This is a great thread for those who want support, helpful hints, friendship and a great bunch of people to communicate with. This thread has existed for a long time and we keep re-starting it whenever the old one gets too long. Feel free to stop in and chat, we are not a "closed" group and welcome newcomers. Some of us have been together for well over a year, some only a few days, but we care about each other. We offer tips, we share, we pick each other up of the floor when we've had rough times and we applaud when someone does well.

So, please do stop on by and share a bit, support is what it's all about! We can really do this together.

Happy Monday to all!
It's a good day to re-start the thread, new beginnings.... Mondays are always a great day of forgiveness for us all, a clean fresh start after the weekend. In particular, this was Mother's day. Did we allow treats? If so, it's water under the bridge and I guess time to exercise it off today? I did allow myself a few treats, but today is a new day, a new beginning.

Paige, I have not heard about what is called Wii Fit? Do tell us more!
I have to admit it, no two ways around it, I just hate exercise and it's a chore for me to make myself do it. I do plan on getting on my treadmill today, though. That is my saving grace, as I watch tv while I am on it to keep me from being so bored.

What is a grilled turkey sandwich with laughing cow cheese, exactly? Do you make it like a grilled cheese with deli sliced turkey in it? Interesting.... but not sure it would appeal to me.

I am going grocery shopping today and I think I will get the stuff I need to make the "famous" Garden Vegetable Soup. That always helps me and I do enjoy soup at lunchtime. I like to make a huge batch of that soup and freeze it in small containers. My WW leader mentioned a nice tip that I will share. Cutting up all those veggies can be a pain and you can buy the shredded Cole slaw mix in the store and use the shredded cabbage vs. having to chop it all. I will do that to save time.

Meal plan for today:

Omelet made with egg whites (from the carton) with onion, pepper and fresh tomatoes sautéed in 2 tsp olive oil. One laughing cow cheese wedge (I love those too, Paige, as they are so portion controlled)
I will have one slice of lite toast on the side with butter spray on it. I am thankful that if you only have one slice, you don't have to count it as a point.
I shall have fruit later on in the morning, perhaps a banana?

Lunch:
Ground turkey patty with ketchup (no roll), spinach, kidney beans or chick peas, FF cottage cheese

Snack:
Popcorn

Dinner:
Grilled boneless chicken breast, couscous, fresh asparagus

Dessert:
SF/FF chocolate pudding with lite cool whip

Linda-Wii Fit is a "game" for the Nintendo Wii. It comes with a balance board type thing, it is completely interactive. There is aerobics, a personal trainer, and lots of games (that are exercise and fitness related) built in. I am home Monday and Tuesdays (today is my last day of class) and then I figured I could do it before work the rest of the week. Right now I get up a 1/2 hr early on my work days to have "computer time" but I think I would be ok to have "exercise time" instead. My dh gets up before work to go to the gym, but he misses a few days a week when I go to work early, so he had wanted to do the Wii Fit instead those days.

Speaking of my dh, listen to this....man, he gets all the breaks. His work started a WW group a month ago, and they are paying for it for the employees! Can you believe that?! It is so much easier to stay op when we are both doing WW. He is really good about tracking his points; I told him last night that I am going to start tracking again. It's times like this past weekend when I'm really off plan, and throwing caution to the wind that I worry a little bit about the "past" creeping back in. I just want to catch myself before I fall, you know?

Yeah, I just grill deli turkey (4 slices of the kind we buy is 1 pt) with a little bit of cooking spray. I realized just now, though, that I think the bread is 2 pts, not 1. We had been buying the lite ww bread and buying my girls the regular ww...I realized the last time I went shopping that the lite is $3.06 for a 1lb loaf, where the regular is $1.42 for 1 1/2lb. We usually buy two loaves of the lite, so that really kind of adds up. I haven't actually checked the pts on the regular, but I'm assuming it's 2....I'll have to check this morning.

Anyway, I have to go help dd get ready for school. Hope you all have a fabulous morning!!!!!!!

Good Morning Ladies

Hope you all had a Happy Mothers Day,I did,even though it was quite. My DH & I had a ready cooked chicken for dinner with some veggies while watching 'The Players" Golf tournament.

I did allow for some dessert per it ran in the lines of WW. Strawberries with cool whip on 4 graham crackers.


LINDA-Thanks for starting us up on a new week. It feels good that every one returned.Going to give exercising a try as last week dentist wouldn't permit it with my tooth extraction.


PAIGE-Thats fantastic to have you DH with you on the this WOE. I merely have to rely on the WW meeting room or you guys here on the internet.I'm not say he doesn't give me the support I need. but cooking one meal for the both is easier than to cook two different meals.
Your DH is lucky that his employer is paying for the meeting also. I'm using the monthly and its automatically taken out of my credit card every month.


my meal today[23]

b-cold cereal,banana & soy milk[5]

d-Shepherd Pie[9]

sn-apple[1]

supper-deli roast beef on 1 sl low fat bread & 1c chicken noodle soup[6]

des- Berries & WW yogurt[2]


Have a great morning

Hugs BB

My daughter had some kind of computer game with a pad that you dance on and it interacts on the TV, wonder if that is kind of similar? She got bored with it after awhile.
I think my biggest problem is ALL forms of exercise is boredom. Nothing seems to have that fun factor for me. I really need to think about this and figure out something, I swear it is what is holding me back.
Gardening? I hate bugs, getting dirty, hot and sweaty.
The gym? I hate it now, I have to show up there and cancel my membership.
Housework? Eeeewww! I do it when I have to.
Walking, see gardening, but minus the dirty part but add in being cold in winter and slipping on ice

I have to grow up and figure out something!

Well, it is time to get on that treadmill, at least I can do that.

BB - we cross posted!
Can you define that shepards pie? What's in it and how can you find a way to make it a few less points?

Linda- Here is a link for Wii Fit http://e3nin.nintendo.com/wii_fit.html . There is a video at the bottom that shows some of the exercise games it includes. It is quite expensive; a Wii is about $250, and the game is $90. We have a Wii already, and we're going to use our economic stimulus check to purchase the game (our one frivolous purchase from that check!!!!)

BTW, do you count half points? I always counted one slice of lite ww bread as a half point, instead of 0.

BB-Yeah, it is really nice that they pay for the meetings for them. It's probably one of the only employee incentives that they give! When we are both on track and op, it is really easy to be good. He does most of the cooking (I bake all day long at work, so the LAST thing I want to do when I get home is step back into the kitchen!!! Plus I don't really like to cook as much) and he is really good about weighing out ingredients and cooking meals that are WW friendly. Like tonight, for example, I have class, but I am going to make my pizza dough recipe. It will be ready by the time he gets home, so he will finish it. He is really good about weighing out the cheese and the sauce so that we know how many pts each slice is. He is also Mr. BBQ...we bbq at least a few times a week (even in the winter) and that always saves on the dinner points.

I really need to get a move on and start cleaning. I have so much to get done this week!!!!!

Good morning ladies.
Linda, thanks for starting this new thread. I have not been getting any emails from the last thread either. I was sure I had subscribed to it. Oh well.
When I was first starting to walk, I had to make myself walk. I would walk to the store to pick something up and then I started to like it after a while. I had to schedule it in like a chore, if that makes sense.

BB, it sounds like you had a nice day yesterday. Those chickens are such a great idea. Have a wonderful day.

Paige, I think that would be an awesome game for the Wii, We do have a Wii so I am going to look for the game. Is the Wii fit out yet. You probably said, I should just go back and read the posts. I enjoy cooking and my husband enjoys baking. People always find it weird that I do enjoy cooking but not baking. I am not patient while baking and my husband is. I love that my husband barbeques. How are your girls doing?

Shelby and LuvMyFam, how are you both today.

Where are you Erica, Sandra, Laura, Patti, Kim, Barb. I do hope you are all doing well.

Take Care everyone and have a great day.
Ann

Ann-It's not out yet; I think the 21st? My girls are good; my little one is a toughie and my older one is so prissy! It's amazing that they can have such different personalities. How is your little one?

LINDA-Real shepherd's Pie is made of any leftover meat ground. Than you add peas carrots & onions to the meat but in a dish add mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture and bake at 400 for 1 hr. The Shepherds pie recipe is in the kick start booklet under the CORE plan. My DH told me thats not the way the Irish/English Made it,but being on WW I thought I use their recipe instead.

PAIGE-My DH Likes to BBQ & Cook but he doesn't like the gourmet recipes that I use.Thats when I come in.You're a baker at trade. Wow!! Now I know where to post my baking questions espeically during the holidays.LoL!!

ANN-I use those chickens quite often,now that I getting older and lazier.

LUVMYFAM-traveling does bring on water retention. Just add some more to drink. Now that your home,it easier to stay OP.


Have a great afternoon


Hugs BB

BB-I haven't made shepard's pie in a long time; I might have to make it soon. Yes, I actually just finished my last class of pastry school tonight, and graduate on Saturday. I've been working as a pastry chef since December; I love it! =)

Oh, Paige, I know what that game is now. It wasn't registering in terms of weight loss, only as an electronic game, if that makes sense. My kids have mentioned it, of course. We own playstation as well as x-box. I hold my nose up in the air (kind of refusing to pay attention to it all) and call them all "video games" and have never played any of them. My kids' taste is just awful when it comes to these games, my son's in particular. Maybe I do need to pay attention a little to these things, I suppose, if there is something related to weight loss involved that might be good for me?

I don't count half point, but I guess I am cheating the system a bit as I do count half a serving of milk on the bottom of my trackers when I have a small carton of FF cottage cheese and see that it's only 10% of my daily calcium requirements and things like that. I take a calcium supplement as well as a multivitamin, but I know I need all the calcium I can get, so I do count a partial calcium serving. I think in order for it to count as a full serving, it needs to be 20% of your daily calcium, correct? At any rate, my WW leading will often say about having only one slice of lite bread that you don't have to count it as it's not a point. That, to me, only means ONE per day, though. You can't have a slice in the morning and another slice at lunch and not say that you've had the full point. So, I have always felt that I am on program by having one slice of lite bread, but only one.

