Hi all, much better day today! Jan, I go to the movies by myself all the time. Hubby doesn't like movies and I do! It's actually great. You are not with someone who wants to talk etc.. I say go for it!

Sorry for the negative blog yesterday. I just have a tough time dealing with family. Thanks for all reminding me that today would be another day and thanks dj for the words of advise on will power. I will get stronger with the family!

I must admit I have weaknesses for both margaritas and seafood. I try to avoid the former and not being near the coast, the latter is such a treat. When we were in Florida last winter we consumed a lot of shrimp from the market nearby. We do eat a lot of fish, though.
We have damp, cool weather today and being Sunday, I think I'm going to watch the British Open on tv later. I'm a golfer. Not a particularly good one, but I try to play a couple of times a week in the summer. I've spent the morning trying to sync various electronic devices and think I've finally succeeded.
Have a great day!

What a beautiful Sunday! Currently it's 86, but no humidity! Planning on some ribs on the barbie later so have been extra careful throughout the day so I can splurge a little! :happy: Going to look at a used treadmill later! I can do this this time!

Hi everyone, I am going to join you all too. I am almost 65 (in August) and made a decision this week, that I will either lose this weight (50 lbs) once and for all or accept it and be done with dieting for the rest of my life. I am soooooo beyond tired of losing gaining losing gaining. I have also looked for the quick fix for most of my life. And this time I intend to take it slow and BE CONSISTENT with exercise and eating healthy. I have a choice EVERY day. I will either work toward getting healthier or I will let go and go with what is. For today, I choose health. I am not doing grains for now. And limited dairy. My focus is on veggies fruit and protein. I am going for walks every day, even if it is only 5 minutes OR doing my Leslie Sansone DVD's which I love. And staying away from the scale. My focus is on health and energy. I look forward to getting to know you all and hopefully being able to be there for you as we walk this journey together. :flowerforyou: Dyanna

Welcome Dyanna! Sounds like you've made a really great decision and have a solid plan for reaching your goal. BTW I love Leslie Sansone and her workouts.

I only joined this group a few days ago myself but the people here are wonderful and I'm so happy now to be one of them. *smiles*



Sandy

PS... 51 in September and I want to lose another 100 pounds.

Hi Dyanna, welcome to the group. I am a newbie here also but just love this group. Everyone is supportive and always offer great advice. Together we are strong!

Good morning, everyone. You are all inspiring in your determination to make this work, and I can attest that it does, but I'm so happy to have the kick I need to get on with the next phase for me. Thank you!
DarrlysGinger (Sandy) - I taught grades 7 and 8 for my whole teaching career. Kudos to you for going on and doing something else with your talents!
Someone mentioned having a hungry day. That was me all weekend, and I think it could be because I tend not to eat in the morning on weekends. After four years of retirement, I still have a weekend mentality, perhaps because my DH is mostly off work on weekends. Note to self....eat breakfast on Saturday and Sunday!
Have a wonderful, healthy week everyone!

I am realizing that my "free" Mondays will end soon! I still do have some time off, and I intend to use it well. The weather is incredible so I like being outside. The heat and humidity is on its way back. I am trying so hard to stay on track. Medifast is really easy because you only need to plan one meal a day. The rest is done! I was so successful before, but am getting lazy now. I know that my vacation in 3 weeks will throw me off a bit. All that food and alcohol!! Last time I went to this place I lost 3 pounds so I know I can do it. How's everyone doing with exercising? How is that elliptical working out for you, DJ? I am really enjoying reading all your posts! Happy Monday, all!

I just finished reading your 4 pages of discussion and think this is the best group ever!
I am a 52 mom of 3 boys. Zachary is studying at Colorado School of Mines. He has a BS in Physics engineering and working on his Masters in Computer Science. Cory is studying Film at Full Sail in Florida. My youngest, Max, is 12 and is going to do Turbo Jam with me and be my exercise buddy. I give him $1 per day so he will do it and motivate me.
I have been homeschooling Max using Calvert, so that is how I spend most of my day.
Other than Turbo Jam, I walk with Zoey my Norwegian Buhund 2-3 times a day for 1/2-2 hr each time depending on the weather and my mood.
I also have been on various diets and exercises. I lose weight but then an injury (have a bad back and knee), my frequent migraines, or just depression stops me and the weight goes back up.
Now I am motivated so that when I vacation this fall, I will be in better shape.
I lost 4 pounds since last Monday!! I was so glad. It would be wonderful if it would keep up but 2 pounds is more normal.
I do keep my calorie count between 1200-1600. I have the Body Media Armband and it keeps track of how many calories I burn.
Sometimes we go bike riding with the dog or play tennis on the weekend. You should see Zoey! She loves tennis, soccer, balloons, and basically any sport you can think of. We just have to make sure it is fenced or she has a tendency to run off if she sees something or someone. I hate that as it takes quite a while to find her again. She doesn't come when called. Stubborn breed!!
I live in Germany right on the border by the Netherlands. I have lived here for 10 years and before that 7 in England where my last son was born. So if anyone wants to visit, great! I do get lonely here as there are not really any Americans in my little city. I do speak German so I walk with other people that have dogs as well. As I said earlier, we have no yard so we must walk so the dog can go to the bathroom in the farmers' fields. We have a nice wooded area as well 5 min drive from the house. So we walk there sometimes for anywhere from 1-3 hrs as that is how long their paths are. We do take water for ourselves and the dog as well as dog treats.
I hope this helps you get to know me better. I also love reading, especially the Anita Blake series!

Welcome Lydia!

Sounds like an exciting life of travel though I understand how you might get a little lonely for friends/family you've known a long time. What brought you to England and then Germany?

Kudos to your son for getting paid to exercise. I visited my 18 year old the first month of summer vacation and paid him $50 to be my "fitness coach". lol To his credit he did a good job keeping up with my progress and setting exercise goals for me. They definitely know how to make a buck. lol

I've read Anita Blake in the past, along with Sherrilyn Kenyon. At the moment, I'm just reading for a history class I'm taking so the for pleasure stuff is waiting patiently.

Where is your son in Florida? I'm originally from Lakeland which is between Tampa and Orlando. I moved to Louisiana a couple of years ago to get married but I go back a couple/three times a year.

Sandy

wow..thank you ALL for such a warm welcome. I will try to post a couple of times a week. Today is day 6 of my new attitude, and it is truly making a difference. Anytime I am tempted to stray, I remind myself that this is make it or break it time. So if I break, I am done. My mind truly cannot continue the starting and stopping several times a year and the constant struggle. I no longer want to struggle.......I can no longer struggle. Can anyone else relate?
It was a very hot (than goodness for air conditioning!) and very busy day for me today. I did Leslie Sansone indoors. And then played with my 3yo granddaughter. (We made a princess fairy garden . So while I am tired tonite, it was a fun day and I feel so good to have exercised and eaten healthy. But I had to make that my priority over everything else. I think that will be key for me. To make myself and my health a priority has not been easy for me to do. I am praying for strength and courage to continue. I send you all my love and see us all succeeding with renewed health and love of life! Dyanna

Sandy,
The reason I am in Germany is that my husband works on the AWACs and is now a NATO civilian. We have been almost where ever they are or at least he has.
My son, Cory, lives in Altamonte Springs and goes to school in Winter Park, about 20 min. north of Orlando.
For homeschooling, Calvert sends lesson manuals so all I have to do is teach what they write. They even give out the answers so that if you don't know them, you can still tell your student. They take the work out of planning. I really like the program. I taught my other 2 boys for 4 years and now the classes are much harder than they used to be. More subjects than kids ever get at school. In fact, when my oldest went to a real school, he said that I already had taught him everything that they were teaching. They also barely gave him any work. It still takes time to teach anywhere from 6-8 subjects a day though. I am constantly learning new things everyday. Kids now learn more than we ever did!
Other than that, I have a migraine today and it is humid here too. Luckily it is around 80 but with high humidity and no AC, it's not so good. I am trying to motivate myself to exercise. It is much harder when your head hurts. Pain meds didn't touch the migraine so I guess I will just have to suffer through and do it anyway. No pain, no gain, or in our case lose of pounds. My mom used to say, "You have to suffer to be beautiful," now I know what she means. Ha, Ha! I hope my head won't explode! :explode: