My (Almost) Chocolate Melt Down
 

Don’t try this one at home, kids! :D OK, let me set the scene. I had just finished 30 minutes of cardio and a kick-butt chest workout. I’m STARVING because I hadn’t eaten for 4+hours. And I’m driving home from the gym. What “brilliant” idea pops in my head? “I’ll stop at the Godiva Chocolate boutique and get that candy for MIL for Mother’s Day!” (yes, I AM a moron but at the time it seemed the "efficient" thing to do). :dizzy:

So there I am, surrounded by millions of calories of chocolate goodies and they are giving away free samples. And the :devil: starts talking to me — “c’mon, no one will know, you can be good tomorrow, you deserve it etc etc”. Made it out of the store with MIL’s candy and no samples and then I am in the car with chocolate — another bad scene. So I whip out the cell phone and call DH at the office and say “I am in the car with a box of candy and you better check to make sure it is still intact when you get home!” (Then I knew I wouldn’t eat it.)

The moral of this story is … don’t be an idiot like me and make it harder than it already is! Without a doubt, food issues are the most difficult part of weight loss and maintenance for me. Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by all the wrong food in huge quantities AND it seems like everyone else is always eating it! Ah, my dream world would be the one where you buy gas at the 7-11 and go in to pay and there is a big bowl of shiny apples by the cash register and water in the cooler and maybe little pouches of tuna? Dream on … and until then, stay OUT of candy stores. :D

And, of course, when I woke up this morning, I was so happy that I had not given in to the chocolate. It’s a funny thing —- I've never woken up the morning after some kind of unplanned eating and have been GLAD that I did it — you know, like “I’m so glad I ate that cookie yesterday!” Nope. I just have to keep reminding myself that it tastes good for what —three seconds? And then I’m unhappy for three days? Not worth it!

Ilene -- I feel the way you do about the eye surgery. Until they can do eye transplants, I’m not going to mess with the ones I have because they are pretty fragile. Due to my extreme myopia, my retinas have a lot of holes in them (“Swiss cheese” is the medical term that the MD uses). I am perfectly content to live with contacts. My glasses drive me nuts, however, if I try to exercise in them. I did get a super high-index set of glasses lenses (make by one of the Japanese camera manufacturers —Seiko?) and they weigh nothing — they are like air.

JC -- prayers for peace for your dad.

Tika -- I LOVE skullcrushers! I’ve also dropped the bar on my forehead — hence the name … you end up with a really moronic looking bruise. Now I only do them with a spotter.

Sel -- I like the Keith Ryan quotes — I’ll have to check him out. It goes along with my belief that 98% of weight loss is controlled by what happens in my head. And that self-talk is a huge part of it.

Tidey -- I haven’t had a chance to look at your pictures, but I can’t believe you’ve gained fat unless that other 20% of eating has been really over the top. Food really is the toughest issue, isn’t it? Sounds like you know what to do — and you know you can do it.

Paula -- your children are just adorable! OMG, dimples too! I hope they will be home with you soon. I never cease to be amazed at how (tired, frustrated, mad, stressed, unmotivated) I can be when I go to the gym and how great I feel after a good workout. Greatest cure ever invented for the above.

Susan --great to see you again! I’m sure you’ll be able to graduate without the cane. And what a great day that will be — you've worked so hard to get there and you've made it! What are your post-graduation job plans?

OK, all of us geeky little girls who got stuck wearing hideous pink or blue “cats eye” glasses in second grade (first grade for me) — were we all bookworms too? I was! Lived in books as a kid. If only those horrible girls in gym class (you know — the ones who could climb the rope to the top) could see me doing squats now … (apologies if you could do that — I could only cling limply to the knot at the bottom :o ).

Later, all! Today is arm day and calves (and laundry and errands and all that).

Meg

Hi all

JC, your family is in my thoughts *hug* and we're all here for you.

Meg, good job on resisting the samples! I've never even SEEN a Godiva chocolate and Im OK with that hehe

Kanola, Ive been in Sweden 3 years (plus one as an exchange student). What part of Canada are you from? I grew up in Brandon, Manitoba (we grow.......canola! god the SMELL *blech* hehe). How are you finding life away from the great frozen north? My hubby and I are going home for 10 WEEKS this summer :D I leave in less than a month so gotta lose more fat before I go hehe!

Tidey

Good Morning,

Susan, I was really glad to read your post this morning. Yeah! on going back to the gym and graduation. You will do it without the cane.

Meg, Yeah...guillty here. I was a major bookworm. Even now, I feel the most comfortable at the library or in a bookstore. Oh, oh, how I longed to be one of the "cool kids" like my sisters.

Karen, I remember that man-bra episode on Seinfeld.

Colleen, Where's the oregano?

Well off to workout- upper body and cardio. Later.

Sel

okay Meg, you are my hero! I can't even spell Godi, uh, Go, uh, that word without eating the stuff.

Irish, those babies are beautiful. As my daughter would say, "She has holes in her face:-)" My daughter just loves dimples.

I have never needed glasses, but was STILL a bookworm. I had 4 big brothers and no sisters so inside of a book in the bottom of my closet was my favorite escape. i still do that now, but just not in the closet.

i didn't get to lift yesterday. i got stuck at work til after 6:30 then i had to check out a summercamp and then pick up my little diva. my bag is packed for tonight. I will have to combine legs with chest and biceps though. grrrrrr!

Hello girls!! :wave:

SUSAN!!! So happy to see you back and doing so well... You are a very courageous person...

Meg No Meg I had pink cat eye glasses :lol: I wasn’t really a bookworm tho.... but I did like to read AND look at boys... Oh and my Gawd your chocolate story made me laugh, yep, been dere done dat!! I’m the same way after 3 hours of no food, I could eat a horse, (oopps sorry Karen!!) a house, and some chocolate too ....WE are SOOOOOO pathetic when we comes to food aren’t we? It maddens me when I think about it... But we keep trying to fight the demons...and that’s what counts...

Tidey I saw your pics and you are doing great! Keep up the good work... I bet you’re so excited about going back home and for 10 WEEKS too... Good for you I hope that you’ll still be able to post and keep in touch, because the board just wouldn’t be the same without you...

Son is here for lunch gotta go pretend I actually did something this morning, in case he tells his dad , hehehe.......

Hi to every one else!!

Ilene, you're being too hard on yourself! We're not "pathetic" when it comes to food -- we're just human and you're right -- at least we are trying to fight the demons. When two thirds of the adults -- at least in this country -- are overweight or obese, you know that a lot have just given up and given in to the mass media and culture that pushes all this unhealthy food in mass quantities on us. We have never failed until we quit trying (and we'll never do that, right?)

I read this yesterday and it really resonated with me: "The only way that you can fail to reach your goal is to stop before you get there."

Keep on trucking, ladies!

Meg

Good post Meg!

Must borrow that quote :D

Tidey

Thank you all so much. Your comments on my children made me feel much better during this tough week emotionally!!

Meg -- you are soooo smart -- calling your husband was brilliant. Way to go! I agree 100% that the key is reminding yourself that it is 3 minutes of pleasure vs. 3 days of agony. I am going to remember that.

So last night I noticed a bit of a line on a my arm -- like perhaps the development of a good muscle? It made me feel very sexy so I seduced my husband. =) I am very much hoping that is not too much information or offensive in any way. I just thought it was interesting how a little muscle can make one feel so sexy (and also be sexy to dh). I am truly amazed at how getting healthy, losing weight, and exercising has altered so many other areas of my life that I never thought would be affected by it.

Peace,
Paula

P.S. Would somebudy please do something about this horrible Chicago spring we are having??!!

Happy Thursday y'all!
 

Doing GREAT here in (not so sunny) Cali!! (supposed to be nice this weekend though...hoping...)

Had an awesome killer LEG WORKOUT today. My legs are already feeling it, so I'll probably be walking around like Walter Brennan tomorrow :lol: which I'm sure some of my co-workers will attribute to horseback riding (with the weather we've been having lately...no way...).

My Jim has also been cutting WAY back on the junque food (tough for him...his gals here at work are always giving him cookies, cake, etc. etc.) and he's already seeing his pants loosen up. :) He said he wants to eat the same thing for dinner that I eat...so that means a lot of salmon and chicken right now...I do give him brown rice though - he'd be less than thrilled I think with just protein and veggies.

He's been gigging a lot lately - not with that Souled Out band though - he decided he'd rather be doing originals with his buddy Shree. They're working on the website right now...only the coming soon page is up at this point but the rest should be ready to go next week I think...as soon as they finish their bio's. http://www.shreedove.com/

Eating has been SPOT ON this week :) I feel so awesome...the CLICK came back big time...

Paula - I know how you feel! I think muscle IS sexy!!

Meg - 2/3 of adults are fat...and around here I'd say the same thing about the kids. It is a sin and a shame. In Pittsburgh (here in the East Bay - not in PA) the childhood obesity is such an epidemic that the city is starting a door-to-door program to pinpoint overweight kids and get them on the path to healthy lifestyle changes. It was on the news last night. What was really sad/funny were the interviews they did on the news - they interviewed a teenage boy who looked normal (i.e. not fat) and he thought it was a great idea...then they interviewed a chubby teenage girl who said "they'd better not knock on MY door". :( Dunno if it's the school district or the city starting the program...but it saddens me to see so many overweight kids. I mean REALLY overweight/obese. Did any of you see Dr. Phil on Monday (it's on at 8 pm here)? With the 160-lb four year old?

Hey - Godivas are okay but as you all know I am a SEE'S fanatic! :lol:

Susan - can't wait to see you post again regularly!!! We have a boatload of attorneys here don't we :) so you should feel even more at home...Maybe we should have the Lawyers who Lift - with a theme song to that Jackson Browne tune "Lawyers in Love"...

BTW I am a LIFELONG bookworm...taught myself to read when I was three years old (no kidding - don't ask me how I figured it out...). Of course being a bookworm has its advantages and its disadvantages...the main one for me growing up was not paying attention in math class :( so I've always been lousy at arithmetic. Thank God for calculators...

Meg thanks for the talkin' to... I needed that...

Paula I absolutely agree the 2 times I lost all my weight I got pregnant!! LOL.... Coincidence?? !! :lol:

This is totally off topic…Fellow Bookworms, how about sharing some of your favorite authors or books?

Here are a few of mine….

James M. Cain - Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Sinclair Lewis – Cass Timberlane, Dodsworth, Main Street
Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice
Lillian Hellman- The Little Foxes, Another Part of the Forest, Toy’s in the Attic
Maya Angelou- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
James Baldwin-Giovanni’s Room
Charles Dickens-A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations
Ernest Hemingway-The Sun Also Rises
Alexandre Dumas-The Man in the Iron Mask
John Steinbeck-East of Eden, Tortilla Flat & Cannery Row

Oh, and any trashy novel written by Harold Robbins or Sidney Sheldon.

Sel

let's see, John Saul, Deane Koontz, Nora Roberts/JD Robbs, Iris Johansen, Terri McMillan, and almost anything that Oprah's book club recommends. The best book I have read in a while is the Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingsley. I laughed, cried, shouted, howled, etc. while reading this.

Oh yeah. and Rowlings. I had nightmares after I read Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire. I can't wait for Order of the Phoenix to come out!

Thursday
 

Susan! So glad to see you back, and congratulations on getting through with all the struggles and pitfalls that have beset you! We'll have an on-line party for your graduation :grouphug:

JC- Thoughts are with you. :grouphug: to you to, glad I can't get cyber-bronchitis, tho. I hope your father is doing better oris at least comfortable.

Yup, I was a bookworm too, my glasses were pale blue.

Hmmm...favorite books:
Currently on a binge of trashy crime and detective novels. Love Ian Rankin, his are not trashy.
Other all time favorites: anything by Margaret Atwood, Amy Tan, Elizabeth George, The Poisonwood Bible, Heart of Darkness, Tender at the Bone and Comfort me with Apples (foodie books by Ruth Reichl). Can't remember what else- I ten to go on "author binges" then move on.

Yesterday was leg day- walking funny and sitting gingerly today. Now I have to go do cardio and abs-

cya later,
mel

Well other than the plethora of horse books (mostly related to Arabian horses - pedigree research is one of my obesssions) here are some of the 'fun' books I'm reading...or in some cases re-reading...

Jemima J by Jane Green (her "Bookends" is good too, but didn't care for Mr. Maybe)
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley (okay so it's a horse book...but it's FICTION darn it)
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (okay another horse book...but it ain't on the bestseller list for nothin'...and I'm looking forward to the film coming out in July - the Kentucky Derby telecast was FILLED with teaser ads for it, and I've always liked Jeff Daniels who plays "The Biscuit's" owner, Mr. Howard...who lived just a mile or so away from where I live - now the Bing Crosby estate in Hillsborough)
Nanny Diaries but I always skip the last few pages...not what I would have done if I was in that situation!!
okay and more horse books...because right now I'm re-reading Walter Farley's Black Stallion series - not the WHOLE series because some of the later ones are pretty marginal!

Karen,

I am quite intrigued. How does one go about researching a horse's pedigree? Do you use owner's records or is something recorded concerning parentage in the county or town records? And, just why is the pedigree so important? Is it used just to determine whether a horse will be a racing champion? Or does it serve another purpose?

Sel