Paige, it's cute that your DH does lots of the cooking, especially seeing as you "bake" all day all the time, I suppose that cooking is quite different from baking for someone like you, and more of a chore? Have you been watching Top Chef on Bravo TV? I love that show and last week they made wedding cakes and I thought of you, yours would have been so much more fabulous, of course, as none of these chefs are pastry chefs like you. I still marvel at how you resist eating all that stuff as tasting would be somewhat of a part of the job. I laughed at the previous week's "challenge" as they had to take $10.00 and create a tasty and healthful meal for 4 people. They looked scared and I do that almost every night of the week! Ha! Maybe I belong on that show? I wouldn't have a clue to how to do some of what they do, though. Fascinating show, though.

Ann, maybe I shall try to schedule in some walking, it's so hard to be motivated for me. I did go on my treadmill yesterday, though. Today is a busy day, so maybe after dinner tonight?
My DH does the BBQ when he is home, as well, but I do it during the week when he is away. I enjoy it and we love the taste. We have a back screen porch and keep the grille out there, so it's under cover, and we use the BBQ all year round, though more in the warmer months.

Jet, so glad you surprised your parents, even if you got off-track a bit with eating. Family is so important. I lost both my mom and dad two years ago and I miss them so. Take every opportunity to see them and enjoy them while you still have them.

Ah-ha.... how do some of us do it in terms of addressing everyone's comments? I keep two windows open on my computer. I open a new e-mail up and while I start reading all of your posts, I click on it and open it up to respond to each individual. Then, I tab town and read some more, open up the e-mail and type in more of a response. Then, in the end, I use my spell-check (I'm the world's worst speller) and copy, cut and paste the contents of the e-mail here. I then, of course, delete the e-mail that never had a subject like or recipient on it, without sending it only when I know my post here has taken. It works well for me and I am more organized in what I can say here. Give it a shot! Hope I explained that well.

BB, good point about adding more water after travel and being off program. I'll have to look for that Sheppard's pie recipe in my materials. I have had Sheppard's pie before, but it was certainly not a WW friendly dish at all. I was thinking about taking browned 93% lean ground beef, mixing it with veggies and the gravy that comes in a jar you can buy. I believe my WW leader told me it was something like 1 point for 1/4 cup. Then, spread mashed potatoes over top. Is your recipe like that? Maybe it was in my head as I saw it before?

Wow, Paige, last class and graduation in the same week, that's pretty close! Guess everyone's grades are up to date and computerized so they know who is able to graduate fairly quickly? Congratulations! I know you have worked so hard for this, it's so hard to go to school, work and bring up two kids all at once - all the while working on weight loss! You Go Girl!!!

As for me, it's weigh in day today. I'm nervous as it's been a hard week getting back on program after falling off the wagon for a period of time. Feb. 23rd - May 6th was my time "off" since going to a meeting. I gained 6.4 pounds during that time. I'm no angel for sure.
So, any loss today will be a good loss. I have my fingers crossed!

Take care, all!

Hello ladies,

Linda, good luck with your weigh in today. Great job walking on the treadmill. I know when you just schedule it in and do it, it becomes habit but if you think about it you can talk yourself out of it., Or at least I can.

Paige, congratulations, you are awesome. You are not only completing school but you also found what you love doing....way to go.
It is funny how children can be so different. I help out at my DS school and some girls are such tomboys and others are princesses. I often hear parents comment that they can't believe two children from the same family are so different. I think it is great because life would be so boring if we were all the same. Thanks for the info about the Wii game, I will see if BestBuy will hold one for me once they come in.

Jet, I too find when we are traveling it is very difficult when eating out. I ordered a chicken salad at BK when my son wanted to go there while on vacation and I couldn't believe how salty the chicken was. I like that fast food places do have salads on their menus now.

Beach Bum, your I think I will make Shepherd's pie this week. I haven't had it in a long time. It is funny I always prepared things from scratch before joining ww and then my leader explained that to save time buy precut things, like the cabbage and baby carrots. What a time saver. I never thought I would ever use those things and now I do.

Trysh, how are you doing?

Have a wonderful day everyone, I have to get ready to go help out in my son's class.
I will be back soon.

Take care
Ann

Hi Ladies

LINDA-That Shepherd's Pie sounds different from the WW recipe in the Kick start booklet.Don't know if I'm allowed to post it here.

But the ingredients were ground turkey,onions,froz mixed veggies diced tomatoes & mashed potatoes. My DH recipe uses ground beef,peas & carrots,onions, beef gravy and mashed potatoes.

PAIGE-Congrats on your fore coming graduation from pastry school.Thats half the battle loving your profession.
My favorite chef is Rachael on the Food network,and she always tells us that baking is a science you must use the right ingredients plus the right amounts. I would fail in pastry school,as WW was giving me problems with weighing & measuring foods.

ANN-The Shepherd's Pie was delicious,although it wasn't the real Mc Coy.The only thing I'm not sure of was the 10 pts as it was in the Core part of the kick start booklet. I looked up each ingredient and than totaled the point value. Don't know if that was correct.


Have a great morning


Hugs BB