Carri: Our Walmart and Krogers carries them here. My dd says Sams Club has them too though they are of course in a bigger package. Polar brand treats has something similar and just as good if you can't find the Skinny Cows.

Tonya: I love the yakking so keep it up. I get bored here at home so it is nice to get on and see what you guys are all up to. It is not hard work for me and I enjoy it so don't worry about it!

***REGARDING VEGGIE BURGERS*** Make sure you look at the calorie content etc. They can be deceiving and high calories. Sometimes you are just better off making a burger with sirloin which is about 99% ff. Just make sure you spray the pan with Pam or you won't get it out because there is very little fat for it to slide around in!

We had a nice surprise yesterday. Being retired military, we are entitled to health insurance for life called Champus, but it isn't very good so they have another program called Tricare either standard, extra, or prime. We currently spend $2400 a year on premiums for health coverage with copays of $15 for dr visit, $50 for hospital emergency, and $10/$15 for generic and brand prescriptions. Dh told me to check into Tricare (which we have never used because he had health insurance from work) because the premiums are going up another $100 a month at least with his city insurance. Wellllll, Tricare Prime for a family has a yearly premium of $460 versus $2400 and $10 dr visit, $30 for hospital emergency and $3/$9 for prescriptions. Now besides saving a bundle of money every year, we will have health insurance for life no matter whether we are employed or not and if dh dies, I still am covered for life as his spouse! We can also continue to carry this when we are retirement age and using Medicare which some insurance companies drop you when you are eligible for medicare and depressing as it is, I am only 13 years away from that! Needless to say, we are dropping his coverage at work and picking up Tricare Prime.

This is for all my sweet and hard working friends here! Enjoy it!
http://view.greetings.yahoo.com/gree...?3CCY86JKGGD6R

Faye

Faye, awesome news.. doesn't health insurance just blow ? It's an endless battle for me, every year the cost of keeping it goes up, yet the coverage they provide goes down... I wonder if they will ever find a solution for the problem.

Cute card!

I think I almost smiled.. my kids decided to have one of "those" days.. on a day when I have to take them to the office with me... I will try to keep my cool.. but so far I am ready to rip my hair out!

Hello Ladies!!!

Sounds like everyone is doin pretty good.

Let me get my points here. I got the 2 for OP and 1 for water. I only work out every other day, because we are currently lifing weights and you need a day in between to let the muscles heal. At least that is what the bf says...

Faye--great job on the pounds. Very inspirational. ALso, great about the healt insurance. I have been lucky, I have a great job that offers really good benefits, and having 2 kids, and one that has to see special doctors it really does make a difference.

Tonya--I know how you feel with the kids. Mine have been so wound up lately, I cannot wait for school to start and for things to get back to normal.

Hello to everyone else. Check in later

Bella, we have year round school here, so my daughter starts school Monday the 28th, thank god! she will be in first grade too.... it may sound bad for me to say it, but I can't wait until my kids are both in all day school..

it's hard when you work, things would be much easier if they were just in school.. daycare costs would cut down so much, and stressss!

Hi girls, How goes the day?

I just got back from a day of shopping and stuff with a real good friend. And I finally drove through my first major rotary. I have always been petrified of them, but today was the day I decided I would concour that fear and I did it.....

Amanda: So glad to see you pop over chickee pooh.....hope you are getting some well needed sleep now.

Faye: Wish I could be closer to walk with you too. I'm suprised you did not melt away. The humidity here has been so bad lately. Congrats on the pounds lost...you are doing so good.

Bella: I love that name...could say it a million times a day, I think if I could have another child and it was a girl that would be her name. Good job on the points.

Tonya: School year round? I wish, then I would not be spending out money on a sitter. My daugther will be starting 1st grade in September. She will be 6 in about 2 weeks.

Satine: I found the skinny cows at my grocery store too, and you can always request that they get some in for you. I love the chocolate cookie/peanut butter icecream ones...yummy. Good luck finding them, but WW has one too that is good.

Honeyrose: I love veggie burgers too, my hubby hates them. I can get the crumbles made by morning star and use those in a casserole and he is okay with it, but not the burgers. I prefer the Boca ones myself. And if you go to Bocaburger.com I think it is they have recipes there too...enjoy.

Missy: Hang in there girl. This too shall pass. Hugs to you.

Pam: You are so upbeat. You are such a great addition to our group. I'm hoping your ambition and attitude rub off on me.

Okay, I think I got everyone on this thread so far, if not, I am sorry and I want to say hello and give you a hug for my forgetfulness.

Hugs,
PEEK

yeah... well year round means they go for 6-7 weeks, take 2 1/2 - 3 weeks off... and so on.. she got out of school on July 2, and is now starting again on July 28th, lol. It's still a pain on the daycare bit.. but also you don't have to figure out how to pay for a whole summer's worth of childcare.



I can't wait, especially with the mood today, I have PMS full force today, argh my patience is shot

I hate to brag, but I DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM, I DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM! MY KIDS ARE ALL GROWN, MY KIDS ARE ALL GROWN! ( My banana is dancing to a latin beat of the above) Sorry, I just have to revel in something!

Peek: Glad you had a good time with your friend. Sorry she has to contend with such a debiliting disease. I would like walking a whole lot better if these #$%^ sidewalks weren't slanted. It really does a number on the hip that is on the slanted side. I end up holding it after about 5 minutes and walk that way, which looks ridiculous!

Tonya: My ds lives in southern Ca and I know her kids used to go to year round school but I know her youngest (who is 12 and going to big ole middle school this fall) is in a regular schedule. I think they would go 3 months on one month off and she would have the same day care issues when her twins were young (they are 28 now)

So far I am OP for the day and sure hope I stay that way. Have my water and exercise in so I am going for 2 days straight girls!

You all be good and think of sunny thoughts for tomorrow!

Faye

Hello again Ladies and Happy Friday to you all...

Tonya--I think they are trying to start year round school here. The summers are shorter and they get more breaks every year. At least I have been lucky I have never had to pay child care. My step mother does not work, so my kids have always stayed with her, and now that we are living with them, the school is at the end of the street. It is so nice...

Peek-- thanks for the compliment on my name, it has been my nickname for as long as I can remember. Sounds like there are a few of us here that have big first graders..my son is so excited.

Faye--I understand the humidity. It really wears on you agfter a while, and we seem to have it all year round.

Hello to everyone else. Will try to check in a little later

Yeah, it also means less crowding.. there is always a track that is off track.. instead of all the kids in school at the same time, all the time

well I am depressed

I hate PMS, I have had a rotten day, and my patience is just totally shot. so what do I do ? sneak into the ice cream leftover from yesterday

I can't wait until my TOM is over.. .it's the worst time for me, by far.

The weather too, so Faye, I can totally relate with the woes of the weather.

Tonya--I totally understand the PMS, as I am going through the same thing. It really does suck, but no need to give into those cravings as hard as it may be. Just keep thinking about how far you have come, you are doing great. Do something to take or mind off and relieve the stress...Take a walk or even better a nice hot soaker..

Hello everyone, I am in such a good mood, back is feeling much better and I have the whole weekend ahead of me...but oh girls I did not do well for lunch today, IT A BUFFET! Yep, my husband and brother wanted chinese so badly and they chose a buffet ( hope I am spelling that right ), they tempted me
and I gave in

I did eat quite a bit, and now I am going down a shame spiral
but I am doing it secretly as I cant hide the good mood about the weekend...

And it sounds like you are all doing so good that I am almost ashamed to come here and admit my poor eating the last few days...
I am determined to stay OP starting tomorrow and going forward, I mean I usually have a bad day once in a while but this is becoming a all you can eat marathon, ha!!!

Thanks for all of your encouragement, seeing you guys do it daily really helps,,,keep up the good work and I will try to make you all proud ( and myself )...have a great weekend if I dont pop back in

Carri

I will definitely go to the store and look for these skinny cows, so thanks for all of your imput...

also I am thinking about all the girls with PMS, take care, my turn is next week.....

Goodnight all....

Carri

Hi girlies.

Ok.. weigh in time for me. 149.5. Sigh. Those biscuits & gravy really hurt me, because I have been doing so well with my exercise and halfway decent with OP. Welp.. half a pound isnt bad. I'm bouncing around a bit since is that hormonal pms time for me.

On the upside.. My drs appt was a success. Everything is healed nicely from my surgery and I am free to live my life with no restrictions. I know I never said what I had done.. but here goes.. it was a hysterectomy. Had problems - bad ones since age 12 and Im now 32 and should've had it done years ago after the birth of my last child. Kept ovaries so I still get (and currently have) PMS.. but they arent working right so I get to start the lovely addition of a HRT to help me gain more weight. I'll fight it though! I feel so much better now than I can ever remember feeling.. and my problems were also a big part of my weight gain.

Anyhoo.. I just finished a skinny cow.. Oh how addicting! And my store had them on sale for 3.39 plus I had 1.50 coupons.. so I stocked up. yummmmmmmy!! I know I know.. Tonya.. you warned me!

My son will be starting 1st grade on the 27th of Aug and daughter will be starting 2nd grade. Woohoo only one left at home!! I cant wait for school to start.

I have 2 boxes of the Morning star farms burgers. The better n burgers have 100 cal each /20 fat cal. 2 gr fat, 310 mg sodium, 13 g protein.
The other kind I bought and havent tried yet are Tomato &Basil pizza burgers and they have 130 cal/50 fat cal, 6 g fat, 320 mg sodium, 11 gr protein.

Breakfast today : Chocolate Royale Slim fast
Lunch : Another one of those awesome healthy choice turkey breast on light ww bread with leaf lettuce, tomato, and a dab of ff mayo. I skipped the soup today.
Dinner: A nice big dinner salad with greens, carrot, tomato, sprinkling of 2% shredded cheese, and Light Done Right Ranch dressing.. Oh my soo good!
And of course.. my skinny cow that I just finished!

Carri: I am so glad your back is feeling better. I have been thinking of you

Peek: sounds like fun going shopping!

Tonya: Hang in there.. Im right along with you. My patience is non existant now and I want to eat everything in the house. This, too, shall pass

Bella: Nice to see you posting and congrats on the points!

Night girlies

Sarah: YOU GET A: for your points yesterday. I don't think I told you my dh's family lives in Mineral Wells and he has a cousin that lives in Dallas. I love it there. We went there on vacation to visit his elderly aunts and uncles in Mineral Wells with my dd and grandson and it was wonderful. We stayed at the residence in out in Fossil something or other! We went to the aquarium (a total disappointment though we did take pics of the cotton bowl!). went down to the stockyard area and ate at one of the WAY overpriced steak houses there and the food was atrocious. $13 for a kids dinner for heaven's sake, but the piece de resistance was Fossil Rim. Absolutely marvelous and we got some terrific pictures. That place is amazing.

Carri: I will be driving to Indy and kicking your butt if you don't come here and talk with us especially when things are not going well. You need us collection of nuts to make you smile and make you realize that tomorrow is another day. Oh and PS dh is taking me to the Chinese Buffet next Friday. He hates Chinese but every once in awhile takes me as a treat so chalk it up to a treat and start back fresh tomorrow!

I am so excited. The sister I have that lives in Ca is coming to Arkansas around the 8th of Aug with her hubby and daughter to see her fil who had surgery today. It is only a 4 hour drive to their house from here and I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving pre-weight loss of any kind. I can't wait. It will be like old home week as my bil's family is step related to me. His grandmother is my step grandmother and the only one I ever knew and I lived with in high school. His mom I call aunt and his sisters were like my sisters. NOW for the neat part. When my bil was in Memphis in the late 60's going through electronic school, he was best friends with this guy from New Mexico. Because the guy couldn't go home, my bil's mom kind of adopted him and he and Larry would hitchhike to his mom's house on the weekends. Guess who the friend was? Yep, you got it. My grandparents would go to Arkansas every summer so my grandma could visit her daughter and between my junior and senior years while I was down there, my female cousin talked me into writing this friend of her brothers. Her mom made her write him because he was so far from home, but her boyfriend didn't like her doing it so she talked me into it. And that as we say is HISTORY! thirty one years and 2 kids later we are still together and happier than ever. Besides that, we then put our heads together and decided we should get his best friend and my favorite sister together. They have been married 30 years in just a few days. So, these people are like his extended family and we are really excited about going even for the weekend.

You guys have a great evening and I will talk to you tomorrow.

Faye

This is a busy thread, I will do my best to stay with it. Well, I get no points today-I wasn't OP, I didn't exercise, and I didn't drink my water. I could give excuses, but why? The fact is it doesn't change the day a bit. So my goal for tomorrow is to drink my water and exercise. I will try to be moderate in my food and journalize it. I know I can't stay OP with the food in the house now, but it is what my budget dictated. So I'll do the best I can with what I have.

I'm curious, does anyone here lift weights? I'm really seriously looking into doing Body for Life-I'm just waiting for the gym to re-open to start. I figure I have to do something to get this weight to go away, and I don't think just walking will do it for me. I used to walk several miles a day everyday and I still weighed over 200#. Granted, not the 300+ I weigh today, but I think if I ever expect to get below 200 again I have to step it up and keep it up. Just my theory.

Anyway, I'm still too new to begin to tackle individual replies-but I will say Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome. I really appreciate it.
Okay, I'm editing this to add a comment about vegi burgers. I used to be a vegetarian, and I have tried many vegi burgers. (My fave used to be Green Giant, but they don't make those anymore I guess.) Anyway, all I can say is keep trying them. They all have a slightly different taste. I really like MorningStar Farms' Spicy Black Bean Vegi Burgers. I agree on Boca, never been a fave. Also, you may or may not know this, but a very quick way to prep a vegi burger is to pop it in the toaster. I know it sounds crazy, but it works and it is very quick.