Down, doobie do down, down... Any of you remember that tune? Even if you don't you're welcome to join our thread. We're all working our weigh down to 200 & below. Come on in, the gang is friendly!

Sorry, ladies. I couldn't stand it anymore. I tried the new(?) Wild Rice & Mushroom Gardenburger tonight & I loved it! It tasted like rice & mushrooms. They didn't try to make it taste like a hamburger or anything funky. I didn't put mustard or mayo or anything on it, but a little bit of cheese & a slice of fresh, ripe tomato. Just 2 pts. a patty (4.5 pts total for the sandwich) & I wanted seconds, but I decided to have something else instead. I will definitely have these again.



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Gizzi
275/209/140ish

:) :) :) :) Are you getting tired of those smilies yet? I'm not :D. I'm feeling good. I've decided to go to my old regular Thursday morning meeting tomorrow, just for a mid-week boost.

Gizzi - Those garden burgers sound good. I had a boca burger tonight. For me, it's a good substitute when I want a junk food fix. I'll have to try the garden burgers, though. I just love mushrooms. What I want to know is, where did you find a ripe tomato? I haven't had a decent one since our vines stopped producing in late summer :(.

Lauren - I'm beginning to think I'm one of those people who need to stay at the lower end of their point range, too. Of course, I seem to remember Rupertsmom saying she traded up in points for a slower loss, so I guess it's the choice we make. I'm also beginning to discover that this weight loss is a lot like children. Just when you think you've got it figured out, you find out that what worked last week doesn't work this week and you have a whole new set of issues to deal with.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow (did I mention is was 70 degrees here today? I know a lot of you have snow, but here in GA it feels like Spring is in the air).

Michele

I buy most of my produce at Albertson's & I went in to buy apples the other day & saw this pile of tomatoes that looked pretty good. Grabbed one & set it in the window for a couple of days. By the time I sliced it today it was as perfect as you can get for this time of year. Miracles happen. Even in Kansas.

Hey gizzi , I can relate . I saw an ad for strawberries today . I knew they would be awful , but they sure looked good .
Lauren , i'm glad you got off the plateau . I had one in August , they are very frustrating , to say the least .
I did have cake , but only a 1/2 piece . A friend & I shared . It wasn't very good , either . I made good choices , otherwise , & still stayed well within my points :) .
Kathy

Hey, if anyone is out there, HI! I expected to have a lot of catch-up reading to do, because I couldn't get on yesterday. It looks like the problem may have been widespread (like my hips http://www.3fatchicks.com/ubb//lol.gif ).

As it is, I had just finished that paragraph, and the power blipped out here at work, so I lost it.

I had a hard time last night. (Pre-TOM so I wanted to eat everything.) I guess if someone could find a way to control that impulse, they'd be rich.

2oM

Pre-TOM is nasty. I'm heading into that myself.

Michele, I hear what you're saying about Rupertsmom eating more because she was willing to lose more slowly. But at least she was still losing! I just don't lose apparently if I eat all my points (or over my points on a consistent basis). I'm not willing to lose weight more slowly than 3 pounds a month. Not if I can help it, anyway! I've just got too much to lose at this point; I don't think 36 pounds a year is unreasonable. Who knows, maybe that will change; as you say, this process is full of surprises!

I'll bet that part of my problem is that I have very low muscle tone. Always have had. When I was a baby, I didn't develop muscles properly and had to be put on medication. I've never been what you'd call toned. And I'm sure with all my past dieting, I lost muscle. So my metabolism no doubt is somewhere in the basement. Maybe all this strength training will turn that around.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

:) :) :) :) :)Hope everyone had a good day. It was my day off from work, so I'm not complaining. I went to my old Thursday morning meeting today. I really like the leader, but I won't go back for a while. It's SAHMom's with their toddlers. Back at the end of the year when it was only 4 or 5 kids it was ok, but imagine 40 adults with about 20 toddlers running around and it's a nightmare (at least for me). Too bad this leader doesn't do Saturday morning.

After the meeting I went to the grocery store to get a few things and found some prepared red cabbage, which is one of my most favorite things in the world. 1 point for 1/2 cup, and it's really good and really filling. No one else in my family eats red cabbage, so I don't make it very often, but now I can have it whenever I want. Finding that just made my day! Spent the rest of the day volunteering at the kids school, which is very relaxing to me. So all, in all, I had a good day.

Kathy - glad you made good choices and stayed within points, even with the potluck. I knew you could do it.

Bella - Where are you??? Even if you're not being 'perfect', check back in and let us know how you're doing.

Is everyone else as happy as I am that tomorrow is Friday? Have a good one.

Michele

Howdy all!
Going to WI just now. Wanted to make a quick note about the Elvis Chocolates. My box is Russell Stover, but I got it at the grocery store. (love me tender....)
And if California strawberries are at the store, they might be OK. The big indicator is whether they just look pretty, or is there a heady perfume emanating from the display? If they don't smell wonderful, they aren't! I probably look like a doofus, smelling all the fruit, but I ain't paying for it if it's not good!
Off to face the music. Can you say, totally off-program? :rolleyes:?

Good morning everyone. Dora's off to WI, and I'm just back. Good news. I lost 2.4 which is exactly what I gained last week. Now, let's see if I can put 2 OP weeks back to back. I'm determined.

Had my biggest challenge of the week last night. Took the kids to bingo night at school. I planned ahead, rushed home from work and exercised, then ate a hasty, but healthy dinner that I had prepared the night before. They were having pizza at bingo night, but my kids don't eat pizza, so I stopped by and got them McD's on the way. Those fries smelled heavenly, but I was not really tempted. I was helping to set up, so we got there early. The kids had a lot of free time and were into everything so it was kind of stressful. Of course, once my kids saw everyone else having pizza and soda, they wanted some. Since I was volunteering, they gave them each a slice for free. Later in the evening when I was actually able to sit with my children, their pizza was still sitting there, half eaten. It was late and I was vulnerble because I was frazzled and tired, but I resisted. Luckily, we didn't win anything, so by 9, my kids were over the bingo and we left. By 10:00, I was in bed, danger avoided.

I'm looking forward to a good week. This once will be harder than last, but I know I can do it if I concetrate on being OP, and that is my priority right now.

Hope everyone else is well.

Michele

Hi, everyone. I had a minor gain at WI this week. Probably a combo of exercise & a big loss the week before.

I bit the bullet & paid to get on the new WW members only site. I'm not impressed. I'll give it until the end of the month before I ask for my money back (I went for the 3 mo/$30), but so far it's glitchy & I don't think the online food list is quite as extensive as it could be.

Howdy again, all!

Michele - I loveyour collection of smilies :D :)! What an upbeat reminder. Sure could have used a reminder like that this week. Our leader went over reframing (again) and it was like she was preaching to me. Man, I blew it this week by just not making the effort.

Lauren -I'm slowly reading Thin for Life. One study included several women of the same age, height, and weight. The resting metabolic rate was drastically different for each one. God made them (and us!) very differently. So, your idea of making the rules work for you is certainly for the best. And, a consistent 3 pounds monthly may be slow, but at least it's in the right direction. And your skin is probably going to be in great shape. My WI buddy, Mary, is down over 80 lbs and she is a bit sad about all the loose skin. Course, she doesn't have an exercise program to tighten things up like you do. You are amazing, I sure would like some of that patience to rub off on me.

So far, my anniversary of walking and "watching" my eating saw me 60 lbs lighter. (this includes before WW lbs) So, I've basically lost 5lbs monthly. And we all know how sometimes the real-life picture has the gainer months and the chunks-at-a-time months.

Kathy -good for you on that cake situation.

Today we had lunch at TGIFridays. My "broken noodle/veggie & marinara" plate was HUGE :eek:! So, half of it came home with me. Should have left it at the restaurant. It had alot of oil in it. And cheese. But it sure kept me full all day. Still gotta figure how to count it.

Y'all are sure an upbeat group, here. I'm happy to be a part of it. If I start to sound like an Eeyore, it's because I've come to grips with the realization that we (I) need to make a budget and stick to it in order to realize our financial goals. Sigh. So much for those Land's End sale catalogs. :rolleyes: And the E-Toys close-outs.

Ciao for now!


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Dora
246SW/192.8/140ish
One pound at a time!

[This message has been edited by Dora140 (edited 02-10-2001).]

Howdy all,

Just HAD to post this.

On Dotti's site, the points listed for the Chili's Awesome Blossom (or is that the Outback's name for that luscious fried onion?) is (are you ready for this?)76.5 POINTS!! :eek: three days worth of calories!!!
And I thought I was soooo virtuous to only order such an item when there's a foursome. :rolleyes:

:)Starting a new OP week.

Good morning everyone! I feel so viruous already this morning. Got up at 6:30 and went walking. It was chillier than I thought it would be so I had to walk a bit quicker to warm up faster. I felt so good when I got to my regular turn-around point, I kept going.

Got home, and no one was up yet, so I had some quiet time to read the paper and have some hot chocolate. When DH got up, I fixed breakfast. A yummy mushroom and tomato omelet (with egg beaters). Then, since the kitchen was already dirty, I roasted some red peppers and got dinner started for tonight. Now all that needs to be done is cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc. I am going to the movies with a friend, though, so it won't be all work and no play.

Gizzi - I can't imagine paying for the e-tools. They hyped it at meeting this week, but what I need most is support, and I do just fine with that here. I haven't heard anyone raving about the new WW site.

Dora - Glad you like the smilies. It helps to see them on the fridge as a reminder. It's hard for me at meetings these days with all the new joiners from the first of the year who are still in the honeymoon stage of the program. Just like a marriage, I feel like I'm in the 'working at it' phase, which in some ways is a totally different ballgame. What I need to do is the same, but the desire to do it ebbs and flows. Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary. You've come a long way, baby!

Everyone have a great day.

76.5 points??? No freakin' way!! WOW! And they wonder why we're all getting so fat!

Thanks for the reminder about that book "Thin for Life," Dora. I need to re-read that. It's an excellent book, really tells it like it is. I love books that focus on people who've kept their weight off for years.

I had a higher-point weekend, thanks to TOM coming soon and also eating out two nights in a row. Yesterday I stayed low in points to compensate, but I'll still be up this week.

On the brighter side, I have a pair of size 20 Jones of NY pants that are getting baggy on me. I could fit into an 18, I'll bet. I'm not deluding myself; expensive brands run bigger, and there's no way I'm in an 18 in other brands. But still.

Also, I did a tougher workout this past weekend -- wanted to see how I'd do on Jane Fonda's low impact tape. (That's a tape I did years ago but have been too out of shape to get through in recent years.) Voila! I did it! It was tougher than the FIRM Basics that I've been doing, but it was fun. I worked up quite a lather. It's great to see results from the exercise I've been doing, even if it's not on the scale. I'm definitely stronger!

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Lauen: Were you ever able to get to the thyroid website?

2oM

2oM, nope.

--lauren

Gack. Up two pounds this week. Yes, TOM encroacheth. Yes, it's hopefully just water and will go away soon. Yes, it bums me out. Yes, I want to eat everything in sight. No, I'm not going to.

--Lauren
(274/218.5/DOWN, some day)

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this site and I really love it. I like how you guys just talk about your week and how it's going. I sometimes can see my friends looking a little bored at my stories of what I ate over the weekend. (They mean well!)
I have been going to WW for about 4 weeks now (this time!) and have lost 9 pounds. I need to lose 135! I try not to look at it that way, but just so you all know where I am. I go to Monday night meetings which is hard because the weekends are so hard for me. I guess it's the only time I have to relax a little and I tend to think more about food. I had my family over to dinner this weekend and totally overate. I made Mexican food (my first mistake). I did make 7-layer dip with all non-fat ingredients and it was FABULOUS and without guilt!
I WI last night and even though I did not stay OP and it's also that TOM (am I getting all the acronyms?? :-)), I lost .8! I was very hapy about that!! I almost didn't go and I am SO glad I did.
Well, thanks for listening (or reading). I look forward to writing and reading again soon!


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Lis

:) :) :)Greetings everyone, and a special hello to Lisa Marie. I know what you mean about friends tuning out when you talk about WW. This is a great place. Hope you'll visit often.

As you can see from my smilies, I am having another good week...so far. I have been writing in my emotions journal a lot, though, because TOM has arrived and I'm cranky and tired. It really helps me to acknowledge the feelings in writing. Then I can recognize it for what it is and not try to use food to deal with it.

