Hi ladies!

Yesterday was... okay (i guess). I totally overate at dinner time though, so who knows how many points it was. I made spaghetti bolognaise, which is my FAVOURITE meal ever......... And then I only got on the exercycle for 10 minutes! So far today i've had peanut butter on toast (again), and like y/day I think i used way too much PB.... I'm having a frozen meal for dinner, so at least i know I can't over eat with that! Lunch I'm not too sure about, but I think I may have cruskets with vegemite (haha both of which will be foreign to all of you... basically cracker thingys and a breakfast spread thingy)....... I am really hating winter. During Summer I was so good & found it easy to stick to my points..

Hello,

Emma, isn't vegamite that salty yeast spread. It is black isn't it. I found it really salty....
I hope today goes well for you. I hope it gets warmer.
Take Care
Ann

Newlifestyle: okay here is my pedometer check in as 9,305 better then yesterday but still not 10,000 I need to kick up one more notch.

Ann - yeap that would be vegemite! LOL. I have been brought up with it, so I've never really noticed how it tastes.. I love it. And its 0 points :carrot:

I'm feeling better now, i just did 30 minutes on the exercycle, and got up a bit of a sweat

Ann, my husband is self employed and our health insurance is just the pits, so no employee assistance programs for us. Plus, to be honest, I am not the type to do that kind of thing. I went to a counselor once, years ago, and it felt creepy to have an appointment to show up and talk with a stranger who asked me some very prying questions.
By the way, I'll get on my soapbox just for a moment here if you will all indulge me.... self employed people really have a raw deal in this country. There is so little for us as far as benefits, companies offer employees a corporate "umbrella" to fall back on and the government steps in for unemployed and really poor folks. We pay out of pocket for very poor substitutes for the coverage others have. We can't afford to even up my husband's private disability coverage and life insurance to where it should be. It's really unfair, I think. But, people would just say something like, "Well, he is free to get another job and he does have coverage and that is allot more than others". But, getting a decent job to support a family of four is harder than you would think.
Emma, great new photo of Gabrielle! What a sweet baby! I miss the other photo too, though, it was really sweet.
I have a friend from the UK who used to eat something called Marmite and I think it's about the same as what you call Vegemite? Perhaps a different brand? She made a sandwich that was her favorite with Marmite and cole slaw and something else in it. I tried it, but was not totally taken with it. I love trying and hearing different things so it's fun to read about what you have.
It is harder to be focusing on weight loss when the weather is getting colder, Emma. I have posted a really low point chili recipe that I could dig out and post again if you would like it? Are you a soup fan? I presume the WW materials are similar and you might get the WW garden vegetable soup recipe in there? That always saves me when I am in trouble, I love hearty soup and I make that one extra thick with veggies.
What about oatmeal or another hot and high fiber cereal in the mornings?
I was thinking about you the other day and how Gaby is getting older. Soon, she will be starting on table food and then I caution you to be careful. When I first had problems with my weight, it was when my son started eating "real" foods. I substituted snacks for feedings and I was hungry too so started snacking right along with him. It was so hard preparing food for another human being and NOT touching it! It was funny as I lost my pregnancy weight easily after he was born by taking him out in the stroller and walking and watching what I was eating. I was nursing as well, so the calories were leaving my body. But, his feedings became less and less and I couldn't seem to adjust my calorie input for that and then as I started giving him snacks to sub for the feedings, I was really in trouble! Keep an eye out for these things!
As for me, I am hoping to be on track. I have my meeting later. I'll be back on line to journal as well.

I'm back.
Firstly, for you and anyone else, Emma, here is a recipe I cut and pasted from the recipe section of this web site. Sometimes, we forget that good recipes are right here for us if we look. This might give you that warm/comfort food kind of feeling that you are seeking as your weather turns colder? For the rest of us, a good thing to maybe try on a busy day in the crockpot when things are crazy and we want something to come home to.
Crockpot BBq'ed Pork
This is NOT a CORE recipe

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2 lbs. boneless pork top loin

1 c. chopped onion

3/4 c. diet soda

3/4 c. barbecue sauce

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook covered on high for 5-6 hours or until meat is very tender. Drain and slice or shred pork.
Makes 8 servings at 4 points each.

Serve it on wheat buns that are 2 points

Someone posted that this was good, also, with boneless chicken thighs.

