Doreen's New Way of Life (comments are welcome)

[DoeWDW]

The bad news is....I'm at work. :( The good news is....everything else in life is coming up roses! :sunny:

I guess being at work should be a joyful thing too - I'll try to work on my attitude on this. I'm in the D-Zone and my attitude is much tougher to change at this time of month. :rolleyes:

Goals for today:
1. Just took my meds, vitamins out for lunch
2. I have mugs of water and hot mint green tea on my desk - am working on both.
3. Splenda for my tea (1 carb). Egg custard (3 carbs). 1 oz sunflower seeds (6 carbs). Total so far = 10 carbs. I have tuna salad for lunch and lots of snack food (nuts, string cheese, honey roasted sunflower seeds) to get me through the day. I'm going to roast a chicken for dinner tonight.
4. I brought my special jock athlete shoes for my lunch-time walk! I may try to get 3 miles in but I'll at least do 2 miles.

Off to another cheat free day! :sunny:

Edit: 9:15 AM
OK, I've been trying to deny this, even to myself, but it's time to confess - I'm cranky today!! I'm feeling unfocused and not concentrating well. I'm feeling overwhelmed at work and would like to crawl into a corner somewhere and hide. I have a lot to do for many different people and I don't feel like doing any of it! I wish I'd win the lottery and never have to work again! I also wish the D-Zone were a thing of the past for me, as I'm sure that's the biggest cause of these feelings!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I'm going to start on the first thing on my prioritized work list - an update for our Bureau Director that's due before noon today. I'm going to use my journal to keep me on track, so beware the mundane updates! It's the only way I know to keep my sanity and help me focus on baby steps.

Edit: 9:40 AM
Well, the first thing is marked off my list. Now I'm on to something I've been putting off for way too long. Baby steps will get me through even the most dreaded tasks!! I've got to believe that! I know when it's done, I'll feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders!!

Edit: 10:20 AM
My second item (new dates for a project I'm on) is finished enough to satisfy the people who will be at my 11 AM meeting. The rest will wait. The worst is finished and I'll feel so much better after this meeting is over!

I'm making real progress, and in a short amount of time. Why was I feeling so overwhelmed? I'm feeling a little better now. Must be those PMS hormones messin' with my mind, my attitude, my confidence....

On to my third item - finalizing the critical reports list and emailing it to Kirsten. I can do this! (I'm trying to convince myself!). I've got the munchies so I'm going to eat my tuna salad as I work.

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doe,

I just wanted to check in with you. Your day seems really busy. Please remember to take some time out for yourself so you don't get overwhelmed.

I hope you can chase away that munchie monster. I am feeling really hungry today for some reason too. Strange. I'm going to lunch a bit earlier than usual. I think when you mentioned your tuna, it sent me over the edge! I'll check on you later. Take care!

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, you're right! I WILL take some time for me! My DS 16 is getting a routine physical tonight (one for school, one for his driver's learner permit). DH is taking him but I've been feeling guilty, like I should go along. There's nothing I can DO there - he's 16 and DH is going in with him (no Mom allowed, according to DS and I understand). So, I'll send DS and DH and I'll stay home to have a little slower pace to my evening! Thanks for helping me shed my Superwoman cape, even if only for one evening! :p

It's 1:40 now. My 11 AM meeting went long and I'm just finishing my lunch hour. The meeting went well - better than I expected. I walked 2 miles during lunch hour around the inside of the Capitol building. I lunched on tuna salad (4 carbs), took my vitamin, snacked on 1 oz of sunflower seeds (6 carbs) and will chew some Trident to keep the Munchie Monster at bay. Total so far today = 20 carbs.

I'm ready for the afternoon. I still have to finish that third thing on my list - the critical reports list for Kirsten. I NEED to get this out today so I'm off to complete it. ::yes::

Edit: 2:45 PM
OK, the critical reports list has been refined and sent out!! That's 3 things off my list!! The Munchie Monster is lurking about but I'm off to get a string cheese (1 carb) to stave him off! Total today = 21 carbs.

Next is the report status spreadsheet. This is another thing I've put off way longer than I should have. I'll do at least 30 lines.

Edit: 4 PM
My workday is finished. Didn't get far on my spreadsheet but I got a lot done today - I feel very pleased!! Hopefully I won't dread coming in as much tomorrow, now that I got a few things off the "to-do" list.

Honey roasted sunflower seeds are evil! I need to measure out the portions and only bring one serving a day with me. 1 oz sunflower seeds (6 carbs) - total so far = 27 carbs.

[septbride2002]

Way to go on having a great day despite the munchie monster! :)

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

Well, Amanda, you spoke too soon! :p I'll be taking down my cheat free bear. I've had 95 carbs today - some of it healthy, and some of it not. I don't know why - I just have had a bad attitude all day and I got sick of fighting it. The funny thing is, I really don't feel that bad about it. :confused: I feel a little bad, but not as bad as I probably should feel.

So tomorrow will be another cheat free day, but today was not. In the big picture, 95 carbs is way less than most people eat so I figure I'm still ahead of the game. I'll drink extra water tomorrow and try to work on my attitude. ::yes:: The other good thing is that I made it for 2 weeks without a cheat.

Onward and downward tomorrow!

[DoeWDW]

I made it to work. I'm tired but I can't afford to keep taking days off. Mentally I feel better since I got some tasks finished at work yesterday. Physically, I'm barely functioning. Gotta finish my research on PMDD and visit the doctor to see if we can find a way to make this better.

Food may be a struggle today. I'll be relying on protein bars, which isn't great but is easy.

The goal is to just get through the day and be easy on myself.
1. Meds and vitamins out to be taken.
2. Water and tea on my desk.
3. B = protein bar (3 carbs), and Splenda for my tea (1 carb). I have some legal snacks around but no set plans for lunch or dinner.
4. No exercise today. Sunday was my long walk. I made a mistake by walking another 2 miles yesterday - should've been a rest day. So today will be my rest day.

I'm moving slow but I'm going to make the most of today. It's a gift from God that should not be taken for granted or wasted. He has a plan for my day and will give me the strength for it, if I just listen carefully for His voice. :sunny:

[lulu201]

:hug: and more :hug: for you, dear Doreen. Today is a day to be slow. As you said, the goal is to just make it through, being easy on yourself. A friend of mine one told me that we (women) would all be OK if we could just take a couple of days off a month to lie on the couch, baby ourselves, and REST when our bodies needed it. Sadly, we can't often do that, so give yourself the mental rest that you need. Like you're doing already--keep your expectations of yourself low. Just get through. No :hyper: attitude, rather a :angel: peaceful one--kind of like you're just going to let yourself drift through the day:boat: listening, as you said, for God's direction and message. Sometimes we're so active and sure of ourselves we forget that we have Him to rely on. Sometimes when I'm at my slowest I can see the most blessings around me.

I know yesterday was tough, and I know that cranky feeling didn't help things (I affectionately call that time The Blue Meanies when I'm feeling that way--sounds friendly :p ). Sometimes I think I get that way because I'm annoyed with the expectations around me--some from other people, some from myself. The expectations to be perfect or to accomplish when I'm just plain not physically up to it. Maybe that's why you didn't mind the cheat last night? It was your way to just give in to the situation at hand--to cut yourself some slack at a time when you needed it. We all need to give ourselves a break.

So with another gentle :hug: , I'll wish you well on your day today. You've accomplished a lot--14 Days Cheat Free is amazing! Celebrate your strength, accept your vulnerability, and relax into the arms of God. He'll carry you through the day.

Love,
Erin

[ibouncetoo]

Surprise! a new visitor to your journal:wave2:

I figured this would be a good time to pop in as we finally 'met' last night in chat. I just wanted to say THANKS for being you. I consider you one of the most helpful, thoughtful people here and have found your posts enlightening and encouraging. I think we all need to remember that when we respond to one person here we can actually be affecting/helping countless others......and you do that every day!

Oh, and don't be so hard on yourself for that 95 carb day.....may turn out that it gave your metabolisim a jolt and will help start a loss cycle (eating more for one or two days has been a plateau buster for me)!

God bless!

[septbride2002]

Okay everyone Group Hug around Doreen!:grouphug:

Now Miss Doreen why did you take you bear down? Put him back up! You went 14 days cheat free and you think you can just take him down. No Ma'am put him back up there! Just don't roll over your day from yesterday. I want to see that Bear back by tomorrow.

I know how you feel. I didn't feel horrible about cheating the day of the party even though I knew that I should feel something. I still think that you did pretty good despite how you were feeling. Women can be so hard on ourselves. You still probably made better choices yesterday then you would have before. And 95 carbs is still considerably low for one day. Now do what you said and move forward today with the determination to stay with in 60 carbs and drink lots of water. Take care of yourself and do something for you. If there has been a book you've been wanting for awhile - go and buy it. Feel like laying around the house tonight and watch a movie - then do it. Need to go shopping for some new clothes - do it.

Stop being so down on yourself - 14 days cheat free is nothing to sneeze at! You can do it sweetie! Now I am going to try my best to be cheat free until our vacation because I am going to enjoy one of those Casey's Hotdogs with the bun and everything when we meet on the 7th that is my motivation. Come on girlie I want you eating there with me!

~Amanda:hug:

[DoeWDW]

Erin, thank you so much for your words of comfort and encouragment. I wiped tears from my eyes as I read. Thanks for all you do to lift me up on those days when I need it most. I'm hanging onto that picture of the :angel: icon - calm, peaceful and centered in God's love and grace. I must admit I laughed about the Blue Meanies and wondered if I should be using the :scared1: icon - not to show fear, but to show the changing mood and the yelling I occasionally want to do on those days. :p

Jackie, thanks for stopping in! It was great to meet you also in chat last night and I'm so excited to meet you in person next January!! I also appreciate your encouragement. Thanks for the plateau busting idea too - I have another WISH friend who may want to try this!

Amanda, you've got me thinking about the cheat free bear. In the past, we've used the bear to show how many consecutive days we've been cheat free. If we had a cheat, we'd start over. It sounds like you're using the bear to show how many cheat free days you had in January - you're just not counting cheat days. I had not considered using our little bear buddy this way.

Thoughts, anyone?? Do I use the bear to count all cheat free days in January or is he for consecutive cheat free days? Hmmm, I'll think about this and take ideas if anyone's got any.

Amanda, I also am excited about our meeting at Casey's on 2/7, but I really don't enjoy hot dog buns that much. I'll have my hot dog straight up, but I may endulge in some ice cream from the ice cream parlor or a Dole Whip for dessert! :teeth: So many treats at WDW that it can be tough to choose!! Also, thanks for your encouragement!

My WISH buddies are truly the best! Each of you probably have no way to know how much I appreciate you - you'll have to take my word for it!! I'm glad we're on this journey together! :grouphug:

Goal checkpoint:
1. Meds & vitamins taken.
2. 52 oz down - one more mug to go to meet my goal.
3. Lunch - sunflower seeds (4 carbs) from the EVM - sometimes it has good stuff in it!! I wasn't even tempted by the bad stuff. I really am just not that hungry. Total so far = 8 carbs.
4. No exercise - been sittin' on my bum! :cutie:

It's shaping up to be a calm but productive day. I'm taking it easy. I think bedtime will be early tonight - no staying up until 10:30 in WISH chat! :sunny:

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doreen!

First, I want to join the group hug around you. Sometimes we can be our own worst critic, I know I can be guilty of doing that. I think you should cut yourself some slack. 95 carbs is way better than the average person eats in a day. You went 14 days cheat free and I don't think you can just sweep that under the rug. I miss seeing your cheat free bear. You asked for opinions about restoring it and here's what I think. I feel you should do as Amanda said. Just count your cheat free days. Isn't there a difference between the cheat free bear and the cheat free star? The bear to me symbolizes how many days you've been cheat free while the star (again imho) symbolizes the 100 day challenge with the consecutive cheat free days.

Since you have chosen to use the bear symbol, I think it's perfectly okay to put that bear back up and just don't count the day you had a little slip up.

You are doing and have done so well and I know you won't let one little bump in the road get or keep you down. Take care!

[LAinSEA]

OK, Monday's gone. Tuesday's almost over and Wednesday will be halfway throught the week.

You've been pushing yourself for your training and your body is going to require more energy which causes the carb cravings to start with and if you feed them, they keep on coming. You doing good going for the protein instead.

I know you can get through it! :sunny:

-Laurie

[DoeWDW]

OK, I'm home from work. I had absolutely no cravings today - go figure! :rolleyes:

I've just had a snack of delicious chicken waldorf salad (leftover chicken, mayo, diced apple, walnuts, diced celery) - so good!

I'm going to make it through today. My only trip up might be leftover ice cream cake from my son's birthday. If I have any, it will be a very small piece and I'll count the carbs.

Thanks to everyone for stopping in today. I could literally FEEL that group hug, as if you were all gathered around me. WISH is truly an amazing place, and it's amazing because of each of the people here. You are all amazing, even when you don't feel like it. :sunny:

[marsh0013]

doreen, i am new to wish, and i just wanted to say that i've been reading along with your journal for a while now, and that you are such an inspiration! even though you don't know me, i just wanted to say thanks :) and keep up the great work!

[lulu201]

Hi, princess: Doreen. Here's some:sunny: and :wizard: for this brand new Wednesday. Are you getting ready for some snow?
I hate to admit it, but I sure wouldn't cry if we had ourselves a little snow day tomorrow! :teeth:

OK, I want to weigh in on the cheat free bear issue. After giving it some serious thought :scratchin, I've come to some of the same conclusions as Lisa Z. The 100 day challenge is just that--a challenge of consecutive cheat free days. If you mess up on that challenge you have to turn in the star clippie. While you and I have used the bear clippie in a "consecutive days cheat free" kind of way, it really doesn't have to be like that, does it? (Or does it? What would Jody think? She designed it, didn't she?) We've been using it to reward ourselves if we're perfect--not how realistic is that?? I mean, hey, we're good, Doe-Doe, but we know we're not perfect!:p If we use the star to record our cheat free days for a period of time--say a month or even a year--we can actually be keeping track of the positive days we've had. We can better see the positive BIG PICTURE, if you will. What I think we need is yet another cheat free clippie (!), one that will let us say things like "(insert number here) Cheat Free Days in January" or "# of Cheat Free Days in 2004." Now you know I have zero ability to design such a thing, so I'll be using the bear instead--for the meantime. Also, if we use the bear this way, when we are in WDW or having a PMS day or having to increase carbs because of training, we're being much more realistic and kinder to ourselves. I mean, who can call eating a hot dog in Disney a "Cheat"? "Cheat" is so negative anyway! Maybe the whole "cheat free" should be questioned. Maybe we should have a bear that reads: "Leading the healthy life, ____days in January (or 2004)." Let's frame things in a more positive way! I know I'd be thrilled to have a clippie that said even "340 healthy living days in 2004!"

Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself, but those are my thoughts on the subject. :D

Have a great day, girlfriend. Be good to yourself, you hear?
princess: Lulu

[A1A1]

Doreen, please put your clippie back, because you earned the days that were already registered on it. You earned those days! You don't have to start over. Just keep going. That is how we do this healthy living, right?! We just keep going from where we left off.

I hope you have a wonderful day. Stay warm. Thank you for all of your support in my journal. It is very much appreciated. You are a very special person.:sunny:

[DoeWDW]

My bear has made a grand return, thanks to all of my WISH buddies and their ideas! I've added a line in my siggie to say "11 Healthy Living Days in January 2004" so everyone will know what that cute little bear means. Truth be told, I really miss him when he isn't there! :D I did have to set him back to 11 even though he was at 14, since some of those days were in December.

Yesterday was not cheat free, but it wasn't as bad as Monday - always baby steps in the right direction! :p I can't wait until that ice cream cake is GONE!! My family has strict instructions to make the rest of it disappear SOON or I'll have to trash it! ::yes:: I'm deep in the D-Zone and I just can't handle those kind of temptations during this time of the month! Isn't it funny how I can walk away from that stuff 2 weeks out of the month, but the other 2 weeks I'm like an addict? At least I recognize the pattern and I don't beat myself up for being weak anymore - definitely a positive change!

On to today! I'm feeling sunny and successful!
1. Meds taken, vitamins out.
2. Have already had 18 oz of water, and have another 24 oz of water and tea on my desk! No problems with hydration today! :p
3. B = protein bar (2 carbs) and Splenda for tea (1 carb). Lunch - I have egg custard, string cheese, sunflower seeds. I may make ham steaks with mustard sauce for dinner, in spite of the uninvited bloat fairy already making an appearance here! :rolleyes:
4. I need to get a 3 mile walk in. My choices are - walk the indoor Capitol loop over lunch hour or get to the fitness center tonight and use the treadie (and run part of the mileage)! The running sounds like a lot more fun! :p DH has to take DS to the mall anyway so I'll probably have him drop me off on the way out and pick me up on the way home. Eventually I'd like to use the fitness center's strength circuit too, but I hate to pile on too much too soon.

I don't feel like I'm walking alone today. I can FEEL all you WISH buddies walking with me, like angels watching over me. I can feel your positive energy. Thanks for walking with me, and I hope you can all feel me walking with you on your daily journeys! :grouphug:

Onward and downward we go! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[A1A1]

Welcome home no-cheat bear!!!!!!! We missed you!!!!!!!!:wave:

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doreen,

I'm so happy to see you decided to give yourself the credit you deserve for all those cheat free days you have managed to have. Good for you!

You are right about not walking alone on this journey. We are all here to support you and yes, I can feel you and my other WISH buddies walking beside me. Thoughts of you guys actually help push me out of bed (early) in the mornings to get in my 30 minutes of exercise. So let's keep at this weight loss thing. We will be successful with our own determination and the help of our WISH buddies!

[DoeWDW]

Wow, it's like a party for the bear! Thanks A and Lisa! Wish we had some cool fireworks icons - I'm happy about the bear's return also!

1. Meds and vitamins taken.
2. 42 oz down and another 12 on my desk!
3. 2 strings of cheese (2 carbs). Total so far = 5 carbs.
4. I might "stroll" for a half mile at lunch, just to keep up the habit of getting away from my desk. :D

Edit: 2:15 PM
1. done
2. 50 oz down, working on another 12
3. 1/2 oz macadamia nuts (3 carbs). Total so far = 8 carbs.
4. Walked .5 mile at lunch. Will go to fitness center tonight.

Edit: 4 PM
2. 62 oz down - YAY!
3. 2 servings egg custard (6 carbs) so I don't walk in the house hungry and snack on stuff I shouldn't ;) Total so far = 14 carbs.

[littleducksmom]

dont have time to read back and see what happened that you lost your clippie......but i love to see that it is back.......throw that cake in garbage disposal if it sticks around another day!!!!!!!

wanted to let ya know i signed up for the half marathon too.......woohoo!!!!!!!

[Castillo Mom]

Looks like that bear has a permanent home here Doreen, and he's sooo cute! Now you know you're not alone on this journey. Even if I don't post for a couple of days, my WISH buddies are always in my thoughts. We live in different parts of the the country yet we're not far away because we're connected by one common goal. I hope that ice cream cake is gone.;) Keep up the good work Doreen!:D

[DoeWDW]

3. We left off at 14 carbs. 4 Dove dark chocolates (14 carbs), grilled cheese (32 carbs), ramen noodle soup (20 carbs), lc ice cream bar (5 carbs). Total for the day = 85 carbs. Not cheat free but I didn't do too bad. I made the mistake of waiting for DH & the kids to get home. If I had just made my own dinner earlier, I would have been cheat free. But I waited for them, was tired and cranky, and too lazy to make the ham steaks I wanted to have for dinner. Note to self: don't do this again!
4. Exercise - stayed at home and did 3 mile WATP. All the walking / jogging is paying off. This tape was much easier and I put a lot more energy into it.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with my day. :sunny: One of these days, I'm gonna be able to up the number on my bear clippie - honest!! ::yes::

[septbride2002]

Doe you are so silly! I was not mad at all this afternoon by your post! I'm sorry if my response to you seemed that way. I was just trying to explain myself a bit further. I am surprised at how many carbs is in thick crust pizza - yikes.


Looks like you had a pretty good day today. You know from now on to make your dinner before making your family's. I know it is hard. I always make DH noodles as side dishes because he hates veggies and I swear those noodles call my name.

~Amanda

[TiggersPal]

Love your journal... are you perhaps the Doreen who knows My sister.... ibounce too? I've heard great things about you! You really kept me going today, I want you to know. I had a pretty bad (high carb) day yesterday and because of you, I got right back on the old "horse" and did great! You Rock SISTER-in- WISH! Thanks for your words of encouragement and positive outlook. We all need help every now and then, I want to pay it forward...how can I do that on the web?hmmm will have to think of something. Congrats on your signing up for the walk next year. Make sure you and Jackie have a great time, wish I could be there, but I have some financial obligations that I am committed to clearing up. (credit cards). I want to be debt FREE by year end. So, I'm going to be the energizer bunny when it comes to FUNDS! Then I'll be free for a Disney Trip myself!!! Happy low-carbing!

[A1A1]

I think it sounds like you had a great day. Wonderful news about your increased stamina!!!!!!!!!! You will just cruise in that 1/2 marathon. I am so excited about my own participation, but I haven't told anyone yet. I have a long way to go in terms of exercise and building my stamina, but you have inspired me further!!!!!

Have a terrific Thursday, Doe...

[DoeWDW]

So many visitors - thanks for stopping by! If there are any more lurkers out there who are reading and not posting.... :wave2: hi to you, too!!

Deb, glad to hear you'll be joining us for the half marathon. With your long legs, I'm afraid you'll leave me in the dust (I'm only 5' 2" :p ) but it will be great to get to know you better in person over the weekend!

Lisa CM (for Castillo Mom), you are always in my thoughts and prayers, as are all my WISH buddies, even when you're busy and don't get to journal. :D I feel you walking with me, girlfriend! You are never forgotten!

Amanda, glad I didn't upset you. You're a good friend - I would never intentionally hurt you! From now on, I'll take care of my food first - great idea!

Peggy Jo, I exchanged Christmas gifts with Jackie this year - it was so much fun! She seems like such a sweetie and I can't wait to meet her next January. Sorry to hear that you won't be joining us - would have been great to meet you too! Are you the sister Jackie talked about watching the Frosty DVD with?? By the way, I love your middle name - gave it to my daughter (she's Stephanie Jo!). Happy to hear you're back on plan!! Pat yourself on the back for a quick return to eating healthy!!

A, you will get that same feeling of surprise and happiness in a short time as you start to exercise more. You'll see that your body is capable of more than you know, as long as you slowly build up to a little more each day! You don't have to tell anyone else about the half-marathon just yet - you'll know when it's time.
:D

The ice cream cake is NOT gone but I resisted it last night. There's only one more piece left and I'm sure DS will polish it off tonight! :tongue:

Today:
1. Meds taken, vitamins on the desk.
2. 18 oz water down, more to come!
3. Today is the day! Today is the day that I will up the number on my adorable little bear clippie. I WILL be under 60g carbs! :sunny: B = protein bar (3 carbs). L = egg custard (6 carbs). S = 2 string cheese (2 carbs). D = ham steak with honey mustard sauce (forget the number of carbs but it's out of the Dana Carpender cookbook so it's low!).
4. Exercise - today is a rest day, but I think I'll walk a mile during lunch on the indoor Capitol loop that I've devised, just to get my bum out of my chair. :teeth:

I'm feeling a little tired and a little edgy. I'm deep in the D-Zone. However I also am feeling a bit feisty and I'm going to use that to guard my carb intake and ensure I can change my bear clippie!

I'm celebrating the little things this AM! I had to move to the next hole in my belt! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc OK, it may be a little thing to some but it means my waist is getting skinnier!! YAY!

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Hello, there, princess: Doe-Doe:sunny: :sunny:
It's positively FREEZING here this morning, but what do you expect in winter?:p Friends of ours just left for Orlando and DCL last night--they'll be in the Bahamas when they wake up tomorrow. . .take me away!:boat:

Well, everyone here on the boards is sure happy to see your little bear back in your siggie. You're going to have to give him a name or something! When you're feeling like you're alone in the D-Zone, remember I'm standing right beside you.:happy1: We'll hold each other up today. And every day.::yes::

:Pinkbounc Here's a big cheer for your shrinking waistline!:Pinkbounc Every time you fasten your belt today, celebrate!:Pinkbounc

:hug: for you, dear WISH-sis,
princess: Lulu

[DoeWDW]

2. 30 oz down, more water to come
3. So far - 3 carbs. Sunflower seeds (4 carbs). Total so far = 7 carbs.
4. I'm putting my sneakers on NOW and going to walk before I change my mind....I don't have to FEEL like it, I just have to DO it. :rolleyes:

Edit: 1 PM
2. 42 oz down
4. Walked a mile (2 loops) in 15 minutes. When will I be able to do this without breaking a sweat?? :confused: I am glad that I did it though - am proud of myself for getting out of the chair on a day when I didn't FEEL like it. Is this what they mean by discipline?? :D

Edit: 5:45 PM
Major victory! I didn't get an afternoon snack (impromptu meeting!) so when I got home I was absolutely STARVING!! I LOOKED at all the carby alternatives in the kitchen, but found some sliced almonds (8 carbs) instead!! Good for me!! Total so far = 15 carbs. I WILL be able to change that bear's number tonight!! ::yes::

Edit: 7:45 PM
D = ham steak with mustard sauce (10 carbs tops), LC strawberry ice cream (4 carbs). Total so far = about 30 carbs. I'll probably have 2 Dove dark chocolates (7 carbs) later and I'll STILL be under 40 carbs!! YAY!!! A Cheat Free Day At Last!!

I'm changing that clippie now! :sunny:

[septbride2002]

:bounce: Allright Doe! You are doing good my friend! :bounce:

[DoeWDW]

I am so happy about having a cheat free day yesterday - finally! I think I'll do it again today! :p

Goals:
1. Meds taken. Vitamins out (forgot to take these yesterday - gotta remember today!).
2. 64 oz water today - working on my first 12 oz.
3. Food under 60g carbs. B = protein bar (2g). L = egg custard (6g). D = leftover ham (10g). String cheese, sunflower seeds and almonds for snacks if needed.
4. 3-4 miles of walking - maybe over lunch hour?

I'm still in the D-Zone, physically tired & achey but mentally doing well. :sunny:

Edit: 1:15 PM
1. Meds & vitamins - check!
2. 36 oz so far - 2 more mugs to go!
3. Had my protein bar (2g), 2 string cheese (2g) and egg custard (6g). Total so far = 10g carbs.
4. 3 miles in 46 minutes over lunch hour - indoor Capitol loop (it's just WAY too cold to walk outside!).

More people are starting to find out about my trip to the half marathon. Most are supportive ;) . I no longer dread my walks - I'm looking forward to them as I build up my strength and stamina. I'm getting impatient for warmer weather though. I think I'll do some training during my long Disney weekend in February just to see what it's like to walk / jog in warmth....:p !

I'm also noticing (and so is DH!) that the shape of my hip / bum area is getting more shapely and less....lumpy :teeth: ! This is a good thing - I always felt like I had a rather large caboose tagging along behind me :crazy: . I'm not as self conscious about this anymore. I still have a way to go, but I'm seeing progess!

I turn 40 in less than 3 weeks. I'm feeling better and (I think) looking better than I have in ages. I'm feeling like my 40th birthday is ushering in a new and adventurous decade for me. My kids will graduate high school and possibly college in this decade and will be leaving the nest. DH and I have always felt that if we did a good job as parents, our kids would be equipped to live on their own so I'm looking forward to them building their own lives and working on their own dreams. DH and I will have more couple time, which we treasure. I know people who don't want to retire because they'd have to stay home with their spouse - DH and I can't WAIT to retire and spend more time together. He really is my best friend and the love of my life! :D
I'll have more time to focus on healthy food and fitness as a way of life, to learn new hobbies, to help my community in new ways. It's a very exciting time for me - can't imagine being sad about this birthday.

Enough philosophy and introspection! On with a healthy and cheat free day!

Edit: 4 PM
2. 64 oz water down the hatch - check!
3. Sunflower seeds (4g) to prevent me from walking in the door STARVING when I get home. Total so far = 14g carbs.

[lulu201]

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc Yay, princess: Doe-Doe!:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc You had a great day yesterday! Doesn't it feel good to be good to yourself?:D

Have a nice walk today, and then have yourself a nice warm cup of tea this afternoon. Make sure to put your feet up tonight. . .get the extra rest your body needs, OK?

I'm so proud of you, Doreen. This hasn't been an easy week, but you've done a great job of keeping it together. Reflect on all you've learned about yourself these past few months and how it's had an impact on how you manage during this "dangerous" time of the month--see, you've come a long way, girlfriend!

I'll stop by later to see how you're doing.


:hug: ,
Erin

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doe,

You sound so pumped up and positive in your message! Good for you. We share the same thoughts on getting older. My mom has been lying about her age for so long, now she's younger than I am!;). I always say I am proud to be 36 and looking forward to 37, 38, 39, 40 and many many more years. Getting older has it's advantages especially in the experience department. Would I like to be 16 again? Only if I could keep the knowledge and experiences I have accumulated thus far. I hope when I turn 40 I can maintain the positive attitude that you have. If I keep with the principles of SBD, I will be in better shape at 40 than I was at 16.

Anyway, you go girl! Get ready for that marathon, keep training and keep your positive attitude!

[DoeWDW]

I've met every goal today!! Only one update left:
3. S = 2 oz fruit & nut mix (16g) to prevent a total meltdown while I put all the groceries away. D = turkey (0g) on low carb bread (12g) with mayo (0g) and bread & butter chip pickles (12g). Total for the day = 54g carbs and I've got another cheat free day under my belt!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

Off to change my clippie and head to bed. Tomorrow will be tough - a shopping day with my parents and daughter in King of Prussia. I'm going to stock my purse with legal snacks!! ::yes::

[marsh0013]

good job doe! you had a great day! and you can do it again tomorrow. like you said, pack the legal snacks. don't give in to temptation. good luck and i know you can do it ::yes:: here's to cheat free days :bounce:

[lulu201]

:D Hi, Doreen. :D I just read your post on turning 40. It made me smile.:D Your upbeat attitude is so contagious.

I just have to say, I have loved my 40's. I feel like I've become "me" during my 40s. Not only with fitness and healthy living issues, but with self-knowledge as well. To walk a half marathon during your 40th year sets the tone for the rest of your life. YOU GO, GIRL! :Pinkbounc

Have fun at the mall. I hope you have your credit card ready; most of the stores there are tres chic and expensive! :snooty: Still I like going there to see how other people live!:p Enjoy!

Pack those snacks and watch out for tempting mall food. It sounds like you're ready with a game plan.

We're going to be cheat free today together!
Erin

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Doreen! Wow, the last couple of days have been really upbeat for you. Your good attitude is contagious.:D Congratulations on your upcoming 40th birthday and tightening that belt a notch. I bet you look wonderful.

I've been pondering the thought of my kiddos leaving the next too in the next few years. I have 6th, 7th and 9th grader and when I look at them I realize how quickly their childhood has passed. Oh my, here come the water works! But you're absolutely right, we raise them to become independent healthy individuals so that they can face the world on their own and follow their own dreams.

Have a great weekend Doreen!:D

[DoeWDW]

I'm back!! I survived the Mall at King of Prussia!! We had a great time. DD has been in stores like Sears, Kohls, Penneys, but she's never seen places like Macy's, Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus. It was fun showing her shoes that had a price tag of $465 - just to watch her face....:teeth:

I won't detail the purchases - we didn't get very much and we hit the sale racks. However, I had the find of the day at Macy's. I found a beautiful red skirt, fully lined, gorgeous, size 10 petite - regular price $65, I paid.....$5.94. There are no flaws, stains, etc - it's in perfect condition. It's been YEARS since I've worn a skirt to work - I always wear pants. It will be fun to wear that skirt! I think I'll wait until it gets a little warmer though.... :p .

Food-wise I did pretty well. B = protein bar (3g). S = trail mix (20g). L = Subway LC wrap (11g). S = a couple grapes & more trail mix (15g). Total so far = 49g carbs - a bit high. That leaves me 11g for dinner and I have some leftover ham in the fridge that will fill the bill nicely. I'd really like to be able to change my little bear's number this evening. ::yes::

It was a great day. DD and I had a wonderful time with my parents. Lots of laughter and joking, mirth and merriment. We need more times like that!

Edit: 10 PM
I have the munchies but I'm not giving in. I'm changing my bear and going to bed! :p ::yes::

[A1A1]

Sounds like a great couple of days, Doe. I am wondering how on earth you can walk so fast!!!!! It takes me 18-20 minutes to walk one mile! You are walking nearly 4 miles per hour. That is so fast. I remember your saying you were on the petite side, so you must have shorter legs. How are you making them go so fast? I can only walk 3.8 miles per hour at my fastest on my treadmill. I am still figuring out this distance walking thing..........

[lulu201]

Good morning, Doreen!:sunny: It sounds like you all had a super fun day yesterday! A red skirt, size 10!:Pinkbounc It's fitting that it's red--bright and powerful like you!

What did you think of the mall as a place to walk? Do you think you, Melanie, and I could get a good workout there--as long as we leave our cash at home?:p

Keep up the positive attitude and all the great work you're doing for yourself. It sounds like you've made it through the Zone and are well on the other side! :sunny:

:hug: ,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

A, I'm only 5'2" and my legs are pretty short. :D I've always been a fast walker, though. Take your time on the treadmll for now - worry about building up the distance you walk. The speed will come later, as your muscles and joints get used to the walking.

Erin, I think one person could get a good walk in at the mall. Two people may even be able to walk side-by-side most of the time. Three people gets tougher as you are trying to dodge around all the other shoppers. Don't know if this would work or not.
:confused:

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning. I already have laundry in. I'm still in jammies because I have nothing clean! :teeth: :eek: I like to spread the housework, cooking, etc. over the whole weekend but since I ran around yesterday, there's lots to be done today. DD and her friends want to go to the mall so I'll be getting my walk in there while they shop. I'm going to wear my walking shoes and put on the miles! :p

I have tomorrow off (Martin Luther King Jr. day) so I plan on doing some cooking then. I also have to help DD get everything put back into her room in an organized fashion. :rolleyes:

I'm taking deep relaxing breaths and I'll be using my timer to break things down into 10 minute tasks. I've also assigned chores to the kids - love that teen labor! I'm trying to ignore that knot in my stomach - the one that says I'll never get anything accomplished.

I don't know about food today - will have to be careful because I have nothing premade and no specific plan. I think breakfast will be a protein bar, just because it's quick and easy. :rolleyes:

I'll be back later to recount how I finished cleaning and organizing the entire house, caught up on all laundry (including changing all sheets), did my budget for the next 5 years and found an extra $200 a week to spend, and cooked enough food for the freezer so I don't have to cook for the next 3 months.....:teeth: :crazy:

[septbride2002]

Way to go on finding that skirt. Sounds beautiful! I love it when you find an item like that. I know you are worried about today but just take it one moment at a time and you will get through it. And remember - it is not the end of the world if you don't get everything done. :D

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

Official Weigh In and Measure Day Results:
Weight 129 / 128 / 142
Bust 37.5 / 37.5 / 39.5
Chest 32.5 / 33 / 33.5
Waist 31 / 31.5 / 34
Hips 38 / 38 / 40
Thighs 39 / 39 / 41

I'm up a pound but I've lost half an inch in my chest and waist. My rings feel looser. I'm guessing that extra pound is either the Bloat Fairy or all that jock athlete muscle I'm building. :p I'm not worried about the scale - am THRILLED with less inches and feeling thinner.

I never ate breakfast but I've had leftover ham (5g) and leftover trail mix (1g) for brunch and sf jello & whipped cream for dessert.

DD and her friends really want to go to the mall but it's still snowing like crazy and we'd rather be safe than sorry. I've gotten very little done so far today - surprise, surprise. I'm ready for a nap. :p

[marsh0013]

congrats doe!!! those measurements sound just wonderful! isn't it great when you notice the little things like rings fitting looser? i'm so happy for you! keep up the great work! :bounce:

[DoeWDW]

Yesterday was a complete waste. :rolleyes: I ate off plan, didn't get anything done, just felt generally depressed and unmotivated. If I could have just admitted that at the beginning of the day, then fine, but no - I spent all day beating myself up for not getting anything done while sitting on my bum and not doing anything about it. :confused: I truly was my own worst enemy yesterday.

Today is a new day! :sunny: All that good advice I gave myself yesterday about doing a little at a time and taking it easy on myself - I'm actually going to TAKE that advice today. :D

Today is mall day with DD and her friends. I will be walking miles while they are shopping. I haven't exercised since Friday.

Here we go again! ::yes::

[lulu201]

:hug: to you, Dear princess: Doe-Doe, and :sunny: to light your path. I'm sorry that your day didn't go like you'd have liked yesterday, but some days are like that. ::yes:: Today is a new day, though, and a new week--a chance to begin again, so go forward with hope in your heart and belief in your ability. Stop for a minute somewhere during the day and remember all that you've accomplished, Miss Size-10-Red-Skirt. An off day can't take all your victories away.

Enjoy the mall; I'm in the mood for a mall day myself, but I don't see it happening today. Maybe it's just as well--I won't be tempted to take advantage of the sales!! Be careful on the roads; ours are a bit icy this morning.

More :hug:s for you,

princess: Lulu

[DoeWDW]

I'm in the worst part of the D-Zone - all will be well by the end of the week!

1. Meds taken.
2. 12 oz water so far.
3. B = protein bar (3g).
4. Mall walking miles! The girls will probably be at the mall for 3 hours. Park City is built with a middle hub with 8 spokes going out. I'm going to start at one spot, walk down and back on each spoke and work my way around. I'm curious to see how long a distance that is - this mall walking could become a regular thing. I'll be walking at least 4 miles but I won't be trying to keep to a race pace. I'm going to turn up my nose at the nasty carby food stands :snooty: and take legal snacks.

I'm going to borrow some of Erin's sunny :sunny: attitude and march forward into my day, with purpose and with a smile!

[lulu201]

Doreen, hang in there today, OK? I know that D-Zone yukkiness you're going through. Hold on and ride it out. ::yes:: The walking and the legal snacks will make it manageable. Go try on some more size 10 clothes--even a size 8. It'll motivate you to stay on the right track.

:hug: ,
Erin

[lulu201]

I'm stopping by again, WISH-sis, because I know today may be a little tough after yesterday. I hope you all had fun at the mall.

I'll check in on you tonight to see how you're doing.

Erin

[DoeWDW]

We're back from the mall. I ate my legal snack - trail mix (16g). I also had 3 bites of Dippin' Dots (9g maybe?) Total so far today = 28g. I'm really hungry so I'm going to go make some tuna salad for dinner before I have a melt-down and make all kinds of bad choices! :p

I walked 5 miles at the mall, but the other people and the sidewalk sales displays really hindered my pace. I gave myself a blister on one foot - will have to research what to do about that - or I would have walked more.

Thanks for checkin' in on me, Erin! Knowing you're there is helping me to go make legal dinner instead of snacking on bad stuff! ::yes::

[A1A1]

Doe, you are doing a good job of managing the D-zone. It is almost over, and you just hang in there. Your walking is so fantastic. Seems like the greatest way to outsmart the "D".

Keep your eyes focused on the end of the week, and the knowledge that it is almost over and you are still in control even though you might not feel like it. You have kept going today and continued to work toward your goals in spite of the "D".

Have a good night's rest.

Thank you for your continued support while you are in the midst of a challenging time.

[septbride2002]

Hey there Doe - sounds like you had a good day although you did mention you were hungry - If I may offer some advice. On days where you know you are going to be walking long distances you need more then just that protein bar. Try making an omelet or something with lots of protein in it and maybe 10 carbs. That way you will have more energy and the protein will stay with you longer. Good job on bringing healthy snacks with you to the mall and avoiding the junk food. I was in a mall yesterday and I swear the Aunti Anne's pretzel were screaming my name. I ran through the mall with my hands over my ears....I got some funny looks so I dont' suggest this. :D

I know you are going to stay strong through dinner - Enjoy your tuna salad!

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

Let's see - I was at 28g carbs. I ALMOST caved but I thought of all of you and my little bear who was so looking forward to a new number this evening. My WISH buds have rescued me again! :grouphug:

I did lots of chopping - quadrupled the tuna salad recipe! It turned out delish, with lots of chopped celery, green peppers and sweet red onion for crunch! There's plenty left for me to take to work or to have as a quick snack after work.

Amanda, you are right! I need more fuel for my walking. I was just lazy this AM. I'll have to keep my workouts in mind when planning my meals and snacks. Thanks for the reminder! ::yes::

A, you also do a great job of supporting others around here in spite of what you're going through. I've found that when I'm going through a tough time, supporting others helps me as much as it helps them. Also, I know many people won't believe me, but I truly care about everyone here. I just wish I had more time to devote to helping others.

I need to recap the food. 28g earlier, + tuna salad on crackers (18g), + sf jello & whipped cream (0g) + 2 Dove dark chocolates (7g) = 53g carbs total for today.

I did it!! I had another cheat free day!! I'm off to change my bear's number and then head to bed. Those 5 miles of walking have taken their toll - I'm tired. :D

[lulu201]

::yes:: Oh, yeah, I knew you could do it! ::yes:: Glad you made it through the day OK. Have a night filled with sweet dreams, princess: Doe-Doe!

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Good morning, princess: Doe-Doe! :sunny: :sunny: I just wanted to let you know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as you go into the day. Take good care of yourself, WISH-sis.

:hug:,
Erin

[marsh0013]

hey doe, excellent day yesterday! i'm with you on the planning food for exercise thing. yesterday i did not, and it bit me in the end. sometimes i think we may get too focused on the eating element of the plan that we forget about making it work with our exercise too. if that makes sense!

and you said "Also, I know many people won't believe me, but I truly care about everyone here. I just wish I had more time to devote to helping others." well, i surely believe you! i know many people who think that "internet" relationships are silly or useless, but this place proves them totally wrong. we may not "know" each other in the physical sense of the word (although, that's gonna change once we're all half-marathoning in less than a year!!!), but we certainly form relationships and support each other. and don't ever feel like you're not spending enough time! because i always see you posting in other people's journals, helping everyone out, i think that your support is amazing. ::yes::

hope you have a wonderful day :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

Marcia, thanks for your kind words! It will be so nice to meet everyone face to face and give real hugs instead of just :hug: icons! My big fear is that I won't want the WISHCon 2005 weekend to end!

Only a couple more D-Zone days to get through!! Then I can look forward to 2 weeks of sunny disposition and easy healthy living! It's so much easier to get through this now that I know I'll have 2 great weeks when it ends. That makes the D-Zone much more bearable than it used to be. Journalling and reading others' journals have revealed this rhthym to me and it has made a world of difference in my life!!

Today I'm back to work. I have a big meeting on Thursday to run so I'll be busy getting prepared for it.

Goals:
1. Meds and vitamins already taken!
2. 36 oz of water and peach flavored decaf green tea (so good!) down and 2 more mugs to go.
3. B = protein bar (2g) and a Splenda packet (1g) with my tea. AM snack = 2 oz honey roasted sunflower seeds (12g). Total so far today = 15g. L = tuna salad on fiber rye crackers (16g). D = ? - guess I'd better figure this out before I get home! I have link sausage and hot dogs in the fridge so I'll do something with those. Dessert will be SF jello & whipped cream or LC ice cream.
4. It's a rest day for me - didn't even bring my walking shoes to work!

Walking this walk with all my WISH buds has made this truly a lifestyle and an enjoyable journey, rather than just a drudge-y diet and exercise fad for me. I can't imagine going back to my old ways anymore - they don't seem appealing to me. Even on Saturday when I had a bit of a binge, I knew the entire time that it was just a temporary thing. I truly wasn't worried about eating like that for a week or a month - I knew it would pass quickly and I'd be craving my healthy foods again.

I'm wearing some size 10P grey wool pants from my "back of the closet" stash. It feels good!! :sunny:

[A1A1]

WWoooooooooooHHHHHoooooooooo for the back of the closet pants!!!!! That must be the greatest feeling.

WISH has truly changed how I have approached my new lifestyle. You were the first to post a response to me, Doe. I will never forget how I felt when I read the post. Suddenly, I wasn't alone on my new journey. I had friends to share the joy and the burden.

Can't wait to meet you at the 1/2 marathon and to shout ahead to you "Go Princess Doe-Doe!!!!!!!! Go!!!!!!" I know you will be far ahead of me with all your training. I will be in your dust. That's okay. My goal is to finish ahead of the sweeper, and to thank the people at the end who supported my getting there.


Hope you have a great day.... :sunny: :wave2:

[DoeWDW]

A, you are such a sweetie! Your reminder of my post to your journal reminded me that I wanted to reread your journal from the beginning. If you have the time, you should do this! It reminds me of a butterfly coming out of her coccoon, slowly and tentatively at times, but definitely an amazing and beautiful creature and spreading her wings ever more confidently. Guess I should have posted this to YOUR journal - oops! I can't wait to meet you in person! I promise I'll be celebrating your success at the half!!

I've met all my goals so far today. Carbs stand at 37g (I had an extra ounce of sunflower seeds this afternoon), which leaves me 23g for dinner and dessert tonight. I'm finishing my last mug of water for the day. I chewed a piece of Trident to outwit the Munchie Monster and the EVM (they tried to gang up on me early in the afternoon!). I'm on track for another cheat free day!!

[LAinSEA]

Doreen: I'm proud of you for sticking within your carbs and getting your training in (despite the weather). Getting into those slacks from the back of closet must have felt terrific - I know it sure gave me a lift this weekend.

I'm even more impressed that you can see past that evil D-monster! Knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel is so positive.

Thanks for your encouragement.

-Laurie

[Castillo Mom]

Well hello sister girl! You're doing great and now you're wearing pants from the back of your closet, yay!!! Don't you just love pulling clothes out that you haven't worn in a long time and find that the fit again, or maybe they're even too big? Glad you're coming out the the D-zone with lots of sunshine to look forward to. Keep up that hard work, cuz it's rubbing off on me. I took the stairs up today, twice! If you can promise to stay away from the EVM, I can stay away from the EE (evil elevator). Oh, and thanks again for offering info on the BC, I'm sure I'll have a bunch of questions for you soon. Take care Doreen!:D

[A1A1]

Doe-- I am feeling the love. I hope you are too.

Have a great day. All of your training has inspired me to get the WATP video today. I am going to try it tomorrow.

Keep up the great work. What else do you have lurking in the back of that closet??????????

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Good morning, Doreen! It's your WISH-sis wishing you :sunny: and warmth on this cold January morning!:sunny: :sunny:

Doreen, I hope you're feeling happy this morning. You've been doing the most amazing job walking through the D-Zone. Soon you'll cross over to the other side and be feeling your normal self. In the meantime, though, you've walked 5 miles at the mall :Pinkbounc , you've been wearing your 10P grey pants :Pinkbounc , and you've managed to outwit and outsmart the E.V.M.!!!!!!

Keep taking it all day by day, Doreen, and know that I'm (and many of you other WISHbuddies) are here if you need us to lean on. That's what friends are for.:happy1:

Love,
Erin

P.S. Today's afternoon beverage will be green mint tea with a touch of ginseng. I definitely see peach in my future! ::yes::

[DoeWDW]

Here's a big :grouphug: for all my special WISH buddies!! You all amaze and inspire me. You keep me smiling and walk beside me - I never feel alone! :sunny:

I did fine yesterday until the evening. I was at the pinnacle of the D-Zone. It was very stressful at home. I made a big mistake. Now, repeat after me - NO TRIGGER FOODS WHEN YOU ARE OVERLY VULNERABLE!! All the cards were stacked against me and I KNEW I shouldn't go near anything tempting.....oh well. The good news is (I'm always an optimist!) that there are no more tempting foods at home! :teeth: :crazy: I started out innocently with a double helping of salsa and a half serving of tortilla chips (within my carb limit for the day!). I should have known that I would not be able to walk away from them. I ate lots of salsa with good veggies in it! ::yes:: :p

I really didn't go too much over my carb limit but I was definitely in binge mode and ate more than I should have so I'm not counting the day as cheat free.

Today is a new day. The worst of the D-Zone is over - HOORAY!! I've got to get through today and tomorrow with the back-ache (buy stock in Advil!!) and then it's smooth sailing for 2 glorious weeks! Mentally I'm already feeling better and I expect the Whoosh Fairy to pay me a lovely visit by Sunday's weigh-in (since Erin has sent her toward my house - thank you, Erin!!).

Goals:
1. Meds and Advil taken, vitamins and more Advil with lunch! :p
2. 28 oz water down - 3 more mugs to go during work
3. B = protein bar (2g). S = 2 string cheese (2g). Only 4g so far today.
4. Need to get to the fitness center for 3-4 miles tonight.

It was family cleaning day at the dentist this morning - we descended upon the office en masse and kept 2 hygienists busy. I had NO cavities - YAY! Also, a side benefit of low carb is that your teeth stay cleaner so I was in and out in record time! DH and DD both have to go back (hee hee!) but DS and I got good reports!

Also, we found Tammi's (Rajah) favorite exercise equipment at the mall - Dance Dance Revolution for the Playstation. The kids love it and they are moving more than I've seen them move in a long time. I may use the workout mode early in the mornings before they get up - lots of fun and good aerobic exercise!

Edit: 1:30 PM
1. All meds, Advil & vitamins taken!
2. 38 oz down - 2 mugs to go.
3. Salad w/ ham & cheese, etc (15g). Total so far = 19g. I'm chewing my Trident and wishing the Munchie Monster would hang out elsewhere! :mad: I will stay away from the EVM, especially since Lisa C is staying away from the EE!!
4. Lisa C, you have inspired me! I took the stairs from the 5th floor to the 1st floor and stayed away from the EE myself!! Thanks!

Now, I've got to stop DISing and get some work done!!

[septbride2002]

Hello Doe! I hope the Munchie Monster :scared: didn't get to you today. I wanna see that bear advance another day!

~Amanda:sunny:

[DoeWDW]

OK, I'm ready to call it a day.....

Let's see, I stopped with 19g carbs. I ate 4 Dove dark chocolates (14g) - the start of a binge - but I stopped myself! I'm very proud of this!! Then I wised up and ate tuna salad on a fiber rye cracker (9g). Total so far is 42g. I'm finished for the day.

A cheat free day!!

Amanda, that Munchie Monster was doing everything to chase me down and, in the end, I WON!! <gives a big wet raspberry in the direction of the Munchie Monster> :teeth:

I just got back from the fitness center. I spent an hour and 15 minutes on the treadie....and managed to walk / jog 5.5 miles. I think that's a pace of under 14 minutes a mile? I would run for a few minutes and then walk at a 4.0 mph pace until I felt like running again. I could have kept going but DH was picking me up so I had to stop. One of these days I'd love to just keep going.....just to see how far I can go. :D

I met all my goals today, and believe me, I didn't FEEL like eating cheat free or exercising. Dr. Phil keeps running through my head also! :rotfl: I don't have to feel like it, I just have to do it!

It was a good day! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[ZerasPride]

Doe,

I am so proud of you! It sounds like you had a very successful cheat free day even though it wasn't easy. I couldn't imagine working out as long as you did today. Wow! You are my "shero". I am really impressed that you were able to stop yourself from binging! That's just wonderful. I keep similar words in my head as I go about my day when it comes to eating right or exercising - I don't have to feel like doing, just do it!

I also wanted to comment on how much your support means to me, especially on my journal. It is so encouraging to have people not just read your journal but to take even thirty seconds and give you some encouragement or a pat on the back. It means so much. I don't bother to relate to most people in the "real" world how much this internet site means to me because they just wouldn't understand. I may not be able to join you guys for the 1/2 marathon, but I will be there in spirit because you all have been here for me in spirit to lift me up when I feel bad and celebrate with me when I have a good day.

Keep up the great work.

[lulu201]

Good night, princess: Doe-Doe. It sounds like you had a wonderful day!::yes:: You are gonna leave me in the dust, Sis, when we're walking that walk--you're doing FANTASTIC on the treadie!!!!:Pinkbounc :bounce: :Pinkbounc I bet it feels good to be feeling good about your body (ya gotta love that Advil!) and working out. Feel strong and powerful, Doreen, because you are!

I'm on my way over to my journal to change my bear's outfit for the day--

Sweet dreams,
Erin

[marsh0013]

that is so great that you felt a binge coming on and just stopped! i'm so proud of you! and all that time on the treadie, absolutely excellent! when i was running my 4 miles today, i was thinking "hey, doreen is walking 4 miles today too" and you went out and surpassed that. sweet! one day you'll have the time, and i cna't wait to be impressed by the large number that you end up doing :bounce:

[DoeWDW]

Thanks, all! :grouphug:

I only have a few moments - I'm running a big meeting at 9 AM and have to get ready. :rolleyes:

Goals:
1. Meds & Advil taken. Vitamins & Advil out for lunch.
2. 12 oz water down. Peach green tea & another mug of water are about to be consumed.
3. B = protein bar (2g). I brought tuna salad & crackers for lunch. Dinner is just too far away to care about. :p
4. Rest day for me after my high mileage day yesterday! I'm feeling pretty good - thought I would be sore this AM but I'm not feeling bad at all!

Off to get ready for this meeting. I don't think it will be a good one - I haven't prepared as well as I should have. Good or bad, it will be over by noon. :crazy:

Into the day! :sunny:

[lulu201]

Good morning, Doreen!:wave: It sounds like you're ready to make today a great one. Good luck at your meeting. Today I'll drink my green tea and toast you, my dear WISH-sis.

:hug:,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Goals:
1. Meds, vitamins & Advil taken.
2. 48 oz water down.
3. B = protein bar (2g). Splenda (1g). Tuna salad on rye cracker (15g). Total so far = 18g carbs.

The meeting went better than I expected - YAY! I am breathing a sigh of relief. I have some sticky issues to resolve but I'll get through them today and tomorrow.

Now I can relax a bit. I'm tired after my long run late last evening (8 PM - 9:15 PM) and the adrenaline of getting ready and holding the meeting this morning. My brain feels like a sponge that has soaked up too much information. :p

I'm afraid I won't get much done this afternoon - am ready for a nap. ;)

Edit: 4 PM
2. 60 oz water down
3. S = protein bar (3g). Total = 21g.

I'm craving chocolate big time!! :rolleyes: However I have avoided the EVM and am heading home.

[septbride2002]

Hiya Doe! I hope that the chocolate craving goes away for you. I know that I was craving it bad last week so I feel for ya. I noticed that Erin sent you the Whoosh - can you forward it on to me when you are done? I'm feeling like a beached whale today. ;)

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

21g + 4 Dove dark chocolates (14g) + 1 sausage link (2g) + 1 C LC ice cream (8g) = 45g total today.

Another cheat free day! I'm changing my bear & hitting the hay!

[DoeWDW]

Friday is here! HOORAY!! It seems like this week has gone on a long time! :D

I'm at work and feeling stronger today. I've turned the corner on that icky D-Zone and will have smooth sailing :boat: ahead. :D

Goals:
1. Meds taken. Vitamins out. Advil put away for another month! :p
2. 12 oz water gone. Realized this AM that my peach green tea is NOT decaf - oops! Oh well, I'll enjoy the rest of it and then make sure I buy decaf in the future.
3. B = protein bar (3g). No idea about lunch or dinner but it will be low carb for sure.
4. 3 miles today - probably on the treadmill at the fitness center or possibly an hour of DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) with my daughter tonight.

Here we go, into the day! :sunny:

Edit: 1 PM
1. Vitamins taken.
2. 36 oz water gone.
3. L = 2 string cheese (2g), sunflower seeds (4g), peanut M&Ms from the EVM (28g). Total so far = 37g. I could eat 10 bags of those peanut M&Ms!! I've been craving them for a week now and finally just gave in. :rolleyes: Didn't I just write this morning how I was feeling stronger?? :confused: They are still calling me and, honest person that I am, if I give in, I will write it down here. I am going to try to hold out, though :( at least for a little while. Carb cravings lead to carb eatings lead to carb bingeings lead to more carb cravings.....I know this - yet I still am seemingly hypnotized by the little voices coming from inside the EVM. :crazy:

Edit: 7:15 PM
I avoided the EVM for the rest of my workday. However, DH and the kids really wanted pizza for dinner and I'm just too tired to care. I won't be changing my bear's number tonight, but that's OK. I'll be right back on program tomorrow. I'm hoping we get snowed in so I can cook some yummy low-carb food to have around for these times when I'm just too tired to make dinner.

I'm afraid the exercise will wait until tomorrow also. I have a headache that is begging me to just rest this evening. I'm going to take it easy on myself, eat pizza and head to bed early.

Tomorrow will be another new day. :sunny:

[Auntmeme]

Hi Doreen, thanks for checking in, it's nice to know you still care:wave2:

I've been long gone but I'm back. You have been doing so wonderfully. And peanut m&ms, oh how we love our chocolate. I see you have been running? outside? or did you join a gym? You and Erin are two mighty powerful women and I'm glad to have you both as role models::yes:: I need to keep checking in, it helps so much to see we are all in this together.

Work looks stressful but manageable and I see a birthday is almost here. You have planned a perfect place to go celebrate.

Glad to see you are doing GREAT!

[lulu201]

Good morning, Doreen. I have a busy day at work and have to be out the door in half an hour :eek: , but I wanted to jump over to your journal and give you a :hug: . I hope your head is feeling better this morning. You did get some rest, didn't you?

Move gently into the day and listen to your body--give it what it needs. It IS the weekend after all. Recharge, girl, recharge!

Wasn't it nice to hear from MeMe?:D

Take care,
Erin

[Castillo Mom]

Good morning Doreen, looks like you, Erin and I are all working today. I'm at work right now but wanted to try to at least day hello to everyone. Try not to overdo it today, like you said, it is the weekend. I'll be here until 5:00, but tomorrow I'm definitely going to take it easy. Have a good weekend Doreen.:D

[DoeWDW]

MeMe, great to see you here!! Erin and Lisa, thanks for popping in!

I'm feeling better now. I slept from 10 PM to 5 AM, was up for an hour and then slept some more until 12:30 - guess I really WAS tired! :p I got up and went to the fitness center - 3 miles on the treadie. Now I'm back home with laundry in process and cream cheese softening to make low-carb cheesecake and peanut butter protein bars for next week's breakfasts. I'm on a roll!!

I still haven't eaten yet today - that's next on the list. I'm going to make a double batch of chicken waldorf salad for a late lunch and to have around for the next couple days. DH will probably want me to make some tuna salad too. All of this is sounding so yummy and my days go so much better when I have food prepared and ready to go. I think that's part of why I was so drained from this past week - no food plan!! :rolleyes:

Tried on my bathing suit (got it new for our trip last June). DH commented that it's looking better on me now. I accused him of saying so just because I've been working so hard but he assured me that he really does notice a difference between last June and now. :D I guess I'll believe him. ::yes::

The scale said 129 this AM - looks like the Bloat Fairy has left the building!! Can I hope for a small whoosh for weigh in tomorrow??

Goals:
1. Take meds & vitamins with lunch.
2. Drink!
3. 60 carbs or less.
4. Finished! 3 miles on the treadie - ran 3/4 of a mile and walked the rest.

Now I'm off to cook! :sunny:

[marsh0013]

hey doreen! sounds like you had a wonderful day planned :). and i totally agree about the planning ahead. it seems to be everyone's downfall that when they don't plan, they fall off plan a bit. seems obvious, but we all do :)

hope you had a great day, and i hope the whoosh fairy comes and brings you a nice whooooosh tomorrow morning for weigh in :)

[Auntmeme]

Hi Doreen! Hope you're having a great saturday and that you have a better sunday:wave:

[DoeWDW]

Recap of my goals:
1. Meds taken at 9 PM - better late than never :D Vitamins still on the table - oh well.
2. Drank at least 48 oz of water - not as much as usual but better than the typical weekend day.
3. No breakfast. L = chicken waldorf salad (16g). S = 2 Dove dark chocolates (7g). D = chicken waldorf salad on low carb bread (20g), 8 baby carrots (5g). Total for today = 48g carbs.
4. Exercise was done early today - YAY!

All in all, it was a good day. Didn't get the cheesecakes made - will do them tomorrow hopefully. The peanut butter protein bars are made but they seem odd - will try one tomorrow. :confused:

Time to change my bear clippie and head to bed.

[lulu201]

Hmmm, odd protein bars. . .sounds a little dangerous if you ask me. Handle with care. ::yes::

I hope you have another good day today, Doreen! Here's some :sunny: and :wizard: to keep you on the right path. All the preparation that you're doing for the week is inspiring me to get my act together. Thank you for that!

Good luck with weigh-in today!

:hug: ,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Goals:
1. Take meds & vitamins
2. 64 oz water
3. Eat 60g of carbs or less
4. Exercise - should do some treadie time at the fitness center - at least 3 miles but who knows, maybe more?

Plans:
DD is having a friend over to play DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) as we wait for the snow to arrive this evening. I hope to take DS out for a driving lesson soon. Need to finish laundry for the week and do some cleaning. Gotta make cheesecakes. Looks like a busy day! ::yes::

[septbride2002]

Good Morning Doe! You sound like me today - lots and lots to do. I think I have enough ingredients to make some cheesecake cupcakes - and your post got me thinking about them. Yum.

It is Ice-*** here in Missouri. I can litterally here the ice hitting my windows as it comes from above. A very cold day here. I'll try to send ya a little bit of :sunny: for your day today before the snow comes.

Can you believe in less then 2 weeks we will be in sunny warm Orlando! We need to coordinate a little on our meeting on Saturday the 7th. I'm going to try to find a Red St. Louis Cardinals hat to wear so that hopefully I am easy to find. I'll also try to take a picture of me so that I can send that to you as well.

I know you are going to have a cheat free day today - as am I! Onward and downward with our weight!

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

Amanda, I am SO READY to be warm in Florida!! I sent you a PM with a picture of DH and I in it.

Goals so far:
1. Meds & vitamins taken.
2. 24 oz down - lots more to go.
3. B = PB protein bar (8g), 2 Dove dark chocolates (7g). L = chicken waldorf salad (8g). Total so far = 23g carbs.
4. Not sure I'll get to exercise today. Too much craziness going on at my house! :rolleyes: A good friend of mine just got un-engaged last night and I've already spent lots of time on the phone with him and with his ex-fiancee. :confused: I find these types of things really take their toll on me. Maybe I'll do some Pilates later.

I've gotten everything done but the cheesecakes - guess I'd better get moving on those. I also have to figure out what's for dinner tonight. So far it's been a good day! :sunny:

[A1A1]

Hi Doe! Thanks for keeping up with my journal and helping to keep me going! I have been so tired lately, that I have trouble staying online. I start falling asleep as I type.

I am so happy for your upcoming vacation. You deserve it. I hope you have a fabulous time. I will be thinking of you and sending lots of good vibes your way.

I have often wondered about pilates. Do you find you get much of a workout from it, or is it more relaxing?


Have a super day at work tomorrow. Beware EVM. Make your list. Drink your water. Take your meds.................you already know all that. Have a great day. Good thoughts to you tomorrow and always.

[marsh0013]

hey doe, hope you had a good weekend! with all the craziness going on, i hope you got a chance to take some time for yourself. whether it was pilates, or just relaxing, you owe it to yourself. here's to the beginning of a great week, hope monday treats you well :)

[DoeWDW]

The bear has the same number as yesterday - I had a bit of a run-in with some M&M Mars and Hershey's products! :eek: :rolleyes:

I'm feeling down and depressed again. I noticed it yesterday and it's really starting to hit me again. I haven't been getting outside so it may have to do with not getting enough sunshine and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It also has to do with my job - at a low point there now, and with my friend's engagement fiasco. I think all of it piled on together makes for a tough time for me. I keep reminding myself that it will pass - I just keep taking my meds. My last exercise was Saturday, so it can't be that. It's harder to stay on track with healthy eating but I know that it will help me fight the depression. I'll keep trying.

I have a 2 hour delay at work this morning because of the snow storm, so I'm still at home. I'd rather stay hidden under the covers but I have a lot to do at work so I'll try to go in, as much as I truly do not want to. Just the thought of going out into the snow and going to work makes me feel like crying - I'm very emotional today. We're supposed to get more snow today and tomorrow and even into Wednesday - I really do want to hibernate!

Sorry to be so down this morning - but I need to be honest about my feelings here so I can look back later for patterns and root causes. Isn't it amazing how I can feel so happy one day and so down the next? At least I have my journal and my WISH buddies to help keep me sane. I've learned that this is not a bottomless pit and the feelings will pass. I just have to ride it out and hang on as best I can to my healthy habits. It's nowhere close to the D-Zone so that can't be the cause - wish I knew why I go through this, what triggers it?

Goals (even if I don't feel like them!)
1. Take meds and vitamins - NEED them more than ever today.
2. Drink lots to help get rid of the junk I took in yesterday.
3. Try my very best to eat healthy.
4. Exercise may be a tough one today - if I were smart, I'd take my walking shoes and get at least 2 miles in over lunch hour inside the Capitol building.

I'm off to try to do something productive. If I just sit around, I'll feel worse. I'm going to look for the small blessings and bright spots in my day today - they are there but I'll have to look extra hard for them.

[R_Judy]

Hang in the Doreen! Ten days until you get a break from all that mess. Here is a great tip for you today. Forget the weather, forget the job and get on a treadmill. Put a disney cd in to listen to. Get your speed set for a brisk walk. Close your eyes. Take a walk around world showcase. It is 1.2 miles. Start at one country and try to remember everything you can about it. ie Mexico: see the birds in the tree? the bright pink bougenvilla? what is in the display cases this trip? A little shopping? A boat ride? WARNING DO NOT PICTURE ANY RESTAURANTS! Off to the next country. I have never made it aroound the world showcase yet. In fact I finally had to start picking up where I left off so I could see all the countries in the middle. Tomorrow could be the MK. How about a stroll through DTD. The possibilities are endless. You'll be there before you can run out of ideas. Chin up and have a great day!

PS 40 isn't to bad. Been there, done that. However 45 is way to close now.:worried:

[lulu201]

:hug: , dear WISH-sis. You need them today. As you head out to work, know that I'm saying prayers for your safe driving today.

Doreen, you're sad and low because you're a sensitive, kind, human being. You can't always be up and positive, you just can't. You went through an emotional ringer yesterday, trying to help people you care about; of course, it's going to take it's toll on you today. You're at a low point in your job--of course you're going to feel down about it! It's a terrible mess outside and you're anxious about going, especially when you know you'd rather be nesting inside--I'd want to cry, too! The point is this, and I hope I'm not being too bold for saying this: it's OK to own this sadness and lowness. You cannot be a loving, kind, sensitive soul and not feel the negative along with the positive. That's what makes being a gentle soul so bittersweet. You feel it all! The joy, the sadness--it all plays on you in a big way! It will pass, as you said, sweetie. Unfortunately, though, this is our humanness. Sometimes we're sad. Now I'm not trying to minimize your experience--I don't know what other depressive elements are factoring in here (I'm sure this winter weather does NOT help a bit, you need those Florida rays!)--but you deserve to just let yourself feel a little bad. Ask DH and Dfamily for more hugs today and be kind and gentle with yourself until the blueness goes away. It will, because you are the type of person who is just looking for the joy in the day. It will be looking for you, too, I know.

:hug: dear friend,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Erin, thank you so much. You always seem to be able to just KNOW what I need to hear. How do you do that??? Well, however you do it, I'm very grateful for your words this morning.

I'm at work. I've read some other journals and I know there are a few of us, especially Erin and Amanda and myself, (maybe others because I haven't gotten to everyone's journal yet) who are struggling to get back on track today.

Here's a :grouphug: for all of us. There is strength in numbers and I feel a number of my WISH buddies around me in spirit today. You are a comfort to me - thank you all.

So onward we go - to do the best we can today.

Goals:
1. Meds and vitamins already taken.
2. 12 oz water down & more to come.
3. B = chicken waldorf salad (6g).
4. Don't know yet about the exercise - I'll see how I'm feeling at lunch.

Edit: 1:30 PM
2. 48 oz down so far.
3. L = 2 PB protein bars (16g). These turned out so strange. I don't think I'll make them again, but I'm slowly getting used to them. They have a rather gummy and oily texture that's hard to describe. :confused: Total so far = 22g.
4. No exercise yet. :rolleyes:

[septbride2002]

Hi Doe - you are right we are all in the same state of mind today. I'm going to post something on the main board about carbs - see if you agree. I hope you are doing okay today and you are right about waiting to see how you feel about exercise. Glad to see that Vitamins and Meds are taken.

Regarding the way you are feeling - stop making yourself feel bad about it! You can't help the way you feel anymore then you can change the weather? If you feel something then embrace it. Of course you should also realize that life isn't over and there is a new day ahead. But you shouldn't make yourself feel bad or guilty over the way you feel. Accept your feelings and maybe your day will be a bit better for it. Of course I have never dealt with depression before so my advice might be a big pile of smell stuff! :D

~Amanda

[lulu201]

Hi, Doreen. Hang in there, OK? I admire you for trying those little peanut butter protein bars. . .they sound a bit, uh, how do I put this. . .questionable. :confused: :p

I'm on my way to take DD to the dr.; I'll stop back later.

Erin

[DoeWDW]

S = peanuts (5g) from the EVM. I was looking at the peanut M&Ms but I know my WISH buddies Erin and Amanda are avoiding temptation today so I opted for the peanuts without the chocolate and candy coating! :D Total so far today = 27g carbs.

Edit: 4 PM
The workday is about over and I'm getting ready to head home. I did good at work today and am feeling better about my job at the moment. It should be easier to face the workday tomorrow - if we aren't iced in! :eek: :p There's more snow on tap for tomorrow evening into Wednesday. :rolleyes:

Dinner tonight - I'll plan something on the way home. I'll make sure I eat low-carb, even if I have to make something else for the rest of the family. I want to change my bear's number this evening!! I WILL avoid the snack cabinet with the evil carby junk food in it. Maybe I'll make a low carb treat for myself!

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doe, I'm sending a big {{{{{hug}}}}} your way. I hate when I start to feel depressed. It's like you can feel the bad feelings coming from far away like the rumbling of a train on a track but you can't see the train yet but you know it's coming. I feel for you my friend. When you post on other people's journal (including mine) you are always so positive and upbeat for us. Try to be that way (just a little bit) for yourself. You said you know you have blessings and things to be grateful for and some days we do have to search harder than others to find them. But I know you will find find those rays of sunshine in your day.

Please take care of yourself and even with littles slips (who does't slip, we are all human) know that the slips make up who we are and help us get stronger in the long run. You are always such a rock for other people, let us be rocks for you now!

[lulu201]

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc Yay! You made it through the work day!:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc You talked back to the EVM and only had peanuts! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc The day is full of success for you, Doreen. You're doing this!

After you have dinner, I want you to write what you had so that when I check in around 7 or so, I'll know how you're doing. We're going to get each other through this grey day!

:wave: Erin

[DoeWDW]

I'm munching the rest of the chicken waldorf salad for dinner (16g), which brings me to 43g so far today. I have 17g to play with, but I don't think I'll even be hungry for anything else. I have sf jello and whipped cream if I need a snack later. I'm going to make a conscious effort to stay away from the chocolate, even though I have enough carbs left. I'm not sure I could stop at one piece so why start?

I got through the day because of my WISH buddies. Thank you all for walking this walk with me - even on, no ESPECIALLY on the tough days!! :grouphug:

I'm finished eating for the night so I'm going to change my bear now!! :sunny:

[A1A1]

I wish that when you are feeling your saddest, that you could close your eyes and feel our warm hugs. Close your eyes and feel your wish buddies patting you gently on the back. We are here for you. We feel each other's pain.

Hope you can get to bed early and have a restful night.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[septbride2002]

:Pinkbounc: All Right Doe! :bounce:

Way to go sweetie! You made it through the day and I am so very proud of you for staying away from the Peanut M&M's. Good for you! Big HUG! I made it through the day with you and it was tough but I feel much better for it. Tomorrow will be even better and hopefully easier for all of us.

~Amanda

[Strings]

Oh Doe, I'm so proud of you today. That EVM doesn't stand a chance with you tomorrow. In the AM try to picture that warm Florida sunshine reaching out to you. Those rays will do you a world of good.

I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you do for all of us. You are our on personal cheering section. Even when you are having an incredibly hard time yourself. I really admire you. You are really what this board is all about. Thank you for your honesty, your humor, your strength, and your support.

I hope tomorrow is a fabulous day.
Beth

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Doreen! Good job on staying away from that candy. Lots of temptation all around but you've stayed cheat free! Glad to see you're past the D zone and have the next two weeks to look forward to. I'm sending you some sunshine for tomorrow to warm you in that cold weather you're having to deal with. :sunny: Goodnight!

[DoeWDW]

I fell asleep last night around 7:30 PM - was awfully tired!! I stayed home from work today. The roads are very icy, no school for the kids, and more snow is expected during the day and evening today. I did the important stuff at work yesterday so they can live without me today.

I'm already getting things done around the house - plenty to keep me occupied! I think getting on top of things at work and at home really helps me lift my spirits. I'm feelnig better today than I was yesterday and as I accomplish more I bet I'll feel even better. I am leaving time for a nap this afternoon though! :D

The kids and I are also going to church to get the monthly newsletter ready for mailing. We live practically next to the church and walk there. The usual volunteers can't get there today because of the ice storm.

I wasn't very hungry this AM - just wanted a nibble. I had sf jello and whipped cream (0g). I know this isn't very nutritious but I'll eat better later, I promise. It just sounded good, ya know? :p

I'm off to get more done around here. I can't spend all day on the computer but I'll be back from time to time to check up on everyone else.

[lulu201]

:sunny: Good morning, Doreen. You'll be needing this sunshine today. :sunny:

We've got school, but it's grey and yukky. DD is home with a bad cold (no strep, thank goodness). I'm buzzing around trying to get a bunch of things done--it's a new day and I'm up for it. :D
The success that we had yesterday, Doreen, will be what we can build on today! Let's move our clippie bears again tonight!

Enjoy your time at home with the kids. Don't forget your meds and vitamins.

:hug: ,
Erin

[Auntmeme]

Yeah housework:p Glad to see you have a whole day planned and volunteering at your church, wonderful. The weather is horrendous, it really makes me want to hibernate. Have a great day and I never knew anyone who had jello for breakfast but there's always a first!

[septbride2002]

Doe only 9 more days for you and 11 more days for me and we will be in :sunny: Orlando, FL! I feel your pain with the ice and snow. We got the ice yesterday and the snow today. I am ready for spring! I am ready to get outside and walk/run. I am ready for SUNLIGHT!

Keep singing girl! RESPECT Find out what it means to me! RESPECT - take care of TCB! Shock it to me....... :hyper:

~Amanda

[marsh0013]

hey doreen! sounds like you have a busy day planned for yourself. don't sweat the jello breakfast, if you don't feel like eating, no need to force yourself to. i'm sure you'll eat "healthier" later in the day ::yes:: . enjoy the day off with the kiddies :)

[Strings]

Hey Doreen, I just wanted to stop by and say HI. Enjoy your day of housework. Try to stay warm.
Beth

[DoeWDW]

I'm finally back from the church! 3 hours to help get the church newsletters (675 of them!!) ready to mail out and 2 hours helping the child care center with computer problems. :D

I finally got lunch - 2 hot dogs (4g), 1 piece Velveeta (2g), 1 tbsp ketchup (4g), 2 Dove dark chocolates (7g). Total so far today = 17g carbs.

I took my meds & vitamins, thanks to Erin's reminder - would have forgotten otherwise! :teeth: I've had 24 oz of water so far - I'll be drinking more as soon as I'm done typing this.

Now I'm back and have to get more done around the house. I've been meaning to make those cheesecakes and I'm going to do it NOW!!

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doe,

I wanted to stop by and check on you. I'm glad you are back to your usual sunny self! I hope you have enjoyed your day with your kiddos. DS was home today but I couldn't stay and play with him. Oh well. Take care!

[lulu201]

I'm just stopping by to say "good night." It's only 6:15, but my bathrobe and cozy jammies are waiting for me!:p It sounds like you made it through the day without any problems. Keep walking the walk until bedtime, you hear?

Off to my knitting,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Thanks to all of my WISH-friends for stopping by! :grouphug: Your support means so much to me!!

OK, the cheesecakes are in the oven. I've been trying to make them for DAYS now and just never got to it, so I'm feeling pretty proud of getting them done. Now I'll have something for breakfast for the next 6 days and I'll have another cheesecake in the freezer - YAY!

I've been so busy today that I haven't had time to think about food. I'm still full from my late lunch around 2:45 this afternoon. I won't need much for dinner. I'll be cheat free easily today. I'm off to check the freezer for something to make the family for dinner. If it's not low-carb then I'll make tuna salad for me.

I forgot to post the other big news earlier today. I got on the scale this morning and it said 128! That's a pound lower than last week - haven't seen that number in YEARS! It's also only one pound away from a 15 pound clippie! I'll be turning 40 next Thursday - that 15 pound clippie sure would be a great birthday present!! All these cheat free days and getting back to my exercise should make it possible too.

I may be getting older, but I feel like I'm getting BETTER! Yup, my sunny disposition has returned! Let's see if I can keep it when I go back to work tomorrow. :p :rolleyes:

Edit: 8:45 PM
Dinner is finished. Grilled cheese (16g) and noodle soup (24g) sounded like the perfect thing on this snowy wintry evening and I had enough carbs left, so I had a legal indulgence. Total carbs today = 57 grams. I'm going to add a number to my bear clippie and head to bed. I'll check everyone else's journals tomorrow.

[Strings]

:jumping1: :jumping1: :jumping1: :jumping1: :jumping1:
Congratulations on losing that pound. I think a shiny new clippie would be a perfect gift for yourself. And Doe, You are absolutely getting better with age.

Beth

By the way, I've got a cheesecake in the oven too.

[septbride2002]

Way to go Doe!

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

It's Wednesday - halfway through the workweek. I was out yesterday so I came back this morning to a mountain of email and voice mail. At first I was a bit overwhelmed, but I know that baby stepping through it all a little at a time will get it all finished and out of the way. Baby steps will take me where I need to go. ::yes::

Goals:
1. Meds and vitamins already taken. :D
2. 12 oz water and 12 oz green tea are down - much more to come.
3. 60g of carbs or less today. B was low-carb cheesecake (14g) - I forgot what a truly yummy breakfast this is. :D
4. Exercise??? We'll see. It's last on the priority list today.

I feel a bit of a cold or sinus thing coming on - the sinus pressure, funny feeling in my throat, achey, glands swollen. My goal today is to drink it out of my system! :p I'll be guzzling my water in quantity today and may even have a second cup of green tea this afternoon. I have 8 days until my trip so I should be able to get rid of it by then. If I don't get to everyone's journals today, it will be because I'm too busy running to the ladies room and the water cooler. :teeth:

Off I go, into the day. When I start to feel overwhelmed I'm going to take a moment to pray about it and ask for God's direction, and then babystep through whatever is top on the priority list. :sunny:

[lulu201]

:hug: to you, Dear WISH-sis. Promise me that you're going to drink that water and tea and treat yourself gently. I like the idea of those baby steps throughout the day. ::yes:: If you do exercise, just take it easy, OK? It sounds like you're body is fighting something and may not appreciate a power walk. Are you going to just take a couple laps around the capitol? Don't over do it.

:Pinkbounc :bounce: :jumping3: :jumping4: Here's a big celebration for that pound you're missing! You're looking and feeling good! What a wonderful outlook you have as you approach the big 4-0!

Have a good Wednesday, princess: Doe-Doe.

More :hug: ,
Erin

[marsh0013]

hey doe, congrats on that pound!!! that is so great!! :bounce:

hope that all that water and tea will help to make you feel much much better. just listen to your body, if you don't get to exercise, it will be okay :)

hope you have a great day :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

I've had 64 oz water and 12 oz green tea today. I'll drink more when I get home.

I had one of those odd PB protein bars (8g) at lunchtime and some sunflower seeds (4g) for afternoon snack. Total so far today = 26g.

No exercise - got to work late this morning and had to work through part of lunch to make up the time.

I'm headed home, hopefully for a quiet relaxing evening. :D

[LAinSEA]

and turning 40 at WDW! Have a really wonderful time with your DH.

I hope the snow leaves your airport alone so you don't have any trouble getting out of town.

-Laurie

[sharoncity]

Hi Doreen!:sunny:

Hope your day is going well! Glad you took the time to stop by my journal. Your positive thoughts are so refreshing. ::yes:: Thank you for that!

I will be turning 40 in Nov (Yuck!) I want to get myself down to a decent weight before that. I think mentally I will feel much better about it if I'm were I want to be fitness wise, ya know? So Congrats on your lb loss! Good for you! Your gonna look and feel great on your vacation to celebrate!:earseek:

I'm glad to see your more upbeat. Keep up the good work and positive attitude! And I hope you flushed all those sinus/cold germs right out of your system!::yes::

I'll check back with you tomorrow!
Sharon:wave2:

[DoeWDW]

I've had another 12 oz of water (76 oz total today). I had a grilled cheese (14g) and one peanut butter cup (12g) for dinner, followed by some Tylenol Cold/Sinus make-me-sleepy medicine. :D Total carbs for today = 52g. Another cheat free day. I am not as hungry when my sinuses are clogged and my head feels like it's going to explode. :teeth: :crazy:

Thanks to all of you for checking in on me! :grouphug:

Now I'm off to find my jammies and curl up in bed with a good book until my sleepy meds kick in.

See you all tomorrow! :wave2:

[lulu201]

I guess you'll find this in the morning, Doreen, so I'll say Happy Thursday!:sunny: Are you going to stay home today or go in to work? Whatever you decide, remember to give yourself the TLC that your sick-with-a-cold self deserves. ::yes::

I'm off to my journal and then to bed--

Erin

[septbride2002]

What a great day! Good for you! Thank you for all your support today it really did help.

I promise to get a picture to you of DH and I tomorrow evening.

~Amanda

[Castillo Mom]

Wow Doreen, only 1 week to go and you'll be in the Florida sunshine, ahhh! I bet you're going to be pretty busy the next few days. I hope you're feeling better by then. Take care!:D

[A1A1]

You do so well with that water. I bet you have beautiful skin!! I hope you feel better, Doreen. Take good care of yourself today. Hope you can get some work done, even though you are feeling lousy. Put your feet up when you get home, if you can. Relax. Rest. Read. Renew.

I will be sending lots of pixie dust your way today. I am jealous but so happy for you and your dh going to WDW. I will have to live vicariously through you until I can make it there again. Hope you can post lots of details when you return.

Have a peaceful day..............................:wave:

[DoeWDW]

I'm at work today. I still have something brewing with the sinuses but I'm well enough to come in. I also had to bring a birthday/retirement cake in for a co-worker. I'm going to splurge and have a piece. The rest of the day will be low-carb.

Goals:
1. Meds and vitamins taken.
2. Water & green tea on my desk.
3. B = 1 piece of Sue's birthday/retirement cake - already gone. :teeth: The rest of the day will be 60 carbs or less. I won't change the number on my cheat free bear but I will be on plan for the rest of the day. Lunch will be a PB protein bar. Afternoon snack will be sunflower seeds. Dinner? Not sure yet.
4. Exercise? I'm still feeling this cold / sinus thing and am tired because of it. I think I'll take the day off and let my body heal. I will commit to a long walk sometime this weekend.

Only one week until my trip - I'm starting to get excited about it. DH and I have not had much couple time lately with all the snow and ice. He's so much fun to hang out with and we really have a ball together being silly and running around Disney like a couple teenagers. :p

The kids are whining about having my parents come and stay with them. :rolleyes: Oh well! My dad was a teacher for many years and tends to lecture. :teeth: I figure the kids will be so happy to see us when we come back that they'll behave like angels for a few days. :teeth: My parents really do think the world of my kids and I do think they will all have a good time in the end.

I did get on the scale this morning, and it said.....127! I don't know if I'm ready to claim it in my signature and change my clippie yet but it was great to see that number. I hope I can hang onto it until Sunday weigh in and until next Thursday on my birthday. If I see it again tomorrow, maybe I'll be ready to change my clippie then. :D

I'm a happy camper today - things seem bright and sunny. I'll be sending these good vibes out to all my WISH friends. :grouphug:

More later! :sunny:

[marsh0013]

hey doreen, i'm glad that you're listening to your body and taking a day off from exercise because you're not feeling well. and i'm also glad you let yourself have a piece of that cake! a cheat once in a while is not big deal, so i'm glad you're not letting it be a negative :).

your trip with dh should be so much fun! i know i qualify as a kiddie myself, and i hate it when my parents get to go to all these great places and leave me at home (although, they know better than to do disney without me, they're not crazy obsessed like i am :p ). but i know you (and they) deserve it, you guys need your alone time.

and 127! wow! i know you will see that (or lower!) when you have official weigh in on sunday. pre-mature congrats :p

glad your day has started out well, and i hope it continues on that way :sunny:

[honeymo78]

Doreen - today must be the day of great numbers on the scale. I'm sure that 127 or lower will be there this weekend for you. I saw 171 this morning but like you I'm going to see if its still there tomorrow before I get too excited.

I'm excited for you to go to WDW too. I can't wait to hear all about it. You are going to have such a wonderful time!

[sharoncity]

Doreen - the big 4-0 and your scale says 127????!!!!! YOU ROCK! That is sooooooo awesome! Way to go!:jumping1:

I am glad you decided to have a piece of cake. No one said you can NEVER have cake again! Sorry to hear your not feeling 100%.:( Make sure you keep on top of that and see a doctor if need be.)

Wouldn't want that to stop you from getting on that plane next week!:eek:

Alone time with the DH is so important. My DH and I try to get at least 2 days a year were we can get away without the kids. I LOVE my kids and look forward to vacation with them, but I like to have a little time to be myself with hubby and not "mom"!;) Like you mentioned, the kids will be so happy when you get home, they may actually behave for a day or two!:p

Have a great day! Get some rest and take care of you! Maybe climb in bed early tonight with a WDW guide and dream about next week!!:sunny:

I'll check in with you tomorrow!

[Strings]

Doe, One week and counting before you see that beautiful Florida sunshine. I'm so excited for you. Time alone with hubby is awesome. I hope you're feeling better soon.

I just wanted to thank you for your comments on my journal. It really helped alot. Thanks again. You are what make WISH so wonderful.


:hug:
Beth

[tkd lisa]

Doreen: Wanted to stop by your journal and pay it forward for all the nice things you've posted on mine. So sorry you're not feeling well this week! I sure hope you're better before you leave on vacation. And enjoy that time with your husband. I think you're right, and the kids will be so happy to have you back!

Take care and I hope you're better tomorrow.

Lisa

[DoeWDW]

WISH friends, you just blow me away! The support here is so amazing - thank you all for stopping by my journal! :grouphug:

I'm getting ready to head home. I've had 72 oz of water and 12 oz of green tea. I had only 1 piece of cake (not counting those carbs! :teeth: ), AM snack of low-carb cheesecake (14g), PM snack of 1/2 serving of sunflower seeds (2g), and I still feel full!

I've been drinking like crazy and I gotta believe it's keeping my sinus / cold / whatever from getting worse. I'll keep drinking tonight at home.

It was a good day at work! :sunny:

Tonight, I'll make a little dinner and crawl into bed early with a good book!

[Castillo Mom]

Yes Doreen, rest up tonight, you'll need your strength for Disney World. Make sure to post a brief trip report when you come back. Will you be at BCV this trip? I can't remember it said BCV on your countdown timer but I think I remember the next trip after you'll be there. I can feel the excitement! Take care Doreen.:D

[septbride2002]

Hiya Doe! I agree with everyone else take it easy while you are sick. My protein power book actually says to go off program when you are not feeling well because Juice is loaded with carbs but is really good for you when you are sick. Not to mention with uneasy stomachs there is only so much you can eat. So if you feel you are in need os some extra TLC don't feel guilty and drink some juice - preferbly orange.

You did a great job and I think you made a good decision with the cake. You decided to have it and let yourself without feeling guilty. I think that is what I do wrong - I say no and then I agonize over it and how badly I want it and when I finally give in I eat to much. Why do I do that:confused:

I PM'd you about our little meet! I'm getting so excited it is hard to sleep at night.

~Amanda

[Strings]

Hey Doe,

Just checking in to see how you are feeling. Take care of yourself today. You deserve the best tlc around. Have a good day at work.
Beth

[DoeWDW]

I'm at work in training this AM, so can only do a quick update.

Meds taken, vitamins at lunch
24 oz water & 12 oz green tea down
B=lc cheesecake (14g), packet Splenda (1g)
No exercise yet

Still feeling congested in my sinuses but not too miserable. Am drinking tons to flush it away. :teeth:

Last night I had an extra piece of fish which put me just over my 60g of carbs for the day but it was basically an on-plan day with the addition of the cake. I haven't had any extra cravings and am completely on plan today. I'm happy about that!!

More later, after I get back to the office this afternoon. :wave2:

Edit: 4 PM
It's been a hectic day!

Meds & vitamins taken
42 oz water & 12 oz green tea
L=sunflower seeds (2g), S=PB protein bars (16g). Total so far = 33g
No exercise - too busy!! Will be walking tomorrow though! ;) I have a date with princess: Lulu! :D

I'm headed home. It's been a good day. I think I'm in that pre-vacation mind-set though of too much to do and not enough time. :p Baby steps........ ::yes::

On to another cheat free day! :sunny:

[marsh0013]

good morning doe! glad you're feeling a little bit better :). hope you continue down the path to being completely sinus-symptom free :)

have a great day :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

On the previous episode.....we had accumulated 33g carbs for today. :p D = Wendy's mandarin chicken salad (34g), and 2 Dove dark chocolates (7g). That makes 74g of carbs today, so I'm not going to roll over my bear. I didn't binge at all though so I'm not going to worry about it. It's still a pretty low-carb day.

I can feel the pre-vacation get-it-all-done how-will-I-ever-be-ready can't-wait-to-leave mind-set. :teeth: :crazy: I'm doing my best to keep things on an even keel and step through the basics of what HAS to get done. It is supposed to get down to 8 degrees tonight and it's windy so the wind chill is brutally cold. Amidst all the stuff I want to get done, there's a large part of me that just wants to hibernate under the covers! ::yes::

The way I look at it, what doesn't get done, didn't really need to be done anyway. The world will keep spinning even if all the things on my "to-do" list don't get checked off. :tongue:

Now, I'm off to work on the checkbook and bills and then I'm headed to bed. I have to rest up because I have a 4 - 5 mile power walk tomorrow morning with Erin. It will be the best part of my weekend and I've really been missing my exercise. This is the one thing I'm doing for ME this weekend. After all, I AM a princess: so I deserve a little fun, right?

I'll check in tomorrow afternoon. :wave2:

[marsh0013]

no cheat free, ah well. you still did well. as long as you feel good about it, i think that's all that matters :p

have a great walk tomorrow morning! enjoy yourselves girls! you most definitely are a princess: and you deserve it! :)

[DoeWDW]

It's Saturday! YAY!!! It seems like this weekend took forever to get here! It's going to be a busy one, but at least it doesn't involve going to work. :)

The plan:
1. Take meds & vitamins this morning with breakfast.
2. Drink!
3. B = scrambled eggs & ham. L = a Subway low-carb wrap. D = the roast I SHOULD put in the crockpot for tonight. :p Gotta do that before I leave this morning.
4. 4-5 mile princess: power walk with a friend! :happy1:

My bear will finish with either 21 or 22 days in January. I have mixed feelings about this. I wish the number was higher, but being realistic, that's 2/3 of my days cheat free and even some of the other days I was only over by a small amount. I may go back through my journal to see how many actual binge days I had - those are what I'd like to minimize next month. I'm pretty proud of having 2/3 of my days on plan and I am losing weight, which is the goal at this point, so I must be doing OK.

Onward and downward, into my busy day! :sunny:

[sharoncity]

Doreen - I think having 2/3 of your days "cheat-free" is WONDERFUL!:earseek: You have to recognize that you can't stay OP 100% of the time for the rest of your life. Staying OP for 2/3 of your life is much more reasonable and likely. So, CHEERS to you for doing so well in Jan!

Hope you get a bunch accomplished today. I know that it can seem pretty daunting before you go on a vacation, especially when leaving the kids home. But, you'll get it all done and then really be able to relax and enjoy your time with DH in WDW! Just keep thinking about that when it seems like too much!:teeth:

TTFN-
Sharon

[marsh0013]

hey doe, hope you had a wonderful day and a wonderful walk with erin! i'm sure you 2 had a great time :)

and i agree with sharon. 2/3 is a great fraction of days to be cheat free. nobody is perfect. but you are doing an excellent job. and like you said, i bet some of those "cheat" days were barely over. here's to a great february to come! :bounce:

[septbride2002]

Okay girlie! What is the official number? If you were 21 days cheat free you were 67.7% cheat free if you were 22 days you were 70.9% cheat free. Those are great numbers! I think we should all be very very proud of our numbers this month. Like you I am going to go back and re read my journal for the month to see what my pitfalls were. I'm going to mark them on a Calender to see if I can pick up any other patterns. I know one of mine is drinking:rolleyes:

I hope you had a great walk with Erin and I can't wait to read all about it! I've started packing for the trip and last night to keep me busy and not eating I worked on my Room Request fax for the AKL, put together out contact information for friends and family, and organized all of the paper work we would need. I'm getting so excited. I may go watch a Disney Movie this morning. :crazy:

Talk to ya soon!

~Amanda

[Strings]

Doe,

YOU WILL BE IN WDW THIS WEEK! HOORAY!

I hope you had a great walk with Erin. I know the next few days will be frantic, just remember to take sme time for you.

Have a great Sunday.
Beth

[DoeWDW]

WISH-buddies are the BEST!! Thank you all for stopping by! I was feeling a bit sorry for myself this morning, but I found all these wonderful notes in my journal. You have all uplifted me. I made myself breakfast and am back here to savor a DIS WISH journal break as I drink my hot tea and eat my low-carb cheesecake. I'm not feeling sorry for myself anymore!! :D :grouphug:

Yesterday was not cheat free but, thanks to all my WISH buddies and their encouragement, I'm celebrating 21 cheat free days in January. I'm feeling good about it!

I spent a lovely 2 hours with Erin yesterday morning. We walked 4 miles worth of mall laps, talking and laughing. The time just flew by. Then we had lunch with my DH and DS. Our time together was over much too quickly and she was off into the rest of her busy day, but I'm so thankful that we could spend some fun time together AND get our exercise in at the same time.

We headed home soon afterward with a few stops on the way for various errands. My head cold started to really kick in last evening as I was trying to accomplish things around the house. I finally gave up, ordered pizza for dinner, took some sleepy-time cold medicine and went to bed! :rolleyes:

This morning I took care of my duties at Sunday School and have come home to eat a late breakfast, do a little DIS journaling, and then slowly try to get things ready for our trip. I'm sure there will be a nap this afternoon. :D We were supposed to go to my parents' for the Super Bowl but I cancelled to save my strength and to keep them from getting my cold (they're staying with my kids while DH & I are at Disney).

I'm off to check everyone's journals. I may not do a lot of posting - am just so tired - but I want to read what everyone's been up to. :D

[Strings]

Doe,

Take care of yourself. Take that nap, pop some vitamin C, plenty of fluids, relax a little bit. You have to get better for WDW. Ok, I'm ut of Mom mode. Just take it easy.
:hug: and healing:wizard: coming your way.
Beth

[CourtasanSatine]

just take care of yourself and get better to visit Mickey,ok out of big sister mode(too younge to be a mom yet:) ).Get well PD :wizard: on the way

[DoeWDW]

I'll take all the mothering and big-sistering I can get today!

I am still miserable and, to top it off, have gone totally off plan! :rolleyes: My DH & DS brought Dr. Ben & Dr. Jerry home from the store for me - they thought they were being helpful and aiding in my recovery. Oh well. I have done the research for the rest of you! If high carb intake cured head colds, I'd know it by now. :teeth: :crazy: I'm sad to report that it does not. It just makes your tummy feel as bad as your head. :( You'd think I'd know better by now! :confused:

At this point, I'm taking some sleepy-time cold medicine and calling it a day. If I feel this bad, I may stay home from work tomorrow. I only have a few days to kick this cold before our trip to WDW. Flying with a head cold = too much ear pain and I'm just not up for that!

The one good thing I did today was drink a ton of water and another ton of hot decaf green tea. I'll continue to flood my system with water and hope this passes quickly.

Night all! :wave:

[A1A1]

Doe - hoping that you feel better tomorrow. I can't imagine your missing your trip. Loads and loads of pixie dust to you for your speedy recovery.

Thank you for doing the research on Ben and Jerry's for us. I was about to do the dog biscuit research for the group, if anyone is interested.

Hope you sleep well, and have a restful day tomorrow. :D

[Castillo Mom]

I'm sorry you're still not feeling well Doreen. You still have a couple of days left before you leave, so hopefully it'll be enough time for you to get better. Take care Doreen, and try to rest the next couple of days.:D

[R_Judy]

Hang in there Doe! Keep up with your water to help flush out all those bad toxins. Get better and enjoy your trip.

[DoeWDW]

I am at work - sheer guts and determination have prevailed!! However, I need to write a quick note to my boss:

"Dear Kevin, I am at work today. However, I will not be doing any actual work. You see, my desk is covered with Kleenex, a mug of water, a cup of ice, a mug of hot tea, my meds, my vitamins, my cold medicine, hot oatmeal and my cough drops (with Vitamin C). Therefore I have no space on my desk to do any actual WORK." :rotfl: :rotfl:

I hope he doesn't mind! ;)

I am at WAR with this cold and I am armed to the teeth! No cold could possibly survive all the many ways I am trying to help myself get better. :sunny: :sunny:

My goals:
1. Take meds, vitamins, cold medicine and cough drops as needed.
2. Water and hot decaf green tea - as much as I can possibly consume!
3. I'm shifting from strict low carb to more of a controlled carb diet until this cold leaves. That means I'll eat low glycemic carbs in moderation and keep my fat intake lower.
4. No exercise until I get to WDW on Thursday. I've got too much to do and not enough energy, thanks to this cold, so I'm taking a break.

I'm feeling physically rotten but, as you can tell, I'm feeling mentally and emotionally sunny. :sunny: I'll be back with updates throughout the day.

[lulu201]

:hug: and :hug: and :hug: and :hug: and :hug: and :hug: to you, Doreen! Tell Kevin that he's to leave you alone and not bug you with any of those work-related details! You've got sunny :sunny: Florida to think about!

Make sure take a lot of those Vitamin C cough drops, too.

I'm headed to work around 1:00; I'll try to pop in before then.



:wave: Erin

[sharoncity]

Hi Doreen!:sunny:

I am sorry to hear that this silly head cold of yours is fighting back. I thought we had this thing licked last week with all the fluids!!!??? Oh well, keep on taking the vitamin c and LOTS of fluids. You'll feel better soon I'm sure.:teeth:

I am glad to see you have a plan for the week that takes into account your health. While not staying OP with what you usually do, you have planned to stay OP with a new plan (does that make ANY sense?:confused: ) I'm trying to say, good for you for recognizing that your body needs a little TLC this week! Take it easy on the exercise, although I'm sure you'll still get plenty rushing around getting ready to go;) !

Only a few more days to WDW! I am soooooo jealous!:crazy:

TTFN-
Sharon

[honeymo78]

Doreen it looks like you have a great plan to kick that cold before you leave for WDW. That note for your boss is so funny:D :) Here's some pixie dust to help clear up that cold:wizard:

[marsh0013]

doe, i'm sorry you are feeling physically icky, but very glad that you are emotionally happy :sunny: . you are doing a great job of staying positive when your body is not cooperating!

hope your body feels better and you continue having a :sunny: disposition day :)

[DoeWDW]

Lunch time is here and I'm hanging in there. I've been managing to get work done - lots to do at the office before my trip. After my trip I'm scheduled for 3 days of training, so I'll be out of the office for over a week total.

I am taking cold meds & drinking tons. I've let everyone know that I am not responsible for anything I do while doped up on high-powered cold meds....:laughing:

I'm not really hungry but I know I need to eat. I may venture to the cafeteria to see if there's any decent soup.

All in all, the day is passing and the meds are helping. :sunny:

[Strings]

Doe,

Take it slow today. Yes, I know there's tons to do, but save some of your strength for getting yourself better. Eat something please. I'm glad you're in good spirits.
Beth.

[lulu201]

Hey, girlie, hang in there. You're going to make it through the day and then you can go home and crash. Try to avoid another visit from Drs. Ben and Jerry--for the sake of your tummy--but definitely let dfamily take care of dinner for you.

:hug: ,
Erin

[septbride2002]

Doe remember what I said about being sick and following plan - sometimes you have to go off it to get what your body needs. And right now your body may need some extra carbs. Just do what you feel is right.

Thanks for helping me decide if the day was cheat free or not. It is good to start the month off on the good foot rather then climbing up hill. Now lets just hope I can maintain my cheat free days until Friday. After that I am in Carb heaven until the 14th! Then back to the grind! :) I can't wait to se you! Only 5 more days and we will be sitting on Main St.

~Amanda

[DoeWDW]

Well, I'm glad I helped someone today - didn't seem to be able to do much right for myself. :rolleyes: Plan, what plan??? :confused: Oh well. I'll be back on plan when I get back from Disney. Until then, all bets are off! I'm taking a one week break.

The cold meds were a big help today, except in my afternoon meeting where I literally was dozing off while sitting next to my boss! :eek: :crazy: It was a dull meeting and the information being presented was not pertinent to me. Truth be told, I think my boss was dozing a bit too! ;)

Tomorrow is supposed to be an icky mess weather-wise - sleet and freezing rain and snow, all totalling up to 2 - 4 inches of yuck! I think I'll call in sick - because I AM sick, sick of yucky icy wintry cold nasty weather! Well, I also have this cold that I'm trying to kick before my trip.

Gee, I'm sounding grumpy this evening. Guess I am a bit grumpy - sorry all. I sound sarcastic and nasty and cynical. This truly isn't my normal sunny personality. I'm going to do a couple small things around the house and head to bed. I'm not doing anyone much good tonight.

Tomorrow will be brighter. :sunny:

[lulu201]

Aww, Doreen, it's no fun being sick. Call in tomorrow and get some rest! Had to smile, though, at the thought of you dozing through your meeting, all drugged up on cold meds.:faint: .

Here's a good night :hug: , princess: Doe-Doe,
E.

[CourtasanSatine]

:hug:,:hug:,:hug: and :wizard: get well vibes via Harry Potter(I'm rereading the books)

[septbride2002]

Where is my :sunny: Doe? :(

Okay so here is what the Doctor prescribes ((I'm not a real Dr. I only play one on TV) Chicken Soup with crackers, Orange Juice and lots of it! Rest, Relaxation, and if you can get a massage then I prescribe that as well. Do that tomorrow and then call me on Wednesday morning!:tongue:

~Amanda

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Good morning, Doreen!:sunny: :sunny: I hope you're feeling better this morning and have a chance to sleep and rest and get all strong again.

:hug: for your day,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Amanda, wish I could afford that massage - it sounds heavenly!! Since you prescribed it, do you think my health insurance would cover it?? :teeth: Oh, that's right, you're not a real doctor - bummer. :( Well, even the THOUGHT of a massage is relaxing....so I'll close my eyes and dream.....:scratchin

I am feeling a bit better in my head, although my body is more tired (does that make sense?? :confused: ). I'm taking the day off work, so I'll have a chance to move slower and rest up. We're due for some nasty winter weather today and, since my kids walk well over a mile to get home from school, I'll be here to pick them up and save them from the sleet & freezing rain.

My plan today:
1. Take meds & vitamins.
2. Drink TONS!!
3. Try to make reasonable food choices. I'm having low-carb cheesecake for breakfast.
4. I did my 20 minute Pilates workout this morning. No more exercise though - will be using my strength to get a few things ready for my trip, although a lot is already finished.

I'm also helping the local day care with their fundraising efforts, so I'll probably spend a couple hours there helping them prep mailing labels for their annual fund drive. They needed computer help so I volunteered to redo their database, put it on their new computer and teach them how to create the mailing labels. I already have everything working at home - just need to move it over to their computer & teach them.

I'm feeling sunnier this morning - can't believe how cranky I was last night! :D I'm off into another busy day, but will be trying to take it slow and easy.

[septbride2002]

Doe that sounds like a pretty full day for someone who is going to take it easy! :scratchin

Here are lots of :hug: because I want you to get better so that you won't ditch me on the 7th! Just teasing ;)

~Amanda

[Strings]

Doe,

Here's a healing :hug: Try to get a nap in that schedule, and bedtime by 9PM. I'm a mom, what can I say. I'm also naturally bossy. Do try to rest today. You've got too much to look forward to to be ill.
:sunny: :sunny:
Beth

[marsh0013]

amanda's right, i've never seen someone "taking it easy" doing so much :p . but you know what's too much for you and what's just enough. i hope that your day off from work helps you in your road to recovery. and enjoy the time that you will have to relax. i know you don't get to do that nearly enough! here's some :sunny: to make up for hte fact that it's really dreary out. ick. hope you have a great day :sunny:

[CourtasanSatine]

Here's some :sunny: to make up for the nasty weather along with a get well :hug:

[ZerasPride]

Hi Doe, I'm sorry you aren't feeling well but you'll be off for your Disney trip soon so that's got to be a bright spot in an otherwise very hectic day for you.

Please take care of yourself and thanks for always bringing a smile to my face by posting to my journal!

[lulu201]

Just stopping by to say "sweet dreams," Doreen. I hope you got some rest today and that after you went to the day care you washed your hands!!! You know I work with a lot of little kiddlings and they're dear little sneeze factories sometimes. You can catch a whole bunch of stuff in their schools!!

Have a good night, dear WISH-sis,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Thank you all for stopping by! All the extra :sunny: and :hug: and well wishes must have worked - I'm feeling better!!

I've spent the majority of the last 12 hours on the mailing labels and extra reports, etc. needed by the day care for their fundraising drive. I did my very best to make it work on their computers but finally gave up and did it on my home computer - so much easier!! ::yes:: :p Now I have a bundle of stuff to take over to their office before I head to work tomorrow morning. I'm glad they are practically next door to my house. They are a non-profit child care center with an excellent program for the kids. About 60% of the parents receive assistance from the United Way and other charities to cover the tuition - lots of single moms and families who just don't make much. My kids attended there and working with all those wonderful people again is such a blessing to me - it's like going home. Their employee turnover rate is very low - unusual in that business - and they really do love the kids!

I have neglected my packing - will be frantically throwing things into a suitcase tomorrow evening! :p Oh well, as my husband and I always say, if I forget it, I can buy it there! :crazy: :teeth:

I did manage to take a lovely nap late this morning. The puppy was so happy to have me home and we had a nice snuggle & snooze session! :P

At least the stuff for the day care is finished - it's been weighing on my mind, and I'm feeling pretty proud of the way it all turned out. I think they'll be very happy! I'm calling the day a rousing success, in spite of less than healthy food choices - no time to make a real meal and sit down to eat it.

So tomorrow, it's back to work and then home to pack. Looks like take-out food for dinner tomorrow night!

I'm feeling sunny tonight, but will probably be very sleepy in the AM - I'm usually in bed well before 10 PM! :p

[CourtasanSatine]

Just stopping with a :sunny: for tommorow and you did great today in spite of being under the weather

[LAinSEA]

Leave it there! (can you take mine away with you too?)

I wish orange juice was a low-carb option - or maybe when you get a cold orange juice is OK. Taking vitamin C just doesn't do the job of a good glassful of OJ when it comes to chasing away a cold.

Please have a wonderful time at WDW and make sure you get some YOU time!

-Laurie
:sunny:

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Good sunny morning, Doreen!:sunny: :sunny: If your weather is anything like ours this morning, you can look forward to a day of "abundant sunshine," as the weather guy put it. I love that phrase. . .it's the attitude we need to carry around with us all the time. You, dear WISH-sis, are an expert at shining your light on those around you, that's for sure. ::yes::

Are you feeling better today? I hope so! I hope you and DH have an amazing and wonderful time together. Relax and celebrate being 40! The days that we're given are gifts, I think. Make the most out of all that you're given--especially those spent in sunny Florida!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :Pinkbounc :p

It sounds like you did a wonderful thing for the day care yesterday--you shared your administrative computer gifts so freely with them. I know they must appreciate it. Hmmm, do they have a spot for you on their board of directors?

Have yourself a great day, and if I don't talk to you before you leave, have a fantastic vacation!

:hug: to you,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Actually, Erin, DH was on their board of directors - that's how I got volunteered to help them....:rotfl: !! I don't mean to make light of it - I truly am happy to do what I can for them - it's just funny that you mentioned being on the board. :teeth:

Laurie, I'll be happy to take BOTH our colds to sunny Florida and leave them there. Those Floridians get all the nice weather while we get the snow and ice - the least I can do is take presents from the cold North to them! :hyper:

Satine, thanks for popping into my journal! I promise to check on your journal more when I get back.

Oh, a bit of bad news for all my journal buddies.....things have changed at work and I won't have the same amount of time to spend on journals. I'll have to devise a rotation schedule to get around to everyone over the course of a few days! :confused:

I'm at work and feeling better. I still have that funny nasal sound to my voice but physically I'm getting back to normal.

I'll be checking in one more time before I leave but I'm not taking a laptop with me (we usually take one when we go for 2 weeks in June!). I can't imagine life without the DIS for 5 whole days but I guarantee I'll be thinking of all of you often. You've become such a wonderful part of my life that I feel as if I carry you all with me wherever I go.

I promise to take pics of my meet with Amanda on Saturday night and post them when I get back. Look for a journal entry on Tuesday morning and pictures hopefully by Tuesday evening!

:grouphug: and :sunny: to all!!

[A1A1]

Doe-----I will be thinking of you while you are on your trip. Have a safe trip, have a great time, have lots of fun, enjoy dh's company.

Can't wait to read your post next week. Glad you are feeling a little better.


Best wishes!

[septbride2002]

:Pinkbounc It's almost here! It's almost here! It's almost here!:bounce:

How exciting! "I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it! I know, I know, I know, I know I want to meet you! Meet you!" Hehehehee! I'm in a goofy mood this morning.

I said in Erin's journal that all 3 of us should get princess: hats and wear them when we post. How fun would that be! ::yes::

I hope you are feeling better and that nasty cold makes an exit soon. See you on Saturday in front of Caseys!

~Amanda

[honeymo78]

Have a wonderful trip Doreen. You definitely deserve it!

[tlgoblue]

Thanks for stoppong by my journal, and for looking out for me! I do appreciate the encouragement.::yes::

I hope you and DH have a great time in WDW. I was just visiting Dan's slide show on the gardening board and it was beautiful! I wast to just book a flight and get there right now! Have a very hapy 40th! I turn 40 this year too. DH wants to go to Vegas. Maybe I'll shock him and tell him I want to go to WDW! Sounds like a great way to start the best part of life! Have fun!

Keep the Faith!
Tracy

[Strings]

Hi Doe,

I hope you have a perfect trip. You certailnly know how to celebrate in style. I checked the Orlando weather. 81* tomorrow. We'll be thinking about you while you're gone. Take care and have fun.

Beth:sunny: :sunny:

[marsh0013]

doe have a great trip! enjoy your time with the mouse, and with dh too :p . can't wait to see a trip report and see pictures! have the best time!!!! :bounce: :sunny:

[sharoncity]

Glad you are feeling better Doe! Have a wonderful trip! Tell Mickey I said "hi!":wave:

81* and Sunny??!! OHHHH I am jealous!:Pinkbounc

[CourtasanSatine]

have a great time at WDW and say hi to Rufus,Ron and Kim(Kim Possible reference)

[DoeWDW]

I'm all packed. Our flight leaves at 7:50 AM tomorrow morning. If anyone needs me, feel free to look me up at the Dolphin. :sunny: We get home late Monday evening so I'll check back in here on Tuesday morning before I head into my training class at work.

Thank you all for your well wishes! :grouphug:

Love to all,
Doreen

[ZerasPride]

Okay, Doe, I knew this day was coming. I could see the days and hours counting down on your countdown clock but I don't think I can make it for days without one of your sunny posts. I may just have to call you for support at the Dolphin.

Of course, I'm just kidding. Have a wonderful trip. I hope the sunshine that you spread on this board follows you to Florida and then you can send it here to me in Cleveland, okay?

We'll keep the boards warm until you get back!

[lulu201]

Doreen, thanks for posting to my journal today; you know that I always look forward to hearing from you! That board of directors thing made me laugh!

I'll miss you while you're gone and I'll be waiting to hear all about the spectacular time you and DH had. Don't worry about the kids now; you know they'll be in great hands!:D

Have a safe trip and soak up some extra :sunny: for me. When you come home I'll probably be in the d-zone and peaking out from underneath some rock!:p (Now isn't that great positive thinking?:p )

:hug: to you, dear princess: Doe-Doe. Make sure you buy yourself a princess hat--or better yet, a princess Minnie Mouse ear hat--and wear it in honor of all the WISH princesses you know who are thinking about you!

:hug: :hug: and more :hug: ,
princess: Lulu

Give Amanda a hug from me!

[DavidandDenise]

I can't wait to see your pics--I'm glad you're feeling better and hope you have a wonderful trip! ::MickeyMo ::MinnieMo

[R_Judy]

Happy Birthday Doe! Hope you are having a great long weekend!

[sharoncity]

Hi Doe!:wave:

Just want to let you know I'm thinking of you. Hope you are having a WONDERFUL time! It's snowing/sleeting/raining here today. Please, please, please bring some nice weather back with you!:sunny:

TTFN-
Sharon

[Strings]

Welcome Back Doe!

I hope you had a fabulous 40th bday in WDW. How was the trip? I hope you brought the sunshine back with you. We missed you.


:sunny:
Beth

[lulu201]

:hug: :hug: and more :hug:s, Dear WISH-sis! I hope you had a great time! Welcome home!

Talk to you soon,
Erin

[CourtasanSatine]

Welcome back :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

Thanks, all, for the well-wishes!!

I'm back!! The trip was truly wonderful and relaxing. DH and I really enjoyed the chance for some time to enjoy the sunshine, warm weather and each others' company. I'll post more details and pics later tonight, after I get home from work.

I just got to work and must wade through 54 emails, multiple phone messages and still be in a training class in another building by 8:30. :p Back to business as usual, but I'm feeling more relaxed than I have in quite a while and am ready to take the day in stride. :sunny:

:grouphug: to all my WISH-buddies. I promise I'll catch up on journals but it may take a few days..... :D I'm thinking of each of you, even when I'm not posting to journals.

[DavidandDenise]

Welcome back! :wave2: I'm glad you had a great time! I can't wait to hear all about it and see pics. Have a great day and don't stress out about getting caught up with everything. TTYL! :sunny:

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

That's just to remind you of the Florida sunshine, princess: Doe-Doe. I'm so glad you had a great time. Don't stress about all the catch up work if you can help it. You know it'll all get done, but remind yourself that you can't do it all in one day!

How did DD and DS do with their grandparents? :D I bet they had fun making some memories of their own.

:hug:s for your day,
princess: Lulu

[marsh0013]

welcome back doreen!!! :bounce: we have missed you around here :). hope your busy day at work goes well. don't worry about getting to everyone's journals, we know you're busy and catching up. pop in when you get the chance, i can't wait to see pictures!!! :sunny:

[Samandmom]

Welcome Back Doe!!!

Glad you had a great time. :Pinkbounc

[honeymo78]

Welcome back Doreen! I'm glad you and DH had a wonderful time. Take your time getting to journals - we know you are thinking of us even without your posts. I can't wait to hear all about your trip and see some pictures, especially to see that all your hard work is paying off.

[DoeWDW]

B = Atkins Morning Start bar (2g)
S = peanuts (4g)
L = Subway low-carb wrap (10g)
Total so far = 16g carbs

I need to get back on plan. I made SOME good choices while on vacation but not all healthy food. :p The scale was up to 132 this morning - thank goodness I can still keep my 10 pound clippie. I figure if I drink lots of water and get right back on plan, those extra pounds should melt right off.

I walked a lot but forgot my pedometer, so I don't know how many miles - would have been interesting to know that.

I'll post a quick trip synopsis here - if you have questions, ask away! I'll also remember things later so this may get edited as my memory allows.

Thursday - dropped the kids at school in 16 degree weather & hopped a plane (actually 2 planes - switched in Charlotte). We got to the Dolphin around 1 PM. The front desk clerk found out through conversation that it was my 40th birthday so she gave us a corner room that was recently renovated, king-sized Heavenly bed, balcony - just amazing. We looked out over the lake, the Tower of Terror and the Mickey hat at MGM Studios. The weather was gorgeous - sunny and in the high 70s.

We were headed to Epcot and stopped at Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club for a quick lunch of burgers & fries.

I was wearing my MK birthday button from a previous trip. We went to Epcot and the security people checking bags wouldn't let me in until I put on an Epcot birthday button that they gave me - now I'm wearing 2 birthday buttons and practically every cast member is wishing me a happy birthday!

We strolled through Epcot, stopping for Mission Space and Living Seas, and then took the monorail to MK. They put us in the front of the monorail (the cast member saw my birthday buttons). We strolled through the MK, saw Mickey's Philharmagic (great!!), Pirates, etc. and then took the monorail back to Epcot for more strolling, and then home to the Dolphin for the night. On the way back from Epcot we stopped at the ESPN Zone on the Boardwalk and got turkey wraps to go so we could eat them back at the room.

We had been up since 4 AM and were exhausted so we called it a day.

More later!

[DoeWDW]

Friday of my weekend trip to WDW:

The weather on Friday was HOT - mid-80s and sunny!

We went to visit the hot tub early in the morning - had it all to ourselves - aaaahhhhh.

I know we spent time at MGM. We rode Rock n Roller Coaster, played Millionaire, did the Great Movie Ride, got a photo with Mickey, saw the afternoon parade from the BEST spot, had a Mickey bar, had a salad with grilled chicken at the Brown Derby (fair) - not necessarily in that order.

We knew cold weather was coming the next day and wanted to make the most of our evening so we went to Epcot to get a margarita and see Illuminations. We also stopped by Germany for a ham & cheese sandwich on pretzel bread (threw away half my bread) and apple strudel. Very nice evening!

[cinmell]

Welcome back! I'm glad you had a great time. ::MickeyMo

[DoeWDW]

Saturday of my weekend trip to WDW:

It was a little chillier and definitely windy! Highs were in the mid 60s.

We headed for Animal Kingdom early, as it opened. We did Conservation Station, got pics with some characters, saw Festival of the Lion King from the front row (WOW!), got salads with BBQ chicken from Flame Tree BBQ to take back to the room. These were not nearly as good as when we got them on prior trips, but they did the trick.

We took an afternoon dip in the hot tub and had a short nap and then it was time to go to the MK and meet Amanda and her DH, Brian in front of Casey's. They are the sweetest people and an adorable couple! Amanda and I abandoned the guys and went in search of princess hats. We tried on several kinds, made our selections, and headed back to our guys. We chatted until time for Spectromagic and then chatted more until Wishes. We eventually walked out to the busses together and said our goodbyes. It was FREEZING that night but we all survived (except maybe Brian, who was looking perfectly frozen :( ). I'll post pics later - I promise!

Back at the Dolphin, my DH finished watching the Bud Shootout while I went to the Dolphin Fountain and got us dinner to go - hot dogs, fries & milkshakes. The food there is mediocre at best.

[DoeWDW]

Sunday of my weekend WDW trip:

We got up late and had breakfast at Fresh in the Dolphin. This place is fabulous! We'll definitely be going back. It's a buffet style meal but they make eggs and omelets to order as you watch, they have rotisserie meats (turkey & ham that day), they had strawberry cream cheese french toast, so much wonderful food and really worth the money!

I visited the hot tub while DH watched NASCAR stuff on TV. We took another nap - I LOVE afternoon naps!

We ate dinner at Le Cellier around 4:30 - cheddar cheese soup, a filet, cream cheese mashed potatoes, asparagus, a really great red zinfandel and chocolate club cake (the cake was so-so).

We strolled over to MGM - DH likes to see it with the lights on at night. We rode Tower of Terror at night - so cool! DH walked around while I did some browsing.

[DoeWDW]

Monday of my weekend WDW trip:

I had to get one last trip to the hot tub in! It was a chilly walk out there but worth it!

We packed up and dropped everything off with Bell Services. We walked through Epcot and took the monorail to MK again. We had lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern - I had a Colony Salad that was just heavenly! My only complaint in this restaurant is the noise level! :rolleyes:

Then we stopped to finally get a Dole Whip - YUM! We took the bus back to the Dolphin, shopped a bit and met our towncar for the trip to the airport. We were home by about 10:30 PM and greeted by the kids and a very happy puppy (she's a real Mama's girl and missed me a lot!).

I stayed up to do a load of wash and got to bed around 12:30.

[DavidandDenise]

That was an awesome summary! ::dreaming of Disney:: :)

[LAinSEA]

Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday! Welcome to your 40's!

-Laurie
:sunny:

[DoeWDW]

We stopped with a carb count today of 16 - it was lookin' cheat free. However, I'm in training and was seriously falling asleep. I had 3 pieces of chocolate (18g) and then my boss suggested getting a Coke (42g).

Now I'm wide awake but I've had 76g of carbs and I still need to eat dinner. :rolleyes: Oh well, there are worse things in life and I'm not going to stress about this. I'm just going to continue to count my carbs and try to eat on plan the rest of the day.

[Strings]

Doe,

I loved your trip report. You got to experience some major pixie dust while there. I can't wait for our next trip. I want to try Fresh. I know you'll get back on track tomorrow. I hope the training goes well.
:hug:
Beth

[Samandmom]

What a great way to spend your birthday!!! :teeth: I get the privelage of meeting Amanda and Brian tommorrow night. :Pinkbounc

[CourtasanSatine]

:wave: and welcome back,also great trip report :)

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Good morning, princess: Doe-Doe!:sunny: :sunny: Thanks for bringing me home some of that Florida sunshine! It sure brightened up my day yesterday. Looking out the window this morning, I see that there's some left over for today. Hooray!:Pinkbounc

Thanks for giving us all the details of your trip; it sounds like you and DH had a wonderful time. Hot tubs, romantic dinners in Epcot, evening strolls through MGM--sigh. How nice it was for the two of you. As you ease back into the rhythm of the day-to-day, take five and remember your fun, OK? Sometimes coming back (re-entry) is hard.

:hug: for the new day,
Erin

[DoeWDW]

Oh, Erin, you are so right about re-entry being hard!! But since you've pointed that out and I know it's true, I'm going to give myself permission to get better each day rather than fight to be "on plan" right away. It's just too hard with all the after-vacation catch-up stuff!

Last night fell apart. I'll only say that it involved pizza and chocolate.....enough said.

Today I'll be back to the goals:
1. Meds taken. No vitamins - I'm at another location in training and don't have them with me. At least I took the meds I forgot yesterday! :D
2. Water - 16 oz Dasani bottle is almost gone and I'll be refilling it and keeping track!
3. Food - B = Atkins bar (2g). It will be easy to reduce my carbs from yesterday! :teeth: :eek:
4. No exercise and I'm not going to stress about it!

The d-zone is coming on - I feel it. It's okay because it will pass whether I try to fight it or I just ride it out, and I think riding it out sounds like the way to go.

The digital camera is sitting by the computer at home so I can download vacation pics tonight! :teeth:

[DavidandDenise]

Yup, just take it easy--you'll get back on track. Your goals for today look good. Have a wonderful day! :)

[marsh0013]

doe, it sounds like your trip was absolutely wonderful! i'm so glad you had a time away for you and dh! hope you had a great birthday :teeth:

as for getting back on track, definitely a good idea to take it slow. like you know, the dzone is not to be taken lightly! do what feels right for you, and you will make it through.

i'm looking forward to your pictures, can't wait to live vicariously through them :)

hope your day is going and continues to go well today :sunny:

[CourtasanSatine]

have a :sunny: day today :hug:

[Strings]

Come on and join the ride. I hope DZone takes it easy on you this time around. I think you are right to listen to your body and take it easy. We'll be here to help you through. Enjoy your trianing today.

:sunny:
Beth

[DoeWDW]

Today I will focus on what I've done well, rather than on what I haven't done:

1. Meds taken!
2. Water - 48 oz down and another 16 oz bottle in front of me for the afternoon. I'll easily hit 64 oz today!
3. Food - cashews (7g). Total so far today = 9g. I have another Atkins bar for the afternoon if I need it. I could have gotten a Subway wrap but I'm just not that hungry and couldn't see eating just because it's lunch hour. I passed on the doughnuts yesterday and the brownies today that our trainers brought in.
4. I walked up the stairs several times already today - probably amounts to 5 floors' worth of stairs but spaced out over several hours. I'm not taking the elevator if it's only 2 floors away.

Tomorrow I will weigh less because I'm getting my hair trimmed tonight! :teeth: :crazy: :tongue:

[sharoncity]

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Doe - you are too funny! Nothing like a good old hair cut to drop the weight!!!:teeth:
Sounds like your day is going well - good for you! Remember to take those baby steps!

TTFN-
Sharon:sunny:

[DoeWDW]

I'm still celebrating the good stuff and there's LOTS of it!!

2. Water = 64 oz - YAY!
3. Late afternoon snack Atkins bar (3g) = 12g. I came home from work starving so instead of eating junk I made half a ham & cheese sandwich (14g) and had 2 Dove dark chocolate promises (7g). Total so far today = 33g carbs. That leaves 27g for dinner. It would be so nice to have a cheat free day today!!

I got a Valentine's card from a dear friend - totally unexpected!! It really made me feel good!! :sunny:

I'm surrounded by blessings! I've just been forgetting to look for them! It's amazing that I can feel this good in the midst of the d-zone!

[Castillo Mom]

Good to see you're doing well Doreen. Happy belated birthday! I'm keeping it short tonight, will try to catch up with your journal tomorrow. Night!

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Sunny thoughts to you, Dear princess: Doe-Doe!:sunny: :sunny: I hope they follow you through your day! How are you feeling this morning? Light and skinny from that hair cut? :p

I'm checking out my schedule for some walks--too bad I can't do it Saturday 'cause the weather's supposed to be mighty fine--and I'll pm you when I get my act together.

I'll be drinking some decaf orange green tea this afternoon and I'll raise a cup in gratitude to you, Marcia, Beth, and all the other WISHers who are joining me in a walk through the dzone. Hang in there, girlfriend. We have seen the light and we know that we'll soon cross back over to it!!:cool:

Did you get a chance to take those vitamins today? Try, OK?

I'm heading out to work. Take care, Doreen.
:wave2:
Erin

[DoeWDW]

I have an announcement to make!! I have LEGS!!

Yes, it's true! I have not worn a skirt to work for YEARS! Now that I'm 40 and returning to the office after my WDW trip and a few days of training, I'm in my size 10 red skirt! I figure it will help chase the d-zone blues away if I'm lookin' good!

Oops, training is starting so I'll finish this later..... :p

[DavidandDenise]

SEXY! :smooth: Congrats! That is so awesome! And, you did so well yesterday with eating and the water. Congrats on the new look; you own the red skirt! Have a great day! :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

Today:
1. Meds taken. Vitamins with lunch, thanks to Erin's reminder! I truly would have forgotten, WISH-sis!! :happy1:
2. Water - 24 oz down, more to come. :boat:
3. Food - I'm at another site for training & forgot to bring breakfast. I did the best I could - Dannon strawberry yogurt (29g) and cashews (7g). That comes to 36g but they say you don't need to count all the carbs in yogurt.
4. Exercise - maybe....

Back to training!

[honeymo78]

Woohoo, look at you in the little red skirt!! You must feel wonderful :sunny: Have a great day :wave:

[CourtasanSatine]

always great news,:sunny: for you today

[Strings]

Woohoo! Check out Doe in the sexy red skirt. I think you may have stumbled onto the cure for DZONE. Let's take monthly trips to WDW. Keep the :sunny: going. Enjoy your training.
:sunny: :sunny:
Beth

[DoeWDW]

I'm back in the office - my 2.5 days of training have concluded. The class was excellent and has helped me feel more confident in my job. It was time well-spent!

1. Vitamins taken.
2. 42 oz water so far.
3. L = Subway wrap (about 15g), total so far = 51g.
4. I'm still thinking about that exercise....maybe a trip to the fitness center tonight to use their treadie for a quick 3 miles.

Yesterday was not cheat free but that's life. I fall apart in the evenings when I don't have menus planned. I didn't binge, though - just ate a dinner too high in carbs - so that's progress. Sometimes, in the midst of the d-zone, a day without a chocolate binge is the best I can hope for. :p

Thanks for all the comments about my skirt! I really do feel pretty good in it! It's fun to wear something different. I have a Kohl's gift card from Christmas and I may hit the mall this weekend to look for more modestly priced clothes that make me feel this good! I definitely need some ladies' unmentionables though - treating myself to new undies & bras is a top priority!

DD has a friend staying with us for the weekend, but we have a pretty unbusy schedule. I intend to get back to my exercise routine, plan meals for next week, do some shopping for ME for a change and get some extra rest!

[Strings]

Shopping for you is a must. You deserve it. I did it alst night, loads of fun. Just be warned, you are shopping in the midst of Dzone.

[DoeWDW]

The d-zone is here with a vengeance! I have not had an on-plan day since well before vacation and I just can't seem to pull myself together. I do fine during the morning, and usually into the afternoon but then it all falls apart. I just stop caring. :confused:

I'm tired. I don't WANT to count carbs. I don't WANT to exercise. I don't WANT to plan meals and grocery shop and bring food to work to make sure I have healthy food on hand.

I've been doing good with my meds and now I'm back to taking my daily vitamins. I've been doing good with drinking enough water. Just those two things seem like such an effort right now.

I know this is the d-zone talking and that I'll feel better in a week. I'll actually WANT to do what's healthy for me. But for now, it all just feels like drudge work. I keep hearing those Dr. Phil words that I myself have quoted so often - you don't have to FEEL like it, you just have to DO it - and I want to find him and slap him. I KNOW that's the d-zone talking because I'm generally a very non-violent person (unless I need to tame someone else's scale :D ).

The question is, what do I do about it for the next week. Do I chuck all the plans and let the EVM rule my life like it did yesterday afternoon? Do I stop trying and have myself a little pity party about how it's just too hard? Do I fight it and wear myself out? I don't know the answers and I'm sorry for whining but this is how I feel today and I wanted to have it in my journal.

Other than all that, I'm doing just fine. :rolleyes:

This must be the low part of the d-zone roller coaster. I sure hope the ride takes me uphill instead of further down! :(

[marsh0013]

it's so hard to make it through this nasty dzone time, i feel ya. and i understand about just not caring. i had a nasty bout of that last night. i wish i knew the answers to your questions. the best i can do is just tell you that whatever decision you make, i hope it is the right one for you. do what feels right. don't worry about doctor phil, i feel like slapping him all the time :crazy:

hope you start to feel better soon :hug:

[lulu201]

Honey, :hug: I'm here for ya. ::yes:: I don't know that I really have any words of wisdom, but I will tell you what my impressions are of the situation you've got going there. . .I know you'll sift through it and take out what's meaningful (if you find anything meaningful, that is :p ).

You ARE in the midst of the DZone. No doubt about it. You're in one of its deepest darkest corners, and while some people never experience the depths its darkness, you do. A few months ago, you didn't know that you were in this place every month, but now you do. Back then you didn't understand your urges to inflict a little bit of bodily harm on TV psychobabble-ists :p , but now you do. Understanding where it comes from, though, doesn't erase it, as you know. It's yours to deal with, and it's not easy.

You are just off the magic of Disney, the magic of the Florida sun, and the magic of relaxation with DH. Now you're back to reality. Not that reality is bad, mind you, but it's a tough thing to be faced with when you're hit with the Dzone, too. A gazillion work-related issues, training sessions (and while they were wonderful, did they find someone else to do your other work so that you could come back to your desk and find it free of MORE catch up work?? I hope so. Anyway. . .), emails out the wazoo, grocery shopping, household chores--all these things were part of your reality this week, too! YUK!! What's to like?????????

You, being you, Doreen, know that there's MUCH to like. There's beauty to embrace at every turn, blessings in abundance--you know this. BUT, sometimes is takes work to find them. You don't want to work--your body is exhausted. You're just recovering from a nasty cold and lots of travel--you're weak. You CAN'T work at it--you're tuckered out. You fight to take care of yourself all morning and past lunch; you turn down brownies and donuts and all the goodie carbs they bring in, and then when you get home, it's all too much. You have to eat whatever's there and then you have to medicate yourself with a few yummy carbs because that's what helps at the moment. You are only human. You can't do more than what you're doing, and that's OK.

This month, I walked the dzone with stresses quite unlike yours--hey, we're all different, right? Still, though, I had my share. But this month I felt like I experienced a new peace (until I stepped on that nasty, hateful scale of mine, but that's a story you'll find in my journal). I may not have this peace every month, but this month I did, and I think I'll always remember it. This month I took everyone's advice and I just floated through. I accepted the fact that physically I was low and just let it be. I am weak. I prayed to just let God take care of me--I would be weak in the midst of his strength. I couldn't be strong, I couldn't care, I couldn't fight it, I could only be. I asked Him to take care of all this healthy living stuff for me for the day--not yesterday or tomorrow--just that one day. I would rely on his strength to help me make the choices and to find the goodness that was around me. I separated my physical frustration from the mental as much as I could. I made this request, Doreen, and I saw and felt the results. I felt uplifted by the thoughts and support of everyone at WISH--I felt like I didn't have to struggle, I just had to pass through, and this is what I want for you.

More, dear WISH-sis on a pm coming your way.

[DoeWDW]

Marcia, thanks for your encouragement. There seem to be so many of us feeling odd and not-quite-up-to-snuff around here.

Erin, WISH-sis, you know me too well, and I'm so happy about that. :sunny: Your words have made a lot of sense to me.

I'm giving myself the next week off. The ONLY thing I will commit to doing is taking my meds and vitamins and drinking 64 oz of water a day. I will not commit to anything else. If I decide to count carbs or exercise, it will be a moment by moment thing I do for myself and not a goal for the day or the week.

I'm taking a break. There, I've said it and the world has NOT stopped spinning! :p What a relief! It feels like a weight has been lifted from me. All my expectations about how perfect I'm supposed to eat and how much I'm supposed to exercise have been wiped away for the next week - until the d-zone is over.

I'm going to sail :boat: through the rest of my d-zone, secure in the notion that it's a temporary thing. I won't undo all the good I've done by taking a week off and lifting all these expectations from my very tired shoulders.

I will pray for God's guidance and comfort during this time. He knows what I'm going through, and has said that I can seek help and comfort from Him at any time. I'm going to stop trying to be so goal-oriented and do it all myself - let's face it, there's no way I can do that on a permanent basis. I can rest in God's arms and let life take care of itself for a week. I don't have to always steer the boat AND chart the course AND run things myself. Sometimes it's okay for me to sit back on the deck in a lounge chair and let God take care of things for me - not forever, but for a short time.

If anyone needs me, I'll be on Deck 9 by the pool, resting in the sun on a comfy lounge chair, feeling the gentle rocking of the boat with the waves, sipping on something cool, possibly reading a good book or napping. I'm off duty for a week. :D

[LAinSEA]

That old D-zone is just no fun at all. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers and will him to leave you alone. (He can bother my boss or something instead.)

I've though of an excellent product - a Dr. Phil blow-up clown punching bag (like they used to have for romper-room - yeah, I know, I just completely dated myself.) When you hear the Dr. Phil words to "just do it" you can knock him around until you feel better.

Try to get some sunshine and fresh air. Maybe you can delegate shopping and meal planning for a couple of days - your family can think of it as a "learning experience."

take care Doreen,

-Laurie
:sunny:

[DoeWDW]

Laurie, I remember those blow up punching bags from Romper Room!! Romper, stomper, bomper, boo.... um, anyway... :p

I'm feeling better, more peaceful. I'm not on plan but I've been drinking my water. I'm enjoying my time off - I know it sounds strange but I just felt I needed a break for the sake of my sanity. I'm sure I'll be paying for it next week but for now, that's the way it is.

Tomorrow is another day. :sunny:

[DoeWDW]

I'm feeling more sunny this morning! I'm still in the d-zone but I don't feel like I have to fight it all day. I've asked God to help carry me through and given up all my goals except for my meds, vitamins & water. The rest will take care of itself.

Yesterday was nothing but a junky carb-fest. Today I'm craving fruit and tuna salad. :rolleyes: I'm curious to see what I REALLY want to eat and how it stacks up with low-carb now that I've given myself permission to eat anything. I suspect that I'll tend toward low-carb with some extra fruit, just because those are the foods I enjoy most. However I won't be counting carbs or sticking to any limits. What an interesting experiment, huh??

DD has a friend staying with us for the weekend. We have lots to do in the next 2 days - the mall, the library, bowling. I also need to go grocery shopping and do some light cooking. I'm glad I have Monday off (state holiday, you know!) and the kids have school & DH has to work so I'll have the house to myself! I'll have time to recharge my batteries then.

I'm off to finish balancing the checkbook and writing out bills. I also need to post my pictures from my meet with Amanda last Saturday night at the MK. Guess I'll post them on the main WISH board. First I have to edit the pics to get rid of the red eyes...don't want us looking evil! :p

[lulu201]

Oooh, Doreen, I love this plan. Won't it be interesting to see what foods you really want to eat? :boat: Cruise along, girlfriend, cruise along just riding the wave.:p

Doreen, here's some :sunny: for your day. Today's supposed to be beautiful, full of that "abundant sunshine." I think you're going to find it shining full force on you! Hmmm, if I had a crystal ball, I'd say that I see a leisurely stroll for your and Maya in your future!:D

Enjoy your day; celebrate the love in your Dfamily this Valentine's Day--I know that your home is filled with it. Have fun shopping, bowling, library-browsing, and plod through the chores bit by bit. You'll feel good when they're done.

:hug: for your new day,
Erin

[ibouncetoo]

I thought I'd find you here on deck 9 by the pool. Mind if I join you? I've brought a tote bag full of books, we can lounge quietly and sip lovely beverages in the :sunny: while we read, then nap, then read, then nap and maybe have that cute steward bring us something yummmy for our lunch. And when our bodies get a little stiff from too much lounging, there's that pool for a refreshing swim and then...... a NAP! There are plenty of empty deck chairs for all you WISH-sisters to join us....but don't get to rowdy!

....I was going to say more, but decided not to have any 'real' world intrusions in this cyber retreat!

[septbride2002]

princess: can never look evil! ;) Hey sweetie! Well I guess it is back to the real world - now I'm depressed.

I've caught up on your journal and now I am nervous for me this week in trying to get on track. I've issued a challenge to Erin to be cheat free for the week and I am going to try my hardest to be so. First things first - grocery shopping my Mom (who is also low carbing) ate all my food!

I was thinking about you all week and did a little research - did you know that 100 carbs a day on Atkins is considered Maintanence? I guess that particular plan feels that as long as you are consuming less then 100 carbs a day you are on your way to weight loss. Of course I also don't understand the plan fully so my statement might be a bit over simplified.

I think your plan to see what you want to eat versus trying to stay within a specific goal is a great experiment. How long are you going to try it out for?

Well I need to get cracking on my trip reports! The pictures from Saturday turned out great! When you are done editting out the red eye can you email me yours? I want to scrapbook them! :D Did you know that have scrapbooking supplies at WDW? Remember what I told you about me and Scrapbooking? But I restrained and only spent $15! That is a new low for me!

~Amanda

[lulu201]

:sunny: :sunny: Good morning, Doreen!:sunny: :sunny:

How are you this morning? I hope you had a good time with the girls yesterday. . .are you planning a full round of activities again today?:D Maybe tea and ibuprofen are more the order of the day?
Well, whatever the case, know you're in my heart as you meet the day's challenges.

Drink your water, take your vitamins, go in peace. :D

:hug: ,
Erin

[Strings]

Doe,

Here's a quick :lovestruc :wizard: to get you through the day.

Beth

[DoeWDW]

The experiment is proceeding! Yesterday I took my meds & vitamins and I drank at least 64 oz water. I pretty much ate junk all day but was then feeling bloated & yucky - funny how I KNOW that's what happens when I eat junk but I do it anyway! :confused:

Dinner was a salad with grilled chicken - so good AND healthy. Dessert (we were out for Valentine's Day) was strawberries & fresh pineapple with warm chocolate for dipping - only had 2-3 strawberries and 2-3 pieces of pineapple. It was delicious, just the right amount, decadent enough to feel like a splurge but healthy enough to not feel bad about it. This may be something to try at home when I need a little something special!

This morning, I was thinking of Marcia's (I think?) breakfast of toast with peanut butter & a little jelly. It sounded good so I made half a PBJ sandwich with dark whole grain bread, lots of peanut butter & just a little strawberry preserves. Half a sandwich doesn't sound like much but it feels filling and tasted great. I also took my meds and have started drinking my water.

I don't like the bloated feeling I get when I eat too much junk. I'm going to go by how I feel today and try to eat things that will help me get rid of this bloated feeling. I'm also going to continue to drink, drink, drink - not tough since I LOVE drinking water. I have a WDW Caribbean Beach refillable mug that I'll be using all day!

No counting carbs - just relying on how my body feels on the food I'm feeding it. Could this be what maintenance is all about?

The scale continues to stay stable at 131. I'm not too worried about the number but if it goes up I'll get concerned.

My mental attitude is great. I feel like all that pressure is gone - the pressure to watch what I eat, count every carb, monitor water intake, make sure I get exercise in, follow every rule, etc. No wonder I was feeling overwhelmed! This is supposed to be healthy "living", not a healthy living prison! Now I'm more relaxed and listening to my body. I feel much more peaceful.

:sunny: & :hug: to all!

[marsh0013]

doe, your experiment sounds great! i totally understand what you mean about it feeling like a healthy living prison. following a specific plan, counting everything, it really is restrictive. works for some, but not for others. you gotta do what feels right for you. and it sounds like you've figured out how to do just that. i'm very glad, we like you to be in a peaceful place, i hate knowing that my wish buddies are in not so happy places. i mean, i knwo it happens, but i'm so glad you've found a peaceful place, even if it's just for now :sunny:

and yes, yes, that is me with the toast w/pb and a little jelly :). i'm such a pb fiend, i think i may have mentioned this before :p. it really is yummy, and it usually fills me up pretty well too. all that protein and good fats ::yes::

so doe, keep listening to that body, it will be your guide. i hope that you have another peaceful day :sunny:

[sharoncity]

Hi Doe!:sunny:
What an interesting expirement! I will be interested to see how it turns out for you. I myself will need to continue with all the counting and such until I get to a point where I am happy with how I feel and look.
I am so happy that you are feeling comfortable since deciding to take the week off. You were just putting way too much pressure on yourself with everything else going on in your life. It is important to recognize when your plate is too full and to know what you can let go of. The poem "Dust if you Must" comes to mind. Have you read that one? It really is good to remind ourselves of what is truly important in life.
Hope all is well with you and that you are having a lovely time with DD and friend!:teeth:
TTFN-
Sharon

[Strings]

Hey Doe,

Looks like you've figured out a pretty good strategy for dealing with DZONE. I hope the rest of your weekend contined smoothly, and you are still feeling peaceful. Have a goodnight.
:sunny:
Beth

[DoeWDW]

The scale still says 131 but I feel FAT! Of course it's partly the Bloat Fairy - during the days before TOM that's just a fact of life! I'm drinking my water, though and riding it out. I know I'll be feeling much better by the weekend. :D

Today, I've sent DH off to work and will soon drop the kids at school. Then it's a day of laundry and reading for me! I snagged a copy of the Da Vinci Code from the library and it's only a 7 day loan. I'm halfway through and hoping to finish it today so DH can read it before we have to take it back. What an excuse to treat myself to a lovely quiet day of reading accompanied by some hot decaf green tea and the occasional foray into the laundry room. This is almost as good as that lounge chair by the pool on Deck 9! :p

I wish all my WISH friends warm smiles and warm hearts today! I've been neglecting lots of journals and hope to catch up soon! I'm thinking about everyone, even if I don't get around to all the journals! :grouphug:

[lulu201]

Geez, Doreen, you are so lucky!! I tried to get "The Da Vinci Code" at the library and I'm around 43rd on the waiting list!:p Enjoy your afternoon of tea and reading--sigh. It sounds wonderful--a day to yourself.

I went to the WISH board, but when I clicked on the pics, nothing came up for some reason. I'll try again later--I can't wait to see you all!

Be good to yourself, dear WISH-sis!

:hug: ,
Erin

[DavidandDenise]

Doreen~ This seems to be a great plan for you; I'm glad that you are feeling better. Here's some more :sunny: for your week! Making smart choices is a lot easier when you're not limiting yourself so much. Good luck on the new plan; I think you will reap physical and mental benefits from it. Have a great day! :tongue: