I'll be back a little later after I catch up (forum wise and work wise!).

I just want to be sure that I wish you a (slightly belated) happy birthday, Pat!

Judy

Hi everyone.

Pat - I too want to wish you a belated Happy Birthday!

Jennifer - Thanks for the good luck wishes! I can understand how you're finding it difficult to get in exercise working all the hours that you do. Doing a hula hoop is certainly a novel way of getting it in!

Well, I'm slowly working my way back to my starting weight of 21/2 years ago. The scale was way up today. Definitely not the direction I want to go in, but I have no one to blame but myself. Seems like my pattern lately is to have two or three good weeks and then a couple of bad ones. I seem to be taking 2 steps back for every step forward that I take. I've considered throwing in the towel, but I know that I can't. It's really a health issue for me, especially with a family history full of heart disease and diabetes, not to mention cancer. And now I have my little girl to think of. Plus, other things are coming back, besides the weight, that I thought I was rid of like heartburn, huffing and puffing after mild exertion, knee aches. So, here I am giving it another shot. I've stocked up my fridge and freezer, am bringing breakfast and lunch to work, and am planning my dinners. My short-term goal: string three good weeks together.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla
260/140

Carla – Sorry to hear about the news at the scale. Girlfriend, you know I’ve been there. I’m glad to hear you say that giving up is not an option – because I won’t let you give up! It sounds like you’ve started doing all the necessary things – stocking up on good, healthy foods, bringing breakfast and lunch to work and planning dinners. I know you can string those weeks together because you have done it before. Here’s a whole bunch of {{{{{{{{MOTIVATING HUGS}}}}}}}}. I never made lasagna until this recipe so I don’t know how it compares to the “original” in terms of difficulty, etc., but Tony loves it. Try to make it before it gets too hot. I think that bathing suit on the horizon is a great motivator. I’m trying to do the same – our town pool opens in June and I’d like to feel more comfortable in a bathing suit than I was last year.

Jennifa – Way to go on not having any cake at the Cheesecake Factory! That’s fantastic. How are the lunches going? As far as exercise, how about trying to incorporate it into your day – take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator or park further away?

I had a 0.8 gain on the scale at my meeting on Saturday. I ended up the week with a couple of points in the bank so I just chalked it up to one of those things. I know I could have been better earlier in the week but I really thought I’d pulled it out. Funny thing is that I wasn’t upset about it all, which is a little unusual for me. I went out for a run/walk on Saturday – I didn’t think I was going to because I was exhausted – I just didn’t get much sleep on Friday night. I did OK on Saturday night out to dinner – I pretty much stuck to plan at Red Lobsters although they didn’t have some of the things I’d planned on. Yesterday Tony and I played a half hour’s tennis (or our version of it) – it was a beautiful sunny and warm day and it felt great. I went over points by 1.5 last night – PMS chocolate cravings – but I’m determined to make progress this week (which will be tough enough with PMS). The VF taping trip is just one month away and I want to lose a few pounds before then.

Have a great one,
Judy
163.6/159.2/135

Good morning, all!

Carla, I just want to send you some get skinny rays ~~~~~~!

I know it seems like we all can say "oh, I've been there" but the truth is there's only one you and only you know what is going on. I am asking you this out of caring and knowing the frustration: what are you feeding? why are you overweight? The answers to these questions may help you dig deep and find out if you are ready to be thin. I've had to ask myself these questions before every single meal for a week or two - it helps. You have found a wonderful support system here at 3FC, you know the program, and you have made a plan. Give yourself the time to let it work. If after a certain period you can't lose the weight, it's time to see a doctor about it. Don't forget to be nice to yourself during this process!

I have had a horribly upset stomach and it's really hard to stay OP when you can't eat anything except crackers, but I'm hanging in there. Today I wanted to get a BK croissanwich but I stopped myself with that quote "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." I hope my tummy settles down before lunch!

Judy, I don't know how you do it. Exercise woman! I DO get exercise in by running all over campus with a bunch of books on my back, but it isn't enough.

Happy Birthday, Pat!

Jennifa
209/199/170

Judy - Thanks for the hugs and for the pep talk. I need them both. I always thought that I learned enough along the way that I'd never let myself get back to where I started. Sorry to hear about your gain, but I love to hear that you just shrugged it off. It truely must be just one of those things and you'll be rewarded at the scale for your efforts next week, I'm sure. Hard to believe another VF taping trip is just around the corner. Seems like you just went to the last one!

Jennifa - Sorry to hear your ill. I hope you feel better soon. Thanks for the encouragement. No need to see the doctor, though. I know why I'm not losing weight - I'm not sticking to plan. I've had good success with WW, so I know it will work for me if I do my part.

Well, I've just finished lunch (and I really have to remember to bring make some veggies at lunchtime to go with my frozen dinner and make lunch a bit more balanced) and am breaking out my journal so I can track my points. And I'm trying really hard to keep the 20 minute rule in mind.

Liza - Where have you been? Hope all is well with you.

Carla

Thanks for the birthday wishes.

Carla - Sorry you have been struggling, but it sounds like you are getting back on track. Glad to hear you aren't going to give up. I know I still have to keep telling myself that I won't give up no matter how frustrated I get. Have you tried making a list of the reasons you want to lose weight and the problems the weight is causing you and reading it every day?

Judy - Glad to hear you didn't let the small gain upset you. I'm sending you strong vibes to beat the PMS monster this week.

Jennifa - Hope you're feeling better. Good job passing up the croissanwich.

I decided not to weigh in this morning. By Sunday morning I had lost the weight I gained last week. Then Sunday I went to a party at my sisters for my nephew's confirmation (ham again) and then Darrell and I went out for dinner for my birthday. He also bought me a small cake and ice cream. By last night I was feeling bloated and decided I wouldn't weigh in.

I started trying on swimming suits this weekend and decided I really need to concentrate on getting in some toning. I bought one of those big balls and the kids and I love it. I did walk Saturday, Sunday and today and exercised with the ball Saturday and today.

Talk to you later.
Pat

Jennifa - I hope your stomach is feeling better. How do I do it? If you really want to know, I'll tell you. I say that because most people don't really want to hear the answer because then their excuse of "I don't have the time" or whatever doesn't work. I have made exercise a non-choice part of my life like brushing my teeth, taking a shower, etc. It's not an option - it's a priority. It's a priority because I want to be healthy and be the best 44 I can be (and next year be the best 45 I can be and so on). I don't think I can do that without it. What has helped is finding activities that I enjoy. For example, I really like dancy (preferably step) aerobics and I've found lots of tapes that I can enjoy. Recently, I've found that yoga adds another dimension to my fitness and well being. A big part of helping me do this has been videofitness.com. There you can find people (mostly but not all women) who have incredibly busy lives but they all manage to incorporate exercise into their lives.

Carla - It sounds like you were back on track yesterday. How did I shrug it off? I'm not sure entirely. I think partly it was because I was pretty sure I knew what caused it (late night snack on Friday) and partly because I knew I had "pulled out the week" successfully and that even if the scale didn't show it on Saturday morning, it would eventually. I wish I could say I'll always be able to shrug it off but somehow I don't think that's always going to be the case.

Pat - Good for you if you think that weighing yesterday would send you into a negative funk. I hope you and Darrell had a wonderful birthday dinner. Great going on getting those walks in. Isn't it so much easier now that the weather is nicer? What kinds of things have you been doing with the big ball?

I had a good day yesterday. I did a 45 minute yoga tape which erased my small deficit. Tony was a little late for dinner so although I did a little snacking before he came home, I did less snacking after dinner since we ate on the late side. I have a couple of errands to run after work so I may make this a rest day or I may do a short abs tape. Hope all is well with everyone!

Judy

Wow,

You know you found a good thread when it seems like all the encouragement applies to you even if it's directed toward someone else! Thanks all for your words of encouragement.

Pat, I admire your tenacity. As soon as my schedule permits, I am going to up the exercise. Yoga (are all y'all listening?) has helped me tone up amazingly fast. I started in January and I already have bicep definition and some tricep def. I am not going to be embarrassed about my arms this summer at all. My calves are looking more toned, too - I have that line down the side again. No I don't do it every day, more like twice a week. Yoga works VERY well; my instructors say that yoga brings the muscle closer to the bone, so you don't have to worry about getting too bulky, you just get that wonderful long lean look. I also have found that I have astonishingly flexible feet! Whenever they do the really tough feet workout, I sit there and think "is this all?" FINALLY I have found an athletic part of my body!!! I'm looking forward to getting into some of the more difficult poses, but I still haven't done a headstand or handstand. I'll get there. I like yoga because it doesn't matter how you look, it's all about paying attention to the body that you have and working with it to find its strengths and weaknesses.

I also like jogging because it really pounds the stress out and I feel like I have done a workout to be proud of.

I am feeling better. I took some pain medication for my TOM and it didn't agree with me very well for 2 days! But I am feeling better and back OP now, thanks all for your nice wishes. Right now I'm afraid to weigh in. I know I'm bloated (ANY TOM for me!!) and I don't want to have to bump the points back up another range. I wouldn't mind if it weren't so close to that range line, but increasing and decreasing points all the time is just too much stress for me and my dieting psyche which is a bit fragile to begin with.

Hope you all stay OP and happy!

Jennifa

Hi everyone.

Busy day for me today. This is the first chance I've had to read the thread and post. But at least it's a good busy - I'm actually crossing things off my to-do list.

Pat - I've thought about buying one of those big balls - they look like fun! Sounds like you had a nice birthday. I think you're wise not to weigh in. No point to fretting about a number that's just temporary. Thanks for the suggestion of the list of reasons I want to lose weight - I think I'll do it.

Judy - Yep, I was back on track yesterday. It was a much saner day, food wise. I'll bet you'll find that more and more you'll be able to shrug off blips on the scale. I loved what you wrote about why you exercise. I need to take it to heart.

Jennifa - Glad to hear you're feeling better. I used to do Yoga many years ago, when I was in collage and for several years after. I loved how it made me look and feel. When I buckle down and make exercise a priority, as Judy describes, Yoga is definitely going to be in my routine.

Today has been a sane eating day as well. Tonight is my monthly dinner out. From the review I read of the restaurant, it sounds conducive to eating well. Plus it's a beautiful day, so I'm going to enjoy a nice walk to the restaurant. I decided to take tomorrow off so I can spend time getting caught up with chores at home. Just making that decision eased a lot of stress for me and I know getting things taken care of at home will ease more stress. And that makes a tremendous difference in my ability to easily stay on track. I'm hoping the nice weather holds through tomorrow so I can enjoy a walk around my neighborhood.

I hope everyone has a great evening.

Carla

Jennifa - I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better. I'm right with you on the benefits of yoga. I've taken a couple of classes but the one at my gym are the "gym rat athletic" kind of class and the instructor never once walked around the room to correct anyone's poses. I went to a class I liked a lot, but it's "in the city" (or in Brooklyn actually) and not at all convenient. There is a Yoga Zone studio that's about a half hour away that has a beginner's class on Sundays that I might try to check out. In the meantime, I'm doing well with my Living Arts and Yoga Journal tapes.

Carla - How did your dinner go? Good for you for walking to the restaurant. I think it's a great idea to take a day off to "catch up" - it definitely helps lower the stress level.

I had a pretty good day yesterday. I decided it would be a rest day from exercise since I had some errands to run after work. I went over my max by one point (not bad for a PMS evening) so my deficit is now at half a point. I plan on exercising this evening so that should help. I just found out that my lunch plans changed and I'm going to have to "wing it" at our cafeteria (usually when I "eat in" I bring a sandwich from home). I think I've figured out what I can have (veggie burger on a roll). I'm going to estimate on the high side of points, just to be sure.

Judy

I'm not sure how this has happened but I am running out of points too quickly. How are you guys dealing with this? For instance, today I had 2 small fat-free tortillas with 1/2 ounce of cheese, a glass of orange juice, some tea. I am having 30 mini-pretzels, a cheese sandwich on multi-grain bread, and a banana for lunch and some grapes as a snack. Yet I only have 6 points left for the day. What is up with that? Help! It isn't like I'm eating potato chips and pizza left and right! I am eating healthy things here, but where are all the points going?

Jennifa - I hope you did OK last night. In looking at what you ate, the thing that struck me was the amount of cheese - or rather that you had it for two meals. Don't get me wrong, cheese is a good source of calcium, but I also think it's one of the higher point protein choices. I find that the Healthy Choice sandwich meats are a good choice for me. They are sliced very thin and they are pretty lean so 6 thin slices are only 1 point. The other way to manage points and stay within your range is to give yourself more points - by exercise. If it wasn't for that, I'd be over my points range every day especially with the new ranges as of January.

I had a good day yesterday. After work I did 30 minutes of a step tape - it was the first time exercising while wearing the orthodics so I didn't want to overdo. I was proud of myself after dinner. I had a PMS chocolate craving and I needed chocolate. I knew we had r.f. oreos in the closet and I took them out. Well, I started the eat them and was slipping into unconscious cookie eating but I stopped myself at 3 and wrote down the points. I just didn't want to mess up my weigh in for 2 minutes of satisfaction. Between the activity points I earned and the moderated snacking, I ended the day with 1.5 points in the bank!

