Biggest Loser 10 Fall Challenge -- for losers and maintainers :)

[pjlla]

Hi everyone, sorry for disappearing once again. Last week was hectic with the holiday and then today was my DS's surgery. They aren't kidding when they say it's worse on the parents than it actually is on the kid. I have a bad headache, my BP hasn't been the best, I'm exhausted and could cry at the drop of a hat.

All in all, he did great. He was cranky when he first woke up, and pulled out his IV, but they said it was perfectly normal. I had to rock him and give him juice while he cried for about a half hour, but then he passed out for about 30 minutes and woke up much happier. He was groggy and kind of cranky for the rest of the day, but did really well.

I logged on and didn't realize how far behind I was, so I'm finally caught up.

I need to get back on the exercise wagon. I've been slacking for the past 2 weeks. I've been doing good with my eating (except for Thanksgiving) and I'm only 1/2 pound to my goal. I'm hoping Sunday I will get my butt back in gear and start working out again.


pjlla - I am so glad to hear that your DH is doing much better and was so sad to read about everything that went on. This must be so hard on your and your entire family. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

my3princes - You are beyond wonderful and giving in all that you have done. We are all lucky to have you on these boards with us.

Glad to hear your DS is doing well. My DS had ear tubes and an adenoidectomy when he was about 7-ish... and I don't think has had an ear infection since! It was tough to see him like that, but he recovered very quickly and it was definitely worth it!

Thanks for the prayers. And we are ALL lucky to have Deb with us!

Found out whyy we dont have internet. Mike called att on saturday to ask about prices and att decided to turn off our earthlink service. We are furious. we are hoping its back on by thursday. It blows my mind that they can get away with this . I guess they thought we would sign up with them if we were disconncted. And of course by the time we found out there was no one there to complain too. uggh!!!!

Like someone else said, this ought to be ILLEGAL!! I would be totally irate.... and don't mess with me when I'm irate (and maybe sportin' some PMS too!). Glad you are back on though.

Wow, I opened a response window this morning, but have completely forgotten what I was responding too

Pam, when is your husband being moved to rehab?

Hopefully you got my txt on Wed. morning. Sorry I didn't call, but I didn't want to wake you after two days of double shifts. Sorry we didn't get to say good-bye, but it is SO great to be so much closer to home. Still about a 40 minute drive, but that is far better than 105 minutes!

Hello! Anyone mind if I sneak in here?

I've seen these Biggest Loser threads before but never joined one. I'd like to now though if that's possible. Is it too late? I see from the first page that this only runs through Dec. 17, is that correct? Maybe I should just wait for another one or a new one?

I did read through the front page, but I'm suffering from lack of sleep so it didn't all quite sink in. If someone can let me know if it's still okay to join in, and how I go about doing so at this point, that would be great. Thanks so much!

Sorry I wasn't around to welcome you sooner! So glad you decided to join us! I know the others have offered a warm welcome!

Good morning everyone.

dvc I am glad that ds's surgery went well. MY ds had surgery when he was 4 and he did the same thing when he came out of surgery. I hope he is feeling better soon.

Don't have a lot of time this morning. My workshop went well except for 5 people sitting in the back. They just wanted a day off. They came with a pile of papers to grade and just wanted to sit and talk. I was reading the evaulations and they are just like normal till I got one from the people inthe back row. They told me that I had done nothing new. I know that there was a number of things that some people do but I do know that there was somethings in there that most people don't do. I realize that you can't please everyone but I have been running into know it alls a lot in the last couple of years. I think it is time to give it up. I will have to think about it some more.

Question of the Day

When do you put up your Christmas tree?


I will answer later. I have a couple of things that must be done TODAY that I forgot about.

Have a great day.

Sorry about the disrepectful people in the group. I attended a parents' winter sports meeting at DD's high school the other night. I was exhausted and stressed and just wanted it OVER.... and wouldn't you know it, they had an "inspirational speaker" to talk to the parents and student athletes. He was loud and a bit repetitive and I just wanted to walk out or play with my phone or sleep.... but I didn't. I just couldn't be that disrespectful. It wasn't this man's fault that I was tired/bored/stressed. I tried my darndest to set a good example for the students around me and pay attention and sit up straight and such. But I was a bit perturbed by the adults around me who were engaged in little whispering side conversations. SO RUDE and makes our town/school look bad! All of this during an inspiration speech about respect and responsibility and such!! How ironic.


We've never developed a particular time to put up our tree. Mostly depends on the schedule for December. But we've never been T.giving weekend people. We usually spend that weekend with my parents and my brother and his family.

Hi Everyone,

Another good day yesterday at work. Baby-sitting was good, but the kids are at that transitional age. Never mind, kids are always transitioning.

I know I haven't been on much, I just need to have a good first week. I also have to baby-sit Thursday night, am trying to continue to tutor my neighbor (although she is doing much better and needs me a lot less ), and have random things scheduled as well. Today, I am getting a short chair massage. I sit for most of the day, so I think this will be helpful. Then, I also need to get to the library at some point like a week ago.

Anyway, enough rambling. Here is today's mini-challenge. We've been doing a lot of thinking/planning, so here today's is more a "doing" one.

Mini-Challenge for Wed. 12/1: If you take a multivitamin and/or a supplement, take it/them today.

Have a great day everyone!

That has definitely fallen by the wayside for me.... I keep forgetting to grab the vitamins in the morning. Will make an effort to grab them later today!

Hope you can get some rest, Deb. Those long Mondays and Tuesdays are killers. You've done a great job getting all your Christmas stuff up and ready early plus being a good friend to Pamela -- you are like superwoman!

Hope the UTI is gone quickly and painlessly.

Yes, she is a superwoman.... and she looks good doing all this stuff too! And purple is definitely HER color!

I'm losing steam and the numbers are going up!

My promises to myself and all of you:
I will not eat crap today!
I will go to the gym today!

Good luck to all of you as we make it through the last few weeks. What can YOU promise YOURSELF you will do today?

It is amazing what a "self-promise" can do for your day. And I think I read that you stuck with it!!

Good morning I had a post and lost it.

Congrats to the losers this week especially tigger813

Because my knee has been so painful that I am not working out at all. I am looking at doctors. My doctor only recommended 1 local guy to look at my knee. Anything more I will need to find another doctor. A friend who just had a knee problem gave me the name of one so I will probably call him. He was able to take her very quickly and get tests done very fast so I may go with him.


Question of the Day

Has your attitude changed about exercise?

Last night I realized that I missed working out. I really want to do it but the knee is just too tender to try it.

Have to go. Lots of things to do today.

Have a great day.

Hope the knee gets checked quickly and they find something easily fixed. Maybe you could work on biceps and shoulders while your knee rests.

Well.... mostly my attitude about exercise has changed. I still don't love it most of the time, but I love the feeling of accomplishment and power I have when I am done. But I haven't done 2 minutes of it (other than pacing and taking the stairs briskly) for 13 days... and I'm sure it will be a tough climb when I head back to it (hopefully very soon).

More expense than income, as usual here lately. Trying to be creative to get PC orders/shows without being overbearing and a pain, doing calculations for sales/commissions/presents/bills gives me a headache! We would have finally gotten caught up this month, but real estate and personal property taxes were due. Our house/land is in escrow acct, but we own 7 acres adjacent to my parents that we might actually build on one day, and the cars. Final month of having to pay for AK's meds before DH's reverse deductible starts over. I just keep telling myself "Where would we be w/o the money I've earned from PC?" It's pretty much taking care of Christmas, at least the girls'. It will be MUCH smaller than usual, but that's okay. It needed to be! A few well thought out, much wanted gifts (purchased on sale ) is all they need! DH came home last night with the news that he will be off 13 out of 23 working days this month. Some will be covered by holiday pay (4) and we're hoping unemployment will pick up a lot of the rest. Just a waiting game.

Sorry to throw that all out. You know you are my venting, processing, thinking board! 1 step forward and 2 steps back, maybe 3. Well, it would be worse if we didn't take the 1 step forward in between. Bought some groceries yesterday for the first time in a month, hoping I can make them last. Why is it that when we come home from the store, the kids think they need to eat EVERYTHING the first night? Sophie had 2 apples and 2 bananas, AK had 2 bowls of cereal. Just a disclaimer - our pantry and freezer are thankfully full, we just didn't have any fruit left.

Had a terrible headache yesterday, think it was from the stress coupled with a horrible nights' sleep listening for tornadoes and the wind howling and the power blinking and the crazy barometer!

THis is all wreaking HAVOC with my weight. I am bloated, and moving between overeating and not eating.I'm scared of the scale. Really scared. Almost like more bad news I don't need....

On a positive note - the house is warm and the mortgage gets paid. I have 2 jobs, DH "mostly" has a job , we're all healthy and alive, and we've learned a lot about ourselves and what is a "need" and what is a "want". We've watched movies together, the kids have played together, and I love Christmas decorations!

WOW - really needed to vent this am. Sorry folks!

HAve a great Friday eve!!!!!
Taryn

I'm proud of you for seeing the positives.... and that realizing the differences between "wants" and "needs". Glad you had the time to come and vent with us. You are being SUCH a trooper! I can't imagine how you are handling all of the work/PC stuff/kids stuff/stress of DH not working, etc!!

My advise about the bloating and such would be to HIT THE SCALE tomorrow morning... face the music and make a fresh start! I guarantee you that you will feel better in the long run... even if it is bad news on the scale!
to you!


Happy Thursday friends! DH is doing well here at the Rehab, although he is anxious to get home. We should get a "plan" this afternoon about how many days they anticipate his stay and such. That will be so nice to know so that we can start making some plans about home care and such.

He is so easily exhausted that I feel bad. Just a 60 minute visit with the pastor and an hour of OT this morning plus a shower and he is just exhausted. They just wheeled him out for an hour of PT and I hope he can stay awake for it! I haven't been organized enough to remember to pack myself something to eat and I don't know about the dining room here, so I'm heading out to grab something at the bakery/deli down the street and then I will be right back here for the afternoon. I am hoping to leave before dinner time though, and stay home for the night. I think DH needs the rest without company and I need a full evening at home to catch up on stuff! My parents have been great about everything..... laundry, dishes, yard stuff, kid stuff, etc, etc, but some stuff I just need to handle like bills, email, homework issues, etc. Plus I'd like to find 30 minutes to order some christmas gifts online. I don't trust the wireless network here with my credit card information.

Well... off to find some lunch before it gets too late!......................P

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

Congratulations to all our superstars and especially to our biggest loser, tigger813!

And congratulations for all of us who are still sticking it out in this one of the busiest and most difficult times of the year to put ourselves and our health number one!

Kathy, I'm so impressed that you are making Michael a Wimpy Kid birthday cake!

Shawn, sorry that you are snowed in. I heard a report on NPR this morning and it sounds like Europe was really hit hard. You are a trouper to keep on running -- hope you feel better soon!

mizzoutiger76! Thanks for joining our challenge!

Maria, you showed that you are true "Miz-ur-ah" girl -- I read Nicole's post about five times before I figured out how you knew she was from Missouri, too. Considering my parents and grandparents are all from Springfield I am feeling a tad embarrassed!

But I am ready to try again. I'm determined. And this time I want to make exercise a bigger part of my weight loss plan and not rely on dieting so much. Should be interesting since I detest exercise. (sorry, is that taboo to say here?? lol)

Nope, not too much is taboo here.

Thank you, Shannon, for being our weightkeeper through thick and thin!

Question of the Day

Has your attitude changed about exercise?

Hope the doctor can see you soon and help you with your knee, dona.

My attitude about exercise is improving. I still can't say that I love it but I do love how it makes me feel! Maybe that is good enough?

Mini-Challenge for Thursday, 12/2: Take the stairs instead of
the elevator today.

CC, I got a chuckle out of this one too. Nary a step at all in my office so I will substitute "jogging" to the printer, etc.

Taryn, sounds like things are slowly getting better for you. Hope the storms have passed now.

Glad that you were able to get your internet back, Rose, just in time for your coaching gig to start tomorrow! Our router is a Linksys, too. I was able to get the wireless up and running -- they have a good support website, too. Of course, you have to be able to connect to the internet to get to it . . .

Flipflopmom – I did keep my promises to myself! No junk, and I went to the gym. Same promises for today!

Great job taking it one day at a time!

Julie, I'm so glad that things are getting better for you. Glad that you stopped in. Good luck with your surgery this month. I know, and your dogs, will be so happy when you can get back to your regular walking routine again.

Deb, thanks for the update about Pamela and her DH. You are such a good friend!

Today has been more emotional than I expected. It is charity pick up day, and I am getting rid of a bunch of clothes that no longer fit me. All that fear of going back has come to the surface, even though in my head I know I've changed. These are clothes I haven't worn since March and I still have plenty of things that are loose on me. I just have to keep reminding myself that I am NOT going back!

, Lisa, you're doing great having to get rid of clothes. I think it takes a lot longer for your mind to catch up with your bodies' weight loss. I put on a pair of pants in my new size this morning that I looked at all week thinking that they might be tight after Thanksgiving -- but they weren't. I had to have a little talk with myself about being more confident of my success.

Nicole, at the bottom right hand of each post is a little box with a + on it. If you want to multi-quote just hit that little box for each post you want to quote and then post reply when you are ready. You can quote all or just part. Just make sure each quote starts with

and ends with

or it will look funny. I bet you will be a multi-quoting pro in no time!

Today I am number 1 on the sparkpeople leader board for points for the month -- my id there is 1313harbor. I don't know why some little computer bits and bites are giving me a boost today but there you go!

Have a great day all!

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning. Still keeping up with the exercise I actually had to do an entire hour last night because my dinner choices were not that good. But it paid off because this morning I wasnt up on the scale.

Busy times for you but you are doing great keeping yourself on track and making adjustments when needed.

I think soup for a winter party sounds yummy!

Pamela, so glad that your DH was moved to rehab and you are closer to home! What a relief for you to be able to sleep in your own bed every night while all this is going on! You're a trouper!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

How did I manage to get behind on the QOTD again?! Sigh.

Wed QOTD: We usually get our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year dh talked me into an artificial tree. He put it up last night. It's covered in lights and is quite twinkly. We'll add the ornaments this weekend.

Thurs QOTD: My attitude about exercise goes in spurts (much like the actual exercise ) I always know I need to do it, some days I'm happier about it than others. Some days I look forward to it, and others I dread it. More consistency in my attitude would be good.

Pamela -- I think it is amazing that you have the time and energy to encourage others, take care of your family, take care of dh, and keep everything going! I don't know when you sleep, but I do know you are doing an incredible job!

Cupcaker -- If I was served Lecellier's cheddar cheese soup at a party, I would be ecstatic!

Nicole -- enjoy your "working out" lunch!

Liesel -- I know what you mean about not weighing with an audience -- I will also skip if that is my only option!

Deb -- Thanks for the update. We are indeed ALL lucky to have you here!

goldcupmom -- You took the hardest step, going back for that first weigh in. Good job!

Dreamer24 -- I like your attitude! Yesterday I promised myself I would continue to choose fruit instead of processed snacks, and I did it. I'm going for the same today

Kathy -- I think the Wimpy Kid cake will be a big hit! It is all the rage with my ds and his friends

Shawn -- what a great you are! I'm on track for both exercise and eating today, and that's a good feeling!

Rose -- When you get done, my house would definitely benefit from your services! You are a whirlwind!

Connie -- Whoops, I'll send you some measurements tomorrow. Late, but I greatly appreciate your work with WIN!

CC-- I work in a 4-story building that does not have an elevator. I take the stairs every day...

Taryn -- "The house is warm and the mortgage is paid" is worth so much. You are taking it one day at a time, and that's all you can do!

Lisa -- How's that Princess training coming? We should definitely have a BL submeet for Princess! Actually, I am a "Miz-ur-ree" girl -- those of us in the more urban areas (ok, it's pretty much St. Louis City/County, the KC people go both ways) pronounce it that way! I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis. My parents are originally from the bootheel, so they are definitely "mizz-ur-rah" people...and for those I confused, the University of Missouri at Columbia is affectionately called, "Mizzou", and the mascot is a tiger.

Beth! Sorry I missed you before, I hope you enjoy the BL thread!

I got up and ran 4M this morning, after 3M yesterday. And the same sight greeted me when I looked out my kitchen window after getting off the TM -- a hawk was enjoying what I call the "all you can eat bird of prey buffet" in my back yard. This is not pretty to watch...and when it's over all that's left are piles of bones and fur or feathers. Blech. I don't know why they love my yard -- we've had hawks, ospreys, etc. Maybe they're attracted by the beaver, opposums, squirrels and stray cats. Did I mention my yard is relatively small and we live in a city? We're near a marsh, that's the only explanation I have

The new WW plan is working great for me. I love grabbing a banana for a snack, and I really am eating less overall since I'm snacking on fruit instead of 100 cal packs...

Maria

 

[mizzoutiger76]

Nicole, at the bottom right hand of each post is a little box with a + on it. If you want to multi-quote just hit that little box for each post you want to quote and then post reply when you are ready. You can quote all or just part. Just make sure each quote starts with or it will look funny. I bet you will be a multi-quoting pro in no time!

Awesome Thanks!

Workout went well...3 miles/35 minutes on the elliptical and I'm glad it's over

Dinner last night didn't go as well as planned. I made these pizza roll things, only ate 1 and a half, but an hour later I was STARVING and starting to get a headache. And instead of grabbing something healthy, I ended up with a bowl of Captain Crunch cereal...oh well, won't beat myself up over it b/c it's been a very long time since I've had cereal and it was delicious. Dinner is normally the hardest part of the day to maintain my healthy eating, plus we're out of food so all that's left is the high calorie stuff Gotta go grocery shopping on Saturday.

Today is going much better, back on track, 4 cups of water down and at least 2 more to go!

On a lighter note - I made Chicken Tortilla Soup two weeks ago for the first time, turned out really good. DH told me last night that I MUST, absolutely HAVE to make it again b/c he's been dying to have it In the 8 years we've been together that's the first time he's ever told me that about my cooking (and I don't think I'm a bad cook at all), so I was quite pleased You'd think that if he could take a hint and say more things like that, marriage would be a piece of cake

Everyone have a great day!

Nicole

 

[donac]

I don't know how it happened but I called the ortho office at 10:30 and they had an opening for 2:45. Busy office but after filling out paperwork and sitting for a while they took me in. He looked at my leg. Made me lay down where he bent it (OUCH), and then started pressing points on the knee(OUCH). Thinks I have a torn minuscus and I need an MRI before he can talk about what needs to be done. So I am calling the insurance office tonight or first thing tomorrow and seeing if I need a referal. I don't think so because of the type of insurance I have but I still want to check. he gave me a shot of cortisone to help the pain but it really hasn't helped. I wanted to go to yoga but I may just go and talk to the instructor and come home.

Send plenty of PD If it is a minor tear then it may not need surgery.

Pam glad dh was transfered and seems to be coming along. I will keep him in my prayers.

QOTD Christmas tree. We always put our tree up the Sat before Christmas unless Christmas is Sunday then it is a week ahead of time.

We used to go to a tree farm to cut it down. One year is was rainy by us (we are close to the coast) and had to north and inland. By the time we got to the farm it was snowing. we stopped for lunch hopping that the snow would stop. It didn't but we decided to get our tree anyway. we picked one out and the guy cut it down for us. I went to take a picture of the guys when the worker offered to take the picture so I could be in it. I was almost done with the film so we finished the roll and printed them out. when they came back we loved the picture so much that we had it copied to sendout with our Christmas cards. My ggf and her husband had an argument. He thought we had gone to Vermont or NH to get this picture. It is one of our favorite shots.

Off to get some things done. Have a nice evening.

 

[Rose&Mike]

I am feeling a lot better today with my "broken" tailbone so maybe it's not actually broken. If I rub or touch in that area I can still feel the soreness but I'm not feeling it like yesterday when I sit down, stand up, go up stairs, etc. Today is my scheduled running day but I'm not going out there again and doing that with all this ice and snow. I will do the elliptical and maybe take a walk out on the field paths. We got lots more snow last night and BS was actually cancelled. I don't recall it ever being cancelled a single time last year. Hope we are not snowed in all winter already

That's just crazy. We are also mad at ATT, they came and dug up my parents yard when they were on vacation a few months ago. They left a big gaping hole and they never sent any notification they would be putting this huge box in their yard. It took a long time to find the right person to complain to, they finally had to call the NC Utilites Commission. ATT finally came and repaired the landscaping. There is an easement there so nothing my parents can do about that but they also hired a landscaping company to make it look a little better. It's in the front yard and my parents are just heartborken about their yard. I can't wait to see what it looks like, I've heard so much about it.

Once you start eating healthier, you may find that you enjoy it more than your old comfort foods.
Shawn

Shawn--be careful in the snow! Hope your tailbone is still feeling ok. As for AT&T--I am going to spend some time tomorrow investigating whether we can file a complaint. All I can think is that if we had a small business we would have been hosed--two days without internet! And I totally agree with the bolded part.

My attitude about exercise has changed a lot this year. This was the first summer I didn't quit totally exercising, and didn't gain weight in a while. A huge part of it is having the goal of the princess half. When I wake up and want to stay in my pajamas, I think I've booked and am paying for that trip and I better get moving so A. I will come home with a medal, B. I will be able to move after the half and enjoy the rest of our trip, and C. MIchael will be able to cheer me on as i cross the finish line. He's getting very excited for the trip too, but has said a couple times how he can't wait to see me cross the finishline in disney. So cute he is such a big support to me.

Have a great day.

Kathy--you are doing great with your exercise! You will be so ready for the Princess!

Flipflopmom – I did keep my promises to myself! No junk, and I went to the gym. Same promises for today!

Have a happy thursday everyone! Stay strong! You can do this!

Congratulations on keeping your promises! Hope today went well!

Quick post to let you know I am, indeed, still here. Done scoring, house is nearly done, furniture gets moved back in tomorrow.

Off to get things done. Hope all is well with everyone!

Julie--so nice to see you. I am glad to see that things are getting back to "normal."

Just a quick post as I'm at work. Congrats to all the losers. I've moved to the maintainers until the new year, too much going on to focus on weight loss. Pam is doing fine. He dh was moved to the rehab hospital on Tuesday so he is much closer to home. She is running back and forth to be with them all. The good news it that he is feeling better and even played cards with her yesterday

Welcome to maintainers, Deb! Even it is a temporary stay.

Today has been more emotional than I expected. It is charity pick up day, and I am getting rid of a bunch of clothes that no longer fit me. All that fear of going back has come to the surface, even though in my head I know I've changed. These are clothes I haven't worn since March and I still have plenty of things that are loose on me. I just have to keep reminding myself that I am NOT going back!


Congratulations to the top losers this week and to everyone who stepped on a scale last Friday!

I was pretty emotional about giving up clothes as well. It scares me and stresses me out. It scares me cause I have been down this road soooo many times. And it stresses me out because of all the expense involved. I think all this is normal. Thanks for reminding me that I need to remind myself that I am NOT going back either!

Shawn - thanks for the welcome! I am almost done with C25K DH and I have signed up for our first 5K at the end of January, I'm very nervous, but extremely excited . I have never been a runner, or remotely athletic for that matter, and honestly I still hate running, but it's quite an accomplishment and one of the few exercises that I see any type of result from. I'm still a pretty slow runner, but my goal is a full 3 miles non-stop. I should be at that point by next Friday

I'll update my own schedule/stats when I get back from my "working out" lunch!

I occasionally have a love/hate relationship with running, too. Mostly I love it now, but there are still days where I question my sanity. Too exciting about your first 5K. Make sure to tell us when it is! And great job getting a workout in today!

Good morning. Still keeping up with the exercise I actually had to do an entire hour last night because my dinner choices were not that good. But it paid off because this morning I wasnt up on the scale. .

Great job on the exercise and WOOHOO for not being up this morning.

Like someone else said, this ought to be ILLEGAL!! I would be totally irate.... and don't mess with me when I'm irate (and maybe sportin' some PMS too!). Glad you are back on though.

You know, P, I tried so hard, with all that you have had to go through, to try to keep this in perspective. Definitely not worth having elevated blood pressure over. But I was pretty angry. I am so glad your DH is doing better. I had to have emergency surgery after Tom was born and it was nothing compared to what your DH has gone through, but the surgery along with all the complications really wiped me out. I don't even remember the first month of Tom's life I was so exhausted--all I remember is trying to take care of him and trying to sleep. (Mike went to sea when Tom was a week old.) Anyhow, after about a month I started feeling much better. Still took months more until my doctor said I was recovered--6 months to be exact--but I felt so much improved after the first month. Here's hoping your DH continues to get his strength back quickly.

Glad that you were able to get your internet back, Rose, just in time for your coaching gig to start tomorrow! Our router is a Linksys, too. I was able to get the wireless up and running -- they have a good support website, too. Of course, you have to be able to connect to the internet to get to it . . .
Have a great day all!

Woohoo for being #1 on Sparkpeople. Thanks for the reminder. I remembered, but then had a crazy day at work and forgot again! Glad you got your router working!

Rose -- When you get done, my house would definitely benefit from your services! You are a whirlwind!

We should definitely have a BL submeet for Princess! Maria

I was only that productive because I had no internet!! Blessing in disguise, right? And I am in for the Princess meet!

And that was quite the story about the birds in your back yard! We have a lot of hawks around here, but they always take what they catch somewhere else! Who cleans up the remains in your yard? Yuck!

Workout went well...3 miles/35 minutes on the elliptical and I'm glad it's over


Nicole

Sometimes the best part about working out is being finished!

Dona--sending good thoughts and pixie dust your way that you won't need surgery! What a great tree story!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Thank you to Dona and Maria for coaching this week.

I am your coach for the upcoming week--only two weeks to go! For the new folks, I am 43, a Mom to a 19 yo college sophomore--he is 500 miles away at school. I'm married to my college sweetheart and work 3 days a week for a non-profit. I have gone up and down with my weight since my early 20s. I am currently at my lowest point as an adult, and within 10 pounds of the weight I was when I got married. I am now maintaining, but still flirt with the idea of losing those last 10. I work out quite a bit and I'm a vegetarian. I ran my first two half marathons this fall--one at Disney. I am scheduled to run the Princess in February. Ok, enough about me.

QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote?

Mine is (and please forgive me if I mess this up):
"You don't throw out all of the dishes, just because you broke one plate!"I come back to this all the time, and found it especially helpful when I started this journey in January. My pattern in the past was too start on the weight loss path and have a bad day, bad week, bad month and quit. I have learned over the past year that I don't have to be perfect--and I am far from perfect, and you know what, that's ok!

Quick update for today--crazy day at work. We have a big end of the year annual giving campaign coming up and it's going to be crazy until I leave for Disney on the 21st. I really, really, really wanted to skip my workout cause I left work late, but pulled up my big girl pants and went and did my 4 miles. We are supposed to run 9 Saturday and it is supposed to snow! Nine miles on the treadmill sounds tortuous, but 9 miles in the snow doesn't sound good either. We'll see. Tomorrow I am hoping to sleep past 5am. That's not asking too much is it?

Oh, and I almost forgot--DS has an interview on Monday for an internship this summer in DC. He's very excited, but very nervous!


Hope everyone has a great evening and a good weigh-in tomorrow!

 

[my3princes]

Pam I'm glad you are closer to home. Hopefully your husband will be home too. We'll have to get together soon. When is DD's next meet at UVAC?


I thank you all for your nice comments. I am certainly not superwoman, I'm just doing what any one of you would do with the given situations. Just a year ago I was much in the same situation as Pam and I know how important the support was to me and my family. I feel blessed to be able to give back just a tiny bit of that

 

[cclovesdis]

Morning!

I didn't realize how many places don't have an elevator. There are places I got that have multiple. At church, there is one to go down 3 steps. They had to bring the building up to ADA standards.

Today's mini-challenge is a thinking and a doing one. You have to decide what this means to you.

Mini-Challenge for Friday, 12/3: Take care of yourself today.

For me, that means taking a lot of deep breaths and trying to stay as relaxed as possible. I'll pay attention to my eating, but really focus on it more tomorrow. I need to have a more relaxing day emotionally today.

Have a great day everyone! for the scale!

CC

 

[flipflopmom]

Taryn- We're at SSR.Looking forward to Ohana tonight. Set the alarm wrong last night so it actually went off at 5:15 instead of 6. Oh well, I was awake anyways:

AHH... love Ohana! I always tell DH he can sleep when we get home from WDW, which isn't necessarily true, because he has to go to work the day after we get home. For him, buying DVC would hopefully mean that I wouldn't want to go as commando, since I knew we'd be back next year. Since next summer's trip is scheduled the week of the 4th, we just might chill more!

Just a quick post to say that my internet is back!

YAY for internet!

Only 2.5 more pounds to go to reach my goal for the challenge. I was very surprised to see myself down one inch one each measurment except the thighs and they were down .5. I am feeling a lot better today with my "broken" tailbone so maybe it's not actually broken. I can't wait to see what it looks like, I've heard so much about it.Wow, that is tough about DH's job. I don't know how you do it all. Do you have Firefighter friends? Atleast you have the ACC championship to look forward to! I can't even enjoy basketball this season with the way the Heels are playing...

WAY TO GO SHAWN!! Awesome job! Glad the tailbone is healing! Our firefighters are all volunteers with full time jobs.. But thanks for the suggestion. My hope is that he will do some housework, we'll see. He gets a little stressed when I leave him a list. As for how I do it? Just keep swimming... Hoping Hokie hoops will do us proud, I don't keep up with it as much as football. That's actually, though, what started me as a Hokie as a child. Daddy was a bb player, and his high school coach went on to coach at VT. He started me right!

He's getting very excited for the trip too, but has said a couple times how he can't wait to see me cross the finishline in disney So cute he is such a big support to me. I was thinking over thanksgiving that this year is a little easier, and the memories are definitely bringing more smiles. Michael's decided to have a cake in the design of the Diary of a wimpy kid book, so we picked up some icings at ac moore last night, and we bought t-shirts for him and his cousins to paint at his party.

That's so great that Michael is so supportive! You are so blessed to have him! I totally missed that his bday is coming up, I'm assuming that's what the wimpy kid cake and party are for. When is it? As for the memories, I'll share a bit about that in a minute....

Flipflopmom – I did keep my promises to myself! No junk, and I went to the gym. Same promises for today!

Way to go!!!!

Quick post to let you know I am, indeed, still here. Done scoring, house is nearly done, furniture gets moved back in tomorrow.My legs get 'fixed' the 27th, so I'm sure that will be another exercise setback, but I am required to at least do a mile a day and have to walk for 45 min before I can leave after surgery. That will help.

Glad you checked in, and the carnage from your disaster is almost done! I think about that a lot when I am counting my blessings! That's awesome that your surgery requires you to walk, sounds like not too long of a recovery as far as getting moving again....

Hey everyone, I'm still here and have been following along. I just haven't had much to say lately. It is charity pick up day, and I am getting rid of a bunch of clothes that no longer fit me. All that fear of going back has come to the surface, even though in my head I know I've changed. These are clothes I haven't worn since March and I still have plenty of things that are loose on me.

It's tough. I had some size 18 clothes in my closet that I was scared to get rid of, and I'm in an 8 now. I just had to tell myself that I didn't need crutches, and why on earth would I EVER want to be in that again???

I have never been a runner, or remotely athletic for that matter, and honestly I still hate running, but it's quite an accomplishment and one of the few exercises that I see any type of result from. I'm still a pretty slow runner, but my goal is a full 3 miles non-stop. I should be at that point by next Friday :

I still have a love hate with running. Love how I feel afterwards, but pretty much despise it when I am doing it! Keep it up, you'll be amazed at what you can do!!!

Good morning. Still keeping up with the exercise I actually had to do an entire hour last night because my dinner choices were not that good. My annual gingerbread house party is this weekend! I think I have enough supplies to make the houses. I usually supply the house stuff and everyone else brings food. But I was thinking of making LeCellier's cheddar cheese soup. Is soup ok for a party? What great memories and how much fun. I would fight Brad tooth and nail to not go artificial. You have done so well for yourself with the PC thing. I wish you continued success with it.

Sounds like so much fun!! Don't lick your fingers, bowl, or spoon - those calories add up! (Learned the hard way....) I am fighting it, and so far, it's working. He knows what that tradition means to me! I think soup sounds PERFECT for a party!

I'm proud of you for seeing the positives.... and that realizing the differences between "wants" and "needs". Glad you had the time to come and vent with us. You are being SUCH a trooper! I can't imagine how you are handling all of the work/PC stuff/kids stuff/stress of DH not working, etc!! My advise about the bloating and such would be to HIT THE SCALE tomorrow morning DH is doing well here at the Rehab, although he is anxious to get home. I am hoping to leave before dinner time though, and stay home for the night. I think DH needs the rest without company and I need a full evening at home to catch up on stuff!

So glad his recovery is going well!! It's going to take a while for that energy to get back up, poor fella's been through it. I am so thankful that your job is such that you can be there for him without worries! TAKE CARE OF YOU, too! He'll need you when he gets home! Hope you got some rest, and stuff taken care of! You humble me, talking about how you can't imagine how I am dealing with stuff....... I'm weighing soon, promise!

Nope, not too much is taboo here.
Today I am number 1 on the sparkpeople leader board for points for the month -- my id there is 1313harbor. I don't know why some little computer bits and bites are giving me a boost today but there you go!

You are the spark QUEEN!!!!!!!!! I think we've pretty much covered it all on this board. LOL. That's what makes it special, though!

That is soooooo nasty! I can't imagine that sight. YUK!!!!!! One day at a time is right, tomorrow has worries enough of it's own! So glad WW's new plan is working for you, treadmill queen!

Workout went well...3 miles/35 minutes on the elliptical and I'm glad it's over Today is going much better, back on track, 4 cups of water down and at least 2 more to go! You'd think that if he could take a hint and say more things like that, marriage would be a piece of cake :

Rocking it Nicole! Great job on the water and exercise, which are 2 keys to weight loss! Your enthusiasm is wonderful!!! And if DH's knew the right buttons to push, life would be wonderful!!

Thinks I have a torn minuscus and I need an MRI before he can talk about what needs to be done. Send plenty of PD If it is a minor tear then it may not need surgery.

Sending lots of ppd your way! Hoping you can get the MRI soon! LOVE the tree farm story!

I had to have emergency surgery after Tom was born and it was nothing compared to what your DH has gone through, but the surgery along with all the complications really wiped me out. I don't even remember the first month of Tom's life I was so exhausted--all I remember is trying to take care of him and trying to sleep. (Mike went to sea when Tom was a week old.)

Rose, that's AWFUL!! I had to have my gallbladder out when AK was 3 months old, and b/c I used all my time off on maternity leave, went back to work in a week. I did feel cheated out of some time with her, b/c my energy level was lower, I can't imagine 6 months of that.

I am now maintaining, but still flirt with the idea of losing those last 10. I work out quite a bit and I'm a vegetarian. I ran my first two half marathons this fall--one at Disney. I am scheduled to run the Princess in February.:QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote? tortuous, but 9 miles in the snow doesn't sound good either. We'll see. Tomorrow I am hoping to sleep past 5am. That's not asking too much is it?

Hoping you are still asleep! 9 miles on the dreadmill or snow doesn't sound fun, but such is the life of a runner in winter. You can do it, just be careful! Hang in there, you'll have a WDW trip to look forward to once it's all over! Sending PPD Tom's way!

QOTD: I have a few - Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Is it worth the calories? Just keep swimming.

I feel blessed to be able to give back just a tiny bit of that

The support of friends and family during tough times is usually felt more afterwards. I still think of people in terms of what they did when Daddy died. Not - she's a true friend b/c of X, but when doing my Christmas card list - "gotta send one to them b/c there were there for us". Hope that makes sense..... I remember those moments - random food, rides for AK, a friend even gave her a birthday party (her 10th was 1 week after he died).

Mini-Challenge for Friday, 12/3: Take care of yourself today.
I need to have a more relaxing day emotionally today.

I'm going to try! I hope you have a great day, hon! I find that Fridays seem to drag........

BRB

 

[flipflopmom]

First - thanks for your patience and support yesterday. I was able to go to work with a clearer head, which is a good thing since I was being observed by an outside source regarding a teaching method we're supposed to be implementing!

Cool evening last night, want to share.

AK has a huge test today on Holocaust, WWII (she's in 6th grade). DH is a history buff, and was working with her. Don't know if I've shared, but my uncle went to Japan in the military in the aftermath, married a Japanese lady, and they came back to the US with their 2 kids in the late 1950s/early 60s. We were talking about the interment camps, and how her cousins and aunt would have had to stay there if they had come back earlier, etc. It really brought it home for her. Then, DH decided to make fried rice using her recipe. AK helped, and they talked about the stuff on her test while they worked. (Including listening to a song called Blitzkrieg or something by Metallica - not my kind of music). Anyway, it was great to see that bonding. PLus it was a nice memory, b/c Aunt Kikuyo died 2 weeks after Daddy.

While they were cooking, I went to get Sophie, who had napped late at mom's. On the way home, she started talking about Daddy, when could she see him again, was he happy, did he miss us, why did he die, did he want to leave us. KILLED ME. I was in tears, trying my best to put it in 3 year old terms. Got almost home, and it started snowing. Not much, but it was pretty. Somehow, it just put things right. Like a sign from Daddy or something. Dunno. But it calmed my spirits. One of those memories I'll never forget.

Mom put up pics on the mantle of Christmases past of various members of the family with Daddy, which probably got Sophie started. While it didn't really hurt emotionally to see them, it hurt b/c I WAS SOOOOOOO different.

This lead me to come home and look through pics. Want to share, in case anyone is in need of motivation. I am! I've shared some before, but indulge me, okay? Doing clickable thumbnails, b/c no one needs to see these pop up huge!

This is me and the girls outside of Narcoosee's in 2009. I was right around 218, which was my starting point.



One year later, almost there. 168. Outside of WL



The final two were taken in Oct, one at part of DH's class reunion family luncheon, one at a VT tailgate. 152, which is where I'm hanging right now.






So now I have a renewed spirit to face the scale, get my butt in gear, and keep swimming.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!
Taryn

 

[Rose&Mike]

I thank you all for your nice comments. I am certainly not superwoman, I'm just doing what any one of you would do with the given situations. Just a year ago I was much in the same situation as Pam and I know how important the support was to me and my family. I feel blessed to be able to give back just a tiny bit of that

Thank you Deb.

Taryn--glad you had some positive stuff happen yesterday. I have found that grief and sadness comes out whether we want it to or not, if that makes sense? Your brain is going to process the things that it needs to process. I think it's wonderful that even with all the sadness you are starting to be able to see the happy things as well. Pictures really motivate me as well. I honestly don't recognize myself. I might have said this before, and I know it's not just about the weight, but I am feeling like "myself" again for the first time in a long time. I am fighting not to put the old pictures away and to learn to accept that that was just a chapter of my life. It just still makes me very sad that I did not take care of myself for so long. Anyhow I get it that the pictures motivate you.

And I only had about a month or six weeks of the exhaustion with Tom--I had a hemorrage among other things and this was at the beginning of AIDS and they only gave you enough blood to keep you from dying. Anyhow, after about six weeks I was just left with a lot of pain. Very long story, but eventually it was fixed, but it was not pleasant. It just makes me sad because I only had one baby and I was pretty miserable and really didn't enjoy it. Add to that Tom was failure to thrive for a period of time. And I had no help. Can you tell I still have a few issues with this? How on earth did you go back to work a week after gallbladder surgery????? Goodness. Going back to work was easy for me--my doctor said no way. We moved to Illinois when Tom was 6 months old and he started getting sick and the rest was history.

Great quotes by the way. I'm going to compile them into one post later today or tomorrow.

Good morning! Definitely did not mean to start this morning with a trip down memory lane. I was up from 4-5:30, and then fell back asleep until 7. Going to the Y at some point today to ride the bike. Planning to do some more cleaning and organizing today. I feel like I should go into work for a couple of hours, but I would be working for free or possible comp time and I have a ton of time off hours that I probably won't use anyhow, so don't know if I will add to it. Going to invite some friends over to watch the SEC championship game tomorrow!!!! Can't wait!!!

I'll check back in later!

 

[mikamah]

Flipflopmom – I did keep my promises to myself! No junk, and I went to the gym. Same promises for today!

That is awesome!!

Quick post to let you know I am, indeed, still here. Done scoring, house is nearly done, furniture gets moved back in tomorrow.

Went to WW on Tuesday for the first time in 2 months. UP (not surprised as the last 3 weeks have killed me) like 7 pounds. Not sure where I am in relation to my BL starting weight, but I'm sure it is up quite a bit. Oh well....life goes on and I WILL NOT QUIT!

My legs get 'fixed' the 27th, so I'm sure that will be another exercise setback, but I am required to at least do a mile a day and have to walk for 45 min before I can leave after surgery. That will help.

Off to get things done. Hope all is well with everyone!

Glad the house is almost ready, and I"m sure it was hard, but it's so good to get back to ww and pay the piper, and go on from here. 7 pounds is not too bad with all the stress you've had lately. I didn't realize you needed surgery too. Quitting is not an option!!! We can and will do this. Hang in there, julie.

Just a quick post as I'm at work. Congrats to all the losers. I've moved to the maintainers until the new year, too much going on to focus on weight loss. Pam is doing fine. He dh was moved to the rehab hospital on Tuesday so he is much closer to home. She is running back and forth to be with them all. The good news it that he is feeling better and even played cards with her yesterday

Thanks for the update. I can imagine what a huge support you have been for pamela. You are so sweet.

Today has been more emotional than I expected. It is charity pick up day, and I am getting rid of a bunch of clothes that no longer fit me. All that fear of going back has come to the surface, even though in my head I know I've changed. These are clothes I haven't worn since March and I still have plenty of things that are loose on me. I just have to keep reminding myself that I am NOT going back!

It is emotional, but you will not go back there ever again. You can do it.

I am almost done with C25K DH and I have signed up for our first 5K at the end of January, I'm very nervous, but extremely excited . I have never been a runner, or remotely athletic for that matter, and honestly I still hate running, but it's quite an accomplishment and one of the few exercises that I see any type of result from. I'm still a pretty slow runner, but my goal is a full 3 miles non-stop. I should be at that point by next Friday

mikamah - thanks for the welcome! I really need to pick up Diary of a Wimpy Kid and see what this book is all about, it seems to be quite popular I love to read!

Congrats on almost finishing the c25k. It is amazing how that program can get people who have never run in their adult life up and actually running, and even enjoying it. I started it in feb, and the longest I ran straight was 2.5 miles, and could hardly walk the next day, so I went back to run/walking intervals, and have kept it up. It was definitely easier for my age and weight to take the walk breaks. My joints actually need them. So exciting to have your first 5k race scheduled. It is truly an amazing feeling to cross that finishline, and think, OMG, I really can do this.
Wimpy kid books are cute, funny stories about middle school boys. Lots of bathroom type humor, but with some good lessons on being a good friend too. Big hit with the tween set.

But I was thinking of making LeCellier's cheddar cheese soup. Is soup ok for a party?

Gingerbread party sounds fun, and I think that soup would be perfect for a winter party. So warm and filling. Yummo.

Happy Thursday friends! DH is doing well here at the Rehab, although he is anxious to get home. We should get a "plan" this afternoon about how many days they anticipate his stay and such. That will be so nice to know so that we can start making some plans about home care and such.

He is so easily exhausted that I feel bad. Just a 60 minute visit with the pastor and an hour of OT this morning plus a shower and he is just exhausted. They just wheeled him out for an hour of PT and I hope he can stay awake for it! I haven't been organized enough to remember to pack myself something to eat and I don't know about the dining room here, so I'm heading out to grab something at the bakery/deli down the street and then I will be right back here for the afternoon. I am hoping to leave before dinner time though, and stay home for the night. I think DH needs the rest without company and I need a full evening at home to catch up on stuff! My parents have been great about everything..... laundry, dishes, yard stuff, kid stuff, etc, etc, but some stuff I just need to handle like bills, email, homework issues, etc. Plus I'd like to find 30 minutes to order some christmas gifts online. I don't trust the wireless network here with my credit card information.

Well... off to find some lunch before it gets too late!......................P

Glad dh is coming along and you are closer to home. That must be so much easier for you. Hope you continue to see improvements every day and I'm sure he will slowly build up his endurance and energy level. Poor guy, I'm sure he can't wait to get home and sleep in his own bed.

Today I am number 1 on the sparkpeople leader board for points for the month -- my id there is 1313harbor. I don't know why some little computer bits and bites are giving me a boost today but there you go!

You go Spark-queen of the month!! Or is it Spark-Princess!! That is awesome! I always love your spark quotes and links that you post here, and I always say I'm going to go over and peruse the spark board but never get there. Maybe I'll have more time with my new laptop!!

Kathy -- I think the Wimpy Kid cake will be a big hit! It is all the rage with my ds and his friends

We should definitely have a BL submeet for Princess! I got up and ran 4M this morning, after 3M yesterday. And the same sight greeted me when I looked out my kitchen window after getting off the TM -- a hawk was enjoying what I call the "all you can eat bird of prey buffet" in my back yard. This is not pretty to watch...and when it's over all that's left are piles of bones and fur or feathers. Blech. I don't know why they love my yard -- we've had hawks, ospreys, etc. Maybe they're attracted by the beaver, opposums, squirrels and stray cats. Did I mention my yard is relatively small and we live in a city? We're near a marsh, that's the only explanation I have

Michael and my niece love the wimpy kid. I just found a wimpy kid CHeese touch game at BJs for michael from santa. He hadn't mentioned it, so I don't know if he's heard of it yet, but I know he'll love it.
I am so in for a BL dismeet at the princess. I'm so excited to meet my friends in real life.
on the hawk! I never would have guessed you'd see that in the city. Wow.

And instead of grabbing something healthy, I ended up with a bowl of Captain Crunch cereal...oh well, won't beat myself up over it b/c it's been a very long time since I've had cereal and it was delicious.

Even sweet cereal isn't that bad. Compared to what you could have had, I think a bowl of captain crunch is a good choice. I just picked up some special K chocolatey delight, and will have that as an evening snack sometimes.

I don't know how it happened but I called the ortho office at 10:30 and they had an opening for 2:45. Busy office but after filling out paperwork and sitting for a while they took me in. He looked at my leg. Made me lay down where he bent it (OUCH), and then started pressing points on the knee(OUCH). Thinks I have a torn minuscus and I need an MRI before he can talk about what needs to be done. So I am calling the insurance office tonight or first thing tomorrow and seeing if I need a referal. I don't think so because of the type of insurance I have but I still want to check. he gave me a shot of cortisone to help the pain but it really hasn't helped. I wanted to go to yoga but I may just go and talk to the instructor and come home.

Praying it is a minor tear and no surgery will be needed. I hope the cortizone is helping and you're feeling better today. I would think it would take a while for the cortizone to kick in.

QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote?

Mine is (and please forgive me if I mess this up):
"You don't throw out all of the dishes, just because you broke one plate!"I come back to this all the time, and found it especially helpful when I started this journey in January. My pattern in the past was too start on the weight loss path and have a bad day, bad week, bad month and quit. I have learned over the past year that I don't have to be perfect--and I am far from perfect, and you know what, that's ok!

We are supposed to run 9 Saturday and it is supposed to snow! Nine miles on the treadmill sounds tortuous, but 9 miles in the snow doesn't sound good either. We'll see. Tomorrow I am hoping to sleep past 5am. That's not asking too much is it?

Oh, and I almost forgot--DS has an interview on Monday for an internship this summer in DC. He's very excited, but very nervous!


Hope everyone has a great evening and a good weigh-in tomorrow!

Love the plate quote. I'm thinking 9 miles on the treadmill, in the snow, in the sun, in the rain, anywhere it sounds pretty tortuous. Well, except maybe in disney world!! So I know we gotta do the painful long ones at home so we can do them in disney too, huh. Sending pixie dust for ds's interview.

Morning!

I didn't realize how many places don't have an elevator. There are places I got that have multiple. At church, there is one to go down 3 steps. They had to bring the building up to ADA standards.

Today's mini-challenge is a thinking and a doing one. You have to decide what this means to you.

Mini-Challenge for Friday, 12/3: Take care of yourself today.

For me, that means taking a lot of deep breaths and trying to stay as relaxed as possible. I'll pay attention to my eating, but really focus on it more tomorrow. I need to have a more relaxing day emotionally today.

Have a great day everyone! for the scale!

CC

Thanks cc. I'm taking care of myself by enjoying my coffee and dis time this am.

That's so great that Michael is so supportive! You are so blessed to have him! I totally missed that his bday is coming up, I'm assuming that's what the wimpy kid cake and party are for. When is it?

Tomorrow is his b-day. Can't believe he's turning 9. The time flies. I am definitely blessed.

While they were cooking, I went to get Sophie, who had napped late at mom's. On the way home, she started talking about Daddy, when could she see him again, was he happy, did he miss us, why did he die, did he want to leave us. KILLED ME. I was in tears, trying my best to put it in 3 year old terms. Got almost home, and it started snowing. Not much, but it was pretty. Somehow, it just put things right. Like a sign from Daddy or something. Dunno. But it calmed my spirits. One of those memories I'll never forget.

Mom put up pics on the mantle of Christmases past of various members of the family with Daddy, which probably got Sophie started. While it didn't really hurt emotionally to see them, it hurt b/c I WAS SOOOOOOO different.

So now I have a renewed spirit to face the scale, get my butt in gear, and keep swimming.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!
Taryn

Poor little Sophie. Three is such a sweet age full of wonder, and amazement, but so little to truly understand. My niece was 3 when my mom died, and she lived with her, so after she kept going into mom's apartment to see if Grammy had come back from heaven. So sweet and innocent, but such a heartbreaker. Love that the snow was calming for you. I definitely feel that they are out there, watching over us, and try to be open and seen and feel the little signs they send us. Love the pictures. You truly do look amazing.

Well, maybe I'll have my emotional moment now, and get it over with.

We have a fun weekend planned. We're going out to dinner tonight and then to see the Christmas Carol play. My bro and fam are comiing from western ma. I'm working 9-1 today and will run before michael gets home from school, and then we'll decorate the cake. The past couple years we've made his cakes, mostly from a cake book we got at a fundraiser, and it's fun to do together, and cheaper than buying one. I know I said before, he chose to get an ipod rather than have a big kids party, so we're having the family over tomorrow for pizza and cake, and we went to ac moore to find a craft for the kids to do, and the t-shirts were on sale for $2:19, so we're going to paint t-shirts. We called my niece and nephew who are 13 and 16 to see if they wanted to paint too, and they did, so it will be fun. I love having all the cousins together. I especially love to torture the older ones by taking a group picture.
I am also going to get a run/walk in the am. It will be nice to be able to leave michael home and go. My brother might run with me.

Oh, my saying- NEVER GIVE UP!!!No matter how long and how many ups and downs you may have, never stop trying, be patient and persistant, and you will make progress.

Have a great friday, and weekend everyone. Not sure when I'll be checking in again.

 

[mikamah]

Thank you Dona and Maria for coaching last week and thank you Rose for coaching this week.

I can't believe there are only 2 weeks left of this challenge! Two weeks is two weeks, though, and we can make some changes in 2 weeks.

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

A big BL thank you to worfiedoodles and donac for coaching this week! And a big BL welcome to our new coach, Rose&Mike!

Please PM those weigh in numbers to LuvBaloo today. No WIN! reporting unless you are a tad behind.

This is it, folks, the last two weeks of our fall challenge -- can you believe it? Give yourself a big pat on the back for sticking it out all the way through the challenge and make a big push to make these last two weeks count!

Lisa -- How's that Princess training coming? We should definitely have a BL submeet for Princess! Actually, I am a "Miz-ur-ree" girl -- those of us in the more urban areas (ok, it's pretty much St. Louis City/County, the KC people go both ways) pronounce it that way! I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis. My parents are originally from the bootheel, so they are definitely "mizz-ur-rah" people...and for those I confused, the University of Missouri at Columbia is affectionately called, "Mizzou", and the mascot is a tiger.

After I read this that song "you say po-ta-to, I say po-tah-to" started going through my head!

We definately should have a BL meet for the Princess. I counted seven of us who are going: you, Rose, Kathy (mikamah), Lindsay (mommy2topirates), Jude (jbm02), jenanderson, and me. I'm thinking I'm missing someone -- corinnak?

My training is going great -- thanks for asking. I do 3 miles for my short runs. I feel like I can do a 5K anytime with no problems and all my runs are within the Princess pace. Now it's time to work on increasing the distance for my long runs and keeping my 15 min mile pace.

Nicole, looks like you figured out the multi-quote thing!

dona, that the knee just needs some time to heal!

QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote?

Never give up!

Deb, I think we would still call you superwoman with all the stuff you get done all the time!

CC, thanks for the mini-challenge! I can definately do that one today!

Taryn, thanks for sharing your pictures. You look marvelous! You should be so proud of all you have accomplished. And about Sophie. Bless your heart! She is a perfect example of how people live on in people's heart because she probably doesn't remember your Dad very well, yet to her he's still part of the family, just not around where you can see him.

I think Rose's point about pictures just being pictures and not who you are now is an excellent one!

Rose, an extra for you. I'm sure that you are stronger for having to live through all those trying times but man, what a horrible time. Poor Mike had to live through them long distance and they don't have the internet communication they do now.

I'm hanging onto my number one spot in sparkpoints for now. That will change as I just got a point boost because I finally figured out how to get my points from the book The Spark. It's kind of fun to revisit it anyway.

Have a great day all!

 

[lisah0711]

Oh, my saying- NEVER GIVE UP!!!No matter how long and how many ups and downs you may have, never stop trying, be patient and persistant, and you will make progress.

Have a great friday, and weekend everyone. Not sure when I'll be checking in again.

Hey! Did you see I was quoting you and I didn't even know you had posted? Great minds think alike, huh?

 

[mikamah]

Hey! Did you see I was quoting you and I didn't even know you had posted? Great minds think alike, huh?

So funny. Now I'm really leaving for work now!! bye!!

 

[SettinSail]

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a great WI today. I was able to hold onto my one pound from yesterday so that's it for me this week. Finally, my jeans are starting to feel loose. You would think after 23.5 pounds, this would have happened awhile back. They still fit well in the thighs but are getting baggy in the waist and bum. They are those kind of jeans with a little spandex in them so maybe that's why it's taken so long for them to get baggy Still need to lose 2.5 more pounds over the next 2 weeks to meet my goal for this challenge. That will be hard for me. I typically only lose about 2 pounds a month! I don't like to deprive myself too much We'll see how it goes. I did some research on running on snow last night. I like what this guy said on his blog:

Running in this snow is very strenuous, akin to running in sand on the beach. With every step, as your foot presses down, it actually pushes the snow (and sand) aside and only a small portion of the energy is used to propel the body forward. That means, you end up with a shorter step and need to take more steps to cover the same distance. Thus you end up more tired.
I also find that since my foot is now buried about an inch or more in the snow, I have to lift it UP and THEN FORWARD – another reason for more energy used and a shorter step. So plan on a slower pace. And swing your arms less, to save energy.

I also found the jaxtrax online that you can attach to the bottom of your shoes. I'm still too sore from my fall the other day to think about getting out there but I think it will be doable over the winter. I've seen a lot of joggers around the past few days. Went to yoga today and did a short walk. Then washed all the sheets and remade beds. Now, I'm just being lazy

Flipflopmom – I did keep my promises to myself! No junk, and I went to the gym. Same promises for today!

SettnSail – How did you do with your water and no junk yesterday?


Have a happy thursday everyone! Stay strong! You can do this!

Uh-oh, I did great with my water but I did sneak in 2 more small junk items on Weds when I made that promise. Somehow I was down one pound the next day and that motivated me to do very well yesterday- no junk at all!
Good for you for no junk and a workout Keep up the good work!

Went to WW on Tuesday for the first time in 2 months. UP (not surprised as the last 3 weeks have killed me) like 7 pounds. Not sure where I am in relation to my BL starting weight, but I'm sure it is up quite a bit. Oh well....life goes on and I WILL NOT QUIT!

The new WW is rather confusing, but I will adjust. At least it will make me keep track again. I had done the old points since 2003, so I knew it all. Weird going from 18-20 old points to 29 new ones.

I have been popping in every so often to read. Hopefully I will get to more often these last 2 weeks. Mostly, I need to WALK!! Since the flood on 10/11, I have exercised a grand total of 6 times - and I was used to doing about 5 miles/day. I really am suffering withdrawel.

My legs get 'fixed' the 27th, so I'm sure that will be another exercise setback, but I am required to at least do a mile a day and have to walk for 45 min before I can leave after surgery. That will help.

Off to get things done. Hope all is well with everyone!

Good to hear from you and glad you are getting near the end of your ordeal!
BRAVO for facing the scale and getting right back on top of things
Hey, it's not 10 or 20 pounds! Good luck with your surgery

Hey everyone, I'm still here and have been following along. I just haven't had much to say lately. I've been struggling to find time to exercise since my DH has been traveling quite a bit lately and its been just me and the kids. One more trip in 2 weeks (to Vegas!) and he's home for the holidays. I was one of the souls who didn't weigh in on Friday (first time missing a weigh in) because my in laws were staying with us and I use the Wii Fit. I didn't want an audience!

Anyway, I am up about 1.3 so far for the last 2 weeks, but I know its several things. We gave up our bed to the in laws for 4 nights and I didn't get great sleep. I was completely off my routine and didn't eat at my usual regular times and had much more sodium than usual. I was pretty worn out from cooking for 2 days and taking my inlaws shopping, to the movies, and into Denver to see the King Tut exhibition. I haven't been to the gym in a week (hubby is back home as of last night, so I am going tonight!). I really miss going, a year ago I never thought I'd feel that way, but there you go.

Today has been more emotional than I expected. It is charity pick up day, and I am getting rid of a bunch of clothes that no longer fit me. All that fear of going back has come to the surface, even though in my head I know I've changed. These are clothes I haven't worn since March and I still have plenty of things that are loose on me. I just have to keep reminding myself that I am NOT going back!

for all your struggles the past few weeks. 1.3 pounds is not bad at all considering all the changes in routine you have had. I look forward to the day I can give away all my fat clothes. I am not there yet. I must have been wearing some TIGHT clothes!

we have family pictures which means I will be missing my Zumba class. I wrestled with the idea of going at lunch, but that would mean I'd have to completely re-do my hair, make-up, etc, but finally came to the conclusion that so what I'll have to re-do my hair but at least I will have got my exercise in and my routine won't be shot. I am almost done with C25K DH and I have signed up for our first 5K at the end of January, I'm very nervous, but extremely excited . I have never been a runner, or remotely athletic for that matter, and honestly I still hate running, but it's quite an accomplishment and one of the few exercises that I see any type of result from. I'm still a pretty slow runner, but my goal is a full 3 miles non-stop. I should be at that point by next Friday

WOW A workout over lunch You go girl! That's aswesome about the 5K, can't wait to hear all about it when you finish. I'm the same way, VERY non-athletic but I can do this and love the results. I hope to someday run a "real" 5K too!

Still keeping up with the exercise I actually had to do an entire hour last night because my dinner choices were not that good. But it paid off because this morning I wasnt up on the scale. Work has been really busy lately. School has also been extremely busy. Finals are coming up in two weeks. On top of this, I have two holiday parties at my house this upcoming week. My annual gingerbread house party is this weekend! I think I have enough supplies to make the houses. I usually supply the house stuff and everyone else brings food. But I was thinking of making LeCellier's cheddar cheese soup. Is soup ok for a party? Im taking tomorrow off from work to prepare the house and start on the icing and maybe make some baked goods. This time, I will make sure there is no food left over for me to binge on!

for your exercise! I think the soupd sounds great! Similar to having a big pot of chilli at a party. Have fun this weekend!

DH is doing well here at the Rehab, although he is anxious to get home. We should get a "plan" this afternoon about how many days they anticipate his stay and such. That will be so nice to know so that we can start making some plans about home care and such.

He is so easily exhausted that I feel bad.

Glad to hear he is doing well Hope you will see improvement in his strength and stamina daily. Good luck finding what will work for you in terms of an eating routine while you are going back and forth. And, thank God for your helpers!

Today I am number 1 on the sparkpeople leader board for points for the month -- my id there is 1313harbor. I don't know why some little computer bits and bites are giving me a boost today but there you go!

Have a great day all!

I got up and ran 4M this morning, after 3M yesterday. And the same sight greeted me when I looked out my kitchen window after getting off the TM -- a hawk was enjoying what I call the "all you can eat bird of prey buffet" in my back yard. This is not pretty to watch...and when it's over all that's left are piles of bones and fur or feathers. Blech. I don't know why they love my yard -- we've had hawks, ospreys, etc. Maybe they're attracted by the beaver, opposums, squirrels and stray cats. Did I mention my yard is relatively small and we live in a city? We're near a marsh, that's the only explanation I have

The new WW plan is working great for me. I love grabbing a banana for a snack, and I really am eating less overall since I'm snacking on fruit instead of 100 cal packs...

Maria

for running all those miles !!! And of MY, what a sight to behold out the window! You probably have a mixture of fascination and disgust!

Workout went well...3 miles/35 minutes on the elliptical and I'm glad it's over

Today is going much better, back on track, 4 cups of water down and at least 2 more to go!

On a lighter note - I made Chicken Tortilla Soup two weeks ago Nicole

One bowl of cereal does not sound too bad to me!

And chance you'd share your recipe ???

I don't know how it happened but I called the ortho office at 10:30 and they had an opening for 2:45. Busy office but after filling out paperwork and sitting for a while they took me in. He looked at my leg. Made me lay down where he bent it (OUCH), and then started pressing points on the knee(OUCH). Thinks I have a torn minuscus and I need an MRI before he can talk about what needs to be done. So I am calling the insurance office tonight or first thing tomorrow and seeing if I need a referal. I don't think so because of the type of insurance I have but I still want to check. he gave me a shot of cortisone to help the pain but it really hasn't helped. I wanted to go to yoga but I may just go and talk to the instructor and come home.

Send plenty of PD If it is a minor tear then it may not need surgery.

Hope it's just minor Keep us updated!

QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote?

Oh, and I almost forgot--DS has an interview on Monday for an internship this summer in DC. He's very excited, but very nervous!

Congrats and good luck to DS!!!

I like
"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"
"When you fail to plan, you plan to fail"
"If I never quit, I will suceed eventually"

and the one I tell my son all the time
"You can't soar with eagles if you're hanging out with turkeys"

I think this could apply to weight loss too

Cool evening last night, want to share.

So now I have a renewed spirit to face the scale, get my butt in gear, and keep swimming.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!
Taryn

Wow, what a special night. 2 very neat memories.

And, THANKS for sharing the photos - WOW!!! You look so different,wow!
That is very motivating for me. When I get to 25 pounds lost, I am going to post pictures too. Won't be quite as dramatic but it's something for me to work towards. Keep on swimming

Going to invite some friends over to watch the SEC championship game tomorrow!!!! Can't wait!!!

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend everybody! We are down to 15 days left in our challenge so make every day count. Take the time to take care of yourself! (thanks CC!!)

Shawn

 

[tggrrstarr]

LOL! I just realized why it seems like its taking so long for me to meet my goal for this challenge! I just looked back at my original pm from September and noticed I had sent in the wrong number, I just did the math wrong! Instead of setting me up for losing 30lbs, I sent in 40lbs! Well, that gives me two weeks to lose 14 lbs! It all makes sense now!

Hey! Did you know you were the weekly Biggest Loser?! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39062139&postcount=3037
So I would say that you are doing very well!

Thanks! That was an awesome week, I am sorry I wasn't here to celebrate it. I am up to date now and will try to stay that way for the remainder of the challenge! (I did give up on the 15 or so pages I couldn't get to.)

Question of the Day

When do you put up your Christmas tree?

We usually put it up the week after Thanksgiving. This year I got it up about three weeks ago. It still doesn't have Ornaments though. I am scared to put them on with Boo bouncing off the walls like a Tigger on crack. This is her first Christmas.
We used to go cut down our tree every year at a farm, I always hated fake trees. But we were living in a condo before and the clean up was almost impossible, so we gave in and bought a fake tree about three years ago. Love it! I decided we would keep using it until we have kids.

Question of the Day

Has your attitude changed about exercise?

.

Yes, for the most part. It is so easy for me to have a great attitude about exercise in the summer and fall.
This winter is becoming a challenge for me. I can't just go outside for my walk anymore after work, it is way too cold now. Even though I have the gym membership, I hate going there, its usually too dificult to find time to get there. We only have one car, so that is the major problem. I find myself only getting a full workout on my days off.
I am trying to use the Kinect, but I am not able to every day. I am working too many closing shifts, so I just cop out after work. I think sleep is my enemy right now. It seems to be my main deterrent. I am going to try to get past this this week.

Cool I woke up to find I'm the BL last week!

Quite chilly here again today and most of the trip. Only supposed to be in the 60s most of the time. Should've brought more long pants! Wearing capris today. Looking forward to Ohana tonight. Set the alarm wrong last night so it actually went off at 5:15 instead of 6. Oh well, I was awake anyways.

TTFN

Congrats on being BL Thanksgiving week!

Good to know about the weather. I was obsessing over what the weather will be next month, most of my capris don't fit anymore and I don't know where to buy more in the winter. I guess I will just go with pants and jeans.

I am in love with these loose draw string cargos from Old Navy right now. I am wearing a pair I bought pre weight loss, and they are huge! But because of the draw string, I can get away with it til I have a chance to buy a new size! I think I have some shopping in my future!

This is me and the girls outside of Narcoosee's in 2009. I was right around 218, which was my starting point.

One year later, almost there. 168. Outside of WL

Taryn

Those pics are awesome! You look fabulous! Its great when you can see your success in pictures. My upcoming trip will be just over a year after my last one, I can't wait to see the "before" and "after" pics from my two trips!