NON WW & WW NEWBIES, OUR NEW LIFE, THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL

mswatson0777

@nighthazel01 So exciting to have all your kids home at the same time, I hope you had a wonderful weekend with them!

@trooworld I hate that so much! I always get so frustrated when the kitchen is left a mess (it's as if he doesn't notice the dishes in the sink for a week!). And the dinner was fabulous! I'm stealing the recipe it was so good!

@its_cleo So frustrating about your wrist. I'm glad you're one step closer to a diagnosis. And I leave for my trip Thursday so I'm counting down the days!

@RetiredandLovingIt I'm glad your real ID process was good. My state is so backed up I won't even get mine for two months. Also, since I'm not married and both our names are on the property tax document I couldn't use it and I had to fight to use both my state and federal tax returns as documentation. My friend got hers rejected since her employer didn't list their phone number on her paystub, no joke. There needs to be a better way.

@StocktonSue It's not an old thread...

@TeresaW1020 Back injuries are the worst! I love my foam roller and use it all the time on my back so I hope it helps with yours too!

So I was doing really well this weekend until Sunday. Just like last weekend I had another breakdown about the sheer amount of work on my plate. Plus this was the group project from *#&$ where one person did the wrong reading, three people's wifi kept cutting out so we had to re-record four times, two people signed up for the same section, one person said she didn't get half the emails (that she was cc'd on, and the person posting it forgot it was due today. Let me add we're all in our 30s and 40s so there is NO EXCUSE!

I stress ate crappy chinese food and drank a bottle of wine. Not a great coping mechanism and my stomach is STILL mad at me. Also not a great way to eat right before a big vacation *sigh*. Hindsight is 20/20.

TeresaW1020

@mswatson0777, ugghhh your weekend doesn’t sound good at all! The good news is that it’s Monday and a fresh week. You got this!!

@trooworld, glad the acupuncture helped you! Bummer about the meal prepping not getting done. I know you like to do it. Hey, what are you eating this week for breakfast?

@its_cleo, I hope your doctor can give you some ideas or medication to help your wrist. My husband has pretty band arthritis in his hands, and I hate seeing him in pain all the time. He is convinced that my knee pain is arthritic, but I reject that idea for just being overweight. Time will tell, huh?

Good morning! I’m sitting here at work and have a ton to do but thought I better check in or I won’t do it later. So, this happened to me this morning! I drove to work and was talking to God and asking for his help this week to stay on my plan and only eat what I pre-tracked. Then I come to work and there is this insurance guy waiting for me to give me some info on his company. Really nice guy and in the bag of info is a super nice pen (which I’m keeping!) and a small bag of gourmet chocolate chip cookies. Are you freaking kidding me!!! After he left, I stood there looking at that bag of cookies and shaking my head. How many times have I been determined to stay on plan only to be confronted with a temptation and giving in to it? I mean no one would EVER know right? Except for me of course. So, I opened that bag of cookies, smelled their deliciousness and then sprayed furniture polish all over them and tossed them in the garbage. NOT today Satan! NOT today!!

cbabie

Good Afternoon all,

I miss a couple of days and it's hard to reply to all. I am up so much on my weight. getting discouraged. I know in my head it will come back down and its just a season. I have eaten peanut butter since I can remember. LOL when I was in High school, I would do weird things like see how long I can go without food...I did that about 5 years ago and went now I can't remember, but I think it was 3 weeks maybe more...I just know I ate on Thanksgiving and had lost 30 lbs. So yes I am weird. but back to peanut butter. I used to go all day without eating and then come home and mix Karo Syurp with a "bowl" of peanut butter and call it dinner. So yes I love it.

@TeresaW1020 I laughed at your not today Satan not today. I love that song that says..no no not today!!

@its_cleo Sorry to hear about arthritis in your wrist, but I can feel your pain. As I am typing my fingers and wrist are hurting..yes I don't want to take pills the rest of my life either. I am going to try a CBD oil rub when I get the money and place my next order. My DH knee has been acting up to. He dislocated it YEARS ago..only time I ever passed out watching the Dr working on it.

@mswatson0777 I would for sure track shoveling snow as great exercise.. LOL . Sorry about the school group of "adult children" .

@trooworld I hate messy kitchens...my pet peeve..but thankfully since my DH is retired he does all the bottles, pans, all of it. He reminds me of my dad. My mom hated the kitchen and we were glad she didn't like it either she was a terrible cook..I can see him now with a dishtowel over his shoulder.

@theslightedgeforever I hope you feel better soon, I can't lose another family member..But of course that is why we are looking for good healthy eating habits. LOL . So I guess I had better get back to being the better version of me.

@nighthazel01 Yea all the kids home together..well that could be a good or a bad thing..LOL . Yes I like carbs too, but since me trying not to eat sugar..I think some of that went away. Just not the Peanut Butter. I swear I could eat the whole jar without even thinking about it.

