Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I have posted. I got over my illness pretty much that day thank goodness. Feeling like that is definatly horrible. Pretty much after that day I tried as best as I could to get some good meals down a little heavier then normal and drank a lot of water to re-hydrate and then went back to my regular healthy eating habits. I weighed myself this morning and was down, hopefully it's from all the excercise and eating healthy and not from being sick. I agree with you guys being sick is definatly not a healthy way to lose weight. The next day I went back to work and went walking after work I could tell I was not totally myself but I felt well enough to walk. Yesterday day I did another 5k and I am planning on doing another one on Thursday. The good thing is that I have even gotten some of my friends from work and one of my other friends to start doing them also. I was proud of them, especially my friend who hasn't really been excercising.

I hope all is well with everyone

Laura: I hope things are/get better for Nino
derry how is your husband, is he feeling better?
paige: seems like you have been busy
ann: eating and excercise are back on track after my illness. This week is going to be a challenge for me since I have to whole week off

Good Morning everyone!

Just have a few minutes to post. The weekend was ok, I really wasn't good, but I wasn't awful either. Went to dinner with a friend Friday and didn't make good choices, but I had sort of planned for that and had eaten light all day. Saturday was the movies with the kiddies (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.... very nice movie, made me cry!) and nooo popcorn! So that was good. Yesterday was good, very OP. So my committment for the next few days is to stay very OP and get some exercise so that I'll go into Thursday in the right frame of mind.

Laura - My prayers too are with you and your son. I can only imagine how stressed and horrified you are by all this.

Ok, I gotta run. Everyone have a terrific day.
Kim2

Laura-
Yay!!! Congrats on the loss! Thank you for posting the recipe! It looks so easy!
I am very sorry to hear about your son, I will keep him in my prayers

Anne-I am happy to hear that you got the beck book! Keep me posted on how you are liking it! I actually put mine on the backburner...I am not sure why but you influenced me to pick it up again! I am kind of thinking of getting the workbook...

Tech-Hope your date night went well

Haylo-Glad to hear you are feeling better!

Sorry I haven't posted in the last few days. I had one of those weekends where I just wanted to be myself and lay around. Which I did, I think I went outside a total of 3 times. My grandmom had to go to the hospital Friday so I spent Friday night cleaning her house and doing laundry so she could come home to a clean house. We ordered pizza Friday night and I even got cheese fries...oh well. I was upset and needed comfort food, I don't want to beat myself up over it. Plus I had a muffin earlier in the day...it was just one of those days. So I vowed to be OP for the rest of the weekend, which I was. She is ok, she got to come home on Saturday.

I am getting a little nervous about this week, I know its not going to be easy. I think my best bet is to keep going to the gym and to eat "good" around all of my events. I mean what else can I do, everything this week is a celebration. I just don't feel like being all that restrictive when my best friend is home for the holiday, its thanksgiving, and its my birthday. So that is my plan, do the best I can. I am going out to dinner and I looked at the menu to decide on a healthy option. Hopefully I wont cave into the ridiculously good nachos there :) Oh, and also, to add to my worries, its TOM so if I didn't already wanted to eat everything in sight...now I really do!

Jackie-It is going to be a tough week with the different celebrations, but if you must eat foods that aren't the best, just do it in moderation. I don't think that any of us should have to be "restricted"...as long as we remember to fill up on the veggies and eat small portions of the other foods, and get back op once everything is over, we will be ok. I just noticed that your bday is the 24th...my brother's bday is that day, too.

I kind of feel like a hypocrite just saying all of that...lol...I've been SO far off of the wagon these past few months. Luckily the scale has still inched it's way down instead of up, so somehow I'm doing something right. I wish I could figure out something that would really get my motivation BACK like it was earlier in the year. I think one thing for me is that I got SO bored with the dinners that I had been preparing. We have been grabbing fast food a lot lately, too, because I have been so tired and stressed out (did I mention that I also have bronchitis? I had to sterilize my kitchen and work with food gloves so that I could get my desserts done!) I hate getting fast food all of the time...it makes me feel awful and it's expensive. I need to go back to square one and figure out some new dinners, I think.

Chat later...

Hello Everyone,

Well, as far as meeting my goals for last week here's how I did:
1) plan out my meals either in the morning or the night before each day. - Did this every day but Sunday so not too bad
2) no more than 2 pts of wine each day. Didn't do to well on this one, although better than the week before
3) get back to moving at least 4 days this week. Well if I count leaf raking (which I do) I exercised 3 times last week, again still better than the week before

So based on those results I'm going to try to do the same goals this week, except for Thursday. Since we're going somewhere else it'll be hard to plan, but I will make decent choices, and as Paige said try to eat lots of veggies and fruit and small portions of the not so good for me stuff.

Laura - I really hope Nino is doing OK. And that you're taking care of yourself during this stressful time. :hug:

Haylo - Glad you're feeling better, and 5k a day is impressive. I'm usually happy if I get in a couple of miles.

Ann - Haven't started the job search yet, need to get moving on that. Biking outdoors is done for the year, but this year I had DH get his trainer (from when he used to ride a lot) down and I'm supposed to bring in my bike and set it up inside to ride as a stationary bike. Maybe I'll drag it in today and he can show me how to set it up tonight, I can ride while watching tv.

Linda - good luck avoiding those temptations. Try not to stress too much about ds, she'll figure it out in her own good time.

Kim - Did DH get a deer? Just curious.

Paige - Have you tried some of the websites for ideas for dinners, ww, or cookinglight.com, or Heather's recipe site (freewebs.com/hwc1973/index.htm) does Core meals I haven't tried many but they look good. Even if you don't make the recipe exactly it could inspire you. I'm big on variety.

Jackie - Good luck with all those celebrations. My mom and sister's b-days are this week and bil's is next week, big birthday time I guess.

Erica, Erika, Barb and anyone else I missed :wave:

Have a great day everyone.

-Tech

Hi there, Chickies. I have fallen off that wagon but am trying to climb back on. I'm on a horse now getting ready to jump just like Roy Rogers. I did get a lot of activity points this week by working in the yard. Today I did some weeding and planting. I need to do some more "formal" exercise. Think I'll check around for a water aerobics class nearby.

Paige, I hope you're feeling better. I never heard of cooking gloves. Are they easy to use? I know sometimes when I'm working in the yard, gloves help and sometimes they get in the way.

Laura, how is Nino?

Linda, it's getting cooler here. Our highs later this week will be 40ish.

Donna, sounds like you did well with your goals for last week.

Janelle, it's good to see you back. I missed you.

Brza, I'm nervous about this week, too. I had a bad weekend and hate to think of adding more "bad" days to it. I need to buckle down and just do it.

Kim, congratulations on not going overboard this weekend. I tend to throw in the towel. When I'm bad--I'm bad.

Paige, it sure does sound crazy. I wish I had known about the refrigeration issue. Seafood restaurants around here have big Styrofoam boxes that they ship lobsters in, I could have sent one overnight to you or something. I also wonder if it would have worked if you just purchased an ordinary cooler and had that boxed? I hope what you sent impresses them!
Laura, I guess that is somewhat good news? I hope he gets to go home. I also hope they figure out what is wrong and can fix it for him.
Ann, good ideas. Got any thoughts on things I can make that my family doesn't know is good for them? : )
Janelle, my husband is absolutely fine now, just finished a dinner and is looking forward to his nightly ice cream fix. I sure wish I could eat like him. Oh well.
Briza, take it easy and birthdays and Thanksgivings are only once a year. I think you deserve a bit of a treat, but not to go completely wild. I have trouble stopping when I start with treats.
Paige, fast food is really a bad habit. I seldom allow it in my house! Sounds like you need to begin planning again, remember your own saying... failing to plan is planning to fail. Get out that crockpot and toss in some stuff to cook all day and be out of your way in a corner of the kitchen.
I planned my meals for the next few nights. Wednesday night, for example is pizza night. However, I purchased portabella mushrooms for my own pizza vs. crust. I purchased already made crust so all I have to do is assemble and put in the oven on my pizza stones.
Tech, good for you being so goal oriented! The wine one seems to be an issue, but I'd not even try this week to changed what you've been doing considering it's Thanksgiving.
Well, it's off for the evening. I did OK eating today. I got all my grocery shopping done and the store was an absolute ZOO. I'm so glad I don't have to go back until after the holiday.

