Hi everyone.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was quiet, activity-wise and terrific program-wise. I still have 25 flex points left. I was supposed to go to lunch on Tuesday at an ice-cream place, but that's been postponed until Friday, so a lot of those flex points are going to go unused, I think. I may have to treat myself to DQ tomorrow. I'd splurge on some Chinese food, but PMS is in full swing, complete with water retention, so better not. Still the sneak peeks have been great. Managing the next cycle of flex points is going to be a bit tricky. In addition to lunch on Friday, I'm going to meet another friend for breakfast that day (but at Einstein's Bagels - easily managed) and then the following Tuesday I'm meeting a friend for dinner. Plus we're picking up my MIL at the airport Saturday night (she's been in CA visiting her brother) and she wants to go to a Polish buffet for dinner. I'm going to have to be really careful and I'm going to have to earn some activity points to use. Guess I'll be tying up the old walking shoes a bit over the next several days.

Have a great day.

Carla

Carla - wow! 25 FP's left? That's great that the sneak peeks are good even with you being in the middle of PMS! Yup, sounds like lacing up those sneakers is a good idea for helping you to manage the challenges this week.

I took a no-weigh day on Saturday. I had TOM and for some reason (didn't figure out why) I had a little chocolate fest on Friday night (of all nights) so I opted to skip the scale. I did OK on the weekend although I was in a Flex Points deficit from Friday night. Tony and I played tennis yesterday and I won a set for the first time I ever!

In the past, Sundays were always a bit depressing for me. Yesterday was different. Even though I was a little tired (went to bed too late Sat night) and I didn't do all the things I planned to do over the weekend, I was looking forward to today!

I got up a little earlier this morning and did a 20 minute yoga workout - I want to try to do that a few mornings a week so I can get on the computer when I get home and not feel rushed. I'm going to try to do the same thing tomorrow 'cause after school I want to go to the university to a) see how long is takes to get there and b) get my books for my class so I don't have to do it after class on Thursday.

Have a great one!
Judy
163.6/154.4/135 (last week's numbers)
and 1173/240 workouts

HI Everyone,

Hope you had a good weekend.

Carla - 25 flex points left over?! That's great. Sounds like you're going to be pretty much camped out in an assortment of restaurants for the rest of the week, so I'm sure they'll come in handy. That's very good news by the way, about John's vision. It must be a big relief for you.

Judy - congrats on your big tennis win! Nice to hear that you were actually looking forward to work this morning. Lucky you tomorrow - nothing I like better than hanging out in University book stores. They're so interesting - I could spend hours & hours browsing. Your no weigh plan was probably a good one for Saturday. Maybe your chocolate fest on Friday night was celebratory for your first week?

I've had a good couple of days and am starting to get back into the WW way of eating. Please send "get thee to thy WW meeting" vibes my way tomorrow. I know the start weight will be back to horrendous, but whatever. We're doing our annual fire drill/partial evacuation drill at work tomorrow. What fun (NOT!)

Have a great day...

Hi all.

Judy - I'm glad that you had a good Sunday and that you were eager to get up for work yesterday. It makes such a difference. Hmm - sorry to hear about the chocolate fest, but I hope you enjoyed it! Congrats on winning the tennis game. I agree with Karen - I envy you your time in the University bookstore. I love browsing them.

Karen - Well, those points are disappearing tomorrow (and a new batch appearing) so I did dip into them yesterday. I'm sending "get to the meeting" vibes your way. No matter how horrendous the weigh-in, you'll get back on track and feel better for it. Yes, I am revlied about John's vision. I was worried about and for him and frankly scared of all the responsibility I would have to shoulder if he should lose his sight. Hope your fire/evacuation drill goes smoothly.

My period started today, so at least I'm done with PMS for this month. We'll see what it means for weigh-in tomorrow since I'm usually still pretty bloated the first couple of days. No matter, I've been on track and I'll see the results sooner or later. Now to stay on an even keel, get my exercise in, and leave those flex points alone for this week until I really need them.

Have a great day.

Carla

Hi everyone I went up 2 lbs!! SO Frusterated about that!!

Karen- Did you catch those "get thee to thy WW meeting vibes?" You have a good attitude about the scale - I have to remember to say "whatever" next time I'm not looking forward to the number on the scale. I hope the fire drill/partial evacuation went well. I must admit that I didn't browse at the bookstore much - mostly because I was in "sticker shock" at the cost of books - it's been 13 years since the last time I had to buy textbooks - yowza is all I can say! You know, the chocolate fest could have been a celebratory feast - I guess I need to come up with a better way to celebrate ;-)

Carla - I can hear that great attitude through your post. Yup, I always am bloated during TOM but it is a relief to get rid of the PMS monster. I'll be sending no-bloat vibes to you for your weigh in tomorrow. Hey, girlfriend, I *know* you can stay on an even keel - it sounds like you and Flex Points are getting on well together. Here's some encouragement for lacing up those sneakers {{{{{{{{JUST DO IT}}}}}}

Jennie - I'm sorry you are frustrated. Have you taken any measurements or do your clothes feel any looser? Sometimes the scale isn't the best indicator of progress.

I've did OK so far - I used a couple of FP's yesterday and may use a couple tonight but I opted for some extra chicken tonight and I'm pretty full. I'm trying to leave a lot of FP's for the weekend. We are going out to dinner (Italian) on Saturday night with Tony's cousin and out to dinner with my FIL on Sunday. Sunday should be pretty easy - Red Lobster - but I *know* I'm going to need some FP's for Saturday! I managed to get up early this morning and did a 1/2 strength workout. I think I need a stretch so I'm going to try to do a little yoga tomorrow morning.

Have a great one!
Judy

Hi All!

Carla - get those laces tied up and come for a walk with me. My plan for the morning is to get up with Mike (5:15 am. ) and drive the dogs to the river for a morning walk. Hope the bloated business disappears for you soon. I fully agree with your plan for saving the FP's till later in the week. I really like the FP plan now that I know what its all about.

Jennie - sorry to hear about your gain. It's nothing compared to mine. If you're able to stay OP, it'll disappear soon and take more with it.

Judy - welcome to my world. Aren't textbooks a horrendous price? Lucky you not having to think about making dinner all weekend. The "whatever" thing is always accompanied by a large shrug of the shoulders, btw, and a small dose of indifference

Thank you both for the get your sorry butt to the meeting vibes. I dutifully went (mostly so I wouldn't have to tell you I didn't go), and have regained a mere 9.6 lbs in a mere 6 weeks . WHATEVER! Got the FP info and think it looks great. I'm going to try & save the FPs for weekends. I find it easiest to stay on track during the week because of the work routine, but things always seem to go out the window on Saturdays and Sundays.

The fire drill/evacuation went well. The fire department turned up as they didn't have any real emergencies to deal with, and as they had a few brand new members thought they should be very involved laying hoses etc. So we were treated to some very nice scenery for an hour.

Better get myself to bed so I can get up early for my walk. Gotta earn a couple of activity points.

Have a great day!

Hi all.

Jennie - Sorry about the gain. Judy's right - look for signs of progress in other places.

Judy - I can only imagine what textbooks cost these days. Thanks for the encouragement to lace up the sneakers. Yeah, it's either the flexpoints or the on-line journal, etc., but something is sitting well with me. I actually do like the flex points a lot and I think that there's something about subtracting points as I go along rather than adding them up (which is how the on-line jouirnal does it) that plays well with my psyche. Sounds like a good weekend coming up. Weekends are always good when they don't involve cooking. Of course, I usually manage to ensure that mine don't involve cooking one way or the other!

Karen - Hon, there's nothing I'd like better than to be in BC with you walking your dogs. Ok, I'd like it better if Judy were with us too. Maybe I should buy a dog or two to force me on walks? I'm sure John will buy into that plan. Sorry about the gain, but considering what life's been like for you the last few weeks ... You'll have it off soon enough.

Ok, despite my fears of the dreaded bloat, the scale came through with results even better than my sneak peeks. I am relieved and happy to report a 3.4 pound loss this week! That's certainly keeping me motivated to stay OP this week through all the meals out, etc. So far, so good today. I think that for dinner tonight I'm going to whip up some individual pineapple meatloaves (just pulled the recipe of off WW) and some twice-baked potatos from the WW Simply the Best Cookbook. That should make for a low-point and filling dinner. I really don't want to touch my flex points until I absolutely have to, i.e. dinner out on Tuesday.

Have a great day.

Carla
279.6/275.8/145

Karen - I'm glad the "get three to your meeting" vibes helped - whatever works! I am very, very glad to hear that "whatever" about the weight gain. Given what you and your family went through, I think it's understandable - what's important is that you are *BACK*! I agree about saving the FP
s for weekends - that will be my usual plan and I will certainly need it this weekend. Wow - 5:15!!!!! I bow to you oh dedicated one! I have been dragging my sorry a$$ets out of bed at 6:00 am and feeling virtuous! I'm so glad that the scenery was so pleasant at the fire/evacuation drill - and thanks for the LOL!

Carla - WOWIE ZOWIE - you go girl!!! I'd say that FP's are working for you - bloat or no bloat! I agree about the substracting vs the adding and I also find that the target number helps me be a little more controlled - I'm really trying to hit that number or just be a tiny bit above so I can save my FP's for "special occasions". Hey, I think the idea of getting a dog is a great one - of course, it's a lot of work but it's a lot of love too - does Ana like animals? BTW, how does she like kindergarten? I would like nothing better than to join you and Karen walking the dogs along the river in BC - even if there were rotten salmon involved - maybe one day we'll be able to do it! Tell me how those pineapple meatloaves are - I'm intrigued.

I had a good day yesterday - I used a couple of FP's but still have 30 as I type this. I didn't get up this morning to exercise (I planned not to) but I did a bit of yoga after work today. I'm trying to keep my legs and feet in good shape - Karen - I know you must be used to being on your feet all day - I'm doing OK but I want to be sure my (very) mild case of plantar fasciatis doesn't re-occur. My class starts tomorrow evening. I'm glad for that but I am sort of dreading the day - I know that there will be some reminders, even in school. My teacher (I'll call her MB) showed me a book that the principal gave out to all the teachers - really an uplifting book about the "day after 9/11" - how the sun came up, everyone came together, there were a lot of flags flying, how our parents will keep us safe, etc. I guess she might read it to the class - I just want tomorrow to be over with - of course, I keep thinking of one of the other TA's - a lovely woman I met a couple of weeks ago, who lost her husband in the Trade Center. She didn't come to work last year but she is this year and wants to treat it like another day - if she can, I can.

Have a great one.
Judy

Hi All...

Only have a few minutes - have to dash out to Jasper's "orientation" class for doggy school. His classes will be Saturdays, but I have a classroom night first. This is level 2. He did his first level in the spring.

Carla - WOW! I am SO pleased for you. What a terrific loss. I agree with Judy, the FP's seem to be agreeing with you. I'll be glad when they switch the online stuff to FP too. I'd have thought they'd switch it at the same time they introduced FP's. If they don't hurry up, I'm going to unsubscribe till it's switched.

Judy - Yup, when you're on your feet lots you need to look after your feet. When I was working as a staff nurse, I *always* bought new footwear every six months or so. I swear by New Balance walkers and/or cross trainers. (which by the way Jasper chewed up today ). I'll be keeping you and your fellow New Yorkers especially close in thought on Thursday.

OP today, all is well. Gotta go.

Have a good day...

Hi all.

Judy - Well, Ana has been bugging me for a dog, but if I end up going back to work, I don't know that it will be practical. If I were staying home, I'd really consider it. But, it would be very unsettling to Luigi the cat and I don't know that it would be fair to introduce that kind of change to a 17 year old cat. Ana is loving kindergarten and learning a lot more than I did in kindergarten. All I remember is paper chains and finger painting. She's learning addition and reading and all kinds of things. How does Anthony like it? Good idea taking good care of your feet and legs since you'll be on them a lot more. I'll echo Karen on the New Balance, in that I've heard that those are the shoes that podiatrists and orthopedists recommend. I'll also put in a plug for Danskos if you want a non-atletic shoes. They're the brand of clogs that surgeons, etc. wear a lot (although they make more than clogs.) You know the problems I have with my ankles and knees, but when I wear my Danskos, no problems. They are hands down the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. The pineapple meatloaves were good, all though a bit lacking in flavor. I think next time I make them I'll have to jazz them up with some garlic and ginger. You really can't taste the pinapple (you use crushed) but it does make them moist. Thinking of you and all New Yorkers today. It's a hard day for us all, but for the families.... I can't imagine.

Karen - I'm wondering if WW Canada accesses a different site, because WW online, for me, is using flex points. I would think they would have the online tools reformatted for the start of the program. It's actually quite nice to have the flex points tracked on-line and to get a picture of your week. Naughty Jasper chewing up your shoes. Oh well, good excuse to go shoe shopping, I guess.

I had a good day yesterday and ate to my target. I've also been getting in a lot of water and that's been helping. And a nice side benefit is what it does to my skin. I really have to make it through the next two weeks to get this to be an ingrained habit. I'm feeling a pretty strong resolve now. The past two days I've gone to the fancy pants bakery with John to get coffee and that's all I've had - coffee. So, so far, so good.

Have a peaceful day.

Carla

Hi All...

Carla, if you do end up getting a dog, it'll guarantee that you'll lace up and get out for a stroll, otherwise it'll drive you nuts. They're a lot of work, but such fun. I don't know what I'd do without my three hounds. I was actually kind of glad that Jasper ate my shoe as they were looking a bit grotty. So now I get to go buy new NB's on the weekend. Good for you for going into the bakery and coming out with only coffee. That's major will power! I guess it's just WW.ca that hasn't changed their web site yet, which is kind of annoying. They have a little blurb about stay tuned, so hopefully it won't be long.

I made very good but a bit too hot curried prawns on rice for 8 points tonight. Mike and I have done our menus for the coming week, and we're just home from grocery shopping, so we're set for the week. I forgot to grab my Amy's burrito out of the freezer and add it to my lunch this morning, so all I had was carrots, a ff yogurt and an apple. I was ravenous by the time I got home, but managed to hold it together till supper time.

See you tomorrow.

Carla - Way to go on coming out of the bakery with just coffee! I know what you mean about introducing a dog to a 17 year old cat. I don't think it would be great for Luigi. I haven't gotten much info out of Anthony about kindergarten yet but I'll be seeing him on Wednesday - Tony and I are taking them out to dinner - I have to be at school for "Back to School" night and since they live just a little east of where I work, it makes sense to spend some time with them (always a treat) rather than going home (west) and back east again. I hope he's going to do the things Ana is doing (altho it is *quite* different than my kindergarten too!) Krista said they were doing colors - I hope it was just review for the first week - Anthony has know his colors for a really long time. I got a pair of Danskos and and they are great - still - I guess it takes some getting used to. My eldest cousin (who has been teaching for the last few years) told me she loves them and they do provide great arch support - but my feet sure are tired at the end of the day!

Karen - mmmm, those curried prawns sound great - too bad Tony doesn't like curry - I'd love to try the recipe. Major kudos on coming home ravenous and still keeping it together! I'd love to wear New Balance but I don't think I can get away with athletic looking shoes - at least I haven't seen any TA's or teachers wearing them. I had to laugh about Jasper chewing up your NB's. A couple of weeks ago, Max (aka Mad Max, Screwball, or the Gladiator) chewed up a pair of thongs - I have *never* had a cat go after any footwear before. He's a pistol that one.

So far so good this week. I still have 20 FP's to use at dinner tomorrow and plan on saving them some Italian yummies. I did a spinning workout when I got home tonight. After watching all the kids having PB&J sandwiches, I just had to have one today. It really held me - usually I have a snack on the way home but today I didn't want anything. We had two "breakfasts" this week in the faculty room - one for a secretary that was retiring and this morning's for the new Asst. Principal. I did OK - I took a cookie at yesterday's breakfast and had it as a snack before class (which, btw was cancelled - the professors are on strike!) AND I had 1/2 bagel this morning. The FP's will definitely come in handy with this job. Yesterday was also one of the kid's birthdays (poor guy to have your birthday on 9/11) and he brought in brownie's. MB and I split one.

Have a great weekend!
Judy