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

mswatson0777

Hi Ladies!

I am officially back from my cruise and it was fabulous. We explored three different ports in Mexico, ate multi-course meals every night, and went to a bunch of the musicals and comedy shows. And to top it all off, we got engaged!

I haven't weighed in yet and I don't plan to until next week so the sodium can cycle out of my body and I can get a better sense of what sort of gain I'm actually looking at. I didn't go hog wild by any means, but I definitely ate and drank differently than I normally do so I fully expect the scale to be up. I'm just counting it as my new starting point.

I missed 1,000,000 posts while I was gone so there's no way I'll be able to catch up, but I hope you are all doing well and I look forward to catching up with all of you.

Tattoomama4440

I’ve been on WW on and off through the years. I know it works but I know I am done paying for the help. That’s why I like MF cause I get the support just as well. I look forward to the sharing my ups and getting help on my downs. If anyone on here is interested in sending a friend request, that would be awesome. I decided to being more active on here will make me more accountable to my friends and make the weight loss journey exciting. Cheers to a new week starting tomorrow and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

korzaKRS16

on my last 6 days of my 21 days of fasting and prayer, looking foward to continuing my gains journey.3200cals daily....lets go🔥

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld The initial gain was the prednisone I think from what other people who have taken it tell me. I thought I would have to take it long term to do that but they said no. But it is what it is. But it's messing with my mind. So I'm trying to get that back on straight again.

@cbabie The book was good. So good for you for trying new things. While it's hard and uncomfortable sometimes the I can't becomes I can.

@nighthazel01 Sorry about your mil. Been there done that. I have to take mine to the dr tomorrow for the 6 month foot and leg check for diabetics. It's just so hard getting her in and out of the car....Alzheimers... Last week she tried to sit down in the seat with her chest instead of her bum. She's too heavy to just lift right up. She couldn't figure out how to get up on her own. So we try again tomorrow. Back to the drawing board for you too. One day we'll get to the place where there is no emotional eating.

@its_cleo Yes, beans is better than bread. I read alot but just having knowledge without putting it into practice is worthless sometimes, lol It is contradictory. I'm reading a book about that point right now. Plus it's an individual thing. Keto will help people lose weight but not me because I wouldn't stick to it. Low carb diets do let people lose weight but I wouldn't stick to that either. But I can lose weight with med-high carb. People get confused by that because it's not what we are taught. So you just have to find your niche. Plus people can lose weight with chemo but it's not necessarily good for you. Weight loss shouldn't be our ultimate standard. Good health.....that's the golden ticket. I have a book I haven't started yet which is How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger. He has a great podcast I like to listen to so I can learn more. I think the joint thing is inflammation. What foods cause you inflammation? I would start with that. Your trip sounds fun. My dd would love that. She's trying to get me to go on a London/Scotland trip.

@mswatson0777 Welcome back! I didn't realize your partner was going with you. Woohoo Congratulations. So romantic. I'm glad you enjoyed all the facets of the cruise.

@Tattoomama4440 Welcome to the group! Counting is counting no matter where you do it I think. I'm currently counting carbs and doing a carb cycling program. (med-high) One day at a time. I'm happy to exchange support.

@kickboxerKRS Welcome to the group! You're headed towards the finish line.

So as I mentioned before this past week has got my head not screwed on right. On my daily weight app, that sudden gain after I took the prednisone (did I mention 6 lbs) put me into a red WARNING range after being in the green range for 6 months. So I have to go back and practice all the things I learned in my Beck Diet Solution book about my thinking. It's all in the thinking. Diet/meal plans come and go. You can lose weight on any of them. The thinking kept me in the green for so long. The most important thought I had was if it wasn't planned I didn't eat it that day but would have it the next day if I wanted to. Last couple of days has been Oh that sounds good. Along with the destructive thought of "I'm already over so what's a few more". The correct response is just because I accidentally dropped an egg on the floor doesn't mean I need to go and throw the others and break those too. So I will conquer this and get back into my green zone. I'm trying to see the lesson learned from this other than DON'T TAKE PREDNISONE. lol Food was almost spot on during that time. I tracked each day so I know what I ate. I didn't do my usual walking during that time. Maybe the lesson learned here is that there will be times that I can't control everything. But starting when I wake up I can try.

Yellow Day- Over 230/164 Yikes! Exercise-walking 35 min

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water

TeresaW1020

@theslightedgeforever, I love how you are catching yourself and learning from what you learned to pull yourself back to where you need to be. I think I need to go get me a copy of the Beck Diet Solution book. My thinking so often gets out of whack and I ended up throwing all the eggs on the floor and stomping on them.

@Tattoomama4440, hi and welcome to the group! You will find lots of support here and if you are interested in more accountability, I am a moderator of a challenge group called Fat2Fit. We will be opening new registrations at the end of the month. I would be happy to have you join my team.

@mswatson0777, ohhhh how wonderful! Congratulations on your engagement!! Was it a surprise or did you see it coming? Hey, you know how to get back on track and it sounds like your vacation was awesome! So, embrace whatever the scale says and savor the memories.

@its_cleo, yeah, I hear you about blowing it. For days I’ve been craving some red wine so last night I ended up with two full glasses and of course that didn’t help the weight I put on with our Valentine dinner of pizza and beer. Yes, to onward and upward…or should we say downward? I’m glad that you have decided to take the trip to Iceland! You will have to take lots of pics to show us.

@nighthazel01, sorry to hear about your mother-in-law and that you are going through family drama. You will feel better getting back on your plan.

@cbabie, sorry that your GGD is sick and I hope she will feel better very soon. I am sure that we will adjust to having my mom in the house. Hubby and I are very easy going people. The biggest hurdle that I see is that mom is going to have to get used to the fact that my dog actually rules this house.

@trooworld, did you have a relaxing day off? What does serious relaxing mean to you?

Good morning everyone! I have spent the last two days doing a major deep clean of my house in preparation for getting mom moved in. I’m also having friends over tonight for dinner so that was a great excuse to get the place nice and spotless. I told DH and the dog to NOT track in a ton of stuff from the yard. My floors are dark hardwood and they always look awful because of the two of them. I’m planning on getting off work early so I can run to the grocery store. I’m making baked Ziti for dinner. Yum!!

mswatson0777

Welcome @Tattoomama4440

@theslightedgeforever Thank you! And I'm sure your gain is temporary and likely water weight retention caused by the drug. I wouldn't worry too much, just keep doing what you're doing!

@TeresaW1020 Thank you! It was a complete shock. We are pretty nontraditional and have been together for over seven years so I was floored! And your dinner sounds fabulous, I hope you have a great time with friends!

Happy Monday all! I'm officially back at work but finding it very hard to focus. I've still got a lingering cold from vacation so I'm staying home tonight and catching up on laundry (boo). Hopefully I can get back at the gym soon since I want to start tackling that holiday weight since I've got a dress to buy!

trooworld

Good morning everyone! I can feel how much weight I've gained over the past few months. Actually, it's not that much, about 5-10 lbs, but it's enough for me to breathe heavier and feel more constrained in my body. I really need to do something.

@cbabie Oh, the poor thing! I hope she continues to get better! Well, he made the deal but so far, he's made only one of the meals. He makes these grand gestures that sound ideal but then gets busy going to the hospital to see his family member. He means well but doesn't realize how busy he is. I'll probably end up cooking some of the meals after all. That's good that your DH was able to fix your car!

@nighthazel01 I was actually at a work-related trip, so not much fun was had. But I'm enjoying the weekend and my holiday today! I'm sorry about your mother-in-law and all the family drama.

@its_cleo Thanks, I definitely handled it better than in year's past. Your trip to Iceland sounds like it will be fun. I'm glad you are going.

@mswatson0777 CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That's amazing!!! How can that trip get any better??? I'm glad you are back.

@Tattoomama4440 Welcome! I quit WW for the same reason. I paid for YEARS! I sent you a friends request. This board is really active and I find a lot of support here. I hope you do, too.

@kickboxerKRS Hello and welcome! Congrats on your successful fasting journey.

@theslightedgeforever I've heard prednisone does tend to make people gain. You'll get back there.

@TeresaW1020 I am relaxing on my days off, I have today off too. Serious relaxing: reading a book in my Lazy Boy, with or without a glass of wine or a cup of coffee depending on what time of day it is lol...maybe go outside and sit. Maybe take a hot bath. Listen to some Miles Davis or other classic jazz. Last night, it meant listening to an audiobook with my husband while using a coloring book app on my tablet while drinking a spritzer. When is your mom coming? Baked ziti sounds amazing!!!

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

RetiredAndLovingIt

Hi all--Yucky rainy day here today, but warm enough a little of the snow is melting. Switching banks, so need to get on & change all my auto deposits & payments. Instead, I am on here reading, lol.

@TeresaW1020 baked ziti sounds good. Hope you had a great time with your friends. I need to have some people over so I will get my house cleaned, lol. I have heard of the Beck Solution & thought of getting it before, now thinking more seriously about it since it seems to be helping slightedge so much!

@theslightedgeforever I agree--Prednisone can mess you up for awhile! I am thinking a little more along the WFPB like my sister (altho I don't think I could ever go all in on that) & trying to eat more natural stuff like potatoes, fruit & vegetables to get my fiber & less bread)

@mswatson0777 Congrats!! Glad you enjoyed the cruise!

@its_cleo Wow--glad you decided to make the trip to Iceland! Pickleball is played on a badminton court with oversized ping pong paddles with a wiffleball. That's the way it was described to me anyway, lol. I enjoyed it.

@cbabie Sorry your ggd is sick now. Been a lot of sickness around. My gd had walking pneumonia, which turned into pneumonia, but the last blood test & x-ray showed she is getting better. Easier for me, she will be 13 in about a week and doesn't live with me, lol. But still a worry. Oh, yeah, you asked, we were in Mesa visiting "snowbird" cousins.

@trooworld That would have been funny if we were at the same place in AZ at the same time. But I think we might have been home before you went. It's great your hubby will make some meals. The only thing mine makes is a protein smoothie for us for breakfast.

Well, not much more to add, guess I better get started doing laundry etc. I have been logging my food since we got back & my average wt says the same as when we left. Been trying to decide what my plan is, so am back to what I was doing in Nov. because it seemed to work then. Also been getting on the treadmill pretty consistently, but not consistent with my water! As Teresa said--onward & downward!

its_cleo

@RetiredandLovingit pickleball sounds fun. I used to really like badminton.

@Trooworld listening to an audiobook, colouring, with a spritzer sounds like heaven to me. It was a long weekend here too and I enjoyed it.

@mswatson0777 I’m glad you had a great cruise and congratulations! I’m happy for you.

@TeresaW1020 ziti, you know I’ve never had that. It’s pasta right? Sounds like you’ve been busy. The wine- ah, sometimes it’s hard. But if it was just a craving and you get back to it the next day it will be ok.

@theslightedgeforever prednisone does cause weight gain. I had a cat on it for a long time and he was overweight. But it’s the exact same drug they give to people so probably same affect. …good point about the chemo.

@Tattoomama4 welcome! Yeah I tried ww, but I didn’t want to pay for it and I always found on their plan I ended up eating much less cals like under 1200, it somehow never worked very well for me. It did teach me better portion control.

I’m doing well. Lots of exercise this week. Did some core today, and the stairs. Stairs were a bit slippery.
The physio exercises are starting to get to me. It’s not even exercise, just like- bend my wrist back, hold, 10x. Three times a day.

Back stretch. Hold. Build up to 10 minute hold. 5 x a day.

And then I’ve also been massaging my bicep and trying to work on it.

Everything is getting slightly better so it’s working it’s just all so slooooow and starting to get tedious. I see him Wednesday and will get the next step. I will probably see him for 4 weeks, it will probably end up being 6 lol.

Doing better with calories.

theslightedgeforever

@teresaw1020 That book is really one of the best I've read for cognitive behavior theory. Her father is the one that started the whole thing (CBT) and now her daughter also works in the field. It's a 6 week program but I stretched it into 100 days. Much easier and I was able to absorb it more. If you ever want the reading guide, I'll send it to you.
Ha on the eggs and stomping.

@mswatson0777 I was worried about you on that cruise with the coronavirus thing going around on cruises. But I like to remind myself that the average flu kills more people. I definitely felt that way when I was sick. So glad you were surprised. That's the best kind. So hopefully both of our weights will start going in the opposite direction.

@trooworld So let's look at the opposite side of things. What are you NOT doing to lose the 5-10 lbs you want to?If dh reneged on my deal, we'd be having cereal. lol Maybe some fruit thrown in for good measure. Just enough to help me lose weight but not enough to feed him. "Oh sorry, I thought you were cooking this week". I do have a mean streak.

@retiredandlovingit I had the Beck book in my bookshelf for a long time. I had picked it up once and started reading it and I guess my head wasn't there. So back on the shelf it went. Then with my 100 day group I needed to choose a book and said let's do this one. We all loved it so much. It really helped us. This current book isn't doing anything for any of us yet and we're halfway through. maybe it will go out with a bang. Like I like to remind them the Beck book info is such that we need to keep practicing what we learned. Not just read and then move on to the next thing. It's the skills we learned that help all of us be successful in 2019. Your eating plan sounds really healthy. Good whole food but not too much to keep us fat. Onward and downward it is........

@its_cleo I think the therapy would be tedious but in the long run so worth it. Actually if I think about it, lots of things are tedious and boring which is why I don't stick to it. lol Always chasing the shiny object. But I'm still chasing my carb cycling program. I even amazed myself how long I stuck with it. I had a good day today. It was a meal by meal sort of day but I got there in the end. You are a warrior with exercise. Good for you on your calories as I know that's where you struggle the most. We all have the one or two things that we struggle with.

Red Day- Stayed OP 93/100 carbs Exercise-rest day

February goals- Drink 3 glasses of water-

TeresaW1020

@mswatson0777, yesss to dress shopping!! Will you have a big or small wedding? Have you set a day?

@trooworld, my weight is up too so I feel your frustration. I actually woke up this morning and wondered if I should go back to Keto but that isn’t the answer. The answer is to track and stay in a calorie deficit on a consistent basis. We both know this! Now to do it, right? I’m driving down to Florida on Feb. 29th and will bring mom back home with me on March 1st. So it’s almost time!

@RetiredAndLovingIt, one of the reasons I like to have people over is that it forces me to do the deep cleaning that my house needs. Of course, moving in my clean freak mother is helping too! I’ve been trying to decide what my plan is too. I bounce back and forth on wanting freedom and thinking that I need structure with my eating. Super annoying if you ask me!

@its_cleo, yes Ziti is a pasta dish with Italian sausage, marinara and LOTS of cheese!! Very tasty and very calorie dense. My rings won’t budge on my fingers this morning. I need to go get some water! I can see where the exercises you are having to do can be tedious but it’s good that you are starting to see progress.

@theslightedgeforever, I will take you up on the reading guide as soon as I get the book. Going to wait until I get my mom settled so probably next month. I have got to get my head on straight and that little habit thing I was doing helped but it’s not been enough. Like I wrote above to RetiredAndLovingIt, I’m trying to find the balance of eating with freedom and needing the structure of a diet. Yes, I want to be skinny and eat my cake too!

Good morning! Everyone loved the Ziti and the strawberry shortcake I made for dessert. This was the couple I wrote about a while back who is having a son who will die shortly after he is born due to severe birth defects. She is due in a month, but they could induce her at any time. We talked about how we can help them with food and other support when they come home from the hospital. DH and I were glad that we could show them some love and give them a relaxing evening. Their son, Walker who is almost two was the best part of the night for me. I love that little boy!! In other news, today I will workout and drink a ton of water to try to flush out all the sodium that I ate last night. I have ladies Bible study tonight and I’m behind on my homework, so I need to do that too. Have a great day everyone!

trooworld

Hello everyone! Well, I finally got on the scale today for the first time since before my trip. The verdict? Up a pound. Not bad. Well, instead of relaxing yesterday on my day off, I ended up doing a bunch of housework. I did watch part of a movie while doing laundry. I'm glad I did the work, it's work I don't have to do during the week, but I do miss the relaxation!

@RetiredAndLovingIt I hope the weather improves for you. I hate switching banks, I did it a few months ago, what a pain! Yes, it was really nice of him. That's nice that yours makes the smoothies...sometimes it's hardest to do things first thing in the morning.

@its_cleo It is pretty darned relaxing, I must say! I'm glad you enjoyed your long weekend. What did you end up doing? Exercising?

@theslightedgeforever Before today (I am taking action today/have already implemented things), I was not tracking, was not exercising, was not consistently drinking enough water...the usual suspects. I have already pre-tracked today, I plan on not only actually TAKING my 10-minute breaks today but actually WALKING on those breaks! I will somehow manage to drink more water today, too. LOL about the cereal! You are ornery, aren't you? I hate when he makes deals and reneges on them.

@TeresaW1020 Yeah, it is frustrating. That IS the answer, we can do this!!! Are you nervous about your mom? The couple...what a difficult situation. My heart goes out to them.

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

mswatson0777

@trooworld One pound isn't bad at all! I'm hoping mine will be that low, but I'm giving myself a week to even out sodium-wise before I try

@TeresaW1020 That sounds like a very emotional evening, I'm glad you're able to be there for your friend. We're planning on a very small wedding. Courthouse and a family party at my aunt's house so it should be fairly inexpensive (I hope!). I do have a big family so catering costs are going to be the big one! And no date yet, but we're debating between this summer and next summer.

@theslightedgeforever Thanks for your concern! I wasn't too worried about the coronavirus since the death rate is so low, although I definitely didn't want to get stuck on that cruise ship in quarantine!

@its_cleo My fiance has to do exercises for his back injury as well and is very frustrated at the slow progress, definitely stick with it! Slow and steady wins the race

@RetiredandLovingIt Sounds like you had a dreary day in more ways than one yesterday. I hope today shines brighter for you.

@trooworld You've got this!!! Let's support each other as we knock those pounds off!

I 100% did not sleep last night, wedding plans were flying through my head. Even with a small family wedding there are so many logistics to plan! I can't even imagine trying to do a big wedding. Any tips for doing small family weddings on the cheap?

In weight loss world, I baked a bunch of salmon and asparagus and made a big batch of lentil soup. I was already on this journey, but now I've got extra incentive to knock off these pounds! 145 here I come!

theslightedgeforever

@teresaw1020 I hear you on the freedom and boundaries. I did get to have my cake and eat it too for 6 months. Just climbing out of the bog this time seems to be difficult. But I'm doing it one limb at a time. I'll be fine once I make my trendline go back into the green. It's all mental. So think about your fences(boundaries) Are they too close to your house? Are they set too low? So you feel deprived. Do you do the thing where you over eat one day so you feel you must really pull it back the next day to compensate. But that makes you want the extra food even more the following day so you overeat again. Vicious cycle. If you go back and look at your food diary can you spot patterns. Which meals do you go over? Which environments? Are you preplanning your day? Oh goodness on your friends. What a hard thing to have to go through. I'm glad you are there to support them.

@trooworld Look at you being all warrior princess and taking action. One day of action beats a month of thinking about our goals. Since we are not guaranteed tomorrow or really any moment past the one we are currently in that's all we have to deal with. That moment. When it's breaktime walk. When mealtime is done, track. Well done.

@mswatson0777 I'm a worrier by nature. Quarantine would really suck although I was just thinking how much fun I could have. As long as i had food and bathrooms. I bet Pinterest has good ideas for small inexpensive weddings. Just find the things that are very memorable for you and add those. Are you a write your own vows kind of person? Dh and I got married at the courthouse. We fought the entire way there because he wouldn't stop and get me flowers. I had just started a new job and so after the little ceremony I went in to work. But that was 32 years ago. It's not the wedding that's the most important but make it memorable. I think the reception is the most fun thing anyway. (didn't get one of those either, lol) If he were here writing this, he would say, see we saved a bunch of money and we're still married. I love lentil soup. You can get to 145 lbs. Just one lb at a time. I'm ready for a bunch of NSV again.

Yellow Day-Stayed OP 163/164 carbs. Did not exercise.

February goal-3 glasses of water. I'm getting half of this done but the other half evades me. Time to be a warrior princess and take action.

JoDavo66

@its_cleo -toned- I wish! I feel like a giant blob of jelly with aches & pains! I keep telling myself there's a 6-pack under there- more like a 6-pack of chocolate bars! I might try avacado with my breakfast. They're quite expensive here but literally grow on trees where my sister lives! I could do with some ling walks- eldest has so much homework with important finals (they take GCSE exams at 16 years in UK then 16-18 years can be Advanced level for academic courses, BTEC for vocational or they can do apprenticeships- or work with 2 years training too) in May & June so our half-term holiday is doing not a lot! Iceland sounds great. The physio excercises may sound only a little but baby steps.

@trooworld I'm also battling the gain. About 10lb at Christmas. Lost a few & now stuck. Appreciate your frustration. Like the idea of DH doing everything! We're in reverse this week- DH at work so it's all on me!

@theslightedgeforever The Gown sounds a lot better than my book. I don't even know what mine is called. Mindless chic-lit from Kindle Unlimited about a girl who marries her friend's older rock star brother! Have you see "The Crown"?

@cbabie hope GDD better now. Sick little ones are no fun. I still remember 1st time with my eldest when she was 6 months- shudders!!

@nighthazel01 how's your MiL? Resting up a bit at half-term & nice not to be in work but spent yesterday working hard- cleaned my computer up & did loads of admin for church group I run for 11-16s.

@mswatson0777 welcome back. Mexico sounds amazing.

@Tattoomama4440 hi there. That was my argument too. Trainer at gym was suggesting I look at calories not points for calorie deficit & then into macros. I still get the WW magazine & a lot of their principles but focus now on increasing protein & decreasing carbs which WW points didn't track. Also money saved is more than my gym fees!

@kickboxerKRS hi there. Gosh you have more than twice my cals in a day😢. Metabolic differences just not fair! Almost to end of your goal.

@TeresaW1020 hope the deep clean is positive rather than a chore. One of my (our) goals this year is to work round the rest of the house on declutter & overhaul now kitchen & ensuite shower room done (they were the major renovation jobs). Had hall, landing & stairs painted this week & really need to start on my craft/study room but it fills me with dread not enthusiasm!

Half way through half term holiday. Hall, stairs & landing now decorated. (4 rooms to go). I really need to destash my craft stuff but I shudder when I look in the room- it's where to start!!
Got Opticians done on Monday- youngest eye test & I got daily contacts (wore them years ago from 13-40yearsold) but I'm fed up of glasses sluding down my nose at gym! We'll see what happens.
Got my church work done for youth group & computer cleaned up yesterday.
Dentist for girls this morning- heading home for lunch then gym this afternoon.
School planning & craft room left to do.

TeresaW1020

@trooworld, hey being up a pound isn’t bad at all!! I hear about wanting to relax but needing to get your housework done. I’m always trying to find that balance in my house. I am not really nervous about my mom moving in, but I do know that it will be an adjustment. She has only met my husband a couple of times over the last 15 years and now suddenly they are in the same house together. But they are both likable people and both are very passionate about talking about their faith so I think that will bond them. Plus, having an extra pair of hands helping me keep this house clean means a more relaxing time for me. Right?

@mswatson0777, I am also glad that I’ve been put in a position to be a true friend to this young couple, who are so much wiser than I was at their age. A small wedding sounds perfect! My husband and I ran off to a Savannah and had a small wedding and a wonderful week together. Make it what you want it to be!

@theslightedgeforever, so many questions!! Yes, it’s all mental! I looked back at my tracker and I didn’t track on Valentine’s Day when we went out to dinner and I didn’t track the dinner I had with my friends or the leftovers we ate yesterday. Why didn’t I track it? Was it too much work to figure it out? Lazy? Denial? Soooo many excuses! I should have given it my best guess so I would have at least taken ownership of it. My scale sure took ownership when I stepped on it with its brutal honesty. So, what to do now? Move on and start again. Tonight is a pizza and cake party with the kids at church and I have already tracked it so that I can know what the calories are and how much I can now eat for lunch. I HAVE to get out of my own bog too!

@joannadavison, just think how happy you will be once you declutter and organize your craft/study room! But I hear you that it can be a lot of work to get it done. Then once it’s done you have to keep up with it, so it doesn’t get out of control again. That is my constant battle with our home office space.

Good morning! Well, I woke up to my scale screaming at me to get it together!! I can’t believe how fast it can go up after a couple of days of overeating and how long it takes to get it to go down after eating perfectly. Very frustrating but it is what it is and like I wrote above I need to take ownership and track it all! Time to go workout and drink more water!

mswatson0777

@theslightedgeforever oh my goodness I love your wedding story! I've seen stats that the less you spend on the wedding, the more likely you are to stay together. You two must take the cake on that! If it were just up to me I'd just run away and elope, but he doesn't want to offend people so we're doing a family party. My goal is to spend around $3,000 total which is 1/10 of the national average but I think I can pull it off!

@joannadavison Sounds like you have quite the busy schedule, enjoy the rest of your holiday break! I also love contacts for physical activity, I hope you'll like yours as well!

@TeresaW1020 Running off to Savannah sounds like a dream! I'd love to elope...but he doesn't want to offend people so we're having a family party *sigh* I haven't stepped on a scale since vacation, good for you for staying accountable!

I had a complete anxiety attack last night. Grad school and wedding planning and work are a lot of things to juggle and I'm supposed to do my qualifying exam this summer, ahh! I'm just feeling completely overwhelmed with it all and behind on assignments from my vacation. I know it will all sort itself out and I need to take it one day at a time, but holy buckets this is gearing up to be a busy year.

its_cleo

@TeresaW1020 I should look up a ziti recipe, it sounds delicious! Anything with cheese is ok with me lol. ...I have to tell you I'm so invested with this change with your mom moving in! I think just because you've posted about it all along. Yep an adjustment for sure, but hopefully it will be positive changes in ways you didn't expect.

@trooworld a pound is nothing. ...Yeah it's hard to relax when you have stuff to do. I'm like that too. Actually i feel like I have a neverending to do list. My weekend- I went on a 10 km walk with my club Friday night. It was very cold at the lake but nice to see the lights on the water. Then I flaked out lol. I have a boring life.

@mswatson0777 never b een married so I can't help lol. Just don't get too stressed over it. It's supposed to be fun. Did you set a date?....that's interesting stat about the $ spent. ...busy year but lots of good things overall.

@theslightedgeforever 3 glasses of water- one for each meal. Would that help? I feel like you've already thought of a million ideas!

lol @joannadavison you're too hard on yourself.

Well just a quick check in, I have to go to the office today and tomorrow, I'm not used to it lol. So an early night tonight. I'm doing ok with calories. I saw the physio today and got 1 new exercise for my wrist, and 2 for my back/hip. Not quite so tedious. My wrist is sore tonight though. I have cream for it, but my cat doesn't like the smell. That is how spoiled she is lol.

Saw t yesterday but it was boring exercises lol.

Looking forward to the weekend. Sick of cold!

theslightedgeforever

@joannadavison So now you know what not to do next Christmas season. You don't want to be in February 2021 almost March climbing out of a hole. That's what I was doing with vacation weight and my kid's winter break each year. I'd finally get out of the hole and then fall right back in. Sounds like you are doing good planning your time in the gym with your busy schedule and looking to see how you can cut carbs a bit more. I spent most of the year climbing instead of enjoying. Interesting you said blob of jelly. I thought you would have said jam. Oh wait, do you mean jello? I love chic-lit. That's the kind of books I read normally when I'm not reading bookclub books. Life has it's own drama so I just want to escape. Next time you pick up that book notice the name. I'd like to read that. The Crown is on my list.

@teresaw1020 Questions are like the archeologists tools. They uncover the answers you've been searching for to the treasure of weight loss. Yes to all of your questions. I know that my carbs aren't going to be perfect if I don't know exactly what I'm eating, how it was prepared, etc. That's why I look it up on MFP. Choose a similar restaurant if I can't find mine or it's not listed on their website. Or if I'm out a friend's gathering I'll just use 'homemade' and then I always pick the calorie count that's in the middle and then log that. I'm looking for balance and accountability. Not tracking gives us an excuse to eat more. Our brain is always working to keep us at the weight we are. It loves the start/stops that we do. Because we end up going nowhere. I've been like Moses wandering around in the desert. I'm ready for the promised land.

@mswatson0777 So in this stressful year ahead, healthy eating and exercise top the list each day. It's so easy to say I'll start eating healthily when X is over. There's always going to be X in our life. Having a strong body will help us through those times a lot easier. So if the data is true about spending less on weddings then dh and I should stay together til death do us part (hopefully). We spent gas money and license fee. lol Not even new clothes. Ha I just had a memory come to me. I was wearing a fuschia top and a white skirt with flowers. In the midst of the flower fight, he says you have flowers on your skirt. Hold those during the ceremony. May you have a beautiful wedding with everything that makes it special to you.

@its_cleo Yaaay for you with another good day of calories. You're starting to make some good habits. One glass with each meal sounds ideal. Now for my reality.....lol.....I do drink a mug which is 1 1/2 glasses of water with my dinner unless I'm out at a restaurant. I always drink hot tea with my breakfast. I like the caffeine fix first thing in the morning. Sometimes I don't have lunch. Probably 3-4 times a week. My current plan is water with dinner and then drink one when I'm cooking dinner. That has been hit and miss. So I'll still work on it. I've always got a plan but executing said plan seems to be my nemisis. It seems so easy on paper.

Red Day- Stayed OP 98/100 carbs Exercise- 40 min walking

Tomorrow my friend's are throwing me a bday party. I have the menu and will pre-plan so I can fit everything in that I want to eat. Instead of a cake, I opted for whoopie pies. I will do my exercise in the morning to make sure it gets done.

trooworld

@mswatson0777 Yeah, I think it would have been worse had I been gone longer. I hope yours is around that or less as well! We had a small family wedding. We did ours on public land, it was right on the bluffs of the ocean. The land is a national park so it was super cheap to have our wedding there ($75!). So, if you are interested in doing an outdoor wedding, don't ignore public land. Our wedding was beautiful but simple, just what we wanted. We then had a reception in a park by the ocean and fed people with food from El Pollo Loco which, if you haven't heard of it, is stuff like rotisserie chicken with beans and rice and veggies and tortillas...it's kind of quick food/fast food. It was all very inexpensive and enjoyable. We had a friend that loved baking that wanted to make our cake, she made a lovely cake.

@theslightedgeforever Thank you! I hope your party goes well! I like whoopie pies.

@joannadavison Oh I'm sorry you are battling it too! I hope we both can get it off soon. Sorry it's all on you this week, but at least you can cook what you want!

@TeresaW1020 Thanks! Exactly, more time for you to relax...that's a good way to look at it lol!

@its_cleo It is hard to relax when you have stuff to do. 10km walk with a club, that sounds fun. I'm sick of cold too, and it's not that cold here lol!

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

mswatson0777

@trooworld I love that, it sounds so beautiful! I would love to do outdoors but I don't trust the weather. We're hoping to use my aunt's barn, which has a big wrap around deck that overlooks the countryside

@theslightedgeforever OMG that story is too funny! And if I could get away with no party and a license I would, but my partner wants to celebrate with people so it's a compromise (isn't all of marriage? lol). And I'll definitely be keeping up on here through it all. Exercise is my de-stressor, for sure! And I hope you have a fabulous birthday celebration!

@its_cleo No date yet, we're either going to do this summer or next summer. And I totally relate to spoiled animals, there are a lot of things I do or don't do depending on the dogs!

So I finally felt good enough with this cold to hop on the elliptical! It felt so good to get some movement in after feeling so crappy for so long! I also got caught up on a lot of school things last night and plan on doing more today. It feels good to make a dent in things. I just keep repeating to myself "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

trooworld

@mswatson0777 Oh dear, then an outdoor wedding would definitely not be a good idea! A barn would be so pretty though, you could hang lights and it could sparkle! It sounds really nice. I can totally see a pretty wedding in a barn like that! You know, "Just keep swimming..." is a motto I tell myself when I feel overwhelmed and it really helps! You can do this. You are capable of great things! You've got this!

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

TeresaW1020

@mswatson0777, yes just keep swimming! You can only take it one day at a time and try not to focus on it as a whole, which can be so overwhelming. Take is one chunk at a time and have fun with it! This time in your life will never happen again so embrace the chaos and breathe.

@its_cleo, thank you! It helps to be able to talk about my mom moving in because it is a huge change to my consistent and happy life. I do think it will be good, but I also know that I will miss what I have now. Glad that you are doing well with your calories and that the exercises from your physio aren’t so tedious for you to do.

@theslightedgeforever, yesss I want the promised land too!! And that means being obedient by doing the work that is required to get there. I’m over 2 lbs this week and I know it’s because I way overate because I didn’t track it. I hope you have a wonderful time with your friends at your party! Good choice on the whoopie pies!

Good morning! Well, today is a busy day for me because I leave this afternoon for a two day women’s event that is being put on by my favorite Bible study teacher, Kelly Minter. Ten of us from ladies Bible study are going together and we will stay the night since the conference is an hour away and ends late this evening and starts back up early tomorrow. Plus, we are all excited to just getaway for the weekend and hang out together. It does mean eating out tonight and two times tomorrow, but I’m determined to be careful and no matter what to track it all the best I can. I’ll be back on Sunday!

mswatson0777

Thank you @trooworld! And it truly is a beautiful space, she really went all out designing it and it makes my life so much easier that I don't have to find a venue!

@TeresaW1020 Too true, I'm trying to live in the moment but I'm just so excited about the being married part. And I love women's events so I hope you have a fabulous time!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! I have had zero motivation this week so I'm really glad it's the weekend. In other news, I finally felt healthy enough to do a cardio kickboxing workout. I did have to stop twice and blow my nose (ugh, colds last for forever) but I think I'm finally healthy enough to get back to jiu jitsu. I'm going to try judo on Saturday and as long as that goes well I'm back in the gym Monday. I noticed I was literally starting to get depressed without it, because instead of getting out and moving my body, I was stuck at home watching TV and scrolling social media (ugh).

renaegry

Good day all. Been awhile. Was going good was down to 153.6. Had a bad week back up to 156. Need to get my head in the game and stay in the game. Having trouble finding the time for the treadmill and weights. Have the winter blues I think. Hockey is done for us now so that opens up a bit more time. Just need to commit more. In beginning of feb for serious for just over a week and that is when my weight finally dropped. Still can’t believe I am sitting here at 156 when in June I was 143. Sure doesn’t take long to fall apart. Lol. Goal today is 30 day squat and arm challenge. Will hit the treadmill tom with some weights.

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld So how is the tracking of food coming along? Your wedding sounded lovely. I love the ocean. Whoopie pies were delicious. I'm such a child.

@mswatson0777 Just keep swimming is correct. Action is the best medicine. No matter how small Just keep chipping away. A barn wedding sounds like a lot of fun. While I prefer to be a city girl, I love barn pics with grain silos next to them. I'm imagining a bale of hay; with your dress hiked up and your garter showing. Probably why they don't let me do photoshoots. lol

@teresaw1020 Eating out consistently is hard but necessary sometimes when away. It's just all about making the best choices as you know. Another good way is to take a pic of your plate before you eat it so you can track later if you are busy with others. Trying to get in some exercise if that means just a walk with the other ladies or dancing to some music in your hotel room. Of course hotel gyms are the best. Getting others to have healthy habits too helps alot.

Green Day- Stayed OP 236/238 Exercise-did not exercise I survived the party. I had preplanned and did not overeat no matter how many times the hostess food-pushed the snacks on me. I kept saying, no thanks I'll get some later and I've pretracked and that doesn't fit into my plan for today. She said there's no tracking at parties. I replied with our bodies track it whether we do on paper or not. I like to try and stay within my boundaries. I feel good when I do that. I felt good by only getting one plate and not going back for seconds like everyone else did. I kept pacing myself and would stop and talk a bit and then go back to eating. I also feel good when I exercise, unfortunately I didn't get around to it. That should have been done in the morning. Lesson learned for next time.

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water

Lost 1.4 lbs this week

RetiredAndLovingIt

Hi all, been having fun reading about all of the weddings. My sisters(a year before us) & ours were both relatively small. Mine was bigger because dh has a ton of relatives, lol. We both made our dresses & the bridemaid dresses. Looking back on it, I kinda think why did I think that looked good?--it was early 70's, casual hippy days. But we have been married almost 46 & 47 years so guess we did something right, lol. Our oldest dd got married in a log cabin church in the mountains of Georgia. I think a barn wedding will be very pretty!

@TeresaW1020 Good luck with your eating at the conference & have fun with the girls. Just keep trying to be mindful when eating.

@mswatson0777 Glad you are feeling better, you are really burning some calories!! This has been a kinda blah week for me, too, haven't felt motivated.

@renaegry Just keep at it, it will come off again. I think I would have winter blues, too, if our weather was as cold as yours. I remember your post about super cold, & I whine when it is about 20, lol.

@trooworld How is the tracking going? I am pretty good at tracking, just not so good at staying in the limits.

@theslightedgeforever Great job resisting the extra food at the party! & glad you had a good time.

Not sure what is wrong with me this week, been feeling very lazy!! I am in a step challenge on here & falling short of my goal of 10,500 steps most days. Think I am tired of the cold weather, too, but it is almost March which will help that. My oldest dd is 43 today!! Had our Income Tax appt yesterday & went back to the CPA that we used to use even though it was a 2 hr drive. We always questioned if the one we used the first year we lived here had done them right & our guy thinks they were wrong & we will be able to do an amended return & get some of the overpayment back. Yay! I hope he is right! That's one thing I hate about relocating---finding Professionals (Drs, tax people, etc) that you can trust. I am very happy with the new dentist, tho.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Have gs's last basketball game tonight until they have a tournament. It is fun watching 10 year olds play.

RetiredAndLovingIt

Oh yeah, forgot about this--my dd sent me a thing for 3 free meals from Hello Fresh, so decided to try them. Just went with the featured ones for this week, because I didn't see any that really appealed to me. I think I have said we eat pretty simply, lol. Anyway had smothered pepper jack burgers the other day & they were pretty good.Think it is something I would fix again, but not one of theirs--we have beef in the freezer & dh always has pepper jack cheese here, lol. Tonight is parmesan crusted chicken with lemony spagetti (?). Sounds good, but one serving is 1050 calories!! Will be planning to eat half & have the rest tomorrow. How can anyone fit a meal that big in & still have something to eat the rest of the day? They have been interesting & kinda pushing me our of my simple comfort zone, but too calorific & expensive for me to continue. Has anyone else tried them?

JoDavo66

@TeresaW1020 declutter fail- I went out with my cousin & our daughters instead. Much more fun - so I'll have to declutter bit by bit and leave big stuff until next school holiday. I hate that too- can put 1/2 stone on in a week but loose it 1lb/a week! How does that happen??? So not fair.
Enjoy the bible study weekend.

@mswatson0777 I hear you on wedding costs! DH & I married fairly young compared to most of my peers- engaged at 19 & married at 22 but still together despite the doubters. We didn't spend a fortune either. I know ppl who are divorced & still paying the wedding bills. Some cost more than the mortgage on our 1st house!! I don't get it! A friend who remarried recently had a Hog Roast plus some vegetarian options. That was brilliant- sort of BBQ but organised by outside caterer. Wedding planning is stressful no matter how big or small as you want your day to be perfect. Just keep taking things one step at a time.

@its_cleo lol @ the cat doesn't like the cream!! We have 2 cats a bit like that!! Charlie is a total cheeky teenage boy & Molly is a little diva! Hope these exercises helping.

@theslightedgeforever jelly in UK as in jello as in US. I don't know what's worse having such a manic week off or snoozing in/on bed reading chilling for the week. I don't feel like I've had a break in some respects but at least I've had almost 2 hours lie in- until tomorrow as youngest catching a train 06:50!!
The Crown is on Netflix here- is it out in USA?
What exactly are Whoopie Pies? Enjoy party.

@trooworld 1lb gone for me. Slow but sure. Hoping some improvemed changes can give that weight loss a boost.

@renaergy you're totally right it doesn't take long to do damage. Keep going- you've been there before you can do it again.

@RetiredAndLovingIt moving house & changing contacts can be hard. We eventually moved to the new dentist that set up in our village. BUT after a few years I got fed up of not being able to get emergency appt- the 3rd time I could barely talk as tooth cutting tongue- contacted the "out of hours" & ended up with appt the next morning at a different surgery but with our old dentist- moved whole family that day. We still use an Insurance Broker from where we used to live 20+ years ago.

Had such plans for today but went out with my coysin & niece instead.
Youngest is off to an "Influencer Conference Day" with 3 other young people from our area & 3 church youth leaders. They are putting ideas forward for the National Youth Assembly weekend for our church in Oct/Nov. Have to be at train station at 06:35 roughly a 4 hour journey each way. I'm going scrapbooking with my BFF Craft friends- will sort out some old papers for disposal then. At least it's a start on the craft decluttering!

trooworld

Good morning everyone! I woke up with my back very stiff today (I think my stress is storing up there) so I may do some stretching. I'm going to try to relax today, I've got a lot of anxiety going on. I'm going to go pick up a library book and maybe take a hot bubble bath. Have a great Saturday!

@TeresaW1020 Have a wonderful getaway!

@mswatson0777 I'm sure it would take a lot of the stress out of things! I'm glad you are feeling better.

@renaegry Hello!

@theslightedgeforever Meh. So-so. I'm tracking half the time. Our wedding was lovely, at least to us! I would have loved the whoopie pies, too. Your will is ironclad, I love that about you!

@RetiredAndLovingIt Wow, you guys made your dresses and bridesmaid dresses? That's so cool! A log cabin church in the mountains sounds very scenic. Tracking is going eh, not so good. I'm tracking about half the time. So, it could be worse, but it could be better. I've just been under a lot of stress lately and have been prioritizing my mind's energy elsewhere. I need to put it back on health. Happy birthday to your oldest!!! Oh dear to the tax error! Have a great weekend. I have not tried Hello Fresh or any of those types of services but have been tempted.

@joannadavison Congrats on the pound down, woo hoo! What changes are you making? Have fun scrapbooking!

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