To 200 in 2001 (10-14 & beyond)
 

This is for those of us wanting to get to/below 200 in 2001 or thereabouts . We do not judge & we appreciate all viewpoints . Amen.:lol:

Hey all ,

I hope the thread intro is okay . I'm a little short on imagination right now . I think Kati & Christopher sucked it all out of my brain :lol: . Actually the new activities we do probably help my poor tired brain .

Dora , I gained 20 pounds this summer , too:devil: . My washer quit (spinning) & I thought I could fix it , but couldn't . I now have proof that the washer eats socks . I took the bottom & back off & found a sock .

Judy , I had been wondering what had happened to you . I'm glad to hear from you . Six months plateau ! I thought I was going nuts last year when mine lasted 6 weeks .

Lauren , you are really doing good . I would love to travel in the upper eastern states . I lived in Virginia for a year , but thats as high up the map i've been . One day......

Thanks to all of you for the good tips on the P.F. , obviously i'm not alone in this affliction . I had switched from the saturday morning meeting that I had gone to for over 2 years to a monday evening meeting , a few months ago , because of my sons scedule . I hated it ! The people were very nice , but it wasn't the same . This saturday I went back to my old meeting . It was great :smug: . Everyone was so nice . I had a big loss , but I won't brag as most of it was due to switching back to a am meeting , rather than effort . But I'll accept it just the same . :p

Adios for now . Kathy

Howdy, howdy!

Well, I'd like to say I'm completely back on track. Not. But my attitude is greatly improved and I really want to re-start the losing cycle again.

This week was interesting with the hubster being gone. He does laundry and the pool. It took me from Sunday to Wednesday to get a load of laundry washed and into the dryer (still not all folded!!:o ) and the pool backwashed.
The next day we got torrents of rain and I had to drain the pool and dig a trench in my landscaping to keep water out of the house. :mad: Then Friday we had high winds and water. Saturday I awoke to huge branches hanging off my trees. Several trees in the neighborhood were uprooted and leaning on the power lines. Of which we had none. My darling DH got to come home to a pitch dark house -poor baby! My DD andI spent the day cutting, sawing and lugging those branches to the front. I was determined that Chuck would not have to come home to deal with that mess! At least it was good exercise. And empowering, cause I got it done instead of just thinking about it. :D
Right now we are doing the rest of the laundry so DH can re-pack for an extended stay. Including an air mattress, sleeping bag, and computer! He'll come home every three weeks.

My DD has gained so much weight that I basically forced her to walk with me this week. Amid much groaning, she managed about 9 miles! Plus the tree trimming exercise. It really digs into our schedule, but it will be worth it to keep her healty.

OK, I have to get back on track (already blew today) cause I'm now just teetering under 200. Well, there's plenty of other reasons, but that's my story for now.

Here's hoping the rest of you are doing well!

Hey ladies,

I just thought I'd check in to see how you all are doing. I'd love to say I'm doing great but even though I'm not, I'll stick my head in the door anyway to say hi! I'm struggling too and hope to get my life together enough to get back on track. Wish me luck.

Kathleen, I know what you mean about the kids causing you to lose your mind, sometimes I think mine just suck the energy right out of me!

Dora, I'm sorry about your hubby being gone so much, it's hard when mine is gone for even 1 night. I'm even sorrier about the laundry. As you can imagine, it reaches nightmare levels around here! I'm thankful that the kids wear uniforms because it makes all of the clothing options easier. Wouldn't you know they get free dress tomorrow to make the morning decisions harder!

Well, I think I'll try to get myself under control and join you guys this week. Maybe I'll start on Monday. I promised myself I'd lose some serious weight by our vacation in June. I'm serious about wanting to wear a bathing suit in Orlando without embarrassment, is that too much to ask? I'm not talking bikini or anything. I just don't want to be "the big fat lady" in the pool. I'm sure some of you can sympathize.

Later,
Ruby:dizzy:

Howdy-Howdy all!!

Kathy - I must say I've quite impressed with a woman who dismantles her own washer. Course, that's assuming you got it back together and it worked!! Certainly not up my alley. Though I could maybe do some minor plumbing. And I'm not shy about changing a tire (note: didn't say I was good at it, but I can get it done) Atta girl! You really seem like someone who should be managing folks. You have such a "can-do" attitude.

Ruby-Ruby! Glad you're back! And it's great that you have a goal for summer. Maybe you could start charting your losses now to make that upcoming swimsuit date more real. Is it pretty brisk where you are, yet? I remember last year you said it got cold fast. I've really enjoyed the couple of nippy morning walks this week. Sure puts a zip in my step.

Judy -where are you this week? Have you ever read the "strong women" books? I've read just excerpts and am on their online newsletter. One thing they stress is basic exercises for us females with fairly light weights. Seems like a great travel program. I'm gonna reward myself with a book after I lose this summer's weight.

Ladies, I hit WI last week at 199.8 This week I started a vitamin regimen that really kicked me into high gear. My hypoglycemia seems to be under control for the first time in decades, and my energy level is tremendous. I actually voluntarily spent today deep cleaning my kitchen and going through paperwork and maintaining the pool ( a real pain in the fall!) And I haven't had those primal urges to junk out. That was amazing in itself. Then, today's WI showed me down 7.3!!!!!!!! I've never, ever, ever in a million years lost more than 4.5 in a week. I feel like those cravings for junk was really my poor body calling out for missing nutrients. What a marvelous feeling it is to be back on top of the game. Y'all probably know by now that I give fad products the ole hairy eyeball and did this one, too. One week is not nearly enough time to prove anything, but I've committed to 90 days with the supplements and -time will tell.

Here's hoping your day is super!! Mine sure is!:D

Hey ladies,

Well wouldn't you know my TOM started today. I have the usual uncontrollable urge for chocolate to try and mess me up. I won't give up, I'll make sure to count my chocolate. Of course I feel horrible and lazy today and I know it will be worse tomorrow. I will just make sure I get in some extra water and get plenty of sleep. I was determined to start walking tomorrow and I'm still going to try. Wish me luck.

Dora, what kind of vitamin regimen have you started? Is it something in particular or are you just being diligent about taking a daily multi-vitamin? I'm always interested in a good idea to incorporate into the WW program. Some ideas are contrary to the WW program but adding vitamins can only help. Right? You certainly made a believer out of me with your weightloss. Congratulations!

I'll check in later.
Ruby:dizzy:

Hello, gals! Thanks for your "welcome backs," it feels good to be back, to WW as well as this thread. Thanks also for the recommendations and advice on plantar fasciitis. Maybe I'll just have to break down and buy some really good shoes for exercising.

Dora - what are the strong woman books? They sound interesting. And, I haven't traveled since September 7th, but am looking forward to a trip to Dallas on November 7th. It's been too long since I've been in a plane and out of the office! LOL. I find I get a bit stressed when I have to be in the office day after day. Spending a few days with a client will make me de-stress a bit. I really feel "on" when I'm in meetings with clients -- I guess that makes me a really sick puppy. Most people find that stressful!

It's our busy season right now at work. I am in the office as "Manager of the Day." I'm the face of management to buy lunch for the people who are here and can help intervene in the case of emergencies on projects. Right now, we have a client whose web site went live yesterday and, unfortunately, some issues that didn't get discovered in testing have surfaced. So, it actually helps that I'm here.

It's funny working with people who never knew me at 338 lbs. Since I just started here in January, I've been about the same size the whole time I've been here. Being super-sized was always such an important part of my persona; now I'm just your average size 20 to the people here. I often reference my fatter past, so everyone I work with certainly knows I've lost more than 90 lbs, but, for some reason, I wish they knew me at my largest size. I wonder why. I can't decide if it's because I want them all to ooh and aah over all the weight I've lost or if there's some deeper reason.

Fundamentally, I am a different person because I'm smaller. But, I am also the same person, if you know what I mean. I present myself to the world differently because I'm more normal sized. That makes me less defensive, especially when I meet new people. But, I'm just as smart/funny/cranky/etc. as I ever was -- no different in my capabilities. I wonder if my feelings about size are one of the things that have contributed to a diminishing motivation to lose weight. I'll have to ponder.

Any thoughts to shed light on my quandry? (Sorry to have gone on so long.)

Hope everyone's well. It's a beautiful, sunny fall day here in Massachusetts.

Judy
338/247/???

