@morenin - I also do measurements. And I notice my stomach is sagging at the bottom too. I guess it's common.

@Cornanda - I like your soap box car story. Sounds fun. <HUGS> My grandma and I were really close. I was named after her. As her Alzheimer's got worse, it got harder. She got to a point where she didn't recognize me anymore. She also would get angry because she couldn't remember things. It was difficult for everyone, especially when we had to place her in a nursing home.

Congratulations @badnoodle , @Cornanda , @askewcr , and @laurelfit57 for top weight loss last week!

Great job @tammymccrady6278 , and @askewcr on your January weight loss!

@DebJB30, @19shmoo69 - We've got this!

@Katmary71 - Roller skating, I remember going roller skating. I practiced for hours to learning how to skate backwards. We still have a roller rink open near us. I celebrated my kids birthday there. Thank you. I wanted the bread, but I drank a few glasses of unsweetened tea instead.

@trooworld - Thank you, I feel pretty disciplined when it come to portion size, it's the quality of foods I choose that I still need to be mindful about. I like your glasses. I went to the eye doctor for the first time and I'll be needing to get glasses too. I draw a little bit. Here's a picture I drew of my dog, Benny. I drew one of my husband too, but he does not think it looks like him.
Good morning!
Yesterday went well. I didn't do my regular workout routine. I took it easy and walked our property with Benny and my husband. It was a beautiful day outside. I think we reached 43 degrees but with the sun out it felt warmer. We found some mushrooms and seen some trees starting to bud. Looks like we might get an early spring.

Please welcome back @AustinRuadhain

Great! Back to work I come! I have been letting life get in the way of health, and am determined to turn things around.
WEIGH-IN DAY: Monday
STARTING WEIGHT: 223.1
My wild guess is that I weighed the same last Monday as this one. I think I held steady.

Hey,
I'm never very good at these introduction things. I'm a 45 year old wife and mother (15, 9-both boys). I work full time as a pediatric speech therapist in Manitoba. Trying to get rid of some weight, however the scale doesn't move too much for me. I get super motivated for awhile then fall off the wagon. Doing my best to keep tracking. Currently attend Zumba 1x/week, walk my Golden Retriever every day, chase my kids around to where they need to go, and stress about work and family the rest of the time. I'm a sucker for a good dad joke (@19shmoo69 give me your best), which have become 'mom jokes' at my house. Just started some physio this last week for hip issues and committed to getting that better so I can get up off the floor without sounding like a 95 year old.

@ambersway I'm sorry to hear about your aunt. Hopefully, your 'pouring' will come to an end soon.
@trooworld from what I can tell, those are some pretty spanky pug earrings you got! I hope I have 'whoosh' too!
@Katmary71 I hope you're right about it being fluctuations. It's kind of disheartening. LOL on your roller-skating story though.
@morenin glad you are feeling better and finding some solutions to your issues.

@trooworld Your zoo trip followed by coffee shop sounds perfect especially topped off with a nap! Great job at self care yesterday!

@TeresaW2024 I betcha the beetle painting isn't ugly, up close like that they're actually kind of pretty (this is despite having a beetle explosion in my garden last year). Hahaha love you had a mortifying roller skating/trying to impress story too! Let's see we've both gone out with men we met online and we both have roller skating hot mess stories! Oh boy I hope you won't have to change banks.

@Veta2018 Yay I'm glad you got that walk in and got to see hints of spring that sounds wonderful.

@txcritter69 Hopefully once your mouth has recovered cold sensitivity will decrease. I had a gum graft last year and prior to it cold was really uncomfortable. Do you like protein drinks? That would be an easy way to get it but having it cold may not be possible. Awesome job with the food journal1

@AustinRuadhain YAY! I'm so happy to see you back! What have you been up to? Fill us in! Everyone when I joined 5 years ago @TeresaW2024 was captain and @AustinRuadhain was one of the two motivators. It makes me happy people return, just so you all know we're always happy to have you back no matter how much time has passed and the door is always open!

@morenin Hey your next weigh in will be extra awesome hang in there! Those are all good ideas on preventing dust mites though I know it's a lot. That's wonderful the dizziness is improving! Let us know how the chair yoga goes, it's surprising how many good poses you can do sitting. I'm so happy there's so many chair workouts as without them I wouldn't be able to exercise as easily.

@sleepygirl79 Love that your family calls them Mom jokes instead! What do you think of your physio team? I hope they're able to improve your hip issues. I've been a bit disappointed this round of PT.

Hi everyone! Got up early and did cardio then took a shower and went to PT. I'm basically doing what I do at home there. I mailed a few packages then went to the holistic clinic but no one was there which is frustrating, of course they were after I'd gone to the store and brought my groceries home but decided to knock out the charity board minutes. We did a final card party so we could hit our goal of 7000 cards which is pretty awesome! Driving's a little crazy as there's branches and debris from the storm yesterday. A lot of people still have power outages and trees down. Thankfully all I had was flickering and smaller branches down but the cats were scared. Have a great night and wonderful Tuesday!

No Zero Days
Good workout and PT
Got a lot done
Off for my self-care bath and reading!

Question answer: I've flipped my procrastinating around and try to get done all I can today to make tomorrow easier on me. I have my coffee pot programmed as well and spend the time I used to dwell on not wanting to do stuff actually doing it, saves the stress in the long run.

Wow! I haven’t been on since Saturday night when I woke up and weighed in. Great job everyone! And I can’t believe I was green all month lol. I actually had to look for myself haha. And I hit another milestone. When I started this journey my Dr called me stage 2 morbidly obese. Then it was just obese and now I’m plain ole overweight lol. Sometimes I think Drs don’t see the person and that that is actually a massive accomplishment but rather hey you are just fat and need to buck up. She can be really depressing at times. I choose to see it as a dream come true. That I’m getting there and it’s one day at a time. A slow and steady journey not a marathon. I’ve been on the marathon track and did every fad diet out there and yes I lost weight but always gained it back plus more. I think I should change drs. Find one who will inspire rather than look down on me.

Good morning! It's another cold start to the day, with temperatures in the 20s. But we are expecting sunshine and it will warm up into the 30s. The roads are dry, no ice, so it's a great day for an outdoor adventure. My plan is to walk in the cemetery near where I grew up. I used to go there almost daily as a child. I walked to school, and if I walked the back way, it was through the cemetery. I know that a lot has changed. More stones now, of course. There used to be 3 gazebos, but they've all been torn down. It's still a beautiful place. I plan to take some pictures, but it's difficult to see my phone in the bright sunshine. And if it's too cold, I won't want to take my gloves off. So there might not be any photos .

I plan to start my day by getting Rich to take a walk with me this morning before he goes to work. He hasn't been getting any exercise. I can't get him to walk in the evening after work; he's tired and his hip is aching. So I'm going to try dragging him out early.

Today's question: taxes. If I do the taxes today, it will be a big task done and over with for another year. But it's probably not going to happen today. Today's priorities are groceries, laundry, exercise, adventure, and maybe organize the paperwork.

-Mica

@TeresaW2024 I got an email from a gallery that had a golden dung beetle statue that I really liked (lol I know), and I looked one up and I saw the incredible colors in it...blues, purples...almost a peacock sheen to it. So I decided to paint it! They are a bit ugly overall lol. Thank you, I love these glasses! I am growing out my gray. I was tired of dyeing my hair and the grays didn't really get covered anyway so I may as well let them shine! LOL I think you did great at the potluck, only having a small piece of pecan pie. I am sure that was a minefield of good food there! I hope you don't have to change banks, it IS a hassle. I just changed banks!

@Veta2018 Yeah I'm a foodie so I get that. I want what I want lol. Thank you, I really like these too! Ooh I love the pic of Benny! It's very good. I love drawing/painting, it's such a stress-reliever, isn't it?

@txcritter69 Thank you. Yes! That's exactly what I needed to do. I'm glad the food journal is working out.

@AustinRuadhain WELCOME BACK!!! I'm so glad you are back! I've missed you!

@morenin Ugh, the scale is so fickle. I'm glad you are feeling better.

@sleepygirl79 LOL thank you! I made them! Thanks, we'll see about the whoosh for me.

@Katmary71 It was awesome, thanks! Congrats on hitting your 7,000 card goal!