I feel like I am missing someone. Sorry if I missed you.

Cbabie

nighthazel01

@its_cleo - It's great that you're committed to exercise, especially while you're doing rehab. I hope you find some relief for your wrist, arthritis is no joke.

@trooworld - planning ahead for meals is always a good idea, but hard for me to stick to for very long. I love how organized you sound with all your meal prep and recipe collection.

@mswatson0777 - You sound like my daughter, she had a major melt down about two of her groups at school. She was about to go nuclear, I had to talk her down. She has a schedule all worked out in her head and when people mess up her timeline, wow. The semester just started, so I hope it gets easier for you.

My kids are all back at school, we had a great time. The weather was so nice and sunny on Sunday, something that rarely happens around here. Work was long, still a lot of irons-on-the-fire over there. Got my afternoon walk in, and it felt so good.

theslightedgeforever

@its_cleo My hubby was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in his neck from overagressive strength training (so they say) about 12 years ago and that would have put him around 46. He has flare ups occasionally and massages seem to help. He's always looking for the next thing to help. His current method is a cervical traction device he bought. It hooks up to our home gym and pulls his neck upwards. He likes it so that's what matters. The wrist would be a hard one since it's so crucial to our movements. I just saw your foam roller comment. Yes, another one of my hubby's toys. lol Another thing to look at is inflammatory foods that you eat. I have a friend with arthritis in her knees and she swears she's much better after cutting some of those things out.

@trooworld Sounds like you have a plan with your recipes and your upcoming trip. How's the migraine?

@teresaw1020 All of us can always do better. Even Olympic contestants. You'll get there. How's the back? Great job on spraying the cookies.

@StocktonSue This thread started a long time ago but we still use it daily. Come back and join us.

@RetiredAndLovingIt What are the other advantages to getting old? Enquiring minds.....and all that. Ouch on the gd with the pneumonia. I was afraid of that since one of the ladies I went out with a couple of nights before I got sick ended up with walking pneumonia. Then the lady I sat next to got sick. You made me laugh about coughing on the plane. It's so true though. I would hate to have a dairy allergy. That's mostly all I eat.

@mswatson0777 Have an exciting trip. At least for that week you wont' have to deal with that group you are working with. OMG that would drive me nuts. But now you can make a strategy for next time.

@cbabie Have you figured out a routine yet for your treadmill? That will help offset the PB

@nighthazel01 Sounds like we have the same daughter. lol Imagine traveling on a road trip with her. I'm more of a this looks like fun let's stop here and she has a printed itinerary in her purse with times listed. "People people we're falling behind here, can you eat faster?" Too bad she has a smart@ss mom. So glad you enjoyed your time with the kids and got in a good walk. I tend to gain weight when all my kids are together. I stress eat. So I have to figure that one out.

Yellow Day- Went over....grrrrrr......180/164 I pre-planned my meals and checked and yes I had enough left for an evening snack. Ate it and then when I was doing my nightly food review with my accountability group, I realized I left off one slice of bread for dinner. So there's that. No exercise. I'm going to try and walk 5 min x 3 tomorrow.

So January is over, how did you do on your weight loss goals and other goals?

Weight Loss: I lost 1.8- which I'm actually thankful for since first two weeks was with company and I was trying to maintain and second two weeks I was sick. I'm a comfort eater when I'm sick. I'd like to be one of those that lose their appetite.

Water: It was a mixed bag. I did exceptionally well while I was sick with the water. I do have a plan though.

February: 3 glasses of water

trooworld

Hello all! I did manage to make dinner last night: Sichuan Braised Tofu with Beef (Mapo Tofu), which is my favorite Chinese dish to make at home because it is the dish that comes out most authentically and is delicious! It is pretty spicy though. :O It does take a lot of time and it is not a weeknight dish. I meant to make it on Sunday but...we know what happened to making it on Sunday!!!!

@mswatson0777 I know, right? Grrrr! He's like a cyclone that comes in and cooks and makes this HUGE mess and leaves. I'm glad your dinner was fabulous! Oh my to your group project, how lame!!! Hang in there, vacation is right around the corner.

@TeresaW1020 Thanks! I took the advice of some of you ladies and I'm eating: A Think! bar (it's really high in protein) + a banana + about 2-3 oz of turkey smoked sausage for a little savory. So far, so good! Ooooh the devil came calling with those cookies lol. Good for you, Teresa! Well done with the furniture polish!!! lol!!! You just made my day.

@cbabie Oh my! You do love your peanut butter! You are lucky that your DH cleans up the dishes. Mine does...sometimes. He's just distracted right now. How's the better sleep project coming?

@nighthazel01 Yeah, I try to stick to it and it works most of the time for me. Some weeks, we don't eat one or two of the meals and end up eating something else. Thanks!

@theslightedgeforever My migraine is better now. They usually come on with changes in the weather. I did el stinko on my weight loss goal for January but good on my goals. I'll try again in February. How are you feeling???

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

mswatson0777

@TeresaW1020 Your morning story was hilarious, I literally started laughing out loud at my desk! "Not today Satan!"

@trooworld Mapo Tofu is one of my favorites, how delicious! I always end up ordering mine since I don't have the patience to make it at home. I bet yours was delicious!

@theslightedgeforever Way to go on your January goals! Losing 1.8lbs is a huge win!

@nighthazel01 I 100% empathize with your daughter. I hate groupwork in school because people have no incentive to not screw over their fellow classmates (and they do all the time). Whereas in the working world, there's a lot more accountability and either way I'm getting paid to deal with their crap. There was a survey posted today so I'm going to give my feedback on having groupwork in an online program and why it's bogus.

@cbabie oh my goodness, three weeks?!?! I sincerely hope you haven't done that since, your poor body! I hope you give yourself a lot of love, kindness, and understanding through this process.

I ended up talking with my Mom last night, doing two hours of jiu jitsu, and yoga this morning so I'm feeling much more centered now that I've had some self care. I also woke up to a dream where I was already on the cruise which was a nice way to start the day. I'm also reminding myself not to take this program too seriously, B's get degrees!

its_cleo

@trooworld sorry you have it in your spine. One of the things I read is how common arthritis is.....I am a messy cook but only because I'm a klutz and I drop things. But I do clean it up as I go.

@mswatson0777 2 days to go I'm jealous. You definitely deserve a break. Chinese food and wine- I've been there! Except rum instead of wine. It was one of my go tos when I just did not care. It has taken me a couple years to resist that habit when I have a bad week. .....Bs absolutely get degrees. No one will ask about your GPA when you're working.

@TeresaW1020 another arthritis sufferer. Sorry to hear. I had a friend with it in the hands and I know it is painful.....Furniture polish on the cookies! Lol. But how smart. I used to throw stuff out and then dump old coffee grinds on it....I think NOT TODAY SATAN is going to be my new motto.

@cbabie I'm sorry you're so down about your weight. It's not the be all and end all. If you're eating reasonably healthy and getting some exercise that is what matters. Peanutbutter is actually not so bad. There are much worse things. Sometimes I want to live off pie and whipped cream for example. That is much worse!

@nighthazel01 Sounds like you had a lovely Sunday.

its_cleo

@theslightedgeforever another arthritis sufferer! Man it is awful how many people have it. Yeah I was thinking about the anti inflammatory foods. I think I'll keep that one in my back pocket and check it out if or when the pain advances. I don't think I could change what I wanted to eat right now, or maybe I don't want to.....Are you feeling better? WOOT on the loss! That's great. I stayed the same for Jan.

Advantages to getting old....discounts? Today I was on the bus and this young woman offered me her seat and I was like for Pete's sake how old do I look? But I dont have good skin so I feel like I do look old. I was actually thinking of getting something done but I don't know what. I don't care about wrinkles but I hate looking like I have giant dark bags under my eyes, and the rest of my face is too red. I blame my mother- it's all her genes lol.

I'm doing ok. I've been working super hard to keep my calories on track with the mfp estimates. This is considerably lower than i would typically eat. It's been hard bc my appetite is through the roof. But I've managed, mostly by ignoring it when I get hungry.

I feel better about my wrist. It is what it is. I will likely get a bit of physio but not right away. I'm tired of people poking at me and it's expensive. So it ain't going anywhere, I'll take a break and book some sessions later.

Bicep is healing. I see my trainer tonight and I'm looking forward to it. I feel kind of bad hc I've been super moody the last few weeks.

JoDavo66

@theslightedgeforever hope you're feeling better.

To all who commented on my veggie Hunter's Chicken- it was really nice!

@mswatson0777 I like Tofu in recipes- I'm not very good with it.

@nighthazel01 those are great weekend goals.

@its_cleo not great news about arthritis- my shoulder was riddled with it when they got insuse- the removed some of the bone- is that possible for you?

@trooworld how did you collect so many recipes? I've trimmed down my recipe- collection

@TeresaW1020 totally gave in here!! Long story coming up...

Sorry I've been struggling to keep up here.
Friday was manic, Saturday was busy, Sunday I fell asleep & felt yuk. Monday was very hectic- my stuff hadn't been moved & as well as setting uo my room we had to help get the Science preproom (which is tiny) set up. I was in work an extra 3 hours. Got little bit still to do.
Today wasvack to teaching & parents night after school. Eaten wrong 5hings as tired & hungry. Off to bed- work morning & gym afternoon tomorrow

renaegry

Well I haven’t been on in ages. Hope everyone is doing well. Don’t have the time to get caught up. I say this ever time that I am going to check in daily and I don’t.

Been doing alright. Just trying to get back at things more serious. Hockey should be winding down by middle of February so hopefully will have more time. Did a weight workout today and plan to hit the treadmill tom.

Changed my goal weight from 135 to 140. Once I hit 140 will reacess. Currently sitting at 155. Have major toning to do as well.

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld Sounds like you had a good little meal with your protein bar/sausage/banana. Each day I feel a bit better but the lingering cough is still there. I did look at the Women's Health magazine challenge and once I get back to some real exercise want to start that. Although at this point I'll probably due half to start off. The energy levels just aren't there.

@mswatson0777 B's get degrees! I like that. Yes they do. Plus it's so much less stress on your body. My dd was losing hair and her periods stopped during school at one point. But thankfully that's all over and she's working now which she says is stressful too. lol I said just wait til you become a mom. I'm glad you got in some self-care. The cruise will be here soon and just enjoy the time away. Part of health is relaxing our bodies and minds.

@its_cleo I think arthritis is common now because of all the additives and junk they put into the foods we eat. I'm reading a book on that subject right now. What I'm focusing with on my hubby is not to avoid the inflammatory foods but to increase the anti-inflammatory foods. It's easier that way. Legumes, fruits and veggies. I'd be up for citizen senior discounts. Especially for pie. lol You sound like you are in a much better place right now. I'd like to have a makeup artist come visit every morning and take care of my undereye bags, dark circles, and red skin.

@joannadavison I'm getting there. Well despite your little mishap you look like you have a plan to get right back to it tomorrow. That's what it takes to stay consistent.

Yellow Day- Stayed OP 162/164 Exercise 10 min

February goal- 3 glasses of water- check

trooworld

Hello everyone! Boy, yesterday was a crappy day. On my way to work, I rear-ended someone. Luckily, it was from a dead stop so I didn't hit them hard, but it was enough to cause them to make a claim. I don't need the added stress or the added cost to my insurance (my insurance said that if it costs more than $1,000 to fix their car my insurance will go up. They had an expensive car so I'm sure it will). The good news is that today, I'm going to work early and I get off early! So that's nice.

@mswatson0777 Yeah, it's a bit of a pain to make, especially during the week! But it was delicious! Bs do get degrees and you will be fine! I used to stress over my grades but I graduated with a B average and nobody asks me what my GPA in grad school was. It did matter a bit going INTO grad school (I had to have a B average to get into my grad school), but not once I graduated I got my dream job and am living my dream life and you will too lol so don't stress it.

@its_cleo Thanks. Some days are better than others. My husband is like that (a klutz in the kitchen and drops things) lol.

@joannadavison I'm glad your Hunter's Chicken was good. I started collecting the recipes years ago, and have collected them over the years and add to them practically every day so the collection continues to grow. It's quite unmanageable lol.

@theslightedgeforever Yes, it was a good breakfast. That's good you have something to look forward to.

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

TeresaW1020

@trooworld, I am so sorry about the accident! I hope their repair comes under $1000 so your insurance doesn’t go up. Yayyy for coming home early from work! I hope you have an enjoyable evening. And I’m glad to read that you found a breakfast you like!

@renaegry, glad you are doing well! Come when you can and at least say hello.

@joannadavison, you have a lot going on and I hope that you at least try to take some time to take care of yourself.

@its_cleo, glad that you are doing OK. I’ve been really working on tracking my calories and keeping it at my goal so I understand how hard it can be. Have you tried other calorie calculators to measure against what MFP tells you? If you are really hungry then maybe your body is telling you to eat more.

@mswatson0777, sounds like you are in a good headspace and having a dream where you are on vacation is a great way to wake up! I have a friend who is on a cruise and keeps posting lovely photos of herself on FB having a great time. I’m soooo jealous!!

@theslightedgeforever, the back is better but it’s always something that I have to be mindful of. I lost a half-pound in January which doesn’t make me happy at all, but at least it wasn’t a gain! I’m really trying to do better this month. I hope your plan to drink more water doesn’t involve you getting sick again!!

@cbabie, are you tracking what you eat? You need to put the peanut butter on your tracker and not eat more than you have allowed yourself. You need to find a plan that you can stick to and one that fits your lifestyle. And maybe you need to get rid of the peanut butter like I did and bring it back once you feel that you can control it and not let it control you. I know that you will figure it all out!

Good morning everyone! So, last night I was faced with another temptation. The ladies Bible study is doing a book where the author ends each chapter with a recipe and one of the ladies brought in a huge dish of Fiesta Dip and chips. This time I choose to have just a little along with the other ladies because this woman had gone to the trouble and I wanted to make her feel like it was worth it. The dip was so good!! I wanted more but I didn’t go back for seconds and when I got home, I tracked it! It did put me over my calories for the day but the scale was down this morning!

mswatson0777

@its_cleo I feel you on the bad skin thing. I had horrible acne when I was younger (that still hasn't entirely gone away, nor do I think it ever will) and it definitely takes away any 'youthful glow' I could hope for. There are times I debate fillers, but who's got the time or the money?

@Joannadavison A full day of teaching AND parents night!? No wonder you struggled with food yesterday. I hope today goes smoother for you

@TeresaW1020 Way to go on enjoying treats in moderation! And the scale down is definitely a great reward!

@trooworld That is so stressful getting into an accident, I'm glad everyone was okay and it was minor! I hope your insurance doesn't go up too much!

@theslightedgeforever Your daughter must have entered into a very stressful field! I'm stressed but luckily my hair is staying put (I wouldn't be TOO devastated if my period went away for a bit lol)

@renaegry We're weightloss twinsies! I just hit 156, so lets motivate each other to get into the 140s!

I have -20 motivation at work today. I just keep dreaming about warm weather and sandy beaches. On the bright side, my stress bubble has broken and I'm starting to feel a lot more zen about things. Downside is the clock is moving at the speed of slow. I weighed in this morning and stayed the same on the scale which I could as a win after my chinese food/wine night. Now hopefully I can maintain or only have a small gain during vacation!

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld Sorry to hear about the accident. You certainly don't need another stressor in your life. I'm certainly losing it as I thought what do I have to look forward to and had to go back and reread what I wrote yesterday. lol Exercise. Right now I just want to flip a switch and be good as new. Or drink a bunch of red bulls. So what good choices did you make today?

@teresaw1020 I hope I don't get sick again either. Although I feel the first round really hasn't left me yet. I think I need a good date with my Neti pot. My plan involved tying in a mug of water with an activity versus me saying I need to go drink 3 cups. That's what all my habit books say. Tie it in with something that you are already doing. Piggyback it. So that's my plan. Worked well the first day, today not so much. So we try again tomorrow. That was a huge win for you. You tried the dip. You didn't go back for seconds. You tracked it. Scale was down. Now repeat at next gathering.

@mswatson0777 My dd started in biochem then after all that flipped to biomed. She went to med school for Surgical Asst and now working at Mayo. First season of Grey's Anatomy she wanted to be a surgeon. She was 14. lol Then she decided at the end of her junior year she did not want to keep going to school forever as she put it. She decided on becoming a Physcian Asst. But couldn't get accepted into med school. Then the med school contacted her and said what about a Surgical Asst. So she gets to do what she loves and not have the stress of the surgeon she says nor the malpractice insurance load. I wish I was triplets with you and @renaegry. I do have the 56 part of it. I'll turn 56 on Tuesday. That's hard to believe. But if I could live as old as Kirk Douglas, I'd only be half way there. Perception. So back to my healthy habits.

Yellow Day- Stayed OP 156/164 No exercise

February goal- Drink 3 glasses

trooworld

Hello everyone! Well, yesterday was a better day and hopefully, today follows that path. I'm getting ready to go on a business trip next week for 4 days, Tues-Fri so I won't check in starting probably Wednesday unless I decide to bring my laptop with me.

@TeresaW1020 Thank you! Me too, but I don't have high hopes. At least nobody was hurt! I did enjoy coming home early, that is a rare treat. Yes, I did enjoy the breakfast but I can't repeat it every week, unfortunately (I get sick of things) so I'll have to switch it up. Also, the bars I'm eating are giving me gas lol! TMI I know. That's great you were able to stop at a little of the dip and I'm glad the scale was down in the morning.

@mswatson0777 Thank you, yes it was stressful and my adrenaline was going, even over something so minor, for hours! When do you leave for your vacation?

@theslightedgeforever No, I do not. The stressors keep piling on and I'm wondering just how much I can take? Good choices: I didn't eat at the cafe at work, I drank all my water. I resisted getting a fancy coffee drink from that same cafe at work when I was super cold. That's about it.

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

mswatson0777

Alright ladies, last post before I'm incommunicado for a week and a half (I'm coming back, I promise!).

@trooworld Do you get to travel somewhere fun? I hope you get some relaxation and downtime amidst the work

@theslightedgeforever Happy almost birthday!!! Are you doing anything fun to celebrate? And I hope to live as long as Kirk Douglas too, and have a remarkable life on top of it! Your daughter sounds like she has a fantastic career, I'm so glad she gets to do what she loves

Only 4 more hours of work before I get to go home, get ready, and have some fun in the sun! Wish me a smooth travel day

its_cleo

Enjoy @mswatson0777!

@trooworld I hope the business trip goes well, safe travels! That sucks about your car. I don’t have a car anymore, but when I did- the very day I brought it home I hit a parked car in my underground garage. I felt so stupid. It was a Kia, but the bodywork to fix it was still like $800. I was lucky they let me just pay it out of pocket.

@joannadavison I like tofu too. I also find it hard to cook. But if I go to veg restaurants they can do so much with it. At the moment I do throw it into soups or sauces sometimes. I feel bad eating meat, but I tried to go veg and I just couldn’t do it. I’m not sure that it’s the best thing for me physically either. But I think it’s great for the people that can do it!....surgery I suppose they could on my hand if needed but so far it is very mild, so the key is to figure out how to keep it from getting worse. I’m going to see a physio next week, hoping he can give me some exercises. Hope you get some down time soon.

@theslightedgeforever, sorry you’re still sick. Yeah when you go back to exercising I would start slow. You will be back to where you were quickly…..Anti-inflammatory foods. I do eat a lot of veggies, probably not enough legumes

@TeresaW1020 the calories….I think my appetite is up this week bc I’m ovulating. I started tracking it and my appetite goes through the roof. I did read some women had that issue. So that is what I’m hoping what it is.
Well I had a lighter week for activities this week but it’s going ok. Saw trainer twice and it was nice to get back to it after he was away. I went for a run in the snow today and did really well. I took walking breaks but I ran a total of 24 minutes. That is my max. I run slow though!

Calories- I think my weight has come down slightly. I have one goal- cals under 1800 – and a bonus goal- meet the MFP target for me to lose .5 lbs a week. I haven’t met the MFP goal, but I’m closer than I was in my last 3 month goal series.

Not too much else to report. Quiet week at work. A friend of mine is doing some kind of health challenge at her job and for part of it she has to make 2 goals and tell a friend. So I’m supposed to check on her periodically. These are goals running to end of June. I felt good that she chose me.

trooworld

Good morning everyone! I lost a pound this week. I can attribute it to an increase in water consumption and tracking more. It's a step in the right direction.

@mswatson0777 No, not really, I'm just going to AZ and I go every year lol. I will unfortunately not get any downtime while I'm there but the good news is that it is a short trip! Have a wonderful trip!!!

@its_cleo Thanks, I leave next Tuesday afternoon, so I'll pop in here a few more times. Yes it did suck about the car! That's great that they let you pay out of pocket. Eh, you shouldn't have felt stupid, I'm sure people hit people in those underground garages all the time. That's nice that your friend picked you to check in on her. She must think of you as a health-conscious person.

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

TeresaW1020

@its_cleo, Yes, when I was ovulating, I was always extra hungry too. That is great that you were able to get out and run and break your record! I think that it is great that your friend chose you to help her with her goals. And because of that, you might find it helps you stick to yours as well.

@mswatson0777, have an awesome vacation!!

@trooworld, some bars that I’ve tried had that same issue. It could be the type of sugars or the fiber that they use. Look and see if there is chicory root in the ingredients. That stuff is lethal for me! I cannot eat Fiber One bars because of that stuff. I hope you have a good business trip and get in a little fun for yourself.

@theslightedgeforever, yesterday at staff meeting three of us went on and on about how much we love our neti pots. Pastor finally just told us to shut up or he was leaving! Yes, that is a good plan to piggyback your water drinking to something you already do.

Good morning! TGIF!!! I am happy to report that I lost a pound this week! I was just telling my husband that I really think the key for me is to pre-track my day in the morning so I can tweak as needed. I usually always know what I’m going to eat so it’s just a matter of doing it. Yesterday, I didn’t pre-track and I was up in my calories. I was looking at my weight chart this morning and saw how close I had come to Onderland and then the holidays came and I quit Keto and up went the scale. I am not going back to Keto because I feel so much better with just watching my calories and eating whole food. Hubby says that my body is really changing from all the working out so that makes me happy.

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld Those are great choices you made. All those little things will add up. So do you have a plan for your trip? Woohoo on the pound. I lost 0.1 Oh well, a loss is a loss.....but I've not exercised in two weeks so.....next time. This is a great time of year to go to AZ. Although you live in CA so probably not that big of difference for you. lol

@mswatson0777 I was thinking about you today wondering when you leave for your cruise. So bon voyage although you won't read this. lol I do absolutely nothing on my birthday except for whatever strikes my fancy. Plus eat whatever I want.....I already have a mini blueberry pie in my freezer waiting for me. My friends are throwing me a bday party on the 20th.

@its_cleo 0.5 lb a week is still 26 lbs a year. My goal is about 30 so I'm right there with you. I figure this way it will become more of a lifestyle choice versus dieting/exercise. That's great that you are an inspiration to your friend and she wants your help/input. I'm doing that with a small group of two ladies and then a good friend of mine I'm helping with her diabetes. She's at the either do it right or she's going on insulin stage.

@teresaw1020 Woohoo, you too are a loser. A changing body is a good thing. My shoes are getting looser. Plus my bracelets. I'll take it. I'll take anything at this point. My energy is coming back so I'm hoping next week to ease back into some exercise.

Green Day-Stayed OP 178/238 no exercise

nighthazel01

@its_cleo - It's great that you are finding ways to exercise, even with arthritis. I need to do a lot more in the exercise department... Future goal. I laughed at your post about having something done with your eyes. Me too, they make me look tired and worn out, and older than I am, it's my genes.

@trooworld - You sound like a fantastic cook. Just reading about the Sichuan Braised Tofu with Beef you made sounded delicious.

@joannadavison- you sound very busy, but you still find time to exercise.

@mswatson0777- a cruise sounds Heavenly right about now. It's good to have something to look forward to when life is stressful.

Weighed myself this morning and I'm down 1.5 pounds from a week and half ago. The struggle is real, I watch every morsel that I eat. Why do calories taste so good?

Another snowy couple of days where I live, we had the prettiest snowfall last night.

Work has been a bear, we are in constant crisis mode. I had a spreadsheet I needed to work on before I left Friday, but I didn't have time. I decided to go home at a reasonable hour on Friday, I'm not going in on Saturday, and I took Monday off. Tuesday I'll take cover. My kids are all staying at school this weekend, so it's just me and DH, no plans really.

its_cleo

@trooworld congrats on the pound! woot!

@TeresaW1020 yeah pre-tracking can really help. I hate doing it, but it does work. I've been trying to do it all week

@theslightedgeforever a bit of loss is pretty good considering you've been sick and probably not up and about as much as normal. Happy early birthday!

@thenighthazel01 yeah the eyes. So I talked to my colleague at work that got me thinking about this and she actually (at 41 ish) gets a little bit of botox once a year, plus she gets some kind of face peel twice a year. She looks 5 years younger than me even though we are the same. I don't really want botox but it just got me thinking about things I wish I could change. I can't afford anything right now anyway. ....congrats on the loss!

Well not the best day, I tried to go for a run and it was kind of a bust, I just didn;t have any oomph. I have a good run, then a bad one. I can't do it consistently. I made a chart to track and see if there is any rhyme or reason to the days I do well vs the days I don't.

This afternoon at the gym to do upper body work though I don't feel like it. But I will test my bicep out a little bit and see how it feels.

Calories- I may barely squeak by my weekly goal, depends what I eat today. But it was a real struggle this week. I know why- strong appetite, plus a few drinks, plus a meal out, plus a lighter week on the exercise. So next time I have to reduce one of those things! I think I can make it, it's just a mental challenge today bc I feel grumpy and like I just want to say screw it and get a big piece of chocolate cake.

Also I am soooo tired of winter.

Last week I bought a nice new pink Adidas top for working out in. Tomorrow might go shop around for a couple more tees and pretend it;s summer lol

trooworld

Good morning everyone! I've already picked up my healthy groceries for the few days I'm going to be in town, now I'm getting ready to go to the grand re-opening of my favorite bookstore, which moved locations. That's about all I've got planned today!

@TeresaW1020 Girl, I ate 4 of the bars this week and gave the last bar to a coworker (that I don't sit near lol). No chicory root: PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), MALTITOL SYRUP, VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, WATER, ALMOND BUTTER, COCOA BUTTER, ALKALIZED COCOA, CHOCOLATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, LECITHIN, SODIUM, CASEINATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, TAPIOCA STARCH, MILK FAT, SALT. I don't know what it was but I'm not having Think bars again! re: the trip...thanks, and you bet I will get me a little something! Congrats on losing that pound, woo hoo!!! I love pre-tracking, it really helps. What a nice compliment from your hubby!

@theslightedgeforever Thanks! I'm going to try to concentrate on salads and healthier choices and saying NO to dessert (my officemate, whom I'm going on the trip with, insists on her ordering dessert with EVERY meal). Yes, you have been focusing on getting back to normal not feeling like a zombie, so I'd consider 0.1 a win considering you could have gained! Yeah, it's not a big difference to go to AZ right now for me but I'll still enjoy it.

@nighthazel01 Thanks, I try! My husband is a really good cook...I need recipes, but him, he can whip things up without a recipe. Congrats on the loss, that's awesome!!! The struggle IS real, it is so easy to gain weight but such a freaking struggle to lose. grrrrr! I love the way snow looks but don't like to drive in it or be out in it, it's too cold lol. I hope you have a nice, relaxing weekend!

@its_cleo Thanks! I'm feeling grumpy as well. Maybe it is winter. I can't wait for spring. I'm sick of being cold!

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

trooworld

Okay, I just looked it up and it's the MALTITOL SYRUP that caused the gas lol. Stay away from that stuff!!! Fair warning.

theslightedgeforever

@nighthazel01 Woohoo Your plan is working. Congrats on the weight loss. I think it's great that you put yourself first this weekend and will just deal with work on Tuesday.

@its_cleo I have lots of friends who are always getting botox, fillers, etc. Some love to point out my lines saying did you know you have (fill in the part of the face, now my upper chest too). Yes, they are my wisdom lines. I earned every one of them. I usually respond with I'm secure in who I am; I prefer to spend my money elsewhere. They just look at me and move on. lol Of course I would look better with a bit of botox and restylane but it is what it is. you sound like me. I was at the mall today thinking I'm so ready for spring. Bring out the spring colors. It really improves my mood. You are doing a good job of staying aware of your choices.

@trooworld Great job on getting some healthy groceries. Sounds like you have a good plan for your trip. I'm reading a book right now about processed foods vs whole food and when I saw your list of ingredients it made me think of the book. I looked up malitol to see what it was and it's a sugar alcohol. I know some people have digestive issues with those.

Green Day- Stayed OP 229/238 carbs- (over 96 cals) Exercise 24 min walking

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water

JoDavo66

Hi everyone. I kept tracking but haven't had much time. Been very busy week teaching/getting used to new room. Girls been busy too- with music lessons/choirs & their cadets.Plus family car in at The Garage for new timing belt- that's on me too as it's near my school. I had a lovely Saturday planned to go to a Crop with my Scrapbook girls. I went via little supermarket for the ATM machine & noticed flat tire when I came out. Thankfully did see it & not drive off as there was a massive RTA on the Motorway a few mins later- I would've been present & with flat tyre at speed the whole pile up would've been a lot worse! Ended up not making it to Crop & had pretty low day. Although I did tour a few Prom dress shops with eldest to get a feel for stock & prices- bumped into one of my students in one of them!
Thankyou for all the comments about looking after myself. Today I'm in Durham with DH & eldest, about to meet my cousin & niece- youngest somewhere in city with her friends for her birthday- her group meet up, have meal & shop!

@its_cleo re:tofu- I'm not the greatest cooking it either. There are a couple of Chinese Takeaways that do it really well. Hope wrist sorted.

Apologies for not replying to everyone. I will try & keep up this week!
I got my liver function test results back- totally normal. Relieved- fatty liver & diabetes were playing on my mind.

TeresaW1020

@Trooworld, Yes!! It's the Malitol is a killer for me too!! Quest bars use Sucralose in their bars. They might have caused me a bit of an issue when I first started eating them but for the most part, I never had an issue. I actually miss them and have been thinking about going back to Quest once in a while to help control my calories more than I have been doing. If you do try them microwaving for about 20 seconds is a game changer!!

@its_cleo, I really think once spring hits and you get some sun and warmer weather you are going to start feeling so much better! Yes, it’s all a mental challenge for sure. This is a rough month for me with several eating off-plan things scheduled so I’m just going to have to really buckle down and watch it or I will end up with a huge gain. I LOVE chocolate cake too!!!

@nighthazel01, congrats on your weight loss!! I hope you have been having a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

@theslightedgeforever, loser shoes are a real thing! After I lost 50 lbs and started IF last year all the swelling in my feet went away and I had to get rid of several pairs. My rings are starting to get really lose but I don’t want to resize just yet so I have to be really careful. The other day my wedding rings went flying across the room when I was playing with the dog!

Good morning!! So, yesterday was very exciting because we got a good amount of snow that actually stuck to the ground for a good part of the day!! We didn’t get one bit of snow last year and yesterday was unexpected. My dog ran around trying to eat it from the air. Sooo funny!! Tonight is our annual chili cook-off potluck dinner at the church. I am pretty sure that I’ve made the award-winning chili this year. Hubby and I had it for dinner last night and he finished eating before me and that rarely happens. Have a good day everyone!

its_cleo

@TeresaW1020 I hear you about managing the off plan events. Next Friday I'm going on a hike with my group and then stop for a drink. I'm going to limit myself to 2 beers. But then I will try to leave a few calories extra each day this week to cover it. I'm hoping that will work. ....lol yeah chocolate cake. I have a store near me where they pakage up individual slices of cake from their bakery...I used to always stop by and grab one. Now I just do it occasionally. ....

You're right about the warm weather and spring. I'm okay I just find I'm up and then down. At least it's not consistently down lol. Definitely things have been better than they were in January.

So glad you got some snow! It is pretty.

@joannadavison so glad your test results came back ok. Shopping for prom sounds fun. I never went to mine. Here though we don't call it prom, we call it a formal.

@theslightedgeforever good job with the walking....malls are great in the winter. I'm going today lol

@trooworld hope the bookstore opening was fun! I used to love going to bookstores, a lot of good memories growing up.

I just squeaked under my calorie goal for the week with like 3 calories to spare. I'll take it. Unfortunately my weight is up, but I'm focussing on the fact I met my goal for 2 weeks in a row.

I went to the gym yesterday and tried some upper arm work. I had to stop bc the bicep tendonitis was acting up. I read that it can take 6 weeks to 3 months to heal and that is only if you give it a lot of rest. It's only been about 3 weeks for me. I feel good that I felt the pain and stopped- I can't tell you how hard that is for me to do. I actually felt and tried a little bit more and then quit. It felt ok after so I was very thankful I did not cause a setback bc apparently that is easy to do.

Today I will do some core work and a bit of shopping as I didn't go yesterday. I'm making roast beef for dinner.

Hope everyone has a nice Sunday!