Sandra, we crossed posts! I'm nervous about this week as well.
We'll get through it.
I'm planning to pop my turkey in the oven and then go for a walk or something immediately afterwards. It's going to take a long time to cook, so after all the initial work gets done, I can take a break and move a little bit.
I'm also going to get on my treadmill tomorrow, I hope, as well as Wednesday.

Linda, we're getting our :ebike: back from my son tomorrow, so I should be able to begin "formal" exercise this week. Which reminds me--I still need to check into a water aerobics class.

Just found out that I'm to take sectional paper plates Thanksgiving. Now is that easy or what?

Sandra, sectional paper plates? Sounds casual and that is how my sister would do it. Each family does their own thing and that is good.
As for me, it will be the good china, good silver, tablecloth, cloth napkins, candles, Waterford crystal, flowers on the table - the whole deal.
I have to hit the ground running today, there is much to do to get ready and I want to start off my day correctly with the treadmill.
Meal planning is ESSENTIAL in these few days before the holiday.
Breakfast:
Oatmeal made with Calorie Countdown milk
apple

Lunch:
Salad
black eyed peas
ham or turkey on the salad and a bit of FF mozzarella
oil and vinegar

Dinner:
Pork Roast, baked potato, string beans
will have lite margarine on the potato and count the points

Dessert:
Pumpkin custard with lite cool whip, core!


My daughter tells me that she will not be going to Weight Watchers with me this afternoon. I'm really bummed out. I can't force her. She's lost about 4 or 5 pounds since she re-started in September and I can visualize all of this coming back on. I think she is just sick of doing this and wants to pig out and have fun over the holidays. I can't stop her. I can only continue to offer healthy meals, healthy school lunches and set the example by going to my meetings and exercising. I find this depressing as I envision her putting weight back on and not getting the big part she wants in the school play this spring. I also envision shopping for prom dresses with her and having her in tears as she won't fit into the really sweet dresses that are available in smaller sizes. I want her to feel good about herself. BUT, I don't want this to be a conflict between us, so I must do my thing and hope she is only having a momentary slip. I guess lots of people do this around the holidays. I also bet that the meeting this afternoon will not have lots of people there.
I was not an angel this week and went way over on my flex points and don't anticipate a loss, but I am in this for the long haul and NOT GIVING UP! I want goal weight badly. I still would like, one day, to be a WW leader - however, that interest has diminished as I have been so excited about turning my art into something profitable.
It's wonderful that there are so many avenues one can travel down, if one door closes, another one opens. Paige could probably relate to that. Awhile ago, she was interested in opening her own bakery and that didn't work out. Now, there is this job possibility. But, if that doesn't work out, there will be something else, and better still even something else beyond that.
We have to be excited. We have to think of the possibilities. We also have to recognize that each opportunity is just ONE opportunity. I still want to achieve my goal, but as time goes one my interest in being a leader has diminished while my interest in using my creativity to make income has come forward. I so look forward to my art lesson this afternoon. It was so nice last week and I hope it will be equally nice today.
Getting back to this Thanksgiving week. Here is my pep-talk that is for me as much as the rest of you! Those fat clothes are GONE. I don't want them in my life again. I like that my clothes fit without embarrassing ripples and that you can't really see my underwear through the back of my jeans while the fat bulges out around it. I'm preparing myself for success. It may take awhile, but I can do it! I have to keep that in mind as this week progresses. If I have some eggnog, it's not the end of the world, but I don't need eggnog over the entire weekend. Just one simple tiny glass to have that taste I only get once a year, tiny. I can have a few of those really wonderful nuts that you crack yourself. We also have those every year only at Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas. But, A FEW, not the entire bowl of them. I can have a piece of pie with a tiny bit of real ice cream for a change, but that is it. That does not give me permission to eat several pieces of pie all through the weekend. In other years, I would have had two or three different choices of pies, this year we have ONE.
So, let's pull together TEAM. What other things can we do to offset this week? We all may end up with a gain at weigh in next week, but it doesn't have to be a HUGE gain.
With that, I am off to the treadmill!

Good morning - I have good news. My son went home last night from the hospital. He apparently had a torn aorta which had scarred and healed but they wanted to be sure there were no further problems. He goes back in 3 weeks. This prevents him from going underway the day after Thanksgiving and puts him at a desk job for a bit but that too is OKAY. The submarine will just have to survive without him.

My eating hasn't been too awful, not stellar but not too awful. I got lots of raking of leaves in on Sunday because I wanted to get them to the road for the last of the season pick up. HOURS of AP points there. The mindlessness of it helped the stress level too.

Glad to see everyone posting here. We're heading into the holiday. Linda - there is NO WAY I could do china and waterford for a group of 28 people, so we too will have chinet sectional plates. We have so many little ones that I'd be a nervous wreck to have my good china out. We save the china for Christmas Day for when there is just a few of us around. My son and his wife are planning on being home for Christmas this year so that is another reason to celebrate.

I need to go shopping tonight. I had originally intended to go Saturday but I didn't want to be away from the phone that long so here I am facing the crowds. Aw well, all is good with the world so it's okay

Have a good Tuesday everybody!

rosegarden: I am glad to her your son is out of the hospital, hopefully things continue to go well.



I have to get going, cooking breakfast, and going to go shopping I am going to try to make a homemade pumpkin pie. I know not calorie or ww friendly but I have always wanted to make one so I am going to try.


I will check in later.

Good Afternoon All,

Didn't do to badly yesterday used up some flex points though which I didn't want to do wanted to save them for Thursday and Saturday, but oh well what's done is done. Met my folks at the mall to walk so I've already exercised today. My foot is bugging me a little but not as bad as a couple of weeks ago. My try to get back to Curves tomorrow we'll see. Didn't bring my bike inside, maybe today. Tomorrow I get to bake pies and make appetizers, we're going to my Aunt's and I'm sure it'll be fancy plates, she likes that kind of thing, when we had it here last year we compromised, I have some glass dishes we used along with paper salad/roll plates and our good wine glasses. We only have 8 place settings of our china dishes and there were 15 including the baby. Saturday we're having DH's family here maybe I'll pull out the china for that there's only 6 since his parents and brother's family are in FL this year.

Linda - Hope your class was fun and WI went well.

Laura - Glad your son is OK. The stores were packed on the weekend too, we went to Meijers on Sunday and it was a zoo.

Haylo - Homemade pumpkin pie can be not too bad, the bad part is the crust, I use LF condensed milk and that helps a lot and you don't notice.

Sandra - good luck getting back on that wagon. Did you bet your :ebike: back?

To everyone else, hope you're having a good week.

-Tech

Hey all....

Just wanted to post quickly. I have a church meeting in a bit, then I need to head to the mall to shop quickly for a bday present for my grandmother.

Eating today was fine, except that I got into some cookies that were leftover from the tray that I sent to TN. The good news is that they were really good, so I'm pretty confident that she will like them. The bad news is, well, that I ate them! LOL! We are having my pizza for dinner tonight, so at least that isn't bad.

I am a nervous wreck about this stuff that I sent down yesterday to TN. She definately should of gotten it already...I sent it overnight, and it was supposed to be there by 3. I'm so annoyed that I haven't gotten an e-mail or anything just to let me know that she got it or hasn't gotten it. Linda, you are so right, though...one opportunity is just that...and things always work out that there is always another opportunity behind it. Life works out the way it is supposed to. I had been a little (a lot, actually) concerned about how finishing school was going to work if I did get offered the job, and I found out today that I can substitute an online accounting class for one of the classes that I need, and the other two I can substitute "working life credit" for. Basically I have to complete the amount of hours for each class (I think it would be 64 hours each class, so 1 1/2 wks of work for each class) and then take pictures of the things that I make. So I definately don't have to worry about finishing and getting my degree!

Anyway...I need to go. I hope you all have a great night!

Laura, now you have lots to be Thankful for. I am so glad you had good news. I can certainly see why, with that many people, you aren't doing the crystal and china. I hardly ever use mine and have so many nice things, so I look forward to that as much as the food!
Tech, my class was truly fun. Wonder if I can insert a photo of my painting in progress? I'll try. Plus, I lost .6!!! That is not a huge loss, but considering I certainly wasn't perfect, even had Chinese food, I am pleased.

I hope the photo shows up, I did upload it at least. I think it's pretty good for a first effort.

Paige, sounds like you are so very close to that degree. So, even if this job thing doesn't work out (who knows, maybe it will???) you will have many opportunities.
I've gotta go, DH and DD put on the DVD "The Robinsons" and they want me to sit down and watch with them. Have a great evening all!
:hug: