Hi all and welcome to a new week!

Patience - Congrats on another terrific loss! You are doing a fabulous job!

How was everyone's weekend? Mine wasn't the best program-wise, but it wasn't the worst. All in all, I did ok. I didn't do well getting the water in though, so I'm working hard on that today. So far, so good. Of course it helps my water-drinking efforts when I get a workout in and - hooray - I got back on the bike today. I had to kick my butt downstairs, but once I got going I was really glad to be there. I don't think it will be too difficult to get back in the habit and have working out be second nature again. I'm going to try to get in at least five workouts this week so I can start making up for those missed sessions. Tomorrow is lunch with a friend, but I think I can steer us to a point-friendly place, so I should be ok.

Have a great day.

Carla

Hi Everyone!

Patience - what a great loss!! You're doing great!

Carla - good for you for climbing back on the bike this morning! My weekend was kind of like yours - not the best, but pretty good. Enjoy your lunch out with your pal!

I've decided I'm ridiculously addicted to chocolate in its many forms, and have decided to kick the habit once and for all. I can justify a chocolate bar into any diet - i.e. if I go for a walk, I can afford one, etc... I don't know if it's a physical or psychological thing...but I know I don't have control over it. I'm in Day 4 of chocolate free living! (This is a near record, I think).

Got up at 6 and took the dogs for a run first this morning. I spent the day at a conference, luckily only 15 minutes away from home. It was kind of long and drawn out (the afternoons always kill me at these things) but was over by 4 pm. I have to go tomorrow too. Jasper had barfed all over the living room and dining room carpets when I got home, so I had the pleasure of cleaning that up as soon as I walked in the door. DOGS!!

Anyway, have a great evening, and a happy Tuesday.

Karen

Patience - Congratulations on the great loss!

Carla - Congratulations getting on the bike again! I *know* it won't be hard getting back into the habit - once you get those consistent weeks in, you can easily get back into the swing of things when you need to. Guzzle, guzzle, guzzle!

Karen - Yikes - chocolate free? I tip my hat to you. I don't think it's gotten that dire for me yet - but I wish you the best!! I hgope Jaspper's tummy is feeling better. Way to go on getting in an early walk yesterday! Your cleanup job sounds like my Saturday morning. One of the cats (I think Samantha) had a little bout of diarrhea and then she (definnitely Sam) had a few bouts of barfing. We took her to the vet and all seems to be fine now. NOT the way I planned to spend Sat morning though.

Sorry for not getting back last week - the end of the week got a little crazy and I started feeling like I was getting sick on Friday evneing. I slept in on Saturday morning so no weigh-in and felt well enough to go to the party on Saturday evening (which was a lot of fun). I didn't do too badly - even with the food being Italian and delicious. However, as I found myself snacking way too much last week, I decided that I was going to stick to my guns of January - that if the snacking, especially the late evening snacking got out of control again, I would put myself back on Fast Track - so that's what I did starting on Sunday morning. I've been doing OK on it - I was to the letter on Sunday and ended up having 1 extra snack yesterday (which got me to my regular target of 22 points). I do NOT plan on repeating that today - I plan on seeing a good loss this week as I have only 2 weeks to go before my goal of being under 150.

The exercise front definitely suffered last week with trying to fight off this cold/swollen glands/whatever. I did manage a couple of yoga workouts last week but did nothing over the weekend. I did some freestyle upper strength last night because I couldn't believe how behind I am on my goal. I'm feeling pretty cruddy today - so much so that I decided to skip class tonight (a first for me). It's spring exhibit at school tonight but it's also snowing so while I'd love to go, I think after I register for the fall (in about a 1/2 hour) I'm heading home to bed. Spring Exhibit doesn't start until 7:30 and by then, the roads will probably be pretty icy. If I feel a little better in the evening, I may do a very gently stretch/yoga workout. Otherwise, I'll see if I can get something gently in tomorrow. I know, I know, get better first - but I could use a little boost to the weight loss too!

Have a great one!
Judy

Hi all.

Karen - Ah, dealing with a sick pet. Never fun. I hope the conference didn't drag today. I've been thinking too about just saying no to sweets (which, in my case tend to all involve chocolate). I think even when I'm right on target, that I'm spending way too many points on them. Thankfully I've pretty much been able to avoid the Easter candy this year (thanks, in part, to individual bags of mini Robin's eggs which means automatic portion control). Anyway, I wish you well in your endeavor.

Judy - Pet clean-up for you too, huh. I'm fortunate that Luigi is not really a barfy kind of cat. Once in awhile, but not too often. The late, great Trotski, on the other hand, was a veritable barf machine. Sorry to hear that you've been feeling under the weather. I think it was probably a good idea to skip your class and the Spring Exhibit. Please do take it easy on the workouts until you're back 100%.

No bike today. I was set to get up early and do it, but Ana woke up at about 3:30 and didn't get back to sleep until sometime after 5:00. So I opted to snooze a little bit. But, back on the bike tomorrow. I got my period late last night, so no telling what the weigh-in will look like tomorrow. I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Have a great day.

Carla

Carla - sorry to hear that you were sleep deprived - I hope Ana was feeling OK. I'm thankful that we don't have Easter candy in the house. Of course, Tony bought the baked Doritos over the weekend - and left them out yesterday. I managed to avoid them - and I asked him to put them where I can't reach them easily! I will take it easy exercise wise. My plan for today is to do a little yoga - I didn't do anything yesterday either. Good for you for planning on getting back on the bike today. In case TOM slows you down (sometimes it makes my legs feel like lead) you could opt to do some good stretching for 20 or so minutes. That's activity too and stretching is something we all to often neglect. Just a suggestion...

Good morning all. I was very glad that I went straight home from registration yesterday. I heard that even here at school (on the south shore of LI where oftentimes the snow is lighter) it got very snowy and slippery - so much so that they shortened Spring Exhibit by a 1/2 hour. I didn't get any extra work done but relaxed - I needed it but I didn't get to bed early enough. My goal for tonight is to get to bed early enough so that I get at least 7 hours of sleep. Just curious, how much do you all average sleep-wise (that doesn't include when little tykes get up at 3:30 - I'm trying to see how you *plan* it)

Fast Track went well yesterday. I haven't seen any huge drop in sneak peek but I keep telling myself it's only been 3 days. I'm determined to stick it out 'till the weekend - we're going to eat out somewhere on Friday - I hope I can work something in.

Have a great one!
Judy

Hello All! It seems like there are some very determined ladies on this thread! Me Too! I wanna join.

I have been married for about 1 1/2 weeks , and unfortunately, am at my all-time high weight. I am miserable, PMSy, and feel like the Michelin Man from the tire ads.

I told DH that I am starting back on the WW track at lunch today. While he will be very supportive, I could tell he doesn't think I am going to stick with it. So, I wanna set some goes for myself.

1) Dig out my WW stuff tonight!
2) Take a marker to all the prepackaged food in the kitchen so I know the pt values.
3) Make tomorrow an on-point day
4) Go to the gym 3 times this week.

Wish me luck!

Hi all,

Judy - I'm glad to hear that you were safe and sound at home rather than on the slippery, snowy streets last night. Good for you for avoiding the baked Doritos. I don't care for them all that much, but that doesn't stop me from eating them when they're in the house. (I use them for a nacho bake that I make.) Baked potato chips, on the other hand, I love, so I try not to buy them very often. You've done great with fast track so far and I know you'll make it through the rest of the week. As for sleep - I aim for six hours a night. Of course, between a child, a getting-to-be-senile cat and my bad habit of falling asleep on the couch, my sleep is not often uninterrupted, but as long as I get six hours all in all, I'm fine. Of course, it's blissful when I get seven hours; very rarely do I get eight. I seem to wake up naturally after 6 or 7.

Emerald - Welcome! We love having new friends join us. Yes, we usually are very determined and it sounds as if you are too. You have a great plan in place. Stick with us and we'll give you all the support you need.

I'm happy to report that this week's trip to the scale was much happier than last week's: I'm down 2.6 pounds. I would have liked to have lost all of last week's gain, but given that I just started my period, I'll take what I have and be happy for it. I managed to drag my sorry carcass out of bed early this morning and I did my 1/2 hour on the bike. Boy did it feel good to jump start my day that way. I'm going to try to get it done early tomorrow too. I feel like I'm finally back on track with the exercise. And now, off to whip up some low fat mac and cheese.

Have a great evening.
Carla
279.6/253.4/145
27/208 workouts

Good Afternoon,

Not sure what happened to my post from yesterday - I think I closed the browser without submitting it. Oh well...didn't have anything very profound to say anyway.

First of all...welcome Emerald! Very happy to have you join us...we're so determined that we've been slogging along as a group for at least 6 years! Congratulations on your marriage! And good for you for committing to some goals - they're always so good for keeping on track with. I find mini goals much more manageable that big ones.

Carla - good for you for climbing on the bike again this morning! It's energizing first thing in the morning, isn't it! I always feel slightly smug for the rest of the day when I get my exercise in early, knowing that it's done and I darned well don't have to do anymore if I don't want to. That's a nice loss too this week - even considering what you were up to last week! Mmmm mac and cheese - I love it (too much). It's wild mushroom and spinach lasagne at our house tonight. I got energetic last evening and got it all ready to put in the oven after work today. Mike has a stinking cold and has been going to bed very early, so I got creative while alone.

Judy - How great that you avoided all the bad weather and road conditions. Spring has sprung here; my daffs are out and my tulips aren't too far behind. The croci and snowdrops have been finished for weeks, and I have 3 azaleas that are finished blooming and several more just coming into bloom. (Hope I haven't depressed you too much). As for the barfing pet thing - we invested in a very good steam cleaner for the carpets. Last month all three dogs got into something they shouldn't have, or got a virus, and spent three days with vomiting and diarrhea - so really, I shouldn't have complained this time!!

Jessica and Patience - hope you're having a good week.

As for how much sleep do I get? Well, I'm a great sleeper for the most part. Nothing I like better than 8 or 9 hours, and occasionally 10. I aim for about 8 1/2 hours...I get cranky if I don't get enough. I can get by on 6 or 7 hours for a day or two, but for the most part, I need my sleep. The season makes a difference too, I sleep more in the darker months. I get very occasional insomnia where I wake at around 2 a.m. - if that happens, I just get up and do things because I have no hope of getting back to sleep then.

I was down 2 lbs this morning, which is nice after the well deserved 5 lb gain. I'm on day 6 of chocolate abstinence too! I'll be just like a reformed alcoholic soon - I'll be able to tell you how many months, weeks, days and hours since the final indulgence. Got up this morning and took the hounds out before work so I got my exercise in early today too.

Have a great Thursday!

Karen

Karen - Congrats on the 2 lbs. I don't know how you are keeping chocolate out of your life! I am sitting her craving it now and it has only been 1 1/2 days since I had any. I am still trying to convince myself that the drink mixer we got as a wedding present will make more than just milk shakes!

Carla - Yippee on the loss! Especially after a gain! I look forward to being a loser. I have to talk DH into buying a new scale. Funds are tight but the old one is broken.

As for the sleep thing - I AM DEPRIVED! I need at least 8 hours a night. DH needs much less, so that is a problem. We have both been trying to get in bed early so we can get up together and have a good breakfast. But, he moves around a lot more than my teddy bears did! I'm not used to having him there yet and I'm not sleeping as well. On top of that, I have been drinking more water, so I'm getting up during the night for that too! So, I'm droopy today, like I was yesterday.

Have a great OP day!!!

Emerald - Welcome! As Carla said we are a determined group (maybe not ALL the same time but there is at least one or two members who are there for a faltering member) and we'd love to have you join us. Your goals sound great - do-able and solid. Congratulations on your recent marriage. Getting used to sleeping with someone next to you certainly can take some time. In my case, it also involved getting earplugs since my DH snores so loudly, at first he woke me up in the middle of the night from a sound sleep!

Carla - Way to go on that great loss. Hey, you probably DID lose all of last week's gain and TOM is just hiding it temporarily. Great job on getting up early and getting on the bike! When I can get my sorry behind out of bed early to exercise before work, it's something that really makes me feel great for the whole rest of the day. I'm going to try to emulate you tomorrow morning.

Karen - Way to go on the great loss AND getting your exercise in yesterday morning! Oooooo, if there are any leftovers of the wild mushroom and spinach lasagne, can you send them to NY???? Hey, in my book, anytime you have to clean up barf/diarrhea you have a free pass to complain!! Yes, you have depressed me a bit telling me about all your harbingers of spring. Our croci bloomed as did some darling iris reticula (about 4 inches high) but can you believe it? Not only did we get about 4 inches on Tuesday, we are bracing for another storm tonight that's supposed to dump 3-5 inches by morning and 5-7 when it's over tomorrow afternoon! Where do I live - Chicago??? (sorry Carla).

I had a good day yesterday - stuck to Fast Track. I was doing OK today except I think PMS is starting to sneak up to me. I'm at school and finished my dinner when I counted up my points and realized that somehow, I was going to come up short - so I had a chocolate chocolate chip cookie with some coffee (sorry Karen). However, I'm determined not to go over the Fast Track limit of 20 - I will have to be extra careful when I get home tonight (a red-light time for eating after this late class). The snow is getting a bit depressing. While I wouldn't mind a snow day from work because I could get a lot of school work done, our conversion from an oil to gas heater started today - no heat or hot water tonight and most of the day tomorrow - if I can go to work, I can stay warm!

Have a great one!
Judy

Hi all.

I had a nice long post ready to go yesterday and my computer crashed. Sigh.

Karen - Congrats on a great loss and on sticking to your chocolate abstinence. You're one strong woman. That lasagna sounds delicious. How's Mike feeling? I hope he's better. Your talk of flowers is making me envious. We've had such crummy weather here, although at least the sun is shining today. Speaking of sun, did that light that you bought to combat SAD work out for you? Did you find that it helped?

Emerald - Somehow I missed how new of a newlywed you are! I think I read 1.5 weeks as 1.5 years. At any rate, congratulations!! You'll get used to having hubby next to you soon enough. (And you'll get used to all that water too.) As far as the scale goes, I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. They are always having coupons for X dollars or X percent of purchase either in the mail or in the Sunday paper. Kohls too, if you have Kohls by you. So you should be able to score a scale for not too much money.

Judy - Hmmm - you're welcome to come for a visit to return that Chicago weather! Seriously, you guys are really being hit hard this year. It hasn't been great here either with cold weather and gray days. And it snowed the last couple of days, but nothing stuck. I hope your weather improves soon and, for the sake of your warmth, that you were able to go to work today.

I've been doing well with the program the last couple of days. I've used flex points, but it's been controlled. I got up early again yesterday to ride the bike. I didn't get up early today, but am gearing up to get down to the basement and on the bike in a few minutes. I'm going to try to hop on the bike tomorrow morning too since Ana won't have ballet class and my morning won't be quite as rushed as normal. A couple of challenges this weekend: Saturday we're going to my MIL's for the annual **** that is the corned beef and cabbage dinner. (As Judy and Karen well know, I loathe corned beef, which is good since it's high in points.) After all these years, I still can't for the life of my figure out a) why an Italian and Polish family (and now Bolivian and Korean too) without a drop of Irish blood is obligated to celebrate St. Pat's day, especially St. Joseph's Day (our patron saint) is two days later and goes ignored and b) why the heck it bothers me so much. Oh well, I know that my MIL loves corned beef and this gives her an excuse to make it (and makes it easier to find it in the store), so I'll deal with it. Besides, I'm giving props to good old Joe tonight by serving gnocchi for dinner. Sunday we're going to my mom's. Who knows what we'll be eating. But I do know I'll try my darndest to behave. I'm seeing a nice number on the scale and I still want to see it on Wednesday.

Have a terrific weekend.

Carla

Carla - About the crash... I hate it when that happens!
Thanks for the info. But, we do not have a BB&B or Kohls within an 1.5 hour drive. I will have to settle for Wal-Mart. I want one of the neat digital ones that tell me the 10th of a pound too! Every little bit can create a smile!
I'm sure you will do fine on Sunday. Particularly, because it sounds like you will have leftover points from Saturday's dinner! It's totally a girl thing to be upset about something you have no reason to be upset about!

Sorry gals, but since I am just now coming back to the board, I still get a giggle out of all these cute little smilies!! I know I need to get out more, but they are just so darn cute! How can I resist using them in all my posts!!

7 minutes until lunch here... I really want to go out and play in the sunshine. It is 60 degrees here and sunny for a change! Of course we will have rain tomorrow, but today... I celebrate! (and try not to brag)

Thank you girls for your kind words. But I gained 1.5lbs this week. I'm ovulating, and when I do, it seems like I hold in water also. So hopefully next week I'll see a better loss!

I feel so discouraged, but I know this next week I will stick to my diet, and get all my water in!

Thanks again girls!

Happy end of the work week!

Only have a minute to post before I head to yet another meeting.

Patience, don't sweat the gain - it happens to everyone, and doesn't mean much in the overall scheme of things! Stay focussed, and I'm sure you'll see a good result next week.

Emerald, have fun with the smilies all you want. I like them too! It took me weeks to get used to sleeping next to DH when we first moved in together - now it feels strange if he's not there. If only he didn't snore...

Carla - OMG I love gnocchi! Mike does it with a creamy tomato sauce that's to die for. I'm with you in the "I hate corned beef" ranks. I think it's quite vile. Good girl for getting on the bike! And may those sneak peaks hold up till Wednesday - mine always seem to be there till Tuesday. The SAD light...I used it religiously for about a month after I got it, and I found it made a good difference getting me through the darkest days of winter. I used it two or three days a week till about Feb, and have put it away. This year I'll bring it out at the end of October and use it consistently till February.

Judy - hope the snow will soon be a thing of the past for you...you certainly have had your share and then some this winter. However, spring begins at 10:39 pm (pacific time), and tomorrow will be the first day of spring. The spinach and mushroom lasagne is delicious...if anyone wants the recipe, email me and I'll send it to you. It's out of a cookbook and I don't want to publicly break copyright. It's low fat, vegetarian, point friendly and very good.

Oops, they're phoning me to tell me I'm late. Have a great w/e

Karen