Lesli's Changing Life at 40 Journal

[Lesli54]

Here I am.......again. Originally, I began this journey in March of 2005 and was successful at losing about 42 lbs. My original journal was "Lesli's Live Long and Strong WISH Journal." http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=761361 Things were going pretty well and I was learning to enjoy life again. I had energy, both mentally and physically! Clothing fit well for the first time in a long time. Plus, I was able to get alot accomplished and stay on top of things better. I wasn't hungry, got plenty of water, felt rested, and could make it through sticky situtions such as a buffet or party. Stress was so much easier to handle and I could simply enjoy day to day life with my family. That is the life that I long to have again.

So why did I let it go? Not to make excuses, but much changed after my car accident and it took a long time to gain my strength and energy back. Add to it the stress of a college student and the inability to be very active, well, let's just say that the weight creeps back on. Fortunately, I have regained most of my energy and I am now ready to bump up my strength. I see women all the time anymore who are changing their lives at 40 and look great in few years. If they can do it, then I can too.

For those who don't know me, I am a mother of 4: DD20, DD18, DD10, & DS5; with a wonderful DH, who supports me in all that I do. Trust me, that was very helpful the first time around on my weight loss journey. I do alot of volunteer work, help DH with our business, keep track of everything in the family (maybe I should charge to be a Personal Assistant :rotfl2: ), and I try to engage in my favorite hobby, genealogy, where I can. Did I mention that we are still trying to update our home, which also takes much of my time since I am the main "contractor". So let's just add weight loss and planning better meals to the list, right?;)

Currently, I weigh 224.5 lbs and plan to get down to 150. When I get there, I will decide how much more I would like to lose and still be at a healthy weight. Last fall, I saw 186 on the scale and I would love to see that again soon. My heaviest was 230 and I promised myself that I wouldn't go there again. It's getting dangerously close, so now is the time to get back on track.

I thought that by starting a new journal, it would be like making a new commitment. Over the last few years, I have learned many things, of which the most important is: I have to hold myself accountable for my choices. Being honest with my food choices, exercise choices, stress management, and quality of life choices made a huge difference in the amount of weight I lost the first time around, not to mention how much more I enjoyed life. Also, it is very essential to have support, such as those the WISH board.

Most people say that you should wait until after the Holidays, but I think that I will just keep making an excuse not to start. Now is as good a time as any.

Currently, my goals are:
1. Lose 10 lbs by year end
2. Increase my water intake
3. Increase my exercise

This time around, I am focusing on changing my life for the rest of my life. It won't always be easy, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Check back from time to time, as I update my goals and make some great progress!

[toystoryduo]

Welcome Back Lesli!:banana:

I think it's great that you are making your goals now and not waiting until after the holidays. Your goals look good. :goodvibes You CAN do it!:cheer2:

I understand what you mean when you said you should charge for being a Personal Assistant.:thumbsup2 My DH owns his own business that I help him with, I homeschool, and keep things flowing somewhat (:rotfl: ) smoothly at home. It would be great if these were all paid positions!:woohoo:

Hope you have a great week! Welcome Back!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the warm welcome back, Toystoryduo!

Yesterday was quite productive, although I wasn't very "active". I did manage to get alot done at my desk (still a ways to go), so my office is looking much better. Also, I kept up on things such as dishes. DH and DD8 got alot done outside, so things are shaping back up around here. So, although I didn't move around alot, I am fine with the fact that I was still productive. One thing that I have found is that if most of my house is in order then I reduce stress greatly and have tons of time and energy to spend on other projects or relaxation.

Water yesterday, wasn't so good, but I did try to take in more fluids throughout the day. I used to be so good with water, but when I was unable to move around as much, I drank less and then I got out of the habit. Fortunately, water is my favorite drink, so I think I can get it back on track.

Food yesterday was: Breakfast - 1 egg over easy, 1 english muffin, 1 c grapefruit juice, and some ham. Lunch - 1 c. cheesy broccoli soup and a few oyster crackers. Lemonade. Later, I ate about 6 SweetTarts and a handful of Cinnamon Sun Chips. I think there might have been a few nuts in there as well. For supper, we went to Pizza Hut. I ate 1 bread stick and 2 slices of taco pizza, plus drank a glass of Pepsi. Not as bad as things have been before, but I forgot to ask them to cut the pizza into 10 slices (the old way), so now they cut it into 8 which really makes 2 slices a bit much. But I didn't eat anything before going to bed and that is a plus!:banana:

The scale is the same today, so at least I didn't gain more.

Today's food plan:
Breakfast - 1 c. cream of wheat, ham, 1 c. grapefruit juice
AM Snack - 1/2 c. nuts
Lunch - 1 slice taco pizza
PM Snack - yogurt & fresh pineapple
Supper - spaghetti, 1 slice cheese bread, & salad

I have found in the past that an AM snack is essential to my weight loss and to staying on track with food for the day. Right now I am clearing out the freezer and the cupboards so that I can start all over with better foods. That should be in a few days. Until then, I will get rid of the completely unhealthy foods and add fresh fruits and veggies to the semi-healthy foods.

Goals for the day:
1. 48 oz water
2. 30 minutes of exercise broken into 15 minute 'breaks'
3. No eating after 7:30 (drink herbal tea, if I want something)

That's it for now. Gotta go tackle the bookwork, the bills, and mudding of some walls that I want to start painting. Everyone have a great day! Drink lots of Water!

[Lesli54]

Well, I was down .5 lbs today!:banana: :cool1: I will take what I can get.

Yesterday went ok for a first day back kind of thing. I did get a little side tracked but managed to pull it back together by the end of the day. All things went as planned for food until I went shopping. I was getting hungry and kept trying to tell myself that I could have my PM snack when I got home.......but, the peanut M&M's got me.:scared1: Fortunately, it was a small bag and it could have been much worse. For supper, I had to change things a bit to accomodate schedules. So I had a Manwich and some potato salad. I made some SF chocolate fudge pudding for the kids and had a sm spoon of that. Still not too bad. Then later, I started munching on Cinnamon Sun Chips. Fortunately, I didn't have too many and I switched to a cup of herbal tea, which really satisfied me even more for the night. It is a great way to finish of the day and add a sense of relaxation. Water was about 30oz. and dedicated exercising didn't happen. Although, I was up moving around alot and did not sit much through the day. Personally, I think that I had a lot of little victories yesterday and I can do it again!

Today started off early and I didn't get a chance to get breakfast before I left, so now I am tyring to turn around my day. When we did stop, I got a 6pk of mini chocolate hostess donettes and ate them all.:rolleyes1 Later, I picked up some Cheetos to go along with my Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub from Subway (6", tomato, mayo, cucumber, gr peppers, & sweet onion sauce). These are the things that happen when I dont' eat properly in the morning.

Today's food plan (what is left):
PM snack - yogurt & fresh pineapple
Supper - Scrambled eggs & waffles (hopefully. I will be out so if we run late, then it will be something to go and I will try to make it reasonable.)

Goals for the day:
1. 48 oz water
2. 15 min of dedicated exercise
3. No eating after 7:30pm

Well, I better get going. There is much to do and my plans for the day keep getting changed, so I better do what I can. Everyone have a great day!

[AlyssinWonderland]

Lesli- Hello! I'm glad to see another new Journal on here! Lots of ppl already have 40+ pages to read so it's hard to catch up! LOL Sounds like your goals are good! I like that you decided to start now and not wait til after the hoildays. I'm impressed that you could make fudge and only eat a spoonfull. I'd be in so much diet trouble if I tired to do that...No will power at all, so I'm super impressed! And down .5 is awesome! Good Job! I'll root for you! :cheer2:

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

You are doing a great job!:cheer2: I think you definitely should celebrate each victory no matter how big or how small.:thumbsup2

Keep up the good work and have a great day today!:hug:

[postesf]

Hi Lesli! Welcome!!! Sounds like you have a plan in place. You can do this!!! Congrats on the loss! I'm the same! I'll take whatever I can get!

Hope you have a great day!
Stacie

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the warm welcomes and the support! It really helps.

So yesterday wasn't too good in terms of food up through lunch and it didnt' get any better. I started to get a headache in the early afternoon. Part because of the change in weather pressure and part because I hadn't eaten well and had too little fluids. After laying down a bit, it got better and I was doing fine until I went to run errands yet again. For supper, I had a qtr lbr w/ cheese, fries (yes, all of them), and a tea. At the grocery store, some little debbie swiss rolls jumped into the picture and I ate them later. Then a spoon of pudding, then there was the cup of eggnog w/Bailey's, and later a piece of cheese. Water was barely 12 oz. The sad thing is, that I hardly drank anything yesterday. Yes, I ate after the cut off and I didn't get that exercise. Yes, I used the excuse that I was too busy. But, I am being accountable and honest with myself and there will be good and bad days. Fortunately, this day was better than it could have been. The up side? I "reminded" myself of what poor choices can do to me. I did manage to get to bed at a decent time and get some real sleep, also I remined myself that I need to reconsider again what I could choose at fast food restaurants and still be within reason. I know that it is possible to navigate fast food, but you have to have a plan of attack first.

Today? More errands, DH wants to go to lunch, Girl Scout planning for an event tomorrow, and bookwork. It will be busy, but I am ready to keep on track of my journey.

Food plan for the day:
Breakfast: 1 egg omelet w/cheese, 1 slice wheat toast w/jelly (no butter), 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack: yogurt
Lunch: Probably Panera's - 1 bowl French Onion soup, 1 3" piece baguette, tea (that is usually enough to fill me up)
PM snack: grapes
Supper: Not sure, probably will clean out more of the freezer

Goals:
1. 48 oz water (I am going to nail this)
2. 15 min exercise (run around the house, stretch, belly dance, anything, just do it)
3. No eating after 7:30pm

Well, that is it for the moment. I am going to post my weight loss goals and mini goals, now that I have them figured out. Time to tackle the day.

[Lesli54]

I have broken down my weight loss into what I believe is manageable goals. Last time, I did this and was quite successful.

I started out this time at 224.5 and want to get down to 150, which is 74.5 lbs to lose. Based on the following plan of how much weight I would like to take off by certain dates, I should by within sight of my goal before I get to WDW next year!

10 lbs lost - by New Year's Eve
30 lbs lost - by Sr Night for BasketBall (end of February)
42 lbs lost - by Easter (March)
55 lbs lost - by DAR St Conference (end of April)
60 lbs lost - by Graduation of DD18 & Trip to Rome (middle of May)
65 lbs lost - by WDW trip (first of June)
74.5 lbs lost - by possible trip to DC (early July)


Now for the mini goals which I will do in increments of 5lbs lost, expect for the first one. The rewards for each goal is something that I would like to have or do, but will never be clothing unless it is a very special item such as a shawl. I don't believe in rewarding myself with clothing, only because it is too easy to tell yourself that you can't buy something until it fits or you buy it always trying to get into it and get frustrated when none of those plans work. Instead, I feel that the purchase of clothing is just part of the weight loss (the cost if you will). If you don't look good in it, get something that makes you look and feel good and immediately get rid of the old. I have backslid into bigger sizes because I was wanting to save money until I got down a few sizes. Not too mention that when you feel you look great, then you have the energy to move forward and realize that your goals are achievable.

Mini goals:
first 4.5 lbs lost - Cut my hair, updated style
second 5 lbs lost - Get a new makeover on my makeup

When I reach these goals, I will update.

[toystoryduo]

Your goals look really good, Lesli!:thumbsup2 You CAN accomplish each and every one of them.:cheer2:

Hope you have a great Thursday!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Well, I am calling yesterday a success! Plus, I am down another lb.!:banana: That is a total of 1.5 since I started so only 3 lbs til my mini goal!

Food went pretty much as planned. I didn't get my AM snack so I ate it for my PM snack. Lunch and breakfast as planned. Supper was 1/2 of a super thin crust frozen pizza. Not great, but I drank water instead of pop and was very happy not to feel over stuffed. I didn't miss the pop either. Water for the day was about 36 oz. - getting much better. Yes, I did eat after 7:30. I got hungry and grabbed a few slices of deli ham, which led to a cup of eggnog w/Bailey's, but then I stopped before I started devouring the kitchen without thinking. I did a little stretching and alot of running around. Not true dedicated exercise, but at least I am becoming more active. All in all, I felt good for the day and I managed to go to bed at a decent time and get plenty of rest.

Today's food plan:
Breakfast - 1 egg over easy, 1/2 slice 7 gr toast w/jelly, ham, 1 c. grapefruit juice
AM snack - 1 sm chunk of cheese (anything to keep from mindless eating)
Lunch - PB sandwich, 1/2 grab bag of BBQ chips
PM snack - grapes
Supper - Turkey dinner buffet (turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn pudding, the rest I will pick carefully, and leave space on my plate)

Goals for the day:
1. 48 oz water
2. No eating after 8pm (supper is later tonight)

I am doing alot of running getting ready for the GS event tonight. Potatoes are made, turkey is cooking, gravy is in the process, tea is made. Now I have to make another dish, haul it to the church, decorate, organize, and hopefully breath somewhere. Maybe, I can run off everything I eat today?:yay:

Better get going, my mom is stopping by over lunch and I have lots to do. Talk to you all later, and remember to drink that water!

[MIdanceMom]

Welcome back Lesli!

It looks like you have some great goals that are obtainable. Being accountable is a key. If you are having trouble getting all your water in, try getting a sports bottle with a straw. You will be amazed how easy it is to drink those oz. through a straw.

I am glad to hear that you have recovered from your accident, and Congrats on the 1.5 pound loss.

Keep up the great work.
Beth

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by Beth. The water tip sounds great. My main problem is reminding myself that there actually is time to "stop and drink the water".

Well, I am down another .5 lbs!:banana: :banana: I am going to take all that I can get because at least I am seeing the numbers go down and that is a great feeling

Thursday went pretty well. Water as about 46oz, so I reached that goal. For lunch, I ate the entire grab bag of chips. Missed the PM snack. I did really well for the buffet, turkey, potatoes & gravy, corn pudding, roll, tried some macaroni salad (stopped at one bite, didn't taste good), & about 2/3 piece of blueberry pie. I think I ate something after I came home, but I don't remember what it was. No dedicated excercise for the day, but I was up on my feet all day cooking, running to the church, setting up the event, working the event, and cleaning up afterwards. That in itself was a lot of exercise.

Yesterday wasn't so good in terms of healthy food and activity, but it wasn't so bad since I didn't have the energy to over indulge. I think water was between 12-24oz, but not sure. Breakfast was 1 c. cream of wheat. Lunch was a Marie Calendar's chicken potpie, and a Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie. I was tired and looking for comfort food. Fortunately, the cookie didn't taste as good as I thought it might. For supper I ate 1/3 of a LC chicken club panini (good, but I cooked it too long) and some chips. Later, I had a c of eggnog w/Bailey's (out of eggnog now and won't have more for awhile, but at this time of year, it is a nice little treat). I wasn't active since I spent most of the day doing bills and bookwork. That was alright because I just didn't have a lot of energy after Thursday. DS and I watched Dennis the Menace Christmas last night while everyone was out. It was a good evening.

Today. I actually slept in and that was nice to do.

Food plan:
Breakfast - 7 gr toast w/ PB&J (ate late)
AM snack - piece of cheese
Lunch - 1 egg omelet w/ chives & moz, ham
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - chicken breast on angel hair pasta w/ a wine & tomato sauce topped with parmesan or moz, salad, maybe a piece of cheese toast

Goals for the day:
1. 48 oz water
2. no eating after 8:00pm (Saturday's are late suppers)

Aside from cleaning up the house today, I am hoping to get to start doing some repairs in the living room so that we can paint. Don't know if I will get that far, but I hope so.

Not much else. Everyone have a great day!

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

You are off to a great start! Keep up the good work and you will make your goals!:cheer2:

Hope you have a great week ahead....:goodvibes

[larry's girl]

Sounds like you are off to a great start! I am sorry for the car accident and having to deal with the after-effects, but glad that you are back to a point where you can start again with the weight loss efforts!

Keep going - you're going to do it for good this time!

Susan

[postesf]

Hi Lesli! You goals look great you are doing fantastic!!! You'll have to post a pic with the new 'do!

Keep it up! You're going great!
Stacie

[Lesli54]

It's me again. Wow, I didn't realize that Thanksgiving week went by so fast and I didn't even post anything. The good news is that on Thanksgiving day, I was down 4lbs. The bad news, I now appear to be up 4.5 lbs, but I am not sure if that is my scale acting up, not watching really close to what I am eating and when, or TOM, or all the above. For the most part, I have been eating leftovers of turkey, cheese, veggies, and fruit, healthy stuff. But then there has also been the pop here and there or the piece of candy, etc. Oh well, I guess, I will know in a few days where I am at. For now, it is time to bump up the water and get back on track.

Last week, I spent alot of time tying up loose ends, cleaning, and getting ready for Thanksgiving. It was a great! I stayed busy the entire week, plus had the energy to prepare a large meal. That is something that I haven't done in a few years, so it felt really good. Of course, it also helps that my children are older now and they can help with various tasks. We had 11 for dinner. My mom and aunt were over which hasn't happened in many many years, both DD20 and DD18 had their boyfriends overs, plus we had DH's brother. Everyone had a great time and the best part was that we still had company until the late hours of the evening, that doesn't usually happen at all.

Over the weekend, DH and DD20 ripped a shower out of my office so that I can have a closet. Yes, you read right, I had a shower where the closet is. It was a closet and is still mostly in tact as one, but a shower unit was put in there when the previous owner couldn't get upstairs anymore. I am thankful that probably close to week's end, I should have storage space in my office. It is much needed!

Food for today:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/onion, gr peppers, & cheese (moz, prov, & baby swiss), toast w/jelly, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - pineapple
Lunch - pizza (leftover from PH the other night)
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - spaghetti & salad

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. 30 min exercise (2 breaks of 15 min)
3. no eating after 7:30pm, drink hot tea if I am hungry
4. Bedtime no later than 10:30

I have found one thing this week, that I kind of forgot. Real food that is prepared fresh with a variety of spices and flavors is more satisfying and helps curb the munchies. This morning when I mixed the different cheeses for my omelet, I got a wonderful surprise in flavor. It is so easy to forget that food has flavor when you are eating alot of junk.

I better get going. The plan for the week is to keep on those home improvement repairs (I get to mud & paint) and get alot of bookwork done.

Everyone have a great day!

[Lesli54]

Here we go again. I know that I have come back more times lately than I can count, but what I am doing on my own is not working and I need accountability. Plus I have narrowed down some other factors that I need work on in order to be successful. So now is as good a time as any.

I am up to 226 and it irks me that I will knowingly sabatoge myself. Even though I didn't want the holidays to do me in, the food won out. Although, I did notice that I had some very stressful moments and instead of dealing with them, I kind of hid and went for the numbing effect of a food coma, so to speak. The result? Weight gain and more stress because sooner or later, you just have to deal with things. There were some good things that came out of the stress though. I found that if I just think of some new ways to address the issues at hand, that I can come up with something that will be more pleasant in the long run and I am not as apt to eat as much. Example: We were going to do Christmas at my grandmother's and the food planning, present opening, time of day, etc, got to be very stressful and way out of hand. Instead of a simple meal, it became very complex, which means my sister and I clean up while others watch tv or nap after dinner, giving us little time to visit with others, plus alot of other issues that creep it because everyone is stressed. This had me stressed so much it was unreal. Fortunately, the day was postponed due to bad weather. When we were able to finally get together later, I came up with the idea of just doing appetizers and snack foods. Instead of a dinner, we had a party. Gifts for the adults became reprints of family pictures. This turned out to be the most relaxed, easy to clean up Christmas we had ever had. Everyone visited, laughed, relaxed, and no one napped because the food was light. The moral of the story? Find new ways to help reduce stress and still get done what needs to be done. If I am hiding from the stress, then I need to change something and not go for the food.

So here is my simple plan for the day.
1. I will take 1/2 hour to 1 hour to begin reading Dr. Phil's weight loss solution and will do this daily. It worked for me before because it helped with structure so I know it can work again.
2. Any snacking that I feel I need will be healthy. Cheese, crackers, fruit, veggies. (I did clear the cupboards of almost all junk)
3. Work on a project to get it done and make life simpler. I have bookwork that needs to be caught up and better organized, I have closets to paint so we can hang the shelving units, which will declutter and create less stress, etc. If I take one project at a time each day this week, I will be active and feel a since of accomplishment. Not as much chance to eat.

It doesn't sound like much, but I did start the day by actually getting out of bed when I woke instead of trying to catch a few more minutes. I have to look at this as a lifestyle change and know that I can live the best possible life that I want and give my family the best of me.

Food so far today was:
Breakfast - 1 egg over easy, 1/2 slice 7 gr w/jelly, 1 c grapefruit juice.

At least it is a start and I will make myself accountable each morning. Everyone have a great day.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Well, yesterday went pretty well considering what I have been doing lately. Today the scale was the same, so I should be thankful that it didn't go up.:thumbsup2

I did read Dr. Phil yesterday and today I plan the same. The great thing, even though I knew what was being said, was that I started the book and shortly into it I remembered more of what it was like to succeed at weigh loss and remembered how good it felt. I also knew that I could do it again, which is great mind booster. My project yesterday was bookwork and I managed to get alot done. It did help to stay focused.

Food wasn't bad, but I slipped a little. Fortunately, I did reign it in. I had a very small shortbread cookie before lunch. :sad2: Then I had a tuna roll-up and some chips. Now, I did use my head on that one. I was hungry for chips so I opted for a grab bag that was split between DD18, DD10, DS5 & myself. This way, I got the taste I wanted, no major binge, and no leftovers.:cool1: Later DD18 made some cinnamon biscuits and I had one. I was still hungry but reminded myself of healthier snacks so I went for cheese and crakers (although probably too many). Supper was 1 1/2 bowls of chili & crackers. Later, I relaxed with a cup of cocoa. Could have been better, but the portions were more in line and I reminded myself that this is just the start.

Today's food plan:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/cheese, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - tuna roll-up, veggies if I have any (need to shop)
PM snack - apple
Supper - taco salad

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. read 1/2 hour of Dr. Phil
3. project - bookwork
4. bed by 10:30

I know I can do this, I know I can do this, I know I can do this....... You get the picture. Everyone have a wonderful day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Zela]

You can do it Lesli!:cheer2: You've done this before:grouphug: and you can do it again! Good job on making the healthier snacking decisions:banana: Let me know how Dr Phil's book is:)

[Lesli54]

Down 2 lbs! :banana: It is amazing when you just start making a few better choices that you can really lose some weight. Now to keep going.

Thanks for stopping by Z! I like Dr. Phil's book. It really makes you look at various reasons why you struggle with weight, why you make poor choices. Also it teaches you how to think differently and see things from a different perspective. Kind of a pep talk at times, but it works well. My problem is that I didn't finish the book before the accident, which just threw everything out of whack. So now I am starting over with reading. I also have his cookbook as well as Bob Green's (Oprah's trainer). They have some really great recipes that are easy to fix, healthy, and have a sense of gourmet so you don't feel stuck in that trap of making the same food over and over.

On to yesterday. Actually, I think it went rather well. I followed my food plan except for the following: I had chips for lunch rather than veggies (was craving them, so I gave in, but there aren't anymore in the house), I had a Reese's heart in the afternoon (yes, I know candy bars won't help), I only ate 1/2 of my apple because it just didn't have a great flavor (I think it was picked too early, I ate more than one helping of my taco salad with tostitos, I had a cinnamon biscuit and hot cocoa. It was definitely a plus compared to before and the great things is that I did follow my food plan where as I could have easily ditched it.

Water was only 36 oz, made it to bed closer to 11pm, but the rest of my goals were met. DH was sick yesterday, so I didn't get as much work done as I thought I would since I had to take care of some of his tasks as well, but I was still busy, which is good. I even went the to library to read Dr. Phil instead of going to DQ when I was waiting for DD10 to finish her dance lessons. That is a positive.:cheer2:

Today, I am sticking with the plan. We are expecting a blizzard here so the kids will be home early from school. It was almost 50 degrees this morning and they are talking 30 below with the wind chill. Talk about a huge temperature change.:eek:

Food for today:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, yogurt, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - cheese & crackers
Lunch - taco salad & tostitos (go easy on the chips)
PM snack - veggies & 2 Tbsp of dip
Supper - talapia, green beans, salad, rice

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. read 1/2 at least of Dr. Phil (I think I am at the part of writing down goals)
3. project - bookwork & W-2's
4. 2 breaks of 15 min where I walk around the house 3 times (the floor plan creates a circular path and just getting up and moving is key)
5. In bed by 10:30

That is enough for now. Everyone have a great day and drink plenty of water!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Zela]

Yay :cool1: 2 pounds......and don't worry about the chips....i think i might need to have chips for lunch tomorrow(i like the dill pickle flavor:yay: )

[Lesli54]

It is amazing that when you start to eat better, it is easier to get up in the morning. Today, I thought I was getting up late and quickly got the kids up, dressed, went downstairs only to realize that I was up 1/2 hour earlier than I had thought. That is cool!:cool1: Much less stress this morning.

Yesterday was a very good day. Food was as planned with these exceptions: Sometime after lunch I was wanting something sweet and scoured the kitchen, the best I came up with was an Apple Cinnamon granola bar and it was satisfying. That's a big win. It helps not to have the junk around.:rolleyes: I did have my veggie snack later but didn't have as much dip, which was good. Ate a few crackers later. Supper was changed to chili since it was so cold here and the kids begged me. Later I had a cup of hot cocoa. For the most part, I think I did great, but I do need to watch my meal portions as I was a bit too full afterwards. Water was........70 oz!:banana: I measured the amount of water my glass holds and it was actually more than I thought so it helped to know that I could drink fewer glasses which took the pressure off. I can already tell a difference in the hydration of my skin.

As for goals, I didn't get my Dr. Phil reading in and I didn't make it to bed on time, but I did get up and walk around the house. It was nice because it was brisk, I was taking in more oxygen, and it just felt good to get more activity.

Yesterday's blizzard was downcasted, but we had high winds making it about -26 with the wind chill. I can't wait to go back to WDW! Too bad I have to wait until summer.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - yogurt, 1 egg, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice (wanted something different but I was out, so time to shop)
AM snack - apple cinnamon granola bar
Lunch - probably taco salad to finish it off, & tostitos
PM snack - cheese & veggies
Supper - talapia, gr beans, salad, rice (I told the kids we would still have it)

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. 1 hour of reading Dr. Phil
3. 2 breaks of 15 min and walking around the house
4. project - bookwork
5. in bed by 10:30

Time to get going. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Zela]

Sounds like a great day you had yesterday!:cool1:

[Lesli54]

Wow, have I been busy the last few days. Didn't eat the best, but stayed busy.

Wednesday - DH wanted to go out for lunch and I needed to pick up office supplies, so I didn't get the AM snack. We went to Panera's where I had a bowl of french onion soup, tea, and a 3" piece of french bread. Then we ran some other errands at the mall and did some fast walking which was great even though I am out of shape. PM snack was some crackers. Supper ended up being pizza, a bit too much. I also had a can of Pepsi and a bottle of orange cream soda. I spent the late afternoon, evening and well into the morning on bookwork. Trying to get all the W-2's done and various reports. So most of my goals weren't met, but I am ok with that. I do realize that sometimes things don't always work according to plan, but that doesn't mean that I should give up and start hidding behind food.

Thursday - I spent the morning finishing up my work from the night before, then spent the afternoon doing price changes at the store. Breakfast was 1 egg omelet w/ mushrooms & cheese, ham, 1 c. grapefruit juice. Lunch was taco salad w/ chips. I was craving something sweet, but changed my mind. Ate some chips. Supper was a toasted cheese, later I had a cup of hot cocoa. It snowed yesterday and got cold at the store, so I had a problem with getting warm and was very tired in the early evening, so I kind of lounged on the couch before going to bed.

Today is a new day to keep on going. Weight is the same. The kids had a late start for school due to snow. That threw off my morning.

Food for today:
Breakfast - cream of wheat, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - none (ate late)
Lunch - sandwich & chips
PM snack - ???
Supper - lasagna, salad, french bread

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. read 1/2 hour Dr. Phil
3. project - price changes at the store
4. go to be by 10:30

Still dragging today, but I have lots to do, so I will get going. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Zela]

I want snow:) :wizard: :) We don't get any where I live (South Alabama)

[Lesli54]

I wish I could send you some snow. We have gotten more snow here than we have gotten in many many years.

Yesterday was just a tired day. I think it was from being up so late on that bookwork. So, I didn't do much at all. Couldn't think clearly so I didn't do any work for the store. Did a little cleaning, took a nap, and did a few things that didn't require much thought but got them off my desk.

Food went pretty much as planned. A bologna sandwich for lunch w/ a few too many chips. No PM snack since I was too tired and napped instead. I do know that if I start to eat when I am tired then I just keep eating and make very poor choices, so the nap was better. Supper was really good, but I didn't add salad to the menu. Water was 42 oz. So not too bad on food, but I need to get in more veggies and fruits.

Today, I feel as if I am off to a bit of a late start with the things I need to get done. My brother is wanting a bunch of family pictures from when we were kids to put on a digital frame for my DMom's birthday. So, I have to get the scanner going and find a way to get pictures from her as well. Unfortunately, he gave me no time as her birthday is in a week and a half. Also there is some planning for that I have to do with 3 different organizations that I volunteer for. Not too mention getting stuff ready for the tax accountant. Starting to feel a bit stressed this weekend, so I need to prioritize and take it a step at a time or I will back slide on the food front.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 poached egg on 7 grain toast. (first time to use my egg poacher, it brought back childhood memories & the kids thought it was great to have eggs that looked like "marshmallows")
AM snack - banana
Lunch - bowl of chili
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - the fish dinner that I keep planning that has been put off.

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz of water
2. 15 minute breaks where I walk the house - 2 times
3. Keep reading Dr. Phil
4. projects - bookwork for part of the day, picture scanning tonight

My mantra of the day - Don't stress, breathe. Don't stress, breathe.

Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Zela]

Don't worry about all that stuff that has to get done. Just take it one thing at a time. Don't think about it all at once. How do you eat an elephant? :) Only one bite at a time : ):cheer2:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the support, Z! You're right, I do need to take things one at a time and try not to get overwhelmed. It is hard to believe that I have been gone for a few weeks now. I just barely seem to be keeping my head above water with things lately. Work is progressing slowly, eating is sometimes ok, sometimes not. For the most part, I have been having problems with focusing. I think it is a combination of things, sick kids, DD18 trying to prove that she can't live here after graduation, work, trying to pare down charity activities, and this winter has been much too long. It snows every few days making it hard to get out.

To top things off for today, I didn't get anything done. DD20 called this afternoon from a classroom where she was on lock down because there was a shooting at her college campus. She is fine, but wasn't far from the incident. It is so crazy and I am trying to figure out my emotions. I ate about 3/4 of a pizza. We worry so much about terrorism overseas and fail to address the threats that we have here in this country. Although, I will say that authorities did arrive extremely quickly on this case. However, it is hard to realize that our children are facing this on a daily basis. Right before Christmas, DD18 had to evacuate her school for a bomb threat. This stuff is hitting small towns not just the larger areas. I am thrilled that my daughter is safe, God saved her since she was about a minute from entering the building that the shooting occured in, but was quickly diverted to another building for safety. Yet, it tears you up inside to know that your child was so close to something to horrendous.

Please pray for the students at this campus (I know it made national news today), and the families . This just isn't the life that our children should have to deal with.

I will be back tomorrow. It will be a busy day, but I need a place to relate.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Lesli,

Thank God that your DD is safe!!!!:hug: Prayers go out to you and your family, the students and staff, the families, and the community. :grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by with support Toystoryduo.

Where to begin. Friday, the 15th was fun at the dentist. Instead of fixing a crown, he ended up pulling the tooth. Pro - I dont' have to worry about any more problems with that tooth and fortunately it is in the back. Con - I was freaking out so bad in the dentist office that I had to go to the restroom just to get a grip on reality. I do not do dentists, or pain well. The plus side is that I know my dentist is very gentle and it really didn't hurt, but I couldn't get past the mental image. How fun. I did find that having a tooth pulled is a great appetite suppresant. Later that night we went to the last game of the season to see DD10 do a special cheer performance, DD18 did her last cheer stunt performance as well as her last dance performance, and we were honored along with her and all the other graduating seniors. In between all that, I was on the phone with DD20 every few hours as she tried to deal with the NIU incident. Because of her job on campus, she was unable to leave like so many others and it was definitely taking its toll.

Saturday, DMom and I went up to see DD20 and took to lunch and a bit of shopping. It really helped her to get out of the area and away from everything. Before we went, the three of us and one of DD20's friends walked over to the memorials so that the two of them could lay flowers. Her friend knew one of the students who didn't survive.:sad1: We off course were next to the area where everything happened. All I have to say is that DD20 was probably within 50 feet and everything is much closer together than it appears on TV. I am glad that we went up there, to help get her mind off things, especially since the campus is a virtual ghost town. We stopped at Cracker Barrel, which is the first time I have been. Pretty good. Way too much food.

Sunday, I spent a good portion of the day on the phone with DD20, since she was having a hard time. Fortunately, news came that she would be able to get a reprieve and go home Monday. She wanted to have supper with everyone when she got home, but didn't want me to cook since she insisted on going out and being in the public where life was more normal.

Monday, DD10, DS5 and I went up to get DD20 and bring her back home. Talk about extremely cold and windy! Then DD5 had a Dr.'s appointment for a well check. Last week he had pink eye and we were at the dr.'s then. When it rains it pours. We then went to eat an early supper as DD20 requested along with her boyfriend and his sister. It was fun just to relax again. DH and DD18 had a regional game to attend. DD10 then had to go to dance. By the time the day was over, I felt like I had drive through half the state!:eek: The good thing was that I was actually able to sleep well for the first time since Thursday's incident. DD20 did go back a few days ago so that she could do training since the campus needs to be prepared as all the students return this coming week. I think it helped a great deal that she had some time off.

The rest of the week, I have been busy getting ready for taxes and am almost there!:yay: Water has been poor, eating has been sometimes good and sometimes not. Today, I plan to run a few errands, do laundry, and work in my office.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg over easy, 1 slice 7 grain toast, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - 4 mini donuts (not a good choice)
Lunch - tuna rollups
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - don't know, probably something out

Goals for the day;
1. 60 oz water
2. Follow the food plan

Let's just go for the basics. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Lesli!!!