@tammymccrady6278 Congrats on being overweight! Okay that sounds funny, but you know what I mean lol. Way to go!

Today's Question: What is something you can do today to make your life easier tomorrow? I can be sure to go to sleep on time. Everything is easier when I get enough sleep!

Hi all. I had to go back to urgent care yesterday for my hand: there was some redness and quite a lot of bruising and the hand just looks bad. I had to wait a long time and eventually saw a doctor. She prescribed antibiotics. I need a vacation from everything! LOL
_________________________________________

No Zero Days: Pretracked everything.

Want to keep track of your steps with the team? Add a tab to the Google Sheet! https://tinyurl.com/Slimpossibles

Get the Kik app and chat with us in real-time! Just download the app, create a profile, and message me (username: trooworld) and I'll add you to the private group chat! https://kik.com/

My phrase for the year: "New year, new me!"

@sleepygirl79 my lil girl has mild dyslexia. Things can be a rough for her. I would do my best to encourage her. When she gets down on herself I tell her
When the world gives you LEMONS make MELONS.

@Katmary71 I literally dwell on that question constantly. Figure out how to motivated and disciplined to accomplish things that need to be accomplished. Currently they're just thoughts without answers or actions.

Hi MS ...you have another returning member joining your team ... Please welcome back @buniphuphu

I’m a 50 year old single empty nester and I share my home with my American Blue rabbit (her name is Kismet). I have 3 children in their 20s – oldest is my son, Marcus (granddaughter Sophie is almost 10 months), then my daughter Sydney (overdue with baby Oliver), and my youngest daughter Hunter (grandson Byron is 8 months & due with baby girl Brayden on 6/15/24). I love to rubber stamp (I’m a Stampin’ Up demo) and make cards. I'm an active member of my church (Board member), and also love horror movies. I have worked in Community Development at my County for 19 years. I was recently diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD and started medication. Hoping once I get to the therapeutic dose, it will help me with getting more prep work done with meals so I have things ready to go. Failing to plan is planning to fail…

I have always been a yo-yo dieter, but mainly up. When I lose weight, I can never seem to keep it off for longer than a year. Currently I am down 11 pounds and have about 50 pounds to go. I previously enjoyed too many processed vegan junk foods (faux meats/cheese/chips/cookies/candy) and this past Christmastime I recommitted myself to eating whole, unprocessed foods about 90% of the time. I’m giving myself a little (10%) wiggle room for things like pasta and tortillas. I’ve also been soda-free for 46 days now and I am convinced that the hyper sweet fake sugar in the diet soda is what was triggering my unwise choices. I have been posting meals I’ve been cooking on my newsfeed as a way to keep myself motivated. I’ve actually been having a really good time since changing up the foods.

2024 Mantra: Yes, I can!

My adventure in the cemetery


It's a big cemetery; I can't capture the size in a photo.

This is the stone of the man who designed the cemetery


This little mausoleum was built by a man whose wife died. He came to read to her every day. If you peek in the window, you can still see the desk and lantern where he sat to read.



This is the stone of one of our famous people. John P Hale was an abolitionist and state senator during Lincoln's presidency.

Perhaps more famous was his daughter Lucy, whose name is on the back. She was the girlfriend of none other than John Wilkes Booth. Daddy must have been so pleased!


This is one of my favorite stones. Cordelia Tetherly. The stone behind her is where Henry Law is buried. They were once engaged, but he jilted her. She married another man, but never forgave Henry. The monument is designed so her back would be turned to him for eternity!


This is my favorite stone. Ezra Green. He fought in the Revolution. He sailed on board the War Ranger with Captain John Paul Jones. There's a LOT carved on this stone!



I love the symbolism in these old stones.


Here is where one of the gazebos used to be.


We used to climb on the Elks monument when we were children. This is a different elk. He's been replaced. The old one had some bullet holes.



-Mica

@tammymccrady6278 That's awesome on being green all month, what an awesome accomplishment! I don't think I ever had a perfect month. Congratulations on being overweight now, after that horrible other “O” word I get it! That IS frustrating about doctors, I prefer how YOU are seeing it. Maybe she was grumpy as she sees your health issues becoming less risky and she won't be making as much off you now? You're doing incredible and I love the way you're thinking.

@AmbersWay Thanks!

@micaroo4 The stones in the cemetery are so pretty! When I went to New Orleans I spent two days in the cemetery taking pictures and reading stones, so many beautiful ones. I love the information about the people too that was so fun to read them on your post. The snow added to the beauty as well, thank you for sharing with us. I hope Rich is up for walking with you, it may actually help his hip some depending on the reason for the pain.

@Veta2018 I love the answer on repackaging the meat, that's always a pain and so appreciated when you pull it out later that you actually did it and don't have to wait forever for things to defrost. Costco sells their ground turkey in 1.67lb packages of 4, if I chuck them in the freezer I'm so mad at myself later when I want to use 1lb of meat!

@trooworld Sleep is probably the best answer as everything is a challenge without sleep. Glad to hear on the antibiotics hope it's improving fast now. I second Teresa let's see the beetle! I'm picturing one and curious if it's what I'm imagining.

@TeresaW2024 I didn't know that where in CA were you born? I was born and grew up in San Jose. Thanks! The cards are being taken to mostly retirement homes with some hospital deliveries. There's about 60 different locations so Thursday we're having a pick-up party then volunteers will drop them off. I'm careful luckily it's just a lot of small branches all over at my house. I'm going to the greenhouse tomorrow and hoping all is well there. I know a few people who don't have power and had more serious damage. I lost 2 fences in rains last year (then the neighbor burned mine down in a mowing fire) so it was a huge relief to see them all standing. I'm so glad you like your hair, that pampering must feel great!

@19shmoo69 I love the make Lemons into melons for your daughter. After I had a concussion in a car accident I became dyslexic with numbers, I'm being super careful double-checking the weigh-ins logged because of it. YouTube has all kinds of great videos on motivation and habit-forming!

@Cornanda YES the grilled chicken is thinking ahead to make life easier and sounds yummy!

@buniphuphu Yay so happy to see you back! How have you been? I love this you're the third person to return in the last couple of months! Obviously I don't want you all to return because you're struggling with weight but like you returning because I've missed all of you. Huge hug!

@txcritter69 I'm so glad you're feeling better! Interesting there's a way of thinking that issues with our teeth affect our health because of meridians (Chinese medicine) and having something like a root canal where you leave a dead tooth isn't supposed to be good but pulling a tooth would improve it's health. Have no clue if it's related to your situation but less allergies and snoring sounds awesome! It chaps my hide that I have to check “loud snoring” as a health problem on questionnaires when nothing I've done to be healthier has improved it.

@vegan4lyfe2012 Your meals have looked so good! Congratulations on kicking that boot to the curb! I can't wait to see baby Oliver. That will be so fun seeing the three babies together then another is right behind Oliver!

@littlebabekitty HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! I hope you wake up feeling good for your birthday too!

Hi team! I went to the allergist 2 hours early so came home and worked out and went back. My main allergies not including man-made stuff are cats and dogs so I'll be getting shots for those. My worst allergies are formaldehyde, nickel, latex, and artificial fragrance but with some work can avoid those. I used to test as allergic to grass and ragweed so I'm guessing I grew out of it, maybe the cat allergies and having cats makes me over-reactive to other stuff. Went to the holistic clinic for treatments, they're going to do a book club on Eckart Tolle The Power of Now and I borrowed their copy (pretty sure I've read it and just don't remember). Aside of that got some board stuff done and now am going to make a homemade pizza for dinner. Have a great night and awesome Wednesday!

Username: FushiaKat
Weigh-In Tuesday
SW: 245
Maintenance Goal 135 - 140
Weeks in maintenance 06 of 52

PW: 137.6
CW: 138.8

Ooops going in the wrong direction. It's easy to do when I'm not getting any yard work done. I foresee taco salads in my future.

I'm Kathryn, Kat for short. I live in southern California with my husband and seven cats. Two of my cats have overactive thyroids and need medication twice a day. I play an online game to keep my brain active. I reached my goal weight December of 2022, and I have challenged myself to stay within my range for 2024. I did well last year and was able to maintain my range, so I want a repeat of 2023. I typically post a short update on Tuesday's, but I do read the forum most every day.