Hi turtles:

Well, winter has hit us up here & hard. Everything frozen over today.

Did OK over weekend with food & got in a workout yesterday.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Talk later.

All -- Good afternoon, ladies. How is everyone? I had a good weekend, although I wish I had today off too! It's silly not to, all of our clients work for the government, so they all have today off. So why are we here? Anyway, I went to a UA Ice Cats (ice hockey) game Friday night, and that was fun. I actually told the girl to give me less ice cream when I went for a treat. Boy was she surprised. :D I also ate dinner before I went to the game so that I wouldn't spend a fortune and buy a bunch of junk food -- I only went for the ice cream. Saturday I was supposed to go hiking and to lunch, but that fell through so I hung out and did stuff around the house that needed to be done. My new goal is to get up 20-30 minutes earlier each day and clean then, since I no longer have the energy to clean much after spinning (T-Th -- it just wipes me out!) and it's too late to clean after powerflex (M-W). It's hard to get up early, but I'm still trying. I just feel like I should be able to get most of this nonsense done during the week, instead of spending hours doing it every weekend. So I'm trying to get up earlier. Not too good at that, unfortunately. And I only worked out 3x last week. I've been exhausted all week, but I did sleep for 12 hours Saturday, so I feel better now. Not good, but better. I'm going to go for 5x this week, and hope for the best on WI Wednesday. We'll see. I worked out less, but I also ate less. <shrug>

Chrily -- sorry about the family conflicts. Your SIL is probably just all stressed out, it may have nothing to do with your husband. My DSister is just like that. When she's stressed, she'll pick any target and whack at it, so to speak. Sorry you're having so many health problems.

Princess: Be kind to yourself. Relax. You probably need more rest. I understand how the bills thing goes, I am striving to pay off my cc bills from college. Then there is the car bill, but that is a longer term loan, like your student loan. If you are seeking jobs where you'd need a resume, I'd recommend "The Overnight Resume" by Donald Asher. It's a short book, and it helped me a lot with my resume. Good luck with it; I know it's hard, but you can make it work. Re encouragement: thank you. It's always nice to be appreciated. Re breaks: Thanks. It's tough to get it all done, so I get errands done when I can. :D RE WI: I'm sorry you went up, but it sounds like you've already got some ideas on how to switch things up and review your strategy. Also consider that you may need to try a new kind of workout. Are there any different classes that you can do, or a new machine? But you have a good attitude -- persevere, and success is inevitable.

Bandit -- thanks. I am quite tickled that I lost the weight from the holidays. Glad you are getting to the gym so many times, good stress relief and good for WL. It's entirely possible that something little might be causing the gain, but do keep in mind, that's really a small amount. The people at my WW office (when I used to go to live meetings) would call any loss or gain less than .5 maintenance. So keep your chin up, keep going. You can do it!

Anyway, I've started to babble, and it's time to get back to work. Take care, ladies, and write when you can...

Morning all!

Ariana: Thanks for the kind and thoughtful words... I have a resume and it is updated but right now I am just looking for a part time job to go along with my current full time job... I have been here 5 years so I get 3 weeks of vacation days this year on top of my holidays, personal holidays and sick days... I am not eager to throw all of that away until I have to. So I am looking at book stores and specialty shops to see if anyone needs some part time evening help... The scale is still not budging but I am working on my game plan so we shall see.

Bandit: We got snow and cold temps here finally... only a dusting of snow but it is enjoyable anyway :D

All: I hope everyone is doing well! Have a great day!

Susan

Forgive me for this cut/pasted post from another thread. I just don't feel like typing it all out again. Today was a good/bad day and I just want to crawl up in bed and hug my blankie.....

Kelly's surgery went well. Hopefully he can come home tomorrow. I don't handle this alone thing well at all. And of course to top off the day, I had to go to the doctor. I got outside the hospital in the cold air this evening and couldn't quit coughing and started throwing up blood. Nice....

Anyhow, my so called cold went from a virus to a bacterial infection. So now I'm on antibiotics, an inhaler, and codeine cough syrup. I was trying so hard to not feel yucky for Kelly and ended up failing miserably at it. I was so upset, I called my mom and cried. (okay..maybe I was hysterically miserable when I called her) I just can't hold it together.

Hoping my baby hubby can come home tomorrow and I'll start feeling better. Things just suck here....I got home from picking the kids up at my MIL's house and came home to a house full of doggie puke. They ate the cat food while I was gone and got sick...THat is soooo the last thing I wanted to do tonight. Oh well. I'm going to go sack out and maybe sleep some. Check back tomorrow....

Christina

Oh man Chris... when it rains it sure pours!!! I sure hope that you and your DH get back to feeling well really soon!

All: Nothing new to report, same old thing.

Susan

Morning...
I didn't sleep so good last night. I had 3 girls in bed with me (NO SPACE) and I kept fighting breathlessness all night. I hate this. Hopefully I'll feel better later today. By 10 tonight, my antibiotics will have been in my body for 24 hrs.

Kelly called this morning. His fever is gone. Thank God! The doc should be in to see him soon. I'm hoping and praying he can come home today. I think the most destressing thing for me yesterday was that I was worried and scared and he's the one I lean on and I couldn't talk to him because he was in surgery. It was so hard because I'd look at the phone and want to talk to someone but there wasn't anyone to call.

Well off to the internet. I need to check in with all my classes. They start today. That ought to keep me busy for a while. Check back later. Hopefully after I have a husband sacked out in his recliner...

Christina

Happy thursday!
 

Morning all! Well I did not feel well yesterday so I headed home after work, made some supper and went to bed after clean-up... feel a bit better today and will try to work out after work this evening. My hip is killing me... not sure what I have done but it has hurt on and off since before Christmas.

Chris: Are you feeling better? I sure hope so! How is your DH doing, was he able to come home?

All: Chime in when you can... it is great to log on and see that others have posted...

Susan

Hi Turtles,
Sorry I've been absent in the writing but I have been reading all your posts.
Things have been so busy here and I'm still catching up with the after Christmas doings. Yesterday was a great day where I was able to get a lot done and now I can finally respond to all that's happening on this site. First of all, I lost .2# at my official WI. I really think I lost more, but had Chinese food the night before and retained fluids. So, I'm on track and hoping for a better weight loss this week.

Awhile ago Ariana asked how WW's programs changed. In a nutshell, on Flex the way your daily points are determined has changed. Some members, based on age, activity, and weight, gained points and others lost them from the previous calculations. On Core, the biggest change is that they expect you to eat three meals a day and snacks. The snacks are from a limited list of Core foods--for example you can no longer snack on oatmeal or grits or an egg. What WW's found was that Core members were grazing all day long on Core foods (ignoring the idea of only eating to be satisfied) and not losing weight. I am taking this advice with a grain of salt since I really don't feel I abused the program, but am more aware of what I am eating. Therefore my results should be good next WI.

Bandit: Your exercise continues to be great. Even though you were up a tiny bit last WI, it could have been anything including fluid retention from salty nuts. But it's great that you are aware of what you are eating and the effect it can have on your weight loss. Good luck! :bravo:

Chris: So nice of your MIL to send flowers to you for all your help. Here's a :grouphug: from us all. You seem to encounter more challenges in a day than most people do in a month. Egads. Well, I'm sending you :goodvibes: that you have a nice, easy month ahead of you now that you're back in school.

Ariana: I love how you analyze your life and how things are going. :idea: It is amazing to me to hear you have a challenge and immediately go into a problem solving mode to fix it. Hey, as far as house keeping, give www.Flylady.net a chance. She doesn't believe in cleaning on a weekend and has figured out how to get a house neat and clean in 15 minute segments. I bet it's a lot like what you are doing now with the getting up early to tackle the chores and free up your weekends. By the way, post when you can. We love to see daily posts, but we can't expect that from anyone because of working conditions, etc. We all run into a situation where we're just too busy to breathe, much less post.
I am soooooo glad you lost the holiday weight gain. Weigh to go! :goodscale: Your goals and determination will do the trick to get you to your final goal. (I have to remember the tea tip next time my tummy gets queasy. Thanks)

Susan: I'm thinking of you. It must be so scary to have your dh's job relocate. When will this happen? I know you'll use all your budget tips to get your credit cards and other debt down. I wish him well in his job search for another position and I'm sending you :goodvibes: to find an appropriate part-time job to help pay off your debt fast.
I know you are struggling with a plateau right now with your weight. I have a feeling a lot is going on. Do any of these seem right to you? First of all you're running tired==lack of sleep actually helps us hold onto weight. Ugh.
Second, you've had a huge amount of stress between son's car turning out to be less reliable than wished and now your dh's job relocatin. Double ugh.
I think that Cortisol increases under stress and that has a weight retention factor as well. So, what to do? I know you have done very well this year in the weight dept. I know you know what to do--my best advice is to echo Bandit and also to journal if you're not journaling right now. Sometimes we pop foods that we forget about. Also go for the changes. Change from beef to chicken=or chicken to beef. Switch foods around==more veggies than fruit, watch the bread, etc. and see if you can play around with your food intake enough to get a loss this week. I know it would make you feel 100% better. Good luck and :goodvibes: to feel better and do well.

Okay guys==I think I've covered all bases. Take it easy, do well and be happy. You all are the best. :cheer:
Judy

Hey, ladies, how is everyone? I am absolutely delighted to report that I lost one pound this week, even though I only managed to work out 3x last week ("only" -- I usually do 4x) and I ate out the night before, but I was good about that, and I didn't eat as much on the weekend as I usually do (Saturday is my Super High Day in the Wendie plan) to compensate for only having 3 workouts. So I have lost the weight I wanted to lose by the end of January, and I'm on track for my 2007 weight loss goal. (I counted some of my WL from December in this month because I lost about 2 weeks of WL time during the holiday, when my focus was primarily on maintaining.) Anyway, that's my long winded way of saying I lost 1 pound and I'm thrilled! ;D

Other than that, nothing else is really new. Work is crazy, and now I'm probably going to LA for a day or two next week for work. But I'm prepared -- I have the unabridged audio book of Wicked to listen to, a new embroidery project (I recently finished the last one), and my company reimburses me for meals, so I don't have to worry about that. Time to get back to work. Take care ladies, and have a great day!


Princess: good luck on the WL and the job hunt, keep us posted. Also, sorry your hip is bothering you.

Chris: I'm sorry about all of your troubles, but there's the old but inestimably true saying -- this too shall pass. Things will get better, even if they are horrible now. (The coughing up blood thing worries me. What does the doctor say about that?)

Judy: I understand. As always, write when you can. I'm touched to hear that you read the messages even when you can't post, I try to do that myself, although it doesn't always workout. Congrats on the WL. Every little bit helps! Thank you for the nutshell summary on the WW changes. Since I don't do meetings, I don't get to hear that stuff, and I am always curious. Re my strategy of identifying problems and trying to figure out solutions -- I really appreciate your comments about that, it's very nice to hear. It's basically a personality quirk, I'm a problem solver, so when I find a challenge, I mull over it and consider ways to attack and defeat it. I've done that a lot with my WL and lifestyle changes, and it's really helped, IMHO. That looks like an awesome website, I will have to dig into it, maybe this weekend. I can definitely handle 15 minutes a day! Thanks for your understanding about posting. I do the best I can.

Happy Friday all!
 

Well it is Friday and that is always a wonderful thing =)

Judy: Thank you so much for all of your ideas and kind words, they are greatly appreciated and all of them true and helpful! Actually I have been so tired this week, even my husband commented on it as I fall asleep right after the supper clean-up and that is not like me so this weekend I am really going to try and relax, take a nap or two and try to take care of me.

Ariana: Thanks so much for the well wishes, I appreciate them very much! I hope you have a great weekend!

Chris: how are you feeling? I am with Ariana, the coughing up blood is distressing!

Bandit: How are you doing up there? I see that your weather is changing, so is ours. They are calling for snow this weekend! Love the snow! Love it even more when we get the big dumps and then we get to stay home =)

All: I am leaving work early today to go and get my hair cut and highlighted ... a real treat so I will enjoy that. DH and I got tickets from my oldest son at Christmas time for a dinner theater here in Indy and they are for Saturday night, we are going to see "Ten Little Indians" by Agatha Christie so I am very excited about that!
The Indianapolis Colts are playing this weekend and the game is here in town so the city is going wild! I am not leaving the house on Sunday... LOL, no way and no how since it will only get crazier and crazier. Go Colts!

Have a great day ladies and wonderful and safe weekend!

Good luck to those that W/I on the weekends!!!!

Susan

Ariana,
:cheer: and :bravo: for the 1# weight loss and meeting your goal for January already. Weigh to go!

Princess,
Going to a dinner theatre should be such a lot of fun and just what the "doctor" ordered! Have a good time and definitely consider staying in your robe all day Sunday. When I do that, I feel decadent and cozy and know I am really relaxing.

Everyone have a great weekend. I'm heading for a mammogram (annual at my age) and then am looking for a good weekend. Maybe I'll get to play with the grandbaby and my daughter.
Judy :cool:
234.6/217/thinner into onederland :cool:

Hi everyone - a lot colder up here lately. I don't mind as long as I don't have to drive in it. Got a ride this week 2 times with fellow I work, so that was good.

Was down 1.2# at my w/i today so was pleased with that. Got to gym 3 times for workout & once for just walk & swim.

Tired today & still have to go shopping. Keep up the good work, everyone.

Bye for now.

FYI-Ariana and whoever was worried. The blood stuff was from coughing so hard, I was tearing tissue in my throat. So no worries. I'm feeling much better now. Two more days of zithromax and then I'll be done.

Gotta go watch movies. Check back tomorrow.

Christina

Happy Saturday all!
 

Well I just got back from W/I and I was down 1.6... I will take it and be happy with and just keep on trying. I start my second Pilates class this coming week so I am really looking forward to that to help me manage stress and just feel better then I have lately. I just love how the classes make me feel so three times a week should be a good number... keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

Araina: Great job on meeting your goal... you are so my hero and someone that I really look to for Weight Loss advise and tips. So glad you are a part of our group :hug:

Judy: You are great! You are such a voice of inspiration and happiness! This group would not be the same without you! Best wishes for a clear mamo... I get them every year also and love when I get my postcard that says that all is good but I have had the dreaded phone call a couple of times for a follow up since they have found something "of interest" Love that termanology! They always come back clean though so I have been blessed so far.

Chris: Yup, I think we were all worred... as an ex-smoker anytime I hear about someone coughing up blood it just freaks me out! Soooooo glad you are feeling better! How is your DH doing? The group would not be the same with out you either!

Bandit: I have been to Canada once in my life time, when I was a young teenager in highschool with a class trip. Loved it! The weather was not so nice when we were there, it rained a lot if I remember correctly but I would love to visit again and I would not mind if it was summer or winter when we were there. I love the snow and am a bit like you that I don't love to drive in it but I love to watch it and stay home and cook on snowy days. It is way colder here also and they are calling for snow on Sunday :D The group is lucky to have you as a member... you are the calm voice of reason for us!

All: have a safe and happy weekend!
Susan

Hello Turtles..I was reading your posts today and you look to be a fun little group and I wonder if I might join you..

I am new to this forum and looking for extra support and would like to also give support to others...:o