It is SO good to see you, old friend. You're very often in my thoughts as well and it's nice to know what you've been up to lately.

I have to confess, it took me a minute to shift the ages on your kids--I'm so used to DD17, DS2, etc. Time moves along, doesn't it? :rolleyes1

I cannot tell you how happy and relieved I am to know that DD20 is OK and is able to come home. I can't imagine how hard it is for her to cope, but I'm so glad you can be together. I will definitely keep her in my prayers.

Isn't it a lovely day today? It's good for the soul. I hear we're supposed to get some snow next week, but I can just tell spring is coming and it's so uplifting.

I think you're doing great and I really admire your spirit. Sending lots of good wishes and :wizard: your way today. I hope it's a good say.

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by Pearlieq!

Yesterday was a really good day. All of my food was on track, except I didn't do the PM snack since we left to run errands. Supper was Panera. I had a bowl of French onion soup, a multigrain baguette (picked by the restaurant, not so good since it it a bit too heavy), and ice tea. Later I also had 1/2 of a piece of Godiva chocolate. DH wanted to try something and he didn't like it. Personally, I think he is crazy, but it was a nice treat. When I got home, I ate 2 more mini donuts. Mainly I think I was tired and should have just gone to bed. Water at least 42 oz, but could have been more, I can't remember. I did get all my laundry done and a lot of work in my office, so it was a great day. Also, it was soooooo nice to see the sun out and the fact that it is still light out at 6pm! What amazing things, this winter!;)

Today's food plan:
Breakfast - 1 egg, 7 grain toast, 1 cup hot tea (I forgot how much I missed my hot tea)
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - not quite sure
PM snack - cheese & crackers
Supper - rotisserie chicken, green beans w/ almonds, salad

Goals for the day:
1. stick to the food plan (no eating after 7:30)
2. drink 60 oz water
3. stay busy (work in office, wash all the bedding, build a model with DS5, help DD10 with her solar system project)

I am off to tackle the rest of the day. The incoming snow is not going to dampen the mood after all, Spring is soon upon us!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

What a great day you had yesterday! Sounds like you got a lot done.

I agree with you about the Panera multigrain--I didn't really care for it either. Their regular baguette is much tastier.

I've got a good feeling about this upcoming snow. I think it's going to be mild and melt off fast. Spring is almost here!

I hope you're having a great day!

[Lesli54]

Ok, yesterday was filled with some good and some not so good.

Water was possibly a bit more than 28 oz. I lost track so I am not sure. Food? Well, I missed the AM snack, never a good thing for me. At least I was busy helping DS5 with making his model. Right? Then I ate lunch at about 1:30pm, also not good, but I got wrapped up with helping DD10 and her solar system, then went grocery shopping. :scared: It ended up being a bologna sandwich and a lot of chips, when actually, I reall wanted a salad. :sad1: Later the kids started going crazy after piano lessons and I just couldn't take it, so I ate a Godiva chocolate. Up to this point, things were good. BTW, when I was in the grocery store, I did pick up B&J's New York Super Chunk Cocolate ice cream and then......I actually put it back. ::yes:: I have been waiting so long for DH to get it back in the store and there it was, but I realized that I just might eat the whole thing in one sitting so I just passed the temptation.:cool1:

So far, not too bad........then I polished off the mini donuts, probably about 2 1/2 (they were mainly broken and crumbs, not a good sign). Worked some on the solar system again, worked in my office, went crazy with kids who were too tired.:crazy2: Supper was as planned and it was really good. Very nice to have a decent meal, I might have to try it again. The rest of the evening went well and I was really impressed with the fact that I wasn't hungry, felt satisfied, and wasn't tempted even when I thought about food. Until.......I saw DH walking around with a bag of chips, then I started to dig in (this is after 9:30pm, not good), then afterwards I was thinking about the B&J's that I passed up and I went down to the freezer and got out a Dilly Bar (I knew I shouldn't have brought them home). Shortly after it was time to go to bed so I chould begin anew.

Today's food plan:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, 7 grain toast, 1 c hot tea
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - salad (I will have to eat early since we have to do an ortho run)
PM snack - 1 c. banana smoothie
Supper - Fish sticks and veggies for the kids and an LC dinner for me, unless we are stranded tonight then I might make potato soup

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water (I really need to get the conquered)
2. No eating after 7:30 (if tempted, drink some herbal tea)
3. Stay busy (no problem)

We are supposed to get some freezing rain here soon which will turn to a lot of snow, so I don't know how the day will really turn out. Aside from the ortho appointment for DD10, I am supposed to do a GS meeting, but we may cancel so that everyone can make it home safe. Also, it is a dance night, which may also be cancelled due to weather. If nothing else, I guess we can finish the solar system. I have tons to do in my office and I really need to get that bedding done. Other than that, I am setting myself up for a good day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Whew! What a day yesterday. It sounds like there wsa a lot going on and a fair amount of stress. I admire your effort in thinking about your choices. You've got the right attitude--today is another day.

I hope the weather spares us a bit, or, failing that, that is is winter's last salvo. Stay warm and safe tonight!

[toystoryduo]

Hope you had a great day ahead!:goodvibes Please be careful out there...We're expecting the freezing rain overnight here as well. :crazy2:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the support guys. :thumbsup2

I would consider yesterday a success on many levels. There were a few changes in the food menu but, I think I still did well. Unfortunately, I didn't get my salad for lunch since I had to make phone calls canceling the GS meeting. So I made a bologna sandwich on 7 grain and grabbed water, all to go when we went to the ortho. The thought was that if I didn't eat something then I would be tempted to stop and get fast food on the way home. Even DH did the same when I picked him up from the store and impressively, he skipped by McD's when thinking about fries for a snack on the way home. Our snack was a few pretzels that we picked up at Walmart (not a super). Then there was a piece of Godiva chocolate. Supper was 2 bowls of potato soup (should have stuck with one as I was very full afterwards). Later, I kept thinking that I wanted something, but just got another piece of chocolate and that almost acted as the finishing touch of the day a little later than 7:30, but that's ok. Water was great, coming in at about 64 oz!:cheer2:

Last night I was up really late talking to DD20 who called late. The going back to NIU has her bothered. Not so much being there as all the extra media who are looking for sensationalistic stories, the tons of councilers who are dispersed everywhere including in classrooms, and the tons of rent-a-cops who are posted everywhere to check ID. She says it is like a police state and you can't get into certain buildings unless you live in them, even though they house other things that you need to get too. Restrictions on the number of people you can have come into your dorm (ridiculously low). Everyone's mood is down and she says it stems more from the presence of all the extra "attention" which just makes them feel as if they can't move forward yet when that is what they are trying to do. So I talke and listen until she wants to go to bed. Guess that is a mom's job.;)

Today was a late start of the kids since we got just enough snow and ice to make things slick. I sure do miss the sun. My plans are to work in my office and tonight I am supposed to go to a GS leader meeting, but it will be a waste of time since we never go over anything and only lasts 10 minutes, maybe I won't go. Also DD10 and I have to string up her planets to finish her project. So there are plenty of things to do.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - strawberry yogurt
Lunch - salad & rotisserie chicken
PM snack - cheese & crackers
Supper - meatloaf, corn & mashed potatoes (trying new recipes)

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. no eating after 7:30pm
3. stay busy

I better get going for the day. Talk to you all later.

[goldcupmom]

Sounds like you are doing well at getting back on track. KUDOS to your DH for no McDs!!!!

So sad about the NIU incident and all the lasting stress/problems it's causing the students. It's a tough world we live in & I sure wouldn't want to be back being your DDs age again.

hang in there & hold tight to those you love!

[pearlieq]

Glad to hear that yesterday was a good day! Good for you! :cheer2:

Your potato soup sound so tasty, and perfect for a cold winter night. I hope the sun comes back for you soon and everything melts off quickly.

I'm glad you and DD20 got some "mom time" last night. No matter what she might say or do, she needs her mom. It's great that she's coming to you for support and I know you'll both get through it OK. She's strong and you're strong--the world doesn't stand a chance against the two of you!

Have fun stringing up planets today. Sounds like fun!

[Lesli54]

Yesterday was great! Busy, but great.

Water was about 50 oz. For the first time in a long time, I am starting to feel that I am getting back on track with water.:cool1: Food went as planned except.....at lunch I waited a bit too long and polished off some chips (more like crumbs) and almost went downhill from there when I told myself to get the salad and chicken. That was a good move because it was much more satisfying in the long run. The PM snack was a apple cinnamon rice cake. I was late getting anything there and at the store I picked them up and decided to eat one even though it was close to supper because I was afraid that I would go overboard if I waited. Turned out to be a good thing. Later in the evening (yes, after 7:30) I ate a piece of Godiva and had a cup of herbal tea.

The leader meeting was canceled, so I spent the evening stringing planets. Well I did some and DD10 did some. She had a lot of great ideas and her project looks really cool. The best part was when she said she had fun working on this project with me.:love: Tonight I have to help DS5 modify his jet pack that we made awhile back. We are putting on rocket boosters. I did get alot of work done in my office and am thrilled to be wrapping up 2007. Talked quite a bit to DD20 who is still frustrated, but they are hoping that some of the "attention" at the school will go away soon. DD18 however is giving me the biggest problem. She suddenly doesn't care about anything, or says she doesn't and is hiding the fact that her boyfriend lost his job. Not sure why. She thinks they will be together forever and they may, but it bothers me that she has gone from 18 to 14 in a matter of weeks. Not sure how I am going to get her back on track or if she is, how I am going to get her to confide a bit more and start trusting us.:confused3

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portebello & moz, ham, 1 c grapefruit
AM snack - cheese & crackers
Lunch - tuna wrap
PM snack - banana smoothie & rice cake
Supper - chicken strips & fries

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. no eating after 7:30pm (I really enjoyed the hot tea, but can do without the chocolate)
3. work, work, work

I better get going. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo :

[pearlieq]

Good morning, Lesli! :wave:

Congrats on a great day! Good for you for catching yourself at lunch yesterday--you should be proud of yourself! :cheer2:

I'm glad you and DD10 had fun stringing up planets together. Kids are just so much fun at that age--they're bright and interesting to talk with, and that teenage attitude is still a few years off.

Sounds like another round of growing pains are coming your way with DD18. It's so hard to make that transition from kid to adult. My heart goes out to both of you. :grouphug: The good thing is you're a loving and experienced parent--I know you'll get through this.

I hope today turns out to be a wonderful day. Sending lots of :wizard: your way. You're a brave woman to have a rocket-powered 5 year old! :rotfl:

[Lesli54]

Well, the weight is going down, but I think I will do an official weigh in tomorrow. For the month, I will guess that I am about where I started at the beginning. Things did go down, then back up, and with the more recent focus on my weight it is back down. If it is the same, at least I will not have gained more and have realized how important it is to focus back on my health.

Yesterday was a good day. I stuck to my food plan except for the following: I didn't get the smoothie because I forgot to freeze the bananas.:rolleyes1 Then somewhere I had 2 pieces of Godiva, not at the same time though. Then very late instead of going to bed when I was tired, I had a small bowl of cheerios. At least it wasn't chips or ice cream or anything that was really damaging. It's all a process. Water was at least 50oz.

I did stay busy and got alot of work done. DD18 cleaned out a few cabinets for me that were low and very awkward to get into because we recently had a mouse. It gave me a good chance to go through pots & pans to see what I really needed to keep. I am back in the narrowing down mode of keeping only what you really need and use. DS5 and I didn't get a chance to modify the jet pack, but maybe tonight. Also worked on taxes for DMom and DAunt.

Today, I am hoping to finish up 2007 for the most part. I really need to get that down to the accountant since I am a few days behind. Other than that, I don't have much else going on, which is a good thing.

Food for today:
Breakfast - 1 bowl of cherrios, 1 c. grapefruit juice
AM snack - crackers & cheese
Lunch - meatloaf sandwich, small bag of chips
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - pizza and pop (I will try to keep the serving within reason)

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. stay busy

Time to get that work done. Talk to you all later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo :

[pearlieq]

Buenos dias! :banana:

Congrats on another good day and an ever bigger congrats on the weight loss! :cheer2: It's great to see your hard work pay off.

How do you make your smoothies? I should give that a try someday--it sure sounds tasty.

Yesterday sure sounds like a full day. Don't you love the feeling of clearing out excess? It makes everything seem fresher and more manageable. Good luck getting the 2007 work finished. I bet it will feel great to get that off your desk and on to the accountant's.

Have a great day today! :cool1:

[toystoryduo]

Great job yesterday!:thumbsup2

I hear ya about finishing up 2007...My DH found a ton of receipts the other day and now we have to sort through them and match them up with the proper month. Then I need to go back and re-do all of the monthly summaries. Not looking forward to that unless it means we owe less $$ or get more back $$ once it all said and done.;):lmao:

Hope you have a great day!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Good morning, everyone!

Today has started out as a good day and yesterday was even better. Unfortunately, I am still working on 2007, but there is an end in sight today or tomorrow at the latest.:banana: Food yesterday was as planned, although I could have had slightly less pizza and I did have a piece of Godiva, but it was a success!:dance3: Water was at least 56 oz!

DD18 is talking to me again, but wanted to go to the dance tonight after I said the privilege was taken away for her behavior the last few weeks (did that last week). I knew she was wanting something.:rolleyes: However, hopefully now she will get back to communicating again and realize that we are always there for her. Besides, I am hoping that we can take our trip to Rome in a few weeks that has been planned.

I did some dejunking in my office this morning and am thrilled that I can see the floor! There are still things to go through, but until I get the shelves up in my closet, there isn't any point.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portabello & blend of cheese, 1 blueberry yogurt, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - cheese & crackers
Lunch - chicken salad sandwich
PM snack - apple cinnamon rice cake
Supper - not sure, maybe I will thaw some potato soup for supper, who knows.

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. bookwork (what's new)

The banana smoothies that I make is very simple. Just a frozen banana and 1 c. 1% milk put into a blender. Add a touch of vanilla for extra flavor. It's like a simple treat and a great way to get in good foods.

Time to get started on clearing the rest of my desk. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Good morning!

Glad to hear that yesterday was a good day. Good for you! :cheer2: Keep up the great work.

Aah, teenagers. What can you do but keep your wits about you and your sense of humor? I hope she comes around in time for your trip. That's such a special tradition--I can't wait to hear all about it!

Have a great day! :)

[Lesli54]

Good morning!

Yesterday was good for the most part, but had a few unneccessary choices. Food was as planned, until I ate my PM snack shortly after lunch, then had DD18 go to the store later just for a bag of chips and I ate some of those, then I had another apple cinnamon rice cake just for the sweet flavor. Ok, here is the problem, if I am sending someone to the store for only 1 bag of chips, I think that is an indicator that the choice to eat them is going to be a foolish one.:sad2: So, from now on I will stay busy to see if the "thought" of chips or whatever I am craving passes before sending someone out for the item. Supper was a MC chicken pot pie. Those just aren't as good as they used to be, so I think that was the end of eating them. Water was 70oz!:cheer2: :banana: :cheer2:

I worked all day on 2007 and felt much lighter just having alot more room in my office. DD18 and DD10 went shopping which is good for them. DH and I are still trying to figure out why DD18 insists on not talking to us about important issues, even some that are not a big deal. Her boyfriend lost his job a few weeks ago and we had to find out by everyone else, not her (we haven't seen him lately to ask). My guess is that he lost it about the time her attitudes towards us changed recently and it burst her bubble of how perfect life between them will be after she graduates. She is very much a dreamer. DH asked her about it today, but she still seems to think that we didn't really need to know. Not sure why. Guess, I will ask the boyfriend if he realized she hadn't told us. They really need to get on the same page. He is a good kid, but has few goals right now so getting out to look for another job and finding out how hard that can be is good for him (he was working for family). Kids, some days they just make your head spin.:upsidedow

Today is filled with laundry and 2007 work. I had hoped to be done with the books, but I forgot how long it took to do the DVD section that we rent. Between buying and selling the used, alot many pass through and I am always trying to figure out at the end if I have accounted for all ins and outs for depreciation. It is always a joy! At least I a making progress. DS5 is being a problem today and is refusing to get dressed until I wash his robe which he thinks he can wear around the house all day. :confused3 At this rate, it is going to be a long day.

Food for today:
Breakfast - 1 egg, 7 grain toast, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - a LC dinner that I have in the freezer
PM snack - banana smoothie (I better go freeze some bananas;) )
Supper - potato soup (need to thaw, going for quick and easy, yet healthy, so I can get this bookwork finished)

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. stay busy (laundry, bookwork)
3. no impluse eating (wait it out, drink water, think about it first)

DH and I are still talking about the Rome trip. I have the tickets booked, but need to get the hotel. Part of me isn't sure that DD18 should go because of attitude, but the other part (a bigger portion at the moment) says that she should go because she needs to be shown that we can have a relationship that is just fun and trusting, not just mother daughter. It would give me a chance to get her to realize that we have lots to talk about, not just surface issues. I don't know. With the new regulations it is not as if I can take someone else instead of her since you have to assign a name to them and you can't change it. Pros and cons, but I do like the tradition that I have started of taking my children to another country for graduation. Although this one is a few months before because the price was right. DD10 has already planned her trip for Sweden, we'll see in 8 years.;)

I better get going, since I have a lot of work to do today.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Wow! That book work sounds really complex. I think the family is very lucky that you have the willingness and ability to do that for the business!

Kids! :upsidedow They sure know how to make life, er, interesting. I used to babysit a little boy who would only go to bed if I led him upstairs like a puppy. Where do they come up with this stuff? :confused3

I can see how you would be conflicted about DD's trip. One the one hand, I think your instinct is right that it could be a great bonding experience for the two of you and could really help open up the lines of communication. On the other hand, if she decides to be a pill, it's a very long and expensive trip home...

Do you think DD20 might have any words of wisdom for her?

I hope you have a fantastic day today! :dance3:

[Lesli54]

Well, we are going to call yesterday, the day of recklessness.:sad2:

Water was great, coming in at 70 oz!:banana: Food however, was another story. The only thing that was on plan was breakfast and supper, of which I had 2 bowls of potato soup and overstuffed myself. As for the rest, well, I missed the AM snack (very bad idea for me), then I ate chips for lunch, later I ate half a bologna sandwich, then there was the rice cake, then a piece of Godiva, next came more chips until the bag was finished (yes, I ate almost a whole bag in 24 hours:scared1: ), that was followed by a rice cake, finally supper. Of course, I couldn't stop there and I ate 1/2 a pint of B&J's New York Super Chunk ice cream. As I see it there are many fundamental problems here. A) no morning snack to help keep things on an even keel. B) no set meal for lunch, which actually turned lunch into an afternoon grazing buffet. C) I ignored the fact that I wasn't doing good for the day and instead of reigning things in, I said "what the heck" and ate the ice cream, only stopping when I realized that I had eaten 2 servings which was about 600 cal.

Hey, but I did get alot of bookwork and laundry done, which is good right?:confused3

Ok, today is a new day and I don't have to let yesterday define my progress and beat me down. It was one day and I have the chance of making today a good one.

Food plan today:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portabello & blend of cheese, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - tuna wrap
PM snack - crackers & cheese
Supper - steak (getting out the grill:woohoo: ), salad, veggies

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. stay busy (bookwork, I think I can finish today)
3. No skipping meals (take a break from the work and make good choices)

My main plan of attack today is just getting the rest of this work off my desk. It may be a long day, but I will get it done. Also, I plan to get all the bedding washed, which DH and DD10 can fold or get back on the beds. Aside from that, I plan to go out for a few and get some fresh air, since the day is supposed to be 50! Spring is around the corner, spring is around the corner!:hippie:

As for DD20 talking to DD18, she has tried, and although DD18 "hears" what is being said, she doesn't always listen. I think she figures that life will just be more blessed for her and she won't face the hardships of trying to go to school, have an apartment, and work all at the same time. Even though DD20 told her how hard it was after she left and had she to do it over again, would still be at home during her breaks from college. I guess spending all your savings to live kind of hit home with her. Tough love! But at least she learned. DD18 however, doesn't always learn that easily because she can be so stubborn. Oh well, the joys of parenting.

Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Happy Sunday!

I love that you're getting out the grill tonight! Are you wearing shorts and taking a dip in the pool tonight, too? :rotfl2:

Just funnin' with you. We sure do love our first thaw here, don't we. I was prancing around without a coat all day and we have our sliding door wide open. Isn't it great to get some fresh air in the house?

I hope DD18 comes around a bit more today. Some just insist on learning things the hard way, I guess. She'll get there.

You have such a great attitude about getting back on the horse today. I've got a tip for dealing with the Ben & Jerry's. I've never been able to just scoop out one portion--who can get an ice cream scoop to work in that tiny container when it's so hard? I've found the easiest way to get portion control with that is to turn the carton upside down, get out the biggest knife you have (our big bread knife works well) and cut the whole container into fourths. I know it sounds crazy, but it works like a charm and you only get the single portion you want. Just store the rest in a freezer bag until next time.

I hope it turns out to be a wonderful day for you! :thumbsup2

[toystoryduo]

It sounds like you had a busy weekend. I'm still not done with 2007 yet. :( I know that I have a few more weeks until taxes are due, but I'm just at a point where I can't do it right now. Sending :wizard: :wizard: for yours.

Also sending some :wizard: :wizard: for your DD18 as well.

Hope you have a great week ahead!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Glad you're wrapping up 2007. I'm starting today.

sorry about dd18. Tough times..... do you sometimes wonder what possessed us to have kids????

Rome? I'll trade you 1 cruise for 1 Rome trip! (But you'll have to keep the 18 yr old)

Don't worry too much about falling off the wagon. You'll get in control again.

Have a good week!

[pearlieq]

Just checking in on you. I hope all is OK!

[addicted_to_WDW]

Hi Lesli, I'm just checking into to tell you how much your support means to me. You are awesome, and I hope all is well. :)

[Lesli54]

Yes, it is me. I am glad to FINALLY be able to get time for a bit of journaling.

Thanks for stopping by everyone. Looks like I have alot to catch up on. BTW, the B&J's portion control may work. :thumbsup2 I really don't understand why no one want to deal with an 18 yr old, they are so much fun.:crazy2: I will try to recap this past week as best I can remember.

Sunday, Mar 2: What a gorgeous day! I kept going outside instead of doing bookwork, but it was good for the soul. DH, DD10, DS5 & I spent most of the day on and off chopping up ice out of the driveway and sidewalk. If it was soft enough we were shoveling it off. I cannot believe that in some places it was at least 5" thick. We didn't have coats on, it was great! The kids had fun running in the snow with boots, but not coats. I did manage to get a lot of work in my office done as well. Water was great! Food followed the plan for the most part and the steak hit the spot. You just gotta love the chance at warm weather.

Monday, Mar 3: I was up early to finish off bookwork, put together stuff for GS and a few other errands. Dropped off the bulk of the tax work to the accountant, did a GS meeting, then worked on my agenda for my DAR meeting the next day. Water was pretty good. Breakfast was good, lunch was McD's, and supper was ???? Plus there were some oreos and a piece of chocolate. I went to bed early after coming down off the adrenaline from all the bookwork.

Tuesday, Mar 4: Up early, finishing up things for my DAR meeting, trying to get final figures for our personal taxes gathered. Breakfast was good. My mom stopped by for lunch and we had sandwiches. Went to the DAR meeting which went well and had a piece of cake, which was refreshingly light. Then off to sort GS cookies which came in. Sat waiting for parents and 5 didn't show, so off to cart all those cookies back to my house, which was a disaster because I was focused on tax work.:scared1: From shear exhaustion, I decide it was a pizza night and I know I ate more than half. Did taxes for DD18 & DD20. Yes! Another thing off my desk. Water was so so.

Wednesday, Mar 5: Breakfast was good. Did payroll, made sure I had all tax documents, gathered things to return, and went to lunch with DH. We had gyros, mine was chicken. There is a very tiny little Greek restaurant that we love. The atmosphere is so so (not updated), but the food is great and the owner is fun to listen to with his stories of Greece. Met with the accountant. Yeah! Taxes are done! 2007 is officially over with the exception of getting all the paperwork out of my office and into storage, but that will go this next week when DD20 comes home to pick up some hours of work. Ran errands all over. Supper was chips. I am sure I ate some other not so healthy things. Water was so so.

Thursday, Mar 6: Breakfast was an english muffin w/ egg, ham, 1 c. grapefruit juice. Took DD18 to the ortho. We talked on the way home, or at least I tried. She still plans to go off on her own thinking that her savings (mostly funded by us & intended for a car or college) will get her through along time. :sad2: The blinders that she has on are huge and her answer is that she just wants to do something different. Well don't we all? I told her that was fine but at least have a sound financial plan and reasonable time frame. Don't think it helped. I may have to move to plan B or is this C, and yank some financial support so that she realizes what it is really going to be like. :sad2: Lunch was chips, concerned about DD18 and what I am going to do to try to get through. Supper was tacos, boy they make those shells smaller all the time. Got alot more work done in my office, cleaned up the dining room, topped off the day with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Water was lousy.

Today: I have been working hard to get all the little odds and ends off my desk and develop a better routine for dealing with them. Also did some cleaning and will have to do some more here in a bit. Hopefully, I can get started on getting caught up with bookwork for this year and get some bills paid tonight.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 english muffin, 1 egg, ham, 1 c grape juice
AM snack - none
Lunch - salad w/turkey, tomatoes, mozerella, almonds and raspberry vinigrette (it's alright) I almost dug into chips and a sandwich, but once I started making it, it was very appealing and very satisfying
PM snack - crackers & cheese
Supper - probably pizza (DD10 is having a sleepover)

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water - I am trying to get myself back on track after this busy week
2. stay busy - no problem there

The week has been very hectic, but I have really enjoyed it. Just the fact that I am feeling productive is a huge plus! I really missed journaling though and when I had a chance in the evenings, I was so tired that I went to bed. But hey, I have a lot to show for this week and that's a good thing.

Done boring you for now, talk to you all later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

I can actually see the top of my desk in many places, not just a 2 inch square!:yay: I have only a very very small pile of things that I have to tackle this weekend to get them out of here, plus a few odd and end pieces that I have to decide on whether to keep or toss. It feels so good to this close to functional. I even took papers that the kids brought home and filled out what was needed and put them back in the bookbags. I also immediately did the paperwork for baseball signup and put them on the message board so they are ready on the day they have to go down. How is that for combating the potential clutter on your desk? That is a huge step for me. Also, I went through the folders of two of my non-profit organizations that I volunteer for and got rid of a lot of unneccessary paper, reorganized and tackled what was needed from me there so that I don't feel like I still have lots to do in those areas. I feel like I am on a roll.:rotfl:

Yesterday's food was track, but I did eat more than half of the pizza. Of course, I want to say, but the crust was very, very thin. However, I think I should be honest here.......overeating is exactly what it is no matter how think the crust. Ok, there I said it. There is no reason to eat that much other than taste and I could easily reheat it for the next day's lunch, right? The kids made popcorn for their sleepover and I was wanting a bag, thankfully, there wasn't any left. I also had hot cocoa with marshmallows. Here again, I must confess........It was in a large mug so equivalent to 2 hot cocoas with about double the marshmallows than I should have. :rolleyes1 Ok, this should be considered a treat and if it is considered one, then there is no reason to have a double serving so I will change my outlook on this. Water wasn't quite up to par.

Today's food:
Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 english muffin, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c herbal tea (apple cinnamon)
AM snack: cheese & crackers
Lunch: tuna wrap
PM snack: banana
Supper: maybe waffles since DH will be home late

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. add milk to the diet (at breakfast, not a big milk drinker)
3. go to bed at 10:30 (plenty of rest is key to weight loss)
4. stay busy

Nothing important happening today, so I will get some bookwork done, do some bills, and play a computer game with DD10 and DS5. We like doing the find and seek games and haven't done one for awhile. I did promise them a few weeks ago that we would play when I was done with the tax work. It will be good for the soul to have a quite day that is relaxing but is spent with the kids.

Gotta get going. I think later tonight, I will devise some larger goals for this month.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Well, yesterday had some slips, but I managed to recover in the end. I did stay busy with things, although I got tired in the early afternoon and I decided to actually lay down rather than fight it. When I fight it, I end up eating even more and never anything healthy. The rest did do some good. The kids and I played some computer games until there were technical difficulties, but at least we had some fun time together. I went to bed later than planned so I will have to work on that.

Food was off at lunch where I mainly ate chips then later half of a chicken salad sandwich. Followed by a piece of chocolate. The banans were gone by the time the PM snack rolled around so I ate some more cheese & crackers. Then there were chips again, plus another piece of chocolate. Finally at supper, I saved myself from the downward spiral and had a tuna wrap. Actually, just one instead of the two that I had been having and it was very satisfying. Water was not great.

Food plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 english muffin, 1 c milk, 1 c hot tea
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - LC dinner
PM snack - banana
Supper - potato soup if we don't go out

Goals for the day
1. 60 oz of water
2. No eating after 7:30pm
3. In bed by 10:30pm

Not much going on today, so I will take care of some bills (didn't do it yesterday), get some things ready for the mail tomorrow, write up some articles for GS for the paper, and do some more bookwork. I am so close to being on a managable schedule for things that I want to keep going until I get there. I think that it will make a huge difference on my mood and my weight in the long run.

Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

Great job on getting 2007 done and getting your desk organized!:thumbsup2 We spent this weekend working on organization and we're at about 65%. now if I could get the taxes done........ ;)

Hope you have a great Monday! Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by Tracy. I hope you get your 2007 wrapped up soon as well.

Yesterday was pretty good. Food was as planned up through lunch. PM snack was 1/4 PB sandwich and 2 Thin Mints w/ 1/2 c hot tea. DD10 and DS5 created a tea party for everyone so of course I had to attend and it is only polite to eat a little of what is offered.;) For supper, we went out to dinner. I had a rice pilaf, steamed veggies, and batter dipped chicken strips (very light on the batter & all breast meat, made from scratch). I didn't eat all of my dinner so I took the rest home for lunch sometime this week. Water was so so. Didn't get as much done as I had hoped. I spent the afternoon working on my mom's taxes and the evening trying to book our hotel for our Rome trip.

Today's food:
Breakfast - english muffin, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea
AM snack - missed (busy booking hotel)
Lunch - turkey on 7 grain bread, chips
PM snack - 4 thin mints, chips (not well planned)
Supper - the rest of last nights dinner of chicken, rice & veggies (meeting tonight)

Goals for today:
1. stay busy
2. 60 oz water (I am at 42-56, lost track, but doing good)
3. bed at 10:30pm

Finally got that hotel booked. Now I can look to see if I want to pre-book some excursions out of Rome for a day or two. Also, do an itinerary of sorts to fit in what we want to see and do. Off to get some bookwork in for the day. DD20 is either supposed to stop by this afternoon or tomorrow to get some filing done for me so that I can clear 2007 out my office and send it to storage.:banana:

Everyone have a good evening.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Hi!

Lots to catch up on here...

I'm so glad to hear the tax work done! Even better you can see your desk. :thumbsup2 That's got to feel great to have done and to have more time to spend on fun things.

I really admire your willingness to be honest with yourself (and all of us here :) ). You're absolutely right--no matter how many justifications we come up with for ourselved, overeating is overeating and WE know when we're doing it.

I'm glad to hear you listened to your body and took a nap. Here's to taking care of your needs, even with everything else going on!

I hope you're having fun planning the Rome trip. Can't wait to hear all about it.

[Lesli54]

I kind of forgot that I didn't get on here to journal yesterday. But I did stay busy.

Monday's food was pretty much as written since it was late when I journaled. I don't think that I ate anything after supper, unless it was a piece of chocolate. Water was around 60, I lost track. Went to library board meeting and we awarded the contract to expand! It has been a long long project that started before I got on the board. So that has been my focus and now it is going to happen, so that is exciting.:goodvibes

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Breakfast was 1 egg, english muffin, ham, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea. (I have been working at getting milk back into my diet). AM snack was a banana, I had forgotten how much one banana can fill you up. Lunch was chicken salad on crackers, a little lighter than eating a whole sandwich. My mom came over for lunch. PM snack was a few chips early & 2 thin mints later (those GS cookies might kill me). Went to help unload the Market Day order at the school. Took DS5 & DD10 to a story night for DS's school. Then had to go pick up more cookies because we are selling so many extras around here. So supper was late and I stopped at DQ for a bacon cheeseburger (not very good, won't get it again) and some onion rings, no ice cream or shakes, and not tempted either.:banana: Of course, when I got home, I had a few more chips. Water was ........84oz!:banana: :cheer2: :cool1: I did it!

DD20 came over to do some filing and between the two of us we got 2007 boxed up and out of my office. Ok, it is in my kitchen ready to go to storage, but it is at least out of my office.;) So now I am on a roll to establish a good work habit (easier said than done working from home). DD18 is still not thinking clearly on what to do after graduation, but there are alot of people talking to her to help guide her in the right direction, so hopefully that will help.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, ham, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - hopefully Chinese
PM snack - cheese & crackers
Supper - potato soup (easy & there are things going on tonight)

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz water (28 down)
2. stick to the food plan
3. stay busy

On the plus side I did lose 1 lb, so that is good. Gotta go, things to do.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Sounds like you've had a great couple of days! Good for you! :cheer2:

I'm glad to hear about the bacon cheeseburger at DQ. DH wants to go there tonight and now I know not to bother with it. Thanks! Good for you resisting the ice cream as well.

It's nice to hear about all of your forward progress with the library board and getting your work done and cleared out. You accomplish so much!

CONGRATS on another pound gone! That's wonderful!!! :woohoo:

I hope today is another great day for you.

[Lesli54]

I lost another 1.5 lbs!:banana: :banana:

Mainly right now, I know it is water weight, but I will take it because it is still weight. Plus it just makes you feel good to know that you are starting to see some results.

Water for yesterday came in at........98 oz!:cool1: I also forgot how much less I eat when I am actually getting in enough water, even if it is being bumped up a bit for aiding actual weight loss. Still, I am starting to feel much better. Not necessarily more energetic, just not "weighed down". Of course it helps that there have been far fewer empty calorie foods.

Food for yesterday went as planned, with a few exceptions. We didn't go out for Chinese and I ended up eating about the equivalent of a small grab bag of chips, then I ran up to the store to get something healthier. I opted for a LC sweet and sour chicken, so still Chinese. It really was a better choice. I had a GS cookie in the afternoon and one in the evening. Other than that, I think that was it. Also, I stuck to one bowl of soup and three crackers w/butter for supper, that is a plus, and it felt good not to feel overstuffed when I left the table. I was wanting to munch on something late last night, but as I got tired I just went to bed (about 10:40) knowing that staying up would do more damage in the long run.

I did stay busy with my bookwork and have gained alot of ground. Of course, that means that I did little else, but sometimes it is best to just stay focused until you get caught up. My other motivation is the fact that when I told DD20 that I was going to keep with the momentum and get caught up so that I could stay on top of things, she said "you say that every year". Maybe she forgot about the fact that I used to be very organized. But when I look around, I see that my family is not really helping in ways that they should be to alleviate stress and workloads on all of us. So that is my next step, making the family more responsible for various chores DAILY.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea, english muffin
AM snack - crackers & cheese
Lunch - 1 bowl potato soup (all that's left)
PM snack - banana
Supper - banquet food (I will choose wisely)

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz water
2. stick to the food plan
3. stay busy

I better get going. I have alot of work ahead. Pearlieq, I don't know as if I always get alot accomplished, but I am working towards that goal. It sure does feel better knowing that most of your days are productive. Have a great day everyone!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Hi!

I hope you're enjoying this wonderful spring day! It's so nice to see the sun, feel the warmth, and watch all the kids running around enjoying the day.

Another great day yesterday and more weight gone! Good for you! :thumbsup2

You did a great job staying in control and making good choices--doesn't it feel wonderful? Glad to hear you made more headway on the bookwork. I think your plan of spreading the work around daily is a great one. You have tons of hands who can pitch in--might as well put them to good use. ;)

I hope you have a good time at the banquet tonight--sounds like fun!

[toystoryduo]

Great job on losing another 1.5 pounds, Lesli!!!:thumbsup2 Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

I used to be very organized too. That was before we had kids, my DH started his own business, and we started homeschooling. :eek: :lmao: It is such a challenge to keep on top of everything. I understand what you are going through!:hug:

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Another 1 lb down!:cool1:

Water came in at 110 oz. Food went as planned except the PM snack was 3 peanut butter sandwich cookies, I also had those in the late evening.:rolleyes1 The banquet was good, I had a small bit of taco salad, 1/2 enchilada, 2 taco chips, small helping of corn pudding, and 1/2 piece of homemade apple pie (so delicious). Then at home I had a bit more taco salad, so unneccessary.

DD18 won the spirit stick award and I am so glad because it shows that she really is good. Over the years she has listened to many of her peers tell her that she wasn't good enough.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - english muffin, 1 egg, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea, ham
AM snack - banana
Lunch - going out, so I don't know
PM snack - nuts & crasins
Supper - pizza

Goals for the day:
1. 80 oz water (yes, I have upped the amount)
2. stick to the food plan
3. keep busy

I didn't get as much bookwork done yesterday as I would have liked since every time I sat down, I was interrupted by someone at the door. It is like that at cookie time. But I did get further. Today, I plan to be within weeks of being caught up.:goodvibes

Gotta go, we have to order screens for the new windows we put in a little over a year ago. Everyone have a wonderful day.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Good morning!

Another pound down! Wow! Look at you go!

I'm glad hear the banquet was nice and congrats to your DD! It sure sounds tasty too--was it catered or did someone make all that?

I hope you have a fun and productive day today! :cool1:

[Lesli54]

It's late, but I thought that I better get to posting so that way I can stay on this roll. Sometimes it is too easy to forgo things that although they relax you they also take a bit of time.

The banquet the other night was more of a potluck for food and it was so nice to actually see a variety of desserts. Over the last few years, we have had a variety of foods, but the desserts have been all chocolate and although I do like chocolate it is really nice to have something else offered. DD18 did get her "sweet revenge" in regards to winning the spirit stick. She said that at school a few people congratulated her and a couple of the cheerleaders who think that they should ALWAYS win everything were a bit pertrubed when people made a fuss over DD18. I guess she liked the fact that she didn't have to do anything to get the "revenge", but it kind of was a way of saying "ha, I can do this" to the others. Kids.;)

Yesterday was very busy. I forgot to take my banana for my snack. Lunch was Panera's French onion soup, a baguette & ice tea. We were out of craisins so I just ate nuts for the PM snack. Ate too much pizza (1/2) and felt overly stuffed later. Had more nuts later. Also had a bite size Heath bar during the day. Water was 75 oz.

DH and I went to get the screens ordered for the windows only to find out that we need to call the company to do that. I did get that done so it is in progress. Also we went shopping for a new copier. Mine has died. If I put in new toner, I can make it work, but it needs a new expensive part (all lights are flashing) and it really is very, very old. So I said that I wasn't buying toner until we figured out what to do. I was hoping for a smaller one than what I have, however, as it turns out it is not much smaller. Unfortunately in order to get something that can withstand some heavy duty commercial use at times, you don't usually find the little desk top model. Oh well, we did order that as well. Now I am on the push to get my office painted before it arrives. Might as well do it while the old one is out. Picked up the taxes, came home, got a bit more work done, and I don't know what else.

This morning, I actually slept in until 8:45, so I know I was tired. Got the laundry going, had a family meeting on getting some help around the house, then left to do some shopping. DD18 and I picked up DD20 to do some shopping with us. Mainly, I needed some new jeans and a few shirts along with a few other things for the Rome trip. DD18 & DD20 also needed a few things. I do have to say, I really do like the right fit jeans at Lane Bryant (thanks Pearlieq). I thought about taking DD10 and DS5 along, but they get so bored when I am looking for me and I would have come back home early. The older girls and I had fun and it worked out well since I think DD18 really needed it to see that I can reach the point of not only mother, but eventually friend.

Today's food:
Breakfast: 1 piece toast w/ PB, 1 c tea (not as hungry and needed to leave)
AM snack: missed
Lunch: small pina colda julius (something to tie us over until our late lunch with DD20's boyfriend)
PM snack: Panera's French onion soup & baguette, ice tea (or you could call this the late lunch)
Supper: 3 chicken strips & a few baked fries
Additional: I had 3 squares of Caramello & about 2 handfuls of almonds

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz water (I am at 61)
2. Get some shopping done (did that and then some)

It was a pretty good day other than the fact that everytime I try to find shoes they don't have my size. Maybe I will try tomorrow since I have to go back out again. DD20 just called and wants me to come look at a formal gown. She needs one for an event and of course doesn't want it to look "prommy". Also it needs to look respectable since the event is very elegant and proper, not to mention that her boyfriend is looking at becoming an officer in the military so she needs something that will work for various occassions that they will attend. (They haven't officially annouced an engagement, but they do hint around at long term and discuss openly many things that let you know that is what they are thinking.) Some days a mother's work is never done.:rolleyes:

Other good news heard today, DD18 has said that she will be staying at home while attended the community college. I am not sure what we said that got through, but it is a sigh of relief. Besides with the economy, I am sure that there will be a lot of kids staying home this fall.

The new problem of the day is tackling DD10's food sneaking and then lying about it. Of course, this is a typical thing that kids do, but I want to nip this one in the bud, especially given the fact that she is a bit overweight to begin with. None of my other kids have her build or metabolism, so it is more determination for me to get no only myself healthier, but my family as well. Always something.

Better get going, talk to you all later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Lots going on today!

It's great that you got some nice rest this morning and called the family together to talk about pitching in. Hopefully they take it to heart.

I'm glad to hear the shopping trip was successful and that you were able to take care of the screen and copier. More forward progress--always good!

Great news for both DDs! I'm glad to hear DD18 is thinking about making a good choice this fall. For all we talk and talk to kids, some of it must sink in, right? :laughing:

How exciting to possibly have an engagement on the horizon for DD20! That would be so much fun. I hope she's successful at finding the formal she needs.

I hope things go well with DD10--that could be stick to deal with. Hopefully this phase will be short lived!

Keep up the great work! :cool1:

[Lesli54]

Maybe I have time to do a quick report.

Sunday, Mar 16 - I had an English muffin for breakfast then ran out the door to meet DD20 to do the dress shopping. We had a lot of success and fortunately she was willing to try on various dress to see what styles worked best for her. An amazing feat.:banana: She ended up finding 2 dresses. One was a simple formal that would work well with various dinners that DD20 and her boyfriend attend. The other was a true ball gown for the various balls and receptions they attend. Really beautiful. A bit more than I had planned to do but she did need them and I can't complain too much since she is working to knock off most of her college expense through various means. We ate at DQ/Orange Julius. I had a chili cheese dog and a pomegranite berries smoothie. Very delish. Took a nap when I got home (lots of walking). Supper was Subway, chicken teriyaki on italian, mayo, sweet sauce, tomato, gr pepper, & cucumbers. I had a few pieces of chocolate & 6 peanut butter sandwich cookies.:rolleyes1

Yesterday was very, very busy. I had an egg, english muffin, 1 c milk for breakfast. Got my hair cut so that it would be manageable on our trip, stopped at Kohls for a little of everything that everyone needed, ran to Lowe's for paint supplies, then Walmart, back to Staples for DH, and then to pick up some tax papers. Whew! I had Steak Escape for lunch (DH asked) and ate a 7" philly steak w/ cheese, mushrooms, gr pepper, onion & had a coke. Don't know why, but coke sounded good. Then on to home to get DD10 ready for her dance pictures and get all the costumes ready, took her to that then was very tired when I got home. Long day. Had chips for "supper", and english muffin, and a couple of cookies.

Water on these days was not good. Walking, however, was. On Saturday, I counted 2.5 hours of walking as exercise, we were out much longer. Sunday, I figured about a good hour of walking (not counting browsing). Yesterday, I figured about 3 hours. The plus side is that I am at least getting into a bit of walking shape for our trip.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, milk, 1 c hot tea
AM snack - missed
Lunch - tuna wrap & chips
PM snack - banana
Supper - buffet at a meeting, I will watch portions and choose wisely

Goals today:
1. 80 oz water
2. stay busy
3. stick to the food plan

I know that the last few days for food wasn't so good and I have learned that I need to concentrate harder on taking water with. Also, making better choices when I am out and about. Fortunately, it is rare that I am out doing so much shopping.

So far today, I have been cleaning. No, my family is still not really stepping up so some drastic measure may need to happen, like hide the tv and computer monitors for awhile. :thumbsup2 My new copier should arrive any time now and I already moved the old one out of the way. I plan to either tackle bills or some more work. Later, I have to go to an Annual meeting for GS. It will be late when I get back. Oh well.

Gotta go, everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Wow! You have been a busy bee! I'm glad to hear all of the shopping trips were successful. Good for you for getting so much walking in.

I hope today is a great day! :)

[Lesli54]

Good morning, everyone!:goodvibes

Some of the things that I am learning lately......journaling is very important for me everyday and at the beginning of the day rather than the end. I do better at planning my meals and trying to follow them rather than trying to wing it and just stay within guidelines. I need to work on taking water with when I leave the house for extended periods. I also still have the tendency to grab whatever is available when I am very busy. Now I know that there is a simple solution for all things. I could easily stop my work and should stop for a brief while to regroup, have a snack or a meal and then continue with whatever I am working on. Sometimes easier said than done, but I can do it.

On Monday, I ate 3 peanut butter sandwich cookies instead of a banana for my snack. Dinner was very healthy at the meeting. I had a small salad, a small aount of mixed veggies, a few new potatoes w/herbs, a small skinless chicken breast, and a small wheat roll, along with ice tea. Not bad. Portions were good and I realized that I was very satisfied without filling my plate. No dessert offered, which was good. After the meeting though, DD18 was hungry since there wasn't much there for her that she wanted to try:confused3 , so we ran through McD's where I got a medium fry and a medium sprite. Not good. Mainly I caved because my friend ordered something similar, not because I was hungry. I do need to work on that. Although it was a hilarious trip at McD's drive thru. Our order was showing up on the lane next to us and their order was showing up on our screen. Talk about interesting and funny when we were both trying to tell the girl taking the order that we didn't order what was on the screen and tried repeating our orders. Water about 45 oz.

Yesterday, was a pretty good day for staying busy, and so so for food. Breakfast was 1 egg, english muffin, 1 c milk, 1/2 c hot tea. AM snack - tuna (not a good idea, although it appealed at the time, it just became part of an extended lunch, so snacks will now be only snack type food) Lunch - chips, then later an ego waffle. PM snack - 3 peanut butter sandwich cookies. Later it was cheese and crackers. Supper - 1/2 frozen pizza and a coke (need to cut down on this amount). That was later followed by 2 peanut butter sandwich cookies. Water a little less than 60 oz.

I did alot of bookwork until about 3am this morning. Mainly, I could see the end in sight so I kept going. I only have to enter 3 weeks of daily reads then I will be caught up, all expenses are in. :banana: That just feels so great and I know that I can probably be done with all that tomorrow (lot's of other stuff today).

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea (at least I am getting in the milk)
AM snack - applesauce
Lunch - an LC dinner
PM snack - banana
Supper - fish, veggies, baked potato

Goals for the day:
1. stick to the food plan
2. take 2 - 15 minute breaks (get some fresh air, walk around, just quite working)
3. stay busy (bills, measuring suitcases, start the packing list, clear my desk, maybe get a chance to tidy some closets, move some stuff from my room to the attic - with redoing the bedroom closets & stairs to the attic I forgot that I don't have to store stuff in my room and I can now walk it up to the attic.:rolleyes1 )

The kids get home soon for Easter break so I will put them to work on a few chores as well. Gott run.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

I know what you mean about journaling in the morning. It helps me to think about the day ahead and what needs to be done. It really does seem to help!:goodvibes

You have a busy day ahead of you. Sending some :wizard: to help you get it all done. :goodvibes

Hope you have a great day!:hug:

[pearlieq]

Put those kids to work! Maybe they can have some kind of fun reward if they really put in a good effort today and tomorrow.

3AM! Wow! I can understand about wanting to get things done though. I hope you're able to finish off the rest of it today. That will feel awesome! I hope you can catch up on your rest.

I agree that journaling really does make a difference--it sets a framework for the day. I've always thought that you've thrived on having a plan. Things come up and it doesn't always go exactly as planned, but having an idea of what's coming makes it easier to think though choices.

I see you've planned a LC meal for lunch. I think that's a great idea for you! They're pretty healthy and very brainless. Just pop up a corner of the film, stick it in the microwave and you're good to go! There's such a big variety to choose from and they're just so darn easy. It seems like a great solution for an on-the-go woman like you.

Good job eating a nice healthy meal at the meeting! I completely understand about the MCD's trip--it's very hard to say no when others are eating. You feel left out and deprived. At least you didn't order a whole meal--that's something.

I hope today is a great day for you! :cool1:

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

I hope you have a nice weekend ahead and a Happy Easter!:hug: Take care!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Well here I have said that I must journal and then I didn't come back. I was very busy, but I do need to find balance.:confused3

I just can't remember everything, but I will do my best. Most of Thursday's meals went well. Supper didn't happen as planned. I didn't eat much that night at all actually. Although there were a few cookies and rice cakes, I don't remember much else. Just stayed really busy getting bills done, and getting my office looking pretty good. Water so so.

Friday morning, I was clearing more of my desk and enjoying the fact that I felt relaxed while taking care of things that needed to be done. In the afternoon, I did errands, tax runs, got new shoes for the trip (comfy for walking), did some returns, etc. I know I had my staple of a breakfast, including milk. Lunch was a small bag of chips. The rest of the day, again, I didn't eat much at all, just a few snacks. I wasn't really hungry and I think that is because I am overly focused on other things right now. Cleared out a bunch of reciepts and anything else that would help me get on track. Went to bed early. Water so so.

Yesterday, breakfast as usual with milk. Lunch, dont' remember. Supper was 1/2 a pizza. I did have 2 cokes during the day. Also, I think there were 2 cookies. Tried to take care of all things that the kids would need when they start back to school (lunch money, permission slips, etc.) That way DH won't have to worry about it. Also took care of more stuff on my desk, cleaned up a closet, took care of Easter preparations, and in general stayed busy. Water was not so good.

Today, went to church, had a hard boiled egg & english muffin for breakfast along with some hot tea and a c. of milk. Then started cooking my meal for the day. It went really smooth which is surprising, plus we got alot of clean up work done. I think that is because I am much more relaxed (it also helps to plan a lighter meal.:rolleyes1 ) For dinner, I had ham, 2 deviled eggs, sm portion baked beans, sm portion corn pudding, cauliflower, carrots, celery, 2 slices cheese & crackers, sm glass wine. I have also had a few jelly bean, and recently ate 2 more deviled eggs & a piece of cheesecake (ok, but too much citrus). We had a few family members over and in general it was a nice time. The plus is that everything is cleaned up and I am not really hungry, even though I didn't eat alot today. I think I might make some popcorn later, and get in some more water. The rest of the evening, I will get the laundry caught up, pack some clothes & toiletries, and get our travel papers together. I think I will also look over some more details of the trip.

The plus side of the last few days is that I have been staying very busy. The down side is that I have not paid as much attention to my weight loss and healthier living. Again, I have trouble with balance sometimes.

I will be on here tomorrow to post. It's the last day before we leave. I promise to write down everything while we are gone so that I can give a trip report when we come back. Hope everyone had a great Easter.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Happy Easter!

So, so busy! It sounds like you've gotten so much done. It will be great to head out without having all these tasks hanging over your head.

Today sounded like a great day--I'm so glad to hear it. :)

Happy packing! :cool1:

[Lesli54]

The last day to get things done!:scared1:

Last night I did have 1/2 bag of popcorn, but it really didn't appeal to me as much as I thought it would so I stopped eating. A plus.

Well, we have laundry going, suitcases looked through, my room is clean, just need to hit the last bathroom for cleaning. Got some more items ready for the mail or errands that I have to run this afternoon. All in all, I think we are doing pretty well.

Breakfast - 1 boiled egg & 1 c 1% milk
AM snack - 1 deviled egg
Lunch - baked beans, veggies, ham
PM snack - yogurt parfait (while running errands)
Supper - probably some more leftovers, don't know

Goals:
1. Finish packing
2. 60 oz water
3. stick to the food plan
4. try to get some sleep tonight since we leave early in the AM

Catch everyone later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Good job stopping with the popcorn last night. That's always so hard to do, which makes it gratifying to succeed!

I really hope you have a wonderful trip. I'm so excited for you and DD18. Rome will be so much fun to explore, and I really hope it goes a long way in helping keep the lines of communication open and showing that you two can be friends now that she's becoming an adult.

I'll be thinking of you. I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures. Have fun!

Sending you lots of :wizard:

[goldcupmom]

I hope you & DD are having a wonderful time! Can't wait to 'hear' all about it when you get back!!

[pearlieq]

67 and sunny in Rome tomorrow!

I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures!!!:yay:

[toystoryduo]

Hope you have a wonderful trip!:thumbsup2

[pearlieq]

I hope you've had a safe and smooth trip home.

Looking forward to "seeing" you! :wave:

[Lesli54]

Well, we are back and have been for a week now. I have been meaning to get back here and post, but aside from things being very busy once I got home, I have also been sick which is not helping my mood to sit and post.:sad2:

Rome was fun now that I sit back and really look at things with a clearer head. I got sick the day we landed and pretty much stayed that way. Fortunately, it was mainly a cold & flu thing, so we weren't confined to the room, but there were a few days were I could barely talk, so it was interesting. But we kept pushing on to see and do things and we had a lot of good laughs (even if I was choking on phlegm while laughing). The weather for most of the days was beautiful which helped lift the spirits. Unfortunately, I have come back to dreary, gray, wet weather here at home and it is cold, so it has just made me drag even more while trying to get past this cold. Most of it seems to be gone except the occassional "hairball" in my throat.

I will begin posting details of the trip later tonight. Here is the low down since I have been home.

Thurs, Apr 3 - I spent half the day catching up on mail and work, then I got tired for the other half and slept. I don't think it was jet lag so much as it was the cold. Water since coming home has been horrible. I do remember that I didn't eat much that day. The plus side is that I lost 2.5 lbs while in Rome.

Fri, Apr 4 - DS5 had the day off from school and we went shopping. I needed new clothes and shoes for a GS fundraiser dinner that night. Alot of my stuff is getting so old and this wasn't the place for shabby. It was a quick trip then we stopped by the game store for a new game, got McD's (1/4 lbr w/cheese, fries, tea), then went home. My friend and I had to leave early for the dinner which was 1 1/2 hrs away. They had a silent auction and a live auction, along with good food. It was so much fun. I managed to pick up a night's stay in a cabin at a resort close by, as well as a week's stay at a villa in Worthington Country Club in Bonita Springs, FL. Talk about fun! Now the problem is trying to plan "when" we are going. Supper was a glass of wine, mashed potatoes, filet of mignon, a few cheese tortillnis, & veggies. Throw in some jelly beans for the day.

Sat, Apr 5 - Went many directions. Took DD10 to a Book Bee that she had joined. They didn't run it the way I tought they should have so there wasn't really a winner based on knowledge of the books. It was just more of a trivia bowl of sorts. But she had fun. Had a brat for lunch (the first cookout of the season). Later in the afternoon, I ran the other direction with DMom, DAunt, and DD18 to go prom dress shopping. It was successful and the dress looked nice on her, but I probably would have picked something different. Don't think I ate supper.

Sun, Apr 6 - Church, some work, and I slept. Still trying to fight that cold. DD20 stopped by unexpectedly, she was on her way back to school but her boyfriend had to go mend horse fences at his parents so she thought she would visit. It was nice because she helped me get the house back in order. Not that it was really bad, but a mom gone for more than a week is very noticeable in a house. We all had dinner at Pizza Hut and I ate 2 breadsticks, and 3 slices of pizza.

Mon, Apr 7 - Planned for a GS meeting and tried to get things in order for the recital that DD10 is doing this weekend. Also rested. The GS meeting went well at times and nerve wracking at others. The kids just do not want to listen. I did get alot of my scout work caught up so my co-leader can put it into the computer. For supper, I had a bacon cheeseburger w/tomato & mayo, fried mushrooms, and a coke.

Tues, Apr 8 - I think I slept for most of the morning and that was on top of going to bed early all these nights. This cold just has me dragging. Did some more work on GS, cleared my desk and a few other things in my offices. Started catching up with more bookwork. 2 tuna roll-ups and chips for lunch. Had 2 pancakes for supper. Not to mention the many cookies throughout the day.

Wed, Apr 9 - Did a lot of bookwork. I actually felt like I had more energy. DH and I went for chinese (2 bowls of egg drop soup, gen tao's chicken, sweet & sour chicken, rice, pork low mein, and beef & veggies). The buffet is good, but I think I over did. Had 2 reese's later, plus cookies. Supper was a hot dog and a few tater tots. I really wanted a chili cheese dog and had planned to make them but DH nixed the idea with the kids. Don't know why.

That catches me up to today. I am planning to get some bookwork done, do a few errands (in the cold rain:sad2: ).

Breakfast - 1 c 1% milk, 1 egg, english muffin, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - 1 c hot tea, banana
Lunch - chili cheese dog (I really want and I figure better to eat it or I will just eat tons of everything else in sight)
PM snack - yogurt or cheese & crackers
Supper - pizza night (no pop)

Oh yeah! I am down another .5 lbs since coming home. So that makes a total of 3 lbs lost since I left. :woohoo: Will post more later. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

For the most part yesterday went as planned. Got quite a bit of bookwork done and some errands in the evening. Unfortunately I ate 2 chili cheese dogs along with some chips, but at least I am past that craving. PM snack and in the evening, I had 2 cookies each time. Supper wasn't too bad. DH and I ended up at Ruby Tuesday's where I had a salad, part of quiche, and probably too much spinach artichoke dip. Water was 28 oz.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, 1c 1% milk, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - rice cake (take along)
Lunch - tuna
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - Not sure

Goals for the day:
1. 48 oz water
2. stick to the food plan

I have been getting some decent sleep lately. Even last night I went to bed early, which is not all a bad thing in terms of weight loss. Although last night, it was a bit earlier than I had hoped because DS5 was very nervous over the storms passing through and thought he needed me to sleep next to him (at least until he was asleep and DH moved him). Gotta love kids.

Today I have lots to do. DS5 (no school for him today) and I are leaving shortly to pick up DD20 and bring her home for the weekend. Then I have an unplanned library board meeting this afternoon with the contractor of the addition. Hopefully, I won't have to leave the meeting early, but I might, since I have to get DD10 off to dress rehearsal tonight for the dance recitals she is doing tomorrow. That might actually leave me time tonight to actually get BIL's taxes done along with a few other minor things.

Talk to you all later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Good morning! Welcome home!

I'm so sorry to hear you've been sick and dealing with the "blahs". Hopefully it passes soon.

I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures in Rome. Congrats on coming home with a weight loss. That can be very hard to do while traveling!

It sounds like you've been incredibly busy. It always looks like you run your life at a pretty good clip, so I'm imagining that catching up after a week gone is quite a daunting task. How did your DH fare running the show on his own?

It sounds like another full day for you, and a full house this weekend. I hope you have a nice time!

Take care, and it's great to see you again! :)

[Lesli54]

Well, DH said that he and the kids did pretty good while I was gone. Guess I can leave more often?;)

As for yesterday, I forgot the rice cake and got off a bit later getting DD20, so we stopped at McD's on the way home (1/4 lbr w/cheese, fries, tea). Did the library board meeting which was mainly the architect setting up things with the contractors, so not too long, but I do think I want to sit in on as many of their other meetings as possible just to be aware of the progress as we do this project. Had a few cookies. Dance rehearsal went a bit long for DD10 so we stopped at DQ for supper (4 chicken strips, gravy, texas toast, not quite 1/2 the fries, & coke). Yes, I know not a great meal day. Worked on BIL's taxes and had a few more cookies. I think water was around 20 oz.

Today, I have tied up a few loose ends on things sitting on my desk, ran some errands, did DD10's hair and makeup for the recital, then went to the first recital of the day. It was pretty good. We are now back home grabbing a bite to eat and relaxing before we have to go back for tonight's performance. She is really enjoying it and DH along with the rest of the family will see her tonight.

Today's food:
Breakfast - english muffin, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c grapefruit juice, ham
AM snack/Lunch - yogurt, rice cake, 3 PB ritz crackers
PM snack - 3 PB ritz crackers
Supper (very early) - 1 tuna rollup, the rest of the tuna that didn't fit on a tortilla, sm grab bag of BBQ chips
Treat after the show? - Maybe we can convince DH to stop by DQ for ice cream. By then everyone will probably be hungry since this day is so off schedule.

Goals:
1. Drink water where I can (I think I am at 32 oz)
2. In bed by 11pm

Gotta go fix makeup and hair, get DS5 ready, pick up DMom and then head back to the next performance. And to think, dance may be ending, but soccer and softball start next week.:faint: ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

I agree. I think that sounds like an invitation to go off gallivanting more often. :laughing:

Sounds like yesterday was another full day. Congrats on getting out of a DQ without ice cream. That's amazing!

I hope the evening recital goes well. It's great that the whole family could come together to see it. What kind of dancing is she doing?

Enjoy your weekend! :banana:

[Lesli54]

I sure am getting later at posting, but at least I am doing it.

I think I managed to get in about 40 oz water yesterday. The second recital was pretty good as well, but threw me off since they had taken out the routines for the really small kids because it was late, so the family didn't quite see everything, but that was ok. DH gave DD10 flowers (I got her a few earlier in the day) and she just gushed and felt really special, which was cool. Afterwards we headed to DQ (following the long line of cars). It was packed, but we made do with 2 tables in seperate spots, but that was ok. I had a sm Heath blizzard. Call it supper, snack, or whatever you want. Dropped off DMom, who enjoyed the recital which followed a show of the Lippazaner Stallions earlier in the afternoon that I gave her and DAunt for their birthday. Once back home (finally) I was so exhausted that I fell asleep on the couch within minutes of being home, so I would say that I made my goal there.

DD10 did a jazz number to "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend", which was cute and she loved it. Being in front of an audience is in her blood (DH used to sing). She also did a clogging number which was pretty good for just learning, but she would like to try Irish Step. DD20 attended the recital and tried very hard not too be too critical of the performance of the studio. Although, we saw many of the things that she did and I have to say that we have to consider whether we will be taking DD10 to another studio next year. I have to listen to DD20 because she danced for many, many years and she was good. We were spoiled by really good studios with the older DD's, so we can spot many differences. The technique and the discipline at this studio just isn't what it should be. In many of the numbers the girls were off, didn't point toes, arms were different, formations weren't clean, transitions were either a bit sloppy or they boring and very noticeable, etc. This spanned into the older girls who have been dancing for 5 plus years. The studio also doesn't do competitions at any level because the instructor helps with her local high school dance team and that is where they do competition. DD10 had fun, but overall I would say that if I am spending about the same amount of money between studios then she might as well get the quality.

Up early this morning since the kids had to "run" both church services and there was a potluck breakfast in between. The pastor spoke a bit, but it was mainly the Sunday School kids who took care of everything else, which is neat. I really wanted to sleep in.:rolleyes1 Before we left, I threw some strawberry crepes and chese blintzes in the oven to bake off for the potluck. They were ok, but I will not buy them again. DD10 had a small "duet" at church too, so she is really on the performing bandwagon this weekend. DD18 did behind the scenes, which is where she likes to be and also helps with the younger ones. Afterwards, we went down to visit my Gran and have lunch with her. The lunch could have been much better, but sometimes these little town restaurants aren't so good. Unfortunately, I was not good company since I fell asleep on her couch for a bit. At least Gran's understand, right?:confused3 Most of this evening, I have just been trying to catch up on some journals since I am too tired to think. Water has been about 30 oz.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 1/2 biscuit w/ gravy, 2 strawberries, 1 c oj, strawberry crepe (didn't eat all), cheese blintz (didn't eat all), egg casserole, 1/2 piece of sweet bread
AM snack - 1 c oj
Lunch - tossed salad (or should I say, lettuce only, don't know what they did with the veggies, unless they "tossed them out" of the salad:rotfl2: ), 1/2 c green beans, 1/2 c mashed potatoes (both were very bland and I laughed as DH tried to add more salt, pepper, and anything else I handed him), BBQ ribs
PM snack - 4 cookies:rolleyes1
Supper - 1/2 pizza and a bottle of coke (not because I was hungry)

I think most of today's overindulgence was mainly that I was tired and I could have done better, but I could have done much worse. Oh well, "tomorrow is another day".::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

I really hope you can get some rest today! Or at least sleep in a bit or catch a nap after the kids are off to school. You've had a very full weekend!

Very interesting perspective about the recital and dance studios. You're right--I wouldn't be expecting to see that from the older girls either. It's nice that your DD20 really cares about making sure her little sister learns properly.

I'm glad to hear everything, from the recital to the church service, went well. It's great that you do so much together as a family. You must be very proud.

Have a great day today, and take it easy! You've earned it.

[toystoryduo]

:hug: Lesli,

Welcome Back!:cool1: It sounds like you have been super busy lately. I hope you have some time to rest and relax this week.:goodvibes

Have a great week ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by, Pearlieq and Tracy.:goodvibes

Rest? Don't know what that is. BTW, add 2 cookies to late last night. Today I got the kids up and going, then about the time I expected DH to come in from the store he calls and says the delivery truck just showed, so I did his morning chores, then took the kids to school. Usually DH will take them as he heads back to work, but I think the kids liked the change. Then I ran bank errands, mail, and stopped at the store trying to get the last of the papers needed to finish BIL's taxes. This was all before I got a chance at breakfast mind you. Most of my day has been spent on taxes, but the good news is that BIL's taxes are done and I managed to finish DMom's taxes. Most of hers had been done and filed, but there still remained something that I needed to research due to her moving. But the plus side is that they are done before tomorrow:banana: ......did I mention I also did payroll taxes today?

Then it was off to run more errands of mail, groceries for supper, and dropping off the taxes. I was so busy, that I forgot to eat lunch. Now I just need to watch the munchies later.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, english muffin, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - a few chips (forgot to eat my sandwich as planned)
PM snack - 2 cookies
PM snack (very late) - 1/2 bologna sandwich (I was afraid that I would overeat if I didn't eat something)
Supper - taco salad w/taco chips (DD18 is making)

Goals for the day:
1. stay on track with food
2. 42 oz water
3. stay busy

Well, I am off. I have some things on my desk to take care of then I have a library board meeting. Talk to you later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Hey, I actually got my nap in this morning after that long weekend.:woohoo:

Add a few more cookies to yesterday's food. Water was at least 28 oz, but it may have been 42. I can't remember if I did get that other glass.:confused3

This morning, I did something that I hadn't done in a long time.....I actually put on a little makeup and fixed my hair. As opposed to just combing through my hair and not bothering with makeup. I think it makes me feel a bit more put together for the day even though I really don't have "places" to go. Right now I am trying anything that make me feel better so that I can stay geared up for losing weight.

Food for today:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, english muffin, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c grapefruit juice (yes, I need to find something new)
AM snack - 1 bite of cracker w/spread cheese (threw it out, no good), 1 rice cake (I almost think that made me hungry for lunch)
Lunch - bologna sandwich, chips (need to go shopping)
PM snack - yogurt
Supper - chicken strips, fries (cleaning out the freezer)

Goals for today:
1. 60 oz water
2. Stick with the food plan
3. work on pictures (need a relaxing hobby and needs to be done)

Most of the morning & afternoon will be spent on bookwork, then I have to help unload Market Day at the school. This morning, I had to get out some knitting needles for DD10 (teacher is teaching knitting for fun) and I realized how many craft projects I have that I have never done, so it got me to thinking that I need to create more time for hobbies and learn to relax again. With graduation coming up, I think that tackling the pictures and getting some together for DD18's display table would be a good place to start. My family as a whole needs to learn to relax "creatively". Lately, everyone has either been on computer, tv, or gaming systems. Time for a change.

Time to get to work. Talk to you later.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

I understand completely about reclaiming some creativity. I hope you have lots of fun going through your old projects and finding fun things to complete and share with the family. Hobbies are really enriching, but they're so easy to lose track of. I can understand the urge to create.

I'm glad you finally got some rest! Good for you for taking care of yourself this morning. You're worth taking care of. I hope you have a pleasant, productive day today. The Market Day job could pass as a workout!

Have a nice day!

[goldcupmom]

Wow, Lesli! Things have sure been a whirlwind since you got back. Can't wait to hear all about the trip....but I'll give you awhile!!:goodvibes

Food looks good & all you do must surely count as some exercise, right?

Too bad about the dance studio stuff, but I know it is really tough to find a good one anymore (or at least one that has openings). Good thing you know what to look for!

Hope you have a great rest of the week. Taxes DONE!!!!

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

I'm glad to hear that you were able to get a nap in. :goodvibes

I think unloading the Market Day truck definitely counts as exercise!:thumbsup2

I hope you have a good evening!:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Julie, thanks for reminding me of my Trip Report. How could I forget?:confused3

Pearlieq and Tracy, I was just think of counting Market Day as exercise, so we must all be on the right track. Plus I got lots of unintended exercise after that.....let's call it "cleaning out the freezer".

I missed my PM snack, since Market Day was earlier than I thought. But after doing that, I went up to the store for a few minutes. Well, that turned into hours. Our 15 door freezer lost coolant so we were quickly unloading all we could and spreading it around to all the other freezer space that we had around the store. Unfortunately, some of the things were thawing and we didn't have enough room for all of it so we had a fire sale. I stocked up to fill our own freezers at home, which took 2 trips since I wasn't sure about the room we had. It was interesting. By the time I got supper, I had a headache and was so tired so I went for easy. Supper was 1 english muffin, ham, blueberries (part of the feezer cleaning). Water was maybe 40 oz. I can't remember. Needless to say, I had no problem getting to sleep last night. Unfortunately, I didn't get to the pictures at all.

This morning started out so so, then got worse, then got better. I had planned to bake some cinnamon rolls (freezer cleaning), but forgot to take them out of the fridge in time to finish raising so that I could make them for breakfast, so the kids had cereal. DD10 and I got in a tiff. She is trying to push the limits of being older. Then we did her ortho appt to do the prep work for braces, which I almost forgot. Off to look for new door hinges to replace the rusty ones when we put on new doors. Baked the cinnamon rolls. Did some banking, got stuck at the store doing some things. Finally, I am sitting for "lunch".

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 5 mini blueberry muffins, water (grabbed on the way to ortho)
AM snack - BBQ chips, sm bag (late morning)
Lunch - LC sweet & sour chicken
PM snack - 1/2 cinnamon roll & berries
Supper - chicken strips, corn, tater tots (lots fo freezer stuff around here)

Goals for the day:
1. stick to the food plan
2. 60 oz water
3. work on those pictures

I almost forgot, I lost another .5 lbs!:banana: I will take all I can get, at least it is still on the losing side. A busy evening, I am sure, but at least the windows are open!:goodvibes ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Another .5 lbs bites the dust!:cool1: :banana:

Ok, I didn't stick to the food plan completely, yesterday. I did have 5 cookies (not at the same time), but thankfully, they are gone. My PM snack turned into a whole cinnamon roll and no berries. I think I was getting tired by this time and instead of resting or getting fresh air, I went for comfort. DH brought home leftover cookout food, so supper plans changed as well. I had a hot dog and a few chips. Water was 62 oz!!:goodvibes Most of the evening was spent on bookwork so that I can get that insurance loss turned in on the freezer, but that is ok.

Today's food:
Breakfast - cinnamon roll, 1 c 1% milk , 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - cheese & crackers
Lunch - tuna roll up w/ lettuce OR w/ salad
PM snack - rice cake & hot tea
Supper - pizza, no pop

Goals for the day:
1. 70 oz water
2. 2 breaks of 15 min where I get a little exercise (either walking, dancing, stretching, anything to get a little more oxygen)

It's a busy day again, but I don't have to run, I think I will save that for tonight or tomorrow. I need to finish up bookwork which will be most of the day, then make adjustments to DD18's prom dress for this weekend and the dress of her friend (her prom is later). Also, I am going to try to tie up loose ends on my desk.

I'm off, everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Congrats on another half pound down!!! Good for you! :thumbsup2

Yikes! Another busy couple of days!

Sorry to hear about the freezer misadventures, but I guess there was at least a little something in it for you. And you had an excuse to clean out the freezer. I hope the paperwork goes smoothly to recoup the loss.

I hope things go well for you today. Is DD18 excited about her prom? Do they do it at the school or do they rent a hall?

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations on the weight loss, Lesli!:goodvibes Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

I'm sorry to hear about the freezer. :( I hope the paperwork goes smoothly and everything works out.:goodvibes

Have a great evening!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Good job on the weight, Lesli!

Sorry about the freezer. Hopefully the Ins. Co. will handle it quickly & easily!

Have a great Friday!!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the thoughts on the loss paperwork. I still don't have that finished, but it should be ready this weekend.

My food plan was a bit off yesterday. We didn't have mayo for the tuna so I had 1/2 bologna sandwich and chips. Then there was the MilkyWay Midnight (bite size), those are good. I was starving when I went to get groceries, but I resisted grabbing anything quick. Had my rice cake, no tea, then was still hungry and had 2 pieces of cheese. Too much pizza last night, followed by a cinnamon roll.:sad2: They are so addictive. Good thing the freezer doesn't go out all the time. I got in 70 oz water. My breaks for "exercising" were not quite 15 minutes, but I did try some stretching and was surprised at how out of shape I really am. I was also surprised to realize that I don't lift my right leg high even though I can. Since the knee doesn't bend all the way, for some reason I guess I thought I couldn't lift the leg much. :confused: I realized that I am lacking alot of muscle and strength in the gluts do to that "oversitght". At least I now can change that.

This morning DH and I were off running errands. I am looking for knew door knobs for the new doors (replacing old interior ones). The finish I am going for is Venetian Bronze or a Rubbed Oil Bronze, but I am having a hard time with deciding between round knobs or levers. Aside from the significant cost difference, I think the levers add a touch of elegance, but then the knobs are just as functional and I don't live in a mansion, so does it really matter? Either way, something new will be a vast improvement on the 50+ yr old ones we have now that are falling off.:scratchin

Food today:
Breakfast - cinnamon roll, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - missed
Lunch - 3 tacos & part of a sprite (Taco Bell)
PM snack - cinnamon roll (getting tired and they are there, I know not a good excuse)
Supper - chicken strips, fries & corn (I will finally get this out of the freezer)

Goal for the day:
1. 50 oz water
2. Get to bed by 10:30pm

I didn't get to that prom dress so that will be this afternoon and I have to help DD18 figure out what to do with her hair. She is excited about going. Her boyfriend is too old to attend (21, not allowed), so she is going with one of her best friends. They are just going to have fun, so they are starting the weekend by getting pedicures this afternoon. Then they will go out to dinner with a few other friends tomorrow, followed by prom, which is supposed to be in a garden in a tent, so let's hope it isn't too cold. After that they are going to "After Prom" which is a lock-in at the school with games and activities.

Not much else planned today as I am dragging a bit, but that may be from going to bed late and the rain! Oh, I slept through the earthquake, but DH noticed it. Such excitement here in the Midwest.:rotfl2: Everyone have a great weekend.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

Glad you slept thru the earthquake. That New Madrid fault is a doozie!! When I taught at SIU, we had earthquake drills.....very scary!!!

door handles....hmmmmm....not sure which way I'd go. With little ones, the levers are easier to open when you don't want them to, but yours are growing fast. And dogs are good at opening levers, too!

Hope you have a good weekend & DD has a fun Prom!!

[Lesli54]

Still no decision on the door handles. I am trying to figure out if the extra cost is really worth the asthetics. In the long run, I am sure that it won't really add to the value of the house, making the doors operable will. Of course, the asthetics may help it sell faster, but there is no guaruntee, so it is still a toss up.

Last night for supper, I ate as planned and only ate one chicken strip (doubled up on corn). I thought of getting more, but wasn't hungry.:cool1: Later, I had some popcorn as we watched "Water Horse", which was pretty good. It felt good to take time out to actually watch a movie with the family. Of course, I also helped DD18 figure out the hair situation for Prom and I adjusted her dress. Went to bed late, but water was 50 oz.

Today, I acutally slept in past 9am. :scared1: Now that is amazing, but it felt good to get the rest. Today I did some cleaning, laundry, made maps for DD18 to get to the restaurant and later Prom, covered the register at the store, prepared DD18's hair with products so we could style later (while she was on lunch), cleaned, laundry, washed my hair, helped get DD18's friend in her dress, took pictures, went to Grand March (the kids are introduced at the school in their fine clothing), went to the store, did a last minute dress repair for another friend of DD18, laundry, and now I am sitting here wondering where my day went. :eek: Plus tension is high between DH and DD10 right now so that is working my last nerves of the day. She is at the back talking stage.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - missed (breakfast was late)
Lunch - missed (ran out of cookout food and then I got busy so didn't realize I hadn't eaten)
PM snack - chips (very late and starving)
Supper - still not sure, I am hungry, but want it to be healthy, yet really don't care since I am tired. Maybe I will just get a bologna sandwich and call it good.

Goals for the day:
1. 56 oz water
2. Try not to go on a food binge since this day is thrown off.

So what is left on the agenda? I need to make alterations for yet another friend of DD18 so I can deliver that to her tomorrow (different Proms) and work up a last minute plan for the library budget on the new addition. That has to be done tomorrow as well and just found out. :headache: Of course, the laundry needs finishing, need to pay bills, and I also need to do a few other things on my desk.

Well, at least DD18 is off having fun tonight with her friends and then she is going to After Prom, after she stops her to change. I think she was planning on going to church, but we will see. Around here it is big for Prom kids to attend church the next morning in their dresses and tuxes to show them off. I thought she had a Marilyn Monroe look going on with her accordian pleated skirt and the short flipped up hair.

Talk to you all tomorrow.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Wow! What a day! I'm so glad to hear you got some good rest today.

I am always awed by how much you manage to cram into a day! I hope your DD and her friends appreciated all that you've done for them in the last few days, and I hope she has a wonderful time at prom. It sounds so nice--I love the idea of going to church the next morning in formalwear. How cute!

One bit of friendly advice about the door handles--the levers do tend to be percieved as more "upscale" and can look very elegant, but when I've been in a house that had them, I found they got caught on everything! Sleeves, ties on dresses, even pockets would get caught up in the levers, and then often torn as I moved away without realizing that I had been snared. That was enough for me to say no levers, ever! If you do wind up getting them, make sure you remember to check that you're not stuck before you turn away. I did a lot of mending around that time!

Have a great night and keep up the good work. Your idea to incorporate some moving and stretching into your day is a great one and it sounds like you've already realized how valuable it will be.

I hope you get a good dinner!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the advice on the knobs, Julie & Pearlieq. A friend of mine was telling about the levers getting caught on things as well. She also said that they were easier to open if your hands were full, but I really haven't noticed that problem with the round knobs we have here, at least not to the point that it would be a strong selling point. And if I remember right, at our old house they were just easier to bang into. I do like the "upscale" look of the levers, but I am thinking that some of that will be achieved with the white (not bright, but off, there are so many shades) 6 paneled doors and the bronzed knob. Not completely the same effect as the levers, but I could still use them on the patio doors and the front door, if I so chose. The coloring of the knob is a soft black/brown giving it a traditional styling. I personally like simple elegance overall and I think I can achieve that without the levers. So the more I think about the door knobs, the more I am leaning towards the regular round knobs. Partially, due to the difference in price, but mainly because I just can't see that we will recoup much of this project when we sell. It will still look nice, besides I would rather put the extra money in the much needed updates of the kitchen and bathrooms. Now if I can finish this project and stop thinking about how to afford the kitchen remodel.:rolleyes1

Well, I had about 1/2 a bologna sandwich for supper last night.....now I remember why I didn't keep buying Hellman's light, also had a few chips. Water was 54 oz.:yay: But......I....blew it. About midnight, I grabbed some Thin Mints and I meant to eat 2 but I think I ate 10!:scared1: Call it frustation with DH, being very tired, trying to figure out how to change my life so that I can stop to enjoy things more, trying to finish a massive amount of laundry, and waiting for DD18 to come home to change for After Prom. Not a good excuse, I know.

Today, I wanted to sleep in but we had to get up for church. DD18 was just to tired to make it, which I figured, and there were only 3 that showed who went to Prom last night, but that is ok. She said she had a good time and was glad she went if for no other reason than the fact that it was the last chance to go. Although she is glad that she has decided to stay home while attending college instead of moving in with one of the girls that she drove to Prom, because this girl was screaming when they accidentally missed the parking lot of the Prom location and had to go around the block. Thank God, I am not a teenager. At After Prom there was a hypnotist and DD18 volunteered to be hypnotised. She doesn't remember anything and had to tell me what she was told by friends. Although, my best friend happened to be chaperoening and she has it on tape, so I am sure that I will get a copy. DD18 has a lot more guts than me on that one.

The rest of my day was spent running figures for the library since we are in construction phase 1 starting tomorrow. Then I had to do a photo op of the ground breaking. After that I went to a bridal shower for DH's side of the family. Took a short nap later. For supper we went to Pizza Hut and Now I am sitting here trying to organize a few things on my desk for this week. Oh, and I tried to finish the laundry.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, 1 c hot tea
Lunch at the Bridal Shower - 5 kisses, 2 gum drops, 2 mints, a few peanuts (treats at the shower sitting in front of us), a good portion of fruit, pasta salad w/ veggies & light vinagrette, taco ring (Pampered Chef, taco meat in crescent roll) w/ tomatoes & sour cream, 1 c punch, piece of cake
Supper - glass of tea, 1/2 med thin crust Hawaiian pizza (overly full afterwards)

Time to get going. I will talk to you all later. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

:hug: Lesli,

You have been super busy lately. I hope you get some time soon to do something special just for you. :hug:

I hope you have a great Monday!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Today started out relaxing and I had planned to do some work around the house, but that quickly changed to errands. A friend of mine needed to run errands as well, so we carpooled. Who can blame you with gas prices? I got some GS patches for an event that we have in a few days, picked up vellum to make DD18's grad invites (works great as the "ink blot" paper on the inside of the invites and looks fancier), then picked up the door knobs. Of course, we ran the errands for my friend and did lunch, all with DD18 who had Sr. skip day today. It was very relaxing, just because you had a chance to get out and have conversation.

I did get the round knobs and almost came home to order the levers (they didn't have enough), but then DH mentioned some finances at the store and I decided that I will stick with the knobs. After all, they do function the same. Just like everyone else at the moment, it looks like I should hold off on anything major and just finish off the small projects we have. At least it is less to think about, right?:confused3

Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, ham, 1 c hot tea
Lunch - bacon cheeseburger w/tomato & mayo, shoestring fries, cottage cheese & pineapple ring, 1/2 my tea. (Steak & Shake)
PM snack - 4 thin mints
Supper - DH wants to grill.

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. start prioritizing the activities I am involved in, want to continue, want to do, etc. (there just isn't enough time for everything)

That's about it for today. Talk to you all later. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

That's a great idea to carpool and get errands done!:thumbsup2 With gas prices being as high as they are, it's a great way to save some money!:goodvibes

Were you able to work on your priorities list yesterday? I know that I had to do the same thing a few months ago. There was just way too much going on and most days, I went to bed and my head was spinning. :scared: I'm sending some :wizard: :wizard: your way.....

I hope you have a great Tuesday!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping Tracy. No I didn't work on my priorities last night. Guess I didn't make it a priority.:rotfl2: Actually, I was very tired and every time I started trying to list things I couldn't think clearly so of course I found a reason to continue doing everything and just as many reasons to quite doing everything. :rolleyes1 So I thought it was best to go to bed and start fresh. Yes, I am tired of the spinning head when I go to bed and it seems as if I am only living day to day and not really getting anything done.

Well, supper was a decent meal. I had 1/2 a large grilled skinless chicken breat, sm portion of potato salad, lg helping of corn. Then there were 4 cookies and later, I was hungry (actually tired, but confused it with hunger) and had an english muffin.:sad2: Water was almost 60 oz.

So time to start a new day, even though I am very tired today. I just don't think I slept well.

Breakfast - 1 egg, 1 c 1% milk, ham, english muffin, water
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - tuna wrap & salad
PM snack - fruit
Supper - not sure, but I want something light and filling

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. My priority list
3. Get my office back in order. It has kind of exploded with things lately.

There of course are a lot of things that need to be done today, but I think I am just going to focus on one thing at a time and try not to let things overwhelm me. Talk to everyone later.::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Errands are always so much more fun with friends along. I do think it's cute, though, that your DD18 chose to tag along with you guys on her senior skip day! ;) It's great that you all got to hang out.

Your grill supper sounds so good. Yay for spring! :cool1:

I hope you can find some clarity soon on what you do and don't want to keep. Between a home, husband, 4 kids, and a business, I can imagine there isn't too much left over to go around! I'm still amazed at how much living you manage to sqeeze into one day. I can understand how overwhelming it can all get, and how hard it can be to let go, or to even temporarily hand over the reins. I really, really hope you can find a good balance so it's not all just work, but also some things that are meaningful and personally fulfilling for you.

I hope today winds up being a great day! :)

[toystoryduo]

Thanks for stopping Tracy. No I didn't work on my priorities last night. Guess I didn't make it a priority.:rotfl2:

Thanks for the laugh, Lesli!:rotfl:

I completely understand what you are going through. My DH has his own business (can you say feast or famine?:rolleyes: ) and I am a SAHM who homeschools. There is always something going on. A few months ago, I was totally burned out and had to cut some things out of my day. It was tough at first, but after awhile, I felt more peace and I actually found that I had more time in my day for things I wanted to do. Balance in life can be so very hard. :( I hope things work out so that you can have some time to do the things that you would like to do.:hug:

I hope you have a great evening!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Alot of living in one day?:rolleyes: Well, I guess sometimes I do get a lof of living in one day. Sometimes is amazes me and I think it is too much, well, in fact many times, but I would rather it be this way than the opposite. Before I started posting on here and working towards being healthier, when I got overwhelmed I would take a lot of naps or keep putting off a lot of things. Now I try to stay active, but I definitely need to pare down.

Yesterday I din't get around to tackling the office, due to the fact that I was working on bills. Okay, maybe that is a small portion of tackling the office. :rotfl2: I did get that prom dress done and fitted, but now I need to raise the hem a bit more so that is tonight's project. Then at the last minute, I took the kids to get sandals (Kohls had a buy one get one free). You can order clothes online easier than shoes, so we went. I had a GS leader meeting last night, but I was running late and by the time I got there it was over, but truthfully, I think only one other person showed. So sad.:sad2: Of course, this should also tell me something about how involved I should stay in this organization. :confused:

I had some cookies last night, too many. Supper was 1/4lbr w/chees, tea, fries as we ran through after our shopping trip. Water was about 24 oz.

Today, I had to pick up DH after dropping of the van to get fixed. What originally started out as a $300 fix is now $1000.:scared1: Typical. But it is cheaper than getting a new vehicle right now and it does have a newer engine, so should last awhile. Well, I guess that means we will be able to drive it more and put the SUV on the side lines in order to save gas.;)

Most of the day was spent finishing bills for the month, clearing the desk, making my list of all things needed in the direction of the ortho tomorrow, working on DD18's college plan, and anything else on the list that could easily be taken care of.

Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, 1 c cranberry juice
AM snack - missed
Lunch - tuna roll-up, chips
PM snack - sm bag BBQ chips
Anytime - too many cookies here and there
Supper - pizza

Goals for the day:
1. Water at 60 oz.
2. Go to bed by 10:30pm (up to late lately and it is catching up)

Time to get going, hope everyone had a great day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Ah, the joys of car repairs. I hope that it for a while!

Maybe it's fortuitious that the GS meeting happened the way it did last night. Hopefully that helps you make the decisions you want to make about priorities.

I agree about getting to bed at a reasonable hour. The later I stay up, the more mischief I manage to get into. Getting to bed on time sounds like a very worthy goal!

I hope today is a great day!! :banana:

[Lesli54]

I forgot that I didn't make time yesterday to post.:guilty:

Yesterday, DD10 got her braces on first thing in the morning. She was taking to them pretty well at first, then realized that eating was a bit different and things were starting to feel uncomfortable by the end of the night. This morning she woke up sore but DD18 has been through this and giving DD10 all the "tips" for dealing with braces. Maybe it will be a little bond that develops between the two.

Then I ran a few errands. The afternoon was spent getting ready for a GS event that we had last night. DD18 was bridging to Adult, so I had to write up some things to say about her which was fun and I almost made it through without tearing up. The event went well enough, but I was very tired after coming home. Mainly I think it is the stress of trying to figure out whether or not to stay.

Food yesterday was not good. Breakfast was 1 egg, english muffin, 1 c cranberry juice. Lunch was chips and a bologna sandwich, then a few cookies. Supper was 1 sm brownie and a square of creme puff dessert (the event was a dessert bar only). Back home, I was so tired that I had a few chips, a cookie and a bit of ham. Finally, I decided that I would do more damage and went to bed.

This morning, I finished altering the Prom dress that I had hoped to finish the other night and I got some stuff done for the store, but most of the morning has been relaxing. This afternoon I have to get DD20 from school, then I need to do some more bookwork. Tomorrow, I have to leave early in the morning for a DAR conference. If I am not too tired when I get home, I will post.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, 1 english muffin, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - 2 cookies :rolleyes1
Lunch - chips, don't know what else
PM snack - celery, carrots & cheese
Supper - grilled hamburgers, jello (for DD10), fruit, veggies

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz water.
2. get to bed early for some decent rest before driving tomorrow.

Gotta get going. Everyone have a great weekend.::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Another one in braces, eh? Is it expected to be a long treatment? I hope she feels better soon--our mouths certainly don't like to have someone mucking around in there! I'm glad she has her big sister in her corner.

Congrats to DD18! I bet that was a sweet moment. And congrats to you for not going crazy on that dessert bar. You showed great restraint.

I hope today is a nice, relaxing day for you. Have a great time at the conference!!!

[pearlieq]

Just stopping by to say hi and send to some direct-from-the-mouse :wizard:

I hope you had a great weekend!

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

Hope you have a great day today!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Hope you had a good weekend, Lesli, & that this week gives you a bit of a break from the hectic, always something, life!

Hang in there!

[pearlieq]

Just dropping in to say hi!

I hope the storms weren't too rough out your way last weekend and you're now enjoying this lovely spring day.

Take care! :)

[Lesli54]

Thanks for visting my journal ladies. I am in need of serious :wizard: from WDW. The storms were not too bad here. As for "break" last week, well, I got one. I broke my right knee cap on Friday. Yes, it is on the same knee that was already messed up. Great birthday present, huh? I stepped on a good sized rock that was lying on a sidewalk and my leg twisted slightly but heard a very loud "pop" and down I went. Fortunately, there were plenty of people around to get help, unfortunately, we were on DS5's field trip so he was very upset. The good thing is that we were getting ready to head back to the school, so at least DS5 and I got our time together first. Long story short, I spent way too long in emergency waiting for x-rays, the pain wasn't too bad. I basically got a copy of the films and they put a temporary immobilizer on. Tomorrow, I have to go back down to my orthopedic and see what he has to say. Possibly just let it heal, possibly surgery. The good thing is that there really isn't much pain, just alot of sitting around.:happytv:

I have learned one thing that I shall remember for the rest of my life. It is very important for me to lose weight and become more fit. The first few days back on crutches were killers. I lack all the arm strength that I had when I was on crutches before. Combine that with the fact that I have put on about 30 lbs since then and it makes getting around much more difficult. The reality is that I might be on crutches off and on for the rest of my life, who knows. At any rate, I am not in shape enough to handle these setbacks in health. Something to definitely think about.:idea:

Food has been so so and water is ok. And to think, I was getting depressed last week a bit over trying to get my priorities straight. Well, now I have plenty of time to start figuring that out.

I hope that everyone has been doing well. Hopefully tomorrow, I can get back to checking the journals. ::MickeyMo:: ::MickeyMo::

[goldcupmom]

OMG, Lesli! How awful for you! And really scary given all you've been through!

MAJOR :wizard: and :hug: and prayers!!!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the prayers, Julie.

Good news from the doc. I don't need surgery....at least not now. He was pleased with me "straight" leg raise (I am not so sure that it was straight), but I guess given the injury it could be worse. At any rate, he put me in a better brace that locks my leg straight and he said that I can bare full weight on it and walk on it. I feel a bit peg legged, but that is ok. In 2 weeks, I go back to see how things are healing. Pray that everything heals well and the alignment is good when I go back, if not then we have to talk about possibly wiring the knee. Any avoidance of that would be good. The biggest plus is that I don't really have any pain when I walk or stand on the leg. :cool1: Not too mention, that I can be free of the crutches as well (as soon as I feel stable, I can get rid of the last one). That will make things so much easier around here, but I am not forgetting the importance of getting back to a healthier weight and into shape.

Other than being up really early today, things have gone well. Food could have been better, but being on the road can do that.

Breakfast - sausage biscuit, oj
Lunch - 1/4 lbr w/cheese, some fries (way to salty), tea
Snack - Nutty Bar
Supper - don't know, but I will be on the road again.

Water has been pretty good today.

Tonight I have to go to a GS training. This will give me a chance to see how things will be changing with the new programs being rolled out this fall. It will also give me a chance to evaluate what I want to do as far as continuing as a leader. Gotta go. Talk to you all later.

[toystoryduo]

:hug: Lesli,

I'm sorry to hear about your knee. :( I'm sending prayers and healing :wizard: your way. Please be sure and take it easy for the next few days, okay?:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the well wishes, Tracy.

Tues night, I did make it to the GS training and actually felt pretty good physically. I don't know if I am excited about continuing with GS or not, but at least I have an idea of how some things are changing so that I can take that into consideration. Supper was very very late after the meeting and it was........McD's:scared: :scared1: :eek: Unfortunately, it was the only thing en route, so I had a few fries, coke, and chicken strips. Never before have I only traveled paths were there isn't other food for the entire day.

Yesterday, went pretty well as far as getting around. I practiced walking around without my crutch and it seemed to be fine, today seems even better so that is a big plus. Most of my day consisted of pushing our WDW trip back a week. Oh so easy to do when you are within a month of travel during the high season. Fortunately, we are going for almost 2 weeks so I was able to keep some of the vacation intact. Unfortunately, switching dinner plans wasn't as easy and we will not be doing the Luau this year, oh well. Also, we had to go on a waitlist for a DVC resort for the last two days that we had hoped to be at WDW. Send some :wizard: that it comes through so that we don't have to cut the trip shorter than originally planned. Oh well, it will all work out.

Food yesterday was ok. Breakfast was a Krispy Kreme doughnut (I froze all, but one for each person, so that we wouldn't keep eating them), a cheese omelet, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c grapefruit juice. AM snack I think was a nutty bar. Lunch was a brat and a chips. Supper was chicken salad on crackers, since I wasn't very hungry. Then later, I had about 1 1/2 c 1% milk and some oreos.

Todays food plan:
Breakfast - cheese omelet, 1 c grapefruit juice, toast w/jelly
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - tuna wrap and fruit
PM snack - rice cake
Supper - pizza night, no pop

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. Do some light cleaning around the house, maybe push the dust mop. That would also be good for keeping the strength in my leg
3. Try to tackle more bookwork.

Later today, I need to run an errand so that our carpenter can continue putting on the new doors. I am really amazed with just one on how much a paneled door will quickly give a house character and that updated look. Did I mention that I am going with the levers for door handles? In the long run it is what I really wanted and I am waivering too much with the wholed thing, so DH just said to get what I want, within reason of course.

Gotta get going. I hope you all have a good day.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

Happy Mother's Day, Lesli! Hope you're feeling a bit better!

[toystoryduo]

Happy Mother's Day, Lesli!!:flower3: Hope you had a great day yesterday!:goodvibes

[pearlieq]

Oh wow! I'm so sorry to hear about your injury, though I'm glad it seems like it's turning out to be better than it initially looked.

How are you feeling so far? Are you healing OK and getting around all right?

Did your waitlist come through for your trip? I hope so--you've been looking forward to it for so long. If you're driving down and you find you need an ECV in the parks, you might do well to rent one from an offsite company. The WDW rentals are expensive, only available inside the parks, and aren't guaranteed. If you have your own, you can use it wherever you go, and most of them fold down or disassemble pretty easily to store in a large car or van.

How is the house project going? I hear the levers are great if anyone is prone to arthritis--much easier to just push down than it is to turn a knob.

I hope you're doing OK and healing up well. Take care! :)

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by, ladies. Mother's Day was fairly peaceful and we took DMom and DAunt out to supper with us. So it turned out quite nice. As for the WDW waitlist, it did come through, so we are so happy. It is at SSR, which I would rather it was elsewhere, but at least we are at WDW. SSR has it's good points, but doesn't fit our family very well with its amenities. Oh well. A much deserved vacation is the most important thing.

As for the healing, I am getting around quite well. Slow, due to the fact that I am walking with one leg locked straight, but at least I can get around. Each day, I am able to be up on it more and more, so it must be healing. I really don't have any pain in it, so I am hoping that means all the bones are staying in place. So far, I have had to adjust the brace a few times and need to again because it keeps slipping. One, I think I had a bit more swelling than I originally thought. The other, I have lost more weight. I figure that I am down to 218-219, about 2 more lbs down.:banana: It is hard to figure with the brace, but I know that it weighs a few lbs. Not exactly the time to work on weight loss when you are healing bones, but I will take what I get all the same.

Last week was spent running a few errands for the house, more doors and hardware. I love my new doors and can't wait to get them painted with the handles on. They are definitely giving the house a face lift. Other than that, I spent most of the week working from the couch, resting, and trying to be up on my feet as much as I could tolerate.

This week is much better. Monday was bill day, Tuesday and Wednesday were errand and meeting days. Today is shopping for final things needed for graduation and the reception. Then I need to come home and make mints, at least I can sit down for most of that.

Food was not good last week. Although, I wasnt' doing a constant munching, I didn't eat well at all. Most of the time I wanted junk food or was not up to making anything decent. This week, has been better and with my choices, including getting in more fruit and not overeating. Also, I have been getting in quite a bit of milk. Today, I actually feel motivated to get my eating back on track. I figure, the least I can do for the healing and less movement is eat decent food.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mush & moz, ham, blueberries, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - don't know where I will be
PM snack - crackers, cheese

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. Get all the table displays for the reception together
3. Delegate a few rooms to be cleaned

Gotta go to DD10's science fair and then do that shopping. Talk to you all later. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Glad to hear you're doing well and that things are coming together for your trip. It took me a while to warm up to SSR, but I've developed an affection for that corner of WDW. I like the golf course, wilderness, and DTD view.

I hope the graduation events go well. Congrats to your DD!

Have a wonderful day today!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the well wishes, Pearlieq!

Yesterday's food plan didn't go well, but at least I didn't do extra munching to make things worse. AM snack, missed. Lunch was Arby's roast beef (small), potato cakes, and iced tea. The plus here was that I went with the smaller sandwich than usual. I was hoping to go to Panera, but DH needed DD18 to work at the store, so we cut our shopping short. Good thing, though since I walk slow and it was plenty for what I did do. In fact, I fell asleep once I got back home. For supper, I ate 1/2 the pizza.:sad2: Mainly, I think that was from being tired and trying to get things done for graduation that I really wasn't thinking. Oh, the science fair yesterday was actually kind of fun. DD10's project worked well so that was a relief.

This morning, I have been working on cleaning the house. Later, I have to make the mints. Didn't do it yesterday. DH's cousin already had some ordered (her son is also graduating so we are doing the receptions together), but they are only mint and my family prefers the butter mint. So I don't have as many to make as I thought, which is a good thing. Then I need to bake 2 cakes later so they are ready to decorate tomorrow. Also, I need to boil eggs so we can make deviled eggs tomorrow. It would be nice to wait until morning, but DD10 and DS5, both have soccer and baseball games tomorrow. Talk about a busy weekend.:eek:

Food for today:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ mush and moz, blueberries, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - missed
Lunch - tuna rollup, watermelon
PM snack - cheese & crackers
Supper - BLT's, fruit, maybe potato salad

Goals for the day:
1. 60 oz water
2. Get help with cleaning house and getting the laundry done
3. Keep breathing and take things one step at a time even though things may seem hectic right now.

Talk to you all later.::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

I'm glad to hear that you are doing well, Lesli! :goodvibes It sounds like things are quite busy for you at the moment, but pretty soon you'll be in WDW!:cloud9: I hope you'll do a trip report when you get back. I'd love to hear more about SSR...We've never been there; not even to visit. We may have to swing by in September and take a look at the resort.:goodvibes

Hope you have a great weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Graduation is over! :banana: It is so nice to have one less BIG thing to worry about getting together.

Friday went according to plan in terms of food, except I had a turkey sandwich for supper instead of a BLT. Also, I had 2 cookies. Not bad. We did a lot of cleaning, baked the cakes, boiled 10 doz eggs, and attempted to make mints. Those didn't turn out, so I gave up on them rather than continue to fight with making them. Went to bed late.

Saturday was a whirlwind. Both DD10 and DS5 had a soccer game followed by baseball games. We got things set up at the hall for the reception. There I felt like I was inadequate because DH's cousins had done almost everything before I got there, including food that we were bringing. It was hard because I love these people and I know that they were all just being helpful and didn't see it the way I did, but it felt like I had no part in my daughter's party. Then it was on to make deviled eggs, have supper, and attend baccelaurette. My plans were to decorate cakes that evening, but DH wanted to watch National Treasure 2 and I thought it would be better to take a break. Glad I did. Food for the day was decent. Breakfast was a piece of toast w/PB. Lunch was cheese & crackers (between games). Supper was lazagna that DMom made, salad, and garlic bread. Water was decent.

Sunday. Where did it go? Got up early to make frosting, went to church, frosted cakes, went to graduation, then the reception which seemed to last a long time, cleaned up the hall, came home and visited with DD20 and her boyfriend a bit, then fell asleep on the couch. Guess I was tired.;) All in all, the day went well and everyone had a good time. I did miss the intimacy of having the reception at home, but it all turned out fine and we didn't really have too much food left over which is always a good thing. Breakfast was a piece of cream cheese bread. Lunch was missed or you could say very late in the afternoon. At the reception, I had a pulled pork sandwich (sm bun), a couple chips, watermelon, strawberries, a few bites of pasta salad, a piece of cake, and quite of few glasses of punch. Later, I had a little more pork, no bread, and strawberries.

Yesterday. I took 2 naps. It just seems like I couldn't get motivated, so I thought I might as well take the time to get the much needed rest. Went to DS5's baseball game in the evening. Breakfast was 1 egg omelet w/moz & mush, blueberries, grape juice. Lunch was a pork sandwich and a piece of cake. Supper was another pork sandwich (yes, we have quite a bit left over) and some nachos at the ball park. Later, I had another piece of cake. Water was horrible.