Now, my journal for this morning:

Points allowed= 20
Breakfast:
Oatmeal made with Calorie Countdown milk = 3
applie= 1
milk/coffee creamer throughout the day= 1

By the way, my daughter announced last night that she wanted to start CORE today. I'm going to try it with her, to some degree, but continue to journal and fit it into my points allowance as I didn't know she wanted to start CORE this week, I thought she wanted to start it next week and my grocery shopping was not a CORE shopping trip. I'll try to use up the foods on hand before really focusing on it all. I have a bunch of yogurt, in particuar, that was way too expensive to throw away. I would have purchased plain/ff yogurt and ff cottage cheese and things like that if I knew she wanted to start so soon.
I'm still not feeling great today as far as my attitude goes, but I am not giving up.

Good morning all,
Linda have you been able to get some exercise, I know when I am feeling sad or just down if I exercise I feel better afterwords. I don't feel to great while I am doing it but once I am done I feel way better. You breakfast looks yummy.
Emma that is such a cute picture of Gaby. You are probably sleeping right now so sweet dreams to you.
Haylo, 9,305 steps is awesome. Good for you. Are you on flex or core?
I am doing flex but was looking back at my stuff and I should be getting 23 points a day (without Activity points) and I have only been eating 20...I don't kow why I thought I only got 20 points. Oh well I should do better once I start eating all my points again.
Hi Erica, where are you?
Hi Laura, enjoy your day.
Hello Paige, I hope you have a great day with more NSV's.
Hello everyone else, I hope you all have a wonderful day and that your everday challenges are minor.....
I feel inspired this morning, I hope it lasts.
Take Care
Ann

HI guys!! I realized I haven't posted since Saturday morning.
I'm happy to report that my weigh in was 136.6. And since my goal is 135 I'm tachnically LIFETIME again!! :) Of course, my real personal goal is 125 so I still have a ways to go.
And on Monday morning, not sure why... my scale at home was up to 136.5.... so yesterday I was really careful and today it is 135. I hate all this fluctuating!!! It's so hard for me to see it go up!
Yesterday I took a long walk AND did a cardio class last night. Today I may walk. I have a lot of paperwork and cleaning to do.
Does anyone have lunch or dinner ideas that are around 5 points for lunch, 10 points for dinner? 20 points a day is pretty hard.
THANKS!!

Oh, by the way, PAIGE: I am in Castleton, NY... which is a hop, skip and jump away from Albany. :)

Newlifestyle: I am doing flex also, good thing you realized about your points not being enough I think that is what threw me off last time. By the way you did great with you steps too. I have to say I friendly challenge has definatly made me more motivated to keep on going. :hug: The summer we did ;)

derry: you sound better today, I hope things go well today.
Treig: Wow, good for you. You must feel so proud of yourself for your accomplishment.

Hi everyone –

I am so sorry to post and then disappear! I had a busy day at work yesterday and was unable to go to the meeting at lunch and then got home late …excuses, excuses I know…

Linda – Where do you go to meetings? I am closer to Nashua but maybe we could work something out? Sounds like we could help each other out – everyone in the group as well! Part of my issue since I moved out here has been extreme loneliness. I don’t have anyone here except DH and DD. And things aren't great at home :( My family is all in the southwest and my Mom is very ill – she has brain cancer and is dying so I have been so lonely to say the least and obviously have eaten my way … the wrong way ....:?:

Waving Hi to everyone else – sneaking in while at work and will check back a little later!

Hang in there :hug:

Hi guys!
Here I am again to continue chat, journal, etc.
Firstly, I went on the treadmill and did some triceps and bicep curls with my 5 pound weights. I really want to start working on my upper arms. That photo I posted of myself last week is bothersome to me still. My upper arms seem to be carrying several of my excess pounds, so if I begin to work that area and target it, I shall do better I hope?
Ann, I am glad you are feeling inspired this morning, maybe it will be contagious?
Tracy, glad to hear you reached a new weight and are back to being lifetime again, I didn't know that you had reach goal and made lifetime before. How long ago was it?
I have a few good 5 point lunch ideas:
Boca burger, 2% slice of cheese on lite English muffin with pickle. 3 points.
One cup WW pasta with diced tomatoes and lite parmesan cheese, 4 points.
Two sliced lite whole wheat bread, one slice 2% cheese, sprayed with non stick spray and grilled, a nice 2 point grilled cheese.
All can be accompanied by a vegetable, fruit or garden vegetable soup.

As for me,
15 points left

Lunch:
1 turkey patty = 3 (hamburger patty type of thing with ground turkey)
ketchup = 0
asparagus = 0
1/2 cup chick peas = 2
1 cup skim milk= 2

Points remaining = 8

Dinner will be:
ham steak = 3
fresh broccoli, stir fried in 2 tsp olive oil = 2
brown rice, one up with butter spray = 3

Dessert:
WW ice cream cone = 2


If one were to consider myself on CORE, I would have to use 2 flex points for the WW ice cream cone. If one were to consider myself on FLEX, I would still have to count 2 Flex points for the day. Interesting that each situation allows for 2 flex points, unless I wanted to count an activity point and only use 1 flex point. I choose to not count my activity points most of the time, but in "emergencies" I do.
Patty, I have been "there" with a sick parent. My dad died of bone cancer a year and a half ago, then my mom died 4 months later. It's very hard. :hug: It must be even harder when you are so far away. Keep trying and don't give up. I felt helpless and ate my way through the entire time period and gained back each and every pound I had lost. I am a lifetime member, but not yet close enough to goal to be there again.
I go to meetings in Plaistow, you are welcome to join me sometime.
How old is your daughter? Is she in school?

Hi all...I just wanted to check in very, very quickly. It just started to thunder, and dh would be very upset with me if he knew I hadn't shut the computers down yet!

I made it to the gym this morning, and I've been op today.

Hope everyone has been doing great today! I'll hopefully post more later!

Linda, yes, I made lifetime back in 2003. I had lost 25 pounds pretty quickly. But then, of course, put it all back on... and then some...

A quick question first - what are FLEX points??? I've never heard of them!

Treighsie - CONGRATULATIONS!! you must be so proud of yourself!

Ann - did the inspiration last??? I always find that in the morning I can feel really inspired, and then it slowly dwindles LOL, but I am proud to say that I am doing amazingly well for ME - I never imagined that WW would work for me, and that 4 months down the track I would have lost 10% of my body weight, and then some!

Linda - THANK YOU for that recipe! It seems that whenever I get to look at the recipes on here, Ms Gabalicious wakes up so I have to go, and then I forget all about it. I might have to try that recipe when there are more people here. It sounds so easy - I LOVE easy recipes! Marmite & vegemite are pretty similar, marmite is a bit... sweeter? if that's possible with a salty yeast spread! I like both of them, but have been sticking to vegemite since it is 0 points (Marmite is only .5, but it adds up). That chilli recipe would be GREAT, I love chilli, but have had trouble finding one that is low enough in points (for my liking). I have already started noticing that when I'm making Gaby food myself (I don't know why everyone was so shocked when I said I was making food myself rather than using the jar stuff LOL), or when I'm giving her baby yogurt, that I began to have spoonfuls for myself, so I've begun NOT doing that, because i have a feeling that could be my downfall in a small way. Thanks for all the advice & tips! I am not really an oatmeal girl, BUT that said, i've not tried it in years, so maybe i should give it a go. It'd certainly be more filling than toast or cereal & yogurt.

Thank you for all the compliments about my new photo :hug: I have thousands of photos on my computer of Gabs, was hard to decide which to use!!!!

Well I'm proud to say that last night I resisted the temptation to eat a bag of vege-crisps that were in the cupboard. Admittedly I did have some crackers (which are 3 points for a whole box, so not bad) - and I didn't eat the whole box like I usually do. I then planned all of my meals for today! And then all the more shocking, I organised to go swimming with my friend & then go for sushi for lunch. BUT the weather today is particularly cold, so we've decided it's too cold to take the babies swimming (she has a 10mo son), so we're going to go for a walk instead & then get our sushi for lunch! I feel like I'm getting back on track! I got a lovely email from my Mum yesterday - her and dad are in Western Samoa, and OMG i'm so jealous.. she was talking about the swim up bar, the heat, the lovely ocean, the lovely beaches, the cocktails, lounging on the beach reading, the resort....... And I look out the window at my neighbours house & the frost on the ground! LOL

Linda that recipe does sound great. I need to start making more inventive things. I hope you had an awesome day. Your list of food always looks better than mine.
I ended up walking 20,414 steps ,it was totally by accident. I forgot my son had a field trip today and I had volunteered to go, and then I locked my keys in the car and had to walk to my house to get another set. What a day. I am exhausted. I feel like going to bed now.
Emma that was great NSV last night. Good for you. You are doing awesome on your journey Emma. Be proud of yourself. It is funny I stayed motivated all day so far and now I just need to lie down soon. I am not sure I got enough water today either. I drank over 4.5 litres but I also walked a lot too. It is weigh in tomorrow and I should probably drink more.
Hello Tracy congratulations. You have done well.
I feel like I will never get to goal. I know slow and steady.
Paige, I hope you had a great workout. My husband is the same when there is a lightning storm he wants me off the computer.
Haylo, where are you my friend. This is the summer we did. I think our friendly challenge is my motivator. Thank you.
Patty and Linda that would be so great if you two could get to go to a meeting together. Have a great day.
Hello Erica, Futurepixie, Laura, Ginny, L.J., Tech, and Kim. Have a wonderful day.
Take Care
Ann