Hi everyone.

I have to go back to read last week's posts to see what I've missed. I hope you all had a good week. I was up .04 last week, but am on the way back down this week. Now if I can just keep the PMS water retention in check. I've been drinking water with lemon juice like crazy. I have a dr.'s appt. tomorrow and I want him to see good progress. I got in one walk last week, which is a start for me, but then the weather and my knees didn't cooperate the rest of the week. Yesterday we went to a Latin music festival in Chicago so I did some walking around. Of course, I also did some eating of some deep-fried goodness, but I had the points for it, so I'm in good shape. I'm out of flex points for the remainder of my week thanks to a dinner at TGI Fridays on Friday. I indulged in a burger. But my flex points reset on Wednesday so I can last. I will get in a walk today and earn some activity points.

Have a good day.

Carla

Good morning Carla!!!

I just had my second weigh-in at home. I gained .6 pounds. But i had lost 5.6 the previous week. I am not too bummed. Last week Aunt Flo was here and we had a surprise party for my mom's 50th birthday, so I was REAL bad.

I got back on program Saturday and I am looking forward to losing next week.

Also I haven't recieved my Weight Watchers at home kit yet, so I am just guessing at points.

I hope you all have a great weigh in.

I was so busy last week I never updated!! I lost another pound last week,but
this weekend was AWFUL foodwise. I ate tons of things I shouldnt have. We had a birthday party for my future stepson this weekend. We made homemade pizzas. Mine had much less cheese and nothing but veggies on it. I ate 1/4 of the pizza and calculated the points. Then I went back and ate another fourth later. Then I ate the other half on saturday and the other half of my fiance's on sunday since he didnt want it. NExt time I'm gonna throw it away! Bleh. I feel like a total pig. Granted, I did spread the points out among three days, but I'm still way over my points total for the week including my extra weekly points! Argh.

and my water!!! What the heck!! I've NEVER had problems drinking a lot of water, but the last few weeks I really have. I'm sitting here with a big ole cup right now downing it. I'm so bad right now about doing the things I usually dont have any problems doing!

I'm glad the weekend is over. Something I read recently about vacations is that when you take a family vacation its still not a "real" vacation for the caretaker in the family because you still have that caretaking job to do. Thats how I feel about the weekends when his kids are here. Four boys.. ugh. And a birthday party to boot! Wrapping presents, decorating, baking a cake.. etc.

I'm just glad to be on the other side of it except.... my youngest's birthday is on Thursday! Argh again! Hehe. the good thing is, he wants an ice cream cake. Those have never really tempted me, so I'm all for that. I'm determined to have a better week this week starting today, not starting on wednesday when my weigh-in is. I just know if I can get one good week under my belt, my willpower will skyrocket.

Hope everyone else is doing great.

Carla - it's so good to "see" you! I think I am with you in the throes of PMS but for me it's less water retention than those sweet and salty cravings. At least I *think* it's PMS; these days I'm never sure when TOM is coming! I'm glad the weather held out and you were able to go to the Latin festival. Good for you for counting the deep-fried goodness. I'm trying to hold on to some flex points for Thursday. We're taking Anthony to a Yankee game. Good for you for getting in a walk. The rain here didn't stop until late in the afternoon - but it was soooo humid. I did my PT stretches and strengthening though.

Amy - I'm glad that you are not too bummed about the small gain. Five pounds in two weeks is still an awesome loss! It's great that you got back on program. That's really the most important thing when we don't make the best choices. One thing I find useful after my um, bad choices is to record and count up the points of what I ate (and recently I've added why). It usually helps me get back on track. I hope you get your kit soon.

Gina - Congratulations on another pound lost. Sorry about the pizza. You're right - sometimes the best thing is to throw out what's left over. A question - did you journal what you ate? Sometimes writing down what I've eaten helps me to stop continuing to eat. Of course, sometimes it doesn't ;-) but that's why we are here! One thing to think of though (and I always have to remind myself of this too) - if you hadn't started WW, what might you have eaten? Usually my answer is that I would have done worse. Good for you for trying to get your water in. I'll bet you're glad the weekend is over. I know you'll have a better week because I can "hear it in your voice."

I've had a rough couple of days with snacking at night. I think most of it is because of PMS/perimenopause. I don't know these days when TOM is coming but I have found myself to be very emotional and a lot of the snacking has been the sweet/salty cravings that smack of PMS. The good news is that I haven't had further problems with back spasms (just the usual issues) so I was able to get back to doing my PT strengthening exercises as well as the stretching I've been doing. I have PT tomorrow and hope to get back to making progress with my back and neck, even though the progress is excruciatingly slow. The weather here has been very rainy and it looks as if it is going to continue for the next few days so no walking in the pool.

Have a great one,
Judy

I finally lost a few pounds again! I've been stuck for a week or two, but I was down to 251 this morning. Woohoo!

Lisa - grats on your loss

Judy - its been rainy here too which is a bummer for exercise for me. I use the wwonline so I put everything I eat into it as a journal for me. I like it because I can do it at work or at home and thats really convenient for me.

Carla - VEGGIE PIE!! I think you were the person who put a recipe for veggie pie a few weeks back. I copied it down and am going to try it this week. What types of veggies do you normally use? I'm going to try zucchini and broccoli and possibly some peppers.

I got to thinking today that all too often I hear all the negativity in my head much louder than anything positive. I beat myself up a lot when I slip, like I did this weekend, instead of looking at the upside. so I'm gonna list a few things I did WELL recently.

1. We havent eaten fast food in over a week! Even if I overate the homemade pizza, it was much healthier than delivery pizza woulda been. Last night I made a deep dish kind of meat pie (only 5 points a serving) and a big salad to go with it that everyone - kids included ate!
2. I havent bought ANYthing from the vending machine this week. Not only is it a waste of money, but they never put anything really good for you in there (even though we requested it)
3. I logged my food even if it was horrible and I didnt want to imagine the points. I DID look at the points.
4. I finally told my fiance to get me a diet soda at the store instead of just drinking what everyone else was having or feeling deprived.
5. I planned ahead this week as to what we are eating for dinners and actually bought EVERYTHING on my list. Haha.

Thats all I can think of right now.. but at least I'm doing some things well!

Hi all,

kcsmom - A small gain after a big loss is not unusual and if you stay on track it will be gone. It must be hard doing the program without the materials - I hope your's reach you soon.

Gina - Congrats on your loss. I'm sorry to hear that you struggled over the weekend, but good for you for all the positive things you're doing. Each step in the right direction helps lead you to the finish line. Avoiding the vending machine was always really difficult for me, so good for you for doing it. Good luck with the ice cream cake - that would do me in. It was Judy that posted the veggie pie recipe, although I've made it as well. But it's been awhile, so I'm not sure what all I put in. Peppers, I think and zucchini. I think I used frozen mixed veggies. Lots of onions. I know when I used zucchini I added some tomato sauce and Italian seasonings sometimes to vary it. Anyway you make it, it's good.

Judy - Hey good to "see" you too! Are you going to be making Italian subs for the Yankee's game? I'm glad to hear the muscle spasms have stopped and you're able to resume PT. Here's to getting you all better soon! We've had rain here everyday, at least a little, since last week. And the humidity to go with it. I was drenched in sweat on Sunday (yes I know, what a pretty picture I paint) even though the weather was cool. Hey is today a Jewish Holy Day/Holiday? I ask because my dr. was wearing a yarmulke (sp?) today and I've never seen him do that in all the years I've been going to him.
Good luck conquering the salty/sweet cravings. This perimenopause deal is for the birds. I've heard that Healthy Valley (or is it Nature Valley) makes a Salty/Sweet Peanut Bar that's really good. I'm going to be on the look-out for it. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Lisa - Congrats on your loss and for getting unstuck!

It's been medical professional time for me over the past few days. Friday I had a check-up with the opthamologist for which I was long overdue. My doc was bugging me to go to make sure the diabete's wasn't impacting my vision and to get a post-diagnosis baseline. Thank goodness everything is a-ok. My optho gave me a lecture about losing weight and exercising though. Like I haven't heard that before. Who's next, the dentist? Today I had my yearly exam with my doc. Loads of fun that always is. He's referring me to a gyno (my doc is a family practicioner and I go to him for everything, including the stirup ride) as he wants a consult on the ovarian cyst that started my journey of many docs and many tests last fall. No pressing reason or cause for alarm; he just wants a gyno to say weather it's something we need to keep watching or whether it's ok. (It's a small, but complex cyst and since I was on fertility drugs several years ago, we have to be vigilent.) As for eating, that's been going well. Made a great buffalo chicken salad last night. Tomorrow is a back-to-school/meet the new principal bbq at Ana's school. Should be managable. Now I just have to think of an appetizer/salad to make.

Have a good evening everyone.

Carla

Lisa - congratulations on your loss!

Gina - good for you for thinking of and listing all the positive things you've been doing for yourself and family! I'm going to try to think of the positive things I've been doing in the last few days because I have had a very tough time with snacking and I tend to beat myself up as well (although I stop beating myself up sooner now than I used to.) Carla's right - that was me that posted the veggie pie recipe. Lots of times I have used frozen mixed veggies as the bulk of the veggies and then added the onions and mushrooms. If I have the time, I like to use fresh veggies - whatever I have or what is one sale - broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower - you name it. I like to add extra seasoning as well - the last few times, I added a little hot sauce. I'll have to try Carla's suggestion of tomato sauce.

Carla - Glad to hear that the doctor visits went well. I know what you mean about the weight lectures. I remember getting one from the orthopedist a few years ago when my knee was bothering me - yeah, like I don't know what I have to do! Good idea for the gyno to keep an eye on the cyst, even if it does mean another stirrup ride! I'm glad to hear that eating has been going well. If you find/try that salty/sweet bar, let me know. Mmm, the buffalo chicken salad was so yummy. I have to make that again soon. No, I don't think today is any kind of holiday - maybe he's just gotten more observant? No, we're not planning on making our usual yummy Italian subs for the ballgame this time. Anthony is bringing a friend and I don't know what he'd like, after all my snacking I can't afford the points and Tony is fine with having ballpark food. I do think that I'll make myself a sandwich with low point bread and some Healthy Choice ham. If I'm not going to spend points on a great sub, I'm certainly not going to on a hotdog! If the boys want sandwiches (ham, PB&J, etc.) I'll make them some; otherwise they can have ballpark food. Good luck ast the bbq - I'm sure you'll do fine.

I've done much better with snacking this evening. I'm only 2 points over my target (20 points is soooo hard to do!) and am enjoying some diet chocolate soda with a splash of milk - I have to remember that I usually find this satisfying and filling and am often successful drinking it and not looking to eat anything further. Today was a dreary, rainy day again and I think it's supposed to rain in the morning and then finally begin to clear. So far the weather report for the ballgame on Thursday is good - I hope it stays that way! I had PT this morning and ended up getting back to my routine there which was great after last week. I have a follow up visit with the orthopedist tomorrow; otherwise it looks like a laundry day. I'll just be glad if we get to see the sun!

Have a great one,
Judy

BTW, I don't think I ever posted my weekly weigh in - up 0.6. Oh well, at least it's under a pound. My goal for the week is to get that off - it's been tough so far but today was a pretty good day and I'm going to do my best to make it a good one tomorrow too.

Thank you so much everyone for the encouragment!!!! I really need it.

I didn't check in yesterday because I usually don't hear much from the posts I make. It's like everyone ignores me or something, but you guys have really encouraged me and that is what is need.

I will definately be sticking to this thread.

Judy - good luck on taming the snacking beast.

Carla - I just finished my yearly check-ups too. They are so tiring and I am so glad to have them over with for another year. I hope everything turns out okay with your cyst.

Gina - You are doing great, just hang in there girlie.

Lisa - great job on your loss.

Well I cheated a little bit this morning. BTW, it wasn't on food, it was getting on the scale. I worked out really hard these last few weeks and I haven't had a bad meal day since Saturday so I wanted to see of I lost anything. I did. I lost 1.8 pounds since this Monday. I know I shouldn't be overly excited but I can't help it. I am really sticking to working out and I even rested all day yesterday because i was so tired from swimming 80 minutes in the pool. This really sikks me up.

Does anyone else have trouble staying off the scale????

Hi all,

Judy - I found the salty/sweet bar at my grocery store, but they only had the almond, not the peanut. To console myself I bought a similar bar made by Reese's. You guessed it, it has chocolate. But it also has less carbs. I figured it would make for a good carb snack before bedtime when I have the points. Did you make the buffalo pasta salad? I just did a plan green salad this time. Either way, it's good eating. Hmmm, so either my dr. has found religion or he's getting vain and has decided to cover up his bald spot. Sorry to hear about the gain. You'll have it off soon.

kcs - I'm glad you feel welcome here. Yeah, all the check-ups are tiring. I hate going to the opthamologist the most. Congrats on your mid-week progress. I've been known to hop on the scale every day, but I've been pretty successful in keeping it to every-other day. It's a good pick-me-up when you see progress. Of course, the flip-side is that it can be discouraging when you see a bit of a gain and normal weight flucuation guarantees that you'll see that once in awhile when you weigh all the time. The trick is to not let the scale throw you off track when you don't like what you see.

I've had a good week program-wise and it's paid off with a 4.4 pound loss. So, over the past year I've lost 20 pounds. Of course, I've lost, gained, lost, gained all year, but as I'll take the net loss and be glad for it. Now I really have to get on track with exercising. As we all know, diet and exercise are the cornerstones to good health, as the medical professionals in my life like to remind me. And now I'm off to pack up some stuff for Amvets to pick up tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

Carla

Carla - 20 pounds is still a great loss. At least you didn't gain that much in a year.

Way to go!!!!!

I lost 3 pounds this week. My WW Online thing kinda snapped at me for losing too much in one week, but I truly don't care. I've lost 8.5 pounds on WW in 8 weeks, so thats still a good average. Brings my total weight loss to 15. That number makes me VERY happy.

Judy - veggie pie is on for tonight! I've got fresh broccoli, squash, mushrooms and zucchini. Probably enough to make 2 pies. I'm excited because I know the pie will also be my lunch tomorrow. When I'm home on weekends its hard for me not to "graze" so its good to have something yummy to look forward to. Avoiding the vending machine2 is not easy sometimes considering they are literally 7 feet in front of my office!

The ice cream cake went well. He wanted the one with the Darth Vader on it! lol! And go figure, its made with reduced fat ice cream! I didnt even notice that til we got it home. I had a tiny piece last night. the good thing about an ice cream cake - its not so easy to just walk by and grab a sliver. Got to get it out of the freezer, warm up a knife to cut it, and cutting it is still a pain. So, its too much trouble to snack on :P

Carla - grats on your loss.. and on your overall loss for the year. I know you can keep it up. I bought the makings for that buffalo chicken salad as well.. I cant wait. I might just make some for me instead of everyone this first time. I love you guys and your recipe ideas!!

Lisa - grats on your amazing successes

KCS - I try to weigh myself every day. I only mark my particular weigh-in day on my WW weight tracker. I do this because for me, its motivation. If I'm a bit higher than I should be, it makes me work harder. If I'm lower, it keeps my resolve to keep going. I read something in Reader's Digest that a lot of health professionals agree that weighing yourself everyday at the same time is a good idea. In a survey, people who did that lost a lot more weight and kept it off. One theory is because when you weigh every day you can nip bad habits in the bud if you are on an upward trend instead of waiting a week or two to see the results.

One other benefit to me is that I get to see that my weight DOES fluctuate throughout the week. And it's helped me to see trends like.. when I don't get enough sleep, I don't lose much. When my time of the month hits, what timing in there will I typically be higher. It helps me not be so discouraged if I don't see a loss one day.

Gina - you are doing great on your weight loss. Congratulations!!!!

I finally got my kit yesterday. I wrote down all my eating from August 14, and boy was I surprised. One day I ate 69.5 points!!! EEK!!! My total for the week is supposed to be 31. My average was 55 points a day. I grossly underestimated points for my food. But now I am on the right track. It makes me wonder how in the world I lost 5.6 pounds the first week.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

kcs (Amy, right?) - WTG on swimming for 80 minutes! Oh yeah, I have a problem with weighing myself every day too. I've been doing it for years and I think I'm pretty good at NOT taking the good "sneak peeks" as a license to "indulge" and taking the not-so-good sneak peeks as discouraging and the beginning of a "well if I gained I may as well eat the whole (fill in the blank). As long as I don't let the scale de-rail my progress, I'm OK with weighing in everyday. Of course, that's me. I'm glad you got your kit - you probably lost the 5.6 by drinking water, exercising and watching what you were eating. I can't wait to see what your weigh in will show now that you have all the info you need!

Carla - WTG on the great loss!!!! Absolutely take that awesome 20 pound loss and congratulate yourself! One thing my leader does that I like is that for every pound we lose, she gives us a paper clip (those nice big, colorful ones) and we string them up for our "chain of success. (if you gain a pound, you don't give them back, you change the way the clip is attached so it's more on the side or inside of the clip - hard to describe. When you lose what you gained, your "turn" the clip. I think it's a fabulous visual - and 20 clips strung together would look awesome! Anyway, congrats! Yes, I did make the buffalo chicken salad a few weeks ago - we both loved it and I want to make it again soon. I may make it tomorrow. It's definitley NOT going to be an outside kind of day - we'll be getting what's left of tropical storm Ernesto. Mmmmm, I'm sure the Reese's bar was yummy. Did you figure out how many points it was?

Gina - WTG on that great loss! You are right, that's a good average loss of the 8 weeks, Just be sure that you are getting to your target points each day. I hope you enjoy the veggie pie tonight. I LOVE having leftovers for lunch, especially when school starts - saves having to make anything. What a nice surprise that the ice cream cake was made with reduced fat ice cream!

I had a horrible evening on Wednesday. I think a large part of it was the crazy mood swings I had all day. I just dove into (lower fat) chips and didn't stop. Yup, I ate the whole bag and followed it by a handful of the Hershey's minis that I had in my fridge. I did journal what I ate and managed to end the evening with a 10 point flex point deficit and a horrible sneak peek yesterday morning. Perhaps writing down the "damage" and seeing the sneak peek helped motivate me yesterday. I had my low point sandwich at the game, had some low point popcorn, plenty of water and no Cracker Jacks! The game was great (Randy Johnson pitched a great game, A-Rod broke out of his hitting deficit and we even got to see Mariano Rivera close out the game as Anthony had hoped) and the weather was glorious. Anthony and his friend had a great time as did Grandma and Grandpa! We didn't have a real dinner, just some snacks and I managed to end the day a few points shy of my target.

I'm back on track now and hope to eke out a maintain tomorrow although it would be nice to lose the 0.6 I gained last week. I also decided that I am going to do a Core week starting tomorrow. I have been eating a lot of snacks that are processed food and I sort of feel like I need to get back to good foods - more fruits, etc. It might be a little tough on Tuesday when we have U.S. Tennis Open tickets for the day sessions. I guess I should be able to find a VERY high priced salad there. I've been enjoying being able to watch the tennis (when it hasn't been rained out) and am still a little sleepy after watching the amazing match with Agassi last night. On Wednesday, we're going to AC for two nights. I do think it's almost easier to eat at restaurants with the Core plan - lean meat or fish, a baked potato and a veg. As usual, I need to watch my alcohol intake (those 35 weekly points go fast) and I plann on bringing lots of fruit along.

Time to make a salad for lunch.
Have a great one!
Judy

A little quiet around here. I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. It's rainy and windy here in NY (remnents of Enrico) but we got a few errands done this afternoon. Today was a pretty achy day so I've just done my PT stretches. I'm sure the weather has a lot to do with it.

I did not go to my meeting this morning. The weather was atrocious and since I was going to take a no weigh day, I decided to stay in bed a little longer. I started my Core Plan week today. We got a ton of fruit, I got Canadian bacon for breakfast (love having eggs) and I just made the (Core) oatmeal-banana bread. I'm looking forward to that "been eating good whole food" feeling I know I get when I'm on Core - it should kick in in a few days. I'm trying to save as many weekly points as possible for the U.S. Open on Tuesday and meals in AC on Wed, Thurs and Fri (we're leaving after breakfast.) In the meantime, I plan on sticking with veggies, fruit and popcorn for my snacks.

Have a great one!
Judy