I've become the candy-godmother at work this week. Someone at work put out one of those boxes of $1 candy bars for a fund raiser. Everyone at the office always supports my kids fund raisers, so I like to help them out too. Since I'm not going to eat the candy, I buy a bar and just leave it on someone's desk with a thank-you note. You can't believe how nice people are being to me this week :D. I did have to tell one co-worker, though, that she would have been the first on my list for a bar, but I know she's watching her weight, so I just thanked her for all her hard work. She seemed to appreciate it.

Lauren - Is is possible to stay off the scale during TOM? I ask because it's not possible for me, but maybe someone a bit stronger..... :) I'm there with you and it really does bite. Congrats on the baggy jeans and the Jane Fonda workout. My Tae-bo is going so-so. Some days I can finish it, and some days I have to fast forward to the end. I keep trying to visualize the day when I can go straight through without a problem, but it seems like a fantasy right now.

Hope y'all have a great Valentine's Day tomorrow.

Michele

Wow , Michelle , you most certainly are very virtuous . I'm just catching up on things from the last 5 days , or so . You've had alot of temptations , that most of us would have caved on . Pizza , fries , & chocolate bars (my favorite) . The pizza wouldn't tempt me , though . You are doing super !
Welcome , Lisa Marie . I know any amount of needed weight loss seems enormous (especially above 100) , but you'll be surprised how fast the initial bulk goes . There are a whole lot of big losers here . I have lost 109.4 pounds . I have lost more at times , but have gained & lost some . I have aprox. 50 pounds more to go . Your acronyms are fine , too .
I lost the pound I gained , so that was good . This is the first time i've felt like getting on-line in 5 days . I have the worst case of flu i've ever had . I was sick wednesday . okay thurs & fri . Sicker than a dog sat , sun , mon , & today . Hopefully , tomorrow i'll wake up feeling all better . I'm really sick of dry toast , applesauce , gatorade & suppositories . Can you say ICK ! The only good thing is , with me getting in so little points , I think I can safely expect a loss this week .
I hope I didn't gross you all out too much . Kathy

Hi, Lisa. You're in the same boat we've all been in. I started last April with 125 to lose. I just hit the half-way point this month (65 lb. gone) & I'm trying not to think about the rest of it... Especially since tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

I went out & bought Hershey's Kisses to keep on my desk for everyone to munch on. I think I'll be able to resist them, but... Then DH decided to take me to dinner (& he hates eating out on Valentine's Day). The good news is he decided we should go to Red Lobster so at least I can go for crab instead of steak!

Hope your temptations are far & few between tomorrow!


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Gizzi
275/209/140ish

Wow, Gizzi -- halfway there! I didn't really think about that, but I'm almost halfway there, too. How interesting.

Michele, you're a sweetie. I'll have to remember that one.

Lisa Marie, welcome! :)

I'm actually only one pound up this week, which is pretty good considering TOM (which just arrived). I can deal with that. I'm home today too, Kathy -- bad cold. So much for going out to eat tonignt -- I won't taste a thing! Ah well. We'll just have to have our celebration this weekend. Get well soon, OK?

--Lauren
(274/217.5/down)

:) :) :) :) :) I'm giving myself a smiley for today already because I earned it!

Today was a very rough day for me. Not because of v-day, but just because I was in a 'mood' brought on by TOM, a sore throat, being tired, and a nagging foot injury, and a strong desire not to be at work. I wrote 4 pages in my emotions journal today. Just the usual whining, but it did keep me away from the vending machine at work, which I was not at all mentally willing to do. I did take 2 biite size muskateers from a co-workers candy jar, but I counted them and stopped there. I was starving by the time I got home. DH agreed to postpone the romantic dinner thing until the weekend, and the whole family went out to Applebees. Luckily we got there by 5, because by 6, there was a long wait. I had the veggie quesidilla and a salad and feel very satisfied. I still have a few points left for popcorn later. Tomorrow's my day off, so I'm looking forward to a much better day. I will say that the thought of not being able to put that smiley on my chart really kept me from the vending machine. I'm glad I started it.

Kathy - I was wondering where you were. Sorry you feel so bad. We had what we called the Y-chromosone flu go through our house...only the guys got it. I hope you felt better today.

Gizzi - How'd it go with the Kisses on your desk? I think most days I could have handled it, but today would have been hard. I didn't realize you were at your half-way point. That is great! I know what you mean about not thinking about the rest of it. I try not to look past the next 5 pounds. If I do, I just get overwhelmed.

Lauren - Sorry to hear you have a cold, too. Get better!

TTFN
Michele

Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for welcoming me with open arms! It's so fun to get to this page and see that people are writing to me!
Valentine's Day is a little depressing for me since I have no significant other, but I've been okay today. Only 1 Hershey's Kiss! (I brought some in to the office today too. Why do we do this to ourselves???)
Anyway, there is a lot of candy floating around the office today and to only have 1 piece is a huge accomplishment for me!
Had the veggie soup for lunch...a big VAT of it!!! :eek: Doing very well OP today and proud of it...can you tell?
Have a good evening everyone.
Lis

Well, I think I only had 3 of them. Of course, that was in addition to the 2 I received as "gifts" (dropped on my desk by Valentine Fairies), the two cookies from the reception, the cookie I had planned for my lunch dessert... But actually point-wise I think I came out okay (or close anyway). At one point I found myself unwrapping candy a little too easily so I grabbed a Hershey Tastations to suck on. It stopped the kiss-snatching, probably because it tasted better.

Our dinner plans fell through because of a dead car battery. Had rib tips & fries for dinner instead. Hard to do a point count on rib tips, but I gave it my best shot. I will say that these filled me up faster than they used to.

Good for you, Lauren, & your strength of denial. I go for the Oriental chicken salad everytime I go to Applebees. Only thing I like better there is a gyros which is even worse. Guess where we don't go very often. :)

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Gizzi
275/209/140ish

Hey, folks! Long time, no check in. I don't think I've posted since I was at my old job and I've been three weeks at my new employer.

It's been a pretty wild and interesting 3 weeks. My first day, I flew to Dallas for two days of meetings with a client. I felt so stressed out on the first Monday at my new job I thought I'd have a heart attack! On the more positive side, though, having no real work at first, no laptop, no obligations, I got lots of time to exercise in Dallas at the hotel. That was great, and the first time I've ever taken advantage of exercise equipment in a hotel. A good breakthrough, since I travel a fair amount.

My commute has dropped from about 1 hr each way to 20 minutes, so I've been getting up about the same time each morning and exercising before I eat breakfast. It's great! I think I'm becoming an exercise junkie. All things considered, it's probably the best thing to be addicted to.

My new job is with a company that's going through some growing pains. They've doubled in size in the last year and hope to grow almost as significantly this year. That puts a lot of stresses on an organization, to say the least. I was concerned that I might be in a bit over my head with the position I stepped into, but I'm finding that I am up to the challenge. It's been great finding that out.

Glad to read about all of you folks!

Judy
338/244/175

:D (big grin = entire week OP)

Good morning everyone! I knew it was going to be a good week on Thursday when I put on a pair of pants that last week were a little snug in the waist and they were loose. I actually took them off to check to make sure they were the same pair of pants :). Just back from WI and I'm down 3.2 this week, 41 total. More importantly, I had 2 losses in a row, and proved to myself if I commit to this program it will work for me. I so want to get out of my whiny, why me mind set. I think this success is a step in the right direction.

Judy - Long time no hear. Three years ago, I left a job with a very large company to go with a start up. It has been a very interesting ride. The advice I wish someone had given me, was to not look for heirarchy and organizational permission, but it's probably not there. Take the bull by the horns and do what you need to do. It's a lot more rsponsibility, but the rewards are much greater, too.

Gizzi - I like the Tastations, too. I like the chocolate mint ones. They remind me of a thin mint cookie, but last much longer.

Lisa Marie - One piece of candy on valentine's day is a big accomplishment. Congratulations. I found myself goig into the kids goody bags from school and ended up throwing them out. I don't do very well with chocolate temptation. Sounds like you're doing great with your choices. Keep up the good work.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Michele

joody0756: Congrats on the job. It may be a little scary at times, but think of how you can feel a sense of accomplishment and independence. Afterall, you did it on your own!

ME2: You must feel great it be able to have previously snug pants now loose. Keep up the good work.

2oM