Morning! Be back in a bit!

Angie

Good morning everyone!

I had a pretty boring weekend. On Saturday we went to Mcdonalds where I ate 18 points worth of food. but I had planned for it so I was still technically on program. I have to tell you though how disgusting I felt afterwards. My stomache was bloated, I felt way beyond full, I had to come home and lay down for a couple of hours....I really felt sick. Maybe all this healthy eating is changing how I react to food. It was awful, and we won't be going back to Mcd's for a treat day any time soon.

I got TONS of scrapping done this weekend. I started an album for my dh (still trying to decide whether I should give it to him on Valentines day, or in August for our Anniversary.....any imput?) The album starts with us dating, and moves on to our engagement, then our wedding, honeymoon, the kids etc. I am having so much fun doing it....he better like it!!

ANyway, will be back later, hope everyone is having a great OP day!

Angie

Good morning Angie! (and everyone else!)

I am so jealous of you scrapping. I really want to get started on one for each of my kids, but I am having a hard time finding the time. How do you do it with two children on the loose?

This past weekend was my DD 7th birthday. We had a good time, had both my family and DH's family over, lots of noise and commotion, but it was fun. We are starting to get lots of the little projects in the new house finished, the brick on the outside of the house will be finished today. It looks just beautiful!!

I start my graduate program tomorrow. I am taking 3 courses here at the Univ that I work at, but still remain working full time. I am going to be busy, but it will be worth it in the end. My goal is to be an online professor in Project Management and work from home.

A week ago my DH brought home an Irish Setter from a pheasant hunting breeder. My DH is a huge hunter and is starting to take up upland bird hunting. Anyway, the breeder he got it from (heard about it from a friend of a friend of a friend) isn't what I call a professional or human. The dog has obviously been beaten to learn the commands to hunt and has hardly ever been around people. She is a beautiful dog, and very passive, but cowards when we approach her. Todd took her hunting on Sat., and she definitely knows what she is doing there, but the family pet side is going to need some work. She had hookworm so bad, it about killed her. So, $300.00 in vet bills later, she is coming around to us, and feeling lots better. I know that the breeder would have shot her if we didn't take her, since she wasn't winning enough field trial awards, so I feel good knowing I saved a dog! Our other dog Zeus (a lab) thinks she's ok. They get along well.

Anyway, I am just rambling here! My eating has been ok, now that we are all moved in we are cooking a lot heathier, so that is good. I am going to start walking on my treadmill this week. If it could get up to 30 degrees out, I would walk the dogs, but it is 3 degrees out right now, WAY to cold to walk outside.

Well, I am sure a bunch of you all have posted already while I have been yammering about, so a big "hi!!".

Better get some work done, be back in a bit!!

Good mornin' girls!

I am ina good mood today, although I'll be packig up my mom all week and moving her on the weekend, so no time to myself. But I did go out wiht my friend for dinner last night- we chatted for 3 hours! Then I went home and b/f was playing sims city so I had a bath and read a WW mag and went to bed - it was nice! And the only time to myself I'll have all week

Mom is really excited about moving to her apt though. The house hasn't sold yet, which is a big worry - its been on the market 14 days with no bite! I am getting nervous - thinking we should drop the price!

Angie - I know how you feel about the McD's - even if you plan and count, it feels "bad" plus the grease makes you feel sick and bloated! Oh well, I hope it was good

Tonya - aw poor puppy!! That is horrible! ANd scary. Poor thing - I am glad you recued him from that inhuman freak!!

I have to go back to work - BBL!!

Morning Ladies -

Angie - I'm sure your husband will cherish the album.....he just might be a typical guy though and never quite be able to express what it means to him.

Tonya - glad you are settling in. What kind of treadmill do you have? CB and I are thinking about buying one as I get a discount through my 2nd job.

Belle - Aren't bubble baths wonderful? I'm planning on one tonight. Glad your mom is looking forward to the apt. I know you had trouble with getting her to "let go" of the house.

What follows is long and rambling but I just need to bounce this off of a group who understands being overweight and not wanting to be.

Neither my eating nor my workouts are what I want them to be. Oddly enough, I've decided to quit going to WW. I've never been able to get to my WW goal weight much less maintain it and I feel as though a year of meetings has taught me necessary nutrituional skills (not that I'm using them) but I no longer find support in my meetings. I've decided to save the $$ from WW and put it in a "fitness fund". There are a ton of work-out videos, some weights, and a balance ball that I want plus the aforementioned treadmill. I'd rather spend the money on those things than on meetings. Plus, my 2 best girlfriends and I have banded together to lose weight/shape-up. We've put together a plan for each of ourselves along with check-in dates with each other and "prizes" (if we each meet our choosen goal by xx date then we will go to the movies, etc.).

I've spent a lot of time in the last month thinking about and re-evaluating my weight loss/health/fitness goals. As I said - I'm not eating or working out like I want to be. I've determined that part of the problem has been that my life has changed drastically in the last year but I haven't changed my expectations regarding weightloss and fitness. This time last year, I worked 40 hrs a week and literally never went out. That meant that I worked out 2 hrs a day and never once ate off program. And I lost 40lbs in 4 months (I've gained back 10lbs of that back since October). I keep thinking that I should be exercising and eating like I was and then when I can't follow that strict regime, I figure "what the heck" and continue to skip work-outs or overeat. That strict regime is ridiculous though given my current lifestyle. I work a minimum of 52 hours a week and usually closer to 60 and my schedule changes weekly. I've got a social life with friends and a relationship with a great guy who deserves my time. It is unrealistic to think that I'm going to work-out from 5AM to 7AM every day when sometimes I don't even get home from work until 11PM! Also, it isn't realistic to think that I am only going to eat fruits, veggies, high fiber, lowfat and within my points every single day as CB likes to eat out once or twice a week. It isn't fair to him that I always say "no" so I can go home and eat "safe" food that I know the exact points for. I've decided that I do want to lose the 10lbs I regained but if I lose more great and if not that's great too. I've decided though that I'm going to give myself 6 months to lose it. I'm going to try and eat OP during the work week and to make healthy choices on weekends but after a long work week I'm not going to tell CB we can't order pizza because I didn't preplan my points so I could have some! Also, I'm going to stop thinking about needing to work-out 2hrs every morning. Instead, I'm going to plan my work-out schedule for the week on Sunday's and work-in workouts around my jobs - maybe one day I'll workout in the morning but the next it might have to be my lunch hour or after work. And I'm going to plan my work-outs in as small as 20 minute increments - and if necessary do those small sessions 2 or 3 times a day.

Sorry, I know this is long. I just really needed to "talk" about all these things I've been thinking about. So does any of this make sense to you guys or am I really off the wall here?

Hope you all have great days. I may not get to post again today but I'll try and check in to see how each of you are doing.

Hey all, just a quick note from me. I have been lurking a little because I am so busy. Work has me running ragged. Now we are going to be making a fast move to a new office, but we don't have an office yet. Great huh. So I expect the next month to be absolutely crazy for me. I have so many things to get done and with the staff cutback, it makes it worse. Can't wait for my maternity break, tho I know I will still be pulled in to do things like last time. Oh the joys of a small family run company. UGHHH. At the end of the day I am usually so exausted I am in bed shortly after I put Emma to bed. This used to be a slower time for us and now that doesn't exist!!!

That's it for me. Depressed over my HUGE hips and legs. Being PG does crazy things to your body. I look horrid, tho Hubby says I look great. My perception is skrewed tho because I see the belly. Tho I love the thought of having another little baby in the house. Just dread the terrible 2's that we are going through with Emma. Her daycare calls her stubborn. But she loves to give hugs and kisses!!!! She is also Daddy's girl because I can't do as much with her now. I miss my little angel always wanting Mommy!!

Oh well, that is my ramble!!

Hi girls! I just had steamed rice and stir fry veggies with teriyaki sauce for lunch. I figured it to be about 11 points, which was higher than I wanted to eat for lunch, but tonight is TV dinners at moms, so that won't be a big dinner.

Laura - I am in the same boat as you. I decided this week to quit WI's. Mostly because I miss them so much and then have to pay the missed week that its becoming super expensive! Plus, I would rather save the $ toward other things - like new clothes! I have a good scale and the company pays for my gym membership, so I don't have to bank it for fitness, but I think its a good idea that you do that. I find that my exercise has been stellar whereas my eating, not so much. I know I am going through a LOT of crazy stress and change right now adn its go -go-go but I know I can eat better too. So I will focus on that and not worry about paying $27 for WI's anymore!! Plus, I don't even stay for the meetings - I don't have time! So its literally paying for someone to weigh me. I am not one of those that has to have another person see the scale to be accountable. Its almost worse for me to weight myself on a weekly basis. Especially since I find the people at the meeting I go to be excusers. When I maintain (which is almost always) they say "oh, that is so good" but it isn't. I have asked for advice on plateauing etc and haven't gotten it. So, I figure - BAH - better off on my own. Plus, none of my clothes fit me anymore. I am a true 16 now (probably from firming up from the excersize) and I do need new clothes, esp for work!

Anyway, I am with you - I understand your logic and your busy lifestyle too.

Jen - I am sure DH is right - we are always our worst critics!!

Well, I should get back to work as I have to leave for a doc appt early.

Have a good OP day!!

BBL

PS - I read the message about the board being overrun with newbies so they are expanding the RAM - but our threads seem to be dwindling! What happened to everyone?? I thought January would bring people back, but not so much....

I am here-lurking! I haven't deserted you guys!
Lori

I am here too, just not much going on to talk about!

Anybody have a subject you want to chat about?

Ah, life decisions. Can someone help me with this one?

I think I told you all I recently interviewed for two jobs. Well, I got an offer for one yesterday. The other one is the one I THINK I want more, because it would be a step-up in my career. But the one I got the offer for is also making an offer to my husband, which is very appealing. Brian hasn't gotten his offer yet, but it's coming, and I won't hear from place No. 2 until next week. So what do I do? I don't know if I can stall No. 1 that long, and to tell the truth, No. 2 is irritating me making me wait so long. When I interviewed there Jan. 10, I was told I'd know the next week. I told them I got an offer from No. 1, but that didn't seem to help speed things up.

So here I am, all confused about what to do, not wanting to turn down the people who REALLY want me vs. the ones who don't know yet. DH and I really need to discuss this more, but with our opposite work schedules, it's hard. Hopefully we can have lunch tomorrow.

AHHH! I'm going crazy! Meanwhile, I'm all worried that taking a new job will delay us being able to start a family.

Sorry I'm not responding to anyone else. I admit, I'm all wrapped up in my own little world today. I need a massage!

I agree... where is all this excess traffic?? What I don't like is that they buried our thread under the Clubs and Groups now, so we are more difficult to find unless you look hard.

Kim... maybe call number 2 again and see what the status. Re-interate that you are interested, but have an offer from another company. But FIRST, check with "hubby" to make sure this is what you want to do and make sure he really is going to be offered a job also. As for working together... keep in mind that no matter what anyone says... IT IS SOOOOO HARD. Hubby and I have been working together for almost 5 years and at first it was so nice. Now it gets hard. At times I absolutely love it, other times I want to run screaming. We bring work issues home and argue. So now if that happens we tell each other shush and not discuss it. We work on totally different things too. It is really hard.

That is my 2 cents! Oh but I like always having a lunch date and a ride to work!!!

Thanks for that, Jen! He and I already bring our work "home," so to speak. We're both journalists, so we talk about news constantly. At this particular paper we both interviewed at, we probably really wouldn't see that much of each other,, because I'd be with the reporters and he'd be with the editors, and we'd be on different schedules ... me during the day, him at night. But we've just been trying to think of someway we'd have a chance at seeing each other more than we do now, which isn't a lot.

I'm starting to think one of us needs to get out of journalism.