Hi everyone and Happy Friday!!!! It has been a very long week for me so I am extra happy that Friday has arrived... if that is even possible... LOL. I went to W/I last night and stayed for the TOPS meeting. My W/I was actually better then I thought it would be... I stayed exactly the same as last week... since it is the week after my TOM and when I historically show a gain on the scale I was pretty darned happy with staying the same. I need to go better with food and exercise this week so that is my plan... I am not doing so well on my July challenge goals but will keep on chugging.

That seller that I ordered the book from on Half.com did rip me off... ugh, I have to file a claim now but I had ordered the book from another venue and it has arrived... I will try and get that started this weekend.

Have a baseball game to go to tonight with DH and his coworkers... it is just stinking hot here and soooo muggy, it feels like you are under water when you step outside. So at the very least I will have the "sauna" (sp?) experience tonight at the game and who knows... I could just lose a # or two by just sitting there pretending to act interested in the BB game... LOL. Not a huge fan but DH is so I go and smile and play along.

My garden is really starting to produce... and the tomatoes are wonderful this year... I was right, we have cuc's the size of Ohio! LOL... I do the small ones - the salad or pickle sized - but these are huge! I generally throw those away since they get really "seedy" when they get too big. I am going to make stuffed peppers this weekend with my bell peppers that I picked last night... yum!

Judy: I am sooooo sorry about your hives... now that you have found what maybe a cause or at least a factor they hopefully will just go away! I'm with Kim... don't worry about the number on the scale right now, just get yourself better!

Kim: I know how you feel... it has rained so much here, I need sunny day to get back into my summer routine. Berry's! Yum! What kind of berries do you have?

Bandit: How are you doing? TOPS was pretty good last night... they are pretty stale though and need to get things shaking in there... you can tell that they are very set in their ways... I really think though that to be a successful chapter they are going to have to take it up a notch or two but who am I to judge... I go for the W/I factor, etc and have to remind myself that this is not WW so things will be different. Have a great weekend!

Tess: Any plans for the weekend? What is new in your neck of the woods?


I have to run but have a great weekend!
Princess

Kim, :grouphug: and :love: to get you around being depressed, etc. Do the easy things like drinking water and things will be back in place soon. You're doing great. Keep on posting. We love to hear from you.

Princess, it's great that you had a :goodscale: I love the way your garden sounds. You're going to have a great crop. Interesting comments about TOPS. That's one group I've never attended.

I really like my WW mtg., but it's not fun paying this much money and not having a real loss since December. Egads. Well, I know I"d be up in weight if I didn't go to mtgs. My dh is already saying things like, "If we're eating this cr... and not losing weight, then I'm all for going out to dinner and getting take-out, etc. " Do you have any idea how much weight I'd gain if I did that? I'm one who regularly gains 1#/day while on vacation and it's taken a huge amount of self-discipline to lose as much as I have. I have to stay with it.
(By the way, my dermatologist is sending me to an allergist-----I'm choosing instead to go back to my internist and see what she says. I need some relief. I've heard of sprays that may help----so I'll see what she says)
Gotta run-----have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Judy
234.6/190.6/lower and closer to goal :cool:

Judy: Yep, I thought about the TOPS comment after I typed and was worried that it sounded harsh because it was not meant to be that way. I just feel like they have run the meeting a certain way for years and if it works for them then that is fine... They are really a wonderful group of ladies and they are the seasoned members, not me, so I am sure they know how it is supposed to go. I just need to get used to it is all.

Good luck with your doctor!

Morning, turtles:

Princess - nice job on not gaining at this time for you!

Judy - when I was a kid I had hives and the doctor said it was from purple paint that the bathroom had been done in the day before and later I had a reaction when I bought mauve toilet paper (back in the day when we had coloured tp) That is the only time I had hives and I remember being itchy and puffy from that. Hope you are feeling better.

Kim/CHerry - hope you guys are coping with everything that is going on in your lives.

Princess - I went to my new Tops meeting last night and was down 1/4#
and our meeting was basically just going over guidlines and what will be happening over the next month. So was happy with the more positive attitudes. And it was stated that this a new chapter, with new thoughts and that everyone is expected to participate in the club and not just a few that usually do everything. So that was nice to hear.
Some members from the other club have been there for many years and do not want anything to change and were not open for suggestions and if someone suggested something all **** broke lose and they saying "this is the way its always been done" So am hoping this new chapter will really be good for the ones that have transferred - if not, then I will have to rethink this.

We finally got some rain & we so needed it. So for this a.m. am poking around the house and getting some things done & if it clears will head up to trailer. If not, will stay home and play bingo tonight then go up to lake tomorrow.

I went through some of the recipes I have been printing out and some look pretty good - maybe make something different this weekend & let you all know if it was good, then post.

