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

I’ve been on WW on and off through the years. I know it works but I know I am done paying for the help. That’s why I like MF cause I get the support just as well. I look forward to the sharing my ups and getting help on my downs. If anyone on here is interested in sending a friend request, that would be awesome. I decided to being more active on here will make me more accountable to my friends and make the weight loss journey exciting. Cheers to a new week starting tomorrow and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

@trooworld The initial gain was the prednisone I think from what other people who have taken it tell me. I thought I would have to take it long term to do that but they said no. But it is what it is. But it's messing with my mind. So I'm trying to get that back on straight again.

@cbabie The book was good. So good for you for trying new things. While it's hard and uncomfortable sometimes the I can't becomes I can.

@nighthazel01 Sorry about your mil. Been there done that. I have to take mine to the dr tomorrow for the 6 month foot and leg check for diabetics. It's just so hard getting her in and out of the car....Alzheimers... Last week she tried to sit down in the seat with her chest instead of her bum. She's too heavy to just lift right up. She couldn't figure out how to get up on her own. So we try again tomorrow. Back to the drawing board for you too. One day we'll get to the place where there is no emotional eating.

@its_cleo Yes, beans is better than bread. I read alot but just having knowledge without putting it into practice is worthless sometimes, lol It is contradictory. I'm reading a book about that point right now. Plus it's an individual thing. Keto will help people lose weight but not me because I wouldn't stick to it. Low carb diets do let people lose weight but I wouldn't stick to that either. But I can lose weight with med-high carb. People get confused by that because it's not what we are taught. So you just have to find your niche. Plus people can lose weight with chemo but it's not necessarily good for you. Weight loss shouldn't be our ultimate standard. Good health.....that's the golden ticket. I have a book I haven't started yet which is How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger. He has a great podcast I like to listen to so I can learn more. I think the joint thing is inflammation. What foods cause you inflammation? I would start with that. Your trip sounds fun. My dd would love that. She's trying to get me to go on a London/Scotland trip.

@mswatson0777 Welcome back! I didn't realize your partner was going with you. Woohoo Congratulations. So romantic. I'm glad you enjoyed all the facets of the cruise.

@Tattoomama4440 Welcome to the group! Counting is counting no matter where you do it I think. I'm currently counting carbs and doing a carb cycling program. (med-high) One day at a time. I'm happy to exchange support.

@kickboxerKRS Welcome to the group! You're headed towards the finish line.

So as I mentioned before this past week has got my head not screwed on right. On my daily weight app, that sudden gain after I took the prednisone (did I mention 6 lbs) put me into a red WARNING range after being in the green range for 6 months. So I have to go back and practice all the things I learned in my Beck Diet Solution book about my thinking. It's all in the thinking. Diet/meal plans come and go. You can lose weight on any of them. The thinking kept me in the green for so long. The most important thought I had was if it wasn't planned I didn't eat it that day but would have it the next day if I wanted to. Last couple of days has been Oh that sounds good. Along with the destructive thought of "I'm already over so what's a few more". The correct response is just because I accidentally dropped an egg on the floor doesn't mean I need to go and throw the others and break those too. So I will conquer this and get back into my green zone. I'm trying to see the lesson learned from this other than DON'T TAKE PREDNISONE. lol Food was almost spot on during that time. I tracked each day so I know what I ate. I didn't do my usual walking during that time. Maybe the lesson learned here is that there will be times that I can't control everything. But starting when I wake up I can try.

Yellow Day- Over 230/164 Yikes! Exercise-walking 35 min

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water

Welcome @Tattoomama4440

@theslightedgeforever Thank you! And I'm sure your gain is temporary and likely water weight retention caused by the drug. I wouldn't worry too much, just keep doing what you're doing!

@TeresaW1020 Thank you! It was a complete shock. We are pretty nontraditional and have been together for over seven years so I was floored! And your dinner sounds fabulous, I hope you have a great time with friends!

Happy Monday all! I'm officially back at work but finding it very hard to focus. I've still got a lingering cold from vacation so I'm staying home tonight and catching up on laundry (boo). Hopefully I can get back at the gym soon since I want to start tackling that holiday weight since I've got a dress to buy!

Hi all--Yucky rainy day here today, but warm enough a little of the snow is melting. Switching banks, so need to get on & change all my auto deposits & payments. Instead, I am on here reading, lol.

@TeresaW1020 baked ziti sounds good. Hope you had a great time with your friends. I need to have some people over so I will get my house cleaned, lol. I have heard of the Beck Solution & thought of getting it before, now thinking more seriously about it since it seems to be helping slightedge so much!

@theslightedgeforever I agree--Prednisone can mess you up for awhile! I am thinking a little more along the WFPB like my sister (altho I don't think I could ever go all in on that) & trying to eat more natural stuff like potatoes, fruit & vegetables to get my fiber & less bread)

@mswatson0777 Congrats!! Glad you enjoyed the cruise!

@its_cleo Wow--glad you decided to make the trip to Iceland! Pickleball is played on a badminton court with oversized ping pong paddles with a wiffleball. That's the way it was described to me anyway, lol. I enjoyed it.

@cbabie Sorry your ggd is sick now. Been a lot of sickness around. My gd had walking pneumonia, which turned into pneumonia, but the last blood test & x-ray showed she is getting better. Easier for me, she will be 13 in about a week and doesn't live with me, lol. But still a worry. Oh, yeah, you asked, we were in Mesa visiting "snowbird" cousins.

@trooworld That would have been funny if we were at the same place in AZ at the same time. But I think we might have been home before you went. It's great your hubby will make some meals. The only thing mine makes is a protein smoothie for us for breakfast.

Well, not much more to add, guess I better get started doing laundry etc. I have been logging my food since we got back & my average wt says the same as when we left. Been trying to decide what my plan is, so am back to what I was doing in Nov. because it seemed to work then. Also been getting on the treadmill pretty consistently, but not consistent with my water! As Teresa said--onward & downward!

@teresaw1020 That book is really one of the best I've read for cognitive behavior theory. Her father is the one that started the whole thing (CBT) and now her daughter also works in the field. It's a 6 week program but I stretched it into 100 days. Much easier and I was able to absorb it more. If you ever want the reading guide, I'll send it to you.
Ha on the eggs and stomping.

@mswatson0777 I was worried about you on that cruise with the coronavirus thing going around on cruises. But I like to remind myself that the average flu kills more people. I definitely felt that way when I was sick. So glad you were surprised. That's the best kind. So hopefully both of our weights will start going in the opposite direction.

@trooworld So let's look at the opposite side of things. What are you NOT doing to lose the 5-10 lbs you want to?If dh reneged on my deal, we'd be having cereal. lol Maybe some fruit thrown in for good measure. Just enough to help me lose weight but not enough to feed him. "Oh sorry, I thought you were cooking this week". I do have a mean streak.

@retiredandlovingit I had the Beck book in my bookshelf for a long time. I had picked it up once and started reading it and I guess my head wasn't there. So back on the shelf it went. Then with my 100 day group I needed to choose a book and said let's do this one. We all loved it so much. It really helped us. This current book isn't doing anything for any of us yet and we're halfway through. maybe it will go out with a bang. Like I like to remind them the Beck book info is such that we need to keep practicing what we learned. Not just read and then move on to the next thing. It's the skills we learned that help all of us be successful in 2019. Your eating plan sounds really healthy. Good whole food but not too much to keep us fat. Onward and downward it is........

@its_cleo I think the therapy would be tedious but in the long run so worth it. Actually if I think about it, lots of things are tedious and boring which is why I don't stick to it. lol Always chasing the shiny object. But I'm still chasing my carb cycling program. I even amazed myself how long I stuck with it. I had a good day today. It was a meal by meal sort of day but I got there in the end. You are a warrior with exercise. Good for you on your calories as I know that's where you struggle the most. We all have the one or two things that we struggle with.

Red Day- Stayed OP 93/100 carbs Exercise-rest day

February goals- Drink 3 glasses of water-

Hello everyone! Well, I finally got on the scale today for the first time since before my trip. The verdict? Up a pound. Not bad. Well, instead of relaxing yesterday on my day off, I ended up doing a bunch of housework. I did watch part of a movie while doing laundry. I'm glad I did the work, it's work I don't have to do during the week, but I do miss the relaxation!

@RetiredAndLovingIt I hope the weather improves for you. I hate switching banks, I did it a few months ago, what a pain! Yes, it was really nice of him. That's nice that yours makes the smoothies...sometimes it's hardest to do things first thing in the morning.

@its_cleo It is pretty darned relaxing, I must say! I'm glad you enjoyed your long weekend. What did you end up doing? Exercising?

@theslightedgeforever Before today (I am taking action today/have already implemented things), I was not tracking, was not exercising, was not consistently drinking enough water...the usual suspects. I have already pre-tracked today, I plan on not only actually TAKING my 10-minute breaks today but actually WALKING on those breaks! I will somehow manage to drink more water today, too. LOL about the cereal! You are ornery, aren't you? I hate when he makes deals and reneges on them.

@TeresaW1020 Yeah, it is frustrating. That IS the answer, we can do this!!! Are you nervous about your mom? The couple...what a difficult situation. My heart goes out to them.

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

@teresaw1020 I hear you on the freedom and boundaries. I did get to have my cake and eat it too for 6 months. Just climbing out of the bog this time seems to be difficult. But I'm doing it one limb at a time. I'll be fine once I make my trendline go back into the green. It's all mental. So think about your fences(boundaries) Are they too close to your house? Are they set too low? So you feel deprived. Do you do the thing where you over eat one day so you feel you must really pull it back the next day to compensate. But that makes you want the extra food even more the following day so you overeat again. Vicious cycle. If you go back and look at your food diary can you spot patterns. Which meals do you go over? Which environments? Are you preplanning your day? Oh goodness on your friends. What a hard thing to have to go through. I'm glad you are there to support them.

@trooworld Look at you being all warrior princess and taking action. One day of action beats a month of thinking about our goals. Since we are not guaranteed tomorrow or really any moment past the one we are currently in that's all we have to deal with. That moment. When it's breaktime walk. When mealtime is done, track. Well done.

@mswatson0777 I'm a worrier by nature. Quarantine would really suck although I was just thinking how much fun I could have. As long as i had food and bathrooms. I bet Pinterest has good ideas for small inexpensive weddings. Just find the things that are very memorable for you and add those. Are you a write your own vows kind of person? Dh and I got married at the courthouse. We fought the entire way there because he wouldn't stop and get me flowers. I had just started a new job and so after the little ceremony I went in to work. But that was 32 years ago. It's not the wedding that's the most important but make it memorable. I think the reception is the most fun thing anyway. (didn't get one of those either, lol) If he were here writing this, he would say, see we saved a bunch of money and we're still married. I love lentil soup. You can get to 145 lbs. Just one lb at a time. I'm ready for a bunch of NSV again.

Yellow Day-Stayed OP 163/164 carbs. Did not exercise.

February goal-3 glasses of water. I'm getting half of this done but the other half evades me. Time to be a warrior princess and take action.

@trooworld, hey being up a pound isn’t bad at all!! I hear about wanting to relax but needing to get your housework done. I’m always trying to find that balance in my house. I am not really nervous about my mom moving in, but I do know that it will be an adjustment. She has only met my husband a couple of times over the last 15 years and now suddenly they are in the same house together. But they are both likable people and both are very passionate about talking about their faith so I think that will bond them. Plus, having an extra pair of hands helping me keep this house clean means a more relaxing time for me. Right?

@mswatson0777, I am also glad that I’ve been put in a position to be a true friend to this young couple, who are so much wiser than I was at their age. A small wedding sounds perfect! My husband and I ran off to a Savannah and had a small wedding and a wonderful week together. Make it what you want it to be!

@theslightedgeforever, so many questions!! Yes, it’s all mental! I looked back at my tracker and I didn’t track on Valentine’s Day when we went out to dinner and I didn’t track the dinner I had with my friends or the leftovers we ate yesterday. Why didn’t I track it? Was it too much work to figure it out? Lazy? Denial? Soooo many excuses! I should have given it my best guess so I would have at least taken ownership of it. My scale sure took ownership when I stepped on it with its brutal honesty. So, what to do now? Move on and start again. Tonight is a pizza and cake party with the kids at church and I have already tracked it so that I can know what the calories are and how much I can now eat for lunch. I HAVE to get out of my own bog too!

@joannadavison, just think how happy you will be once you declutter and organize your craft/study room! But I hear you that it can be a lot of work to get it done. Then once it’s done you have to keep up with it, so it doesn’t get out of control again. That is my constant battle with our home office space.

Good morning! Well, I woke up to my scale screaming at me to get it together!! I can’t believe how fast it can go up after a couple of days of overeating and how long it takes to get it to go down after eating perfectly. Very frustrating but it is what it is and like I wrote above I need to take ownership and track it all! Time to go workout and drink more water!

@TeresaW1020 I should look up a ziti recipe, it sounds delicious! Anything with cheese is ok with me lol. ...I have to tell you I'm so invested with this change with your mom moving in! I think just because you've posted about it all along. Yep an adjustment for sure, but hopefully it will be positive changes in ways you didn't expect.

@trooworld a pound is nothing. ...Yeah it's hard to relax when you have stuff to do. I'm like that too. Actually i feel like I have a neverending to do list. My weekend- I went on a 10 km walk with my club Friday night. It was very cold at the lake but nice to see the lights on the water. Then I flaked out lol. I have a boring life.

@mswatson0777 never b een married so I can't help lol. Just don't get too stressed over it. It's supposed to be fun. Did you set a date?....that's interesting stat about the $ spent. ...busy year but lots of good things overall.

@theslightedgeforever 3 glasses of water- one for each meal. Would that help? I feel like you've already thought of a million ideas!

lol @joannadavison you're too hard on yourself.

Well just a quick check in, I have to go to the office today and tomorrow, I'm not used to it lol. So an early night tonight. I'm doing ok with calories. I saw the physio today and got 1 new exercise for my wrist, and 2 for my back/hip. Not quite so tedious. My wrist is sore tonight though. I have cream for it, but my cat doesn't like the smell. That is how spoiled she is lol.

Saw t yesterday but it was boring exercises lol.

Looking forward to the weekend. Sick of cold!

@mswatson0777 Yeah, I think it would have been worse had I been gone longer. I hope yours is around that or less as well! We had a small family wedding. We did ours on public land, it was right on the bluffs of the ocean. The land is a national park so it was super cheap to have our wedding there ($75!). So, if you are interested in doing an outdoor wedding, don't ignore public land. Our wedding was beautiful but simple, just what we wanted. We then had a reception in a park by the ocean and fed people with food from El Pollo Loco which, if you haven't heard of it, is stuff like rotisserie chicken with beans and rice and veggies and tortillas...it's kind of quick food/fast food. It was all very inexpensive and enjoyable. We had a friend that loved baking that wanted to make our cake, she made a lovely cake.

@theslightedgeforever Thank you! I hope your party goes well! I like whoopie pies.

@joannadavison Oh I'm sorry you are battling it too! I hope we both can get it off soon. Sorry it's all on you this week, but at least you can cook what you want!

@TeresaW1020 Thanks! Exactly, more time for you to relax...that's a good way to look at it lol!

@its_cleo It is hard to relax when you have stuff to do. 10km walk with a club, that sounds fun. I'm sick of cold too, and it's not that cold here lol!

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

@mswatson0777 Oh dear, then an outdoor wedding would definitely not be a good idea! A barn would be so pretty though, you could hang lights and it could sparkle! It sounds really nice. I can totally see a pretty wedding in a barn like that! You know, "Just keep swimming..." is a motto I tell myself when I feel overwhelmed and it really helps! You can do this. You are capable of great things! You've got this!

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week

Thank you @trooworld! And it truly is a beautiful space, she really went all out designing it and it makes my life so much easier that I don't have to find a venue!

@TeresaW1020 Too true, I'm trying to live in the moment but I'm just so excited about the being married part. And I love women's events so I hope you have a fabulous time!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! I have had zero motivation this week so I'm really glad it's the weekend. In other news, I finally felt healthy enough to do a cardio kickboxing workout. I did have to stop twice and blow my nose (ugh, colds last for forever) but I think I'm finally healthy enough to get back to jiu jitsu. I'm going to try judo on Saturday and as long as that goes well I'm back in the gym Monday. I noticed I was literally starting to get depressed without it, because instead of getting out and moving my body, I was stuck at home watching TV and scrolling social media (ugh).

@trooworld So how is the tracking of food coming along? Your wedding sounded lovely. I love the ocean. Whoopie pies were delicious. I'm such a child.

@mswatson0777 Just keep swimming is correct. Action is the best medicine. No matter how small Just keep chipping away. A barn wedding sounds like a lot of fun. While I prefer to be a city girl, I love barn pics with grain silos next to them. I'm imagining a bale of hay; with your dress hiked up and your garter showing. Probably why they don't let me do photoshoots. lol

@teresaw1020 Eating out consistently is hard but necessary sometimes when away. It's just all about making the best choices as you know. Another good way is to take a pic of your plate before you eat it so you can track later if you are busy with others. Trying to get in some exercise if that means just a walk with the other ladies or dancing to some music in your hotel room. Of course hotel gyms are the best. Getting others to have healthy habits too helps alot.

Green Day- Stayed OP 236/238 Exercise-did not exercise I survived the party. I had preplanned and did not overeat no matter how many times the hostess food-pushed the snacks on me. I kept saying, no thanks I'll get some later and I've pretracked and that doesn't fit into my plan for today. She said there's no tracking at parties. I replied with our bodies track it whether we do on paper or not. I like to try and stay within my boundaries. I feel good when I do that. I felt good by only getting one plate and not going back for seconds like everyone else did. I kept pacing myself and would stop and talk a bit and then go back to eating. I also feel good when I exercise, unfortunately I didn't get around to it. That should have been done in the morning. Lesson learned for next time.

February goal- Drink 3 glasses of water

Lost 1.4 lbs this week

Oh yeah, forgot about this--my dd sent me a thing for 3 free meals from Hello Fresh, so decided to try them. Just went with the featured ones for this week, because I didn't see any that really appealed to me. I think I have said we eat pretty simply, lol. Anyway had smothered pepper jack burgers the other day & they were pretty good.Think it is something I would fix again, but not one of theirs--we have beef in the freezer & dh always has pepper jack cheese here, lol. Tonight is parmesan crusted chicken with lemony spagetti (?). Sounds good, but one serving is 1050 calories!! Will be planning to eat half & have the rest tomorrow. How can anyone fit a meal that big in & still have something to eat the rest of the day? They have been interesting & kinda pushing me our of my simple comfort zone, but too calorific & expensive for me to continue. Has anyone else tried them?

Good morning everyone! I woke up with my back very stiff today (I think my stress is storing up there) so I may do some stretching. I'm going to try to relax today, I've got a lot of anxiety going on. I'm going to go pick up a library book and maybe take a hot bubble bath. Have a great Saturday!

@TeresaW1020 Have a wonderful getaway!

@mswatson0777 I'm sure it would take a lot of the stress out of things! I'm glad you are feeling better.

@renaegry Hello!

@theslightedgeforever Meh. So-so. I'm tracking half the time. Our wedding was lovely, at least to us! I would have loved the whoopie pies, too. Your will is ironclad, I love that about you!

@RetiredAndLovingIt Wow, you guys made your dresses and bridesmaid dresses? That's so cool! A log cabin church in the mountains sounds very scenic. Tracking is going eh, not so good. I'm tracking about half the time. So, it could be worse, but it could be better. I've just been under a lot of stress lately and have been prioritizing my mind's energy elsewhere. I need to put it back on health. Happy birthday to your oldest!!! Oh dear to the tax error! Have a great weekend. I have not tried Hello Fresh or any of those types of services but have been tempted.

@joannadavison Congrats on the pound down, woo hoo! What changes are you making? Have fun scrapbooking!

COMMITTED.
February goal: track 1 meal a day, go for a walk 1 time a week