Today, I have spent most of the day doing bookwork. Then there was the problem with the new neighbors who put up a mailbox on our property without permission. It was located where we could hit it with our camper while trying to get it in and out. I think we now have the situation resolved.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ mush & cheese, blueberries, strawberries, 1 c 1% milk, and grape juice.
Lunch - pork sandwich and chips. (it was late this afternoon)
Supper - lazagna, salad, garlic bread (last of those leftovers)
Snack - strawberries

Goals for the day:
1. another 60 oz water (I have 14, so need to get working on the rest)
2. In bed by 10:30
3. 1/2 hour reading (need to learn to take time for myself)

I have to say that being down a bit more due to the knee, has given me a more relaxed attitude with things. So I know that it is very important for me to organize and focus my energies on specific things rather than spreading myself too thin. Just something to work on. Everyone have a great evening. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

Glad it's over & you survived! Now to concentrate on healing!!!

Have a great rest of the week!

[pearlieq]

Just stopping by to say hi!

I hope you had a nice holiday weekend and that everyone is settling into their summer routines well.

How is your knee doing? Healing well, I hope.

Take care! :)

[goldcupmom]

How are things going, Lesli? Hope & pray you are healing well & that you aren't affected by the flooding!

[goldcupmom]

Just checking up on you... hope things are OK and you're not flooded out!!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for checking up on me guys.:goodvibes

Wow! I knew I was gone for awhile, but didn't realize how long. After graduation, I was still spending a lot of time on the couch with the knee up. Partly to rest, but mostly because sitting at my desk with one leg locked straight was very uncomfortable. But then shortly before going to WDW, the doc said that I could take the brace off while we were down there. Just no water rides or anything to jerky.:banana: It was great to be free, however, once down there we decided to leave the brace on while in the parks and take it off while in the resort or just doing a lazy day somewhere. The parks were so crowded and I don't know how many times I was almost knocked down, so having the brace was a stabilizing point there. Not to mention that I really did move faster with it on at that point than with it off since I still had a ways to go on rebuilding muscle. (Yes, I plan to do my trip report).

Since coming back, it has been one thing after the other. DH has been dealing with major breakdowns in our largest freezer (15 door). DD18 is at camp as a counselor for the summer along with DD20. So every weekend, I have to get her and take her back. Usually not too far since DD20 takes her the rest of the way. DD10 and DS5 finished up baseball and are now doing swimming lessons. I have been going crazy trying to figure out what I am going to do with GS amongst other things. My gran ended up with water in her basement so I have been down there to help clean things out. Mainly by myself. The plus side is that she has decided it is a good time to dejunk. The super plus side is that she doesn't really have alot of things in the basement considering the amount of space she does have down there.

Just over a week ago, DH and I were at odds. I think he was very frustrated with things at work. At any rate, I got so mad at him that I became "pro active". I was tired of the fact that my house had fallen into such chaos (a bit too lived in but definitely not anywhere near needing the Clean Sweep team to come in and put me on tv).:happytv: Also, I was tired of forgetting things that I am usually on top of and not being able to make decisions. I went to a ladies house a few weeks ago and it reminded me of what my home used to look like. Everything was in its place, but for the most part it looked like a home, ours looks like a house. Too many projects going on and not a room finished. Also, I remembered what it was like to be on top of my work and wanted it back. Besides, I figured that if we could clean thoroughly and things looked just as bad in less than 24 hours then we had too much junk. So started my major dejunk of my life.

Since July 5, I have dejunked my office, 2 bedrooms, the storage container cabinet and lid drawer (gained a drawer as I upgraded my 20 yr old containers to the Rubbermaid ones with the lids that snap to the bottom), and my cookbook cupboards. I thought that was going to be hard, but it was easy to get rid of over half. Then I took time to get all the loose clippings in order that we wanted to try. Oh, yeah, I am also caught up on my bookwork. I actually input into the computer stuff that I picked up yesterday and should be able to finish today. Now that is amazing.

I am feeling great! BTW the knee is considered healed, no surgery. Now it is still a matter of getting it completely stretched back out. At any rate. I am feeling clear minded and can find things much quicker which is so nice. As a side benefit, I have not had the urge to snack mindlessly. I think that dealing with things head on helps alot.

The bonus? I have lost 6 lbs. in just over a week.:banana: :cool1: :cheer2:

I weighed about 224 at the time and am down to 218. So now I am going to keep going. The other motivation (aside from feeling more in control of my life) is that DD20 is currently at my goal weight and since we have the same build, it gives me a sense of what I am going for. I know that I will never look like her given many factors, but helps to see what certain weight is on your body type. I used to be there and I forgot what it looked like. The other great thing is that even if I am a few 5 - 10 lbs more, I will still be in the range where I should be. It would be the top of the range, but that is ok with me.

Well, I better get going. I will start tonight with posting at least the first day of my Rome trip report and try to get those out of the way. I have missed all of you. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Welcome Back Lesli!!:goodvibes

It sounds like you have been super busy! Great job getting some de-cluttering done!:thumbsup2 I always feel so much better when my house is clean and in order. It doesn't happen often, but it feels good when it does.:goodvibes

I'm glad to hear that your knee has healed and that you won't need surgery. That's great news!:cool1:

Congrats on the weight loss!:cheer2:

Hope you have a great day!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Hey, Lesli! How are things going???

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

How are you doing? I hope things are going well for you!:goodvibes

Hope to hear from you soon!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Yes, I have been down this road before, but I am back AGAIN! Thanks Traci and Julie for checking in on me.:grouphug:

Where to begin? The summer was very busy and I was getting alot of stuff done, but going through alot of mental anguish over what I should be doing with extra activities and what I really wanted to pursue. To this date, it has caused my weight to flucutate, driving me nuts.

Vacations continued to abounded for the summer. At the end of July, DD11 and DS6 (yes, they had birthdays) went with me to AR on Amtrak to visit a friend of mine for a few days. It was an interesting trip for all of us and alot of fun. With the cost of gas at the time, it was definitely an inexpensive trip. We are thinking of taking another train trip somewhere next year. Then about the middle of August DH and I went away by ourselves. Something we have never done, not even for a honeymoon, since when we were married we had a ready made family and it was literally weeks before school started and we had a lot do with the move. Needless to say, getting away was wonderful in many ways. We went down to Bonita Springs, FL and stayed in villa at a country club which was really nice. The villa was a charity auction bid that I won. The only downside to the trip was that our planned day trip to Key West was canceled due to Fay coming in, but it was interesting to see tropical storm clouds.

As for GS, we took the girls on two final trips of things they wanted to do. One was to the American Girl store for lunch and the theater, the other was to a pottery place and the movies. That pretty much took care of everything they had earned. It was hard to tell them that I definitely would not continue on as a leader, but it has been the best choice, especially since there really hasn't been anyone to step up and help. I still feel bad about it at times, not being there for the girls since they no longer have a troop, but not having the mental anguish has been a plus for me. There are a few things that I still do for GS, but those are just occasional things and may go by the wayside after this year is over.

Unfortunately, taking the place of GS has been running DD11 to more activities, as she tries out new things and is realizing that she needs to pick what she likes best and only do a few. Also, DH and I have been working on a Park District committee to get a community center in town. We spent the entire month of Oct politicing to get the formation of the district passed, which it didn't, but there is hope for the April ballot. It has taken so much time, it is unreal. Now I am about to take on a family project to help produce a new and updated family book. Thankfully, in conjunction with other family members. I am still trying to figure out how I ended up with 5 new things to do when I only got rid of one thing.:rolleyes1

On the dejunk update, yes, still working on that. I went through DH's office space at the store with the hopes of helping him more and moving more of my office up there. It would be nice to put more of my bookwork up there so that I can relax at home more. Also, I no longer have children at home during the day, so it would be good to get out and interact. My office is having issues again, HOWEVER, I am for the most part caught up with my bookwork and am staying on top of that, which is a huge plus. I have also begun scheduling my bill paying to be done weekly rather than just writing everything for the month in one sitting. It accomplishes the same thing, but the clutter from bills and the amount of time spent is better streamlined. Also, I have been trying to stay on top of new information (flyers, notes, appts, permission slips, etc) coming into the house as soon as it comes through the door which help elimate that clutter. Oh, did I forget to mention that I organized the picture closet? I finally broke down and bought picture boxes and get everything "sorted". I think I estimated about 10,000 pictures. The good thing is that I can now take this winter, one box at a time and better sort out the duplicates or those that need to be copied and passed on. We dejunked a little over a third of the garage and took down an old shed in the yard. Unfortunately, I have not had a lot of time to finish dejunking the basement or my room. But it is a work in progress and at least we are still working on it.

I have lots to do around the house, like paint the new doors which look great, finish painting walls, and finish our "new" bathroom. Then there is the trip reports that I would like to still get done and are sitting on my desk.

On the plus side, I have been more proactive....not neccessarily more active. :confused3 I have tried to stay concious of my weight, but with everything going on, I have been eating horribly, horribly, horribly. Unfortunately, it is too easy to just grab things to eat when you are in a hurry and not truly think about what you are doing. If I am tired, I eat, if I am overwhelmed, I eat. Not that it would be bad all the time, but if the food isn't quality, then it is bad. DH and DD11 also seem to be gaining as well. So now I am here to refocus and I have realized that I need alot of support.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/cheese (probably too much cheese), fresh pineapple, yogurt
AM snack - fruit & nut bar
Lunch - potato soup
PM snack - PB crackers
Supper - Not sure, I have a GS dinner/meeting to go to, but will eat responsibly

Today's goals:
1. Order rugs, I need some for a couple of rooms but have been waffling on my choices, just need to get it done and stopp making it more work than it is.
2. Bookwork
3. tackle one "project" on my desk to get finished.

My weight at the present is 222.5. I would like to change that significantly by year end, regardless of the holidays.

[Lesli54]

Ok, it has been 3 1/2 years since I took the WISH challenge. I did a wonderful job in the beginning, getting down 42 lbs. (started at 230), but things changed. Yes, the accident took it's toll and I gained back most of the weight, I realize that, but it is no longer good enought to use that as a excuse for keeping the weight on and not taking it off again. Fortunately, I am not back to my heaviest, but I do have a lot of work ahead of me.

I have looked back at various parts of my first journal to see what worked and what didn't. You can know these things, but implementing is not the same.

What I know from the past and need to implement:
1. I need to go to bed by 10:30 to stop the late night eating and keep myself from making poor food choices the next day.
2. I need to eat my AM snack to keep the afternoon munchies away.
3. I need to plan my meals in advance in order to keep the "quick fix, processed, high salt" meals from occuring.
4. I need to add milk to my diet and more water. (both have been lacking)
5. I need to exercise in the morning before everyone gets up or I reduce my chance of exercising for the day.
6. I need the support of my WISH friends to help get me through to the end.

Things I need to remember:
1. I love to eat healthy great tasting food more than I love the taste of the junk foods. (It also makes me feel better mentally)
2. Moving more makes the scales move.
3. Weight loss is a project taken in stages.
4. I don't have to feel guilty when I slip, I just have to move on.

Things I would like to see change:
1. Feel more rested.
2. Feel less overwhelmed and therefore calmer.
3. Being able to fit into my winter clothes and look decent.
4. Fewer aches and pains.
5. Better portion control.
6. Staying upbeat, not hard, but not easy with the daily news of the economy.

Things I will work on this month:
1. EXERCISE. It has been lacking.
2. Planning meals and preparing some to freeze for nights when I don't have time to cook (or don't want to).

So today is the start of my first month with new determination, we will let go how many times I have tried this in the last year. I am starting at 222.5lbs. My overall goal is to get to 150lbs, that's 72.5 lbs to lose, but I am willing to do it slowly and in steps.

These are the goals that I would like to meet at various landmarks. I will look at them and adjust them as needed, but consider them as small projects instead of one large goal.
1. 4.5lbs lost by Thanksgiving (very doable in two weeks)
2. 12.5lbs lost by Christmas
3. 27.5lbs lost by Valentine's Day
4. 42.5lbs lost by Easter (beginning of April)
5. 52.5lbs lost by my 42nd Birthday (beginning May, would love to see 170!)
6. 72.5lbs lost by Vacation (late June, don't know where)!!! Hit the goal!!!

I have set little "rewards" for each 5 lbs. lost. The first 5 is an appt for a lasik eye consult for possible surgery (It would be great to ditch the glasses). The next 5, is facial, which I have never had.

Although life is very busy right now, I know that if I don't make weight loss a priority, I will not reach my goal and will continue on with many problems that I know I can change. So onward to a more vibrant me!:yay: ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Well, I can say that I am more aware of what I am eating, but it will still be a work in progress to make the changes.

Yesterday's food plan was on track with a few indulgences. I had 8 Frito Scoops after lunch, then the PM snack was replaced with a Twix (1 pkg). Supper was really simple which was great. I had a small salad, ham & turkey (1 slice each) on wheat w/ cheese mayo & tomato, and a 3/4 bowl of cheese and broccoli soup. Then I did eat 1 bite size Milky Way and a few chex snack mix. However, when I came home, I was a bit frustrated and ate a few more fritos. After that, I had a hot cocoa and 5 nilla wafers. Could have been better, but at least I am more aware.

I did get some bookwork done, but didn't get to the rest of my activities for the day. DH needed me to help with some stuff at the store and that led to a few other things needing to be done. The meeting went alright, but I was frustrated by a few people who are trying just to get me out of GS altogether. It's silly, I am a lifetime member, and just because I don't have a troop at this time doesn't mean I don't have things to offer. There are many ways that I can still help or things I can sponsor. Oh well, I am past that now.

Today, I was up about 40 min earlier (to take DD11 to the eye doc), but it did feel great. So, I think I will try this daily. Ran an errand after the eye doc, then came home did minimal bookwork, and spent a portion of the afternoon on the phone. About the time I was thinking that I wouldn't be productive, I found myself in the middle of cleaning out the back closet with DS6. It worked out well and didn't take much time, but am glad that I got that job done. To think it all started with looking for gloves. But at least all the winter stuff is moved to an easy to reach location and the summer stuff is put away. Not to mention that it was a chance to dejunk what has come through in the last 5 months.:cool1:

Food for the day was as follows:
Breakfast - sausage biscuit, hashbrown and OJ (didn't make time before we left)
AM snack - none
Lunch - potato soup & a few fritos, I think
PM snack - 6 chocolate mini donuts (yes, could have been better)
Supper - LC Seasame Chicken & noodles
I am trying not to snack later this evening, so we will see how that goes
Water has been 24 oz at least, needs more work.

On the plus side, my family is aware of what I am trying to do again, but not sure if DH really paid attention, but he will. So later, DS6 found the exercise mat (in the newly organized closet) and he started exercising. Then DD11 started exercising and practicing her tumbling. Later, DD11 told me that she want to make a schedule so that she eliminates some tv time and replaces it with activities including practicing dance, band, etc. It's definitely a start to making some positive changes.

Tomorrow is a busy day, so I better get going. Hoping everyone has a :wizard: evening. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Hi Lesli! :)

It's nice to see you and I'm glad you're full of motivation!

Sounds like you're full of ideas and inspriation right now--I hope you enjoy dejunking and getting things sorted, both literally and figuratively.

It must be so different now without kids at home during the day. I hope that will give you a bit of a breather.

Sorry to hear about the GS stress. I'm sure they're disappointed that you're not leading a troop anymore, but you're darn right you still have something to offer. They're lucky to have you!

It's nice to hear your family is into your plans. DD11 sounds like she's on the right track.

Have a nice day!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by today, Pearlieq!:grouphug: It sure is nice to "hear" from you again. I will get over to your journal in the next day or two, but in the meantime am praying for your mother and all you are doing for her.:hug:

I did not snack last night, but did have a cup of hot tea, which was nice. Oh wait, I might have had 3 nilla wafers with that tea.:rolleyes1

Today was very, very productive and I really enjoyed it. I took care of a lot of loose ends this morning, ordered my rugs (too many to chose from and too many differnces in quality, but I went with wool since it is so durable), then ran to the next town to run various errands, such as banking, dropping things off, picking up an Rx for DBIL, sweat pants for DD11 since they are still going outside for PE, and hats, boots, and gloves for DD6. Shopped for a few groceries, made a dessert for tonight's GS banquet, did a little business, and managed to find time to sew on about 30 patches.:scared1: I am still trying to figure out where I found all the time.:confused3

Tonight DD11, DD19, and I went to a GS banquet and there were pros and cons. Unfortunately, it was poorly run and part, but I did find out that there were a large number of girls in our town without a troop, so I am beginning to see where I could help out. I think I will be the Q&A for these girls and parents as well as get info about various events out to them. That will not require a huge commitment of time and would help alot.

Food for the day was as follows:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ cheese, fresh pineapple, yogurt, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - missed, too busy
Lunch - Qtr lbr w/cheese, fries, iced tea
PM snack - skipped, I was actually too full from lunch still
Supper - 3/4 hot dog on bun, 2 1/2 bites of chili (not good....isn't chili supposed to have chili powder or some spice??), fresh veggies, fresh fruit, sm portion of pasta salad, sm portion of taco salad, very sm piece of a cream puff dessert. Water to drink. I actually didn't eat everything because I was full.:banana:
Water for the day was not great.

Tomorrow is another busy day and I have to make another cream puff desert. I promised DS6 that I would make one for him if there wasn't anything left over from tonight and what do you know, there wasn't. I probably should have pulled a piece for him, but I guess I will just cut my recipe in half. Don't need the extra temptation.

WISHing everyone a great day tomorrow!! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Good morning, everyone!:goodvibes

Thursday night, I did finish the night with a cup of tea.

Yesterday......busy, busy. I was very tired from staying up much too late the night before while I worked on genealogy for a family project that I have been asked to help with. :surfweb: There is a short time frame on it, so I am trying to get as much in the database now to reduce time. Later, it will be easier to edit anything we print out. Anyway, I resisted the urge to veg out and managed to get quite a few things picked up, helped DH with some business stuff, put about 1/2 of my office in order, input the last of the family info that I know, made a dessert since DS6 didn't get any the other night, packed up stuff for charity and had DD19 drop it off, and got together with family members to help plan this new project they want to do. Needless to say, I was very tired this morning. But at least I am being productive and positive.

Food for yesterday:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/cheese, yogurt, fresh pineapple, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - missed
Lunch - potato soup w/cheese (next time, I will not eat as much since I was feeling a bit full), some fruit
PM snack - 3 crackers w/ spread port wine cheese
Supper - 1 slice of cheese pizza (thick crust) on the way out the door. When I returned home later, I had a 1/2 slice of dessert, 4 slices of supreme pizza (thin crust) and about 16 oz pepsi, and then another full piece of dessert.:scared1: (Yes, I ate too much and I know it was because I was tired and my dinner was split up, so I will work on that for the future)
Water was at least 24-30 oz, but may have been more, can't remember.

Today -
At least the extra food choices last night didn't do any damage. No weight lost, but at least I didn't gain.

I am not sure what I plan to do. Originally, I had plans to paint the ceiling in the living room and put second coat on the walls, but being this tired, I am not sure. I do need to get it done before the rugs come. However, without enough energy, I can see where that project would take much longer than it should. Maybe, I will just work on tying up some more loose ends on my desk.....or I could sit down with pictures and start sorting out the duplicates.;) Either way, I am going to try staying productive. If I need to take a nap this afternoon, I will limit it to 15-20 min.

Food plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ mush & moz, 3 oz grapefruit juice
AM snack - fresh pineapple
Lunch - chili dogs or nachos - both sound good (probably because I am tired, but I will watch portions)
PM snack - banana
Supper - ??? .........I think I will thaw out some tilapia and put a light batter on it served with a bit of melted butter (it was wonderful at Cape May's so here's hoping this works), rice, veggies.

I almost left supper up in the air, but from now on if I am not sure what to fix I wll go to my book of recipes to try. At least they are healthy and I can see if we like them our not.

Time to get going. After all, it is another day to lose a lb!:cheer2: ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

Welcome Back!! It's great to see you!:goodvibes

I like how you have re-evaluated your healthy living journey. That is something I need to do in the new year. Great job!:thumbsup2

I hope you have a great week ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Good morning, everyone!:cool1: Thanks for stopping by Tracy.

Yes, I have not done well with posting the last few days, but I have staying busy.

Saturday: I had the chili dog and a few chips for lunch, then later a few more chips. Skipped the PM snack as planned, but I think I ate more chips. Supper was as planned however making the fish was an interesting experience. It tasted good, but fell apart during cooking and really didn't come out at all the way I had hoped. Guess that is why I go to Cape May's.:rolleyes1 I know I ate later, but don't remember what. Most of the day was spent working on the family project.

Sunday: I think I had an egg omelet w/mush & cheese and a cup of tea for breakfast. Not sure what was for lunch, possibly soup. Supper was a taco salad. Then there were too many oreos and I am not sure what else. I spent most of the day working on the family project. Did some light cleaning.

Monday: Breakfast was 1 egg omelet w/mush & moz and a cup of tea. Lunch was potato soup w/ cheese. A few oreos, a few chips. Supper was lazagna, garlic bread, salad, & a piece of Texas sheet cake. I know there were other things in there, but can't remember what. In the morning, I did the bills and afterwards spent the day getting the family project emailed to everyone.:banana: Now I don't have to do much on that front for awhile. I love doing the genealogy, but the crunch to get it all out was tiring. Later I went to a meeting.

Today: Needless to say, I am tired. I know my food choices have been horrendous......well, the snacking at least. My conclusion (aside from TOM) is the fact that I have not allowed for proper sleep, I have not given myself plenty of breaks from the project at hand, and grabbing quick foods because they are easy. This will not get me too my goal. Did I mention that not journaling makes it easy to go downhill quicker. However, water has been alright over the past few days.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg, english muffin, ham, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - fresh pineapple
Lunch - LC or the last of the soup
PM snack - banana smoothie
Supper - something in the crockpot, but not sure.

Goals for the day:
1. stay with my food plan, if feel like snacking, then I will evaluate why
2. Take a nap, I can already feel myself dragging
3. paint the living room ceiling

I better get going. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Where, oh, where did the week go?

For some reason, I was really dragging last week and had very little energy. Monday, I didn't get around to painting partly because the lack of energy and the rest was due to the fact that the rugs came.:banana: They are gorgeous and I really couldn't wait to roll them out. However, now I am really wanting to finish the odd and ends of those rooms. Unfortunately, with a few things here and there that I had to do last week, I was zapped. By the end of the week, I actually laid down for a nap after the kids were off to school and that really seemed to help alot. Thankfully. Food for the week was hit and miss, but not always bad. I am beginning to think that I need to check out a new scale or at least the battery. It goes up after I had great days, but then if I am back on it to double check, sometimes it reads different.:confused3

Another thing I have noticed over the weekend is the fact that I just need fix my hair nice and spend a few extra minutes each morning putting on a bit of makeup and taking care of myself even if I am staying home. Now, I have known this for awhile, but it is so easy to brush the hair and teeth and then run off to take care of kids. By the time you sit down, going back to fix the hair and makeup seems like a waste and unfortunately can change the mood for the day. If I take those few extra moments to myself in the morning before getting the kids taken care of, I seem to be more upbeat for the day and more productive. Basically, I think it just sets the right positive message in my brain. So this week, I am going to try it and see how it goes.

Yesterday was a good day, but I really wasn't hungry, which was a plus. Unfortunately, my food choices were not so great when I did eat, but I am working on it.

Today's menu:
Breakfast - 1/2 c. grapefruit juice, 1 egg, english muffin w/butter
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - salad w/turkey, craisins, almonds, little moz, and little ceaser dressing
PM snack - banana smoothie
Supper - Chicken broccoli ring, salad
Lots of water

Goals for the day:
1. No eating after 7:30pm
2. In bed by 10:30

Guess, I better keep things simple as it seems to work easier. Time to go get things done. Talk you later. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Food, Sunday was so so. I started out well, but then it didn't end well. I cleaned and worked on rearranging the living room which took awhile since it is large and I had to either get rid of furniture or repurpose it. It looked so nice and inviting when I was done because I had finally figured out how to create a larger conversation area and some more open floor space. One of the "repurpose" things that I did was to take a cedar chest and put it along the wall, then I added pillows for bench seating. The kids love it. The new rug really pulls the room together and just makes it feel like home instead of just a house. Needless to say, I focused on that task and not anything else. I didn't snack, but when I did eat, I ate too much.

Yesterday, I tackled the living room ceiling, of course after I moved everthing again. Seeing my living room pull together really motivated me to get the rest of the room finished. I have almost 2/3 of the ceiling done, so hopefully, I can get the rest finished today. While the furniture is moved out of the way, I plan to put the 2nd coat of paint on the walls. Sometimes, I just don't get time to finish projects and it drives me nuts.:upsidedow I am also hoping to get the trim painted before I have to put the furniture back for Thanksgiving. DH is wondering why I start these things with the holidays close at hand. But I spend so much time with "planned" days going by the wayside as I help with various things, that I figure if I have time now, just take advantage of it and use it. I didn't really snack yesterday which was good, but I did eat a few too many mini donuts.

Breakfast yesterday was cream of wheat and tea. Lunch was a LC chicken panini, and supper was spaghetti and garlic cheese bread. I tried a salad at supper, but the dressing I had put on it was not good, so out it went. Water was not great for the day.

Today, I plan to keep working on the house.

Food for the day.
Breakfast - cream of wheat, tea
Lunch - Maybe some nachos
Supper - can't think that far out right now.:sad2:

Just trying to stay busy and make my home comfortable so that I can reduce stress and take time to work on my family's health. Everyone have a great day. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Sounds like everything is coming together nicely, Lesli! :goodvibes

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Sounds like things are coming together for you. I'm right there with you with the house....trying to do the same thing....slowly, VERY slowly!!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[toystoryduo]

Happy New Year, Lesli!

I hope you and your family have a healthy and Happy New Year!:grouphug:

[goldcupmom]

Happy New Year, Lesli! Hope all is well with you & your family!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the well wishes Traci and Julie.:grouphug:

Well, I didn't make it through the holidays very well. In fact, I gained weight, so today, I have reset my starting weight and will work from there. December was so busy, not only with the holidays but with the store as we got a new cash register system so it took much of my time to help the transition go smoothly. There is still much work that I need to do to get all the reports I need but it will all work out. Also, I finished painting the living room except for one wall (needs 2nd coat) and the trim. I had to quit and decorate for Christmas, which normally would have bothered me but I figured I have to reduce the stress that I put on myself at times. So the painting needs finishing......my living room still cleaned up well for Christmas, was very comfortable and we still enjoyed it, which is what really matters.

DH and I did manage to get the pantry and my office closet repaired, painted, old shelving torn down, and a new shelving systems put up. It took most of a week as I didn't have a lot of help with some of it, that normally would have bothered me, but I just focused on getting it done. Having those closets done has worked wonders for organization around here and my office is feeling more comfortable everyday which has boost my mood considerably. I can finally have all the storage off the floor in my office and easily see the projects that I need to finish. Also, I have been working hard to reorganize where and how I do my work for the store. I am currently not far behind (amazing) and am trying to get more of it done up at the store for a couple of reasons: 1) it gets me out of the house and communicating with people which is good since I no longer have children home during the day, 2) it keeps more paperwork at the store which keeps my home office more managaeable, 3) it has allowed me to take on other responsiblities in the business which is great for staying productive.

Overall, my stress is much reduced, I am getting more help from the family to do certain tasks. Partly because things are more organized, I think. Hey, whatever works. Also, I am trying to focus on making my family healthier. So now I am asking myself AGAIN why I am not making myself a priority as far as my health goes. I have not been sleeping well and believe that it is mainly due to the extra lbs and poor food choices.

So today, I started entering my food on Fitday.com which was successful for me when I had lost so much weight before. It just helps me keep in mind what I am eating and how much protein vs fat that I am getting. I love the fact that the site has really updated and there is so much more that you can track and see with just a free account. Now I don't have to track my measurements on another program, which I had to do in the past. Which reminds me that I better take those today and input them.

Yes, I keep thinking that I don't have time to focus on this, but then if I just keep delaying it, when will I ever have time?:confused3 Besides, if I am reducing stress and putting a big focus on better organizing my home or getting it finished so that it is comfortable, then I truly do and will have more time to fit in weight loss. It's a lifestyle change, right? Also, I have proven to myself that I will have more time to get things done since I am already ahead on some things (ie. taxes) and am getting more things done as they come through the door (ie. valentines cards ready to go for DS6 which have been done for a week, permission slips, etc.). I am starting to recognize myself again mentally, now I need to recognize myself again physically. In a few months, I will be 42, so I think it is time to get to know myself again before I can't remember who I am or who I was.;)

Food plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms & cheese, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - small bannana (almost forgot to eat it)
Lunch - salad w/turkey, craisins, almonds, and ceaser dressing (light on the dressing)
PM snack - 3-4 saltines w/pb
Supper - homemade pizza, very thin crust w/ peppers, onions, ham, pepperoni and 6oz can of orange pop

Goals for the day:
1. drink milk
2. 60 oz water (already on a good start)
3. exercise for 30 minutes (15 minute breaks x 2)
4. No eating after 8pm

Looks like a good start. Next to update my goals. Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Well, since I wrote back in November, I am almost back to my heaviest and it scares me that I can cross the line. The other thing that scares me to death is what I am doing to my health, such as putting myself at risk for diabetes or permanently disabling myself because the extra weight on my bad knee is taking its toll. Somedays the knee is fine, but others I have more problems and I can't help but think that it could be greatly alleviated through weight loss and exercise.

After reveiwing my November evaluation, I have found that I still need to address these issues.

What I know from the past and need to implement:
1. I need to go to bed by 10:30 to stop the late night eating and keep myself from making poor food choices the next day.
2. I need to eat my AM snack to keep the afternoon munchies away.
3. I need to plan my meals in advance in order to keep the "quick fix, processed, high salt" meals from occuring.
4. I need to add milk to my diet and more water. (both have been lacking)
5. I need to exercise in the morning before everyone gets up or I reduce my chance of exercising for the day.
6. I need the support of my WISH friends to help get me through to the end.

Things I need to remember:
1. I love to eat healthy great tasting food more than I love the taste of the junk foods. (It also makes me feel better mentally)
2. Moving more makes the scales move.
3. Weight loss is a project taken in stages.
4. I don't have to feel guilty when I slip, I just have to move on.

Things I would like to see change:
1. Feel more rested.
2. Feel less overwhelmed and therefore calmer.
3. Being able to fit into my winter clothes and look decent.
4. Fewer aches and pains.
5. Better portion control.
6. Staying upbeat, not hard, but not easy with the daily news of the economy.

Things I will work on this month:
1. EXERCISE. It has been lacking.
2. Planning meals and preparing some to freeze for nights when I don't have time to cook (or don't want to).

So today I will begin changing my lifestyle. I am starting at 227lbs. My overall goal is to get to 150lbs, that's 77 lbs to lose, but I am willing to do it slowly and in steps.

These are the goals that I would like to meet at various landmarks. I will look at them and adjust them as needed, but consider them as small projects instead of one large goal.
1. 2.5lbs lost by Valentine's Day
2. 17.5lbs lost by Easter (beginning of April)
3. 30 lbs lost by my 42nd Birthday (beginning May, under 200!)
4. 50 lbs lost by Vacation (late June, don't know where)
5. 55 lbs lost by my DD21s Birthday (mid July)
6. 65 lbs lost by my Anniversary (mid Aug, low 160's, ooh la la!)
7. 77 lbs lost by DD11's Birthday (end of Sept) Hit the goal!

I have set little "rewards" for each 5 lbs. lost. The first 5 is an appt for a lasik eye consult for possible surgery (It would be great to ditch the glasses). The next 5, is facial, which I have never had.

I can do this. I have done been half way to my goal before and I can make it to the end this time. There is no reason why I have to carry on some of the same problems that face some family members in my family. On to a better me that will last a lifetime! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

2 lbs down!:cool1: I think most of that is from all the water that I drank yesterday, but I will take it.

Yesterday went pretty well and for the most part, I did stay on track with my food plan. Lunch ended up being mashed potaotes, 1/2 a minute steak and mushroom gravy since I had that left over and didn't get up to the store sooner to pick up some dressing for my planned salad. It wasn't a planned choice, but at least it was homemade, which is healthier than other things that I could have chosen. Also, I did have chips (finished off what was left in the bag, about 1 1/2 cups). That got me off track big time and I struggled to get myself back on track. After I popped about 5 cashews into my mouth, I realized that I had to stop grazing and needed to stop myself before I allowed myself to be defeated. I swear we are our own worst enemies at times. The rest of the food plan was as planned (cut down the crackers and pb to 2) and in the evening, I felt like snacking so I grabbed 2 large strawberries. Fortunately, that solved the problem and at least was healthy. Water was at 64 oz.! That is the best I have had in months.

I didn't get in the dedicated exercise but I did move at a brisk pace when I was up and a few times danced around on my way somewhere in the house. It at least got me moving more and helps to keep up the good mood. The strawberries, I had were shortly after 8pm, but all of my other goals were met. The best part was that I felt very tired at 11pm and shortly there after I decided to go to bed which is much earlier than I have been doing. I really feel more rested today. Oh, I also ended up taking a about a 20 minute nap in the afternoon since I really was tired. Hopefully, I can get all of this turned around.

So even though I had a few more calories than planned yesterday, I rejoice in the fact that I managed to get back on track. I was tempted to take the easy way out and pop in frozen pizzas, but I didn't. It was not only healthier to make them but the kids had fun helping me and that was very good for the spirit as well.

Today's food plan:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ mushrooms, gr peppers, onions, and little cheese; 4 strawberries, 1 c 1% milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, and 1 c tea (allot of liquid but I really wanted the grapefruit juice):rolleyes:
AM snack - 4 saltines & pb
Lunch - tuna rollup, carrots, celery
PM snack - banana
Supper - Lazagna & salad

Today's goals:
1. water = 60 oz
2. Exercise = 15 min (dedicated, maybe some dancing to Billy Joel, have to start somewhere)
3. No eating after 8pm

Last night when I made pizza, I cut a few extra gr peppers & onions and put them in the fridge which made it easier to fix a very tasty breakfast this morning. I will have to keep in mind some of these little tricks.

Most of the day will be filled with bookwork and catching up on a few more things here and there. DD11 is having a sleepover tonight so I am sure to hear girls giggling all night. Soon it will be time for DS6 to start having sleepovers, they sure do grow up fast. Well, off to start my day! Everyone have a wonderful weekend! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

Hope you got a little sleep last night! giggling girls!!!

Glad you are back & in control again. It is such a hard journey!!

pixiedust: for a good weekend!!

