General Discussion
Replies
-
lauriekallis wrote: »Great! I will do that this evening, and we can officially start on Monday to give everyone a chance to "join" ...
Sounds good to me!...I guess we will all have to pitch in until Novus is back and do what we can if we want this wonderful group to continue....1 -
Hello, thank you Connie for calling me out - I have neglected the group for a while now, mainly because I'm struggling myself - so I really should be on here for the mutual support! Chicken and egg springs to mind....
I don't have time to be as active as I'd like, and I don't have heaps of knowledge, but I'll make more of an effort and do my best.
If anyone would like to volunteer as leader do let me know and I can add you.
Does anyone know where Novus has gone? I hope he knows how much he's missed.1 -
Thanks Jackie!...I sent Novus a message telling him that we miss him and are concerned about him....he has not been active since early Jan...I think that Lauriekallis and InHisGrace would be great leaders in this group if they would agree to do that...I know Bmeadows would appreciate the help...I could also step up to the plate...we could probably use one more if someone would like to...0
-
@lauriekallis
This sounds like a good idea, and I say more power to you if you want to run with it I admit I probably wouldn't join in on the numbers - I think it might set off my perfectionism and might not be such a good idea for me, but I'll gladly cheer on anyone else who wants to participate!
@jackie9003 - that was where I was thinking of going, too - promote Connie to a leader because she's such a steady help and influence on the folks here. And Grace and Laurie, too, if they'd like!3 -
Hi family! I’d love to. I must admit I used to check here daily like 6-8 times a day. But it was so quiet I just gave up coming.
I’d love to help in any way. This group means the world to me.3 -
Thank you for the boost of confidence - but I wouldn't feel comfortable being a leader (yet) - though I'm going to run with the daily habit check in !
I, like @_inHisGrace check in often, and it is more fun if something is going on, hoping the habit check in will give everyone another reason to post?1 -
lauriekallis wrote: »Thank you for the boost of confidence - but I wouldn't feel comfortable being a leader (yet) - though I'm going to run with the daily habit check in !
I, like @_inHisGrace check in often, and it is more fun if something is going on, hoping the habit check in will give everyone another reason to post?
Thanks for starting and running the Daily Habit Check In....I think it will be a great way for everyone to check in on a daily basis and keep us connected!...I am excited for this to begin...I hope we have a lot of members that participate!
1 -
I can't believe that its been 12 weeks since this romance of mine started, or that is now 1 week until I head up there. Where does time go?
I have plan tickets, and I paid extra for the ones I could cancel, and I'm giving serious consideration to just canceling them and driving up. The long range forecast actually looks good for the distance between, with Tuesday being the one little dicey day, and I'm thinking as long as I toss my work PC into the car with me, that I can always stop at the best friend's along the way if need be and work from her home for that morning.
Driving would be a whole lot easier than flying. For one, I'd be in my own vehicle, so no COVID mask required while driving, and I can take a more varied wardrobe, not to mention not having to separate out shampoo and all that travel stuff into those tiny bottles that are permitted on the plane. And I dread all the heightened security stuff.
I don't have to decide right now, but I may make up my mind tomorrow and pull that trigger and cancel the tickets and rent a car instead. I have a cousin in Indiana I could call up and stay with so I could split the 14 hour trip across 2 days, or at least, across 2 days going up, which would keep my driving time to daylight hours; I could conceivably push through to Charleston, WV on the way back; would be 12 hours but would put me ahead of any weather events on the way.7 -
This group is so supportive and helpful and if I like reading what people are sharing then I suppose I should get out of my comfort zone and share and post more too..ill certainly work on it. Sharing thoughts and goals certainly do help- I know this!. And @bmeadows380 ...how did it turn out?! I’ve read and caught up what you’ve previously shared..I hope it went well! I’ve also been MIA on MFP since just after Xmas. I’ve recently shared that I was just diagnosed with breast cancer (I’m in my 30s so it was a shock to say the least). I was doing soooo good with the weight loss..about 27 lbs lost then it was life turned sideways and off to surgery first week of January in a different city then I live. So out went working out and eating healthy (to be quite honest..as I was recovering from surgery from a hotel room in a daze of what my circumstances are now...I was living on take out and trying to comfort myself so calories were not on my mind!). Fast forward to now..been finally feeling like most pain is over so I got back on that scale and to my surprise..only up a lb! I’ll take it especially after last weeks full on binge. But now I’m finding it super hard to stick to cal goals again while all I’m really able to do is sit on couch and maybe take one walk a day (I’m still forced to quarantine in my house for another 7 days as I travelled. I can’t even hug my kids or hubby). And I’m off for next stage in treatments in a couple weeks so I’ll be forced to eat out again. On one hand I think why even bother right now with all this craziness going on..but other part of me says I need to push through any obstacle and stick with it cause damn...i don’t want to go backwards. Hoping I can figure out how to control my emotional eating or I’ll be back to beginning.4
-
@joone_9 big hugs & sending you strength!
When I was traveling for work with hotel kitchenette, I would hit up Target for their refrig prepared proteins & produce or Whole Foods instead of eating out. I'm not sure if it is option for you at this time, but a thought in case it is.
I don't post much myself either, but I will improve as I appreciate the open support forum & community.2 -
So first, I"m still on my plateau and just can't seem to get the motivation to get back to sticking to a deficit. The good news is I'm still sitting around 230 lbs which I was at Christmas, so no real net gain in 2 months, but I don't want to stop here, either. Especially with the new motivation I have to get more weight off!
I'm seeing now though that I am at the point where I must add in exercise, and that's hte killer right now. The only exercise I've been able to consistently do is walk outside, and that's not going to happen for another month. I might get a few good walks in next week since we are getting a warmup.
I'm thinking hard about seeing if I can get myself to fast once or twice a week for the next few weeks. I did get a day in the week before last, hoping it would help calm down the cravings and the over eating, but it didn't. And I really got off track this week, what with the weekend in Green Bay, the extra unexpected night in Chicago, etc.
But I need to change something up to break this plateau mentally, too. I really, really want to see at least 30 lbs gone this year, and if I can squeak off 50 lbs all the better!2 -
now, for the trip to Green Bay......;)
The answer to your burning question is yes, I had a fabulous, wonderful, terrific, beautiful, awesome time with my man in Green Bay
The time was entirely, entirely too short, though, and I really did not want to leave, and he really did not want to let me go! I've found me a wonderful, awesome guy unlike any I've ever known - attentive, romantic in his own way, with a really big heart, and we are definitely in that madly in love stage!
He was so cute on Monday. My flight connected in O'Hare International in Chicago. Unfortunately, the plane I needed to get to Chicago on was late getting to Green Bay. The attendant swore I had plenty of time to make my connection, so I went ahead and got on the plane. She was wrong; by the time the plane landed in Chicago, I had 9 minutes to get from terminal F to terminal B at the very end, and I knew I wasn't going to make it. Sure enough, I got to the gate at the same time the plane was taxiing onto the runway.
So I texted my boyfriend, told him what happened, and proceeded to customer service to make alternate arrangements. The poor guy was freaking out that I was stuck in Chicago; I was calmly consoling him, reminding him that it was all right, I was fine, I could handle it, I just needed to get alternate tickets, I had a smart phone to make hotel arrangements on, etc. Bless his heart; he was all ready to jump in his car and make a 4 hour drive in bad weather to Chicago. And while I would have like to have just gone back to Green Bay, it made more sense that I stay in Chicago, which is what I told him. So I talked my mom through how to get into my work cell to get my my supervisor's number (I had left my work cell at home 1) because I was going out of state and didn't want to lose it and 2) I was on vacation and absolutely was NOT going to let work enter my mind the entire time I was gone lol), got my tickets rescheduled for Tuesday, then went and got lunch at McDonald's and made hotel reservations nearby on my AAA app while I ate. The worst part was getting to the hotel; it was not clear where the shuttles were and no schedules posted. But I made it fine. I was told my luggage was in Chicago with me but would take 4 hours to retrieve, so I said forget it and just went to bed. Good thing I did; turns out they were wrong and my luggage arrived at my destination a day ahead of me!
I texted the boyfriend and laughed and told him this is what dating an independent woman is like; he later told me his parents agreed with me when he told them what was happening. lol Poor guy has never run into a woman quite like me it seems!
And yes, I came home with a ring. Wasn't meant to be more than just a gift, but Sunday evening, while standing in his kitchen waiting for dinner to finish up, he decided on the spur of the moment to pop the question
He truly had meant to wait and do or more officially, but I personally find it so fun and memorable and unique and jsut all the way better this way, anyway. So the ring he bought that was meant to just be a gift ended up becoming an engagement ring of sorts. And it suits me perfectly - its the One Ring from Lord of the Rings And instead of wearing it on my finger, like Frodo, I wear it on a chain around my neck for safe keeping!
Unfortunately, we can't set any dates yet because he still needs to find a job down here, and until that happens, we don't know what to plan. So we wait. *sigh*
I've been amazed at the support I have received, even with the fact that its a whirlwind romance. The people I expected caution and reservation from are fully supportive and happy for us, and I am very grateful for that!
So yes, I can now say I not only have a boyfriend, I have a fiancee, me the woman who after reaching age 40 though it wasn't meant to be for me......God really does have a sense of humor
11 -
Oh, and this is the dress I wore up to meet him in and I still am trying to figure out just where I got the daring to wear it. Not only to meet him in, but to dare to wear it through Chicago O'Hare International Airport, along with a pair of high heeled boots, and openly with my coat thrown over my arm! lol I look at the picture and go - who is that woman?
My best friend tells me that the second picture I need to frame; she claims she's never seen me look go happy lol
9 -
@bmeadows380 - OMG!!! Congratulations!!! I am so so happy for you. Such a wonderful story. Thank you for relaying every detail. And you look fabulous!
Regarding being stuck at your current weight - you know what you need to do to get unstuck. If managing a deficit right now isn't something you can stomach, just manage maintenance instead, or maybe shoot for a tiny deficit, like 250 calories a day and see if the weight doesn't slowly drift down. You have all the time in the world to lose the next 30 or 40 pounds. It will come.3 -
Bmeadows....super big hugs!...you rock that dress and I am thrilled you had such a great and romantic trip!....welcome back!0
-
@bmeadows380 Congratulations! What exciting news!!! So glad you had a such a wonderful trip!1
-
OMG!! @bmeadows380 I am so happy for you!! It sounds wonderful and magical and the ring is perfect for you! I can’t wait to hear all about the next adventure you are going on (wedding planning)!!2
-
bmeadows380 wrote: »Oh, and this is the dress I wore up to meet him in and I still am trying to figure out just where I got the daring to wear it. Not only to meet him in, but to dare to wear it through Chicago O'Hare International Airport, along with a pair of high heeled boots, and openly with my coat thrown over my arm! lol I look at the picture and go - who is that woman?
You look stunning in this dress! So vibrant and full of life. He is a lucky guy.
You are beautiful and happy in both pictures - but that dress is just WOW
I occasionally buy something kind of exciting - but it always ends up just hanging in my closet until I pass it one somehow.
2 -
@lauriekallis
Losing weight had already had me actually looking at style and finding that I enjoyed a more feminine look now and then; before it was jeans and t-shirts mostly, and blouses and skirts for church with flat, sans makeup. clean, presentable, but still mostly frumpy. Losing weight had already had me starting to pay more attention to style and cut and experimenting a little more with makeup and heels and such. But having a man in my life has really had me exploring my feminine side much more, and I'm finding I very much like being more feminine in my appearance. Helps very much too to know my efforts are vastly appreciated lol4 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »@lauriekallis
Losing weight had already had me actually looking at style and finding that I enjoyed a more feminine look now and then; before it was jeans and t-shirts mostly, and blouses and skirts for church with flat, sans makeup. clean, presentable, but still mostly frumpy. Losing weight had already had me starting to pay more attention to style and cut and experimenting a little more with makeup and heels and such. But having a man in my life has really had me exploring my feminine side much more, and I'm finding I very much like being more feminine in my appearance. Helps very much too to know my efforts are vastly appreciated lol
This exactly!
I found myself checking to see if my pierced earrings might still go in (it has been about 4 years) the other night. They did. I am now wearing earrings again - there is no doubt this has to do with losing weight...I'm right there with you Feminine Sister!
Though I'll probably still stick to jeans and t-shirts (long-sleeved shirts!). Just jazz it up with some feminine details!
2 -
Spurred on by my impending move to a new house, I went through my closet and took a hard look at what I really want to take with me. Asking myself "Even when I get down to a small enough size to wear this again, will I want to?" Maybe I just don't like the style anymore, or maybe it was an ill-fitting item to begin with and no sense wasting a moving box on that. Then there are the "I really only wore this because I felt like I could hide in it" pieces that are too big and still just as disliked now after 40 pounds of loss. It feels freeing to have mostly clothes that I feel good about stocking my closet and now I have no choice but to continue my downward trend - all my XL's are getting donated!8
-
@amart4224 - not to mention how much fun it is to get new clothes in smaller sizes. Even through lockdown here, I've been finding some smaller pants and shirts on marketplace and having such a great time! Even managed to partner up with someone who was/had gained weight and we did a massive exchange.
4 -
So I know I've been AKA for quite a while this winter, and it probably won't change too much this spring and summer, but I will try to get updates for you occassionally
I haven't been losing because I haven't been any good at sticking to deficit; in fact, I admit I haven't even been logging consistently for the last month. However, I can take one good thing from that because my weight has been running consistently around 232 lbs, meaning I am maintaining, so I should consider this plateau to be a good exercise in practice for long term maintenance. I was thrilled to get my walk in on Tuesday and wish I could do it again today, but I have too many things to do today that need my attention, and tomorrow will be the same.
But Saturday I plan to work outside, even if its going to be cooler - I need to do some serious cleaning out my storage shed and may go ahead and even put together my chicken house so I can have it ready to start painting. I also need to take a bed in my back bedroom apart and either take it over to my mom's if my sister is going to use it or put the frame and head and foot boards into storage here, not to mention also cleaning out what I call my storage room, moving tubs, sorting some of those tubs, and breaking down boxes that are good for packing things and burning the ones that aren't.
The fiancee has sent notice to his employer that he is moving down this way and would like to discuss with them the option of either making his position permanently remote so he can work from home anywhere in the US, or finding him one that can be done that way, which frankly should not be hard since the full time employees he works with have been doing that for months now anyway. But right now he's a temp looking to move into a full time job, and needs to discuss with them those details. We have set a couple of tentative wedding dates - either April 24, our first choice, May 22, our second choice, or end of June, which neither of us is really happy with but will tolerate if need be. Which date we use depends on what his employer gets back to him with - if they say yes, but we'd like you to train for another x amount of weeks, then we'll work with that.
We've become very good friends and are very secure and sure of our decision to marry. And since he needs to relocate 1,000 miles, and we both agree that living together before marriage is not an option (we are both conservative in our values on that topic), and because it makes much more sense for him to move straight in then temporarily to an apartment only to move AGAIN when we did marry, we thought it just makes sense to marry early. Also, we realized that since we are combining incomes, the sooner we are together the better off financially for both of us - I own my own home, so no rent, no mortgage, meaning if he can maintain his current salary, then that is a big extra wad of cash each month he would be saving and that can be put into savings for us.
But in all honestly, we are ready to be married and get our lives together going. Neither of us are young people just starting out, we know who we are, what we want in life, and we've been extensively talking about things like day to day life, our expectations and beliefs and attitudes toward politics, religion, friends, family, all that deep philosophy topics because we both were not in this to play around but to seriously consider each other as potential marriage partners. And those friends of ours who have gotten to know both of us agree and support our decision to go ahead with the wedding. I just find it rather funny since I never dreamed I'd be the kind of person to marry something within 6 months lol
I am flabbergasting some family and friends, though. We have not announced a wedding date y et because we just don't know, but a friend of the family reached out to me the other day to ask if we had one, and when I told her that we were tentatively hoping for 4/24, she just about died on me. "Wait - 4/24 as in next month?!!!!! This year?!!!!! You can't plan a dream wedding in 7 weeks!!!!!" And the church secretary, when I called to find out what needed done to reserve the fellowship hall and how soon did we have to know to get in for it, said the same thing lol
But I responded that yes, actually, you can when all you want is something very low key. I don't need bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, or any of that entourage. I don't want monogrammed napkins or fancy dishware or flowery invitations or a ton of fancy decorations - I want simple and homespun. I am making my own dress and my own cake. I've already made my bouquet though if the right flowers are in bloom the day before the wedding, I will switch to real flowers picked out of my and my mother's gardens. I just want a family meal and we would plan to contact family members and tell them "bring this dish or that dish", my brother to cook the meat, my sister in law to do makeup, another friend to do my hair, and her mother to do a little bit of decorating the evening before using whatever she already has on hand - no need to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff, other than perhaps enough of my chosen flowers to fill 2 baskets to set on either side of the wedding arch. That's it. I'm asking his parents to record the Lord's Prayer to bring the bride in on, have a short and sweet ceremony, enjoy dinner with the family, and call it good. that's my dream and what I want. I'll send notifications out on my own printed out card stock to those I want notified. No caterers, no gift registry, no bridal shower and if people insist on gifts, we ask they contribute to the house remodel/ him moving fund lol
If we can have it in April like we want the ceremony would be closed to close friends and family and we would then have a reception/open celebration for more far flung friends and family later in the summer, once he's moved in and we're all settled. If we have to bump it to May, the same thing may apply because his parents cannot make it down until the end of June but neither of us really want a mid-summer wedding; its always so hot that time of year!
Meanwhile, once we know for sure what his employer is going to do and that we can live in my house, we have talked through remodeling plans and I have a contractor lined up to start. I have money set aside from my bonus and income tax refunds this year to do the work. Which is why I need to spend this weekend cleaning rooms and the shed out lol
So that's my update for you; we'll see when I get a chance to provide another!
9 -
@bmeadows380 WOW. Just WOW. So very happy for you. It sounds like this spring will be truly transformative for you. And, the icing on that cake is that your weight is stabilized! Congratulations on every front.2
-
Congratulations @bmeadows380! So very happy for your both. Your wedding sounds lovely and since you are keeping it small and limited to family, also safer during COVID.3
-
Very exciting news!...I wish you both the best of life...1
-
@bmeadows380 Wonderful news! Congratulations! Be sure to let us know when fiancee hears from his employer. Hoping you get the news you both want! And good luck with your cleaning/organizing projects!1
-
I realized I had not given you guys an update!
We received our answer back from his employer and it was a no on all front - no, they had not intended to bring him over full time and no they would not let him work remotely. So we have decided to marry on 4/24 so he can move in and be down here for the job search in this area. There is still a chance he can get another assignment from the temp agency he works for that can be worked from West Virginia, but since they still have not responded to him, we are not hanging our hats on that, so to speak, and are making plans instead for him to get down here and look for something on his own.
We had prayed for answers and that is what we feel is the direction we need to go. What is interesting is that on the same day that his employer came back to him on a no, I found out that the county in which I live is looking for 7 full time school bus drivers. He has his CDL license and has driven bus in the past and we had actually discussed that as an option, so that is the first possibility he plans to explore further once he is down here.
So as you can imagine I have been extremely busy with wedding plans and moving plans! The contractor started this week on the changes that needed to be made to my house since we now have settled the issue for sure on where we are going to live, and the fiance is working on arranging movers and all that he needs to on his end. He found the documentation he needs for the marriage license, and I plan to go up his birthday weekend in 3 weeks with a car load of boxes to start packing. Rings are ordered, venue reserved, announcements have been mailed out, cake ordered, and pastor lined up, which is all I needed because I'm keeping this whole affair as simple and easy as I can! When its all said and done, we will have spent less than $1400 for the entire wedding including the rings!13 -
So excited and happy for you @bmeadows380 ! Big changes coming!1
-
Good morning everyone!
How's everyone feeling? I'm feeling pretty great, still going strong and glad its Friday.
It's funny(well not that funny) how not so long ago I seemed completely powerless to not stop on my way home and literally sneak in an entire meal (if not more) before supper (while keeping it secret from my family)... And if not a full blown meal, something equally bad for me. It's amazing that once you actually commit body and spirt, all those past thoughts that would invariably lead me to skip the exit turn on the highway to home and head on down to restaurant drive through central becomes a sort of vague memory.
I have been trying to keep in mind, if ever I do have a bad day I must not let that day stretch into tomorrow, and Today is always the day fix it.
Peace all, wishing you all success and a fantastic weekend. (it's practically spring this weekend in Northern Ontario).7
