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

@its_cleo My hubby was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in his neck from overagressive strength training (so they say) about 12 years ago and that would have put him around 46. He has flare ups occasionally and massages seem to help. He's always looking for the next thing to help. His current method is a cervical traction device he bought. It hooks up to our home gym and pulls his neck upwards. He likes it so that's what matters. The wrist would be a hard one since it's so crucial to our movements. I just saw your foam roller comment. Yes, another one of my hubby's toys. lol Another thing to look at is inflammatory foods that you eat. I have a friend with arthritis in her knees and she swears she's much better after cutting some of those things out.

@trooworld Sounds like you have a plan with your recipes and your upcoming trip. How's the migraine?

@teresaw1020 All of us can always do better. Even Olympic contestants. You'll get there. How's the back? Great job on spraying the cookies.

@StocktonSue This thread started a long time ago but we still use it daily. Come back and join us.

@RetiredAndLovingIt What are the other advantages to getting old? Enquiring minds.....and all that. Ouch on the gd with the pneumonia. I was afraid of that since one of the ladies I went out with a couple of nights before I got sick ended up with walking pneumonia. Then the lady I sat next to got sick. You made me laugh about coughing on the plane. It's so true though. I would hate to have a dairy allergy. That's mostly all I eat.

@mswatson0777 Have an exciting trip. At least for that week you wont' have to deal with that group you are working with. OMG that would drive me nuts. But now you can make a strategy for next time.

@cbabie Have you figured out a routine yet for your treadmill? That will help offset the PB

@nighthazel01 Sounds like we have the same daughter. lol Imagine traveling on a road trip with her. I'm more of a this looks like fun let's stop here and she has a printed itinerary in her purse with times listed. "People people we're falling behind here, can you eat faster?" Too bad she has a smart@ss mom. So glad you enjoyed your time with the kids and got in a good walk. I tend to gain weight when all my kids are together. I stress eat. So I have to figure that one out.

Yellow Day- Went over....grrrrrr......180/164 I pre-planned my meals and checked and yes I had enough left for an evening snack. Ate it and then when I was doing my nightly food review with my accountability group, I realized I left off one slice of bread for dinner. So there's that. No exercise. I'm going to try and walk 5 min x 3 tomorrow.

So January is over, how did you do on your weight loss goals and other goals?

Weight Loss: I lost 1.8- which I'm actually thankful for since first two weeks was with company and I was trying to maintain and second two weeks I was sick. I'm a comfort eater when I'm sick. I'd like to be one of those that lose their appetite.

Water: It was a mixed bag. I did exceptionally well while I was sick with the water. I do have a plan though.

February: 3 glasses of water

@trooworld sorry you have it in your spine. One of the things I read is how common arthritis is.....I am a messy cook but only because I'm a klutz and I drop things. But I do clean it up as I go.

@mswatson0777 2 days to go I'm jealous. You definitely deserve a break. Chinese food and wine- I've been there! Except rum instead of wine. It was one of my go tos when I just did not care. It has taken me a couple years to resist that habit when I have a bad week. .....Bs absolutely get degrees. No one will ask about your GPA when you're working.

@TeresaW1020 another arthritis sufferer. Sorry to hear. I had a friend with it in the hands and I know it is painful.....Furniture polish on the cookies! Lol. But how smart. I used to throw stuff out and then dump old coffee grinds on it....I think NOT TODAY SATAN is going to be my new motto.

@cbabie I'm sorry you're so down about your weight. It's not the be all and end all. If you're eating reasonably healthy and getting some exercise that is what matters. Peanutbutter is actually not so bad. There are much worse things. Sometimes I want to live off pie and whipped cream for example. That is much worse!

@nighthazel01 Sounds like you had a lovely Sunday.

@theslightedgeforever hope you're feeling better.

To all who commented on my veggie Hunter's Chicken- it was really nice!

@mswatson0777 I like Tofu in recipes- I'm not very good with it.

@nighthazel01 those are great weekend goals.

@its_cleo not great news about arthritis- my shoulder was riddled with it when they got insuse- the removed some of the bone- is that possible for you?

@trooworld how did you collect so many recipes? I've trimmed down my recipe- collection

@TeresaW1020 totally gave in here!! Long story coming up...

