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

1242243245247248545

Replies

  • cbabie
    cbabie Posts: 1,546 Member
    Morning all, I will not even try to catch up on post replies. I am so sorry I have been MIA. The Friday before Thanksgiving, we got some news in regards to family that sent me in a downward spiral, then the night before Thanksgiving, I came down with a TERRIBLE sore throat..I did not cook, nothing I was so sick on Thanksgiving. My back and shoulder hurt and throat..then a couple of days later, the cough and "cold" came to visit me. I then started a new job on the following Monday...GGD got 3 shots this week and is teething..literally 1 hour sleep on Thursday night..still fighting the cough and throat is still a little sore. I NEVER get sick but when I do...I go all out. LOL . So hopefully I will figure out when I can get on here daily. My morning routine is shaky at best. I will get a routine going, so please bear with me and know I missed you guys..but most days I was just about surviving.

    Well baby is up..gotta run.

    Cbabie
  • JoDavo66
    JoDavo66 Posts: 526 Member
    @renaergy I hope you get some answers for your jaw from CT scan. -17!! Is that 'C or 'F?? Looks cold whichever!.

    @theslightedgeforever interesting idea as I am.trying to journal my foid with comments to help me focus. Last few days been difficult timewise but I'll go back thro MFP when I have time to consider it.

    @TeresaW1020 what age do you have at your Sunday school? On a Sunday we have 'Church Buddies' from little ones to 10 (although not many under 8 except 2 very ocassional attenders- parents both work weekends) & CREW from 11- currently 16.
    CREW do a social/study on a Sat evening once a month- I do that bit. But all 4 of the main Mums help with different bits- hence the unusual Nativity. I'm organising the Christmas party for both age groups on 21st.
    House cleaning & exercise- good effort. 21 day fix sounds interesting.

    @mswatson0777 I am so pleased Thursday was good as Friday was crazy. My touch screen stopped working so could only use phone hands free (the shop got it going again - after I bought new one!) But this was at totally crucial time as DH had call to go to hospital to see his Dad as they thought it was end of life. It was awful cos i couldn't message- only use car'hands free' & obviously didn't want to phone! Nightmare evening sorting girls, MiL's care, another phone call - we stayed up.most if night awaiting phone call that didn't happen until just before 7am. Sadly he passed away then. So Thursday needed for battery recharge for Friday's support role.

    So as you might have noticed DH's Dad passed away early this morning. We managed to get to church fair & are going to Cadets Mess Dinner tonight but have cancelled other things- apart from Nativity tomorrow. Can't do anything until Monday now anyway. Eldest in middle of mock exams so we'll have to help her cope.
    Allowed myself 1 piece of chocolate tiffin at coffee morning/Christmas fair & 1 biscuit at hairdressers. (Booked appt for Mess Dinner but I can't go to a funeral with tinsel roors!!!)
    Hoping for better sleep tonight.
  • TeresaW1020
    TeresaW1020 Posts: 3,231 Member
    @cbabie, I was wondering where you went off too and I'm so sorry to read that you have been so sick and had bad family news. I pray that you will start to feel better very soon and be able to enjoy the holidays. <3

    @joannadavison, so sorry for your loss in your family. <3 My Sunday school class is 3rd to 5th grade. I'm also a teacher in children's church for 5 to 10-year-olds. I love it but as you know those age groups can be challenging at times. :)

    Well, the party last night was a huge success. :) They had a great time and enjoyed the food and games that we played. I adore these people and it was a blessing to be able to host a party for them all. Everyone loved my charcuterie board (see pic below ;) ). I started out doing pretty well with the food but after four hours of nibbling on this and that, I woke up feeling terrible and my weight way up. On top of it, all my back is killing me! I'm not sure if it was the planks that I attempted to push myself to do yesterday or getting in over 13, 000 steps and probably bending over to pick something up that I shouldn't have. Anyway, I'm taking it easy today and plan to drink a ton of water and get myself back on plan.

    bfqb559s85xz.jpg


  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,394 Member
    Hi all, checking in again. Somehow, can't seem to get into the daily habit, but do think about all of you & read all the messages when I do.

