aging was going to have some real issues. So I started taking better care of myself knowing I was the one in control only of this part of my life. A heart to heart with myself that it was a turning point for the good. I don't feel over 50 and I agree its not as old as we all once thought it was. I feel pretty darn good and keep with the younger ones just fine and plan on continuing to do so. Heads up and lets do it! Nikki you will get to where you want to be. Sometimes our bodies need to adjust to our losses and you did lose. So maybe your in a litte adjust time. It will pass and sometimes we need to shake things up like our exercise or more protien as you are doing. Good luck. Everyone keep up the good work. I bought lots of groceries some healthy some not. I will try my best to stay out of the nonhealthy ones. When the kids come home I pack the house with things they like its a treat well deserved. We are camping this weekend and I want to kayak with them as well so some exercise is in site and hiking.

Morning Ladies-

It sounds like everyone is doing well . :carrot: :carrot:

I'm stil struggling but I am determined to over come. I walked another 3 miles yesterday. Woohoo. However, I had an apple turnover for desert. I need to get out of this slump fast !

Nikki

Ok so in my last post I sounded ok. The truth is I am completely bummed out. I should have been down to 157or 156 by now. I need help getting back on track. It's like I saw how good I looked the other day , on my big night out and then I stopped watching what I ate. I need to do this. Today I will eat breafast , lunch, a healthy snack and dinner that is it ! I'll have 4 water bottles too. And walk 3 miles if it kills me .
Nikki

Walk, Nikki, wal. You can do it and I NEED you to be on the bandwagon. You're my diet partner, you know. I worry that my motivation will slip once I'm down to a weight I'm comfy at even though it's not the real goal. It's happened in the past and I worry it will happen again. So I can have you going down the road. Be disciplined today and tomorrow and you can do it. I know you can!!!!

Carol, sounds like you'll have a great couple weeks. Enjoy the time with your family. It's a bummer you can't take more time off - too bad I can't give you some of mine. But, then again, there are rumors my many days off are going to come to an end. :(

Penpal, good for you on all the yard work. That's lot's of work. I truly hate it. Formal exercise is more preferable. I'm glad you're trying the orthotics again. I'm a true believer in them. Although they do ruin the shoe's inside so you can't wear the shoes without the orthotic - but I guess since I'm supposed to wear them it's not a big deal.

I decided I hate TurboJam. Good thing it comes with a warranty. I'm going to call the company and get an RMA. Way to expensive for something I really didn't like. I'm going to stick with walking and hiking. I like that and can do it the rest of my life.

Today is going to be fun. DH and I both have it off. We're going to drop the Durango off at the body shop (someone hit us in Walmart's parking lot a ocuple weeks ago and the new body parts are in). Then we're oging rollerblading!!!! Then we're going out to lunch and to a movie (The Breakup). It's supposed to be sunny and in the 80's. It will be a great day!!!

Talk with you all later.
Marie