[Lesli54]

I am glad to be back again, Julie. You are right when you say that it is about being back in control. I must admit, it feels nice.

Amazingly, I did get some sleep last night. The girls were too tired to stay up too late, thankfully.;)

Oh! I am down 1 lb.!! It feels really good to be on the losing side again. I know that this quick loss is temporary and it won't be as easy to lose as time goes, but I am relishing every lb. gone when I get it.

Yesterday went very, very well and all of my food was as planned.:cheer2: The only thing that I could have done without was eating the 2nd piece of lasagna and a garlic bread. However, I will not hold this against myself since my overall calories for the day were still very good. Besides, "in the before" I would have probably eaten more than 2 pieces, would not have had as much fruit through the day and would have added in a bunch more empty calorie snacks. So this was a WIN! Water was 74 oz and I didn't eat after 8pm. Not really tempted. What I didn't do was ........exercise. Surprise, surprise. But I was up moving around alot more as I got things done around the house and at the store. Not that it replaces the exercise, but at least I wasn't vegging all day.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg over easy, 1/2 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly, 4 strawberries, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c tea
AM snack - 4 saltines w/ pb
Lunch - tuna roll up, 1 sm banana
PM snack - hard cheese, celery
Supper - ????? maybe leftover lasagna & salad, or ?????????

Goals for today:
1. water = 60 oz
2. no eating after 8pm
3. exercise = 15 min (this is a priority goal)

Yesterday, I started looking at reviews for treadmills. I want to get a quality treadmill but of course there is a budget. Some of them are nice in the fact that they cushion your walking making it easier on the knees and hips which would be very nice for me. I figure, for the cost that it takes to join a gym or Curves, you can have a treadmill at home and it will pay for itself in a year or just over once you consider gas.

I have bookwork to do at some point. But, mainly, I think I will take rest of the day and sort some pictures. Kind of a way to clean up more in my office and get the extras out of my closet. DH ended up with tons from closing up his father's home years ago and I am going to divide the duplicates (triplicates, quadruplicates, etc) amongst the children then scan the others and put on CD. I figure they can then print what they are interested in, but at least I have shared them all.

Well, I am off. Everyone have a great weekend! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Your goals looks good, Lesli!:thumbsup2 I like how you have rewards planned when you meet each of those goals. Great job!:goodvibes

Hope you have a great Sunday!:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the encouragement Tracy. In fact, you reminded me to look back at my goals and I am glad I did......since I have met 2 of them already!:cheer2:

Down another 1.5lbs!:cool1: :cheer2: So, that means I have met my goal by Valentine's and I have met my mini goal. Guess it's time to call the eye dr. This week has been really good as I have taken off almost 5 lbs, but I know it is just from jumpstarting my body with all the water and constantly eating "high quality" food. It is interesting to think that before this week, I was eating all the time, but becuase the foods were poor quality and filled with empty calories I was alway hungry or craving something. I can say that since starting this program again, I have not been hungry. That is a good thing.

Yesterday, I met all of my food goals. For supper, I went with the lasagna (2 pieces :rolleyes: ), a small bit of bread, and a small salad. I almost didn't add the salad and my energy at that point was waning. But I reminded myself that I am making changes and the salad at least provides fiber. I really think that this help keep me from eating more lasagna and more bread. I will have to keep remembering that. About 8pm, I was wanting something sweet and almost grabbed a poptart (very rare in our house) but saw that one is 200 cal.:faint:, I took a small handful of trail mix that had nuts, raisins, craisins, and sunflower seeds. Amazingly that really helped curb the need for sweet. Water was at 70 oz.

The rest of my goals were on track except the exercise.:sad2: Actually, I ended up doing very little yesterday. The kids and I played a game a few times, but I didn't dig into any projects. I am just going to look at it in the sense that we all need a day to just relax and enjoy the peace and some family time.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 c. cream of wheat, 1 c 1% milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 4 strawberries
AM snack - sm banana
Lunch - Salad w/ turkey, craisins, almonds, walnuts, bit of cheese, and ceaser dressing
PM snack - pineapple and yogurt
Supper - ???? We might eat out. If not, maybe some talapia, green beans w/ onion & almonds, and baked potato

Goals for today:
1. water = 60 oz
2. No eating after 8pm
3. Exercise (might have to get the kids to join me for "fun" exercise)

Not much planned for the day. There is plenty that I need to do so I guess I better pick a project. Hope you all have a good Sunday! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Believe it or not........I walked for 20 min, yesterday!:cool1: DH and the two youngest wanted to take a walk so I decided to join them and I am glad I did.

For the most part yesterday was a bit of a lazy day. Mentally, I just wasn't up to doing anything that required a lot of thought. However, I did manage to clean out ALOT of my emails. Still more to go and not very active, but at least it is productive and just something to help with better organization. DS6 developed a fever so that added to the lazy day.

All of my goals were reached. :banana: Food was as planned for the most part with a few changes. DH ate all the salad mix, so for lunch (after quick thinking) I had turkey on 7 grain w/ spinach and mayo along with walnuts and craisins on the side. Right before supper I had 3 saltines w/pb. Supper was a Subway 6" chicken teriyaki on wheat w/cukes, tomatoes, mayo & sweet onion sauce along w/chips. Later, I had 1 c of hot cocoa. Water was 64 oz. DH really wanted to eat out, so he brought Subway home. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy the flavor as much I thought I would.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 c 1% milk, 1 biscuit Shredded Wheat, 6 strawberries, 1 c hot tea.
AM snack - 1 oz colby cheese, 1 stalk celery, 3 slices turkey
Lunch - salad w/tuna, spinach, walnuts, craisins, little cheese, and little ceasar dressing
PM snack - banana
Supper - talapia, baked potato, gr beans w/onions and almonds

Today's goals:
1. water = 60 oz
2. exercise = 30 min (2 sessions of 15 min)
3. no eating after 8pm

DS6 is still not well so he is home. The remainder of the day will be spent with bookwork.

Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

You are doing a great job, Lesli! Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

I'm glad that you took yesterday off. It sounds like you needed a break!:hug:

I hope your DS is feeling better soon.:wizard:

Have a great Monday!:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Yesterday was a down day in terms of mood. Just didn't have an alert mind. Maybe part was due to DS6 being home (also home today) and part because it was gloomy out, although the temp was nice.

I didn't meet any of my goals, although water was close, coming in at 56 oz. As for food......all was good through lunch, then I finished off the chips (not alot left thankfully) and had 4 saltines w/pb. Should have had the banana since my energy was waning. However, I did manage to get back on track for supper and I guess that is the most important part. Oh, I also had 1 c hot cocoa after 8pm (didn't eat after 8, but it's the same thing. I wanted to relax after a 2 hour library board meeting. Guess next time I will have tea, save the calories.

Thankfully, the library expansion is done!:banana: Just a few minor details, but I managed to accomplish what I wanted when I joined the board. At least now our taxes that has been paying for an expansion has actually been put towards that expansion. It looks nice and is double the size which gives much needed room and some to grow. Only 2 more years left in my term and then it is time to move on to something else. What a stress reliever.

I deleted a bunch more emails yesterday and did a bit of work. Today, I really need to get moving since the last few days have been a bit "off".

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms, gr peppers, & onions, 1 c tea, fresh pineapple, 1 c milk, 1 sm muffin (should have skipped the muffin, I saw the calories after I ate it:eek: )
AM snack - celery, handful of trail mix (raisins, nuts, sunflower seed, craisins)
Lunch - tuna roll up, carrots
PM snack - banana
Supper - sm piece lasagna and salad

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz water
2. no eating after 8pm
3. exercise (just something)

Well, I am off. Time to get some work done and check on DS6. Later DD11 has to have some teeth pulled, need to run to the eye dr to fix glasses, and it is dance night if she is feeling up to it. Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Tired, tired, tired! I feel like this as I am posting while drinking my tea. :surfweb:

Yesterday's food changed slightly. I skipped the celery at the AM snack since I was on the phone (skipped the crunch, crunch). Lunch became a salad w/turkey, craisins, little cheese, few almond, a bit of grape nuts (they give a great crunch and don't taste bad with other food), and ceasar dressing. DD19 took the tuna I had ready for my planned lunch when she went to class.:confused3 In the afternoon, I really had the munchies, so fortunately, I turned to some nuts. Guess I need more protein. Skipped the salad at supper, then later wanted something sweet so I opted for 4 nilla wafers and chamomile tea which seemed to work. That means I didn't give in to the ice cream that everyone was eating.:banana: Actually, it wasn't one of my favorites and I figured if I ate that then I would eat more still looking for what I really wanted. Quality make a difference. Water was at 80 oz.:cheer2:

Goals were met yesterday. The exercise was only a few minutes here and there as I was playing around with DS6 who had out my exercise hoop. Not really dedicated, but it is a start and was fun.

Oh yeah! I am down another 1.5 lbs. That is a total of 6 for the month. :cool1:

Didn't sleep well. DD11 woke us up early this morning saying that it was too hot in her room and we needed to turn on the air.:scared1: Does she not know we are still in the winter officially? As it turned out she had a high temp. Then I couldn't get back to sleep. By the time I did it was 6:15am and you guessed it......I was late getting DS6 up for school. We barely made it. So somehow I still have one kid home.

This morning was a rush trying to get paychecks done for an employee who needed it early. Then as I was signing the checks the employee was in to pick it up, but decided that they weren't going to wait since it wasn't done before they came in.pirate: Not a happy camper here. I have sick children, late children, am tired, seriously delayed my breakfast (almost 10am), and you can't wait until I am done signing?:confused3 That will not happen again. No early checks now.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 slice 7 grain toast, 1 c milk, 1 c hot tea (I wanted poached but was so tired that I just grabbed the frying pan and had it going before I realized that I didn't poach the egg.:sad2: )
AM snack - celery and pb
Lunch - tuna roll up (found another can), carrots, and fresh pineapple
PM snack - apple & had cheese
Supper - chicken broccoli ring and salad

Today's goals:
1. 60 oz water
2. no eating after 8pm
3. exercise (at least take laps around the house)
4. take a power nap to keep the munchies at bay

Well, I better get going. I have a lot of work to do now that I have figured out some things on our new register system. Sorry for the long post. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

Great job meeting your goals yesterday!:cheer2: How do you do it with your busy schedule? You are doing a wonderful job!:thumbsup2

I hope everyone that is sick is feeling better soon.:goodvibes

Hope you have a great evening!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thankfully, today has started out better than yesterday, although DD11 is still home sick.

Well, I felt like the SlimQuick commercial. I was wondering where I lost the 6 lbs and trying to figure it out. Ok, my face is slimmer and my wrists, slightly, but I am thinking was that really 6 lbs? Then I went to put on a pair of shoes that I haven't worn in a month or so due to weather and realized that I lost the weight in my feet!:rotfl2: My shoes are not as snug. All I could think of was that lady on that commercial.

Yesterday, I didn't get in the exercise or the nap. Fortunately, I finally woke up. I did try to stay active though so that helped.

Food yesterday had a few chanages. The celery was rubbery, so I opted for a small handful of trail mix for the AM snack. Then......I went to prepare the tuna, only to find that it was chicken!:confused3 DH had brought home an unmarked can that he thought was tuna. So, I quickly changed to 1/2 turkey sandwich on 7 grain w/ mayo, pineapple, and doritos (we had a very small bag, so I had a few). Supper plans changed and DH brought me a Arby's roast beef sandwich. I finished the doritos (just a serving), had 5 cashew, and then for a treat, I had 2 pieces of dark chocolate w/ hot tea. I was craving chocolate, but realized that if I have dark chocolate, I can get my fix and control how much I eat. Cool!:cool1: Water was 70 oz.

This morning, I dropped off cookies and treats for DD11's school party along with her homework. Made a couple of trips up to the store. Witnessed the ready of the Gettysburg Address that the middle school did for Guiness Record. All the school's in IL are encouraged to do this today. I am sure there were other things. I feel good being busy.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 poached egg, 1 slice 7 grain toast, fresh pineapple, 1 c 1% milk, 1 c hot tea.
AM snack - banana
Lunch - tuna rollup (finally!), carrots, strawberries
PM snack - vanilla yougurt w/ grapenuts
Supper - thin crust pizza, 6 oz pop

Today's goals:
1. Exercise - I have already taken a few minutes to do some stretching. Hey, it is a start
2. Get up earlier tomorrow morning (ok, I know that is not today, but I need to set a better morning routine)

I figure that I am doing well at getting the water, milk, and not eating late, so it is time to focus on some other goals.

Here's a tip: Pampered Chef has small 1 cup prep bowls with lids that I like to use. I have found a new use for them. When the kids want ice cream, I am putting them in those bowls because the 1/2 cup serving really looks like more and becomes a treat. You know when you put it in a large bowl, you just add more. Also, I have started using them to portion out servings of canned fruit, put the lid on them and they go in the fridge. Much better than buying snack packs. So far, the family is not complaining about this.

Time to get some work done. Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

A weight loss is a weight loss even if it's in your feet, right? ;) I've noticed that too though! Sometimes my shoes aren't as tight as they usually are.

I hope everyone starts feeling better soon!:goodvibes

You are doing a great job on your goals!! Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

Hope you have a great day ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thankfully, everyone is feeling better today!:angel:

Yesterday was a great day!!! I followed everything on my food plan.:woohoo: The only things that I added was 2 saltines w/pb shortly before supper and 1 sm piece of dark chocolate after supper. Water was 88 oz at least. The one thing that I should have done differently was add a salad with the pizza so that I didn't eat as much.

The other goals fell by the wayside, other than doing a little stretching. I was up much too late last night and the kids didn't have school today, so getting up earlier just didn't happen. Oh, well, one step at a time.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/moz & porabellas, 1 c grapefruit juice, 1 c 1% milk, 4 strawberries
AM snack - a few almonds
Lunch - salad w/tuna, grapenuts, & craisins
PM snack - banana
Supper - chicken broccoli ring, peas, & sm side salad

Today's goals:
1. Exercise

I am going to keep the goals simple this next week. Then I only have one thing to concentrate on so hopefully, it makes it easier to achieve.

So far, I have already crossed a few things off the to-do list for the day. I thnk we will do some cleaning (good activity) and then make 2 cakes for DBIL's birthday. It's a big one and he would love the attention of serving cake at the store tomorrow. Also have some bookwork, so I better get going.

Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

I'm glad that everyone is starting to feel better!:goodvibes

You did a great job on food yesterday! Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

I think keeping goals as simple as possible make them more attainable. For me, my goal next week will be to exercise 3 times (couldn't because I was sick this week) and to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. If I add anything more than that, I'll get overwhelmed and do nothing. It's all about the baby steps, right?:goodvibes

Happy Birthday to your DBIL!:cool1: If you have any leftover cake, you can send some my way. ;)

Have a great weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the encouragement, Tracy!

Well, yesterday went pretty well until, I waited much too long for supper. :sad2: My original plans for dinner went by the wayside since DD19 wasn't feeling well, DD11 was at a dance, and DS will not eat what I planned. I just couldn't make a recipe that makes quite a bit with only 2 people eating. Instead DH was going to throw steaks on when he got home so I kept trying to wait, few more almonds, and wait, saltines w/pb, and wait, a serving of doritos (end of a small bag, and wait. Then when he came home, he wasn't feeling well so there went the steaks..:sad2: Now what? :confused3 DS had spaghettios and I went with a medium baked potato. But I was still starving.:eek: Of course, on the bright side, at least I know what hunger pains are again.;) Plenty of food in the house, just not a lot of quick fix (which is good for weight loss). No time to eat more, had to pick up DD11 and her friend. From here things really went downhill. When I got home, I at a hotdog w/cheese on a bun. Then I made popcorn and ate some of that. Fortunately, DD19 was willing to split it. Then I had 1 sm piece of dark chocolate and 1/2 c of chamomile tea. :scared1: Where will it end? Oh, that was the end. Water was 72 oz or more. No real exercise.:sad2:

The problem? I waited to long for supper and didn't have a quick substitute on hand. So for the rest of the night, I kept searching for that "something" that I really wanted. Only to end up overeating.

The solution? As of this morning, I now have the entire top shelf of my big freezer filled with Lean Cuisine Panini's and entrees. Next time, I will just grab one of those and add fruit for a more balanced meal.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 slice 7 grain toast, 1 c milk, 1/2 c hot tea
AM snack - piece of cake (not too large)
Lunch - tuna rollup, carrots, tomatoes, almonds
PM snack - banana
Supper - ????? probably fast food, but I will make a resonable choice

Today's goal:
1. Exercise

Today, has been busy. We took the cake up to the store for DBIL and he was beaming.:goodvibes Then all the kids and I cleaned the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. Now we have to get laundry started. Later, I have to pick up DD21 from school and bring her back. That's when I will be eating on the run. She has 6 (I think) memorial events to attend to day for the NIU tragedy last year. I have to admire her strength.

Earlier today, I almost gave up the plan and just start eating whatever I found. Mostly, because of the cake. I have really kept the sugar intake and junk foods to a minimum compared to the "before", so after eating that piece of cake I could actually feel all the energy drain from my body, I was more irritable, and my mind wasn't as clear. Of course, it probably didn't help that I was eating it mid morning. Once I got home, I started cleaning, drank water, and "forced" myself to prepare a healthy lunch. It was tempting to just veg out, but I don't want to feel like that again. Kind of a wake up call of what various foods do to you. The sugar can be in moderation, but I really like the clear mind and energy that I have with the healthier choices.

Gotta get going. Everyone have a wonderful weekend. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Yesterday's food went pretty well. I stayed OP, but added a few almonds to my PM snack. Supper was a burrito and taco from Taco Bell. I drank about 1/2 of the sprite. Not the worst and calories for the day weren't too out of wack, but I suppose 2 tacos would have been better. Water as at least 64 oz. After coming home, I almost ate a chocolate, but thought better of it since it was well after 10pm. If I start back on the late eating, it will all be downhill.

I did manage to exercise for a few minutes. Mainly some stretching, but it did give me a chance to realize how out of shape I am since some muscles didn't feel too good after just basic warm up exercises. Time to tackle this on a regular basis.

Food for the day:
Breakfast - 1 c cream of wheat, 1/2 c hot tea, 4 strawberries. (out of eggs and milk, so will need to get my milk later)
AM snack - almonds
Lunch - tuna roll up (on the go)
PM snack - banana
Supper - ?????? eating out for our postponed Valentine's Day

Goals for today:
1. Exercise - 15 min stretching

I better get going. I have a DAR awards meeting to oversee. They will have cake there, so I am going to eat my lunch on the way, saving myself from being tempted. Also, I plan to have my PM snack in the car to eat on the way back if things run a bit long. That way I can stay on track and keep from overdoing when we go out tonight.

Everyone have a wonderful Sunday!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

I hope you have a great week ahead!:hug:

Keep up the good work...You are doing a great job!!!:cheer2:

[Lesli54]

The plan worked!:banana: I made it through the meeting without eating the cake. In fact, they had one piece left and kept trying to push it off on me. Eventually, I took it home and then promptly split it in half for DD11 and DS6 as soon as I got home. A nice treat for them and no temptation for me.:goodvibes

I followed my food plan, but added a few more almonds later. Supper was at Panera where I had 1/2 Turkey Artichoke sandwich, 1/2 ceasar salad, and 2" baguette w/ tea to drink. I really enjoyed it, but I should look at their website to see which items are the healthiest and least caloric. At least I didn't eat all the bread. When I got home, I had a sm piece of dark chocolate. Water was 64 oz.

I did some stretching for about 10 min.

Today's Food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ mushrooms & moz, fresh pineapple, 1 c milk
AM snack - almonds
Lunch - 1 1/2c Healthy Choice Bean & Ham soup, 5 saltines w/butter
PM snack - yogurt w/grapenuts
Supper - steak, baked potato, peas

Today's goals:
1. exercise

I have been trying to clear a few things off my desk and tie up loose ends. Not much else going on. Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Great job, Lesli!!!:cheer2: You are really doing a great job with your food choices. Keep up the good work!:cheer2:

I hope you have a great evening!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the encouragement, Tracy.:hug:

Well, everything food-wise went well through lunch. DH was going to take the kids swimming in the afternoon, but we had problems with the computers at the store and instead I started stress eating since I couldn't get on to finish my work. So the PM snack was a grazing of a few saltines w/pb, maybe the last of the almonds (that might have been the day before), and a few nilla wafers. Not a great idea as my planned snack would have been a better choice, but I also can say that it could have been tons worse. At least I was thinking about what I was going to have instead of just grabbing. Of course it helps that I don't have too many taboo foods laying around.

Then supper was changed around since DH could now take the kids swimming in the evening. So I threw in a cheese pizza and had 1 sm slice. I had planned to make the steak anyway, but after eating a piece of the pizza, I thought it was probably overkill. So I had 1/2 chicken salad sandwich on 7 grain and a few doritos. Just enough to keep from getting too hungry late evening. I also had 1 sm piece of dark chocolate. Water was 64 oz. Then I realized that I have made it through PMS week with very few sugar, junk or strong chocolate cravings. Amazing! I guess the better balance in food helps more than I realized.

Didn't exercise yesterday. I should have gone swimming with the family. We did make a plan to sit down and work in swimming once a week as a family activity. Might as well become more active together.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1/2 7 grain toast w/ jelly, 1 fried egg, pineapple, 1 c milk
AM snack - (miss, will be at the Dentist)
Lunch - LC entree
PM snack - apple
Supper - don't know, but balanced

Today's goals:
1. exercise - somehow, I have to figure out the best time of day for this and just fit it into my daily routine. Waiting for the "right" time is just not working.

Lot's to do today: the dentist for me, work at the store for DMom, take DD11 to get another tooth pulled (braces are wonderful) and fix her glasses then off to dance, also run errands for baby gifts and showers coming up, shop for DS6 who is getting taller suddenly, and somewhere in there I need to work on some bookwork and another project for a family member. At least I am staying active, right?;)

Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Great job, Lesli! :cheer2: You did a little stress eating yesterday, but you controlled it. That's a major victory in my book! :cheer2:

Swimming as a family sounds like a great way to get some exercise in. Don't forget that with all of the running around that you do, you are getting some exercise in there as well. :goodvibes

I hope you have a great evening!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the encouragement. But I guess, I really needed a WISH sis sitting on my shoulder yesterday.:sad2:

Everything through lunch was fine. Then I was at the store too long, things were slow (ya know, the economy), a bit bored, not there long enough to tackle any projects and.........I ate one of those LD oatmeal creme pies. It was 300 cal.:scared1: I don't have a desire for one of those again. Should have grabbed the apple. Took DD11 to the dentist, picked up DS, went back to the dentist, back to the store, DH had more computer issues and again, I was bored w/ not much time to do alot. Unfortunately, DH had some chips out and I started eating. Not because I was hungry, just because they were there.

After work, I took DD11 to dance, then DS and I went shopping with, of course, a stop at McD's.:scared1: I thought of doing chicken, but remembered it wasn't great last time. So, stupidly, I ordered a qtr lbr w/ cheese, lg fries, and ice tea. Yes, I ate almost all of it......all but a few fries. Shopped, got home kinda late, then ate a sugar cookie w/frosting, doritos, and another sugar cookie w/frosting. Yes, all after 8pm. The cookies were leftover from the VDay party and came home yesterday, but I had a plan, DD11 took them to dance as a treat (and to get rid of them), however, 3 came home, guess I should have had plan B. Water was maybe, MAYBE 40 oz.

The result? a 2 lb gain overnight. Now, I know that if I behave, most of it will go away again. I wasn't hungry. Kinda bored, tired, and I just wanted to relax from the long day. Unfortunately, I chose food which really didn't get the results I wanted. Next time, I will grab a hot tea, a book, and curl up with a blanket.

The thing is, it really wasn't even worth all the bad choices, weight gain aside. Let's face it, the junk food really doesn't have a lot of flavor, not compared to healthy foods. I feel more drug out and my mind feels like I could slip into the food coma. Not good.

The plus side? I was on my feet ALOT yesterday and got some walking in while shopping.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 c milk, 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms, gr pepper, onion & cheese, 1/2 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - banana, also had 3 doritos (last time I buy a big bag)
Lunch - 1/2 roast beef sandwich on 7 grain w/little mayo & gr pepper, 1 serving doritos (that's enough)
PM snack - apples w/pb
Supper - steak, salad, baked potato

Today's goals:
1. Exercise

Not much going on today, which is just as well as I need to regroup. Off to do some work. Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[goldcupmom]

The thing is, it really wasn't even worth all the bad choices, weight gain aside. Let's face it, the junk food really doesn't have a lot of flavor, not compared to healthy foods. I feel more drug out and my mind feels like I could slip into the food coma.

Wow, Lesli! That pretty much sums up the junk food binges here, too!

You've been really good for the most part, so don't beat yourself up. Avoiding Cake is a HUGE SUCCESS in my book!

Glad everyone is healthy again. Hope those darned computers stay up & working.

have a great rest of the week!

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

No worries about yesterday. :hug: Days like that do happen. The key is to move forward and drink lots of water to flush the system. You CAN do it, Lesli!:cheer2:

I've been meaning to ask you...What kind of store do you own? How have sales been for you?(If you don't mind sharing.) The store I used to work at closed up shop a couple of weeks ago. I was shocked! The owner seemed to be doing quite well. I'm not sure what happened.:confused3

I hope you have a great day today!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the encouragement, Tracy. You're right, those days do happen and I did drink lots of water yesterday. To your other question, we own a grocery store. Although we are in a needs based industry, the economy is still slowing business for our industry as well. People are changing their buying habits as they look for ways to stretch their meals. Of course, that could mean that we as a country will all lose weight.;) Ok, maybe that is WISHful thinking.:rolleyes1

Actually, amazingly, yesterday was pretty much OP. I had a handful of trail mix sometime in the afternoon along w/ a few Fruit Loops. Supper changed to 1 hamburger patty (no bun), some cream corn, and 10 potato rounds. I guess, I will never get that steak. Later I had 1 sm piece of dark chocolate. I was doing fine until..........I polished off the doritos (about 2 cups) at about 11:30pm, doing bookwork and waiting for DH who was off solving computer problems for DMom. Mind you I wasn't bored or hungry, just felt like munching on something. Maybe I should pick up some gum, that might have helped. Water as 88 oz.

Also, I did a few minutes of exercise. I actually tried to see if I could do pushups. Negative. But I did realize that I could just raise and lower the top portion of my body to add resistance to my arms which did not seem to bother my shoulder. That is a good thing. I have to admit that some things with exercise have scared me since the accident because I was afraid that I would reinjure something or that limitations would prevent me from doing certain things. However, I have found that actually there is still quite a bit that I can do. That alone has added to the motivation.:goodvibes

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms, some cheese, gr peppers & onion, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - 4 saltines & pb
Lunch - roast beef, gr pepper, pear
PM snack - fresh pineapple, carrots
Supper - pizza (fozen since we have some in the freezer), 6 oz soda

Today's goals:
1. exercise
2. Have DH start looking for a treadmill

I better get going. I have quite a bit of work to do and a computer glitch that is halting my progress so I need to make some calls. Everyone have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Great job getting your water in and staying OP yesterday!:cheer2:

I hope you have a great weekend ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Julie, sorry I missed your post the other day. Thanks for reminding me about the successes that I have had.

All food yesterday was OP, except the PM snack. I was talking with DD19 and forgot the time, then ran off to the store. By the time I got back, it was close to supper so I just had a few of the ritz chips.......and gum, which worked. Oh, I also had a piece of dark chocolate in the evening. Water was 88 oz.

Exercise didn't happen, but I got ALOT of work done which goes a long way in my get organized plan.

Today has been long. I went to breakfast w/ DMom, which was really nice and relaxing. Also, I was at the store for awhile. So my food has been way off today.

Today's food:
Breakfast - Village Inn, denver omelet, hashbrowns, and 1 1/2 pieces of wheat toast, water to drink
AM snack - missed (breakfast was almost brunch)
Lunch - missed (too full)
PM snack - almonds (too many), ritz chips (don't know how many), piece of dark chocolate, about 1/2 tbsp pb, couple handfuls of fruit loops (:scared1: did I really eat all that)
Supper - pork chop, pasta, peas

Today's goals:
1. Reign in the control

Problem: I went beserk in the afternoon thinking about sweets. Breakfast was too big so it threw off the day.

Solution: Order a la carte when going to Village Inn, such as 1 egg, side of fruit, milk, etc. It probably costs the same as a meal and is better portioned so that I don't get too full. Also, I should have had something sweet in the afternoon. A few hundred calories that I tried to save on something probably not worth it actually turned into a 3 times the calories.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

Great job staying OP!!!:cheer2: That Denver omelet sounds yummy!:thumbsup2

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Let's just call yesterday a bad day in terms of food. Things did not get better last night. DH came home late and we all ended up fending for ourselves. The kids wanted cereal and that sounded good so I ate a large bowl of froot loops. Then a small biscuit that DH made, then 6 oz orange pop & almost 1/2 bag of popcorn, followed by a sm piece dark chocolate (the last). Water for the day was about 60oz. Control????:confused3 I think it went out the window.

Here's what I know. I must have a plan in order to stick with this program and I needed to eat fairly consistent small meal throughout the day. The next time that I eat a late breakfast with DMom, I will grab a sm piece of fruit when I first get up rather than waiting hours before eating anything. Maybe that would have helped keep things on an even keel yesterday.

But, hey, I am caught up with one section of my bookwork.:cool1: Now I will be able to keep on top of that part while I get the others caught up.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 1/2 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1 c milk
AM snack - 15 almonds, 2 dried prunes (trying new ways to combine crunchy and sweet)
Lunch - roast beef, green pepper, 1/2 pear
PM snack - 4 crackers w/cheese spread
Supper - pork chop, noodle, peas, salad

Today's goals:
1. stretching exercises
2. work on family history project
3. bookwork
4. watch a movie tonight (at home, but learning to take time away from my office to relax)

We are back to winter weather as it snowed here. Hopefully, it will quickly melt. It just makes DH and I want to go to WDW that much more.:rolleyes1 Maybe next year.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend.::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Lesli54]

Time to chalk off the last few days and move forward. These things happen and you just have to get going again.

Yesterday's food was fine until, I hit the afternoon. I had been wanting chocolate donuts all week and asked DD19 to bring them home along with doritos.:rolleyes1 The good thing? I managed convince myself to eat my planned lunch instead of those donuts. The bad thing? I later ate all 6 of those mini donuts (300 cal) along with the sm bag of doritos (500 cal). :scared1: Plans changed for the evening and we brought in pizza, of which I ate 1/2 of a medium and 6 oz of orange soda.:sad2: Later, I was munchy and wanting sweet. Not hungry mind you. So I ate a large bowl of froot loops. Water was 56 oz.

On the plus side, it seems that when I finally gave into the one thing I have been wanting, my mindset was a bit better. However, I think because I denied myself for so long that I just ate more than I would have and then some.

The best thing that I did do yesterday was get ready for bed at 9:45pm. I read for awhile and then realized that I was so relaxed (a first in a long time) that I actually fell asleep by 10:30. I finally got a great nights sleep. This morning, I was awake at 6:30 and very clear minded and alert. Ok, now I just need to get myself out of bed at 6:30.:rolleyes1 Which was the time that I used to exercise.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/ mushrooms, little cheese, onion & gr pepper, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 1 c milk
AM snack - banana
Lunch - salad w/tuna, walnuts, craisins & grapenuts
PM snack - sm piece cake, maybe (a baby shower, if not too long then I will have fruit when I come home)
Supper - pork chops, noodle, peas

Today's goals:
1. exercise - dance to some Billy Joel
2. clean my office - finish clearing my floor (almost done)
3. watch a movie tonight or read a book (I like the relaxing at the end of the day)

Time to get going. So far today, I feel energetic so I need to take advantage of it while I can. Everyone have a wonderful day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Happy Monday Lesli! :goodvibes

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

I have to admit that part of the reason for not posting the last few days was because part of me was ready to give up. I don't know if you would call it stress, but maybe more of a bit of depression as I allowed things that I haven't gotten around to doing weight down on me. Most of the last few days would start out well, but by the end of the evening, I was eating late and just about anything. There have been many cookies, little snack cakes, late night popcorn, extra bowls of cereal, and almost constant afternoon munching. Now I have been working really hard on getting various projects done that I have promised or that is close to deadlines, trying so desperately to get on top of things. But by evening, I keep trying to work the projects and I struggle with getting it done or taking time for myself, so I snack and work.:sad2:

On the plus side......water has been 64-72oz a day which is a great thing, I have been taking my vitamins daily, have been drinking a cup of milk daily, and am making progress with getting things done rather than walking away and ignoring it. Looking at it that way, I guess I have been making some lifestyle changes that are sticking. Baby steps, right?

So here I am to keep moving forward because I just don't want to go back to drowning in projects and never having time for myself or my family.

Today's food: (I realize that I am better off planning even if it doesn't quite work every day)
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 slice 7 grain toast, ham, 1 c milk, 3/4 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - banana
Lunch - HC chicken rice soup, 4 saltines w/butter
PM snack - nutrigrain bar (will be gone)
Supper - pizza & 6 oz orange pop (take it easy on the amount of pizza)

Today's goals:
1. Bookwork to ready for taxes
2. no eating after 8pm. (need to get back to this before I really ruin this habit I was forming)

Another good thing in the last few days is that I have been up moving around more and "dancing" around the house as I go from place to place. It really helps with the mood and any extra movement is good.

Time to get going. Hope that everyone has a great week and remember, we all stumble a little, but it is important to keep moving forward. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Sending a gentle :hug: your way. A few weeks ago, I avoided my journal and I was ready to throw in the towel on this healthy living journey, but my DH reminded me that my motto for 2009 was to keep moving forward. I am trying to do that and I know that you are trying to do that too. It can be tough at times, but know that your WISH sisters are here to cheer you on to victory!!!:cheer2:

Please be sure and take some time just for you this evening. I hope you have a good one!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Yesterday was a good day for the most part. I did manage to get alot of work done, which is a good thing. If I can just finish the last pieces needed for taxes then I will actually be able to see my desk.:cool1: I did take yesterday to reorganize it and managed to clear alot of things away.

Food for the most part was as planned and I must say that I feel good about that. The few things that I should have done better? I ended up being home during the PM snack and instead of grabbing that snack bar, I grabbed some trail mix (all natural, not very salty, no chocolate), which is not all bad for you........unless you eat the entire bag at 150 cal per servings....that was 7 servings.:scared1: I can definitely call that stress eating since I was working and having a few problems with calculations. Then I ate 1/2 a pizza when I really was not that hungry. It was the taste. Unfortunately, I also had a bowl of froot loops afterwards because I wanted something sweet. A cup of tea would have been better. However, I didn't eat anything after 8:15pm, a plus. Water was 80 oz.:thumbsup2

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, ham, 1/2 slice 7 grain toast, 1 c milk, 1 c hot tea
AM snack - 3 slatines w/pb
Lunch - tuna rollup, celery, pear
PM snack - banana
Supper - potato soup (if I have time to make) or ??????

Today's goals:
1. no eating after 8pm
2. Bookwork for taxes (soon it will be done, right?)

I better get going. It has already been one of those days with trying to solve problems with the store's new computer system. :headache:

Everyone have a great weekend! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

How's the weekend going? I hope you're having a good one!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Lesli, your donuts/doritos day sounds like what my last few WEEKS have been!! UGH!!!!! We know better, yet we do this to ourselves!! At least we have good company!!

Hope things are going better for you! We CAN do this, but not alone!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by Ladies!:grouphug:

Today is the sense of big relief........taxes are done, at least off my desk anyway and on the tax accountants desk to finish up.:thumbsup2 As always, the day after feels like the "tax hangover" because I am tired and moving a bit slow today. I guess working most of the day 4-5 days in a row and then having computer problems until 2:30 in the morning the day of a tax meeting will kind of make you tired.;)

Actually, since Friday, things have gone well for the most part. Although I was busy so I don't quite remember everything that I ate, I do know that I did not munch all day long on junk foods. Most of the foods were well proportioned and even if they were not the healthiest, I was concious of keeping the calories in check. Also, I made sure to at least get in 1c of milk, vitamins, and 64+ oz water everyday. (Well, yesterday, I didn't get in all my water since I had meetings all day and was on the go). For the most part, I have been too busy to think about being hungry. Oh, I have been sticking to the no eating after 8pm.

Weight has stayed consistent (I think...scale is broke). I am pretty sure that I haven't lost anything since I haven't done well with getting enough sleep, but I don't really think I gained either. Good news.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms & cheese, ham, 1 c milk, 4 oz grapefruit juice
AM snack - almonds
Lunch - LC chicken a l'orange
PM snack - banana
Supper - spaghetti, salad, maybe some bread

Today's goals:
1. In bed by 10pm

Let's say, I am keeping things simple today since I can tell that I really won't get alot done anyway. I really need to find something mindless to do since thinking could be dangerous right now.:rolleyes:

Off to look at a few journals. Everyone have a great day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Way to Go, Lesli!!!!:cheer2: I completely understand your sense of relief that your taxes are done. We finally finished our federal and state taxes last weekend and it is such a great feeling!:goodvibes Being self employed does have it's perks, but easy, uncomplicated taxes are not one of them. ;)

I think your plan to rest and take it easy this evening is a good one. Have a great evening!:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Today is definitely a much better day! I feel so well rested and have already done dishes, started laundry, pd bills, etc. I just love productive days!:lovestruc Of course, it helps that today is sunny and temperatures are supposed to reach 66!

Food yesterday went pretty well. Although, I ate 4 crackers w/pb for the PM snack, plus something else, but I can't remember. Supper was nachos with the works. Not too bad until I ate too many and was overstuffed. I finished the day with a piece of Godiva chocolate. Water was 72 oz.

I crashed in the afternoon and slept for a few hours so I think that contributed to the overeating at supper. It was just a very very tired day. On the plus side I did get to bed early, which helped alot.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - 4 crackers w/pb
Lunch - Panera's, probably soup, but not sure
PM snack - banana
Supper - pizza night and 6 oz oranged pop

Today's goals:
1. In bed by 10:30pm
2. Exercise

I'm off to meet DD19 for lunch between her classes. We are working towards a more adult relationship. With DD21 it was established much quicker, I think, because she went away to college so I quickly had to realize that she was making her own decisions into adulthood. When I visited her, we would eat out and have a chance to talk. Since DD19 has stayed home for school, we haven't completely reached the point that she is really an adult and I think that has come from both sides. We both want to get beyond the mother/high school kid role and move the the mother/daughter as friends role. In the long run, I think that it will be much better if we can get to the point where we both treat each other as adults and she knows that she can still count on me. I didn't realize how important it is that I still take time to meet DD19 for lunch even though she still lives at home. This should be fun.

Everyone have a great day!

[goldcupmom]

Wanna come do my taxes, Lesli????? I still haven't started!

Glad you got a bit of rest & things are going well. Good luck w/ DD19. Hope you had a nice visit! Hard to see them as adults when they are still under our roofs!!

Almost the weekend! Have a good one!!

[toystoryduo]

It sounds like yesterday was a great day, Lesli!:goodvibes How did lunch go with your DD?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Lunch with DD19 went really well. It was nice to just have a conversation that wasn't stressed or a repeat of things we have rehashed over and over again. After lunch, we stopped to look at washer and dryers (mine are dying and new ones are too $$$$) before I dropped her back off for classes. Overall, I think we both enjoyed the one on one time.

Yesterday's food for the most part was on track and water was 64 oz. For lunch I had a turkey artichoke 1/2 sandwich (probably way too many cal) and a salad. The pm snack was 1/2 a bear claw that DD19 and I split. Everything else was as planned. Didn't get to bed as early as I had hoped but I didn't stay up too late. Exercise was lifting cases of GS cookies. Not many, but hey, it counts right?:confused3

Today I was up early and it was great!:cool1: I was 100% ready for the day, makeup and all BEFORE I took the kids to school. That actually felt nice and not near as rushed as I had thought it might be. DH asked me to go up to Chicago with him for something he was attending. Nice trip, nice company, nice lunch, boring everything else. Needless to say, I was not productive today, but I guess it is good to have a day away from work.

Today's food:
Breakfast - McD's sausage biscuit (on the road)
AM snack - missed
Lunch - too many tortilla chips and salsa, too many nachos at chilis
PM snack - missed (late lunch)
In between snack? - 1 bite of bear claw, 1 godiva chocolate (too tired and trying for energy, not the way to go)
Supper - probably 1/2 pb sandwich or maybe some popcorn (still too full from lunch)

Guess I better work on better foods tomorrow.

Goals for the day:
1. Bed by 10:30pm

Time to get going. Maybe I will go through some pictures tonight so that I feel productive. Everyone have a great evening!

[toystoryduo]

I'm glad to hear that you and your DD had a nice lunch yesterday. :goodvibes

I hope you have a great weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Overslept today. I think because it is so gloomy outside. Please bring the sun back!:worship:

Food for "supper" was a singles bag of popcorn, then 3 GS cookies, followed by a Tbsp (or slightly more) of pb. :sad2: Not good. I guess, I should have grabbed a piece of fruit instead. At least that would have had more flavor and probably would have stopped the mindless munchies. It's hard when you eat lunch late and you eat too much. There's another thought, make better menu choices. Water as about 40oz.:sad2:

I have been thinking about why some of my motivation seems to be wanning, then I read Julie's new journal. She had her goals and rewards listed out in 5 lb increments, much like I have done for myself and I know works. But it made me realize that I reached my first goal of 5lbs lost, but put off my reward. I think mentally, it feels like I have not even reached the first goal. So on Monday, I will call the eye dr for an appt on laser surgery consultation, which was my first reward. I have been preparing for this so might as well find out if I am a good candidate AND more importantly, it will actually feel like I am reaching my mini goals. It's always the simple things that get you.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1 c milk, 1 c hot tea, 1 orange (I had forgot how much I enjoyed oranges)
AM snack - banana
Lunch - prossibly a slice of pizza or a couple of nachos or get the kids to eat early
PM snack - walnuts & craisins
Supper - chicken, rice, veggies if we eat out otherwise, I am not sure

Today's goals:
1. In bed by 10:30pm
2. exercise 20 min

Lot's going on today. I'm taking DD11 and DS6 rollerskating with friends. That would be great exercise for me, but I am not taking chances on the skates getting out from under me and risking a fall. My resolution for this year was NOT to break a bone, been there done that. Then later, if the weather holds, we are taking DMom and DAunt out for their birthdays.

Time to get going. Hope everyone has a great day!

[toystoryduo]

I am so glad to hear that you are scheduling your consult on Monday.:goodvibes I am so proud of you, Lesli! You lost the weight and now you are rewarding yourself. Great job!!!:cheer2:

It's gloomy here today as well. It's still in the upper 50s- low 60s which is nice. We actually had our first thunderstorm of the year this morning!:eek:

I hope you have a great day ahead!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Glad your lunch w/ dd went well. I'm also very relieved you have officially added not breaking any bones as your goal this year! i think you deserve a year off!!

Hope you have a good rest of the weekend & that the laser consult goes well!

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by ladies!:goodvibes

Today is another gloomy day and with daylight savings, it seems like everything is a bit "off". Fortunately, I am very alert (going to bed at a decent time helps) so I am going to try to clear my desk of the rest of my bookwor and hopefully a few more projects.

Yesterday, was a good day (except for the rain). The kids enjoyed rollerskating with friends and I had a chance to talk with other adults. All food for the day was as planned with a few additions. Lunch was 2 sm pieces of cheese pizza and 8oz rootbeer (our friends wanted to eat at the rink, but I am glad I kept it minimal). Ate a bit too much trail mix and almonds for the PM snack. I think I needed something more substantial since I was hungry from lunch, which wasn't bad, but a piece of fruit would have been better. Supper was as planned, plus.....DH ordered a large mixed appetizer of onion rings, mushrooms, and cauliflower (all deep fried):scared1: :sad2: . Needless to say, I ate too many of them, then they brought complimentary breadsticks and I ate one of those. Needless to say, by the time my dinner came, I wasn't hungry. So I ate some (about 1/3) and took the rest home, judging by the fact that I felt overstuffed, I should have taken all of it home. Next time, we skip the appetizer. Well, at least I have 2 meals worth of food that I brought home on my dinner alone. (this place has very large portions, but if divided out, the cost per number of meals I will get out of it is really good). Water was 24+ oz water.:sad2:

I did tell DH that we have to start making a plan to skip appetizers, unless we are at Applebee's with the spinach artichoke dip which we love and that will become the focus of our meal where we can split an entreee or just follow it with dessert. Anything to enjoy the food, but reduce the amount that we eat.

At any rate, DMom and DAunt really enjoyed having a nice dinner out and being with family.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice, 1/2 slice 7 grain toast w/jelly
AM snack - 4 crackers w/pb
Lunch - roast beef sandwich on 1 slice 7 grain, 1 serving doritos (yes, I will measure them out)
PM snack - apple
Supper - chicken, rice, and steamed veggies (leftovers)

Today's goals:
1. Exercise

I have decided that for the next few weeks, my only goal will be to concentrate on exercise. It is the one thing that I really need to work into my daily routine and the next big thing that will help me get the weight off. I am doing well with getting in milk, not eating after 8pm, getting enough water most days, and beginning to enjoy getting enough sleep, so time to focus on the next step.

Another plus......I finally ordered a new scale. It was a little more than I had hoped to spend, but after looking at all the reviews it was the one that had only one person complaining about accuracy. I was really amazed to find that there are so many scales that people are complaining about the same problems that I have. I get too fluctuation in numbers even if you step on and off 3 to 5 times in a row. Some of the scales fluctuated as much as 6-10 lbs which is ridiculous. I also found that it seems the more bells and whistles that a scale has the less accurate it seems to be or it losses it's accuracy over a short time. It is a wonder why people don't want to weigh themselves.;)

Enough of this "story" for the day. Everyone have a great Sunday!

[toystoryduo]

You are doing a great job, Lesli! That is great that you have accomplished so many of your goals already and are ready to add on more exercise as another goal. I know you CAN do it!:cheer2:

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the support, Tracy.:goodvibes

I would say that everything on my food plan yesterday went as planned........and then........I denied myself a cinnamon roll......and it all went downhill. Really, I was looking for a comfort food that seemed like a treat, it was just a craving for something and when I closed up the store, I saw a 4pk of large cinnamon rolls and really wanted one, but I told myself that 250 cal was too much. Then I tried to find something else instead and everything was mega cal, so I decided to just go home, after all I really didn't need it. Or so I told myself. Well..........I then popped 2 servings of doritos (and after I did so well with portion control at lunch), probably 4 GS thin mints, and I can't remember what else. Finally, DH went back up to the store and I asked him to bring home the cinnamon rolls. Yes, I ate one of those. :sad2:

The moral of the story? I should have just bought the cinnamon rolls, because at that time, I would have cut them in half and only had half. As it turned out, I probably consumed an extra 500-700 cal on top of the cinnamon roll. All in an attempt to save a few hundred. I guess getting to the point of feeling deprived just doesn't work.

Water however was 96 oz!:cool1: Does that counter balance the additional cal? I did get alot of bookwork done, but I didn't get any exercise.:sad2:

Onto today.
I took DD11 to the oral surgeon to remove a baby molar that never came in (going sideways) and would cause problems with the adult ones. Braces always mean some teeth pulling. Oh well, she is fine now but was home all day since they had to put her under. Then I got stopped at the store becuase DH had to have statements run NOW. I planned to do them in the afternoon once DD11 was settled and DD19 was home. Oh well, at least they are done, I guess, but it can be frustrating when everyone else needs and wants something from you 10 minutes ago, but you have to what 10 days for people to do things for you.

I also did some more bookwork at home, straightened some stuff, and went to a library board meeting that turned into a gab fest. We didn't have a quorum so we just ended up discussing the wonders of our economy at the moment.

Today's food: (this is actual)
Breakfast - 4 oz grapefruit juice (had to leave early)
AM snack - 1 sausage biscuit (starving on the way home)
Lunch - chicken, rice, steamed veggies (leftovers gone)
PM snack - 1 cinnamon roll (could have easily done with half)
Supper - 3 slices thin crust pizza, 1 sm piece chocolate

Water is on track!

I didn't exercise today either, but I am not sure when I had time. However, I am going to try to get up earlier tomorrow to at least do some stretching.

Hope everyone's day was a good one.

[Lesli54]

Another gloomy, rainy day! This sure isn't helping the motivation to get up in the morning.;)

I did not get up early enough this morning for exercise, mainly because I went to bed too late trying to do bookwork. However, I will dedicate some time this afternoon. I did however, stop by the store and pickup a bunch of healthy foods to keep me on track. Water yesterday was 72 oz.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms & gr peppers little cheese, 3 strawberries, 1 c milk, 1/2 c hot tea (it tasted so good)
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - tuna rollup, carrots
PM snack - hard cheese, gr pepper
Supper - ???? (Depends on who is home)

Today's goals:
1. Exercise

DD11 is feeling fine this morning but says her mouth is stiff if she opens it too far. Hmmmm, maybe she will be more quiet at school today?:rolleyes: She loves to talk. Not alot planned for today other than bookwork. My hope is to get the rest of 2008 packed up so it can go to storage. Also, I am really hoping to significantly reduce the piles on my desk. If ever, I get most of these piles off my desk, it will be a miracle. Has anyone ever noticed that with the "paper reduction act" we seem to have more papers than every before? :confused3

Everyone have a wonderful day!

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lesli,

I totally understand about paperwork!!!:eek: The only room in our house that doesn't have paperwork of some kind is the bathroom. LOL!:laughing:

Please try and take some time for you today. With so much going on all the time, it's hard to get centered and focused. (Believe me, I know!:rolleyes1 ) You need some downtime just for you.:hug:

I hope you have a great day today! :goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Thanks Traci! I do need to learn to schedule in time for me a bit more.

Yesterday was very productive even though the majority was spent on work. Some days, I think I will never get on track. You know, working outside of the home and not owning your own business definitely has benefits, such as work is done when you leave the office.

Food yesterday was great! I managed to follow my plan although, I had to switch the carrots at lunch for an apple (guess I forgot to pick them up). Then I was so hungry at the PM snack, that I added a croissant. Supper was a SO Lemon Chicken Piccata which really tasted pretty good. I ended the night (before 8pm) with a cup of hot cocoa. All would have been fine, but I was up late and starving (literally hungry, not just thinking it). So I ate a few almonds, and had some tostitos w/spread cheese. Not a great choice to eat late, but there is absolutely no way I could have gone to bed that hungry. Guess I should go to bed earlier.;) Water was 88 oz.

If you count the few minutes that I actually did a bit of stretching (after sitting for awhile) as exercise, then I guess I got it in.:rolleyes1

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portabellas, gr peppers, little mozerella; 1 c milk, 1 orange
AM snack - almonds (then later 1 tbsp of pb)
Lunch - 1/2 turkey sandwich on 7 grain w/spinach, carrots
PM snack - banana
Supper - taco salad

Today's goals:
1. Take 1 hr for myself to just break away from the things I have to do.

Today is filled with work. Depending on how far I get, I will tackle some housework. So far, the biggest problem I have today is the fact that I feel very very hungry. Hopefully, I will be able to stay focused on good foods and yet be able to solve the hungriese without blowing the cal for the day.

Gotta go. Hope that everyone has a day free from the "hungries".

[toystoryduo]

Great job on food yesterday!:thumbsup2

I'm sending some :wizard: :wizard: :wizard: :wizard: to help you with your to do list today. Don't forget to schedule some time in there just for you!:hug:

Have a wonderful Wednesday!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Don't beat yourself up over food, Lesli. It's a learning journey! And you are really doing very well!

Take some 'you' time!!

Have a GREAT rest of the week!

[toystoryduo]

Hope you have a great day ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies.:grouphug:

Yesteday was a very productive day. I managed to get so much work done, it was amazing. AND I actually found some time to make a decent meal for the family plus start a little house work. It sure helps to get on top of things. Food was actually as planned, with a bit too much taco salad at supper (it was a taste thing more than a hunger thing), 3 sips of wine (not bad, but just didn't want anymore since I was still working on projects), and a grands biscuit that DH popped in the oven even though supper was already prepared and everyone had already eaten. Oh well. I was a bit hungry for part of the day yesterday, but I managed through with smart choices for the most part. Water was 64 oz.

The good news?........I am down 1.4lbs. :banana: Yes, the new scale came yesterday and I love it. It is very accurate and gave me the same read 4 times in a row. My old one fluctuated anywhere from 2-6 lbs if you weighed 4 times in a row so I could never feel comfortable about getting a good read. So anyway, part of the lost lbs might be the difference in the scales or it could be that I really did lose a little. Either way, I figure that I have to start from the last good weigh in that I had.

Today was off to a bit of a rough start with DD11. She had an ortho appt and she was crabby. But fortunately the morning quickly got better. The rest of the morning, I have spent doing work. I am so so close. In fact, I actually worked on stuff that came through yesterday. :cheer2: Now to get the rest caught up.

Today's food:
Breakfast - McD's sausage biscuit, hashbrown, oj (not the original intent, but things were frustrating before we left so I didn't get breakfast until after the ortho. could have easily done without the hashbrown and realized that I was really sucking down the cal from the oj when I wasn't thirsty, mindless thing, they gave it to me in a very large cup, so didn't finish the oj)
AM snack - missed (late breakfast)
Lunch - taco salad
PM snack - banana
Supper - pizza night & 6 oz pop

Today's goals:
1. Stay positive
2. Take time for myself (didn't get quite the time I hoped for yesterday)

The rest of the day is off to hopefully finish the bookwork. Everyone have a great day!

[Lesli54]

Good morning, everyone!:cool1: It is still cold out, but at least the sun is shining!!

I had a pretty good day yesterday. Food was as planned except I changed the PM snack to almonds. Also, I had a cookie, 2 crackers w/pb, and something else, but I can't remember what. For the most part, not bad but I do need to reign in my portions a bit. The one thing that I did notice about yesterday's food was that I ate a lot of "heavy" foods, so I need to keep working on balance. Water was 72 oz.

Other than that, I did get a lot of work done, stayed positive all day (a big plus), and took a little time last night to watch a show with DD19 which was relaxing.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portabello, gr peppers, little cheese; 1 c milk; 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - banana
Lunch - Turkey sandwich on 7 grain w/spinach, carrots - if home, might be gone
PM snack - cookies & milk (with the kids.........it just sounds like fun)
Supper - ???? Not sure yet

Today's goals:
1. Take a little time for me or too relax.
2. Remember, everything in moderation.

DH and I are going to look at treadmills today.:banana: Not sure what prompted him.......maybe it was the fact that he stepped on the new scale.:rolleyes1 At any rate, I am happy that he is considering getting one.

The rest of the day is filled with......bookwork......imagine. But I can say that if I were to stop and file everything that I have done, I would have a lot of space.:cheer2: So I guess filing is on the agenda, as well as getting the rest of it up to date. Then I just have to work it into a daily routine to stay on top of it. Sometimes easier said than done.

Hope that everyone has a great weekend.

[toystoryduo]

Great job yesterday, Lesli!:thumbsup2 I'm glad to see that you took some time just for you. That is so important! Great job!!!:cheer2:

How did the treadmill search go? I know what you mean about finding time to work exercise into your daily routine. I was telling my DH a couple of days ago that I really need to try and find some balance with that somehow. I feel so much better when I workout, but with everything else going on, it gets put on the back burner. We'll both figure something out!:thumbsup2

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Yesterday was pretty successful in many ways.

First off, food was was pretty good. I stuck to the plan for the most part. The AM snack became a handful off trail mix (walnuts, almonds, raisins) and lunch was at Panera, where I had a 1/2 turkey artichoke sandwich (probably many carbs), 1/2 of my 1/2 order of classic salad (don't like eating too many salads when they are dripping with dressing, so I gave the rest to DH), and an apple (:eek: you mean I skipped the 3" baguette that is so tasty? Yes, I did.:banana: ) Anyway, I went with moderation and balance and realized that if I have bread with my sandwich, I really didn't need it on the side. Amazingly, DH chose soup and salad over a sandwich. Dinner was a hamburger (grilled outside, don't you love warmer weather) w/bun and a 7 steak fries (baked). Water was 64 oz.

DH and I did go looking for a treadmill and were able to try a few and find out all the major differnces, aside from price. We asked tons of questions just trying to learn what we can. Then over lunch we talked about who was going to use it and how so that we could decide on the best fit. Now when I asked DH to search this out awhile back, he figured it was just for me and couldn't see himself using one at all. I have also been frustrated with him because he agreed quite awhile ago that we would work on the weight loss together and yet he didn't bother to jump on board, making excuses along the way. Well, we all know it is easier with support. So imagine my surprise when he said he seriously would use the treadmill and needed a major lifestyle change.:banana: :dance3: :cheer2: I really think that new scale helped.;) Well, that he found out that an anquaintence of his took of 80 lbs and went from being diabetic to not having diabetes at all. He wasn't sure about that until I told him it is very possible to avoid diabetes if you are at a healthy weight. Since it's a high risk factor in his family, I think this was part of the wake up call. Bottom line, we both have our family health histories that we could avoid and not make our own, so why not change that now?

Anyway, I guess he has narrowed down the treadmill to 3 (after much research), so now we have go look at the other 2. Maybe in the next few weeks we will have one. We did find that the cheaper you go, the more problems they have and they don't hold up, especially if you are going to use them for jogging or running. Oh well. Since we are not close to a community center or gym, I it will pay for itself in just under a year if you considered the cost for us to drive to one plus pay membership. Next equipment research? The elliptical.:rolleyes1

I did get quite a bit of work done, not as much as I would have liked, but that is ok. Yes, I took time for myself as I made phone calls to my Gma and DSis, who I talked to for a long time. It was nice to catch up with her again since we keep missing each other.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg over easy, 1/2 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - banana
Lunch - ??? (maybe pack a lunch)
PM snack - apple w/pb
Supper - ???

Today's goals:
1. to have fun and be active (just do something different)

Not much that has to be done today. So I am taking DD11 and DS to the museum and the IMAX. I figured it will be something to do , keep me moving and not sitting, remind me to keep some balance in our lives, and it keeps the kids away from the tv, computer, and video games.

I hope all of you have a wonderful day today!

[Lesli54]

I am down another .40 lbs! :cool1: Hey, it's almost 1/2 a lb so why not count it, right?

I guess it was all that walking I did yesterday.:rolleyes1 The kids and I had a great time at the museum. To top it off, it was great exercise as we walked everywhere and never once took an elevator. I think we climbed up and down many flights of stairs throughout the day. It was great to just enjoy the day and our time with each other. So, I am counting in 2.5 hours of walking out of the 5 hourse we were there. I figure the rest of the time there was either sitting through a show or about the same amount of steps I would do at home. But hey, it's exercise, right?:banana: At any rate, it was good for the soul.:angel:

Food was pretty good. Skipped the AM snack. Lunch was a pb & j on wheat and a few tostitos. We packed a lunch to eat before going to the museum. The PM snack was popcorn during the IMAX movie. I should have gotten the smaller bag, but we all shared and I didn't overdo, which is really easy with popcorn. I did have 2 thin mints when I got home.:rolleyes1 Supper was the little bit of taco salad leftover and a bit of mac & cheese. Later, I had 2 choc chip cookies that DD19 was making and experimenting with recipes. For the most part I tried watching portions over anything else. Water was 64 oz.

Another great thing was that I felt so motivated yesterday. I even managed to get my bookwork caught up!:banana:

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portabello, gr pepper & little cheese, 1/2 7 grain toast w/jelly, 1 c milk, 1 c tea
AM snack - banana
Lunch - apple w/pb (tie me over)
PM snack - ???? some veggies, sm piece cake, and ? (have a shower to go to so I will portion control and chose wisely.
Supper - Lasagna

Today's goals:
1. Stay positive and stay busy.
2. 15 min for exercise

Plans for the day are a bridal shower and alot of filing. I should be able to get all of 2008 bookwork into storage today, clear my desk, and do some additional organizing in my office. Yesterday DD19 cleaned quite a few rooms, so if I get everything done in the office then I will start on the other rooms that she didn't get to. Maybe next week, we will start our deep cleaning for spring.

Hope that everyone is having a great day!

[toystoryduo]

It sounds like you had a great time at the museum.:goodvibes

How did the filing go?

I hope you have a great Monday!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Museum trip sounds like it was fun! I LOVE IMAX!!

You seem to be in better control of the eating now & that's a REALLY GOOD thing!

Hope the rest of the week goes well!

[Zela]

Hey Lesli.....I haven't posted on your journal in a while. I hope you are doing well. I read back a ways and you look like you are doing very good with your food choices. I have the same problem with my scale. It aggravates me.....I think I'm gonna by a new one or just use the one at work.

Cu later and have a great night!:cheer2:

[toystoryduo]

How are you doing, Lesli? I hope all is well.:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by and checking on me, ladies! Z, it is great to see you again.

What a very busy week. DH and I did go out Sunday and test a couple of more treadmills, plus we looked at ellipticals as well. So that was my exercise for the day (about 15 min). Hopefully, this weekend we can decide on one.

Food has been ok for the most part porportionally. Not always great choices, but I am trying to at least keep things in moderation. That said, I also haven't been focusing so much on what I am eating. Mainly because I have been so busy. Water has been 64+ oz on most days with a couple of days that were under.

I am trying very very hard to get my entire house in order this week. Now that I am caught up on bookwork (well, need to do this week), I thought it was time to catch up on my home. I started with a bookcase in my office that was crammed with books and a few other things. Once I dejunked getting rid of old magazines that I don't need for research, took books that I won't read again (and aren't part of my collection of favorite authors) to the library to put on their sale table, reorganzied it, and removed things that really don't belong there, I felt great. I actually can see some space in the bookcase. What was "eye opening" about this was that for the rest of the day, that bookcase reminded me of what my life was like before I let things become so unorganized. It felt good to see a since of me. So that started my mission for the week.......or should I say motivation.:banana:

Wednesday, I spent most of the day cleaning and organizing. Now, my house by no means needs to be on Clean Sweep, but there are still things that I can do to simplify things and pare down what we don't need. The great thing is that 1/3 of my house looks great and it will be really easy for us to do a deep clean of those rooms in a few weeks. It is also amazing how much "lighter" I feel as I start to work back towards me. At any rate, I took about 4 hours of the cleaning that I did as exercise since I was constantly moving all day and rarely sat down. By day's end, my body was sore, so I figured it was some exercise, right?:confused3 At least I was active.

Many things that really had no home ended up in my office. Go figure. So that doesn't look great right now. However, yesterday, I when I decided to get the office under control, I thought I should just finish some of those projectst that had been started and never finished. I had 2 totes of school papers from the kids through the years that I had planned to put into sleeve protectors and so that I can put them in binders. What I thought was going to be a quick project to all day and I plan to finish it today. Everything is sorted and I have started some of the binders, but it is very hard to determine which papers to still keep. Now mind you, I didn't keep everything all these years, but I am trying to get down to about 10-12 papers a year per child. Then I went I found 4 more boxes of papers. It has been tough, but then I have to remind myself that putting everything into one binder for each child is better than having many totes with papers lying around. After all, it is just a sampling, right. And those papers didn't include Christmas ornaments that they made or special papers that they made for me or their dad.

Busy, but I am feeling great that I about getting things under control. Now, I just have to gather all those old cards and send them off to St. Jude to be reused. I figured, I really only need to keep ones that have notes in them or are from DH, the kids. Most of the other can go. Why do we keep cards from 10 Christmas' ago? Does it really matter if you know who sent you a card back then? Just more things taking up space.

Today's Food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushroom, gr pepper, little cheese, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, fresh pineapples & strawberries
AM snack - missed
Lunch - tuna rollup & fresh veggies (already cut up in the fridge)
PM snack - cheese & crackers
Supper - ?????

Goals for the day:
1. finish the school paper project
2. exercise for 15 min

I really have felt great this week. Yesterday, I even walked to the school to pick up DS6. It was great. I am hoping that focusing on organizing my life will go a long way in help me to make this lifestyle change and to keep it supported.

Everyone have a great weekend!

[toystoryduo]

It sounds like you have a had a great week, Lesli!:thumbsup2 I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Well, yesterday was great in terms of production, not so good in terms of weight loss focus.

For most of the day, I sorted and sorted the kids' school papers and managed to get 2 1/2 binders done. (I started with the DS6 and DD11, not as many years to go through.:rolleyes1 ) Anyway, my project took much longer than I thought, originally. However, I have managed to throw out alot of paper and I think the binder idea is going to work out really well. I may have to have another binder for each child, but at least it will still be organized, take up less room and each one of the kids will be able to have them to keep one day. Needless to say, I worked on nothing else and didn't even exercise. Instead, I took a nap. My thinking is that I really needed to get up and get in some activity instead of napping since my project is mainly inactive. Something to remember for next time.

Food was not good at all and really didn't follow the plan. I had left over pizza (chicken, onion, avocado), a chili cheese dog, a few fritos, some cookies, pie, some almonds, a few carrots, cheese, and I don't remember what else. I think water was at least 64 oz.

Today has been a little better.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 slice multi-grain bread, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, strawberries
AM snack - banana
Lunch - 1 c of HC chicken noodle soup, some fritos, 1 sm piece chocolate
PM snack - cheese, celery, gr pepper
Supper - ???

Goals Today:
1. Finish this school paper project.:faint:
2. Take time for me, maybe watch a movie later.
3. Tea after 8pm instead of munching.

Fortunately, I have only DS19's binder to work on. I have been working on these all morning. It is amazing that with paper, you can through out tons and yet it still looks like you have tons. How is that possible? Of course this is leading to other "paper projects" that hav to be addressed, such as news clippings, cards, etc. However, I think I will just sort those and put them with the others taht have already been sorted. That way I can free up some more totes and at least everything will be in the same spot when I address those issues.

It's going to be a quite it day to day it seems. Hope everyone's Saturday is a good one.

[toystoryduo]

It sounds like you have made some excellent progress on those school binders, Lesli! Way to go!:thumbsup2

What is it about paper that seems to create more paper? Just when I think I have one area cleaned up, more paper sprouts up. Hmmmm... :scratchin

I hope you have a great Monday!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Tracy, when you figure out the paper problem, let me know.;)

The weekend was busy, but at least I am done with those binders! All of the other paper that I have to sort, I just packed back up and put it away. I just couldn't take any more!:scared1: It was really becoming overwhelming, so I thought that I might as well just take it one step at a time. Maybe next week, I will tackle the cards or newsclips.

Yesterday was quite busy. Aside from church, I had to take DD11 to a food drive swim "party", then went to a pancake breakfast w/DS6 and DD19 for a local organization, ran back to pick up DD11, and did a little cleaning around here, organized another small area of the house. Last night, I was able to relax with the family which was very nice.

Food was "heavy" most of the weekend and I did a bit too much munching here and there. Needless to say, I have put back on the weight that I lost this month and need to work on taking it back off. I can do this, but it will take a lot of focus this week.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 c milk, 1 lg shredded wheat biscuit, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - sm banana
Lunch - LC steak & mushroom panini (ate just over 1/2), fritos (about a serving)
PM snack - apple w/pb
Supper - chicken, pasta, gr beans

Today's goals:
1. Exercise
2. Clear a pile of papers from my desk (you know the things "I will take care of one day")

I pinpointed something about myself the other day when I was responding to something a person on the WISH boards wrote. In my response I was talking about how we need to address the emotional needs that compel us to eat as well as the physical. Using myself as an example, I had mentioned that I eat more when I am not organized and on top of things, so this is something that has to be addresses along with the weight loss. By nature, I am and always have been (for the most part) an organized person except when I have been overweight. For various reasons, I have ended up with too many things to take care of, run for and put pressure on myself with unrealistic deadlines. Hmmm........Is that called being a mom?:rolleyes: At any rate, I have found that if I let too many things go "to deal with later" then I never make a decision (unlike me) and things begin to feel overwhelming, then I eat so that I don't have to deal with it and to soothe that sense of being overwhelmed. Of course, then I get a bit depressed because I didn't do these things and I ate too much, then I eat more to quell those thoughts. And so the cycle continues.:eek: When I think back to the points where my weight was within a healthy range, I had everything very organized and took care of things as they came through the door. This allowed me time to deal with stress and deadlines better without food. It also gave me plenty of time to enjoy life.:flower3:

It is amazing what you can learn when you write to others. So today, I have started with a new mindset. I have been trying all week to keep up on the house work while getting other things in the house better organized. It's like I can see the real me standing on the edge and I just need to clear the clutter of life to pull the real me back into my daily life. There may be other issues that I need to deal with, but the organization is definitely a big one and if I can recognize that then I feel that I am one step further to reaching my goals.

Everyone have a great day today!

[pearlieq]

Hello, old friend! It's so nice to see you here!

