Pamela--be careful with the ladder! I hate getting the big ladder out. I hope all you east coast folks have a safe weekend.
It was fine..... and it appears that we got nothing but some light rain during the night. But at least the gutters got their yearly cleaning!!
I think after taking the quiz, I am more prepared. I have been thinking about things all week long but I don't really have a plan laid out and that is a mistake. Today when we are driving to the cabin, I am going to take my new journal and write my plan up. I know that when I put in down on paper that I am more likely to follow through with things.
Over the last 2 weeks, I have gained back 5 pounds. I am not going to dwell on it but it is a sign that I need to have a plan and stick to it. I had thought my goal for this challenge would be about 7-10 pounds and now I am seeing that it needs to be 10-12 pounds. I also need to focus on being prepared for what I will do when I reach my goal. It is a lot of work to maintain and not become so relaxed that you gain the weight back. I thought that I was okay with maintaining in the summer but I see that it did not work. My plan is going to have to address what I will do when I reach my goal.
Jen
You've probably already left, but I hope you have a GREAT weekend!
I'm so pleased to hear that you are writing yourself a solid plan. As you know, I am a HUGE advocate of plans!

But truly, they are so helpful. I am guessing, one week from now, you will be feeling 100% better about all this. The 5 pounds will come off quickly, you will be back on track and "in the zone".
If you want to share any part of your plan next week, I would love to read it.
Alright, dishes are done and 2 loads of laundry are done (still a few more to go). I have cleaned the kitchen and will head to the bedrooms in a minute. Lots to do today and it is going to be my exercise for the day.
That was my "exercise" for yesterday as well! I literally cleaned for about 15 hours!! I vacuumed, dusted, washed, scrubbed, organized, wiped, sorted, folded.... you name it!! And sadly.... DD's bathroom took about 2 hours of that! My entire downstairs is clean (although I never got to washing the kitchen floor or wiping down the cabinets.... that will be this morning) and the upstairs is good except for my bedroom and bathroom (always last on the list). DD's nightmare of a room has been a week-long project and still isn't completely finished, but I will do the last of it next week.
I must have jogged the stairs (upstairs bedroom, downstairs basement, upstairs playroom) 50 times yesterday...lugged the vacuum around, hefted loaded laundry baskets, squatted to wipe floors and baseboards, stretched to reach corner cobwebs, YOU NAME IT. So I definitely got some stretching, weight training, and cardio!!
I'll give the windows their fall washing after the hurricane weather has passed.
Dining room is cleared out except for the table and chairs and is ready for its first coat of paint in 16.5 years! Hopefully I can get it done this week. Then onto the living room... and I'm ordering new carpeting. Not exactly what I wanted, since we have talked about hardwood flooring for years, but the carpets are DISGUSTING, and I can't come up with the $5k to replace them with hardwood.... so wall-to-wall it will be for now. At least it will be bright and clean!!
woooah.... I really got off on a tangent there, didn't I?!
QOTD - According to the quiz, I am prepared. I believe I have a plan for exercise but still neded to come up with a plan for small steps to eating better.
For the healthy habits, I usually do a great job with water. During the week, I get most of my water at work. If I want something to eat (usually out of boredom), I HAVE to finish my cup first, not matter how much is in it. I also when I find myself needing a quick break, I finish my cup so that I have an excuse to get up and walk to the kitchen for more. I always have water with me at all times. In the morning, I have a late that I make at home with espresso, a cup of skim milk, and 2 table spoon of lite choc syrups and a 2 tablespoons of light whipped cream. It's actually my only source of milk and honestly, this is my favorite thing of the day and can't imagine giving it up! It is about 60 bad for me empty calories. The rest of my day is water only.
You said the key word in your first paragraph....
PLAN. You were also mentioning small steps. If you have one particularly unhealthy habit... start with that one... (like soda or a daily stop at the vending machine). Stick with it for a week or two and then add another step.... like more fruits and veggies. But I suggest thinking this all out and writing up as a solid PLAN (complete with dates and such).
I hear you on the morning drink! I too have concocted my own morning latte of sorts.... it is my one hold-out of artificial sweetener and empty calories.... but I really look forward to it! I occasionally give it up in lieu of tea when trying to save calories. Your "recipe" actually sounds healthier and yummier than mine. But mine turns out to be just 1 point.... I think yours would be more like 4... oh well.
I've missed you and your kitty stories! Glad you're back!
Can someone guide me in the direction of the quiz I have read about? Thanks.
Did you find it? It was in a post from Lisa late Thursday night I believe.
Well happy rainy Saturday morning everyone! I awoke early and was attempting to read, but decided to grab the laptop and try to catch up on things here.
This dang rain better head out of here soon. DD's swim team is holding a car wash today and I don't love the idea of spending today standing in the rain!

Plus, who wants their car washed in the rain??
Sorry I didn't get back on yesterday..... I hope no one thought I had a terrible ladder accident! It was just a crazy busy cleaning day, as I rambled on about above. After a full summer of just giving things a lick and a promise, it was time to pull out the big guns and start scrubbing! Plus, like I said, I am doing some redecorating and things need to be CLEAN! And I always feel much more motivated to clean in the Fall than I do in the Spring....to me, spring is for yard work and fall is for housework... and that fall "nesting instinct" really kicks in for me every year.
I had a tiny gain this past week, but I'm not terribly surprised, after last weekend's pizza and cookie dough event. Plus it is a bad hormonal time for me on the scale. But maybe that will all result in a big loss for me for the first week of the BL challenge!?
My Y fitness room is closed for this entire weekend for renovations....not sure I would have made it over there anyhow, since it is a holiday weekend, but it is a funny feeling knowing I can't head over, even if I want to.
Skipping my run this morning.... I don't mind running in the rain, but knowing I will be outside all day washing cars and supervising kids, I just wasn't mentally up for it. Planning for 6 miles tomorrow though!!
Well....I need to go have a healthy breakfast and pack up a healthy lunch for myself. The car wash is being held at a BURGER KING and heaven knows I don't want to be heading in there for my lunch break!!
BTW..... I need to share my dinner plan. I will write it up while I am having breakfast, but sharing it here will help. DD is having a swimteam friend over after the car wash and the plan is take-out pizza and homemade green salad for dinner. Here is MY dinner plan....
entree size portion of green salad with 2 Tb. of Paul Newman's dsg - 1 pt.
homemade light pizza (made with flaxseed pita & lowfat cheese) - 3 pts
one serving of Baked Lay's (for a treat) - 2 pt.
dessert - Skinny Cow cone - 3 pt.
Last weekend's pizza derailed my weight loss for the entire week (even though I order it covered in veggies and with half portion of cheese). And then I end up skimping on points all week to make up for it! It just isn't worth it.
It will be VERY hard to resist tonight..... I know that. I will be tired and hungry.... which usually equals no willpower for me! But having a plan in place will definitely make things easier.
I want to take a minute to say WELCOME to all of our new friends! We are so glad to have you here with us! This has become a GREAT group of friends for me and a TREMENDOUS support system! You have come to a great place. Truly, one of the friendliest spots here on the DIS.
Quick intro on me... I am a mid-40's mostly SAHM (do some sub teaching) to DD (15) and DS (12.5).... married for almost 19 years to a great guy.
My weight has ALWAYS been an issue for me, but was totally out of control after the kids were born. I hit my all-time non-pregnant adult high of 219 in late 2002 and decided to "stop the insanity"!
Started WW in January of 2003 and lost a bit over 40 pounds by January 2004. After a trip to WDW that month (and an 8 pound gain!), I lost my movitation and "fell off the wagon". I ran along side the "wagon" and slowly lost ground for the next year or so. I was back to 200 pounds by the summer of 2005. I maintained at 200 until starting WW again on January 2, 2008. Since then I have lost nearly 90 pounds. I have reached my original goal weight and then my lowered goal weight and now am trying to reach my next goal weight and finally my last goal weight of 128 pounds.
I have been bouncing around between about 131 and 137 for months and months now!! It is frustrating, but I'm not discouraged. I know that I am changing my habits for a lifetime!! Every success and every failure is teaching me more and more about how to maintain a healthy weight for the REST OF MY LIFE!! Sure, some people would look at how long this has taken me and get discouraged. Most of my weight came off the first year.... 35 pounds of it within the first 4-5 months! But this is a marathon, not a sprint!
I started walking when I started this up again in 2008 and have continued to increase my exercise type/minutes etc. I even started running this past January.... something I NEVER thought I'd do!! I did take some time off this summer and decreased from my usual 5-6 days per week down to about 3-4 (mostly running), but now that school and swim season and robotics season are back in gear, I'm heading back to the gym and will resume my 5-6 day/week schedule of cardio and weight training. Hoping to add something new like kickboxing or step aerobics.
Well.... that wasn't very quick, was it!!??
Anyhow.... gotta get moving! It seems silly to take a shower just to stand in the rain and wash cars, but that's what I'm off to do!!
TTYL.................P