Anyone else make anything new and yummy?

Have a great Friday and lets all have a great weigh in next week!

Good morning Turtles and happy Friday!!!! :broc:

Sorry for being AWOL, my "quiet" week ended up being anything but - which is good, but I was kinda looking forward to a little time to catch up on things! So today I'm going to work on enjoying a little quiet time here in the office and pashaw to any client with an "emergency" - Sorry, this is "emergency-free Friday". Get with the program. :kickbutt:

So, the rabbit "problem". *sigh* Do I even need to say it?? Friday afternoon I went home and guess who visited my house???? :censored: RABBITS! I am currently charging up my cordless so I can unscrew all the lattice work and see just what they've done - I'm not sure they made it under the house, but there are holes. I'm hoping to find them dead-ended into undisturbed chicken-wire. :crossed: So, the ongoing evil rabbit saga continues....

Cherry, Princess and Bandit - congrats on the losses!!!! :dance: :carrot: :bravo: We're shrinking Turtles, we're shrinking!!!

Judy, I'm SO sorry to hear about your hives! A couple years ago I had a reaction to Neutrogena's new Helioplex sunscreen (yes, a redhead allergic to sunscreen, lovely) and ended up with hives on my neck and face with my eyes almost swollen shut - and 3 weeks on Prednisone. I hope they get your allergy identified and get you cleared up SOON! Oh, and tell DH that besides that whole weight loss thing - he's eating that cr... for not just what it does for the scale but what it does for his insides too!!! I'm sure he knows that - but, still.... men! :dz:

Kim, so, you and I are in the same boat - moms are injured, we have to pick up the slack at work. My Mom is a horse person and has had her share of injuries - one year she ended up in the hospital. When that, or a much less major of an injury happens, the running of the family biz falls on me. She's better now (more careful, because at 63 she's learned that her ability to bounce has diminished), but every time she's out riding I'm praying she's ok - partly because we've just gotten too big for me to run things solo for too long (not without a mental meltdown of some sort anyway). Enjoy your free Saturday, do something special - even if it's nothing at all!

Me, weight wise, was up .2 last week. Blame it on my co-dependant Dad (wow, is there a long story there) in the hospital for 3 days with a kidney stone and celebrating my Mom's birthday at a place where it's not just food - it's cuisine (I tried 2 kinds of goat cheese!). The measly gain is already gone, so I'm hoping for a bonzer week next week. :smoking:

Oh, and I'm going back to Jazzercise on Monday!!!! I haven't been in 11 years (since I moved to Oregon). I actually used to work at the front desk at the Jazzercise I went to in CA and went to one of the conventions at So. Lake Tahoe - so yeah, huge fan. I'm hoping I love it just as much now as I did then.... :exercise:

Ok, must away. Have a great weekend everyone!

Tessa

Hi Turtles,
You've been so kind and patient with me and this "hives saga". Tessa, can you believe that my hives started around the time I used the Neutragina Sunscreen? Holy Moly----if that's it thank you so much!!!! I got to another doc today who gave me a shot and a group of pills that should slow everything down. I'm feeling 95% better and am hopeful this will make them go away and stay away.

In another note, doc said that weight loss and hives aren't related, (so I can't blame my poor losses these last few months on that). Now I'll have to get over hives and then analyze what I'm doing because I "should" be losing weight by exercising so much and eating so little.

Well, I'm glad you gals are doing well and I love reading about everything.
Princess, I got your idea about TOPS and I didn't consider it harsh. knowing you, you'll fit right in and make it work for you. You Can do this!

Everybody----have a great weekend, be well and happy.
Love,
Judy
234.6/190.6/lower and closer to goal :cool:

Morning all and happy Monday to everyone!

The weekend went super fast... again! LOL, they just seem to go faster and faster. The weekend was good although I did not get in any exercise except some yard work and house chores. It was sooo stinking hot here that you could just hardly move, the AC is running overtime and not doing a very good job so I have the place that I keep a service contact on the unit dropping off a new filter... with three dogs our filters get clogged really fast! Hoping that it works to lower the temps in the house.

The kids came by yesterday for Sunday supper which since it was sooo hot was crockpot pulled pork and microwaved everything else :D - it was a nice weekend over all.

We did not end up going to the ball game on Friday... DH can not handle the heat so he cancelled our attending... I was not sorry about that at all!

Judy: Very happy to hear that you are feeling better... that is crazy that you and Tessa may have had a reaction to the same product! I know that the doctors sure know more than me but I am thinking that hives has got to cause inflamation and would effect your weight at least to some degree... keep at it... you are doing great!

Bandit: I sure hope you like your new group. Our group is doing another fund raiser.... selling COOKIE DOUGH! UGH! The good news is that these tubs of dough last 6 months in the freezer so we will buy some and put it in the deep freeze for the holidays.

Tessa: Bunny Drama! I hope you get it worked out with them as they sure are causing you some pain! Stories are great but the pain is not so great for you... Horses! I love them... don't have a lot of experience with them but I can ride a not so frisky one and enjoy it very much! Jazzercise... I have never tired it... you will have to let us know how it goes.

Kim: I would imagine that the med's are important in every aspect of your daily routine... I hope you get it worked out so that the depression stays away.

Cherry: how are you doing!

Hi Turtles,
Wow! This group is doing great.

You know Princess, I agree with you. If my doctor meant that true "weight--as in fat loss" and hives aren't connected, I believe that. However, when most of my body was covered with inflamed spots that consisted of red blood cells rushing to those areas, I KNOW that fluids that might have been excreted normally stayed with me. Was that a true weight gain----No. But it showed on the scale as my weight being up.
Now that I'm back on my diuretic and the hives are going away, my weight is down almost six pounds. How about that? I'm hoping that this loss stays with me through my Wed. WI because I would love to have it be official. Very exciting. And also very confirming because I was exercising like crazy and not eating all my points and I was still "gaining" tiny bits of weight each week. :tread:

I'm reading all your posts and think they are fascinating. How weird that the fund raiser TOPS is doing is the cookie dough route. Princess, I bet your logical mind buckles at that one. But hey, it's the whole picture that's worth it---right? A good place to get support, pay smaller fees, and be accountable to the scale. Overall a great place to be.

Kim, I'm glad you figured out about your meds. That had to be a relief.
:love:

Tessa, where is Bugs Bunny when you need him? I must say you have a great attitude about the whole rabbit situation. :carrot: :dancer: I'm sending :goodvibes: that something works for you.

We had a nice quiet weekend here, but we'll be watching our grandson for two days and a sleepover. He's a lot of fun, but I'll need my energy up for this since it's been so hot. We had pouring rain last night and the weather is a little better. We've had record breaking temps here and it's not much fun. I find myself in the house in the AC when this happens.

Okay---really gotta go.
Bandit and Cherry and Lin and Lauren and everybody, keep on keepin' on!
We're doing great.
Judy
234.6/190.6/189 and closer to goal :cool:

Hi turtles:

Judy - sounds like you are doing better with your hives, so that must be a relief and hooray for the big weight loss! That is awesome.

Princess - I am surprised about the cookie dough fundraiser, seeing it is a weight loss group. We are allowed 2 functions with food per year, and that is at our Christmas dinner and awards night. One of our best fundraisers is bingo - we all like playing that and it makes lots of money for the club.
Good luck with staying in control with the cookie dough!

Kim - I haven't been trying anything new lately, it has been too hot to cooking. I made up some chicken breasts and had that with veggies and sweet potatoe - so nothing exciting.

Sunday & today were nice temperature days but tomorrow they are calling for another scorcher - truly unbelievable for us and I don't have A/C at my house & it has never been an issue until the past couple of weeks. I do have A/C at my trailer and really had a great sleep on Sat night up there.
A couple of my friends came up and we went to the dance and they had a good band, so that was fun.

Hope everyone else is hanging in there and doing their best.

Have a great week!

Good morning everyone and a very happy Tuesday to you all!

We got a brief break from the heat but the temps are supposed to go back up today with chances of rain most every day this week. I have started walking the halls on my lunch hour... I am able to get about a mile in on the back half of my break and then I either walk the dogs at the park or get on the treadmill... nothing major, just a couple miles a day but I am hoping that it will help in the over all plan :D

I thought that cookie dough was kind of different also... we are such a small group that I guess they do a few fund raisers per year but I am not really sure how all of that works since I am so new. They are a great group of ladies though and I enjoy my time with them...

Bandit: I will have to suggest the bingo to the group... do you only do that among your group or invite outsiders to participate also? That is a great idea either which way it goes. I feel for you with no AC in this heat... ugh! It has got to be hard to sleep!

Judy: AWESOME on the down 6 #'s just fantastic! I am glad that you are getting some quiet time, I bet that helps with your overall health! My garden in doing pretty good... I was out there picking again last night...

Cherry: How are you doing?

Kim: What is new your way?

Tessa: I am eager to hear how your jazzercise went! I hope that you enjoyed it as much as you used to! I think that with my back/neck issues I am going to have to stick with Water Aerobics and the Treadmill for a while... my back is flaring up again and I am pretty sure it is from the Yoga... as much as I enjoy it I hate the pain that a flair up brings... UGH.

Have to run!
princess

Hi Turtles,
We're getting long, so I'll start a new thread. See you all at #235 Bale of Turtles Getting Through the Heat
Judy
234.6/190.6/lower and closer to goal :cool: