In it For The Long Run, #14
 

Thought I'd start another thread, but forgot to check out how we are supposed to introduce ourselves. Oh well.

Lots o' love and support for those of us with a long journey. All are welcome.

Figured since we were on page 3 maybe it was time to start another thread. Don't forget to check out page 3 on the last one, Mandy introduced herself there.

Mandy - glad you decided to join us. You'll find I like using colors, ;) . It does suck having the weight being blamed for everything, knowing that it's fixable, but still having a hard time doing it. Argh. But hang in there and keep coming to this board and we will get to goal!!

Jenanne - Way to go on avoiding the cheesecake, that is awesome. Sounds like you'll be glad to get home.

:lucky: :lucky: - I "raced" in a 7K today - Runnin' of the Green!!! I entered it, trained for it, and was able to do it in the time I wanted. My goal was to complete it in 60 minutes or less, and my time was 57:43!!!! It was a great achievement for me because of an earlier failure. A few years ago I entered the Steamboat Springs 10K with good intentions. I was going to eat well, train, etc., but I didn't. Day of the race and I went ahead and did it, but felt horrible the whole way and came in almost dead last. This time I was near the front of the walking crowd, a much nicer place to be. It felt good to have that extra spurt of energy at the end to really go for it. Can't wait for the next one, :lol: .

Hope everyone had a good weekend, take care.

Hey there, just checking in.
Boy what an energetic bunch.:strong: I managed a 60 minute slow pace walk and 20 at Curves today. :o But it felt good to get out there again. It's been 5 months since I did any kind of formal exercise. And I so need this. I realize how outta shape I am. It was a struggle today.:faint: My back is still a problem. I hurt it at work last summer. And of course the weight is basically preventing it from getting better, according to everyone. I feel like telling them all to :censored: But I won't I'll just prove to them all that I can accomplish my goal of good health and wellbeing.
I'm officially re-joining ww on Thursday. I weighed myself at the gym and I'm 255. So I'm a little less than I thought. But ww may have something to say about that.:?:
Anyhow I love reading your posts. And they have inspired me to get out there again tomorrow.

Thanx you guys.

mandymc:df:

I almost forgot
Happy St Paddy's day
:lucky: :lucky: :lucky:

Good morning! :wave:

I'm not quite as energetic this morning. I didn't jump up and do a bunch of cardio exercise. :o I think I have a touch of spring allergy listlessness. That is always hard to combat and maintain my exercise enthusiasm.

Yesterday, I did good with food. I journalled and was careful about staying within my point range. I also got in a good amount of water too - and peed many many times. :lol: I did do 30 minutes of exercise last night - took the dog for a walk and spent some time on the spinner. Not quite what I thought I would do - but I still call it a success because its better than nothing!

Mandy - Yes, for me, the only way to make the scale move is with lots of exercise. Sometimes its really hard to get in enough and still take care of job and house responsibilities - and enjoy myself occassionally too. Good for you for getting out for a walk and to Curves. Do you have specific exercises to help strengthen your back? Is it your lower back that's a problem? Mine is acting a little finky this morning - need to stretch the muscles more than I have been. Be careful!

Time to get away from the computer and off to work. Have a great OP day!

Good morning!

The weekend went as well as it could, foodwise. There was definitely a LOT of walking involved - so that'll help. I skipped dessert all weekend until Sunday lunch when I had 1/2 a slice of carrot cake (and scraped off the icing). It was yummy.

This week is a catch-up week for me. Being gone, even just for three days, throws my whole work schedule off track by a bunch. We're also gearing up for our just-the-family Oscar party. I always serve low fat/healthy snacks during it - even when I'm not watching what I eat - so no dangers there really.

Dinner tonight: burgers and baked potato strips, I think.

Happy day to you all!

Hey all, I think there's about 3 feet of snow in my backyard. Definitely snowed in here in Denver and I don't think I'll be able to make my WW meeting tomorrow, so I'll just have to go on Friday. I really want the 16 week charm, if they are still giving them out, and I think I have about 5 more meetings to go to in order to earn it.

Even though the blizzard has brought the city to a standstill, I've been having a blast. Yesterday I took the xcountry skis out to the park and skied for a bit, and today DH and I snowshoed for over an hour in the same park. I plan to ski there again tomorrow. There were lots of people walking around today, mainly because no one was supposed to be driving and you could walk along the streets in the tire tracks. Just glad I have a spin bike and weight set at home since I can't get to the gym or do my regular walking.

Have a great day tomorrow, all.

Good morning! :wave:

Wow, 3 feet of snow! I hope that's not coming our way! :nono: We've been getting a light, cold rain. We so desperately need it so I won't complain. This will certainly make the grass start growing.

I've been doing well with the food. I've had a really blah week which I attribute to spring allergy and hormones. Every year, I always think I must have chronic fatigue syndrome because I get so listless, blue, and my muscles have no energy - exercise is a struggle. Then, poof, I'm all better. That's started already. But I have been slogging through it. I did do 20 minutes on the stationary bike this morning which made my arms feel like they would fall off - but I didn't give up. In spite of other hormone stuff going on, the scale did show that I'm down another pound - so I'm probably really down more than that once my body returns from PMS-land. Drinking extra water this week has really helped.

Everyone, have a geat OP day. :goodvibes: Linda & J-Ann - We miss you!

Good morning!

The past couple of days have been work, work, work (with some knitting).

Today is (ulp) weigh-in. I dread weigh-in even when I know I've done well. Ugh.

Also HIKING! Yay! Perhaps photos when we return. :-)

I hope you all are well. We're doing an Oscar party (for the four of us) on Sunday. Baked chips and FF dips, one peppermint patty (small - 1 pt) each, plus popcorn and (diet) sodas. I've printed ballots and am buying little prizes to give out for correct answers!

Happy day to you all!

Hi ladies, well I officially re-joined ww. And I'm 259.6# So I'm down from my highest of 268#. Well thank God for small mercies.:angel: Anyhow I got to Curves 3x this week. I'm going for a walk today. My back is still sore. I do have specific exercises for my back. In fact I went to 11 weeks of physiotherapy. It wasn't that helpful but it was an education. I really feel if I lost the weight it really would get better. I carry alot of abdominal weight, so in a sense it's like being pregnant all the time. And we all remember how are backs felt through those last few weeks of pregnancy.:eek:
I'm still trying to get use to the points again. The water is easy for me cause I love it anyway.
It's sounds like your all keeping busy. Our snow is finally melting.:dance: It has been a loooong winter up here. I'm even looking forward to the summer. Generally I dread it because of the less clothing factor. :stress: :stress:
See ya
mandymc
:df:
259.6/268/160

Weigh-in was a "downer" for me - down 1.5#. We left left off for a five + mile hike in the Smokies. It was lovely - but I, lamentably, forgot my camera. Perhaps next week. Hubby's plan is that we'll hike every Friday (and sometimes on other days) as we do a Friday "Date Day" anyway.

Our anniversary is Monday. Any suggestions for low-fat, low-point Greek food? I'm planning to cook so recipes would be most welcome!

Hi girls, just checking in. Nothing new, but struggling a bit, with food. What else. I find getting to the gym easier than curbing what I eat. I figure I'll get it gradually.
At work tonight, and it's one of my good friends last night. So of course we are having a good bye thing. Complete with chips, dip and Krispy cremes.
Anyhow :bravo: to Jenanne think about it, by next week you'll be in a whole new decade. The 240's. I'm jealous.:^:
see ya
mandymc:df:

Hi ladies,

Its been a few days since I've posted - sorry for going AWOL. It was a tough week for me last week. Between hormones and allergies, I just felt blah and down all week. Then, I made myself go to WI and that really :censored: :censored: me off - not that I gained but that here I was several weeks later at the same weight. Especially after I had been working so hard at getting my exercise up and being in control. I am going to have to find a different weigh-in night because this leader is SO NOT a motivational person. Right before I weighed in, the lady in front of me was disappointed about her weigh-in and the leader is like "well the body does what it wants and we can't do anything about it, so just deal with it." She also has a terrible voice so it came off as really cold and sarcastic. When she said about the same thing to me, I was too mad to even stay for the meeting. Now, while what she may have said was all true; there was a better way to handle it. Especially since they are supposed to be motivational and supporting. Enough of the rant on that.

Friday night, I got a fit of determination and finished removing the wallpaper border in the masterbath. Two hours of standing in contortions with a steamer in one hand and scraper in the other. Only steamed my belly once! :lol: Now that its done, I can start painting as I've had the paint since last year. On Saturday, DH and I were at Bed, Bath & Beyond (greatest store ever!) and DH convinced me to buy the comforter ensemble I really want and not settle for anything cheaper. I had a 20% off coupon so I said "OKAY". This is the comforter set I fell in love with at Penney's back in January. Back then, I only could handle buying the border to put up in the bathroom and a pillow. I convinced myself to go with a less expensive tan comforter set - but having decided that, couldn't find anything I wanted that didn't look like it was for a teenagers room. No more shopping for me for awhile! :yikes:

Today, I'm going to work on the computer and laundry this morning and then get outside this afternoon for yard work. I also vow to take the dog for a walk and do 20 minutes on the spinner sometime today.

Jen - Congrats on your loss!!! Good for you for that hike too. I still have a picture as my computer wallpaper that you posted last fall of the fall colors. I love that view! As far as Greek - how about gyros? I made some with chicken, lots of onion and tomato, used FF stuff for the cucumber sauce with just a smidge of the feta cheese. Or a feta cheese and tomato salad. I've also done a salad with romaine lettuce, feta cheese, few olives, FF italian dressing, and hunks of tomato to go with a roasted chicken. When roasting the chicken, I used a rub of cumin, ground red pepper, paprika, parsley and green onion. With a few green olives on the side. Not exactly fat-free, or low-fat with the feta or olives, however if done in small amounts, you get the Greek flavors.

Mandy - Good for you for rejoining WW. Tough weeks happen and we just have to find a way to hang in there and not throw in the food towel!! Exercise helps because it helps remind us what we're trying to accomplish. Just be sure to journal, journal, journal!

Cynthia, J-Ann, Linda - hope you're having a good weekend!

I better get busy or else I will still be sitting here this afternoon. Have a beatiful Lord's day!

Hi guys, at work again. I'm still trying to get on program with my points. I totally agree I need to start journaling. And I'm going to.
The warm weather starts tomorrow. And I feel those same old anxious feelings coming on.:stress: At least all winter I know I'm big but I can hide. I have lost all confidence in my looks, but at least I could hide. I dread the warm weather and am plagued with thoughts of what am I gonna wear.:headache: Although on a positive note last summer I switched to capri pants and t-shirts from Cotton Ginny. And I felt pretty stylish. At least I wasn't the only person at the pool wearing long pants.:hot: :hot: I really had hoped I would be IN the pool this year. But alas that is not to be. So I will shoot for next summer. I just hope by June I'm at least on the right track.
Anyhow sorry for the sob story. But I really feel you guys get it. Anyone else have some nice summer clothes suggestions for we over size 20 girls??:chin:

determined to succeed~ your leader sounds like a :censored: I totally agree that a motivational leader rules. I have a wonderful leader. In fact she lives across the street from me. She has lost 70# over 10 years now. And she has good and bad days like the rest of us. She shares it all. And she is really funny and very caring. We had another leader years ago, who was boooooring. She never smiled and looked thoroughly annoyed if you asked her a question. So we complained about her and got our new leader.
So good luck I hope you find the right leader.

take care
mandymc:df:
259.6/268/160

Hey guys, sorry to be gone so long. Set up some new software - NutriBase IV - to track the food that DH and I are eating. It does a comprehensive breakdown of the nutrients and allows you to set some goals, including carb, protein, and fat compositions. Every so often I've been going into ketosis, which for me isn't good. I feel like crap and have no energy when that happens. Anyway, I think it will be good to really analyze what I'm eating to make sure things stay balanced. Plus I can show DH just what a pig he really is :p . He never believes me when I tell him he ate a lot of food.

Terri - adjusting to the seasons can be hard. DH has "winter hours". He needs a lot more sleep during this time of year, goes with the amount of light each day. And what's up with BB&B? Why do their coupons have expiration dates? They just send out more anyway, so why not make them good forever and just send out less - save paper!!!

Jenanne - your party sounds like a lot of fun. Went to one last night and am still tired. Of course part of that is because DH and I stayed up to watch the F1 race in Malaysia - started at about midnight :eek: ! Congrats on the loss, and sorry I don't have any low cal Greek recipes, darn it.

Mandy - good for you getting back to the meeting. Just take things one at a time and change what you can. You know how habits are!

Good night all - let's have a great OP week.

Hiya, guys!

We just returned from a day out - minus kids - for our anniversary. (Thanks for the good wishes, everyone!!) We went hiking on the Tennessee side of the mountains. We took the 1.5 mile trail up to the Walker Sisters' cabin in the Smokies. It was lovely - quiet and peaceful and such. Dinner afterwards was Carrabas (where we'd never eaten before) and BOY was it yummy! I had a salad with grilled scallops and shrimp on top.

Here's a photo of us at the start of our hike.

http://www.jenanne.com/mt-static/arc...ingjenmarc.jpg

Happy Anniversary Jen, what a beautiful place you got to spend it in, too. Wish we could go hiking but still too much darn snow.

Feeling a bit wiped out today, increased my jog time again and it's finally enough that it makes my legs tired. My lungs are the weakest part of my bod, and now that they are finally getting into some kind of decent shape the rest is now feeling the work!! I think I'm giving the legs a break and taking the afternoon off from the spin bike, especially since I have Aikido tonight.

Just planning out loud - sometimes it helps:

Breafast: Harvest bread, 1 slice: 4 pts
Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich, fruit salad: 8 pts
Dinner: Tacos (Ground beef, lettuce, low fat cheese, FF flour tortilla) x 2, baked tostitos, salsa, fruit salad: 14 pts
Total: 26 pts

Okie dokie. I'm all set.

Here's a couple links to photos of what I conjured up this week. I bought one of those WW points braclets because, well, I think its a GREAT idea. But I rather hated the pearlesque look of the one I bought - so I whipped up two of my own. :-)

Here's one from porcelain beads: http://www.jenanne.com/mt-static/arc...uebracelet.jpg

And here's another from crystals: http://www.jenanne.com/mt-static/arc...rebracelet.jpg

Good morning!

This is my Friday! :dancer: I'm taking off on Friday and Monday. DH and I are headed to Branson for the weekend. Tomorrow, he drives his morning route, I board the big dog, and pack and off we go by around 10 am. We don't have plans to do anything but veg out and occassionally go eat out. Our room has a jacuzzi for two - not that I plan on sharing but I do plan on soaking. :D I am so excited I can hardly make myself go to work. Jeez, its only Branson, not Hawaii. But anytime last year that we planned on a getaway, we either had to have surgery on Bear or was spending a few hundred on fence because of the dogs. I bet we spent a minimum of $3000 on the stupid animals last year between vet and fence. Woohoo!! I'm excited.

I've been holding my own this week. I've been tracking my food and exercising. While not at the level I'd really like; I've been busy so I've squeezed in where I could. Tonight, I plan on 60 minutes of cardio and will do something in the morning before we head out. I also am taking my walking shoes so that I look for the hotel gym or walk outdoors.

Jen - Loved the pics. You are very crafty! Looks like you've got a good plan for food.

Cynthia - How's aikido and the legs?

J-Ann - Where are you? Come out come out wherever you are!

I better get my butt out of this chair and off to work. I have four reviews to give today so I better be whipping up some enthusiasm for dealing with that. :p

Have a great OP day!

Well, didn't make it to WI last week since the meeting was cancelled due to snow. Ended up having three really bad eating days starting that day. Guess having my routine that messed up for that long brought back some old habits. But I got back OP Sunday and was able to show a respectable 3.4 lb. loss for the two weeks. I am focusing on Onederland now, figure I can do it in 6 weeks on Mother's Day, when I go to Phoenix to visit mine. I know I've got to dig deep because those bad habits want to hang around a bit longer. I was having a really hard time today, feeling blue because I wouldn't let myself gorge. Then I went online to the WW message boards and read about people struggling as well, and about their gains :eek:! That was the wakeup call I needed and the day got easier. This is about the weight I was back in 1998 when I lost 63.5 lbs, then just let all the badness back in a gained it back. I WILL NOT let that happen this time. Okay, enough.

Jen - I really like the purple bracelet, maybe you should sell them on Ebay, :lol: .

Terri - Aikido is going well, though the knee is still hurting so I'm just going to observe tonight. It's kinda fun being out of my comfort zone. I have no idea how good I will be at this, or how I'll progress, so I can finally just enjoy the moment and not think about the future. The people are amazing and very helpful, it's a much different atmosphere than the hitting martial arts.

Big time snow here today. :-) My dad came for the day on Saturday, left this morning at 5.15, but then turned around and came back until the roads were properly plowed. :-)

Big fun!

Busy, busy, busy now - but wanted to check in.

There's still lots of snow on the ground here - ooooo, pretty! (Photos are on my site here: http://www.jenanne.com/blogger.htm)

Not much else to report - just a "go get 'em, tiger" to you all!

Hi, Terri! I was beginning to feel all alone in here. *g*

I'm planning a dull day of work today, followed by shoveling horse poop in preparation for mowing tomorrow. A horse spent part of the day free in our yard before its owners picked it up - which is why there are presents that need moving before mowing. Yay. :-( LOL!

Sounds like a great weekend you had, Terri.

Happy day to everyone!!

Terri, sorry the sports got intrusive, but I'm one of those that likes NCAA and golf. Next weekend is the MASTERS!! Can hardly wait, lol. And I'm with you on the excuses, though not the cold one. I've been out in 9 degrees and survived with all my parts. However, I wouldn't go to the gym if there were lots of skinny teens either. For one, the noise would drive me crazy:dizzy: !

Jen, the snow didn't look too bad. I'm still waiting for them to clear some of the tree branches off the park path, don't know why they are taking so long. And you have to be careful if you drive near trees on the streets because some property owners just don't seem to care about your car getting creamed by a low-hanging branch.

We are having great weather here today and for the rest of the week as well, so maybe I can get some of those roof leaks fixed. A handyman is coming over this afternoon and I sure hope he can do something. One is in the bedroom and it sure is annoying. They are just in weird places so a permanent fix has alluded us so far.

This weekend we head to Sisters and Bend, OR to check out vacation properties. We are looking for a summer home in the mountains, something a little different than Colorado (a little more moisture perhaps?).

Today was a long, hard steep 4 mile round trip hike, which included a spectacular waterfall and a small, wonderful cemetary along its length. We're home, tired, and smelly now.

But happy. :-)

Cynthia, this was our first more-than-a-few-inches snow here. It was up to 10" in some places - but mostly 6 to 8 " deep. Loved it!

I'm happy to report so far so good on my plan for the day! I'm at 26 points and will go find something else to eat to get me to my planned 33 points. I've been out raking leaves vigorously for 30 minutes - worked up a sweat even. I had to quit because 1) my arms felt like they were going to fall off and 2) leaf dust was getting up my nose. I should have done this last fall but then Sadie the bulldog had so much fun running through the leaves and then who knows what else. :chin: Maybe I should change my user id to "Queen of the Excuses"! :lol:

Oh Cynthia, I know all about the Masters! I'm planning a weekend at my sisters house so that DH can lay down and watch it all day long in peace. I don't mind watching the stuff occassionally and do enjoy it most of the time BUT when we can't make it to a movie or out doing something because **fill in the sporting event** is on and its a must see - then I get a little ticky after awhile. :dizzy:

Jen - Good for you for such a strenous walk. Sounds breathtaking - literally and figuratively! :lol:

Well, I'm off for the night. I still have 2 activity points to earn and will take the dog for a walk here soon.

I will set a plan for tomorrow. We have church class and DH wants to make roast in the crockpot so I need to plan accordingly.

Have a great evening and great day tomorrow!

Hellloooo!!! It's lonely in here!! Everyone must be busy busy working program and exercising!! :strong:

Hope that everyone is doing well. I've had two good OP days in a row. Its working well to set my number of points and activity points for each day based on the plans/needs of the day.

Tonight is a lowfat Thai cooking class at the local Wellness Center. I'm excited. I've never done a cooking class like that. It will be demonstrations, samples and recipes. What fun!

Not much else is new so I better scat.

Have a great OP Day!

Good morning, Terri (and everyone lurking)!

