300+ And Ready To Try Again....#274
 

We want to invite everyone to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We recently started a Topic of the Day.

Monday........Motivation Monday
Tuesday.......Tuesday Tips
Wednesday.....Wednesday Weigh ins
Thursday......Thankful Thursday
Friday........Friday Facials, Fingernails and Fun
Saturday.......Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Sunday.........Soup and Salad Sunday - recipes

These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We have found them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears...joys and celebrations.

Please feel free to jump right in with us.
And be sure to check if there is a second page. We don't want anyone to miss any posts.

:wave: WELCOME! :wave:

I saw we were getting a little long on the last thread, so I started a new one. Don't forget to pop over and read the last couple of posts.....they are great ones!

Have a great day! :grouphug:

Hiya Chickies!
 

My poor lil' kitty; Moses is sick again. He's been throwing up a lot of hairballs in the last few days and now he's stopped eating and drinking! Ahhh! He's got an appointment at the vet this afternoon. Hopefully, it's just a hair ball issue and can be resolved easily... but who knows? I'm SOOO worried about him; animals' lives are so fragile. Some of you may recall him getting sick in September. $700 later, he was fine... WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT AGAIN!

ANYWAYS... not much I can do but sit tight until his appointment today. I just finished teaching piano for the morning and have until 4:30pm until my next four students come. Good thing too... I need that time for the vet.

Donna: Congratulations on the 20 pound loss! It must feel amazing to find out, all at once, that you'd lost so much weight! I know the feeling of wanting someone to tell! I've had a few of those Weigh-In Wednesdays myself... mind you, never with a 20 pound loss! :lol:

Sandy: Congratulations on your loss too! It's always nice to go down and be in the lower group of numbers! :) I'm like you--a scaleaholic. :lol: I'm not quite sure if this is bad though... I find it really helps keep me on track and motivated BUT, I'll admit to the scale holding SO much power over my daily emotions. If being a scaleaholic is working for you, then go ahead and be one! If it's stressing you out though, put it away and only take it out once a week! :)

Michelle: Hope your little guy's doctor's appointment went okay this morning and he starts feeling better soon! It must be so worrisome to be a mom... I'm so stressed about my cat--a kid must be 1000 times worse! Btw, hope your finger has recovered from it's assault! :lol:

2Cute: Just want you to know you're in my thoughts. I know your mom's illness must demand a lot of your emotions right now. Here's some positive energy, from me to you! :goodvibes

Tina: With your illness last week, and TOM this week, don't let a tiny gain discourage you. I know how much it can deflate your spirits but, if you've done all the right things, the loss will come. The week after TOM leaves is always exciting for me! :D

Yeesh. I've got a few worries right now. First off, Moses. Secondly, my friend TOM is a couple of days late. VERRRY scary. All proper precautions were taken but... accidents happen! My body FEELS like it's been coming for days but... WHERE IS IT? Thirdly, I should find out in the next couple of weeks about that grad school program I applied to and it's stressing me out too. I KNOW the program is very exclusive and I shouldn't expect to get in but... now that I've applied, my hopes are high and I might be getting set up for a disappointment. See how my second and third worry conflict? Grad school... pregnancy.... yeesh.

Well, I'm gonna do some reading to get my mind off everything. Catch ya'll in a bit!

Sara :)

Well I didn't get to bed until 7:30 this morning and then got a phone call at 9:30 and 10:30 so just got up. :rolleyes:
I wanted to check in and read before I head out to the garaage and had to stop long enough to congratulate Donna and Sandy.
CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!! :cp: :dance: :cb:
Tina... I certainly don't think you had a gain. :no: You lose a lot of water when sick... then gain it back when well. I think you are still ahead. :yes:
Sara... good luck with your cat. I have been in that situation of $$$$$ for a pet. It is very frustrating.
Okay.. I am out of here. :wave:

Sara, I will keep my fingers crossed for you (maybe you do something else with fingers if you DON'T want something to happen) uuuuhhhh, I will stick them in my ears instead. Funny thing is, I would love to be pregnant again! I know I know I am seriously insane. My husband had a vasectormy 24 years ago and I am straddling the menopause fence so it ain't gonna happen. I told Jack when I lost all my weight I would love to have another baby and his response, "With who? It's not gonna be with me, but I can find a substitute." I asked him if he wouldn't be willing to go back in and get it reversed and he just looked at me like I was nuts and kept walking. Well, we are kind of old (49 and 53) sigh, I will just have to love on the grandbabies as they come. I will say a little prayer for Moses.


Three cheers for the losers this week and even for Tina who lost in her head anyway.

Since it is tip day, here it is and it was said by someone a lot smarter than I: "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Love you ladies!!!!!!
Donna

Sara, I was going to include a pic of our kitty, Butterscotch on my post but forgot. He thought he was the Christmas angel this year and wouldn't stay out of our tree for anything! We also have a Yorkie named Fortune. (my husband's idea of a joke that he would cost us a fortune)

Oh my weve moved again. I keep getting lost....LOL

I moved Lucky's post over here....
 

Lucky posted on the end of the last thread, so I just moved her over here so no one would miss her post....

Thin: THANK YOU You gave me the great idea to copy some of YOUR recipes from your Christmas gift so I can keep posting here!!!

Michelle: Sorry to hear about Andew but I think someone in every house I know of is sick this week.

Donna and Sandy: Congrats on the great weight loss....see we are good for you already!

Tina My dear, I think the problem with the .6 gain is not enough "big n' tasty"! (although I suppose your WW leader could be right)

Sara: On the scale issue. I know they say stay off too but I think each person is different and some can weigh all the time and keep it in perspective. Tina Turner weighs herself every day. If I could have her legs I would weigh myself 3 times a day. I hope your kitty is okay. You should post pictures of Moses. I did on the MyFamily site of my Dusty. You sure have a lot to worry about. I hope reading helped. It usually does me.

Speaking of reading: I have always lived my life believing in reality...well, today I decided I am going to start to live my life like a romantic novel. They are much more exciting !!!! Any suggestions, please share. I just thought of "English Garden" in the Spring...I could do that. Hats maybe? Although I hate hat hair. Come on....

Frozen Snickers
1/2 gallon low fat vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups FF Cool Whip
6 oz. (1 cup) Grape Nuts cereal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 pkg. FF sugar free chocolate pudding (dry)

1. Blend softened ice cream with Cool Whip. Set aside.
2. Combine Grape Nuts, peanut butter and dry chocolate pudding mix.
3. Add both mixtures together. Spoon into cupcake liners and freeze.

16 servings = 5 WW points each
24 servings = 3.5 WW points each (sorry, don't have nutrition info)

Oops. I had two windows open to try and be in the read & respond mode and must have gotten confused..


NO recipe with this post...Tina...but thanks for being so sweet and moving my post. Tony says, "Thanks" too!!!:smug:

Hey there girlies,
There is no particular reason for this post other to let you all know that I'm still going strong and was here to catch up on all the posts. I'm here off and on through the day...I'm addictited you know. Anway, (totally off the subject) Does anyone here use incredi mail? I just dl it and its really neat but have a few questions about it. I had hotbar but the darn thing just had mind of its own wanted to work when it wanted to regardless of how I felt....Oh puters????
Talk to ya's all tomorrow...Hugs to all:grouphug:

Hi everyone! :wave: Gosh some of these recipes sound really good. I'm copy/pasting and printing them so I can put them in my 3-ring binder to try later.

Tuesday is always Subway day at our house. The one near me offers Two for Tuesdays where you get 2 footlongs for $8.99. They're really not bad on the diet if you order one of the 6g of fat or less versions.

I have to tell you all that I am doing much better again this week....so far. :dz: My youngest son (21) told me that he needed to get on the ball because he and one of his Fraternity brothers has a bet about who can lose the most on this work term. I guess the other guy is doing power bars and shakes and working out so DS is a bit concerned that he will lose the bet. It's funny, but somehow it gets me really jazzed about my weightloss effort to be helping him. The first summer I was on WW, he and I did it and we both did really well. Of course, he didn't really DO IT, he just ate whatever I gave him and ate a sensible lunch. We'll see, maybe he's the jumpstart I need. Who knows.

I'm doing better with the water and the fruits/veggies. Not perfect, but better. And, believe it or not, I got out the journal! WooHoo, major accomplishment for this girl.

I have to tell you about my mini victory today. Before I left for work today, all I could think of was how much I wanted steak quesadillas for lunch from Taco Bell. I was in the car, plotting which way to go to hit the nearest Taco Bell and it hit me. "What the **** are you doing? You say you want to lose. You know you want to fit in seats. You've been looking for a new dress for the dinner dance for Valentine's Day. WHAT are you thinking???" Sooooo, I began to rethink what I was doing and where I was going and pulled into Burger King instead and ordered a Chicken Whopper without mayo. And you know the best part?????? I wore a BIG smile :D out of that drive thru. I knew I had taken one baby step!

2cute: OMG! I know you told me to sit down, but I almost fell off my chair anyway. A recipe, from YOU! WOW, I am soooooo impressed! :lol: And it sounds GOOD too! Love :love: ya, hon! Loved all the great quotes too. Thanks for sharing!

Michelle: Sure hope Andrew is doing better today.

Donna: What a thrill it must have been for you to get on that scale. I cried right along with you reading your post. Good for you! * We had a similar sore throat medication when I was young. Same ingredients, but substitute whiskey for the vinegar. Makes you sleep like a baby! :^: Suppose that's not a great one for little kids though, eh? * Your kitty is so cute. I always wanted an orange tabby.

Mary: You always sound so busy. That library of yours really has alot of traffic. * How is your, was it niece? in Michigan doing?

Sandy: I love those 10 pound milestones! Hurray for you!

Tina: I was afraid that little gain was going to get you. One of the girls in my WW meeting had the flu real bad last week and lost a whole bunch and our leader said the same thing. Apparently, the flu makes you get so dehidratred that when you're feeling better, your body just absorbs the water like a sponge. Don't feel bad about the .6, it could have been alot worse. That just shows that you really do have a whole lot really gone for good.

Sara: Poor Moses! He sure has been through the mill. I do hope that you will be able to get him feeling better without a huge expense.

LuckyLadyBug: Lucky, Lucky, Lucky don't you think if anyone was going to use the recipes in MY recipe book it would be ME!!!! I went out and looked for new ones to post here on this little FUN :devil: idea Tina had! The least you can do is post new ones too. BTW, the Frozen Snickers look great! :lol: I think you're right about the Big and Tasty thing. Tina would have at least 'maintained' if she and hubby would have done the wild thing the night before. At least that's what my honey says is the remedy for all that ails me! :rolleyes:

Boy, I hope I caught up with everyone. As I peruse my computer hutch and see each of you it appears that there ARE a couple I have missed.

Katrina: Where are you? Working hard, I'm guessing.

Baylee: How 'bout you? You must be out there working hard too.

Susie: What has happened to you??? Haven't seen you since Christmas time. Check in and let us know what you're up to.

Ok, here's a recipe I found that looks pretty good. A nice lightened version of

Spinach Bowl Dip

1 envelope (about 1.7 oz) dry vegetable soup mix
16 oz. fat free sour cream
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and squeezed dry
1/4 cup carrots, finely grated
8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

In a medium bowl, blend vegetable soup mix, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Stir in spinach, carrots and water chestnuts; chill. To serve, hallow out a loaf of pumpernickel bread, by cutting a circle in the center of it. Fill with dip.

Yield: 12 - 1/4 cup servings of dip. 1 WW point per serving.
Calories 71, Fat 0g, Fiber 2g

Well, there you have it my little lovelies. I'm about sick of listening to all the political babble in the background. The State of the Union is not so bad (except for all the standing ovations every 30 seconds), it's all the analysts afterwards telling me what I was supposed to hear and what I'm supposed to think about it. First off I don't think morons would even bother to listen to the speech so why do the analysts have to talk to me afterwards as if I am a moron??? Ok, I'll get off my soapbox :soap: now.

Oh well. I'm gone. You guys have a good one.

Oh my goodness... those recipes sound good. :T
I don't think I could be trusted with either alone. LOL

I had a very productive day today. Got my garage clean and even some in the house too. I made Thins chicken and salsa/pineapple for dinner. It was good. Next time I will make my chicken bite size. I LOVED the pineapple with it.

I did not take a nap today and I am still WIDE AWAKE.
I don't know if I need a sleep thearapist or what.

Baylee you sound awesome. I can hear it in your posts. :D
Gettin up at 4:30 !!!! I am impressed.

Thin... WAY TO GO staying away from Taco Bell. I tried my first Chicken Whooper Jr due to you. It is pretty darn good and plenty big enough. I did not ask for no mayo... but they put so little on it I don't think it did much damage. LOL

Peekaboo... do you happen to be red headed? Maybe brownish red. I don't know why I visualize you brownish red. LOL
I don't know anything about incredi mail... sorry I can't help.
And as far as addicted to here... welcome to the club. LOL

Lucky.....living your life via a romantic novel... yes... go for it.!!!!I have given a lot of people that advice. Send yourself flowers, buy yourself expensive gift now and then, soak in a bubble bath, do your nails, get a massage.

It works great for married women too. Treat your husbands as you would if he were your "lovers" instead of husbands.
When I felt neglected and ignored I tried this theory... and it worked great.
In fact... at first my husband wantd to know what the heck was going on. :lol: I greeted him at the door as if I hadn't seen him in days. I would kiss him for no reason. I would do all sorts of things I wanted done for me. As they say... "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". If you want to be treated as a queen... treat him as a king. Sappy I know... but if it works.... :D

Tina... in your case... just pretend your hubby is
TONY !!! :love: LOL
Hey girl... you started this thread, you moved over Lucky, but you have not posted. Get your little fingers busy. :drill:


Donna.... as soon as you have your grandbabies you will be glad it is not full time. LOL My husband would love for me to have another baby most of the time. Until we want to take a trip or have the grandkids for several days. Then he is happy we are grandparents and not new parents . :lol:

Sara.... you have left us hanging. Talk about a novel. I want to read the next chapter on Moses. How is he doing???

Okay... that is everyone who has posted on this thread.
I don't get to respond to everyone very often lately.
Now the rest of you get in here and post too and hopefully I can respond to all of you Wed before I head out Thursday.
Good night everyone. :wave:

Hey everyone! It is warm and rainy here this morning!

QB: Now you have to have to have some gorgeous handsome love interest that treats you bad half the time and doesn't understand you until the end if you want to live the romantic novel. I couldn't do that. My dh would definitely not look good with long flowing hair, an Austrian accent saying he, "Can't Believe it's Not Butter," all the time! LOLOLOL

Cute: that was a good suggestion, but Be careful how you execute! About 16 years ago my husband was day shift supervisor in AIMD on board the USS KENNEDY. As he always answered the phone, I got the smart idea to call and talk dirty to him. When you call the ship, it rings from your phone to a central area on the ship, is answered then they transfer you to wherever you want to go. I called, they transferred and when Jack picked up I let loose. He was so adorably quiet and then he said, "Uh, Donna, this is George, let me get Jack for you." Lord, I could have crawled in a hole. And to make matters worse, he was Jack's best friend and we lived in base housing and he lived in the same housing!

Baylee: Weigh to go! Keep it up girl!

Tina: Don't freak about the weight gain. You KNOW that you weren't eating much when sick so it has to be water gained back from dehydration. You are doing spectacular.

Sara: Let us know how Moses is doing

I am sitting at the computer naked and my dh just walked in and got this big grin on his face. I told him I thought I would apply for a secretarial position this way and he chuckled and said he would definitely hire me and then said something that was funny but x-rated so I don't want to make you ladies blush.:o

Better get going and into some clothes. It is nice for it to be warm enough to sit here without them though! lol

Donna


Low Fat Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

6 servings

8 ozs mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp salt
1 c bell peppers, chopped 1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 c onions, chopped 1 tsp oregano
14 1/2 ozs crushed tomatoes, undrained 1 tsp basil
8 ozs tomato sauce 1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsps pizza seasoning

To prepare sauce, cook mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, pizza seasoning, salt, sugar, oregano, basil, and black pepper. Simmer all ingredients for 15 minutes, or until bubbling. Let cool slightly. Pour sauce over pasta or use in other recipes calling for spaghetti sauce.



Nutritional Analysis per serving (6 servings total)
Calories 65 Total Fat 0.5 g
%CFF 6.5 % Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 2.8 g Sodium 778 mg
Carbohydrates 14 g Fiber 2.9

Congrats to the weight losers today
Thin: I haven't talked to my neice in awhile I need to call.
We had 214 people yesterday don't know where they are coming from?

Morning chick--ee--poohs,
Well I hopped on those lovely scales again this a.m., please someone take them away so I can only get on them 1 time a week. Well I was so excited yesterday that I hit the 289.5 mark and out of the 90's then this am I get up and Im at 290. I have stuck to the plan true and faithful!!! But I can feel that its time for my TOM to get here, belly feels bloaty, so I will chalk it up to that and I figure so long as I stick to the plan as I am suppossed to that my weight loss will show eventually. Nothing we can do about TOM so Im not gonna beat myself up!!! Tomorrow is actual WI day so maybe the bloaties will be gone by then:crossed: .
Today I wrote everything down ahead of time that I am gonna put in my mouth today to see where my points would be. They were kinda low as tonight Im having Boca burger, so I added some chicken to my big ole salad that I made for lunch today.

2cute: Nope don't have red hair. Its kind of a dirty blonde, seems to be getting closer to light brown now that Im 33 but I know it will soon be turning gray-->oh such wonders to look forward to. But, I do have a 10 year old who has red hair. So I must have it in my system somewhere. LOL......

Everyone have a nice day, and I will check in from work today I'm sure, that addiction thing you know, just waiting for someone to post so I can go read it......:dizzy:

I promise to post a recipie tonight, but its almost 8am and I gotta go shower still and be to work by 9. Hugs to all:grouphug:

Sandy.....:)

Howdy Chickadoodles!
 

Alrightly then, without further ado, this morning is Weigh-In Wednesday and I'm down another 2 pounds for a grand total of 122 pounds lost for a current weight of 148 pounds! I need to take a moment to say to myself "Sara, that's good. Snap outta it!" For some reason, it felt like I wasn't losing weight this week. My weight was bouncing around all over the place, I felt bloated, then felt fine, etc. *sigh*

I know that's great but... as I said in my post yesterday, there's a few things I'm worried about. Moses (kitty) had to stay at the vet's overnight on IV fluids. He had x-rays, etc. and I know FOR sure the bill will not be less than $300... could be a lot more. We just spent $700 on him in Sept... now THIS.. yeesh. Money is tight right now. We're not really sure what's wrong with him yet...

TOM is STILL awol. *yeesh again*

ANYWAYS... I'm gonna snap outta it for a second cause I'm making hubby some eggs and toast for breakfast before he heads out to work in a minute. (Not something I normally do... just thought I would today.)

Before I go though... BAYLEE: Congrats on the loss this week! Doesn't such an amazing loss make you even more inspired to eat OP this week? :)

Sara :)
270/148/150
highest/current/original goal

Alright......here I am! Work has been kinda bogging me down lately, so I haven't made any extremely longs posts....but here I am to bug the heck out of ya! :p

First of all:

Sara: Good to hear from you, my friend. Congrats on the 2 lb. loss this week....you are just a little losing machine, aren't you? :D Also, please know I'm keeping my fingers crossed for little Moses too....what would we do without our furry friends?

Sandy: I am officially taking your scales away from you. {{{{hiding behind bathroom door and stealing them while your making your boca burger}}} :lol: I have to agree with Lucky...sometimes you can weigh yourself everyday and you won't be bothered by the fluctuation, but it drives me crazy. Don't let a half pound here or there upset you. I say, put that sucker in the closet & only get it out once a week. :lol: And always remember, and I have to tell myself this daily..... no
matter what the scale says.....it is JUST a number. You are successful because you have chosen to change your life and be healthy. Never allow yourself to be judged by a number.

Mary: My goodness, you sound so busy lately! Where are all these people coming from? :dizzy: Don't forget to take time out for you.

Donna: Your recipe sounds really good! When I was reading your last post about you sitting naked in front of the computer....I laughed out loud! :lol: It just struck me as funny and my co-worker was looking at me like she thought I was crazy. You are a hoot! :D

2cute: Private Tina reporting for duty sir! :drill: My little fingers are flying...are you happy? :lol: Thank you so much for the recipe...see, it wasn't that hard was it? It will be much easier the next time.....hint..hint.

Baylee: Sooo glad to hear you like your TOPS group....I am so proud of you. :smug: You sound like you're doing so well. Congrats on the loss!

Thin: I knew as I was posting about my gain last week that I shouldn't be too upset about it, because I knew you would kick my butt! :lol: Also even though you were addressing Lucky, I have to respond. My dh always thinks that "doing the deed" is the cure for all that ails you. I am constantly reminded that it is a wonderful way to burn calories. :strong: However, I would like to remind you, I was also on my TOM at WI (not Wisconsin) so even though I'm sure dh wouldn't have minded a big n tasty, I'm sure he doesn't like his with EXTRA KETCHUP! :yikes:

Lucky: No need to thank me for moving over your post....I just didn't want anyone to miss it. :) I guess all this recipe posting just has you confused, huh? :dizzy: Just kidding. I really do think it was a good idea and thanks for contributing....you're a sweetheart.

Kat: Where in the crap are you?! :drill: Get your butt in here now...that's an order! By the way, Daytona is in exactly 18 days! Do we have a date? (tv date) I'm gonna get you and Lucky into racing yet......:s:

Michelle: Where you at girl? Andrew still keeping you up? I hope he's feeling better. I hate it when they're sick. Of course, dh usually decides he's gonna get sick the same time the boys do and then I have three whiners on my hands..... :rolleyes:

Ok gals.....I think I've posted to everyone and are my fingers tired! Thanks alot 2cute! Hope all of my lovelies are having a wonderful day and I will pop back in after work to check on you. :grouphug:

Hey Everyone! Just a quickie post again!!

Andrew is still sick. He is sleeping in my bed right now...so I thought I would get some school work done but as you can see the procrastinator came out in me again! My finals are in 2 weeks! And I haven't even started that term paper yet! Geeesh...nothing like waiting till the last minute!!

Anyways...Tina...I have been lurking...John took Andrew to the doctor yesterday and they gave him a breathing treatment because he was wheezing. Then they gave a prescription for an albuterol inhaler..like right lady! A two year old is going to inhale the stuff and hold his breath for 10 seconds...get real! John hates this doctor soooo much. I am going to have to change pediatricians soon.

I just want to say everyone is doing so well losing these past few weeks...I am not whining but I haven't been motivated lately....I just can't get back in the swing of it!

Anyways...I best get to writing some assignments and get them over with!

TTFN Michelle

Nothing new to post since my last one but I Sandy needs to find new posts to keep her addiction going. :lol:
I remember (still do) checking hourly in here for new posts.

I have a good feeling about today. I am SURE that this is going to be a GREAT DAY. :D I think I will go get busy enjoying it. :dancer:

How could anyone have but a wonderful day with all you good friends. Thanks 2cute for contributing to my addiction....along with you all, you keep me going. Really, today as I sit at work I was waiting patiently for my boss to take a hike so I could sign in here and read the posts.....LOL....no shes really a great boss, she was a leader of WW for about 15 years, but then left and well life happens, now she is back as a member. So I have support everywhere. I told her about the site here, well not this particular thread, but about the 3fc site. I like to keep you all to myself, don't like to share with people I see all the time, (does that sound selfish) But if I told anyone, then they would butt in and what would I do if I need to complain about that particular person?:?: Somethings are just to be mine, meaning all of your friendships and anyone else who comes along to post with us and my Skinny Cows are mine mine, mine.....LOL:D
Okay, Im having a selfish day. I have given myself a pep talk and not worried about the 1/2 of a pound, I know I have done all I can do and that is what matters. I AM WOMAN>>>>>>>HEAR ME ROAR!!!!!!!!
Now I feel better:)
Talk to you all later....Hugs to all
Sandy

Hiya again!
 

Look at me. On the computer all day! That's okay. Every Wednesday I staff the sexual assault crisis lines from my home so I have to be here, kinda waiting until my pager goes off, so 3FC is a good distraction... much better than any distraction I might find in my kitchen! :)

Sandy: I understand COMPLETELY about this particular thread being YOURS, YOURS, YOURS! because I feel exactly the same way! :lol: This thread is MINE, MINE, MINE and I don't want anyone from my day-to-day life spying in on it! AND... I have special low-fat, low-cal things in my kitchen that are MINE, MINE, MINE too! :lol: There's definitely nothing wrong with being a bit selfish; certain things are for your (and my) own self-care! Example: If hubby was allowed to read this thread, WHERE WOULD I COMPLAIN ABOUT HIM?! :lol:

Oh. Btw, I updated my journal today. Nothing too new and exciting though. It's mostly filled with that worrisome stuff I've been talking about.... I'm sure I'll be back to my chipper self in no time! :)

Be back in a bit!
Sara :)
270/148/150

Sara girl you are definitely IT! That is so great. I just can't believe it.

QB: I have more guts than brains so you never know what I might do. I used to do nutty things at the law firm all the time and it was definitely not the place to be nutty. It was fun though! Myself and another girl once decorated her bosses office all in black and white skeletons etc for his 40th birthday. We had to come back to the office at 9 at night and it was downtown. The bad part was at the time, the main city bus terminal was across the street so there was always creepy people hanging around the outside door. She and I never did tell who did his office. We even put a full size skeleton is his fancy smancy office chair and posed him with a cigar (the attorney was a cigar freak). What a hoot that was.

Michelle: Give Andrew a kiss from all of us and you get a big hug from us. It is so tough to have sick little ones.

Sandy: You are the mama lion girl! You can overcome this disappointment and move on even without skinny cow by your side for comfort. Don't you work too hard though. Don't want to tax your brain.

Well, I better run. Donna

Hello my chickadee's

It's finally warming up a bit, it's -7C today, and tomorrow its suppose to be -2C, all last week it was in the -30s C very cold,
Foods been good, really don't have much of an appetite lately, haven't been feeling the greatest.

Been really stressed out over money again, DB has gone back to school for his 2nd year welding apprentice course, we just got his first Employment Insurance check, and they deducted half of it to pay off an old claim he owed money on, how's someone suppose to live on $265 every two weeks, that might cover the cost of gas to get to school, which is in another town, 45 miles away. You think they could have made a deal with us, accept some post dated checks, for when he gets back to work, and start paying the debt off then. I make pretty good money, but not enough, and my last check they some how forgot to deduct the taxes, so now my next check will have doulbe the taxes taken out, I may have just enough to pay my rent, I'm sure everything will work out, but I can't help but to stress out. The bills are piling up.

Well thats my gripe for the day, hope all is well with you gals,

Here's my recipe for the last thread didn't get a chance to post one, but was surfing the WW site and found this, and it sounds so good and easy.

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup fat-free milk
2 pound uncooked potato(es), all-purpose, thinly sliced
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes (if you can find Yukon Gold potatoes, use them instead of all-purpose ones for a richer, more buttery taste). Stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.

Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.

POINTS
Serves | 8
POINTS per serving | 3

Hi everyone! :wave: I hope you're all having a great day.

I'll try really hard not to be as long-winded today as I was last night. But you know me, once I get on a roll, there's no stopping me. :eek: Too bad that doesn't work in all aspects of my life, eh?

My back was good after going to the chiropractor yesterday and then I tried to sleep in my bed. YIKES! 4:00 AM rolled around and there I was, grabbing my pillow and moving to my chair downstairs. :( I did sleep there until 10:30 this morning though and feel much better now.

Sleeping in did not do well for me getting my jobs done today, so I guess I'll be really jammed up tomorrow. Oh well, the price I pay for a little sleep.

I've been trying to catch up on a bit of laundry while I'm home. I even made some of my cabbage soup today. So far, I've had 2 bowls and I just might go up and get another one. All I have to count is for my crackers. (can't have soup without crackers) My youngest came home for lunch and I fixed him a Smart Ones lunch and he even tried a small bowl of my soup.

Baylee: WOW, how cool. 4.5 pounds! That's awsome. I'm glad you found a TOPS group that you really like. That's half the battle.

2cute: It sounds like you had a very busy day yesterday cleaning out the garage. More ambition than I've been able to muster in quite some time.

Donna: Aren't you funny??? OMG, I bet you were mortified when you got the wrong guy on the phone! :lol: But I bet he had a good time. I'll bet he was jealous that HE didn't get calls like that!

Mary: I'm not sure why when you said you had 200 +some people at the library that day I thought that was unusual. It seems like that's pretty much your number EVERY day. I thought maybe it was just the weekend or something. That must keep you really busy.

Sandy: Ok, here's your fix. Another post to read. :) Don't pay any attention to that .5 pound!!! It's a mid WI (not Wisconsin) weight and it is indeed only a number. Maybe it is TOM coming, maybe you had a little too much salt the night before. That .5 could be just about anything.

Sara: Honey, you need some down time, sweetie. You've got far too much on your mind. How 'bout picking up a good book to immerse yourself in? Not self help, I'm talking a story, a mystery, a romance. Doesn't matter what, just so you can escape for a minute from all the stuff that's on your mind. I found, when I was your age, a very long time ago, that worrying about it doesn't help. You have to let it go. What will be, will be. You might just be surprised at how things will clear up when you stop some of the worry. (I'm referring especially to the TOM issue here.) * Hope I haven't overstepped. I also hope that Moses is doing better.

Tina: "I'm sure he doesn't like his with EXTRA KETCHUP!" OMG, you are INSANE!!! I thought I had heard it all, but honey, you take the prize!!! What a HOOT!!! :lol:

Michelle: What is that doctor thinking? An inhaler for a 2 year old. My gosh. She'd have been better off telling you to sit in a steamy bathroom with him. * Related subject: What is the deal with inhalers in general these days. It seems more and more doctors are prescribing them for their patients of any age. Is that suppose to be more effective than regular medications? Anyway, hope Andrew's feeling better soon.

Duckie: I'm sorry to hear you're down and out again on the money issues. It sure would seem like some kind of payment schedule should have been set up. Is there any assistance you can get with your bills because of being a single parent? I'm certainly not up on Canadian law. Just here in the states you can get food stamps and stuff because you've got a little one to raise. * The potato recipe looks great. I'm making a meatloaf for dinner and those look like they would go well with it. Thanks.

Well, girls. I think I'm going to go up and mix that meatloaf together, get another load of laundry done and maybe even actually put clothes on before honey comes home from work. Sounds like a plan.

Love :love: to all.

Oh, almost forgot. I'll leave you with my cabbage soup recipe.

Cabbage Soup

2 large cans Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 lb. bag of cole slaw cabbage
1/2 cup diced onions
1 big sprinkle of basil
1 big sprinkle of oregano
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper

Mix ingredients in big pot. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.

See you all later.....

We are off to another pediatrician today...this boy has been whinning and crying and moaning all day and still has a fever..day three we are on...something has to be wrong with him...he never cries and whines and moans...he is a happy kid no matter if he has a cold or not! Poor little baby!

I'll catch up to you all later!! Thin that recipe sounds yummy! I always use the cole slaw mix in my zero point veggie soup!

TTFN Michelle

Hi again girls! okay now to do some personal messages.

Sara ....hope all will be fine with Moses. I'm a cat lover. We have 2 dogs and 1 cat and shes mine.

thinthinker ....How many points for that Chicken Whopper at BK? I've had them before and thought they were great. We dont have a Bk near us, but if we go shopping few towns over and have to go to lunch or something it would be a great thing to know.

Jackslady :lol: gosh how you make me laugh. I bet you were a great to have for a mom growing up? I can just imagine. You keep me in stitches and I can't wait for another story of what you've done. You are so daring, maybe I need lessons.:D Please keep me laughing. And I love your inspirational quotes at the end of you posts that you put in.

Tina ....What your gonna take them away??? I was only joking, I'd die without them. I think they keep me going, but if they get to be a problem, I promise to give them to hubby and have him hide them till Thursday a.m's.
And "DOING THE DEED" Thats a big subject in my house too. My hubby who is now 33, has been the same since the first time I gave it to him. He was a virgin at 18 can you believe it? That does not happen much around these parts. Anyway now he says I created this monster and have to live with it....LOL....but yes his answer to everything is "you know a good roll in the hay would fix that"....oh to be a man. They just don't get that our day does not end after we get out of work, we still have to cook, clean, laundry, taxi and then if we have enough life satisfy our men? Give me a break once in a while is what I tell him. I was an at home mom for 10 years and my days were still busy and by 9 or 10 at night your just not in the mood, you just want some well needed rest only to get up the next am at 6:30 or so and start all over again. Geesh, I could go on and on about that.

Michellek .... I hope Andrew is feeling better, can't believe that doctor, an inhaler, Okay explain how you get a 2 year old to do that? Hope you got some school work done and good luck with the finals.

Okay, I gotta go eat my supper now...
Hugs to all and looking forward to the next posts

Ladies, I am truly distressed about Michelle's little Andrew and Duckie's money problems so please bear with me ok? I just want them to know that it is not just lip service when I say I will pray for you.

"Heavenly Father, one of our dear ladies is in distress over some money problems and needs your help. We ask that you reach down right now, sooth her brow and comfort her. Show her what to do Lord and meet her needs and abundantly bless her. We also pray for darling little Andrew. Father, touch him with your hand right now even as we pray Lord and remove his pain. Give his sweet mommy comfort Lord and we all thank you for what you have done and will continue to do for us. In your Son's name, Amen"

Thanks for bearing with me ladies. I know what it is not to have enough money. My husband was laid off 5 times in 3 years and then had to take a pay cut for the only job he could find. We moved down here to try and improve our situation and he was out of work 6 months with no unemployment, just his Navy retirement and my pay. I just knew that God had something great for us and indeed he did. I also had a baby who had ear, nose and throat problems for the first 4 years of his life. Poor little thing had ear infections about every two months with raging fevers as high as 105. He lost 10% of his hearing permanently from it. Michelle and Duckie, I am with you in your struggle!

Be good sweet ones!
Donna

Thanks Donna and everyone for thinking of Andrew. We just got back from this new doctor and I am so impressed with this office. They have a changing table in an alcove in the waiting room and they supply the diapers and wipes! Geeesh, at my last pediatricians office I had to take him in the bathroom and lay his changing pad on the floor and change his diaper! They even make you take your diaper home with you...how disgusting is THAT!!

Well anyways, Andrew has a touch of pneumonia and is now on antibitotics. This just made John rage even more at this other doctor...no wonder the malpractice insurance in PA is so out of control doctors are leaving the state! Its dr.'s like HER! This new doctor said why the heck did she give a two year old an inhaler...he can't do that! This after I paid $53 for the inhaler and chamber! My little angel had his medicine and went right to sleep on the couch...he is so wiped out from all that whining and crying and moaning because he hurt! I hate it when my baby is sick! I wished it was me instead!

I did manage to get one assignment emailed and was disappointed with a C since I got a B on the last one and didn't do much different there. But I will take it...I will actually settle for a C for a final grade on this class even though its always been beneath me! I guess motherhood lowers your standards a bit! My baby comes first!

OK Enough babbling for now! I'll catch up with you all tomorrow night!

TTFN Michelle

Michelle .... I am so happy you found a competent doctor. Hopefully Andrew will get feeling better real soon.
When my daughter was going into the 6th grade she was very ill.
I took her to a doctor and asked him "could this be her appendix ??" She had all the symptoms. He said "NO"... two days later her appendix ruptured and she was in the hospital for emergency surgery !!!!! :eek: The emergency room doctor acted like I was an unfit mother. I took her to the doctor... but made my mistake believing the first doctor. Grrrrrr Trust your instincts .... I wish I had. To make matters worse... she got an infection and was in the hospital for 2 weeks !!!!! I slept by her side every night in a chair. I felt sooooo guilty.

Well... I'm going to start a new thread since this is the 29th post.
Soooo ....STOP !!! Do not post here.
Instead come to the ongoing new thread... #275