Hey girls,

Judy, it is strange thing losing weight. You would think that losing weight would encourage you to go on yet most of us have lost weight and then lost the ability to continue and in some cases we gain it all back after we have lost our momentum (like me!). I'm not sure why it works the way it does but here we all are trying to lose weight again. It is very motivating to have people notice your weight loss and compliment you on it. Maybe we should record the compliments we receive and play it back everyday for that push to make the right decisions. If I could figure out our "fat" brains, I'd be a millionaire!

Dora, we've already had our share of cold days that required us to get out the winter coats but today is in the low 70's. The next few days are suppose to be in the high 70's and it's suppose to drop again by next weekend. It's walking weather still.

Later,
Ruby

Howdy, Howdy all!

Lived thru my first dramatic performance at church today. What a frightening, awe-inspiring experience. Can't wait to do another one.


Ruby and Judy -It's so great to see the two of you!:D

Judy -I think you might make a great thespian! You prefer to be "onstage" with your adoring audience, and for folks to know of your incredible accomplishments. All admirable, and I bet you are finding a new joy in being admired. I'm impressed.

The "Strong Women" books are several, stand-alone books written by a female physician. She writes about simple exercises -I think you do them for 20 minutes 3 times weekly -that are performed with simple weights and household objects. Included are some dietary info and other items of interest to women.I know of the "Strong women stay strong", Strong women stay slim:, and "Strong women, strong bones". I get the e-newsletter, but have no books or tapes. Here's the website: http://www.strongwomen.com

Hey, if you have high arches, the Mephisto brand shoes are awesome.

RubyRuby -Is it just you and that precious Madelyn Rose (sp?) now that school is back in session? Wasn't August just yesterday?
The supplements I am taking are by Advocare. They have an extensive line of nutritional products and are used by athletes, doctors, and plain ole folks like me. I've watched several people here over the past year take them and have wonderful results. Personally, I thought it was all voodoo or speed (remember phen-fen?) But these folks actually seem healthy, not stressed out like Dexatrim-type products make you. A presentation showed that several endorsers(all unpaid) are Olympic athletes. We all know that those guys have to take drug tests, so that sorta clenched it for me. The metabolic nutrition system comes in 3 strengths, and I use the lightest one. The high impact version was just too much and made me feel a bit queasy, but now I have a type of energy that says "Hey! It's a beautiful day and those shrubs could sure use trimming and remember to saw more limbs off that oak tree before the wood-chipper truck comes around." I have an enormous mountain of limbs out front that I personally cut and lugged after a huge storm. The wierd part was that not only did I have lots of energy to cut all that (with a hand saw and loppers) but I was not sore for days afterward. I'm sold.

Kathy my love, where be you? Probably chasing those angels of yours.

Gizzi -are you out there? Lauren - vacation over yet?

Y'all have a super day!

Dora,

Thanks for the info. What I'm not clear on are the vitamins just a suppliment or is it some sort of diet suppressant? I don't know if I want a diet pill of some kind. I used prescription diet pills when I was in my early 20's, they worked but those things can really mess you up. They made me a little paranoid and really jittery. I don't think I could tolerate something like that again. Do these make you nervous at all? I wouldn't mind a little extra energy, my schrubs need trimming too!

Most days it is just Madeline Rose and mom. She has preschool on Tuesday and Thursday. She goes in at 8:45 and I pick her up at 1:15 on Tuesday and 12:30 on Thursday so it's a reasonable amount of time alone but not much. So far someone always manages to mess up my tuesdays and thursdays but I hope to get a few completely to myself soon.

Later,
Ruby

Ruby, Advocare contains Ephedra, also known as Ephedrine. It's a stimulant, similar to amphetamines; it's the main ingredient in Ma Huang. Here's one referral to it on the internet: http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/04147.html Here's also a more frightening page: http://ephedrainjury.com/ephedrine-info.html You can do a search on Ephedra on the web if you want to find out more about it.

Dora, please be careful! :( That stuff causes high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes ... we want you around as long as possible. Are you taking it under a doctor's supervision at least?

Ruby, if you're looking for a purely vitamin high, there are vitamins by Nature's Plus called Source of Life that are expensive but very good. You can find them in health food stores. They're very high in B vitamins and have a lot of minerals. I find them helpful, though I don't take them as often as I should. Their effect is subtly energizing; I don't know that they'd help you lose weight, but they might help you get enough energy to trim your shrubs!

I'm still chugging along. I haven't lost anything in a couple weeks, partly due to TOM coming up and partly due to traveling and eating out a lot. I just don't lose well when I eat out. Still exercising and still tracking it all, though.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Howdy all!!

Hey, it's good to see both Ruby and Lauren here! Ruby, it's great that you are able to post so often. I was afraid that you had disappeared. You'll find a way to get time to yourself, I just know it.

I got in two walks today. The a.m. one was pretty wierd. I'm walking down the street and I see (barely, sooo very dark) a bird cage with a "free" sign. Well, my bird needs a new travel cage, and I was afraid if I waited and got it on the return trip, it would be gone. So, I carted that thing about 1.5 miles, mainly riding it on my stomache like a bass drum!!:dizzy: I'm sure the early morning commuters thought I had lost my ever-loving mind. Now to find a moment to disinfect it, just in case.

Lauren -FYI on the Advocare, the only version of the supplements that has ephedra is the "orange", which made me ill. That's why I tried the "yellow" this time. I have their product book which goes into some detail about the whys and wherefores of different products and what they work best with (or without) Personally, I totally agree with you on the ephedra. That's some nasty stuff. I'm already sensitive to caffeine and cold meds, so ma huang is certainly not on my list of friendlies.Thanks for the tip on those sites. I love easy-reading info sites. (she said, hoping they would be easy...)

Gotta run girls! Y'all be good.

Boy , you guys are so imformative . Supplements , shoes , books , & theater . I think you could give Oprah a run for her money .

Dora , I can't take ephedra , but some people can with no problems . You did a major drop this week , that's for sure . Congrats . Hows you daughter doing with the extra exercise ? I bet you are missing the hubby .

Dora , Judy , Lauren & Ruby , You all are so interesting . You make me feel a little dull . Dora I got the washer back together , but I couldn't make it work . I did fix my garage door , organise my craft cupboard , painted a moose coat rack , & painted a butterfly this weekend . Now I need to make Kati a butterfly coat rack . There's never enough space for coats . I made the moose & butterfly at work .

I lost last week & gained this week :o . But I feel so much better since I switched back to my saturday meeting .

Have a good week y'all . It's cold & rainy here . SURPRISE ! I do live in Washington :D . Ta Ta . Kathy

Well, now I'm really confused!:dizzy:

These vitamins can all be purchased at health food stores, can't they? Maybe I'll just go and ask alot of questions before I buy anything. It's a little hard deciding what to get to make a difference. I want to have a little more energy but I don't want to get crazy and nervous.:p

Kathy, I think crafts are very interesting. I'm so uncreative and I am really impressed by you Martha Stewart types! I'm lucky to be able to sew the patches on my daughter's Brownie vest. I'd love to be that cool but alas, I can't even keep my house clean and I just don't have time for anything else. I hope someday I can get into that fun stuff but for now, it's just the everyday boring stuff for me.:cool:

I'm going to drink some water. Cheers!
Ruby

Dora, I'm so glad you're not taking ephedra! So what's in the form of Advocare that you take? Does it list the ingredients anywhere?

Ruby, I *think* you can only get Advocare through an Advocare seller (kind of like Amway), but Dora can fill us in. You could certainly ask at health food stores about Source of Life or any other vitamins. I think that's how I originally found out about them.

You know what, though? I've found the best energizer is exercise. (And getting enough sleep.) It took about three months of slogging before I started getting energy from exercise. I kept reminding myself that you've got to spend energy in order to gain energy. Weird, but true. Now if I work out early in the day, I have more energy throughout the day and less of a mid-afternoon slump.

Kathy, you made a moose at work?? :) What kind of work do you do?? It sounds like a lot of fun!

I'm down a pound on my home scales this morning, which is welcome (and surprising). Nine more pounds until 199!

Onward and downward,

Lauren
(274/208/199 by Christmas)

Howdy Howdy all!!