Have a great Think Thin Thursday,
Judy

Hi everyone -

Judy - Dinner was fabulous. Unfortunately, I had to cut my walk short since I left the office later than I should have and also had to stop at an ATM. So I ended up catching a cab after a few blocks. Of course, then I arrived early, so I walked around the block just to get a bit more walking in. Good job stopping yourself at three RF Oreos. Those were a staple in my house when I first started WW, but then I had to stop buying them because I was too often going overboard on them.

Jennifa - I'll echo Judy - you may want to look at the amount of cheese you're eating. If it's full fat, switch to reduced fat, if you can stand it, would help. You may want to eat an orange instead of having a glass of orange juice. That will save you a point or two depending on what size glass of orange juice you had. I hardly ever drink juice, other than tomato juice or V8, any more because it's too many points for something that doesn't come close to filling my up. But that's just me. How many points did your bread come out to? You could perhaps realize some points savings there. You're in the 22-27 point range, correct? Unless you either had quite a bit of cheese on your sandwich or my "guesstimates" were way off (which is entirely likely), seems like given what you ate you should have had more than 6 points left. Make sure you aren't overcounting and cheating yourself out of points.

I enjoyed my day off yesterday. I didn't get as much done at home as I would have liked, but just being home helped me relax. I also did a workout tape - Leslie Sansone's Two Mile Walk, which I bought a year or so ago on Pat's suggestion and just now opened. Man, was that a work-out and boy am I a clutz. Most of the time I had to stick to just the footwork, which is very basic, because I couldn't get my arms and legs going at the same time! Pat, I understand now why you don't want to do the tapes in front of anyone. I was embarrased to have my cats see me. I walked to the train station this morning, so I got in a bit of exercise there. As far as eating, I'm not 100% perfect, but I'm much better than I was the last couple of weeks, that's for sure.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla

cece and Judy, thanks for your replies.

I think it's the multigrain bread. It has some seeds in it, too - it's 4 points per slice. So there is one mistake. Also, I'm a vegetarian so the lunch meats are out of the question entirely. I only ate 2 ounces of cheese. Not a whole lot. Do they have adjusted points for vegetarians? Even edamame counts as points (soybean nuts). Yet a veggie burger only counts as 3 points. I don't understand, eating the soy nuts seems so much lighter than a big sandwich thing.

I did end up going over points yesterday but I at least kept it healthy food and didn't go for chocolate or candy or other fattening things. Today is better and I'm realizing that I'm very protective of those last 10 points for the day. I don't know why but I feel like I'm supposed to eat the low end of the range. At least I'm aware of that now. I will get so worried that I will end up going over to eat away the stress of that range. I have 7 points left for today and all the fixings for a nice low-point salad. And I need to realize that it's ok to eat up to the top of the range.

So in a nutshell (or a cheese factory) I am struggling with control but trying to keep at least SOME of it under control. If I am to go over points, I will do it in a healthy way.

It's just the rebel in me, I suppose!

Does anybody keep track in any ways other than weighing on the scale? I have water weight issues and maybe I should find my measuring tape.

Hope you all have a great day!

Jennifa
OP (well, mostly) since Easter

next week: the great wardrobe overhaul!

Carla – good for you for walking around the block when you got to the restaurant early. Yahooooo for doing the Leslie Sansone tape – you know, one of the reasons I love my video workouts is that it’s only the cats who see me work out. It doesn’t matter what I’m wearing and how well I get the tape. Good for you – do you think you’ll do it again? Heck, as for the food – not 100% perfect is 100% human! The important thing is that you keep at it!

Ooops Jennifa on the lunch meat. Yes, the bread sounds way too high in points for something other than a once in a while treat (for me anyway). Where do you live? There is a place in Wisconsin (I think), Natural Ovens. They make all natural, no preservatives, high fiber bread that I live on. I know it’s available in stores in the mid-west. I get it sent by mail. Today at lunch, I had 2 slices of Natural Ovens Sunny Millet bread (my favorite) with a Taste of Garlic Boca Burger. It was yummy and filling and the whole lunch was 2 points! What kind of veggie burger do you have? Boca Burger is only 1 point each. It’s very common to think that you have to eat at the low end of your range but it’s not so. The last thing you want to do is eat too little -–then your body thinks a famine is coming and it’s going to hold onto the fat for all it’s worth. The good thing is that you are aware of what you are eating and you are eating healthy calories and not empty ones. As for measuring your progress – the Iron Monster is not the only or even best way to measure your progress. Yes, get out the tape measure and record your bust, waist, hips, upper thigh and upper arm. Then measure yourself every month or two. Also, be aware of how your clothes are fitting.

Judy