Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Saturday Success: Overall, I’m pleased with my week. It was a big travel week for me, which always can throw off my eating and exercise. I handled it OK. Plus, the week ended great by spending time with our MFP friends, Tom and Laurie. Today I picked up Laurie and we headed out to Red Rock Canyon for a scenic drive and a nice 2 mile hike. Dinner was out with some of my co-workers and enjoying the beautiful flower conservatory at the Bellagio. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated sharing with Laurie even more and getting her advice and support. We truly have some wonderful people in this group.

@ Karen – I forgot to thank you yesterday. I did refrain and had NO donuts. Woo Hoo!! I saw like 10 hairs and said NO WAY!! LOL!!! It’s nice you heard from your student teacher. Thanks for the recipe idea. I’ve got some chicken sausage out to cook tomorrow and I know I’ve got some mixed peppers up in the freezer. I’ve been wanting to cook more with quinoa myself, but never quite sure what to do with it. I never thought of goat cheese, but love some good risotto so I may give it a try.

@ Rain – I just watched the earthquake on the news. This is 2 for California back to back. Yikes! You really need to stay positive. I know you really want this job, but if you don’t get it then it’s really not the right one for you. No more negative talk. You are worth it!!

@ Kaye – I’m so glad most of the paperwork is in order. It really has to be laid out as specific as possible. I’ll say a little prayer that the VA contract goes through quickly and hopefully this will be the best direction. Thinking of you and your family as decisions have to be made.

@ Nettie – It’s good Brian is not afraid to tackle those projects and he’s saving you guys money too. I think you would have dust whether Brian or someone else was pulling up the floors. Hang in there! It will be over soon. Of the jobs you listed, which one do you really want? I’ll be thinking of you and hope the right door opens. Regarding Laurie and I, we were talking on the phone to find each other. She told me she was wearing her winter coast and I found her immediately. It was awesome to just hug each other.

@ Robin – I’m glad you enjoyed your first pool therapy. It’s really so much better on your joints to be in the water. For a cover-up, a towel is just fine. I’ll often just wear a t-shirt and shorts until I get out there, but normally just a towel is easy enough.

@ Christina – Welcome!!

@ Kelly – Thanks for the water recipe. I’ve been thinking of doing something similar. I want to keep a pitcher at work to drink throughout the day as well. We leave 2 weeks from tomorrow and I want to really have some great weeks so I can stay focused on the ship too.

@ Mel – I play the piano too. I actually have minor in piano, but I haven’t played in a very long time. I can play most things, but my speed is so slow. It’s nice you’re learning to entertain the grandkids – lucky kiddos!!

@ Tanya – Shoeless Joe’s? Do tell.

@ Naomi – Are you kidding me? Australia is on my bucket list for sure. I would LOVE to visit one day. It may not be any time soon, but one day I will make it. As far as the Fit Bit, it’s the tracker I wear for steps, stairs, calories and sleep. I clip it to my bra strap, but they also have them as a bracelet too. I’m a bit addicted to it and hate when I’m not wearing it. I’ve definitely been pushing myself to hit the 10,000 steps every day. Also, I’m glad to hear things settled down a bit with your son. Me personally I would head for the outback and leave the family behind. LOL!!!

Good morning everybody.

Meeting Laurie, Susan and Sheila was great we had a good time! I did not realize it got so late until I got home at 10:30pm.




Lin nice picture.

Kaye best wishes for your Dad and your DH.

“Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.” ~Jill Johnson

Tom

Hello all, I see this is a tight group, I don't have much time to do more than log my diary and weight. I try to read post about once a week. I began MFP about 5 weeks ago and lost 4lbs first week!!! This gave me realistic hope that I may be able to loose a good 1-2 lbs p/wk. However that has not been the case. I lost 0.5 lbs this week (and one other week). I'm beginning to feel hopeless, sad and extremely depressed. Thinking of going on an antidepressant. I've been on Lexapro before in 2008-2009, but I gained a good 30 pounds on it. Since 2008 I've gained 90 lbs and have only lost 9 lbs since I started MFP. Has anyone, with PCOS been on antidepressant? If so, which one?

I am currently half way through my cooking for the week. Quinoa and brown rice are cooked, just waiting for the lentils to finish and I hope I get them before then turn mushy. Then the cauliflower. Salads and veggies chopped and divided. I did a load of dishe (by hand-no dishwasher) and even pulled out the utensil tray from the drawer and cleaned it and the entire drawer... now only 15 or so drawers and cupboards to go. :grumble: Maybe one a day, or week LOL. A few have mentioned lists, and i am the same way. I make lists for everything, and they seem to get longer and longer before half of the first items get done. I have an iphone attached my hip, but have not been able to find a good task/list/todo app that I like. So it has been back to paper. And all this talk of lists and renovating and warmer weather (finally!) has been getting me thinking about spring cleaning. I have a 2 story house all to myself and all the junk is piled in the basement and the 2 upper rooms. I am thinking of finally getting someone to come over and just take it all away. Then I can get the upstairs floors cleaned and washed, maybe move my bed back up there (i have my room on the main floor) and use the laundry room (where my room is now LOL) to keep the cat at night so she can go in and out at night without waking me up. Currently my bed is beside the window, and she scratches at night so I have to wake up, let her out, then in again... several times a night. In the warmer months I just leave the window open, but that just invites bugs and critters in (a few frogs, and a few birds!)

I am debating whether to do an exercise DVD tonight, my legs are still a tiny bit sore and my abs still hurt when I cough or sneeze. Upon taking a peek upstairs earlier I realized my rowing machine could be brought down so I could use that, but there's really no room in my living room. When I get the rooms cleared out, I could turn one entire room into an exercise room, or even the laundry room, it's actually a bedroom size, I had the washer/dryer put on the main level when I moved in. I even have an extra TV and DVD player... oooh, that's a fantastic idea, I'm so excited now!

@Tom: Love the picture of you 3! It was so exciting to see you all together.. I am jealous LOL. Even I've only been here a few weeks, I feel like I know you all.

@Nettie: I love upgrades, a new look is always refreshing. I updated my kitchen, living room (walls and ceiling), shower/tub, windows, doors, roof and siding all in the last 10 years I've been here.(My house was built in the 40's) I'd love to replace the wood flooring I have now, the rest of the bathroom, paint the rest of the house and build decks in the front and back, but the money for that has run out for the time being. I have numerous other smaller projects that need to be done too (like rerouting a few furnace vents, rerouting/changing water pipes and adding electrical outlets) but that will wait too. Still it feels so good to have upgrades done, changes are always nice.

@Robin: glad the water exercises worked out for you, hope that they continue to help. I just spoke about upgrades to a house, and I also think that rearranging the furniture gives a fresh look and feeling too. I have summer tires in my living room right now, so once those go on my car and the snows go into the basement where they belong, I will be able to move a recliner back to its previous position and make the room look nice again and more open. It will also give me a view of the entire room, instead of being practically in the middle of the room and useless (except as a scratching post for the cat). Actually that is the only reason this recliner is staying, so the cat wont scratch the new couch. It's working, sort of. I've bought numerous scratching posts but she won't use them. :huh:

@tlh: you workout without your trainer? Does she give you a workout to do on your own or are you just doing the same exercises that you did when you last worked with her? Personally I love having a trainer... I tend not to quit because they don't let me! I always say it's easier with a trainer because you just have to show up and do what they tell you to do. It's not easier, I think they work me harder than I would do on my own, but with them I am sure to get it done. I've thought of getting a trainer in my area (my physio is near work, but an hour away from home) to do an extra session a week but maybe could not afford it. I might look into that in the future, though.

We woke up to snow this morning and were very glad that we had come over the mountain yesterday. We waited until almost 9:30 to leave our hotel. We were less than 30 min. Down the road when the snow had changed to rain. It soon quit. Our trip home only took 4 hours. Its good to be home. DD is fixing dinner for us. Then she is going for a walk with me. Its a beautiful spring day here. My bleeding heart even started to bloom while we were gone.
Funny NSV: I realized that I can cross my legs at the knees.
L2T: You are echoing my feelings exactly. The other day you talked about rededicating yourself to this journey, and what you said today about not settling for good enough was just what I needed to hear. I only need to lose about 20 more pounds. I just need to buckle down and get it done. I've really indulged myself this week. Now I need to practice some discipline.
Love the picture of Susan, Tom, and Laurie. What fun. Is anyone into Fiddle music? We have the National Old Time Fiddler's contest in Weiser every June. You could come and see me. They usually have a 5k that week, too.
Here's to a good week. Onward and downward. Kaye

Vacation Talk:

My vacation was great, albeit a little more humid in some places than I would like. I packed with the best of intentions, but curly hair and humidity do NOT get along – found my hair in a ponytail most of the time.

Our first excursion was in Aruba - trikes tour. I drove, putting on about 100 miles in a 4-hour tour around Aruba, beautiful (and humid) weather – they were a ton of fun to drive though. :happy: It was a little frustrating, since it was Flag Day in Aruba a lot of sites and stores were closed so we didn't get to see some of the stuff on our list. We also wanted some beach time but after so much sun on the trikes we decided to do some shopping at stores near the port that were open.

Our second port was Columbia - while in Cartagena we did a private tour seeing a lot of the old city along with a visit to the La Popa Monastery which gives great views of the city and Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas fortress – we also visited the gold museum and saw a lot of the wall that still surrounds the old city. The city itself is crazy, just bustling and traffic is nuts (think NYC traffic on steroids), so it just doesn't make sense to own a car. I was very glad we had something lined up as I can’t imagine trying to hail a cab there - you would have to be very good friends with the people in your cab though (or you would be by the end of your cab ride) as they are very small (think Chevy Aveo). Also, if you want to take your life into your own hands you can hail one of the motorcycle cabbies – these guys drive around in traffic as if traffic laws don’t apply to them (driving in between cars and on sidewalks) while carrying an extra helmet (talk about unsanitary :sick: ) for the riders that are crazy enough to get on them. Oh, and the peddlers were relentless!

The day after Columbia we passed thru the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal – what an engineering marvel this is, so cool to experience. What amazes me is that the canal is 33.5 meters wide and the ship is 32.5 meters wide (build specifically to travel thru the canal). It takes about 90-minutes to get through the 3 locks, with each section raising the ship about 28 meters before ending up in Gatun Lake – where we sat for about an hour before going back thru. About 1400 passengers got off the ship in Gatun Lake and took a ferry over to the Miraflores Locks (Pacific Side) – the ship picked them up in Colon. There were bad reviews for the ferry tour (and its expensive) so we just stayed on the ship perched forward on the sun deck while going through. Something that surprised me is that while sitting at the 3rd gate, waiting to get through, there is a road allowing traffic to cross the canal – the road is on hydraulics and just folds in when the gate opens for ships to get thru. :noway: Once we docked in Colon, we did get off the ship to shop a little – but it’s a terrible area, so we quickly returned to the ship.

The day after Panama our stop was Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. I loved it here! It was another humid day but did a private tour where we visited the Jaguar Rescue Center, the banana plantation, and Tortuguero Canal. Costa Rica is beautiful, where howler monkeys and sloths are your neighbors – it is also an area where a large variety of heron’s call home (especially along the canal). The jaguar rescue center was started by a couple many years ago as a jaguar rescue but has grown into a sanctuary for injured or abandoned animals where they are nursed back to health and returned to their habitat (if possible) – saw a variety of animals. We really enjoyed this tour, I was even able to pick up a pound of Costa Rican coffee – can’t wait to try it!

After Costa Rica we were tired (slept thru dinner that night), so were glad for a sea day before dropping anchor in Grand Cayman. During this sea day we also did the cruise ship tour – saw a lot of area on the ship that are usually off limits to passengers including the bridge, mooring area, engineering, galley, and others. Met the captain and other crew along with tasty snacks along the way, the tour ended with champagne and then a goodie bag delivered to our cabin later in the day that included a nice robe, apron, and pictures from the tour. Good times! Grand Cayman was, by far, my favorite port – a group of about 10 of us from the ship did a chartered tour to the turtle farm, sting ray city, and then snorkeling. The weather was beautiful with zero humidity (finally!). The turtles were adorable (wanted to take one home ) and the sting rays are just interesting creatures – I held one and kissed one (supposedly good luck). They are used to humans so swim right up to you and if they are very big will literally knock you off your feet – very rubbery, but neat, creatures. Just need to watch their tails so you don’t step on the barb – but the water is so clear like a swimming pool that you always know where they are. While snorkeling I saw some gorgeous electric blue fish, zebra fish, and lots of beautiful coral, and a sting ray that was missing his tail (they've named him Frisbee). I took a TON of pics here, so hope the underwater pics turn out well. We also went to Hell, pretty cool dead coral area. I flirted a lot with our tour guide (originally from Jamaica), which made for a fun day - I'm sure the tasting of vanilla and pineapple rum added to that! :laugh:

In all we had 4 full days at sea, of which 3 were really rocky – high winds and high swells made for a lot rocking back and forth, nearly rocking me out of bed twice! :laugh: Luckily it didn't affect us. We went to a couple of the shows on the ship – the comedian was hysterical. All in all, it was a great cruise – I would love to go back to Panama when they finish the new locks. I can say though if I never see another iguana it will be too soon! :laugh: Next up is a Canada and New England cruise in October, while on the ship we also booked a second Alaskan cruise for 2015 (longer and different ship).

I know this was lengthy, I apologize, but it was hard to narrow it down. I'm still going through pics, but will share them soon.

Bump for later

Laurie, It is always the third full week of June. It starts on Father's Day. Kaye

@kaye--I would love to visit your area of the country--I've never been out that way. Most of my US travels have been east. I'm booked for Dominican Republic the last week of June this year, but maybe for 2015... Glad you and DH made it home safely. :flowerforyou:

@laurie--glad you had a great trip to LV. I know what you mean about the students--we all have moments where we question why we do what we do, but you know one day soon a student will do or say something that will remind you of why you are a teacher. Those moments make it all worthwhile. :flowerforyou:

@cjen & happy--welcome! :flowerforyou:

@kelley--loved hearing the highlights of your trip! Costa Rica is definitely on my bucket list--I've heard such great things about it. Your comment about the humidity made me laugh b/c I had that experience in Curacao. My hair isn't even curly, just a bit wavy, but while in Curacao it was in ringlets. I had brought my straightener which turned out to be a complete waste of space in my luggage--all I could do was wear my hair in a headband whenever I wasn't in the water. :laugh:

@tanya--I know what you mean about wanting to clear out rooms. I've been talking about cleaning out our spare bedroom for 2 years no. I really need to buckle down and get it done this summer. Of course, we all know I can't even get my dining room table cleared off so...:laugh:

Oh, and here's the recipe I posted:

Speaking of quinoa (above with robin), I cooked a new recipe today. It's not vegetarian, but it did include veggies, so I'll post it. I bought some chicken italian sausage at target last week. The brand was Golden Plump and it is really good! I browned it in a pan and then added sliced red/orange/yellow peppers and onions along with some minced garlic. I didn't need to add any oil--just used a non-stick skillet. I let it all simmer together until the veggies were soft and the sausage was cooked through.

I then made some quinoa to go with it. I mixed the 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa and let it come to a boil, then I added a 10 oz log of goat cheese right into the water. Stirred it in and let the quinoa finish cooking. I often crumble goat cheese over my quinoa, but have never tried cooking it into the mixture. It turned out really good--almost like a "risotto" version of quinoa.

@L2T--Loved your post, and I agree with kaye--I need to follow the same advice. I've also got somewhere between 20-50 lbs to go and just need to rededicate myself. I say the 3 of us make a pact to really buckle down and see what kind of progress we can make over the next month. Maybe if we just focus on April, we will be more successful at keeping to plan.

@robin--even though they are only fish, I could never intentionally let them die, and I don't know of anyone who would want them. They are fairly large Green Severums (a type of South American Cichlid)--we have them in a 90 gal tank, so they would need to move into something at least half that size to survive. I just don't know anyone who would want them. :ohwell: We recently lost 2 and they were all born at the same time (to our last generation), so they must be nearing the end of their cycle. We will just wait it out.

@tracy--good job working out hard without the trainer!! :drinker:

AFM--I got most of my list done. Finished 2 classes of essays, so less than 30 left for this week. Grades are due a week from Tuesday, so I will get them done by then for sure. It would be nice to get them done before the weekend--we will see...

As I mentioned above to kaye and L2T, I'm going to rededicate myself and try to really focus on staying strictly under calories for the month of April. My hope is that this will restart my weight loss and get me motivated to finally lose the last of this extra weight. As a part of this plan, I will be reviewing my calorie allowance to see what I had it set at when I was still losing weight.

March Challenge:
1. 3/4 weeks--Share a new recipe
2. 27/31--Eat a veggie/ salad every day.
3. 30/31--Water goal 12 cups/day

Grading Goals:
1. 43/70 AP essays

Exercise goals:
Mon--walk gunner DONE
Tues--walk gunner DONE + gym DONE
Wed--walk gunner DONE
Thurs--walk gunner NOT DONE
Fri--run outside w/ gunner WALKED GUNNER INSTEAD
Sat--walk gunner DONE + gym NOT DONE
Sun--run outside w/ gunner