Up and out early. Car maintenance done (and they found a very small nail in one tire but were able to fix the tire -- whew. Ran several errands because we're due for snow tomorrow and who knows what on Friday. Am stocked up now, doing laundry and trying to get a few things done. If need be, I can stay home until Monday (two doc appointments).

Diane, beautiful kitties -- a bit like my Theo. Cindy, eager to see Jasper.

MaryLynn, happy birthday to the beautiful Kelly.

Succumbed to baked potato chips today -- had a crunchy/salty craving so chose the least-bad option. Still ...

OK -- time to take something for my back and finally open the mail! Will check back later. Pardon me if I am a little quiet for a few days -- just feeling contemplative and introverted this week.

Big hugs to all.

Hi Ladies- Finished eating for today and I went over by 125 calories- yes they were not clean M & M's ... but it could have been much worse and I'll take it.
Wish I had time for a leisurely bath- I used to have a huge claw foot tub in one of my homes- miss that one. LOL
Anyway- sounds like we're all doing good things winter storm headed our way for the weekend.
Waving to all who follow tonight. Tomorrow is a new day.

Hello all. Checking in after a long day traveling. Just got back from dinner. I picked a spinach salad with blackened salmon and a Dijon vinaigrette dressing. I have no idea how to track it. It tasted way too good to be low cal!

I did a Nike Fit workout in my hotel room earlier for 15 minutes. I need to get more steps for the day afte sitting on the plane all day but I don't feel like getting workout gear on. I think I'll g walk the halls and stairs of the hotel. I'm only at 6000 steps. Probably not going to make 10k any of the next three days! I'm going to try to stay on east coast time so will go walk for 20-30 minutes then go turn in for the night. Hopefully I'll get to the exercise room in the morning.

Reading all but not replying much.

Good Morning...........Breakfast is tracked. I have a question that hopefully someone can answer it for me. How can you delete foods in your diary that you may have eaten once and/or don't want it in the list again? My diary for each meal is almost 4-5 pages long!

Mike took me to the store last night and then we ordered Chinese (lots of sodium, I know). It's located in a local mall, so while they were fixing the order, we walked in the mall. It felt good to walk somewhere else other than in the house!

We got snow last night, it looks like around 2 inches. No intention of going anywhere after Mike gets home tonight! Have a great day everyone.

Bert

Good snowy morning here, I was planning to go to the gym for a line dance class (purely for the fun of it) and then go see my daughter and give her my old Fitbit. For those of you that are new here. My daughter is 45 and just recently come in to my life. I was 16 when she was born and I gave her up for adoption. She just "found" me this past summer. It has been a dream come true and we are slowly but surely getting to know each other and form a relationship. This is something I truly believed would never happen, so to say I am blessed is an understatement. We live on opposite ends of town but she works about a block from the gym, which is 4 miles from my house. So now we will be able to get together, if even for a few moments, more spontaneously.
The roads here look awful, hoping they will be cleared in time for Zumba. If not I will do a video here to keep up my promise to myself to workout 6 days a week.

Diane, great job with the workout and the food choices. I've seen how well you can do when you are focused and I think you are in the zone my friend. Keep up the good work and I know you are going to thoroughly enjoy your ski mini vacation. You have certainly earned it.

Cindy, I think pre tracking and planning a healthy snack will be helpful. I wonder if you are reaching for those sugar fixes at the same time every day? Maybe you would be better off with some chocolate milk, especially since you are a milk lover. Or milk and a piece of fruit. Thanks for the tip about the nuts, I always forget about them and I have the 100 cal packs of almonds, walnuts and I always have pecans toasted and in the freezer. Need to start adding them to my yogurt at lunch and maybe again as a snack after dinner.

Bert, good question. I am going to play around too, since I have extra time today. I bet you really enjoyed your mall walk yesterday. Glad you got it in before the snow hit.

Vikki, not sure if calories burned are weight based here for exercise, but it would make sense that they are. Let me know what you find out. I told my trainer the amount of calories MFP gave me for TRX and she agreed with it. Have fun with your son. I always loved cooking with the kids. When my son was growing up, he had to cook one meal a week. He chose the menu and I walked him thru it. Edd cannot cook anything, he can heat stuff up in the microwave but that is truly it for him. I didn't want Mike to go thru life like that. He mostly grills now but I know he has the basics down. Anyway, enjoy the time with him and the snow. Memories are being made today, enjoy a cookie, otherwise what is the point of a snow day. Just stop with one or two.

Karla, what a fun day you have planned with Izzy. You, too, are making the best memories. I miss my grandkids being little. Just got a save the date card from my youngest grandson for his May wedding. How can he be old enough to get married. Seems like just yesterday we were at the cabin, playing in the sand, swinging on ropes, swimming and tubing on the river. Sorry for no loss this week, but at least it was not a gain and you had a great loss last week. You may have been retaining fluid from your birthday celebration. Bet you have a good loss next week.

I have thought about some changes I can make to increase my calorie intake. I think I will switch to a "non-diet" whole grain bread, add in some nuts and switch to regular cheese. I need to get my second oil, always get one with breakfast but don't always get the second one. It's a start and hopefully what I need. If anyone has any other suggestions I am certainly open to them. I am going to my Son's for the big games on Sunday. He is serving pizza and I have been craving it something crazy. Probably because they show pizza commercials at every break in the action. I think I have to blame Peyton Manning for this, since he does the Papa John's commercials. Actually don't care for Papa John's so am hoping that is what my son orders. But I do plan to eat at least one piece. Of course, everyone is bringing an appetizer and my DIL asked me to bring stuffed jalapenos: cream cheese, sausage, parmesan cheese stuffed in jalapeno halves and then baked. It is going to be a real challenge. Hoping to position myself as far from the food as possible and not go there hungry. But I am an appetizer girl so it will be a test of my will.

Hope you all didn't fall asleep reading this, sorry for the long post
Patti

jeanette - that sounds like a really fun job! I agree that all of this calorie count stuff is approximate. Those of us that are losing have a deficit target, so just because we go a bit over on what we wanted to eat, its not going to make us gain weight!

patti - what about quinoa...high protein carb! sounds like you might need to drink Vikki's lemon water with olive oil!! That is a great story about your daughter! So glad you are building a relationship...that is tough! Have fun at line dancing/zumba/video...whatever you do!!! Perhaps in addition to your stuffed jalepenos, you could bring a healthy app?

Diane - when I traveled, I ALWAYS brought my workout things...actually using them is another matter. Great job!!

vikki - I love cooking and baking with my kids. I hope to get a banana bread in the oven this afternoon. great job with your workout targets...its only wednesday!

well, off to make dinner, do laundry and hopefully prepare a banana bread.

cheers - Lisa

Time to take a break here and check in.

Bert, glad you are getting out -- good for the spirit. Chinese food -- yum! I have the same question about how to clean out the list of things I've tracked. For goodness' sake, it adds Quick-Add amount to the list. Puh-leez!!! It's my sole gripe about MFP so far and I sure don't mind having the extra $20 a month I was paying WW.

Lisa, I laughed about your duaghyer creatuing her own two-hour delay. I LOVED to sleep in when I was a kid and even when working became the queen of getting up, showered, dressed and out the door in record time. I'd abuse the snooze alarm at least twice a week.

Karla, the scale has a mind of its own. That's one reason I am weighing less often -- rather than be freaked out by the number I'm trying to put the focus on what goes into my mouth. Today, a successful effort -- so far.

Cindy, somehow I missed the pooch and camp pics yesterday -- what a lovely campsite, and the pups are adorable. Can Jasper please jump into my lap/ (Theo, currently on my lap, resents that remark.) You'll do well when you travel -- we all do our best. Diane's leading the way and boy, did that salad sound good. May need to make something similar soon.

Vikki, we got about 4" of snow, with much more due Friday.

I posted on our subdivision's FB page that I'd love to find some neighborhood kids to shovel my driveway, Today two cute boys about 7 and 10 showed up at my door with shovels (a neighbor I have yet to meet in person sent them in my direction) and they now have a steady gig for the winter. They did a nice job and were thrilled when I gave them $20 instead of the $15 they asked for. Told them I will pay more if the snow is deeper next time. I remember how glad I was to earn a few bucks as a kid (mostly babysitting or taking in mail for vacationing neighbors). So nice to have such thoughful neighbors and a couple of good kids I can rely on.

Am emptying and organizing my pantry in short bursts today. It's heck on my back, foot & ankle (took something but still sore -- may need to finish tomorrow) but it will be nice to get my nonperishables organized -- have found very little past expiration and am making a list of things I'm low on. My aim this winter is to eat out of my well-stocked pantry and freezer and buy only perishables. It'll be good for me and save me money. There's a pot of turkey/black bean chili simmering. Made a big pot so I can freeze several servings. I love soup and making my own is enjoyable. So glad I bought an upright freezer for my garage -- helps me eat more healthily and cook in batches.

OK, I've bent your ears (eyes?) long enough. Onward! Will check back later.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I have tried to like oatmeal, adding fruit, nuts, milk and flavorings, but at the end of the day it is still oatmeal and just doesn't do it for me. I have tried quinoa in several recipes and just don't get it. No taste, just filler, I do have lots of recipes saved so I may look thru those to see if I can work them into my lunch. I feel the same way about rice but will see if I can find a way to add it in to some of my recipes to amp them up. I do love avocados but always forget about them for some reason, so will need to add them to my grocery list. I am willing to try if that is going to get this weight off and keep it off. I know I am always going to be a work in progress.

I was going to blow off exercise since I can't get to the gym, no real reason, just lazy today. But gave myself a talking to and did the new Leslie DVD, the 40 minute workout which is really only 30 minutes of aerobics with 5 minutes warm and 5 mintutes cool down. Better than nothing at all and I liked this new one as she had a few new moves that were fun.

Myra, I think checking out your friends pages and liking their posts is a good use of time spent just sitting. At least it keeps it interesting.

Janet, how nice to have those boys to count on and giving them extra will keep them coming back and doing a good job. I am a condiment and spice collector too. Anytime I see a new combo I just have to buy it. My favorite place to find cool ones is at Marshalls and TJMaxx. I have to go thru and weed out every year. And since I have 2 homes I have double the stash, lol. Sounds like we all were in the soup making mode this week.

I forget who said they had made Lentil and ham soup earlier but would love to have the recipe if possible. I have been eating the Madras Lentils from Costco and really like them.

Cindy, hoping your pretracking worked for you today.

Patti