Yesterday was an out-all-day kind of day. We left at 4.30 am and didn't return until 5.30 pm, when I immediately headed out to mow the lawn (the riding mower is GREAT and I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it). Lots of walking yesterday - but the flea market and mall kind, not the outside in the air kind. Lunch and dinner were Subway 6" roast beef subs with WOW nacho chips. Plus some Slimfast bar snacks. Being out all day makes eating more of a challenge for me.

Today is slotted for visiting a friend at her soon-to-be-opened yarn shop. I'll be working there beginning this month - my very first ever retail job. I'm all excited! I haven't planned for meals yet today - I expect its sandwiches at the cafe this morning (about 8 pts) and then dinner at subway (also about 8 pts) which leaves plenty o' room for some snacking. Yay. I really, really enjoy my snacks.

Tomorrow is weigh-in (ugh) and hiking if the weather is clear.

Happy day to you all!

Jen - hiking sure is nice when there are great views, or you get to see something cool once you get to the top! Good luck with the upcoming job.

Terri - it is nice getting some good news on the television now and then. It's also nice of you to give your DH quiet time to watch the Master ;) ! I know what you mean about life revolving around sports. I can't plan anything for the weekends in September because that's when CU football starts and they seem to have their home games all at once. Also, they always play Nebraska the Friday after Thanksgiving, so we haven't gotten to travel around that date for a while (I can really only handle family for ONE holiday - Christmas). But I knew what I was signing on for so I can't really complain. The cooking class sounds like it will be great, you'll have to share the recipes. Have fun.

I had another good WI today, lost another three pounds for a total of 46.8 and got my 45-lb star. Before WI, I went to Runner's Roost to get some new shoes. While at the shoe store, I had my back to one of the sales people. As he came up behind me, he asked me how the race in Italy went. Apparently I look like another customer that comes in a lot and she had gone to Italy to run in a marathon. Kinda nice being mistaken for someone who could do that - that wouldn't have happened 3 months ago!!

Have a great weekend all. We leave tomorrow for Oregon to hunt for a vacation home!!

Good morning!!

Its about time for a new thread - I'll make one tonight.

The cooking class went well. She was a little dingy and certainly not the person who put the recipes together as she didn't exactly know what she was doing. BUT, I enjoyed getting the recipes (lowfat) and having the opportunity to sample. I'll have to count my points up today but since the samples were small and I had limited my food earlier in the day, I should have done fine with staying within my point goal. We only made three recipes. One I really loved and plan on making it for lunches. Its Thai Chicken or Turkey Rollups. Very tasty. I'll post the recipe later tonight or this weekend.

This will be a busy weekend. Tomorrow we are driving down to mom's early so we can visit her and do anything she needs doing and then bring our boat home for the summer. She's really starting to feel the lonliness with dad being gone. She keeps busy with the place but I can hear it in her voice now when I call. I almost wrecked the car last night talking with her as she was describing going over to put topsoil down and grass seed on dad so that he'll have grass. Note: This is a small country cemetary out in the middle of nowhere. Made me want to bawl.

Cynthia - Congratulations on several things. Another great loss!! :dancer: And being mistaken for a marathoner :strong: and getting out of town to do something fun! :cool: Have a great weekend.

Jen - This is Friday so it must be date day! Big hiking plans?? Have a great day! The job in the yarn shop will be a blast for you. All that yarn to feel. I just love touching it. :lol:

Time to move. Everyone, have a great OP day.

WI was okay - down another .5#. I'm really, really frustrated right now with the wt loss. I've lost 5 punds in a month. This is the same month where I have diligently watched my points, banking some (and using them sometimes), staying in my range, and adding lots of hiking to the mix.

And I've lost 5 pounds. And of that, all of it -- ALL OF IT -- was the first week. The second week I gained 1.5 - and since then I've just been losing the first 5 over again.

Total of 5 down. Forty million to go.

Yesterday, at McDonald's after the most horrendous day ever, I ordered a salad, light dressing, small fries (total of approx 9 pts, assuming the salads are about the same points as the salad shakers, which are discontinued in my area), then debated on the 3 pt ice cream cone (I had the points for it) because, well, what if that's the treat that means that once again I'll not really lose at all?

Frustrating.

(Sorry to be a downer. This is really, really bugging the heck out of me. Ugh.)

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