Thin4LIfe Week of June 4
 

Hi, all. It's been ages since I got to start the weekly thread.

LM - Hello! We've never met - It looks like you joined this forum while I was away at Tahoe. Glad to meet ya! Anybody who eats dahl and raita is a friend of mine! (My father is from India - I grew up on the stuff!)

I'm happy to report that I have picked up the pace with exercise lately and weighed in at .5 lb lighter at the gym this morning. Hooray! DH is also trying to lose a little weight, so we have banded together and made a pact to eat healthy and exercise this week. It is so much easier to stay on track when you have a buddy in on the effort, no? Now, if my coworkers would just stop brinigng in delicious Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast at the office, I would be in good shape!

What do you guys think of the changes to the forum? I couldn't figure out how to get the clickable Bold icon to work, so I just typed in slashes and brackets as usual this morning.

Off to work now. Cheerio! :)

Good morning everyone :wave: Thanks for starting the thread this morning Austingal!

This past weekend was a tough one for me eating-wise. I'm getting frustrated because the weather has been cold & rainy and I'm unable to get outside and get my walking in. I need to get myself re-focused and back on track. I'm coming on to 2 years at my goal weight and seem to be struggling more these past couple of weeks. :?:

I hope everyone had a good weekend! On the up-side it's not raining so far and I'm hoping to get outside over the lunch hour and get a good walk in. I'm in dire need of it! Doesn't help either that TOM will be starting soon.

Happy Monday everyone!

Hi everybody. I wasn't planning to be at work today and tomorrow, but alas, I was a bit hasty thinking I could get my house back in order this quickly. :( Instead, I will take Thursday and Friday to paint the master bedroom and put the furniture back in place. My cleaner comes in on Friday afternoon; that will be the icing on the cake.

DH and I are planning a long soak in the new air tub - perhaps Friday nite. I have a nice bottle of wine and a thank-you card for him for all of the work he's done on this project. He deserves some TLC, and I intend to give it to him :o

Melissa- I hear you about the weather. It was cold and rainy here all weekend and that has thrown a wrench into my running schedule. I don't think it will let up for another few days either, and I am not inspired whatsoever to venture outside.

Austingal - I think I like the forum changes. I had to look around a bit but finally located the bold and italic buttons in the vB code section. Good for you for sticking to the exercise and healthy eating. I wish I could say that.

lalala - I know you're just getting going on the west coast; did you get lots of gardening done on the weekend? I would like to post some pics of the renos but I don't have access to a digital camera or a scanner. Maybe DH can borrow one from work - I'll get working on it.

Laurel - How are you doing with maintenance? I think you mentioned that you had a bit of a gain last week? Don't worry about that too much; you're in experimentation mode right now and will quickly learn how much you can eat to maintain. (I'm a fine one to talk; I think stress has been responsible for keeping the pounds off for me lately. It surely hasn't been personal resolve..).

Take care all.

Hi you all.

Yikes, what a weekend. I still have my mystery cold, so little appetite. The good thing is that I have lost all the weight I gained during my at-sea adventure and had a pretty controlled eating adventure on saturday.

On sunday however, my brother called to tell me that one of my childhood best friends died suddenly on Saturday night on septic shock. She was 34, with a six year old and a nearly three year old. She was Jewish and we buried her yesterday. I am reeling. She was an amazing person and great mother and a dear friend. I didn't hang out much with her after she started having kids, but I still cherished her. It was so hard. Anyways, think good thoughts for her husband, kids and family.

Melissa: good for you and staying at goal. I understand the weather thing, especially living in the beautiful, if not wet, NW.

Austin: Wow, DH is with you on this one. Can you have him cloned? I noticed you exercised in your journal today. I'm hoping to get to the gym soon. I still am congested and not feeling at 70%.

Getting ready for Yosemite this week. Lots of work to do and I still haven't gotten my little dress altered (good thing my mom doesn't read these boards :)). It fits very nicely, but it just needs a little tuck at the top. Next week DP and I are off to Rome for a few days. Its going to be hot, but I saw some nice exhibits are coming and an iced granita in front of the Pantheon is calling my name.

ciao meows.

lala

Hello and yes, it's another workweek. blah

AustinGal - yup, I jumped on board while you were on vacation, but your name is very familiar to me as I've been "lurking" for many moons. Letting myself post here was one of my "getting to goal" rewards...As for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, I think they should be illegal. The nerve of some people, bringing them into work. And as for Indian food (or my pseudo-version of Indian food) - I am not Indian but I have spent the better part (in many ways) of my adult life in India. Now that I'm in New Joisey most of the time, I get a little craving for Indian chow every so often. Meanwhile, did you notice I served it over ricearoni?? LOL (it was a leftover from the night before). Anyway, if you don't put too much oil in it, dal is darn low in points and quite filling.

Seasaw - yes, this maintenance thing is not as much fun as I thought it would be, mainly because I can see the writing on the wall..."LAUREL WILL EAT 23 POINTS A DAY FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE". waahh... I was hoping the writing would mention something about 30 points or thereabouts. P.S. what's an air tub?

andlala - I am so sorry to hear about your childhood friend. What a shock. Life (and death) is really a bit too much to take sometimes...

Okay, gals, I guess I should get back to work.

Onward to another day of victory!!!!

Laurel

Not much time to post, just a quick jot to say that I am truly sorry lalala about the loss of your friend. I will pray for her family. What is septic shock?

Such sad news lalala about your friend. 34 is way too young to die, especially when there are little kids involved. It's hard enough for adults to make sense out of.... I hope you are feeling better; take care of yourself OK.

Laurel: How tall are you? I'm sure you will be able to eat more than 23 points at some stage. (BTW - an air tub is the same idea as a whirlpool, it just uses air to circulate the water instead of water.)

Gotta run now. Hi to everyone else.

Hi everyone:
Thanks so much for all your kind words. I shall miss her a lot. I'm only sorry that I didn't keep in such great contact after she had kids. Its hard to hang out w/all your friends as they transition into parenthood when you have chosen another path.

I'm going over to see her parents and family today after my morning meeting. I don't really care how much work I have piling up, I think I need to go.

Seesaw: The Friday night plans sound delightful. :)

Laurel and Austin: I'm exceeding jealous of your Indian connections. I am intrigued by that continent. I'm from a bit farther west and definitely not as spicy, but the cultures are very similiar.

septic shock is a massive bacterial infection that basically leads to a massive decrease in blood pressure and organ systems failing. I haven't heard the complete story, so I don't know the much more than the skimpy details. I'll leave the it to the pros to figure out what happened.

on a happier note: I think I'm losing some poundages finally. I am getting my appetite back, but I am more in control. We do have dinner guests and I have planned a pretty good little repast. I just wish I was in the mood to eat it.

I did cheat a buy a fresh fruit tart. I just can't even bear making dessert today.

I took my dress in and it costs twice as much as the dress to get it altered. Granted my dress was marked down incredibly, but sheesh. I better get at least two more wears out of this. This is sort of funny since I have never been able to get out of a wedding without spending a good 300-400 bucks on some outfit. My whole outfit runs about 90 bucks including shoes and I can wear it to two more weddings this summer. I wish I had an alterations business, I could retire young.

Anyways, too much to do, so I'll catch you on the flip side.

lala

Happy Tuesday...yeah...

Seasaw,
I'm a measly 5' and have the appetite of someone much taller, much much taller. I was just reading a posting on the WW message boards - some people were having a problem with maintenance - seems they couldn't stop losing weight. This is definitely not a problem I can relate to. The last 2 pounds took about 3 months. Some days our positive outlook gets a little strained.

lala,
I have a feeling that it's only a matter of time before you get to the subcontinent since you do so much travelling. It is a fascinating place and I have never been to south India which i understand is completely different from central western India (nearish to Bombay) where I go.

Okay, weigh in tonight. The adventure continues...

Hi everyone!

Laurel I can totally relate...I never had a problem with continuing to lose once I was on maintenance...and it's true some days are harder to stay positive than others. I find that I need to stay around 23 points in order to maintain. If I need to lose I have to up my walking and really watch the points.

I have my weigh in tomorrow and frankly I have no idea where I'll be at. :devil: I do know I'm fighting the urge to step on the scale at home to sneak a peek but last week I did that and it wasn't anywhere near what I weighed in at. I'll just leave it to the meeting. On a good note I've been able to get outside and walk the past 2 days so I'm feeling more in control. Along with that Aunt Flo finally has arrived and I'm feeling less bloated.

Lala: So sorry to hear about your friend.

It's hard to believe it's June--the weather here doesn't reflect it at all...the temps continue to be colder than normal and we're still wearing sweaters and sweatshirts. I shouldn't say this too loud because the way things have gone in the past we sometimes do a complete 360 and have really hot temps.

Have a good evening everyone :)

Good Wednesday morning. I'm sipping an extra large Tim Horton's coffee (Canada's official drug of choice) and contemplating one more day of work before I can put my house back together. After a major go-through to rid the place of dust, I'll be painting the master bedroom. DH agreed to the most beautiful shade of --gee, I don't know how to describe it -- purplish with soft grey undertones -- heck I don't know but I really like it.

I will have to redo the paint in the bathroom. I wanted a certain buttery yellow and it turned out lemony - not at all what I had in mind. I think we need a yellow with more brown than green (does that make sense?) because the room gets so much light. Anyway, a small thing. It just irks me that I paid someone to paint it and now I have to do it myself anyway.

Melissa/Laurel: I guess I should be thankful for my height. I don't know if I could survive on 23 points a day. Actually, I'm sure I would lose weight (now there's an idea!) About 30 seems to work for me, altho I can go over that as long as I'm getting regular exercise (('m 5'7").

Speaking of exercise, went out to the dragon boat practice last night and managed to get a run in this morning before work. Am positively beaming as a result! My arms feel a little heavy today; we had several muscular men in our boat last nite and they really upped the ante when it came to speed. I had a difficult time keeping up, to be honest. I guess I shouldn't complain; after all, speed is what wins the race, right? As long as we all end up together on June 12th - race day :lol:

Have a good day all.

Good morning everyone.

Had my @#!$%@# weigh-in last night and GAINED one !#$!#$ pound on an average of 23 or 24 points last week. Okay, I'm doomed. I just haven't come to grips with it yet. Can you tell!?! I had a conversation with a woman there, same height, same goal weight. She eats 19 points a day to maintain. Now I don't think I ever ate 19 points a day to lose; I'd just drop dead of starvation. But I see where this is heading. It'll be okay once I get my head wrapped around the concept. I'm not hungry at 22 points a day. I guess that's a good thing. Oh fiddlesticks! (You all strike me as a wholesome bunch so I don't want to make you blush with what I'm really thinking :devil: )

Seasaw, I just love the idea of buttery yellow walls. I hope you get the paint thing to work out. It will be such a relief, I'm sure, when everything underfoot is no longer underfoot and you can settle into your new beautiful home.
Did you know that Michaelangelo considered 5'7" the ideal height for a woman? (where did I pick up that bit of trivia?) I agree with Mike. 5'0" is just too darn short.

Not feeling too mature today...bah.

xox
Laurel

'Morning all!

Laurel - sorry to hear about the gain. I, too, am not too excited about the low number of points one can eat and still maintain. I think my only saving grace is that I like to work out. So, on exercise days you can fit in a few more points. :)

lalala - this morning I had a tiff with DH so I'm not feeling like anybody would want a clone of him. If you do...I might be persuaded to let the original go for cheap!! (Just kidding - I love him to death, bless his little heart). Your outfit for the wedding sounds great - what a deal!

Seasaw - good luck with the renos. We just touched up our walls with a color called "bone" - not quite buttery, a little on the taupe side. Your buttery yellow sounds pretty and fresh-looking. The rowing thing sounds fun.

Melissa - glad to hear that you are being able to get outside and run again.

Gotta run!

ah, hump day. Not a pleasant one around here, but
thats not here or there.....

Had a nice dinner with a grad school friend who just got a teaching job at Rutgers. See Laurel, I'll be in Joisey soon enough. The fresh fruit tart w/chocolate pastry cream was very good. I had a couple of bites.

I also feel your points pain. I'm just a scootch under 5' and would be the happiest weighing 105 lbs and eating 35 pts a day, but that would require a 15 mile daily run and a different metabolism.

sigh- lots of cr*p going on around here. DP request for an alternate work schedule while attending grad school was denied, so its either quit (!!!!!) a mid-to-senior level position to persue her dreams or stay and be really crabby. Its okay, we REALLY don't need that income for the next three years. ouch.

austin: life is short to stay mad too long.

seesaw: That would aggravate me to no end. I am threatening to withold payment on the rest of our house painting until they are completely done including clean up and hauling away. We have stuff everywhere and they are 90% done. I hate that.

I'm going to tackle the guest bedroom too this summer and I really like the color you suggested.

Melissa: I hear you and Ms. Flo. I think as I get older, it gets worse. If you exercised and kept close to your alloted points you'll be fine. You are a lifetime and a very diligent one at that :). I understand the sweater thing. I am wearing sweater and sandals today, its a mixed metaphor.

Okay, off to download large datafiles and bring the system to its knees.

lala

lalala - you're right. :) Thanks for putting things in perspective for me. I needed it. :dizzy:

Seasaw: I'm 5'7" too...my goal weight is 142 and I like to maintain around 140, this is where I feel my best. I can usually up my points if I get more walking in but the weather hasn't been conducive and I haven't gone down to our rec center as a supplement so it's my own fault that the weight is creeping.

Laurel: I hear you! I weighed in at noon today and was up another .6--I am at THE top of my window as far as not having to pay. It's pretty frustrating. I can't ever imagine having to eat only 19 points in order to maintain...that's just insane. I'm lucky if I can get a 20 point day in.

lala: Well I was up but it's my own doing on that one..I know where my problem is and it's night time snacking and stress. I need to get out and walk it off rather than heading for the kitchen!

Well this next week I am going to focus on making sure I write every BLT and stay out of the kitchen!

Happy Thursday!

The sun is shining, tho it is sprinkling a bit outside. I would love it to rain today for the lawn, and tomorrow so that I can get out of a business obligation - it is a lake party. As I have mentioned earlier - I don't relish the thought of tramping around the lake shore with co-workers in a bathing suit. As lalala pointed out, the sight of THEM in bathing suits might also be a little much!!

Otherwise, things are looking good. The gym scale shows that I have lost 2 lbs this week, which is a good thing since I gained 5 on my Tahoe trip! Exercise is the key - I have worked out three days this week and I like the results.

Have a great day, all!

Hi all-

I can't imagine what it would be like to see my supervisor and the lab director in their bathing suits. It would be more than I could handle today. So, austingal thanks for making me lose my appetite at snack time :).

Nothing new to report. I am doing okay. I weighed in and gained .4 lbs, thats okay, because I lost
3.6 lbs last week. I'm on my way back down. I wish I could have stayed for the meeting, but we need to do all sorts of work related tasks today. Work, boof :dz:, who cares about mortgages, roofs and
vet bills?

Anyways, getting ready to leave for the Bay Area and Yosemite tomorrow. It will be nice to see my bro and his gf and mom and dad :). We return post-haste and run off to Rome, so other than not getting our desired upgrades (well, we can bring more food and knee pads), it will be fun , right?

Laurel: From a fellow vertically-challenged person, how much did you need to lose and how long did it take you? I am 1.5 years into this (with lots of ups and maintains) and would like to be at goal by the new year and more fit- meaning able to run 5 miles instead of 5K.

okay, hope everyone is well.

lala

Hello!

I'm feeling a bit more upbeat about the whole 23 points issue. Can't look too far into the future, just one day at a time as usual. Hey, how else would I get to obsess, if I didn't have points and pounds to worry about?

Melissa , nice to know one is not alone in the struggle. in fact is there anyone out there in WW-land NOT struggling? At a meeting once, there was a leader-in-training and his speech was about the struggle and how he still struggles, etc. At the time, I was a little shocked because I was not struggling at all. Points were fine, pound were coming off, everything was easy. Now I'm beginning to realize what he meant. On the other hand, things could be a lot worse. Can't take this too very seriously, if you know what I mean.

La , I started WW in the beginning of October 99. My goal was to lose 44# (ugh - that's a lot esp for such a shrimp) to reach the very top of my weight for height considering I'm a middle-aged person (okay, stop hedging I went from 172 - good Lord! to 128 - GOOD Lord!). I'd say it took about 19 months. I basically never eat below 20 points, usually at about 23 points/day and I add about 3 points a day to cover my exercise on weekdays. The last 10 or 12 pounds took about 8 months to lose. I know I can't believe it either. Alot of up and downing by a pound, and then I'd get really serious and lose 1 or 2 pound and start the next stairstep downward. I actually have a powerpoint chart that I've graphed by weight progression. It helped give me the perspective that the overall movement was headed in the right direction. P.S. if you get a chance to get to Western New Jersey when you're in the Rutgers area (which is central), you will love it. By the Delaware River, Lambertville, Frenchtown, Stockton and the surrounding countryside. It is beautiful. Lots of great places to eat too (is that a good thing?) And re: being a single-income family, I see your "ouch" and raise you an "oy vey". Been there, still there, waiting for hubby to get job. All together now - It's for the greater good. It's for the greater good.

I'm getting a little punchy I guess. Not enough to eat!!! HA!

I have a confession; I haven't been in a bathing suit for about 3 years and then too wrapped in a sarong thingie. And I'm proud to say that suit is a trifle huge on me. Must get new one. Wow!

See you all tomorrow.

Laurel

Hello hello!

It's been ages since I've been able to post on the thread - work has been busy, plus I have to account for all my time during the day (I work in a consulting firm where we have to charge clients for time, so I have to document my entire day - UGH! :mad: ) so it's hard to take much time to something that is non billable or I can't code to the appropriate code).

I have been struggling with my weight somewhat. I am still up about 5 pounds from where I want to be & tho it bugs me, I am not quite as motivated as I used to be (I used to think I'd never lose my desire to be OP). I am keeping up with the exercise, but my nighttime snacks have increased in portions....

I, like Melissa and Seasaw am also 5'7", so I am thankful for the extra height - much easier to spread a few extra pounds around. I would like to maintain betw 142-145, but lately I've been hovering around 147-150. I wanted to get below 140, but have never managed to get below 140.4.



AustinGal - welcome back! I have always wanted to go to Lake Tahoe; one of my sisters eloped in Lake Tahoe; I hear it's gorgeous.

lalala - such a world traveler! Do you do all that travel for your work??

Well, I signed up for a 6 week beginner's yoga class that starts in about a week. I'm looking forward to it.

Later,
Katie :)

Good morning - it is a beautiful day. I think i'll take my lunchtime exercise outside walking. Will prob burn fewer points, but I find I never get out into the fresh air otherwise. Good for the soul.

KTMarie - waah - you are making me cry, - that's another thing I never considered - losing the desire to be OP. So far I've been blessed with a continual desire pretty much to be OP. Oh no...

Fortunately that outside walk will go a long way to improving my positive outlook!

Talk to you later.

L.

I wish I could FIND my desire to be OP. I definitely want to get closer to goal (yes, I too am DEFINITELY struggling) but I seem to have lost all motivation to stay OP. My motivation to work out is much stronger, so I go through most days completely OP but getting into better workout shape! What are the things that used to engender a desire to be OP? I think it was usually panic - panic at the sight of myself in the mirror, panic b/c hubby mentioned that my figure was slipping, etc. So, I think this is the problem ... I kind of go from the mentality of "I hate having to watch what I eat so I'm just not going to" to "man, this is an emergency, I have to do some damage control." Could this be why I am always either gaining or losing, but never maintaining? Losing is fun, but as soon as the challenge has been met, maintenance becomes a drag and I start to gain again.

Any thoughts out there on how to get into a better mindset?

Katie - hi ya! Good to see you around here again! I also bill my time. I HATE it - I completely understand the idea of "non-billable" work. Other than that, I love my job (patent attorney), but the billable hours thing really stinks.

Oh dear, AustinGal what a good question! I feel like I'm such a novice (yeah, right 19 months and counting on WW so far). I guess because I'm just starting at the maintenance challenge.

Here's my personal theory: there's something about exercise that helps you eat right, want to eat right, stay OP, etc. Before I started WW I had decided to at least get exercising - walking at lunchtime (of course, eating after the walk!) and doing some aerobics tapes and weight training. I did that for about 6 months before joining WW. I didn't really lose any weight, but for the first time "ever" I actually could face the prospect of joining WW. Subsequently I read an article (in the New York Times so it must be true, right!!!) substantiating my theory. I don't remember the details but something about the hormones or whatever body chemical changes that occur with exercise which facilitate good eating habits. Of course that's an oversimplification.

Again, I'm just very green at this maintenance thing. In fact, I'd say I'm really still in the losing phase since I now have to lose 3 # to get back to goal weight! I'm sure I will go through all of this too down the road.

On the other hand, it's FRIDAY. Yippee!!!

have a great weekend everybody. .Lala , are you off to La Bella Italia this weekend? have a wonderful time. I am so jealous!

L.

Hi all-

kt and austin: you don't even have to be
high powered attorney or consultant to bill hours. I am a lowly (not really) research scientist who is constantly asking those who need something "so, what budget can i charge my time to?". I feel like carrying one of those credit card machines with me all the time. "will that be check, cash or charge?". Such is the new government. sigh.

I am so stressed with everything that is happening in the lives of those around me that I am feeling like WW is the only thing that I can control.I can control what goes into my mouth and how much I chose to exercise (well, if I can find the time). I am also trying to find the line between conscience and unconscious choices in my life. Exercising because it makes me feel good and keeps me limber and I need it versus feeling like exercising is the only thing that will allow me an extra 1/2 cup of pasta.

Yikes. You have brought up some good points ladies!

Laurel: you are amazing. I am trying to only lose 25 lbs total and you lost so much more much faster than me. I am terribly jealous and excedingly in awe. You must look lovely.

I am going to not set a challenge or goal for July 4, but continue to stay on program (even while travelling) and try to get back to the gym on a regular basis as if this is my regular at goal life. We'll see where I end up.

I'm off to california (another stressor) and hopefully, by this afternoon, DP will know her fate re: work and grad school. We are leaving our dog/child with friends for the weekend. I hope he behaves enough to be invited back :rolleyes:

Have a great weekend, I'll catch up with you all on Monday night!

lala

Good afternoon all,

I am at home today (I usually don't work on Fridays), and DD (who is 4) is napping (thank goodness!!), so I have a little more time to post.

The sun has FINALLY reappeared here in southern Wisconsin; we've had about 2 weeks of (pardon my French) CRAPPY weather here; cloudy, rainy, cool with highs barely hitting 60. Last night, it finally started to brighten and warm up & I mowed the lawn (along with nearly the rest of the neighborhood, the sound of all those mowers was deafening :lol: ).

I've been able to curb the nighttime snacking somewhat over the last couple of evenings - I think I need to get away from the kitchen area after supper - too easy to venture back in & start "looking" for something to snack on. I sometimes end up taking a bath to get away from the dreaded kitchen.

LM - I never thought I'd ever feel so-so about being on program. When I rejoined WW in late Jan 2000 to relose the weight again ( I make lifetime way back in 1988), I was SO militant about staying on program. I figured I was paying WW good money to lose weight, why should I sabotage myself every week by slipping up - I didn't want to waste the money. I lost approx 45 pounds in about 24 weeks & got back to within 2 lbs of my original goal weight about mid-July 2000 (about 3 months before I hit 40 - I really didn't want to feel/look like I did when that happened). I am not really that off program, just not as vigilant. I do know that if I don't weigh in as a lifetime member, that I will get sloppy & the weight will come back like it did before. I am determined to NEVER gain the weight back. I even work as a receptionist at our community meeting where I live to keep myself honest.

AustinGal - how do we get our motivation back? I figure if I keep up the exercise that can help cancel out any slip ups we have. Another lifer (I can't remember who) use to say something like: Just fake it until you get your motivation back.

lalala - believe me, I am nowhere near being a high-powered consultant. It sounds much more impressive than it really is. Your career sounds much more fascinating.

Have a good weekend all!!
Katie