Sorry I've been struggling to keep up here.
Friday was manic, Saturday was busy, Sunday I fell asleep & felt yuk. Monday was very hectic- my stuff hadn't been moved & as well as setting uo my room we had to help get the Science preproom (which is tiny) set up. I was in work an extra 3 hours. Got little bit still to do.
Today wasvack to teaching & parents night after school. Eaten wrong 5hings as tired & hungry. Off to bed- work morning & gym afternoon tomorrow

@trooworld Sounds like you had a good little meal with your protein bar/sausage/banana. Each day I feel a bit better but the lingering cough is still there. I did look at the Women's Health magazine challenge and once I get back to some real exercise want to start that. Although at this point I'll probably due half to start off. The energy levels just aren't there.

@mswatson0777 B's get degrees! I like that. Yes they do. Plus it's so much less stress on your body. My dd was losing hair and her periods stopped during school at one point. But thankfully that's all over and she's working now which she says is stressful too. lol I said just wait til you become a mom. I'm glad you got in some self-care. The cruise will be here soon and just enjoy the time away. Part of health is relaxing our bodies and minds.

@its_cleo I think arthritis is common now because of all the additives and junk they put into the foods we eat. I'm reading a book on that subject right now. What I'm focusing with on my hubby is not to avoid the inflammatory foods but to increase the anti-inflammatory foods. It's easier that way. Legumes, fruits and veggies. I'd be up for citizen senior discounts. Especially for pie. lol You sound like you are in a much better place right now. I'd like to have a makeup artist come visit every morning and take care of my undereye bags, dark circles, and red skin.

@joannadavison I'm getting there. Well despite your little mishap you look like you have a plan to get right back to it tomorrow. That's what it takes to stay consistent.

Yellow Day- Stayed OP 162/164 Exercise 10 min

February goal- 3 glasses of water- check

@its_cleo I feel you on the bad skin thing. I had horrible acne when I was younger (that still hasn't entirely gone away, nor do I think it ever will) and it definitely takes away any 'youthful glow' I could hope for. There are times I debate fillers, but who's got the time or the money?

@Joannadavison A full day of teaching AND parents night!? No wonder you struggled with food yesterday. I hope today goes smoother for you

@TeresaW1020 Way to go on enjoying treats in moderation! And the scale down is definitely a great reward!

@trooworld That is so stressful getting into an accident, I'm glad everyone was okay and it was minor! I hope your insurance doesn't go up too much!

@theslightedgeforever Your daughter must have entered into a very stressful field! I'm stressed but luckily my hair is staying put (I wouldn't be TOO devastated if my period went away for a bit lol)

@renaegry We're weightloss twinsies! I just hit 156, so lets motivate each other to get into the 140s!

I have -20 motivation at work today. I just keep dreaming about warm weather and sandy beaches. On the bright side, my stress bubble has broken and I'm starting to feel a lot more zen about things. Downside is the clock is moving at the speed of slow. I weighed in this morning and stayed the same on the scale which I could as a win after my chinese food/wine night. Now hopefully I can maintain or only have a small gain during vacation!

Alright ladies, last post before I'm incommunicado for a week and a half (I'm coming back, I promise!).

@trooworld Do you get to travel somewhere fun? I hope you get some relaxation and downtime amidst the work

@theslightedgeforever Happy almost birthday!!! Are you doing anything fun to celebrate? And I hope to live as long as Kirk Douglas too, and have a remarkable life on top of it! Your daughter sounds like she has a fantastic career, I'm so glad she gets to do what she loves

Only 4 more hours of work before I get to go home, get ready, and have some fun in the sun! Wish me a smooth travel day

@its_cleo, Yes, when I was ovulating, I was always extra hungry too. That is great that you were able to get out and run and break your record! I think that it is great that your friend chose you to help her with her goals. And because of that, you might find it helps you stick to yours as well.

@mswatson0777, have an awesome vacation!!

@trooworld, some bars that I’ve tried had that same issue. It could be the type of sugars or the fiber that they use. Look and see if there is chicory root in the ingredients. That stuff is lethal for me! I cannot eat Fiber One bars because of that stuff. I hope you have a good business trip and get in a little fun for yourself.

@theslightedgeforever, yesterday at staff meeting three of us went on and on about how much we love our neti pots. Pastor finally just told us to shut up or he was leaving! Yes, that is a good plan to piggyback your water drinking to something you already do.

Good morning! TGIF!!! I am happy to report that I lost a pound this week! I was just telling my husband that I really think the key for me is to pre-track my day in the morning so I can tweak as needed. I usually always know what I’m going to eat so it’s just a matter of doing it. Yesterday, I didn’t pre-track and I was up in my calories. I was looking at my weight chart this morning and saw how close I had come to Onderland and then the holidays came and I quit Keto and up went the scale. I am not going back to Keto because I feel so much better with just watching my calories and eating whole food. Hubby says that my body is really changing from all the working out so that makes me happy.

@its_cleo - It's great that you are finding ways to exercise, even with arthritis. I need to do a lot more in the exercise department... Future goal. I laughed at your post about having something done with your eyes. Me too, they make me look tired and worn out, and older than I am, it's my genes.

@trooworld - You sound like a fantastic cook. Just reading about the Sichuan Braised Tofu with Beef you made sounded delicious.

@joannadavison- you sound very busy, but you still find time to exercise.

@mswatson0777- a cruise sounds Heavenly right about now. It's good to have something to look forward to when life is stressful.

Weighed myself this morning and I'm down 1.5 pounds from a week and half ago. The struggle is real, I watch every morsel that I eat. Why do calories taste so good?

Another snowy couple of days where I live, we had the prettiest snowfall last night.

Work has been a bear, we are in constant crisis mode. I had a spreadsheet I needed to work on before I left Friday, but I didn't have time. I decided to go home at a reasonable hour on Friday, I'm not going in on Saturday, and I took Monday off. Tuesday I'll take cover. My kids are all staying at school this weekend, so it's just me and DH, no plans really.

@nighthazel01 Woohoo Your plan is working. Congrats on the weight loss. I think it's great that you put yourself first this weekend and will just deal with work on Tuesday.

@its_cleo I have lots of friends who are always getting botox, fillers, etc. Some love to point out my lines saying did you know you have (fill in the part of the face, now my upper chest too). Yes, they are my wisdom lines. I earned every one of them. I usually respond with I'm secure in who I am; I prefer to spend my money elsewhere. They just look at me and move on. lol Of course I would look better with a bit of botox and restylane but it is what it is. you sound like me. I was at the mall today thinking I'm so ready for spring. Bring out the spring colors. It really improves my mood. You are doing a good job of staying aware of your choices.

@trooworld Great job on getting some healthy groceries. Sounds like you have a good plan for your trip. I'm reading a book right now about processed foods vs whole food and when I saw your list of ingredients it made me think of the book. I looked up malitol to see what it was and it's a sugar alcohol. I know some people have digestive issues with those.

Green Day- Stayed OP 229/238 carbs- (over 96 cals) Exercise 24 min walking

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water

@Trooworld, Yes!! It's the Malitol is a killer for me too!! Quest bars use Sucralose in their bars. They might have caused me a bit of an issue when I first started eating them but for the most part, I never had an issue. I actually miss them and have been thinking about going back to Quest once in a while to help control my calories more than I have been doing. If you do try them microwaving for about 20 seconds is a game changer!!

@its_cleo, I really think once spring hits and you get some sun and warmer weather you are going to start feeling so much better! Yes, it’s all a mental challenge for sure. This is a rough month for me with several eating off-plan things scheduled so I’m just going to have to really buckle down and watch it or I will end up with a huge gain. I LOVE chocolate cake too!!!

@nighthazel01, congrats on your weight loss!! I hope you have been having a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

@theslightedgeforever, loser shoes are a real thing! After I lost 50 lbs and started IF last year all the swelling in my feet went away and I had to get rid of several pairs. My rings are starting to get really lose but I don’t want to resize just yet so I have to be really careful. The other day my wedding rings went flying across the room when I was playing with the dog!

Good morning!! So, yesterday was very exciting because we got a good amount of snow that actually stuck to the ground for a good part of the day!! We didn’t get one bit of snow last year and yesterday was unexpected. My dog ran around trying to eat it from the air. Sooo funny!! Tonight is our annual chili cook-off potluck dinner at the church. I am pretty sure that I’ve made the award-winning chili this year. Hubby and I had it for dinner last night and he finished eating before me and that rarely happens. Have a good day everyone!

Good morning all. This week hasn’t been the greatest. Weight is up 2 lbs but I know it’s just water weight. To much sodium. Not enough water. Need to get on the treadmill more then I am but having trouble finding the time. Just have the winter lazy blues. I do book keeping so sit at my table working and been very busy lately then after school on the run with the kids. Need to get more organized and eat a bit healthier. I know it will come.

Maybe i need to start posting my food diaries to keep me more accountable of my food choices.

Hope everyone is doing well.

@renaegry I'm right there with you on the water gain. Hoping it's water gain. Either that or the fat was biding its time while I was sick and couldn't exercise for two weeks and now it's like SURPRISE.

@trooworld I'm feeling better but not 100%. I walked the mall today but only made it 1 1/2 times around before getting tired and winded. I'm a bit slower too I noticed. But I'll get back to where I was. Oh I definitely would have had my pic taken with the Stormtroopers. lol What book did you buy? Still tracking your food?

Red Day- Went over 108/100 Exercise- 34 minutes walking

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water.

I'm back on my regular carb cycling program. While I was sick I did a week of green and then the next week all yellow and here we are and it's hard getting back into the red days. My mojo was not in full mode. I made a pizza for dinner and ate one piece and then opted for 1/2 piece which put me over. It was a conscious choice as I tracked it before I ate it. The saving grace was that I was going to eat a whole piece and decided to cut it in half. I said why be over alot when you can be over a little. Every little change counts.

So onto tomorrow and we'll try this again.

@teresaw1020 Congrats on 2nd place. That's awesome. You at least made it on to the podium. So what thoughts were you having when you were sitting eating your chicken chili and then the thought of dessert came into your mind? Did you go over? Did you track? In situations like these I usually leave myself some carbs for at least 1/2 piece of dessert just in case I want some. That way it's built in. If I indulge, no problem. If I don't indulge, better for me less carbs. Now I'm learning to indulge if it's something that looks and tastes really good. Desserts should be special. That was the latest entry in my 100 day book. Yes every indulgence matters and adds up too. Although tomorrow is my bday and I'm indulging. But I will track and I'll do a short exercise session. Can't throw all my good habits out the window on my special day.

@trooworld I looked up that book. Looks interesting. I still haven't made my decision yet on next years bookclub choice. I'm considering Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel. What happens after most of the world is wiped out due to pandemic flu. A little Shakespeare thrown in. lol I was just thinking that we wouldn't have this little group to come to and check in. Although at that point we problably wouldn't be struggling with our weight because there wouldn't be alot of food. lol I think it would make for good discussion. What would we miss the most? So enjoy your little business trip. Make good choices because we don't want a stinky result for February. I've got 2 weeks to break even.

Red Day- Stayed OP 89/100 carbs Exercise rest day

February goal- 3 glasses of water I will make this a habit. I will make this a habit. I will make this a habit.

@TeresaW1020 sounds like your dog had great time in snow. We've had some flurries here today but accompanied with cold biting winds it was most unpleasant. Good luck with the chilli cook-off, hope it's as good fun as it sounds.

@its_cleo most UK schools now call their Y11 leavers party a Prom now as the kids see so much of it on TV/movies. They didn't exist when I was at school or when 1st started teaching. My eldest wasn't to keen at 1st but I know she'll regret it if she doesn't go with her friends.
Take care with the tendonitis & follow your body's lead. It's hard to get balance between working to keep things/get things moving & pushing to improve. I can now overhead press 4kg kettle bell- a year ago I couldn't get into that position. Even now we have to knock the reps down sometimes. Big hugs- you'll get there but I get your frustration.

I'm currently trying to habit change the sugar cravings- when I'm grabbing a "fibre one" bar or worse- a nibble of something really unhealthy! Starting to substitute with fruit- but I am still craving that chocolatey taste! Must explore other options! Also my sleep goal is way off. I'm trying to get 7 hours- but I'm often too wide awake- problems of a night owl. Working on it!