Starting the topic - be back later today.

Judy

I officially weigh in tomorrow, but I have to tell you I'm quite scared! Not only did I have two "cheat meals" this week because of my birthday, I also missed two workouts so far and will miss working out again today! Ugh, the holidays are so busy and annoying! Don't get me wrong -- I enjoy the holidays -- I'm just having trouble sticking to my plan, I guess, even though I'm really trying. I did run half an hour yesterday and the day before. But this morning when I weighed myself it said 221, which is THREE POUNDS higher than last week. I think that 218 was a fluke, because I weigh myself every morning and I haven't seen it since. So I guess I didn't hit that birthday goal after all.

Anyway, I'll post here tomorrow and let you know the damage. I'm going to a holiday party tonight and I'll have to really try not to indulge. Oh yeah, and it's my TOM too!

Oh Lisa, I've been there! We'll keep fingers crossed for weigh in.

I weighed in this week and met my Chirstmas Eve goal a week early! Down 2.5 pounds this week. Now on to the Valentine's Day goal of ONEderland! I have not been under 200 pounds in 12 years. Not since right after I graduated high school. I am so excited that I am so close!

Hugs to all who are struggling and congrats to the losers!

Lisa - as Mom2 said, we've all been there - I'm struggling with coming back after waaaaaaaay too much food (like back to my bad old habits) on Sunday at my mom's. The key to me is that I don't beat myself up about it, take what the scale says and move on. Just don't be freaked by the number. It doesn't take away from all you've accomplished so far. Try to focus on how much total you've lost rather than on one week's blip.

Mom2 - Congratulations on the loss and on meeting your Christmas goal early! You'll be in ONEderland before you know it!

As I said I had a rough time at my mom's. It started off OK but went downhill pretty fast. I guess a Cosmo will do that. I don't have very many weekly points left for the week so am trying to eat as much Core as possible, earn an activity point here and there (my back has been bad), and just try to salvage the week.

Off to work - have a great one!
Judy

I'm nervous too. My w/i is tomorrow. I should NOT get on the scale. I wasn't going to get on the scale, I wasn't. But I did. I was doing so well and then I had a typical weekend... back up on Monday. Thought I'd be a bit down today... NO! UP more!! This can't be true!

Still I'm not letting it affect what I put in my mouth today. Staying OP just like I did yesterday. Getting all my F&V in. Drinking my water.

I would even take a half a pound... just want it to go DOWN.

Hi all,

Lisa - Just keep trying - that's all you can do. This time of the year is hard, despite our best efforts.

Mom2 - Congratulations on a great loss and on meeting your goal early! I have no doubt that you'll also meet your Valentine's Day goal.

Judy - Ah, the Cosmo. It certainly does relax better judgement, no? Hang in there.

Renee - Daily weigh-ins can be tricky since weight can fluctuate so much. Don't let it freak you out. Good for you for not letting it affect how you eat.

As for me I'm tired and behind schedule on everything. Plus I lost a battle with some peanut butter M&Ms. I'm picking myself up today and plugging along with everything. I don't expect to see a loss tomorrow, but hope not to see a gain.

Have a great day.

Carla

Thanks so much for all the support, you guys! I DID gain, just as I knew I would, but it could've been worse. I'm just looking at it as another fluctuation on the way to my goal. It's just hard because it's the first time I've seen the scale go up since July when I started all this. I had a lot of strikes against me this week: TOM, 3 days I went off my points, and 3 days I didn't exercise, plus the fact that my 218 must've been a fluke anyway since I never saw it again all week! I made bad choices and I let other stuff get in the way of my exercising, so this is the result -- I'm up 2 pounds! I weighed myself once and it said 219 and again and it said 221 -- it kept going back and forth so I just split the difference. 220 was my goal for last week, so I guess I'm still there.

Now I just have to get through Christmas!!!

I maintained, which I am OK with, I really am. At first I felt frustrated but I honestly did NOT do well the whole week; I think I had only 3 days of the 7 that I was really OP.

Carla - sorry to hear about the peanuts butter M&M's. I hope you were able to pick yourself up (and stay up) for the rest of the week and that the weigh in was a good one. It's so hard this time of year, I'm figuring if I keep trying, no matter what the result, I'm better off than if I don't keep trying.

Lisa - Good attitude about the gain. It is just a blip as long as we keep going. Besides, with TOM it's less than what you saw anyway and will be back off in no time.

Renee - A maintain is a victory in my book anytime but especially this time of year! Good for you for having 3 days OP out of 7 - I don't think I even had that this past week.

It was an ugly, ugly week for me. I'm tired, in need of rest and the amount of food around school and that I got as gifts from students was not to be believed. I was going to skip my meeting and weigh in this morning but even though I didn't get enough sleep, I got up and went. I knew that the chances of stopping this slide of the last two weeks would be vastly improved if I went and stepped on the scale. I was up 0.8 - a real gift considering the week. I decided that with going out to Eastern Long Island for a couple of days after Christmas (which means eating out) I would do best by trying Core again this week. We are having a friend over today for Tony's homemade sauce and meatballs. I'll have whole wheat spaghetti and will count Weekly Points for the meatballs. With a whole bunch of veggies and olives for appetizers, and a salad with a home-made vinaigrette, I should be OK. Tony is making garlic bread and I'm planning on having ONE piece. Tomorrow, my step-daughter's soon to be MIL is bringing all kinds of fish dishes (for a traditional Italian Christmas Eve) but we are buying lobster salad (made without mayonnaise), I'm bringing a raw veggie platter and I should be able to do OK as long as I don't have more than 1 glass of wine!! I'm making corn pudding, a recipe I got from my sil that I lightened, and in thinking about it, I think it's core. I also make a "Christmas Pate" - a yummy concoction of cheese layered with sun dried tomatoes and basil/parlsey/garlic. I lightened it by using lower fat cream cheese and low fat feta cheese. It's not core but it should be too bad if I have it with raw veggies instead of crackers. Well, those are my strategies - that and drinking lots of water and helping wash dishes to keep my hands busy!

I will try to get on tomorrow because I think it helps me stay OP. Just in case I don't though, have a Merry Christmas!
Judy

Judy, it's great that you have everything all planned out in terms of what you're going to have and what you're going to modify to make it healthier. That's key, I think, at this time of year. I haven't planned as well as I should, probably -- partly because I don't know what we're having at the family gathering tomorrow night. I'm bringing some teriyaki chicken skewers that are lowfat (I haven't figured up the points yet, but they should be workable) and then I'm bringing lots of sweet treats that I need to AVOID. The tough part will be avoiding them while I'm making them tomorrow. Get this: I'm making four different kinds of cookies (iced sugar cookies, white chocolate cherry shortbread, maple pecan thumbprints, and chocolate mint chip cookies) and a red velvet cake! Insane, but everyone expects me to bake lots of stuff at Christmas and I don't want to let them down. (It's pretty much the only time I cook ) Besides, I enjoy it. If I have a cookie or two, I'm not going to sweat it. I just don't plan to go overboard. All that sugar would make me ill now anyway because I'm not used to it.

Plus -- I've been keeping up with my workouts (just got in from a half-hour run!) I hope to see the scale go down or at least stay at 220 on Tuesday morning.

I'm having problems with the site. It's not recognizing me as being logged in and I've lost a long post. And now I'm out of time, so I'll just send you all my best wishes for a happy holiday.

Carla