Vent away, dear one!!!!! That's what we're here for. So, your dm forgot that May is not December. Keep on taking deep breaths. You'll figure out what to do. And remember this greatest line of all: If hunger isn't the problem, then food isn't the answer. I know we all know that. It's putting it into practice that's tough. I had walnuts in my mouth and the cookies in the house were looking mighty good when I remembered what I'm supposed to be doing! and that was just because of a few tiny things that wouldn't go right today. Nothing major like what you're talking about. So, keep on venting!!!! :grouphug: and :love:
Judy
we can do this!

HI I'd like to join this thread. I've been at this weight loss thing a long time. I go up down and back up again. I'm reinvestigating Weight Watcher after trying everything under the sun. I've done it a number of times in the past. So I'm going to spend the rest of December pulling my books out of storage, knocking off the cob webs, and brushing up on the program. I hope to be in full swing soon.

:welcome3: to Flowingair!! Glad you're joining us. Let us know a little bit about yourself. Congrats on getting out your WW books and looking into it. A lot of us have been very successful this year.

:grouphug: and :bravo: to us all!
Judy

Hi, Everyone!

:welcome: Flowingair. We're a small, but very supportive group. Most of our regular posters have been absent the past week or so, but I expect they'll be back again after the holiday madness subsides a bit.

Wow, Lauren. You have a lot of challenges right now. :hug: I empathize with the getting away from all the FOOD comment. I've been feeling that way this week, too. I have a party tonight and another one tomorrow night, then I'm done with parties given by other people.

As for helping your parents, maybe what you need to do is talk with your dh and figure out what a reasonable amount of time you can give them is. Then see what it would cost to hire people to do the rest and if you can afford it, help them financially, rather than making yourself crazy trying to cram more into your day than you realistically have time for.

Regardless of what you end up doing, take some time every day to pamper yourself--go hide out and write or read or take a bubble bath or go for a walk or whatever relaxes and nourishes you so you can deal with your life. Good advice for us all, I think. :D

Judy, we all need that reminder about food not solving problems, unless, of course, we're hungry. :D You're making great progress. It's marvelous that you were able to stop yourself from eating in response to stress. That's a habit that you're gradually building. Perhaps you could make yourself a little spot and put non-food stress-relievers in it. A book, hand lotion, whatever small things help you with stress and start building a habit of going there instead of to the fridge. You could start out with it next to the fridge/pantry so it's staring you in the face when you head to the kitchen and offers an instant alternative to eating. Just a thought.

My weigh in this week was up a half pound. But today, that half pound was gone. I suspect I was retaining a bit of water from overly-salted restaurant food. I'll be happy with maintaining the rest of the year. I have too many situations where I can't plan because I don't know what will be offered and I can't plan very well.

The good news is that my clothes are falling off. So, I have to plan my wardrobe purchases carefully. I may try to budget in a sewing machine, since they're not very expensive these days. I know how to alter clothes and I have some favorite clothes that need a dart or a smaller piece of elastic in the waistband or other simple alterations, but I don't have the tools I need to do those simple alterations. I'd rather spend the money on the tools than hire out the alterations. I love making clothes, so this is a good incentive to get a machine and do some sewing again.

I hope to hear from the rest of you soon. Miss you, all.

Keep on turtlin'! :present:
:balloons: :comp: :chef: :book2: :coffee: :corn: :write:

Hi turtles & welcome Flowingair, always nice to have new members.

Crazy time for everyone - party, dance, party, dance & snacks galore.
But having a great time overall. Lets do the best we can when faced with
holiday challenges & soon enough we will be back at it in full gear.

Remember, enjoy yourselves along the way!

Welcome, Flowingair!

Good reminder, Bandit. Do the best we can for now (or the best we're willing to do), and aim for a quick recovery after some of the craziness dies down. That's my current plan, at any rate.

Not a good weekend again. You'd think with all my family being diabetic that I'd be better at rejecting the treats they bring into the house. Or the treats my co-workers bring into the office. For some reason (probably stress), I'm not doing as well as I'd like. Better than some years, but definitely worse than last year.

And my pants are tight! Making myself wear them, though. I'm not going up a size. Period.

So today I had a small fall off the wagon, but I'm back on it and drinking tea and water, and chewing gum. Those things help occupy my mouth and keep it from other things! I'm not aiming for perfection; I just don't want to fall whole hog off the wagon over the next week and just chalk it up to "the holidays" -- and then have 10 extra pounds to lose (instead of the current extra 7!).

My parents may find out today if their offer on the condo has been accepted. If it has, they plan to move within the next couple of months -- and no, we won't be able to help them pack up or drive the big moving truck. I am strongly encouraging them to hire someone to do this for them, especially driving the truck -- they're in their mid-70s, and we're talking about snowy, icy Michigan roads. But they don't want to spend the money, and in the end it's out of my hands. So I'm mixed, of course -- I want them up here, but I wish they'd wait until we could help them next spring.

Lin, we can give them time, but we can't take enough time off to fly down to NC for a week, pack them up, move them up here, and then unpack them -- not until May or so. They don't want to wait, which is fine, but then they need to be smart about this and not ruin their health. My mom is already spazzing out about having to pack everything; she says she's overwhelmed, etc., just thinking about it. Well, then wait until we can help! Or pay someone! ARGH!

Anyway. Thanks for all the support. I will officially stop whining now. I love them very much and realize we won't have many more Christmases together. (Especially if they try to drive that truck themselves! OK, OK; I'm stopping now ...)

Have a great day, everyone.

LIn, I'm sending you two strong handsome men to catch your clothes as they fall off you! Always willing to help a fellow turtle. Oh, the season is getting to me!!!!! I am so thrilled for you as you close in on onederland. It'll be fun to do the onederland thing together.

Hey, MsMerry, you must be right around there now too.

Lauren has long since passed it and I know Bandit passed it last year with the help of TOPS. We're doing great.

Lauren, keep on complaining!!!!! Your mom and dad aren't doing sensible things right now and you have a right to voice your opinion. Since they aren't listening, keep on letting us hear your vents!! Just try as hard as you possibly can to keep the food closer to where you want it to be.

I'm having trouble myself. I thought yesterday was as close to perfect as it could be, but I gained weight on the scale this morning. Talk about frustrating! So, I've been doing well today and I think I'll try some shiritaki noodles for dinner. If they are disgusting, I'll throw them out and get something else to eat, but I'm willing to give these zero point foods a chance.

Flowingair, how are you doing? Does it feel good to gear up to the challenge of helping yourself? Sometimes I just want to throw it all away, but getting under 200# was a huge confidence-builder for me and I need to hang onto that through the holidays. I know I need to exercise, but each day I find something else I need to do more. Hmmmm. I need to think about that.

You all take care and be well and happy.
Bandit, I envy you all your activities. About the only party (aside from family) we were invited to was cancelled because of our huge snowfall. Have fun and enjoy yourself. :dance: :dancer: :carrot:

Judy
234.6/195/190 and deeper into onederland :cool:

Hi turtles - my pants feel abit tighter than usual as well. Yikes!
Really doesn't take much for things to get our of hand - had my office potluck yesterday afternoon & that was soooooooo good. Lots of goodies &
at least there was a big salad which I enjoyed (along with alittle of almost everything else) Tonight I am going to a Christmas Carol Karoke - first time for that. Should be fun & it is being held within walking distance of my house, which is really nice. Then finishing up work on the 23rd until Jan 4th - so looking foward to the break.

Sounds like everyone is trying their best. I signed up for a different eating plan today as a Christmas present to myself. I think shaking things up & trying something different everyone once in awhile really helps.
So, we will see what this is about & hopefully will get me back on track for the New Year.

Have a great day & remember to drink some EXTRA water!

Judy, you're a sweetheart. Loved your "strong, handsome men" comment! :D

Lin, sounds like it's time to hit the thrift stores for a new wardrobe. Today I'm wearing a $4 pair of Levi's and an $8 Express fleecy top. I looove thrift stores! Had to get a completely new wardrobe this fall, and managed to do it without breaking the bank. Congrats on all your hard work paying off!

Bandit, congrats on your Christmas present to yourself. I totally agree about shaking things up; I think I'll try a new plan in the new year, too. I've been on this one 1.75 years now; I'm ready for a shake-up. I definitely need to do something to shake me out of my current complacency.

Mom and Pop are off to visit his kids on the other side of the state; they'll be gone tonight, which will give us a bit of a breather. (My brother is staying with us, so we won't be totally alone.) It's looking like their offer on the condo may be accepted. Not certain yet, but signs are positive. Our lives will certainly change, having them close by. I think it will be good all around; we can see them often without having them stay in our house! At least until their money runs out. We'll deal with THAT when the time comes.

Eating is OK; not stellar, not horrible. Weight is holding. I'll take it!

Have a great day, everyone.

I am so proud of all of us. We rock!!!!!
Judy

Wow! It's so great to hear from you all. :)

Bandit, that's great advice. It's no good to worry so much about the weight loss that we forget to enjoy ourselves because all that worry can lead to resentment and then we end up eating more because we resent that our weight loss efforts stopped us from having fun. I think it's in reinventing our idea of what fun is that makes it all work. Fun isn't overstuffing ourselves. Fun is catching up with friends and family. Fun is attending social occasions we don't have the opportunity to attend the rest of the year. Fun is eating bits and tastes of foods we don't normally eat, and avoiding the stuff that's always around. Choosing carefully where to put those extra calories. And exercising a bit more to help reduce the stress and allow us to enjoy a few more calories without derailing ourselves completely. That's my holiday lesson for this year.

Thanks for the water reminder. We end up eating food with more sodium at this time of year since a lot of people buy stuff to bring to parties, so it has the extra that stores, bakeries, and restaurants add to their food. :)

Laren, :hug: Hang in there. It's really, really hard to watch your parents make decisions that you don't think are the best for them, but they're adults who are used to being the ones in charge. I've been talking with some older people in our church recently and they said that it's hard to accept that you're having to limit yourself, but important to do it. (The subject of that conversation was driving.) Good luck as you deal with all of these issues and congratulations on holding steady, as you reported in your next post. :carrot:

:lol: Judy. You crack me up. Two strong guys, huh? Cool thought. Remember that a perfect day or a horrible day won't necessarily show up on the scale right away. Don't be discouraged because yesterday didn't translate into a loss today. It's the trend, the long-term pattern that makes a difference. That's why I rarely weigh myself in between my official weighin days. The daily fluctuations make me nuts.

Thanks for the thrift store idea, Lauren. I don't usually find things that fit me, but I do look. I'm giving my ill-fitting, but nearly new jeans to a friend. And my slightly more used ones to goodwill, after I go try on jeans and find out what size I wear. I loathe the new trend to lower-waist jeans. My legs are skinny in proportion to my waist and stomach. Most of the jeans with normal or near-normal waistlines are boot cut, meaning wider legs. So, they bag at the seat and flap together between my thighs. It's annoying!! No matter what size I wear, I'm clothes-challenged because my body isn't proportioned like the average person. I think my "save for" purchases will be the crock pot because moving as much cooking away from "the minute I walk in the door at 5 or 5:30" is my biggest priority right now. Then I want a sewing machine that will handle heavy fabrics like denim so I can make my own clothes that actually fit me.

I've done well at sticking to my plan. I've had some times where I have no idea what the actual points were, but I made sure I had extra available, so I'm not worried about it. I'll be happy to stay the same this week and next week because people keep adding food-related activities to my calendar. So, I'm trying to be extra vigilant when I'm doing my regular schedule. I have the rest of the week off from one job because my boss closed the office. I have one brief meeting today for the other job, then I'm done until after Christmas weekend. The time off is like my Christmas gift because I haven't had any days without work, rehearsals, concerts, or parties since Thanksgiving. I will enjoy doing a lot of cooking for family events that are coming up this week and next.

Sorry for the long post. I have some time this morning and it was nice to feel like I could catch up a bit. I hope you all have an absolutely fabulous holiday, whichever one you celebrate. :D

Keep on turtlin'! :present:
:chef: :balloons: :write: :comp: :coffee: :corn:

Hey Guys,
I'll make this brief. I'm up almost two pounds today. Salt last night and a cup of tea this morning before WI are probably accounable for most of it.
I'm going to be working the program really well this day and tomorrow we'll start having fun!
Gotta run.
Be well and Merry.
Judy
234.6/195/190 and deeper into onederland :cool:

Judy, yup, salt and liquid will do that. You'll take it back off, I'm sure of it.

Lin, I'm shaped the same way you are (of course). I have to be selective, but I have found bootcut jeans that manage to hug the legs and hips while accommodating the midsection (I call mine "the tube"). I'm wearing some today, in fact. There are also straight leg jeans out there that seem to work well, and "matchstick" or "skinny" jeans are now in vogue, too. Another cut that works well on me -- boyfriend jeans. I don't roll them up. About the only cut I can *never* wear is the wide-leg jean. Bleah. Anyway, good luck -- finding jeans is always a challenge.

Did very well with the eating yesterday; have done extremely crummily today. (Is "crummily" a word?) I even feel a bit sick after all those baked goods people brought in to work. Gack. Fortunately, today is my last day at work until next Monday.

Today I bought a workout t-shirt in anticipation of joining Curves in the new year. It says "Cat Aerobics" on the front, with drawings of a cat doing various stretches and lying on its back. On the back of the shirt, it says "Certified Cat Aerobics Trainer." Cheered me up.

Have a great day, everyone.

Lauren,
I love your commitment to exercise. Weigh to go!

Lin, I hear you about your jeans trevails. I found Macy's brand Charter Club fits me well, and comes up to my true waist. At least for now, I know where to get my jeans.

Bandit, I love that you've joined a new group for weight reduction. I would never give up my WW group meeting or my leader because I really like them a lot. However, I am considering going to my doc for some weekly help in keeping on track. I'd consider doing that for a new 10-20# loss because it will be stringent. Then I'd head back to WW's to coast and hold onto that weight loss. At that point, I'd only have about 35# to go.
Sounds like a plan to me. I don't want to think too far ahead, but it's a thought I've had as I've struggled so much just to maintain for these last couple of months.
Hey Bandit, I just made myself a veggie pie for dinner. It'll be a great leftover to have in the house if all the holiday food gets a little too much for me!

Flowingair---how are you doing?

Cherry Autumn, we're thinking about you.

MsMerri, how are you Pumpkin?

Princess, you're in my thoughts. Merry Christmas, dear.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to us all! :carrot: :bravo: for all our efforts!
Judy
234.6/195/190 and deeper into onederland :cool:

Judy- Thanks for thinking of me. I am still around but still not doing good at all.

Flowingair- Welcome

Lin S, Bandit, and Princess, and Lauren - Hi to everyone