First of all! Hurrah for Lauren! You keep on going girl! 2001 is definitely your year. :D :cool: :D I agree about exercise being such an upper. When I first started walking, it was such a "happy pill" to walk in the morning. Kept me more active all day. Now my desk job keeps me chained down. It's harder to move as much. You have the perfect opportunity to rev up your activity before going back on the job scene.

Kathy -I am getting a visual on you paintng a moose! How funny. Reminds me of my silly girl. Told her we needed duct tape for a project. So she starts quacking. Today I bought the duct tape. She asks,"Does it quack?". Maybe you had to be there. quack. Anyway, how could you possibly say you lead an uninteresting life? I remember the seaside biker vacation. And the "revenge is sweet" wedding you attended. Ummm, thought you worked at a medical facility for the disabled. They let you make critters there?
And didn't you go to Disneyland (world?)
Yeah, real boring.:lol:

Ruby got a note from me about the Advocare, so I'll try to make it short. The list of ingredients is very LONG. The basic concept is that most of us need better nutrition and don't have the time or know-how to achieve it. The Metabolic Nutrition System is just one of many, many different products. It happens to be best for weight loss, but can be used as a life-long nutrient supply. The company wants folks to be informed about the products, so if you have a question about something, you can make a three-way call with your distributor to the company to figure it out.
Lauren, if you want, I'll mail you my ingredient box and a two day supply to try it out. Here's my e-mail address if you like.
[email protected]

Gotta go empty the dishwasher!:spin: Y'all be good!

Dora, thanks for the offer! I may take you up on it. I just checked out AdvoCare products via the Novartis-sponsored Physician's Desk Reference online, and I found a few. Which one are you taking? Thermo-G? http://www.healthandage.com/html/res...l/00473750.htm It says it contains green tea extract, which I wouldn't be able to handle. The other one, Thermo-E, contains the ephedra. Those are the only two listed to promote energy and weight loss. (There's also Spark, an energy beverage, but that contains caffeine.)

On the other hand, their "FemEssence" supplement looks good. I may try that once I'm a bit older.

WW weigh-in had me down almost a pound last night (.8), so it wasn't just a fluke in the morning. Woo-hoo!

Dora, you're right that getting the exercise in is easier when I'm not working. But I did it regularly while I was working, too, I just had to get up a lot earler! Of course, I don't have children, either, which means my mornings are at least theoretically open. :)

Well, I'd better get to it. Got to clean the house today, too. Weird weather -- thunderstorms, tornado warnings, high temperatures and snow are all predicted. Michigan's weather is never dull.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Hey everyone ,

Good job Lauren ! All this discussion on supplements is interesting . I take a multi , b complex , E , potassium , chromium & c . I don't take iron because it blocks the absorbsion of thyroid in people who have to take thyroid hormone . I'm not quite sure if I need to take other things . I take 1000 iu's of E .

Dora , hows it going with the hubby working out of state ? okay I hope . How did you hear about your supplements ? I don't think many of us get the right nutrition , so we all need some help . If I forget to take mine , I get wiped out .

For anyone wondering how I make mooses during work , I work at an institution for the developmentally disabled . I am a vocational trainer . My title is adult training specialist . In the morning I work with 4-5 people doing contracts . This is packaging products , etc... In the pm I work in a woodshop making mostly cedar birdhouses , shelves , trellises , etc...I enjoy it alot . I also have woodworking equipment at home .

Well I have to go fix a munchkin dinner . Kathy

Kathy, thanks for clearing up the mystery of how you make mooses. :) Sounds like a meaningful job. I miss that -- a job that actually helps people. (Of course, at this point I just plain need a job!)

I went for an hour-long walk outside today instead of doing the videos because I felt it would be more rejuvenating to be outside in the autumn air and intermittant sunshine. It was; I don't feel I got as good a workout, but I really enjoyed the walk and didn't want to come back in. Maybe I'll spend time out in the yard as much as possible today. (Can't go too far because repairmen are coming over this afternoon.)

The home scales show me down 2.5 this week. That actually isn't as huge as it sounds, since I had only lost 2 pounds for the month prior to this loss. So that's still about a pound a week average. A good turtle pace, even if it happens in fits and starts. It does look like my Christmas goal is within reach! And in just another pound and a half, I'll have lost 70 pounds! :eek

How is everyone doing? For many, Halloween is the beginning of the holiday eat-fest when we all put on weight. So this is the time to be extra vigilant. My WW leader, Pam, makes a concerted effort to lose 5-10 pounds *before* each holiday season, which keeps her from being above her lifetime weight come January. Smart, smart lady.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/205.5/199 by Christmas (home scales, a.m.)

Hey ladies,

How is everyone? The board seems a little quiet the last few days. I guess everyone is trying to get situated for Halloween and all. One of my 4 kids still doesn't have a costume. What does and almost 10 year old boy dress up as anyway? He says he wants to be a SWAT team member, what's up with that? Of course he says they have cool weapons. Since I don't allow my kids to play with weapons I'm not so sure about this but I am quickly running out of time. After all, he won't be doing this much longer anyway so I guess I'll let him have his way this time. We must choose our battles wisely.

Lauren, you are doing so great, I'm so jealous! Taking a walk outside is a good idea, do it while you still can. The weather here keeps flipping back and forth. I never know what to have my kids dress in at this time of year. A couple of days ago they were in shorts and today it's back to winter coats.

Kathy, it sounds like you have a really cool job, it must be really neat to be so creative. I'm so NOT creative it really amazes my husband when I try to be!

Dora, where are you hiding? I'm sure you're out running a marathon or solving world hunger or something else that's equally as rewarding, right?!? I expect to be emailing you by the weekend, my fingers are crossed! I'd like to be lighter by Thanksgiving and even better by Christmas. I'm pumped to get started on those suppliments.

I'll catch you girls later,
Ruby

Hi, Ruby. It has been quiet here lately, but we're a fairly quiet group these days. I still post regularly over in the Turtle Club, too. A SWAT team guy, huh? :) At least he wants to fight the bad guys. I heard that this year the most popular costumes (for boys, anyway) were crime fighters of various kinds, probably due to September 11.

Last night my WW leader said something interesting. She said that when it comes to the holiday season, Halloween is the pop quiz, Thanksgiving is the mid-term, and Christmas is the final exam. That's when you find out what you've learned and what you've internalized. I really liked that.

WW scales had me down 3.2 pounds last night, which surprised me -- but I'm not complaining. Nothing like having TOM finish in order to see a good loss. :)

Onward and downward,

Lauren
279/209.6/199 by Christmas (WW scales, evening)

I really like the comment about Halloween being the pop-quiz and Christmas being the final exam. That really is true. The major problem I have with Halloween is all of the candy. I am living at home and we are all doing WW. My mom bought a bag of candy that we were giving out by the handfuls, and mini bags of pretzels. We didn't get to the pretzels so that will last for awhile here. I only had a couple pieces of candy - sweets being a favorite of mine. I received a list of the WW points for Halloween candy and I figured it really isn't worth the points. What I do like is the Slim Fast Peanut butter bar for only 2 points. It tastes like a Butterfinger - which I love. That should help me out when I have the urge for candy.

I had my WI tonight and I am down 2.5#, that has me so close to 50 that I can smell it. I really hope I have a good week so that I can get to this milestone this nest week. If it doesn't happen I know it will happen soon, but it sure would be nice.

Lauren - congrats on the loss, keep up the good work!

I hope everyone survives all of the candy that may be around. Don't feel guilty about throwing it out or sending it with the kids to school.

Take care,
:) Melissa

Woo-hoo, Melissa -- you go, girl! A manicure at 50 pounds, what a wonderful idea. You're doing great!

--Lauren

Howdy Howdy all!!

I've really not been hiding out. My DSL was acting up and the hubster wasn't here to fix it. The good news? I now know more about re-starting DSL than ever before.:smug:

Melissa - way to stay on target!! I thought I was going to win the candy battle last year by buying huge bags of the individually packaged candies. Duh! And just what was calling my name at night when I was bored? :rolleyes:

My DD and I attended our church's fall festival. I had great fun with my country "chicken farmer" outfit. Found a really cute stuffed hen, paired her with cheap overalls (really, really cheap. the dye is on my socks and skin!!) rolled cuffs, freckles, pig tails and the coup de grace, tooth black!! I neglected to tell my boss that I would be dressing up for work. He about fell over. Then, I grinned. I thought he would bust a gut. Had at least two folks totally puzzled over who I was. Named the chicken "Candy". Told folks," this is my chicken, Candy. I really love Candy" corny, huh?

Tomorrow our WW group will be celebrating our "walking to Hawaii" with a luau. Door prizes and games are promised. I've got my DD's cheesey plastic hula skirt and fake leis all ready to go. And., of course, my cowbell.

Lauren - it's great to see you doing so well in the loss department. You are always the voice of reason. :angel:

Kathy - I thought of you and your meeces this weekend. A busy intersection here always has vendors with interesting wares. One lady was selling Texas Boot Birdhouses. Yeah, that's right. Take an old cowboy boot, cut a bird hole in the heel. Make a little cedar rooftop with a hanging wire and tie a bandanna around it. Too darn cute. Get this, they have a dot.com @ texasbootbirdhouses.com everybody should have at least one, right?:D

Gotta run. My dear, darling hubby is coming in tomorrow and I am making his favorite, yubra. (that's Lebanese for cabbage rolls) It takes me a long time to make the things, which is too bad. They are yummy, cheap, and good for you. I have told him many times that if someone makes yubra, it means they love you.

See y'all soon.

Dora, your costume sounded hilarious! I wish we worked together; sounds like you keep things hopping. The Lebanese cabbage rolls sound yummy. Hope your time with DH was good.

How is everyone doing? Gizzi? Judy in Boston? I miss you.

I'm down 1.5 pounds on my home weigh-in this morning. That puts me at 70 pounds gone, and it also puts me in the home stretch to my goal of 199! I'm thrilled. My husband is also really noticing my weight loss. He's always made nice comments about it, but now it's starting to really hit him how much smaller I am. Basically, he saw me this thin when we were dating but not once we were married, so he never saw me this thin (or this fit) naked! It's kind of weirding him out. To me, it feels like I'm finally heading back into more normal territory. It was the higher weight that felt weird to me. It'll be interesting, though, to see how he feels when I lose another 25 or more pounds. He's never seen me as thin as that.

Well, it's another beautiful sunny day here, so I'd better get outside and walk. I did a good workout this morning, so my walk will be more of a stroll today.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/204/199 by Christmas (home scales, a.m.)

Hey ladies,

How is everyone doing? We seem to be a little quieter than usual these days, don't we? I seem to have time to read the posts but not to write one. My son just turned 10 years old yesterday. It makes me feel really old when he calls himself a pre-teen! He's my oldest.

Lauren, you are so great! Congratulations. I have no doubt that you will reach your year-end goal. You are so close now.

Dora, you are so good to your husband, I hope he appreciates you. I assume you had a fabulous weekend with him after being gone like that. By the way, make sure you check your email.

I hope everyone else is well. I'll check in later.

Ruby

Hello, folks!

Lauren - thanks for your inquiry about how I'm doing.

Seems like the group is pretty quiet at present, which prompted me to write. I've been more of a lurker over the last year + than a writer, but with everyone so quiet, I thought I should do more of my part and contribute (at least this once LOL).

Last week, I began traveling for the first time since September 11th - 6 flights in 4 days. Exciting travel to Toledo and Dallas. The first trip was to a client that we're in a jam with; the second was to a client with whom we've just finished a ton of work (with more to come) and part of the visit was a party. That was fun, however, it was at a Cajun restaurant -- hard to eat healthfully on Cajun food. No wonder Paul Prudhomme is so fat!

I found the traveling to be just a bit more time consuming than it was before. My first trip through Logan Airport (in Boston) security was a breeze. The second time through, en route to Dallas, we were in line for over 45 minutes!

Anyway, it was good to get out of the office and away from some of the day to day craziness. It's been really busy here -- like tax seasons for accountants crazy. Week before last, I logged 92 hours -- that was a new high; one which I hope never to duplicate.

Still finding controlling my eating to be a challenge in the current busy environment (or is that just an excuse). We should start to calm down as we slouch into Thanksgiving. I am hopeful that a lighter schedule will give me more time to concentrate on the things I need to do to stay healthy.

Hope everyone is well.

Judy in COLD Massachusetts

Ruby, congrats to your son on his decade anniversary. :)

Judy, great to hear from you, as always. Your work schedule sounds like a killer -- I'd collapse within a week or less. That's great that you're energized by business travel and meeting with customers. I wish I were! I'm actually not heartened by what a breeze security was in Logan airport given what happened in September, though I'm sure it's more convenient.

Well, my home scales had me up 2 pounds and WW had my up 3 (three) whopping pounds this week! :eek: What's up with *that*?? I had two over-point days, but I had plenty of banked points that more than covered them, and I exercised 5.5 hours for the week. So I'm figuring it's the Celebrex I was taking for my foot injury. I know some anti-inflammatories cause people to hold water. I'd never seen that side-effect in myself before, though. Well, here's hoping it's just very temporary, whatever it is.

The meeting itself was good, so I'm glad (as always) that I went. Our leader had us write down what we planned to eat for Thanksgiving, then she gave us point values for traditional Thanksgiving foods. It was an eye-opener. It also gave me the chance to think about what I might do differently this year, which foods I might alter or cut out altogether. One man's Thanksgiving dinner plans came to a whopping 96 points!!! At 19.5, mine didn't look so bad! :lol

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Onward and DOWNWARD, dadgummit,

Lauren
274/206/199 by Christmas (home scales, a.m.)

Howdy Howdy All!!

Lauren - hope your foot gets better soon. Hard to say which is worse, aching tootsies or mouth pain. I found that my body reacts to meds differently as the years go on. Used to drink 1/2 pot of coffee plus sodas. Now, one cup not only keeps me up, it kills my stomache. Sudafed makes me wired when it used to put me to sleep. Ibuprofen does most certainly cause water retention. Just one of the joys of growing older. (along with combination dry skin AND zits! What's up with THAT!?:dizzy: )

Judy - I'd like to travel lots more. But I'm not sure about that meeting with clients part. Depends how cold that call is. Just what do you do, anyhow? Seems like you have to be a wizard to keep all those balls in the air. Give me a heads up if you are in Austin. The more notice, the better.

Lauren - your hubby is so sweet already, I hope he can make the transition with you from beloved, heavy Lauren to beloved, trim-n-fit Lauren. Early married years are full of changes and surprises, he might not know quite how to think about this sort of change. I remember years ago a woman wrote to Dear Abby. She lost alot of weight and suddenly her hubby was super jealous. He had promised her a fur coat as a reward for the loss. When they went to the furrier, he accused the clerk of intentionally touching his wife at every opportunity. Ultimately, he demanded she regain the fat!!!
Now, not everyone will have a reaction remotely like that. But it does show that some folks don't think of this journey from our side of the fence.

Ruby, Ruby, my DD is 10 also. She is quite proud of her whole decade, but hasn't thought of the "pre-teen" title. I did tell her she qualifies as a preadolescent, which is bad enough. She's been complaining lately that her nipples are sore. Urgh. Does that mean what I think it means? Tell me it's too soon. Course, I started at 11 and my grandmother at 9 (legend has it, but she also experienced menopause at 28!) I am not ready to have the "talk" with my ever-so-naive brat.

Kathy - are you still out there? How's those kiddos and mooses?

Just found out that my stepmom threw in the towel and decided we are going to the local eatery for Thanksgiving buffet. :p
Less stuff I have to prepare (as in, nothing!!) and more control over choices cause we go, we eat, we leave the leftovers there. Plus, it aint the Ritz by any means. Not many choices in a small town.
Skipped WI and went to visit Pop and stepmonster on the "ranch". They have a perfectly spoiled black lab. Her name is Fred. Now they have another her, Hank the cow dog. (for those who don't know, that is a book series) Hank and Fred. By the end of two days, I was calling both of 'em Frank. So, I've threatened Pop with bringing him an Irish Setter female to name Frank. Then they would have three females with male names and a blonde, brunette, and redhead. And I could yell,"Frank" to my heart's content. He's threatened to disown me if I bring another dog. So, I plan to buy a package of "franks" and wrap it in a big towel and carry it in a box like there might be a puppy in it.:devil: Such fun. It's his own fault for spoiling those creatures rotten. Even bought a king-sized bed so Fred could have her own pillow. Absolutely rotten.

Sorry to write a book. Seems to be less often I get to check in.
Y'all have a great week. I'll be back Saturday!