    @joannadavison My deepest sympathy on the loss of your FiL. My thoughts are with you, holidays are such a hard time to lose someone. Hope your kitchen comes together soon, I remember when we redid the kitchen in our last house as we were moving in, what a mess for awhile. The doors & lights are nice.

    @cbabie Sorry about all the turmoil in your life, hope it straightens out soon. Lack of sleep makes everything worse for me. I have kinda had the crud lately, too, Thurs was the worst, but getting better. Still coughing a lot, tho. Good luck with the new job.

    @TeresaW1020 Hope your party was a big success. I had to laugh at the comment about wanting to take down the Christmas decorations, guess that is why I always wait until after Thanksgiving. We finally put our tree up on Monday (of course, the only decorations right now are the lights that came on it). (our neighborhood is crazy with lights, so wanted my tree to at least shine out the window) Meant to decorate it on Tues after dh had his second eye done, but started getting a cold, so rested instead. Finally feeling better, so hopefully today I can put up the rest of the decorations on it & around the house. We redid the outside lights on Thurs when it was a little warmer & now our house fits in with the neighborhood. Wow, I am impressed with all your exercise!!

    @theslightedgeforever Fantastic loss of pounds & all! Your plan is really working & so proud of you for sticking to it! Your food board looked delicious!

    @trooworld Hope the stress dies down & your barley soup sounded good.

    @renaergy Wow, I am impressed with your walk at that temperature!! I really like to walk outside, but would draw the line with icicles on my lashes, lol. If it gets below freezing, I am on the treadmill, but even that has been a miss lately, plan to start again when over this cold more.

    @mswatson0777 I think you asked if anyone has been on a cruise. We have done a few Carribbean ones, and last August, we did an Alaska one. They can be great accommodating any menu choices. My sis & bil eat totally plant based, no oils, & they did a fantastic job with their food. ( A lot of it looked better than ours, lol!)

    I know I have missed some, but know I am thinking of all of you. Try to relax & enjoy this wonderful season. (It's my favorite time of the year) Now, I am going to get busy with my Christmas decorations because I will probably be going to dd's house later to spend the day with her & the gkids because DH & SiL are out at the farm deer hunting. (well, dh cant hunt this year, so just went along & thought he would visit his sis & our old neighbor, etc) Not sure I would leave the house at 4:30am for that, lol.
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,394 Member
    @TeresaW1020 wow, your food looks great. Rest up today, you probably just overdid a little, along with the stress of making sure everything perfect for your party. ;):)
  • trooworld
    trooworld Posts: 5,783 Member
    Hello ladies! I’m sorry I went MIA on you. When it rained here over Thanksgiving, there was some moisture damage around the windows and we are trying to get it sorted out. It will be a lengthy process and a stressful one, so if I disappear that is where I likely am! Right now, we have to hide out in the bedroom because there are noisy drying machines in the living room. :( I’m doing a bit of stress eating tonight: making homemade beef enchiladas with Mexican rice and refried beans. I’ve not been eating poorly, but this is an indulgent meal.

    @mswatson0777 You are welcome, that’s what we do for each other here! :) Thanks, it seems one stressful day is turning into another around here. :( It’s amazing what the proper amount of sleep will do for you. Yes, tis the season to be stressed, overworked and tired! I hope you had fun at the ball, that sounds like fun to dress up and eat good food and have adult beverages!

    @joannadavison Oh bummer about the present! But at least you can know if he will like it or not lol. I’m glad you are making better choices. With the moisture problems we are having, we don’t have access to the living room right now but at least we have access to the kitchen! Forgive my joking tone, I'm typing this in order of reading this and I just read that your father-in-law passed away. I’m so sorry for your loss.

    @renaegry It’s very cool. Unique. Are your eyelashes frozen in that picture??? You look very cold but cute bundled up! :D

    @theslightedgeforever I was just enjoying seasonal cookies, I think. I don’t know really if it was stress-related although it could have been. I enjoy Christmas cookies and the memories attached to them. I could abstain from the cookies, but that’s no fun. ;) I could go for a walk around the building but I didn’t want to do that. Your board looks amazing! Well done.

    @TeresaW1020 Me too, but I see no end in sight...at least not for a while. Your board was lovely, too, yum!!!

    @cbabie I’m so sorry to hear about all of your challenges and setbacks. I hope things settle down soon and that you feel better.

    @RetiredAndLovingIt Thank you, me too! The soup was delicious!!! I love Christmas, too.

    EMPOWERED.
    December goals: track 5 days a week, drink 50 oz of liquids a day, go for a walk 2 times a week, lose 1 lb
  • theslightedgeforever
    theslightedgeforever Posts: 2,196 Member
    edited December 2019
    @teresaw1020 Thanks for giving me the idea of a charcuterie board. Yours looked fabulous. While some ate off of it I noticed most people went right for the comfort foods. But the best thing about it was that I ate most of my food off of it and chose 2 other things from the table other than meat. So it was a very successful thing for me to bring to a potluck. I was able to stay OP for both nights. Your triceps will be thanking you later for how toned and sexy they look. Probably you just have a lot of sodium and your weight will be back to normal soon. What kind of fun games did you play?

    @mswatson0777 I love that phrase make and take party. I'm going to start using that instead of potluck. lol I wrote down some notes about my party experiences so I can look at next year and continue to have success. You do a great job on avoiding the breakroom. Just keep that dress in mind.

  • theslightedgeforever
    theslightedgeforever Posts: 2,196 Member
    edited December 2019
    @cbabie You'll figure out your new normal one of these days. Keep taking care of yourself. We miss you.

    @joannadavison So sorry to hear about your fil. There is never a good time but around the holidays seem to make it harder I think. Thinking about you and your family.

    @retiredandlovingit The most important daily habit for you is staying on your plan and exercising. Checking in with us is always just a bonus. Glad to hear you are getting over your cold.

    @trooworld Sorry to hear of your moisture problems. I hope it gets resolved soon. Abstaining is no fun. But then neither is indulging. I always feel worse afterwards. There's always that fine line in between where we can find our balance. I just know I don't want to end up back at square one come Jan 1. I did that last year. This year will be different. I'm beginning to enjoy all the advantages of losing weight.


    I did really well at both of my gatherings so I'm pleased as punch as they say. Although skipped the punch entirely. That was a tough one. Green day Friday: 166/238 and took an exercise rest day. then today Green day 195/238 and 59 min walk at the mall. I made terrible cookies for Thursday gathering but yummy cookies for Friday. I had two and stopped myself from having a third. Now back to red days so left over cookies will be going to my caregiver.

    December goals: Step class and strength training 2 times a week. 4.5 glasses of water.




  • trooworld
    trooworld Posts: 5,783 Member
    Good morning gals! The enchiladas last night were the best I've ever made. They took a bit of work, but were worth it. It's going to be uncomfortable meal prepping in the kitchen today as the kitchen is right by the hot living room (the living room is hot from the drying equipment, I can only imagine what the electricity bill will be like). I'll do what I have to do I guess. Here's what I'm making for meal prep:

    Italian Meatloaf + Mashed Cauliflower
    Roquefort Pear Salad + chicken breasts
    Pittsburgh Wedding Soup
    Chicken Fajitas + the fixins
    BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

    @theslightedgeforever I'm glad you were able to stay OP at the potluck. I would have eaten off the charcuterie board! Thanks, I hope it gets resolved soon, too. I'm not going to eat all the cookies, just sometimes. I think that is balance. That's great that you are beginning to enjoy the benefits of losing weight, that's a sweet spot to be in.

    EMPOWERED.
    December goals: track 5 days a week, drink 50 oz of liquids a day, go for a walk 2 times a week, lose 1 lb
  • JoDavo66
    JoDavo66 Posts: 526 Member
    Thank you for your kind comments, thoughts & prayers.

    @cbabie sorry things have been tough recently especially hard when you're not well.(a nasty cold/flu & Nora viruses circulating round our area- being very OTT with hygiene in hope to avoid).

    @TeresaW1020 the food looks amazing.

    @RetiredAndLovingIt I am trying hard to make this a daily habit too. Kitchen now functional except- no fidge-freezer (delivered tomorrow), no electrics to cooker or microwave (some snag eh?), lights to go up & light switches to screw back on wall- all electrics to be sorted on Tues and the taps are wrong way round- (hot & cold back to front). Still going to complain about handles as the sales guy devoid of responsibility- I doubt we'll get far but hopefully head office will do something!

    @trooworld oh no! Been there with flooded washer years ago (that was fun with a vomiting 5 week old & a potty training 2 year old!!) Those machines are awful- but they do get the job done. Ohhh I could do with a huge Tex-Mex. Enjoy your cooking!!!

    @ everyone else- Hellooooooo

    The Nativity "Escape Room" was huge success. I was a little disappointed that some church members didn't come because it was "Cafe Worship"- not my favourite style either but it's excellent when done well and give credit to the kids- they did it well. (Helps that 1 Mum is a Deacon & former Youth Worker- so good on family services) & I'm teacher so good in planning activities which engage- so we steered them a bit and made the resources they designed.
    Had late lunch/dinner at pub carvery- we eat the veggie plate & youngest picks her meat so that was healthy option for us.
    Then went to see MiL- doing well considering: been married 62 years, long time together to then be on your own. Eldest SiL staying with her.
  • theslightedgeforever
    theslightedgeforever Posts: 2,196 Member
    @trooworld The recipes look really yummy this week. Especially that bbq chicken one. I'll need to make a list of ingredients so I can add them to my grocery list for Wednesday. Thanks for posting these.

    @joannadavison Good for you for checking in to make this a habit. Hopefully your kitchen will be back together soon. I had to look up Cafe Worship to see what it was. I can see both sides of this issue. I'm a traditionalist on some things and then a liberal on other. lol But you have to meet people where they are. Thinking about your mil. Yes this time must be very hard for her. My parents were married 56 1/2 years when my mom passed.

    Red Day- Stayed OP 90/100 carbs 60 min of walking


    December goals: Step class and strength training 2 times a week. 4.5 glasses of water.

  • JoDavo66
    JoDavo66 Posts: 526 Member
    Morning- took this morning as girls upset & exhausted. DH doesn't work Mondays but had list of sorting & we had fridge-freezee delivered & plumber arrived to start on our little shower room.

    Going in soon- I prefer the distraction of work!
  • trooworld
    trooworld Posts: 5,783 Member
    Good morning ladies! Well, it was so stinking hot in here, I didn't have the energy to cook more than one thing: I cooked the soup. DH is going to make the chicken for the salads. We had the meatloaf last night. That leaves the fajitas to cook on Weds. I'm hoping these awful machines will be gone by then. But maybe they won't be. Who knows??? My weight is the same since Dec 2nd. I guess that is better than gaining.

    @joannadavison Oh that sounds like a terrible situation! Yeah, the machines are not ideal. It's so hot in here!!! I'm glad the escape room went well. Too bad some church members missed out. 62 years of marriage, wow. That will be an adjustment. I hope all goes well with the install.

    @theslightedgeforever You are welcome, I hope you enjoy it.

    EMPOWERED.
    December goals: track 5 days a week, drink 50 oz of liquids a day, go for a walk 2 times a week, lose 1 lb
  • mswatson0777
    mswatson0777 Posts: 290 Member
    @cbabie Holy buckets you got hit with a lot at once! Sending good vibes your way and hoping the rest of the holiday season goes better for you

    @joannadavison I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad to hear your MIL is doing okay and that your SIL is able to be there to help support. And I'm glad your nativity event was a success, it seriously sounded like a lot of fun!

    @TeresaW1020 That board looks amazing and it sounds like you had a fun event! I hope your back starts to feel better soon! That water weight will be off in no time!

    @RetiredAndLovingIt Thank you for the great advice for the cruise! I've been stalking the online menus and I was truly amazed at how many yummy healthy options there are (and many unhealthy options...but that just comes down to self control!). I hope you had fun holiday decorating!

    @trooworld Those enchiladas sound amazing! So sorry to hear about your windows. Our living room in our prior home flooded twice in two years so I totally relate to the frustration on having those loud machines take over your home! I hope everything goes smoothly for you this week

    @theslightedgeforever Great self restraint on the cookies! I've been avoiding baking this year because fresh baked goodies are my kryptonite!

    I'm back at it today after a weekend of not tracking (eek!). Saturday was the fundraising ball and we had a great time, although I definitely had too much wine and felt it the next day. I got lots of compliments on my dress but I did feel a little self conscious since I am pretty curvy compared to the average woman at these events. I know comparison is the thief of joy but it's hard to help it when you're surrounded by gorgeous people who got their hair and makeup done and wearing designer gowns from rent the runway and I pulled an 11 year old dress out of my closet and did my own hair and makeup because grad school tuition is expensive!

    On the bright side, over the last two weeks I lost another 1.5lbs!!!! And that includes Thanksgiving! I'll totally take it. It was exactly the motivation I needed today to refocus on my goals and to keep me going over the next three weeks this holiday season. We've got this!
  • its_cleo
    its_cleo Posts: 544 Member
    Sorry I haven't been around. Trying to get s a work project done before the holidays.

    Haven't been counting cals as much as I should, getting into the habit of estimating.

    Will try to post more in a few days. I've been reading- it's nice to keep up with everyone even if I can't comment.
  • theslightedgeforever
    theslightedgeforever Posts: 2,196 Member
    edited December 2019
    @joannadavison Glad to hear your kitchen is being slowly put back together so you can create some nice healthy meals. How's the exercise going?

    @trooworld Did you get in some walks over the weekend? Did they give an estimate on how long those machines would be there? Yes, maintaining is better than gaining. Good news is we always have a new day to start losing.

    @mswatson0777 Woohoo Doing the happy dance for you on the 1.5 lb loss. That's huge this time of year. Your ball sounds fun. I used to avoid baking because I like eating what I bake. But I really enjoy baking and missed it, so I added it back in and I'm learning to control myself. I plan exactly how much of it I'm going to eat. I talk myself out of more. I think the big lie we tell ourselves is that "once I get started, I can't stop". We use that as an excuse and permission to keep eating. Now I'm rewriting the script I use with myself. "I've planned two cookies today and that's all I'm having." If you hadn't noticed, I talk to myself alot. lol

    @its_cleo Find your balance between work and health. Keep an eye on the scale. So if it starts trending back upwards, you know that estimating usually doesn't work in the long run. Soon you will have some free time to just lay back and enjoy yourself.

    Yellow Day-Stayed OP 123/150 Did 23 min of step aerobics, 10 min weights, 5 min stretching, and then later 5 min walking to finish up my 300 burned calories for the day. Onto tomorrow......

    December goals: Step class and strength training 2 times a week. 4.5 glasses of water.
  • trooworld
    trooworld Posts: 5,783 Member
    Hi ladies! I'm hanging in there. Dryers are still here, at least until today when they check for moisture. Maybe they stay longer.

    @mswatson0777 Oh girl, those enchiladas...they were so good! Thanks, yes, it's so frustrating because we just bought this condo in May 2019. :( I hope things go smoothly, too! I bet you looked lovely at the ball. Congrats on the loss! WTG!

    @its_cleo Good luck with the work project!

    @theslightedgeforever Ugh I didn't this past weekend. :( They are going to check for moisture today and then reassess.

    EMPOWERED.
    December goals: track 5 days a week, drink 50 oz of liquids a day, go for a walk 2 times a week, lose 1 lb
  • TeresaW1020
    TeresaW1020 Posts: 3,231 Member
    @trooworld, ugggghhh that sucks about the moisture getting in. :# Is your condo under a warranty of any kind? Our brand-new HVAC unit is making a terrible noise when it shuts off and that has to be fixed. We had water running down the outside wall of the house where the covered porch meets the roof and that had to be fixed. And we won’t even begin to talk about how disappointed we are with the back yard and the canal we have run down the middle of it! Being a homeowner can be stressful for sure. Hang in there! I LOVE enchiladas!! <3

    @its_cleo, I haven’t been tracking my food either and really need to get back into the habit of it. I know better! :/

    @RetiredAndLovingIt, thanks, and my back is much better. I think you are right and I just overdid it. Not the first time! I love this time of year too and I envy people like you who have a family to spend it with. Cherish them!! And no way would I get up at 4:30 am just to watch deer hunting. I’m sure your DH had a great time! :)

    @joannadavison, glad that the escape room was a success. Yes, it can be disappointing when we go to so much effort and our fellow church people don’t show up. But I’m sure that everyone who did show up had a great time and appreciated all the work that goes into putting these things together. :)

    @theslightedgeforever, the charcuterie board was amazing, but I made wayyyyy too much food! :o I always tend to overdo it and really need to learn to tone it all down, so I don’t end up with so much leftover food. Our games were super fun. We did reverse charades, where there is one guesser on a team and the rest must act out what is on the card. We played Telephone Pictionary which was a blast and so silly. We also did the saran wrap ball game. I wrapped a big ball of candy, gum, mints, lottery tickets, etc. in saran wrap and you have to unwrap it before the person next to you rolls doubles on a pair of dice. Finally, I had a fun gift exchange game that I had found. If I do the party next year, I will have to find all new games and make a whole lot less food! But they had a great time and that made me very happy. :)

    @mswatson0777, congrats on the weight loss!! That is awesome! B) And I am sure you looked lovely at the fundraising. People don’t usually make compliments unless they really mean it.

    Good morning! Sorry, I’ve been missing! Just busy with work and Christmas stuff. My back was all better by Monday, which made me happy. On Sunday, I didn't do my 21-Day Fix workout but I did go for a walk on my treadmill which probably helped my back more than just sitting all day. Today's workout is yoga, which I've never done so that should be interesting! :D The rest of the day will be doing some housework and making my shopping list for tomorrow. I told the Sunday school kids that we can have a small party and I need to go find the six of them a small gift. Then I'm teaching children's church this week and we are doing the lesson on joy so I need to write a lesson and find some fun games to play. You all have a great day! :)
  • mswatson0777
    mswatson0777 Posts: 290 Member
    @its_cleo I hope your work projects go smoothly for you!

    @theslightedgeforever I love that reframing! I'm not quite there yet, but I plan on baking homemade dog treats to get the feeling of baking without the temptation (and they make great holiday gifts!)

    @trooworld I'm wishing you the best that everything is dry today. That is so frustrating that it already happened and you've owned the place for less than a year!

    @TeresaW1020 Thank you! And you're absolutely right, I need to accept the compliments at face value instead of listening to the mean girl in my head. I love yoga so I hope you like it too. I think it helps a lot with mobility and soreness

    So I turned the wrong way during class last night and my elbow popped, and now I'm nursing a hyper-extended elbow. It's not too bad, but its just frustrating. It sounds like as long as I don't re-injure it it will be better by the new year, but ugh. And having to shovel show in single degree temperatures with a hyper-extended elbow this morning definitely did not add to my joy.

    In better news, I finished my finals yesterday so I have a full month to relax before classes start up again. I'm looking forward to devouring lots of fiction books and watching cheesy netflix holiday shows. I'm also on countdown, 7 more workdays until holiday break! I took almost a full two weeks off and I can't wait! Happy Tuesday all!
  • renaegry
    renaegry Posts: 1,253 Member
    Just popping in to say I’m still alive. Lol. Will get caught up on the post and post tom