Good Morning all...

Lets all get off to a good start today. Stick to our plan and get our exercise.

Christie, we miss you.
Eleni, that candy has my name on it also, but maybe with the help of everyone, I can resist it. This is the time of the year when all the magazines are filled with cookie and candy recipes. I've decided I should not read magazines for the next month, then I won't be as tempted.

Sherri.....I think you are doing great with your walking, especially in cold weather. I use every excuse that I can think of to keep from walking. However, my walking pardner won't let me get away with it. The only time she doesn't want to walk is when it's below 50 degrees. It was 82 here yesterday.

CC....How exciting for you that your mother is coming for Christmas. I can relate to the chance that she may not recognize you. A few years ago, I learned that I was diabetic. My good doctor sent me to a diabetic dietician/counsler and she helped me lose 60 lbs. My son who was in the air force came in for Christmas and when we met him at the airport, he didn't know me. He later told me that when he came off the plane, he thought "There's Dad, but where is Mom? And who is that woman with Dad?" Of course, he realized it was me when he got close. I have since gained back 20 of those pounds that I lost.

Here is the recipe for the Pumpkin Muffins:

I box chocolate cake mix or spice cake mix
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin
1/2 cup water

Mix together cake mix and pumpkin. Add water as needed to create a smooth batter. (This will be thicker than typical cake batter). Line muffin pan with paper liners. Fill cups 2/3 full.
Bake at 350 for 18-23 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

I figured out the calories by adding the calories in the cake mix and pumpkin together and dividing it by the 24 muffins that I made and came out with 96 calories each. And by counting the carbs up, it is about one and a half carbs each. 15 carbs being a serving.

Summer.....Hope your cold is better today.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Nita

The Pumpkin Muffin recipe sounds great. Another one I'm going to have to try.

Do these freeze well?

Nita, thanks for the recipe. They sound vunderbar!

I am excited about my mom coming, 19 more days! It has been very hard not telling her, I knew she would be thrilled, but I didn't want to set her up for a disappointment if I failed.
We are even anyhow, she has had her ticket booked for weeks and not told me! Imagine, not telling your only daughter she was getting the only thing she really wanted for Christmas. How could she keep such wonderful news from me?LOL

Got my weigh in tonight, send me some goodluck vibes, girls!
Did my crunches, (Sherri, I did 48 in one minute!) will do tread mill between glaze coats unless I need an emergency trip to the paint store.

Well, my walls are patched, sanded and primed. My blank canvas awaits! I love this part, now I will either screw it right up or create some beauty.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Vibes}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
to you all,

have a Triumphant Tuesday!!!!!!!!!

CC

Well, I went to lunch with friends today and did not do bad. I had soup and a baked potato with everything on the side. I had green onions, very little shredded cheese, and sour cream on my potato. I only ate half of it. The soup was delicious, creamy and I ate it all which was not good! But I plan to watch real close what I have for dinner tonight. I plan to get on the treadmill as soon as I get off here.

Guess what! It is snowing here today. That is probably not a big deal for some of you, but it is very unusual here in N. TX.

The muffins sound wonderful. I have a dinner to go to that I have been ask to bring a dessert. I may make those. This is a group of friend who all need to watch what we eat. (Like Me)

CC, I know you are excited about your Mom coming. I know you will have a wonderful time. My daughter and I are very close and it is wonderful. I know you will do well at your weigh in tonight! You have been so dedicated!

Hope you are all having a good day!

"A Hug is a great gift~~~one size fits all~~~and it is easy to exchange." I send a hug to all of you!

Hey CC,

I had to tell you that the day before yesterday I walked 5 miles and I did a total of 250 crunches. Then yesterday I didn't walk but I did 300 crunches total. My scale is down so hopefully it is working. I did walk today but only the 3 miles but it is all up hill mostly. But I haven't done my crunches yet but I will when I get done here before I go to bed.

I did good today. I had my 1/4 cup of oatmeal with an egg for breakfast and a tossed salad for lunch but I had a candy bar also. Then for dinner 1 hamb. with diet bread and fries. So I am sure with the walk and the crunches I am about to do that it was okay having the candy bar. I know I shouldn't have had it but I wanted it so I had it.LOL

Just to let you all know my uncle is not doing well. I won't get into the specifics but basically we are just waiting for him to die. There really isn't anything else they can do and he is going downhill. I was at the hospital all afternoon and didn't work. Now I have to make up my hours for that. But I was so glad I was there for my cousins they needed me and my one cousin I am close to really needed someone to talk to today. That is all I can do now is be there for her. I can't do anything else. They told them today that they should consider pulling the plug. He is only living on life support and has been since he went in 2 weeks ago. So it is such a hard thing to deal with.

That is great that your mom is coming to see you for christmas. My mom and I aren't close but they only live 3 doors down from me and I see them all the time. But I am sure it would be different if I couldn't just walk down and see them and they lived far away like your mom. Enjoy your time with her and I am sure your kitchen will come out great. Just be patient with it. And take your time. I know you will have had a loss tonight with all those crunches. She will be so proud of you like we all are of you that you lost the weight. She will be estatic. Wish I could see the expression on her face when she sees you. It will be priceless.

Mickey,

Sounds like you didn't do to bad with lunch and you watched what you ate for dinner so that made up for it. Did you get the treadmill in? That will help you out also. Keep up the great work. You are heading in the right direction. Thanks for the hug. And you can keep the snow. It has been very warm here lately. I am expecting to get dumped on with snow at any time now. It has been in the high 50's for the past few days and last week as well. If it stayed like this all winter I would be happy. It is great walkng weather. But I have been wearing my ear muffs as well for the colder days. I hate the cold and can't believe that I am walking in it myself. It is a first believe me. But I want to walk my way thin and I know it is helping so I keep going. I walk most days but I have missed a few days so far but I am not beating myself up about it because I am getting in more exercise now then I have in a long time.

Nita,

The pumpkin muffin recipe sounds great. But I try not to make the desserts because I know I will eat them. I ate just fruit for lunch yesterday and I will do that again tomorrow as well because I am home for lunch tomorrow. But I had a huge tossed salad today so I think that was a good choice seeing that I was on the road and not home for lunch. I make the salad from a salad bar at the grocery store. It is very filling and lasts me all day. I wasn't hungry for dinner but ate anyway. But I have not really been hungry with all the exercise I am doing. I think it is taking away my hungry feelings I was having which is a good thing.

Summer,

Glad to hear that you had a great time at your MIL house for thanksgiving. Too bad to hear that heather was sick and now you have it. That isn't good. I will say a prayer that melissa doesn't get it. You can keep the snow and cold weather out there we don't need any here. You are right you have to get moving more. Try getting back on the bike. Can you do that now with your back? Try something. You can do 5 min each of it like eleni does it is just as effective. Glad to have you back.

Eleni,

That is okay you can start over again. At least you aren't that far behind because you were doing good. So look at it that way. It is okay to start over again. Just do it. You can do it you were doing so well. Did that man that talked to you about losing the 100 lbs motivate you at all or tell you how he did it? I would like to know how he did it myself. Probably by eating right and walking right?

Christie,

Glad the job is going great. I hate your hours though I don't have a phone buddy anymore. I will feel better once the holidays are over and we can chat on the phone again. Take care of you and get some rest. I hope you are feeling better girl.

I am going to get out of here and do some crunches. I won't be walking tomorrow but I will do my crunches though. I have to go clean house in the morning then take my daughter to her tap/gymnastics class. We are starting back again tomorrow. It is the first time she has taken tap though but it is her 3 yr for gymnastics and she is 3. She loves it and is looking forward to going tomorrow.

Have a great day tomorrow everyone. I will check in and see how everyone is doing.

Sherri