I went to Galena with some girlfriends about a month ago and I remember wondering during the drive up there if I was passing by you or not. If I was, I hope you saw me wave. ;)

Busy as ever, I see. :) I'm glad that you feel like you're making some headway getting organized and that doing so helps make you feel more positive. I know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to--I've certainly seen you do it over the years!

How goes the treadmill/elliptical shopping? Have you settled on anything yet? DH and I have an elliptical and if I had it to do over again I would have bought a treadmill. (I'm sure folks with a treadmill say the exact opposite...) While the elliptical has nice, fluid low-impact movement and it gives a great workout, it can be hard sometimes to get a light, gentle work out. With a treadmill you can go for an easy stroll or a challenging run. With the elliptical it's always going to be at least medium intensity. Of course, your mileage may vary.

How are the kiddos doing? What's everyone up to this year?

I hope you've had a nice Monday and I wish you a great week ahead!

[Lesli54]

Pearlieq, it is so great to see you stopping by.:cool1: I have an idea of the route you took to Galena, which put you about an hour away from me. In fact, I am going up that way this weekend for a GS fundraiser gala. It's funny that you were thinking of me as you cam out this direction because I was thinking of you a few weeks ago when DH and I went up to Rosemont.

As for the treadmill shopping. DH has narrowed it down to 2 and he know which one he wants, but I would like to walk on each one on the same day. I have walked on both, but we need to go to 2 seperate stores and weren't able to do that back to back when we were looking. Hopefully, we can get that done this week. I just want to be sure of what is most comfortable for me. As for the ellipitical, we decided to add that later, unless we get a deal on buying both together, which is a possibility. Thanks for your input on the elliptical, Pearlieq. I thought that if we started with the treadmill, then I can use it everyday even if there are days that my knee bothers me more, because I could then just take things more slowly. However, I did enjoy the overall workout that you get with an elliptical.

An update on the kids......DD21 is still at NIU and is planning to take another year. She didn't want to overwhelm herself with senior classes and the prep classes that she has to take in order to switch schools for her graduate studies. If possible, she would like to go to overseas to study (oh darn, I just guess I will be "forced" to take a trip or two.:rolleyes1). Recently, she managed to get away to FL for a week. If anyone deserves it, she does since she has been going to school non-stop for 4 years without a vacation or much of a break. DD19 is attending a local community college and seems to be enjoying it, which is great because she never really liked school much. However, she is very determined to reach her goals and knows that she has to go to school to do that. Of course, it always helps to study the things you enjoy. I give her alot of credit because she is working as well and is doing a great job at putting away for future college expenses. DD11 is going through the trials and tribulations of middle school. The "who likes you now, are you wearing the right thing, did you say the right thing, did you tie your shoe the right way" type of "junk". It's frustrating, but fortunately, she is very intelligent and has already started to analyze why the kids behave that way which I think helps her get through. Otherwise, she is busy with dance and seasonal sports. DS 6 is a sponge or maybe two. He soaks up so much info that it isn't even funny and he is practical. With him there are always new inventions that he comes up with.....and they work. Fortunately, I was blessed with a boy who is not overly rambunctious, but is definitely all boy. He'll be starting up some sports here soon as well.

Ok, on to me.

Yesterday was a great day! Food was 100% on track. I did add a couple of carrots to lunch and in the evening, I did have a cup of hot cocoa (fewer cal than the cookies and milk). Water was 104 oz!:woohoo: Now, I did have to pop a piece of gum twice during the day just to keep the mindless munchies at bay, but that's alright.

I managed to get one of my piles 1/2 way down.:woohoo: It was great. Did BIL's taxes and am almost done, cleared somethings that I don't need anymore, and I found an old chore list that DD21 and DD19 used to do when they were younger. So I revised the list a bit and made a new one so that DD11 and DS6 know what is expected of them and when. I already have it up, but I said that we would start in April allowing us this week to get a few other things taken care of so that the chores just help maintain. They seem excited about it, in fact, DD11 started a few things today and DS6 wanted to do some things also.:cool1:

Food today:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 c milk, 1 lg shred wheat biscuit, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 2 lg strawberries
AM snack - banana
Lunch - HC bean soup, maybe a couple of crackers
PM snack - cheese, celery
Supper - ??? depends on who is where

Goals today:
1. Exercise (didn't get it in yesterday)
2. Finish the other half of pile on my desk.
3. Plan a supper menu for the next few weeks.

I feel great today. I was up early and unfortunately looking for a loud humming noise. Thinking that one of the appliances was finally going, I searched the house to discover that it was outside but couldn't pinpoint it. Close to the A/C, but fortunately, not close enough. In fact, the noise was coming from an area that has nothing in it. Woke DH, he went searching, only to find that he had left his old radio plugged in outside and it rained all night. Needless to say, what I heard was the fact that it was shorting out. :rolleyes: Some days you just have to wonder. At least, the rest of my day has not continued that way.

Sorry for the long post. Hope that everyone is having a great day!

[toystoryduo]

I pinpointed something about myself the other day when I was responding to something a person on the WISH boards wrote. In my response I was talking about how we need to address the emotional needs that compel us to eat as well as the physical. Using myself as an example, I had mentioned that I eat more when I am not organized and on top of things, so this is something that has to be addresses along with the weight loss. By nature, I am and always have been (for the most part) an organized person except when I have been overweight. For various reasons, I have ended up with too many things to take care of, run for and put pressure on myself with unrealistic deadlines. Hmmm........Is that called being a mom?:rolleyes: At any rate, I have found that if I let too many things go "to deal with later" then I never make a decision (unlike me) and things begin to feel overwhelming, then I eat so that I don't have to deal with it and to soothe that sense of being overwhelmed. Of course, then I get a bit depressed because I didn't do these things and I ate too much, then I eat more to quell those thoughts. And so the cycle continues.:eek: When I think back to the points where my weight was within a healthy range, I had everything very organized and took care of things as they came through the door. This allowed me time to deal with stress and deadlines better without food. It also gave me plenty of time to enjoy life.:flower3:

Wow Lesli! I feel like you have written exactly what I have been thinking lately. Your post really struck a chord with me today. (As I am sitting amongst mountains of paperwork.) Thank you for sharing this. :hug:

Keep up the good work and have a great Tuesday!:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Well, Tracy, I am glad that I could help you out.:hug:

I check the scales today and I am still up about .5 lbs of what I had lost this month, but the good news is that I have taken back off almost all of it in the last few days. Not sure if I have lost any today since I ate too much pizza for supper. That's ok, because I know that I can keep working on this for another week to take off a few more lbs before month's end.

Yesterday was really good in terms of food and I did follow my plan. Although I added in a handful of almonds and some p/b after supper, I was so hungry. Supper was a hodgepodge. I tried one of the HC meals (the rice & chicken teriyaki) that are now on the store shelves and it wasn't so great, but I do know that the pasta and marinara one is pretty good for a quick meal. Anyway, I then had 1/2 a turkey sandwich on multigrain and a handful of chips. Water was over 100oz.:banana:

I did not get around to planning my supper menus because I was interrupted alot yesterday, but I did make another huge dent in the "to deal with pile" so that is a big plus. It really feels good to not have those things still hanging over my head and making me feel weighed down. Went to bed a bit early.

Today's food was:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/cheese, 3 lg strawberries, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice.
AM snack - missed (too busy with work)
Lunch - Panera. I had a bowl of french onion soup w/ a baguette and water.
PM snack - a handful of almonds
Supper - pizza and 6oz of pepsi. (too much pizza)
After supper - 2 thin mints (don't know why)

I can officially say that I am done eating for the night.

Today has been very busy. DD11 and DS6 got up a little earlier again and had some extra time before school, so they are helping put things away after breakfast instead of running out the door. It is really helping me out and I am keeping my sanity better. :angel: Pray that it stays that way.

This morning, I did bookwork, actually making adjustments for this "tax credit" that is to come out throught the paychecks. Then of course, I had to explain to the employees why they may not actually see an extra $13 and that they still need to make sure that they are having enough withheld to pay their taxes in 2010. Not fun, but I don't want anyone coming back on me next year for something that I have no control over. Business is just so much fun sometimes.:rolleyes:

Then DH and I went up to see DD21. She needed a new phone since hers kind of fell into the ocean when she was on vacation and some buttons just didn't work. Then as added protection, we put a "bumper guard" case on her new phone since she has a habit of dropping it (the last one went down a stairwell from many flights up). If I could have gotten waterproof, I would have. I had to tease her since she is probably my most graceful child and yet she can manage to mess up her phones. Anyway, we took her too lunch as well and had a good time.

Not much else, so I will talk to you all tomorrow. Everyone have a great evening.

[Lesli54]

Today was off to a slow start. I was just so tired that I slept a bit too long and didn't get somethings done before the kids went off to school that I had enjoyed having done the last few mornings. I guess there is something to be said for going to bed a bit earlier.:rolleyes:

Anyway, I feel much better now, but am struggling with what I should do for the day. Not really in the mood for paperwork, but I know that I am making good progress in that direction and should keep going. Also, it just "feels" like a bit of a lazy day since the weather is gray and SNOW:scared1: is on the horizon. There's no place like WDW, there's no place like WDW, there's no place like WDW.:wizard: Did it work?

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1 shredded wheat biscuit, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice, 3 strawberries.
AM snack - banana
Lunch - chicken ramen noodles, carrots
PM snack - gr pepper, celery, cheese
Supper - chicken broccoli ring, salad

Today's goals:
1. Exercise (yes, I am still having a problem in this area, but I am at least dancing around the house more and just moving at a better pace)
2. Work through more of my paper piles. (if I stop now, I am afraid it won't get done)

I better get going. Not much on the agenda today. Hope that everyone has a great day.

[goldcupmom]

sounds like you are doing well, Lesli. I hear you about kids & cell phones. DS19 is horrid on them! His best was on his cycle had his phone stuck in the back waistband of his pants & it fell out going around a corner at an intersection. He parked to go get it & turned around just in time to see a truck run it over.....moral according to DS23 was 'don't store your phone in your A@@ crack!

Hope your bookwork gets done soon! Have a great rest of the week & weekend!

[toystoryduo]

Did you say snow?!?!?!?:eek: You're not gonna send it my way are you? ;) :rolleyes1

I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning too. It's gloomy and rainy here. I have a to do list, but it's not really getting done. :blush:

Your food for today looks good!:thumbsup2

I hope you have a great evening! :hug:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by, ladies! Julie, thanks for the phone story.;) Tracy, my guess is that you will be getting the SNOW:scared1:. I am hoping that it goes away before crossing the river.

Yesterday was a lazy day. I did tackle a few more things in my paper pile, but didn't work at it too hard. Just couldn't get the energy going. Went to the school for DD11 for a program they were doing and that was about it. Mentally, I was just tired. I even tried to get a 15 min power nap, but that didn't work. Oh well, I guess there will be days like these.

Food was right on track until after the PM snack. That's where I started to get really tired and then I started eating. I had a handful of almonds, 1 tbsp of pb, one bite of a saltine (stale), and 3 ritz pb crackers. Not too bad, but it is mindless calories and I started to feel out of control. Supper was nachos that DH made, I was just so tired, and I ate too much, but at least it is not taking as much to reach that point and I am recognizing it. I topped off the eveing with 1 c hot cocoa. It probably should have been a flavored tea since I just got some new ones (less cal and still a sweet taste), but that it could have also been worse. Water was 88+ oz. The good news is that I didn't do much damage weight-wise. I am just glad that I am starting to notice food/behavioral patters better.

Oh, I did pass up the cookies that were offered at the shool yesterday as well.:banana:

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/little cheese, gr pepper, and HUGE portabellos, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 1/2 english muffin w/jelly (almost did butter, but this is a better choice)
AM snack - banana
Lunch - soup & a few crackers w/butter
PM snack - pear & cheese
Supper - chicken, broccoli ring and salad (yes, last nights plan)

Today's goals:
1. Exercise - 3 laps around the house each time I get up (gotta start somewhere)
2. Tackle more of the "to do later" paper pile (it is working though and that is a good thing)

Not much on the agenda today, so hopefully, I can make quite a bit of progress in the organization.

It is getting much colder here and I am about to get out the portable heater. I hope the snow doesn't amount to much since we have quite a bit going on this weekend.

Hope that everyone else has a good weekend.

[toystoryduo]

Sending some :wizard::wizard:your way to help you with your paper pile. I need to start organizing paperwork and getting my house in order too. The mess and stuff lying around is driving me bonkers!:scared:

I hope warmer weather comes your way soon. :goodvibes Have a good weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Officially, as of today, I am back down to my 1.8lbs lost for this month.:goodvibes Now, I have a few more days to see if I can take off a little more and try to stay in that losing mode.

Yesterday was a great day! Food was almost s planned. I missed the AM snack, just stayed busy right through and then part of my PM snack changed. The couple of pears that I had weren't so good so I switched for celery and gr peppers. For supper, we had tater tots and sloppy joes. Both DH and I just got busy, but I kept a decent portion. Water was above 88oz.

As for productivity, I did manage to tackle a large chunk of the paper pile. Some things just were moved to a better location to be with similar items, such as pictures with scrapbooking, made a vacation file to put various ideas in that I have collected, etc. Much of it was just organizing it into a better place or deciding that I really didn't need it and pitching it. Although, I did take care of some things and just got them done.:banana: Papers are still spread across the desk a bit, but I know that I can finish them up by the end of the weekend. On the plus plus plus side, I took care of all paperwork that came in the door ASAP yesterday. Bills put away, things that had to be signed for the kids, etc. Hopefully, that will help me re-learn (is that a word?) how to stay on top of things.

I did take a few laps around the house yesterday, but not as many as I had hoped.....kind of forgot. However, I did dance around when I was up. Anything to increase the pace.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 english muffin w/jelly, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - sm banana
Lunch - 1 c soup (leftover from yesterday), 4 crackers w/butter (just ate 2 cheetos the kids had, not very tasty:woohoo:)
PM snack - pear
Supper - hors d'oeuvres (will portion control), salad (eat plenty of), some fruit & cheese, turkey and mashed potatoes (portion control :wizard:), 1 glass of wine, not sure what else but will keep it reasonable.

Goals Today:
1. Exercise - light stretching
2. A few more things finished on the paper pile

I bought some fresh fruit today, so hopefully, that will help with better quality snacks.

DH and I are going to a fundraiser gala this evening and I fortunately, I know what is on the menu for the most part. Planning is so much easier that way. We are hoping that the SNOW:scared1: stays away long enough.....or just goes away, since we really don't want to drive in it. If things get too bad too quickly, fortunately, we can just check into a room where we are doing the event tonight.

If anyone out there has warm weather, please send it this way!;)

[Zela]

A gala sounds fun!princess:......I've never been to one of those. I hate it when I don't know what my food options will be.....you're right, it takes the guess work out of it when you know ahead of time. Hope you have fun tonight!:woohoo:

[Lesli54]

Thanks for stopping by, Z!:goodvibes The gala was a lot of fun. Of course, trying to make sure that people didn't out bid me on some silent auction items was even more fun. But it was all for charity and it was great to see some old friends again.

I was wrong on my weight yesterday. I thought I was down to my net loss of 1.8lbs for the month, but I calculated wrong. Fortunately, I have reached that today, so I still can lose a little more before month's end. Actually, I was surprised that I had any loss since I did eat quite a bit last night at that gala.

The only downside to yesterday was the weather. Food was pretty much as I had planned, except I missed my PM snack since I was getting ready to leave. On the way to the event, I was very very hungry, but fortunately there were so many other things going on at the event that I quickly forgot about it and didn't just eat everything on the food tables.:thumbsup2 At the event, I had a small glass of wine, plenty of water, 2 rounds of fresh fruit, some veggies, a sm slice of brie, about 4 crudites (1 was toasted baguette slice w/tomatoes, 3 were toast points w/salmon mousse), 1 artichoke critter (fried artichoke, not bad but too much lime), probably 11 stuffed mushrooms :rolleyes1 (fortunately, they were sm button mushrooms w/ a little cheese, very delish), mashed potatoes in a martini glass (yes, fancy, I added a very sm bit of butter, chives, some bacon, and very sm bit of sour cream, skipped the cheese, only ate half), little bit of ceasar salad, and turkey w/ sm bit of cranberry sauce, followed by a sm piece of lemon chiffon cake. All in all very good. The appetizers were wonderful and I think it helped that all of the food was set up in stations, so you only picked up a little at a time versus doing a buffet where you just keep piling everything on in one trip. It also helped that I kept checking those silent auctions so I didn't focus on the food. My biggest surprise of the night was the fact that I actually liked the salmon mousse because I am not a big fish person. It's fun to try new things.

As I said before the worst part was the SNOW!:scared1: We drove up with some wind and sleet, then it rained, then it snowed, then it was sleet again. Needless to say, the roads weren't too bad until we had to drive down the the winding hills 5 miles off of the highway to get to the resort. DH was not to thrilled with that......thank God we had just put on new tires recently. Of course, looking at the snow while in the resort was beautiful. On the way home it was snowing quite a bit, then along the way we hit a large stretch that had barely been cleaned and the snow was piling up quickly since the flakes were HUGE. I was beginning to think it was Christmas, again.:eek: Eventually, we drove out of it an the rest of the way home wasn't too bad, but it sure made for a very long evening.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/portabello, gr pepper and little mozerella, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 1/2 english muffin
AM snack - banana
Lunch - tuna roll up, 1 serving chips
PM snack - probably sm piece of cake, but if I can do without, I will
Supper - probably pizza, DH and I are too tired to think about it and some of our favorite shows are on tonight

Today's goals:
1. Nap if I get too tired - better than munching

I have an open house at the library and I will probably be serving cake. Wish me luck that I don't eat it all because I am tired.

Other than that, I think we are taking it easy today. Hope that you all have a great Sunday.

[Lesli54]

The sun is out!!!:goodvibes Fortunately, the snow was washed away by the rain yesterday, so the afternoon turned out to actually be beautiful, although still cold.

Yesterday was good in many respects considering that I didn't get my nap and I was very tired. Lunch was switched and I ate a little less than 1/2 of an HC Fresh Mixers pasta & marinara. DD11 wanted to try it, but it makes quite a bit and I want her to balance her meals, so I split it. Then I added some chips, not a great choice since I was tired, but I found that they didn't have a great tast and so I didn't eat much more than 1 serving.:banana: A month ago, I would have eaten the entire bag because I was tired (which is why I switched to small bags and we share). I managed to avoid the cake and when I got home, I had some cheese and gr peppers. A little too much pizza for supper. Water was down. However, considering how tired I was, I am thrilled that I did so well with food.:woohoo:

The open house was great and we had a large turn out. I cut 2 sheet cakes and plated most of it (someone else plated the rest), and I didn't even eat any. Fortunately, we were very busy, so I just kept telling myself that if the cake was plated and out for guests then I wasn't looking at it and I wouldn't have to eat any if it was all gone by the time we closed. My ulterior motive worked......lbs for everyone else and not for me........hahahaha.pirate:

I am taking 60 minutes of all constant running (did much more than that) during open house as exercise. I figured that it is not part of my daily routine and I never stopped, just kept moving.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 english muffin, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - banana
Lunch - HC Fresh Mixers ziti & meat sauce & some lighly sauteed very large portabellos.
PM snack - strawberries
Supper - ???? time to get out the recipe book

Today's goals:
1. Exercise - some laps around the house

Still a bit tired today, but not too bad. I have a few things to get off my desk and then start working on a large genealogy project for DH's family. The deadline is quickly approaching and I need to get as much done by the end of the week so that I can stay on top of it and other things this month. It will help me get and stay a bit more organized.

I hope that all of you are having a good day!

[toystoryduo]

Great job on getting all that exercise in yesterday and avoiding the cake!:cheer2:

Sending some :wizard::wizard:for your genealogy project.

Hope you have a great day!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Today is a tired day. I stayed up too late last night, but I got one more thing off my desk. Pros and cons.

Yesterday started out well, but then I got a bit stressed. Food was fine through lunch, although, I ate a bit too much and should have put away 1/2 of the pasta. Then because the pasta was a bit spicy, I had 1 thin mint afterwards to kind of cut the spice, which worked. By the time I had the PM snack, I was stressed a bit and I picked up a Twix at the grocery store and ate it all. Not too bad in a way since I haven't had much for candy in quite a few weeks. Ate some nuts, but they were very salty. Supper was a cheese dog and tater tots (using leftovers). That was followed by 2 thin mints. Water was up. I still am holding the same net loss for the month, so I didn't totally destroy that, but I feel that I could have made healthier choices.

DH and I had to talk with the school yesterday since DD11 is being bullied on a daily basis to the point that things have gone too far. It is so sad since she is so bright and at the top of her class and yet she has come to "accept" that a normal day consists of someone or a few someones being extremely mean to her. The friends that she had are told that they can't be friends with her if they want to fit in elsewhere. Some of it is normal, but much of it is not. Will it get any better? I don't know, but I guess you have to exhaust all the avenues of the school first. Right now, I am not holding out much hope, but we will see.

Food Today:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 english muffin, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice, 3 strawberries
AM snack - 4 saltines w/pb
Lunch - HC chicken & rice soup
PM snack - banana
Supper - Panera if I am out, maybe LC panini & salad if I am not

Goals Today:
1. Take a nap - better than mindless snacking
2. Exercise

Nothing to complex today. I have to figure out the summer schedule, camps, vacation, etc and get things signed up or begin planning. Also, I need to tackle the bills. I am keeping things simple today since I am tired and don't have the mental stamina that I need to do more. Maybe I should read and just call this a relaxing day off for me. Hey, it doesn't happen often.

Hope that everyone is having a better day.

[Lesli54]

Quickly, I have a chance to update. Good news! I am down another 1.6lbs!:banana: Which puts me at 217.4.:woohoo:

In March, I lost 3.4 lbs, of which 10 was my goal, but hey, I will take it and be proud since I gained so much more in terms of the way I feel, the increase in activitym, and many of the other changes that I have made. As for exercise, I managed to get in 465 minutes out of 500. That to me is a great start since I really hadn't been doing anything extra before and now I am starting to find other ways to be more active, walk further in the parking lot, etc. Every bit helps.

I feel now that I am down far enough past the 220's that I can say I will never see those numbers again. It just feels like a great accomplishment to be out of that territory. Next step, getting under 210.

Well, I did not accomplish much yesterday, which was probably a good thing and I did take my nap, although it was longer than intended. Fortunately, I could think more clearly later.......and I wasn't munching during that time trying to stay awake.

Food was fine until the afternoon. I had the munchies, but fortunately, not alot to munch on. At any rate I had a few almonds, 2 saltines w/pb, I think a banana, couple of thin mints :rolleyes1, and ?? not sure what else. For supper, I had a HC Fresh Mixers southwest rice. Then 2 thin mints later. Water was way up. Yes, I did get munchy, but it was far better than before and I was able to get ahold of myself better. Of course, not having chips and too many other "bad" foods helps.;)

Food today:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 1/2 english muffin w/jelly, 3 LARGE slices of portobellos lightly sauteed, 1 c tea (green w/pineapple & grapefruit, so delish)
AM snack - banana
Lunch - 1/2 turkey artichoke sandwich, 1/2 ceaser salad, 1 apple (Panera's). I am thinking that next time, I will just get the sandwich and take part home instead of having a very fattening salad
PM snack - 2 thin mints
Supper - ?? maybe a slice of pizza, depends on what is left. If not, a cup of soup and some crackers, and 1/2 roast beef sandwich on 7 grain.

I have been running errands today. Talked again with the school, but hopefully, we will make headway. DH and I got away for lunch and we also looked at both treadmills that we have narrowed down to. I think we will make the decision in the next day or two.:goodvibes

I have to go up to the church to help serve dinner for the youth, but that is early, so I shouldn't be home late. Hopefully, I can clear a few more things from my desk tonight and get to bed fairly early.

Everyone have a great evening!

[Lesli54]

I am so tired of the cold and they are talking possibly more snow.:scared1: It probably wouldn't last long, but when is summer coming?:confused3

Yesterday evening, I was a bit stressed and that didn't help the food situation. Went to serve dinner for the youth only to find that I didn't have any help. I guess I figured that if you help provide the meal then you help serve. One person had to work, which is understandable, but the other person brought food and then left. It wasn't that it was hard since it was pizza, chips, pop and some cookies, but it would have been nice to have someone around to help a little and to talk to. Then people wonder why I have been backing off of doing these things.

Anyway, I had 2 very small pieces of pizza while there, but they probably didn't add up to a full slice, 2 chips to test the freshness of the bags we opened since I think they had been there a while, and 1 cookie (chunky chips ahoy) because they sounded good, but actually weren't great. Fresh baked is better. Then I got home and since I was still hungry, I ate "supper". I really wanted some bbq chips so bought a small bag, unfortunately, I ate the entire bag. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to realize that if I was going to have the calories from the chips the rest of my meal had to be reasonable, a few large portobellos cooked and some roast beef. I also had just over 2/3 a wine cooler. Oh yeah, later there was a sm bowl of cheerios and milk. Water was on track.

I started to get a glimpse of how I used to handle stress in the "before" and how easy it was to numb the thoughts so to speak. It was an eye opener and the chips really weren't that good, I just ate them and told myself that it would be ok because I had been watching other foods even though I wasn't that hungry for them. So now time to move on to dealing with these unexpected stresses in a more positive manner. I do not want to go back to the way things were, that's not me, I want to move forward to be the me that I feel I really am and have been even if it was a long time ago.

On the plus side, I am counting 15 minutes from yesterday as exercise since we walked treadmills and I chose to pace in an office that we were waiting in. I am not usually a pacer, but hey, it was extra steps and burns more cal than sitting.

Food today:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, 2 large sauted mushrooms, 1/2 english muffin w/jelly, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - yogurt
Lunch - 1/2 chicken salad sandwich on 7 grain, orange
PM snack - apple w/pb
Supper - pizza night & 6 oz pop (unless I get ambitious and find a new recipe)

Goals today:
1. Exercise - walk laps around the house
2. Catch up on bookwork
3. Family project - maybe sort pics

Today is a quite day, so hopefully, I can accomplish quite a bit.

For all of you reading, I hope you have a great day!

[toystoryduo]

Congrats on the weight loss, Lesli!:cheer2:

Sending some :wizard: to help you with your to do list today.

I hope you have a great day!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Thank you, Traci.

The scale is down another .20 lbs. Hey, I will take what I can get. It is really surprising considering that we had pizza last night. All of my food was as planned except I lost my mind and made a whole sandwich for lunch and skipped the orange, just not hungry for that much. A little more pizza than I should have and 2 thin mints later. Water was up, so for the most part everything was pretty good.

Didn't get any of my other goals accomplished. I sat down to pay bills and then I ended up tackling more of the "to deal with later" pile. Amazingly, I got through a lot. Although it still amazes me that there is still more left. Oh well, the organization process can be slow, but at least it is getting done and I know that I will feel much more free when it is. I did find that I can do sit-ups. Yes, I know that sounds strange, but with some of my physical limitations, I wasn't sure. DD11 was doing some so I thought I would try. Hey, if you can't make a fool of yourself in front of your family where can you do it?:confused3 Anyway, it was a real mental boost to realize that I have more exercise options and fewer limitations than I first realized. Now, a year ago, I know I wouldn't have been able to do them, but I can now and that is all that matters.

Food today:
Breakfast - 1 egg omelet w/mushrooms, gr peppers & little cheese, 1 c milk, 1 c gr fruit juice
AM snack - missed (to busy taking care of errands)
Lunch - banana, 3 ritz sandwiches w/pb (change in plans and had a meeting decide at the last minute)
PM snack - chicken fajita pita from Orange Julius/DQ and 2 bites of DS6's ice cream cone (running errands, promised the kids a treat and I needed lunch)
Supper - cheeseburger, 1/2 fries, ice tea (finished errands late so grabbed McD's on way home, DD11 and I split the 2 cheeseburger value meal :thumbsup2. Let's face it, that really is a 2 person meal. Plus it was tons less cal than a qtr lbr w/cheese and fries, which is my usual)

Water was down, but I don't think it was too far off of 64 oz.

Today was a really productive day. I made my consult for the laser surgery, so keep your fingers crossed. Scheduled alot of other appts, took care of many loose ends, returned items, went shopping with DD11 and DS6 for a wedding tomorrow, had an impromptu meeting, and I can't remember what else. Very little sitting.

We did decide that we would be doing quite a bit of camping this summer not too far from home. The great news is that aside from a pool and many other activities, they have a cardio room. :yay: Hopefully, this will really be a great opportunity for us to get in better shape as well as have some family time together.

I better get to bed, we have a very busy day tomorrow. DD11 is having her dance pictures taken and I just found out that DD21 will be showing up to visit with us for a bit during that time which will be nice. The rest of the family will be attending a wedding (unless by some miracle pictures go quickly, but not alot of hope for that since there are many kids to get through). Then DD11 and I get to meet everyone at the reception. Hopefully, we won't have too much time to kill. Anyway, lots to do in the morning to make sure that everyone has what they need to get ready.

Everyone have a great weekend. I will post when I get a chance.

[toystoryduo]

It sounds like you have a busy weekend ahead of you. I hope you have a great weekend!:hug:

[Lesli54]

Just popping in real quick to say that I am down another .6 lbs.:cool1::banana::yay:. I wasn't sure how the lack of a decent meals that were really off and less water would affect things, but obviously the major increase in activity helped. As well as really thinking about my choices at the fast foods and not falling into old habits.

Anyway, I am so excited! That is over 10 lbs off since I started, so new clippie for me and over 15 lbs from my all time high. It is amaznig how much better you feel with just that much off.

Today's food:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, mushrooms, 1/2 english muffin w/jelly, 1 c milk, 1/2 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - banana
Lunch - 1 c soup and 4 saltines w/butter, if I have time. Otherwise, 1/2 pb on 7 grain and fruit cup on the go.
PM snack - 100 cal snack bar, might get busy and forget
Supper - ??? Could be anything since I have not heard what they plan to serve at the reception. A piece of cake is most definite.

Today's goals:
1. Try to get in as much water as possible.

Well, I better get going. Need to iron some things and finish getting everyone's stuff together.

Everyone have a great Saturday.

[Lesli54]

Down another .6 lbs as of weighing yesterday.:cool1:

Saturday was really really long. I was so busy trying to get so many things done in the morning, that I missed the AM snack. Then DD11 and I quickly ran out the door and I missed lunch. Unfortunately, so did she. However, I thought that since we had a couple of snack bars that we would be fine until after pictures were over. However, when we got to the studio, I found out that the picture schedule was changed and they were behind. So we were there much longer. In hindsight, I see that I should have packed a few more things to eat, I just didn't count on things being that far off. So we both had a snack bar and fortunately, DD11 had another snack at the studio that they handed out. By the time we got out of there, it was time to head over to the reception right away and I didn't want to stop for "lunch" just to eat dinner within an hour. I should have stopped. We probably waited for an hour and a half at the reception before we had dinner and unfortunately, there was not much to snack on. Needless to say, DD11 and I were very hungry by the time dinner came around.

The reception went fine, but it was very cold inside and I was chilled. Part might be from the fact that hadn't eaten well before hand, but I think they had the A/C on. For dinner, I had a roast beef sandwich, couple bites of au graten potatoes, lots of fresh fruit, lots of gr beans, fresh veggies, little bit of pulled pork (no bread). I also had a sm glass of wine and a few bites of cake (too sweet). An interesting thing that the guests had to do was "sing for their supper". Each table had a song that they had to sing in order for the table to be released to go to the buffet. It was really funny and provided quite a bit of entertainment while we were waiting. DH, DD11, and DS sang for our supper. It was great!

Afterwards we went to pick up some tile to replace the flooring in our kitchen/hallway ares. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough. By then it was late, I was tired and some Mrs. Field's prepackaged cookies looked good, so I bought some. Fortunately, they were not as tasty as I had hoped so I ate only 1/2.

Sunday.......

We slept in. Of course, the cold, gloomy weather coming through didn't help.

All I ate yesterday was bread, so the scales were not so kind, but I will get back on track today. For breakfast I ate a lg shredded wheat biscuite, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice (out of eggs). AM snack was 6 saltines w/pb (looking for protein, didn't have much). Ate the other 1/2 of Mrs Fields cookie. Lunch was around 3pm at Arbys and I had 2 potato cakes and 1/2 french dip sandwich (brought the other half home). I think I had cookie. Supper was pizza since everyone was so tired. Finished the day with a cookie. :sad2: Water was maybe at 64 oz. Not a great day in terms of food.

I spent part of the morning trying to catch up on things and started planning some color schemes for my kitchen. We are going to do some cosmetic updates since we are tired of the 59 yr old kitchen, but are not quite ready to remodel. Maybe next year with luck, but at least I can make things feel more updated. Went to pick up more tile in another town, only to find that they didn't have any boxes. pirate: I only have one other place to try or we will order. However, I found a sink that I thought I would work in our very very small bathroom that needs a well scaled sink to give the most room and I ordered it. Unfortunately, when I got home I did some more measuring only to find out that it will probably not work.pirate: Did I mention that it is a very small bathroom? So back to the drawing board. This is why I have so many problems with getting my house done. Either tons of $$, the scale is wrong (we are dealing with an older house), or they don't have what I need when we decide to do it. And here I am ready to make decisions just to get my house finished.pirate:pirate:

Oh well.

Today...........

It SNOWED:scared1: last night, fortunately, it has almost all melted. This morning I ran to the store and had to scrape the snow off my car!:eek: You know there is really something wrong with scraping snow off in April. The kids have spring break so they are home all week. Hopefully, we can get quite a bit done this week in terms of projects and yet have some time to do a few fun things.

Food today:
Breakfast - 1 fried egg, sauteed mushrooms, 1/2 english muffin w/ jelly, 1 c milk, 1 c grapefruit juice
AM snack - orange
Lunch - 1/2 roast beef on 7 grain, gr pepper, pear
PM snack - cheese, carrots
Supper - ??? just dug out the "to try" recipes and will make something new, but healthy

Goals today:
1. Exercise - 15 min of something
2. Work on family project
3. Find a new bathroom sink

Well, I better get going. This is quite long and I apologize, but I do need to stay accountable. I do want add that I put on a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in awhile and am pleased with the fact that they slide up and down without having to wiggle. It's great when you start to see a difference in your clothing.

Everyone have a wonderful day!

[toystoryduo]

The reception and singing for your supper sounds like a lot of fun!:goodvibes

Great job on losing another .6 pounds! Those add up fast!:thumbsup2

I hope you have a great day ahead!:hug: