Biggest Loser 11 Spring Team Challenge--for Losers and Maintainers

[lisah0711]

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

And thank you, Tracey, for being weightkeeper this challenge!

The last disc of season 3 only has 2 episodes. I was disappointed there weren't more!

Yep, ds was asking last night if we could go, and he rarely asks to see a movie anymore. I think dh can clean if he wants it done -- and ds and I can I definitely sound like I could use a little (or a lot) of Johnny Depp!

Thanks for the warning on the last disc thing -- grrr! Johnny Depp is always a plus in my book for sure!

Hi friends Haven't had time to post or read here since Monday but I just got caught up. This challenge, I am most proud that I read every word of every post! And, as others have said, I am still here through the ups and downs and trying to do better. I was doing good, down 1.5 last week and .9 so far this week but since Monday I am constantly hungry and eating ALOT and I didn't weigh in yesterday morning or this morning This is not like me. I'll get it back on track tomorrow but afraid I will end this challenge with not much of a loss Determined to do better this Summer.

Shawn, so sorry your guys were so sick. That is one of the worst things to wake up in the middle of the night to. I'm so happy that you did not get it too.

I think you did great this challenge, especially with all the other stuff going on in your life. I'm so glad that you are here!

QOTD--Thursday, May 19, 2011
What is your favorite spring flower?

Thank you, Rose for doing such a great job running the big, busy spring challenge. It would not have happened if it wasn't for you!

I love peonies, too, but in our neck of the woods we call them "early summer flowers." In fact we had frost night before last and had to bring in our hanging baskets. I love the lilacs here. There are so many beautiful colors and the fragrance is divine. They should start up here in another week or so. Daffodils are nice, too, and the deer don't like them.

CC, sorry about the gain this week. You've had a tough week. Maybe some stress busting HH tasks -- there is a whole section on sparkpeople. I will PM you a link some time this week.

Thanks, can you see the airplanes taking off and landing from the pool area? DS would love that. He points at every plane, bus and truck he sees nowadays.

It depends on which way they are taking off and landing but it seems like they are flying very close to you. I'm sure he will love it. Ah, the good old days when simple things excited them -- now if you point out something somedays you are lucky to get a "whatever." Have a wonderful time and big old frou frou drink for us!

Oh and I LOST!!!!!!!!!
Basically one person was running for the position so she got a yes or no vote. If she got a no, I got an automatic yes by default. It was soooo close, 3 votes separated us. I really hope she doesn't drive PTO into the ground but what can I do?!?

Woo hoo you lost! Seems funny saying that! I feel fortunate that my presence is no longer desired within a certain radius of school and I don't do the PTA thing any more. I'm just the faithful parent who can be counted on to bring what is needed.

You are all so special to me and I know if it wasnt for you all I would have quit a long time ago. Thank you so much for the advice and pep talks. I appreciate it more than you can imagine.

I'm glad that Mike and the boys are okay after their fender bender.
I hope that things settle down for you at work soon. You've made it so far, Lindsay, I know that you will have a great summer and we will be right here with you!

Oh no, Not another medical crisis for your family. Miracles do happen, we've witnessed them

You know that first hand, Deb. When does your new job start?

Good rainy morning everyone!!

I don't think I yelled at all yesterday or yet today!!

Well, where's the fun in that? I'm glad that you are having a better day today, Kathy.

Everyone should give themselves a big pat on the back for sticking with it throughout the whole challenge no matter what -- finish strong all!

Hah! Neener, neener poof fairy didn't lose my post after all!

 

[SettinSail]

Happy Thursday everyone!

Rose, I love peonies as well, one of my favorite flowers. I also used to have at my old house a beautiful camellia bush that flowered in April and I love Gardenias and tulips too! Purple hyacinth, daffodils, tulips, dogwood flowers,
I love all the Spring flowers!

We have had outstanding weather this week, except for a little while Monday afternoon. Bright and sunny all day long, high around 75 degrees. I think the weather is taunting me because I have to leave Germany!

I was up 1.8 this morning, I actually didn't think it was that bad for as much as I've eaten this week! I think if I'm careful, I can get that off today and end the challenge with a 6 pound loss. Not spectacular, but I will take it.
Arrrgh, only 6 lbs in 20 weeks! My goal will be 10 lbs for the next challenge.
Kathy, and others, we will have to support each other this Summer and try to get motivated again!

Went on a 90 minute "power" walk with my friend and her dog this morning. Had bruschetta for lunch. It is so easy to make. I just toast 2 english muffins halves, chop two small roma tomatoes and mix them with fresh basil, salt, pepper, tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of cider vinegar. Top the toasted muffin halves with the tomato mixture - YUM!!! I'll need to find a snack soon and then hope I can make it to dinner on just that. Dinner will be black beans and saffron rice.

Today I only have left to do some more planning/printing for my trip next week and cleaning for my friend's visit. I've done all the bare basics for both and I just keep going back and doing a little more. I'm going to make a reservation for High Tea for us at Harrod's next week!

It's a perfect time for the challenge to end for me. I'll have time to be on here tomorrow and then Saturday we have a very busy day and Sunday my friend arrives. I probably won't be back on the DIS until May 31st
Hopefully I will be able to stay in control. My goal is to maintain until I can get back here but maybe if I stay busy enough I will even see a small loss. My friend is very lean and active. She's 5'9 and 140 lbs and still has jet black hair at 50!!! She is my idol!!! I will try to eat what she's eating She is very very picky about eating healthy so I have no excuse.

See you all tomorrow

Shawn

 

[SettinSail]

Forgot to say Congratulations to all our Biggest Losers this week and esp to Tracy

I made the leader board Only the 2nd time this challenge.

I think I will challenge myself to lose double what I did this time in the Summer challenge and make the leader board 4 times!

Lisa, thanks for your kind words I'm glad you are still here too. I find all you ladies so inspirational

Have a great day!

Shawn

 

[tigger813]

Couldn't get on earlier as it seemed that the boards were down!

Got to work, set up the stones and then saw that my client canceled! UGH! Oh well! Going to get some waxing done while I'm here today and hopefully pop out early to do some errands.

I got up and did 2 miles on the elliptical this morning. I figured I should gear up for my walk tomorrow night so I got my butt out of bed! I watched last week's The Good Wife and if I get to leave here early I will try and do 2 more miles and watch this week's episode. I'm glad they changed it to Sunday's at 9 next season.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything so I really hope I can leave here early and get caught up with everything before the weekend. We've decided to go out to supper on Saturday afternoon/evening since DHs work is paying and I know I won't feel like cooking. I'm not even sure what day of the week it is and our calendar at home keeps filling up more and more!

Ok, enough whining from me! Well, at least for now!

Weather is still horrible here so that's not helping anything! I put my light up hat and my warm gloves in the bag for tomorrow night already! What a wimpI am!

TTFN

 

[RemembertheMagic98]

Sigh. I had such a great week last week, and this one is a virtual disaster. I haven't been running, I'm eating like it's hotter than Lady Gaga, and I literally almost cried this morning telling dh about all my work stress and my fears about not being able to pull a rabbit out of this hat This constant rain is not helping my mood, energy, or motivation...


That sun had better come out soon, unfortunately it apparently won't be tomorrow...

That's all I've got -- I have to get back to my crazy day. I don't recommend mental exhaustion as a weight loss strategy. It's not working for me. I'm sitting here about to cry now, for no reason. All I want to do is crawl into a hole (ok, my comfy bed would do), and not deal with anyone or anything for 48 hours. Normally I could almost do that over the weekend, but dh is running a 5M, and has 3 friends coming down from NH -- so there will be bbq in my backyard Sunday afternoon after the race -- and my house is a mess, and I have no desire to clean it for these guys. I am sorely tempted to tell him I just don't care, take ds, and go see POTC4

Maria

Maria, I feel your pain. There are days when I just want to curl up in a ball and shut my eyes....then I think about how much I would miss if I really did that! If you don't pull the rabbit out of the hat, you will still have the hat!! If your house is not the picture of perfection for Sunday, what is the worst that can happen? Johnny Depp awaits you....go for it!!

Karen, sorry about the Princess. I'm thinking the Princess in 2012 won't be a happening thing for me either. Maybe we should all start planning for 2013!

It's a nice day here today so I think I'll find an excuse to go to the courthouse so I can enjoy the nice weather. My body would not be very happy with me if I did any walking after my long run yesterday.

Lisa, I have a new plan....if I can do the Superhero half or the Jersey Shor half (here locally in NJ next April/May) then I am IN for the Princess Half in 2013!! I spoke to my trainer last night and he thinks I can do Princess in 2012, but I know that in my head I will not be ready. SO, I am planning another 5K in June, 3 5Ks in the fall, a 10K in November and hopefully my first half in April/May. 2013 looks like a smart choice for me for the Princess!!

I'm jealous of your sunshine!! Enjoy the rays for me

DH & DS have been sick since Monday night with vomiting and high fever. Didn't help my jet lag any looking after those 2 I slept from 9pm-midnight Mon night when DS woke me up. He had vomited all over his bed, I don't think he's ever done that before even as a young child. DH & I cleaned it up and about an hour later DH was very sick. He finally got settled and then I was up the rest of the night. Slept a little more from 5am-8am.
DS went back to school today. Felt a little queasy and got some peppermint tablets from the nurse. DH stayed out of work again today but will go back tomorrow. I finally got all bed linens washed and back on beds, bathrooms, door knobs, etc sanitized and the apt aired out. Thank God I did not catch it. I slept in the guest room last night and am debating if I should wash those sheets before my friend comes Sunday. It was only slept in once and it was just me, so......


Karen Did you find time to "futz" with your new scale anymore? I hope it was wrong! I hope to someday run the Princess too but I'm just a slow 5Ker right now That panel discussion sounds very interesting - can you imagine living through something like that ??? Good for you, going to the gym to get back on track


Hope I did not miss anyone! It's 11:30 pm here so I should get in bed. I told DH and DS I was not getting up with them at 7:00 tomorrow. Between nursing them and jet lag, I'm exhausted. I'll probably get up around 8:30. I'm going on a 2 hour "power walk" with my friend tomorrow and continuing to clean some and print out trip plans for my BFF's visit beginning Sunday. I've written down everything and printed flight info/reservations/directions/etc out for the first 5 days so far. I have a cute journal I wrote it all down in with a pocket in the back to hold all the printed documents. I've decided not to do any deep detailed cleaning like I was going to for her visit. The downstairs will be cleaned thoroughly but the upstairs will stay like it is today

See you all tomorrow!

Shawn

Shawn, this is sooo unfair that you came home to jetlag and illness! I hope everyone is getting back to normal and you can catch up on some sleep really soon!
My scale woes continue...so, I am going to conclude that the old scale liked me better and this one just doesn't know me yet I wanted to start the new challenge with a new scale to keep me honest!
Look at you all ready for your friends visit with a cute journal!! Way to go (considering your nursing duties!) Enjoy your time with your friend!!

QOTD--Thursday, May 19, 2011
What is your favorite spring flower?

I love Gerber Daisies! The bright and beautiful colors make me feel sooo good! I usually plant flowers in the window boxes that hang off my deck but I am late due to the fact that they are restaining our decks next week! Can't wait to dig in the dirt!!

Rose Enjoy your time in WDW (can't wait for your trip report!!) and I totally agree about this thread. I love that I can come here and just check in but ALWAYS receive hugs and support!!

And I'M THE BIGGEST LOSER THIS WEEK!!!! Of course, at the rate I'm going this week, I'll be next week's Biggest Gainer!!!! Oh well!


Mom was doing a lot better today. She's really nervous about Friday and whether or not they will be able to come up next month. I realized that I couldn't go get them if they needed me to as the week they are coming I have something EVERYDAY with the kids! Just hope they can drive up or maybe my brother can fly down and drive them up. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!
TTFN

Tracey!!! Rock on Biggest Loser of the week!! SO happy for you on so many levels - successful birthday party for Ash, mom doing better, Relay stuff coming together....Banner week for you!!! You deserve it!

Weigh-in was not pretty. I was expecting to gain, but 4.8 lbs still surprised me. I guess I didn't realize how horribly I had been eating. Today was much better. I started the morning with my first glass of milk in days. I also had an apple. I had yogurt for snack, but only had a few slices of ham for lunch. I should have eaten more as I was really hungry by mid-afternoon. Dinner was okay. I skipped the potatoes, but had some pasta. (It was leftover night.) Tomorrow, I am going to journal my food. I had planned to today, but didn't, and I'm not sure why.

I never made it to the gym. I am just exhausted. I did spend some time reading during my lunch break today. That didn't go smoothly at all. I'm reading a self-help time book and I was reading someone's story and her story really resonated with me. I even started crying. I'm sure that emotional rollercoaster didn't help my exhaustion level.

Thanks for all the support! Rose is right. It is wonderful to be able to come here and have someone send you a hug. Thanks!

Last day before our final weigh-in. Make it a great one! I can't believe this challenge is almost over. I've been thinking about some new ideas for Healthy Habits and I've got a few brewing. I'm trying to make it more fun, less predictable, and more beneficial for us. I'm open to ideas!

Oh CC I just want to give you a real hug!! Last spring I was where you are...exhaustion and stress abounded! I took last summer off...off of extra committments, off of volunteering, off of being the doormat. By the end of the summer I had found me again and mentally I felt better. It never hurts to take some time "off".

OK so my treadmill run tanked!! I just didn't have the mental desire to do it. I quit after about 1/2 way through.
Hopefully I think I'm going to go back to Week 5 and try again tomorrow.

Took the kids to the Dr today:
DS14 has a tight chest but no major symptoms as of yet. The Dr gave him an inhaler for for track until he feels better.
DS10 has bronchitis so he is on amoxicillin and tylenol with codeine.
DS9 and DD might be in the road to recovery but we are taking a wait and see approach.

DH called at 6, he is coming home tonight!!!
So now I need to clean off the bed! LOL

Gonna try to go get some rest and see how the kids feel in the morning.

YAY! Glad you lost PTO ~ it feels really strange writing that!! Hey, at lest you got ON the TM tonight! Hope the kids are in recovery and so nice that dh can come home sooner

Work is insane. I cant even see my desk right now. I am locking myself in my office tomorrow and am not helping anyone until I get it cleaned off and organized. We had a dinner meeting tonight at Shula's steak house. Yummy. Im sure I ate too much but when you are getting a 50 dollar dinner free you got to eat it. Yep I know this is why I have a weight problem. It was filet, baked potatoe, and tomatoe and gorgonzola salad. I passed on the cheesecake so I am calling that a success.

While at dinner dh called and he got into a fender bender on the way home. No damage to his car but just a little to the person he hit. He rear ended them but the car in front of the one he hit slammed on their breaks. The lady in front of him stopped fast and luckily for her the guy in front turned in enough time so she didnt hit him but mike unfortunatly slid into her. It was raining and the road was slippery. uggh. Luckily it was minor and dh and the boys were fine. Well nick (DS4) was a little shook up because he though mike was going to jail. poor kid.

Lindsay, I always feel better with a clean desk!! The dinner sounds absolutely divine! Sometimes you just can't pass up the free steak!! I hope dh is ok with the bender...I did laugh at him going to jail for it...that's why I love little kids!! At least he put the accident into perspective

Have a great day. Let's get that water in flush out those pounds before final weighin tomorrow.

Thanks Kathy for the reminder...I'm not a good water drinker Hope today is a good one for you!

Everyone should give themselves a big pat on the back for sticking with it throughout the whole challenge no matter what -- finish strong all!

Hah! Neener, neener poof fairy didn't lose my post after all!

Lisa, thanks for your support throughout the challenge!!

*********************
Powerful day yesterday! The genocide panel was so moving...especially the survivor from Rwanda who was 8 months pregnant when the killing began. She actually was in hiding for a month and had her baby in a shed...finally getting to the hospital days later. It is truly by the grace of God that these women survived.

So, I had my trainer at 4:30 - 5 and then spin from 6:30 -7:30. I still can't stand the instructor but it did dawn on me as to why!! He plays some good spinning music but he doesn't do the right moves to the songs - he sprinted an entire song that was clearly a jumping song. He's on vacation next week so I will go to class and then it's back to Monday or Tuesday nights.

My new scale and I are beginning what I hope will be a great relationship. I cleaned it last night and futz a bit more with the controls. Should a scale really be this complicated? I think we are back on track

A slow day here in the office and a new client tonight. I'm still looking for a summer job...

Best of luck for the last weigh in for all!!

 

[pjlla]

I'm at school today and have just a few short blocks of time to chat, so I will be replying over a few posts instead of all at once........

Buffy--I get the stress about the crockpot--we unplug almost everything when we go on vacation and we turn the water off to the house. Having said that, I think if you plug one into a ground fault you would probably be good. FWIW my DH is an engineer who acutally makes appliances and I have never heard anything about crockpots being unsafe. (He actually worked as a safety engineer and dealt with ul stuff for a while.) It's so fabulous to come home to a cooked meal. Feel free to ignore me, but I am the biggest worrier--I won't even have the dishwasher closed when we leave to go out of town, but I will use the crockpot when I'm out for the day. I'm even thinking about trying to "bake" potatoes in one this summer!

Buffy.... I second what Rose says about the safety of crockpots.... but this might make you feel better. I make SURE to plug my crockpot into a GFI outlet AND I put it on top of the stove.... that way if the pot were to overflow or overheat, it would be on a heatproof surface where nothing would burn. I have a few types of crockpots and one of them gets pretty hot on the outside.... I try to use that one mostly when I am home.

Once one of my crockpots was starting to show some "age" in the plug/heat control area, I got rid of it immediately... but I was sad because it was my favorite. Lo and behold, I found the identical model, like brand new at a yard sale a few weeks later! If you crockpot is old, you might feel better about leaving it if you bought a new one.

Thanks for sharing this Pamela. I think it really helps to see the thought processes involved behind getting back on plan after vacation--and that you can enjoy vacation while making some fun choices and some healthy choices. And seeing that sometimes we just need to put things into perspective. I have tracked my weight for over a year now, and it's great to go back and see where I was weight wise at certain times. Returning from Disney at 129 is fabulous!

Actually I returned TO Disney at 129.... won't talk about what the scale said when I got home!!

Wish I had done a bit more thinking about my smart choices before I left, but I don't really have any regrets, so I guess I did okay!


I am on my last load of laundry and DS and I ran some errands. Mike is going to board the dogs tonight and run by the bank on the way home.

I am still not very good at this g-f thing. I mean, I have no issues with eating g-f, but I keep putting myself in situations where I am out with no emergency food and no good choices available. I'm getting better at it, but ended up eating peanut mms today cause we had one more place to stop and I was starting to feal queasy. I need to keep working on this.

I hope everyone is having a great day.

Oh, and I got my rings cleaned today and the jeweler said I really need to get them resized. I guess I'll do it when we get back. He was kind of a putz (DS thought he was a jerk) but I channeled my inner Chief Brenda Lee Johnson. Maybe my ring size will finally be smaller than Mike's--probably not, but I can hope. He has the thinnest fingers--and I don't!

Maybe you could start keeping a small emergency box in the back of the car. I've been doing that for a while.... canned "in juice" fruit, granola bars (for the kids), Luna bars, Starkist tuna lunch kits (shelf stable), water bottles, plastic spoons. Nothing too exciting, but good in a pinch. It has saved a stop at the drive-thru more than once! I'm sure you have extra challenges when out and about because of all of your restrictions. I try to keep the more out-of-the-box ideas handy.... stopping at a grocery store for an apple, getting a snack wrap and McD or an egg white wrap at Dunkins and throwing away the wraps.... I've done all of these things when in a "food emergency"!

I need to have my wedding ring made a bit smaller, but the jeweler doesn't seem to want to do just a 1/4 size down. I think it will be okay for the summer, but I rarely wore my ring this winter.... when I am cold it is just too big! I have really tiny fingers.... for a long time they were the only "slim" part of my entire body!! I am currently a 4 1/2 on my left ring finger. Right hand is a bit larger. ........................P

 

[pjlla]

Doing 2 Half Marathons 6 weeks apart. I never thought I could do that, and I even had a new PR both times, so it was all good!

THat is SO impressive!!



Sigh. I had such a great week last week, and this one is a virtual disaster. I haven't been running, I'm eating like it's hotter than Lady Gaga, and I literally almost cried this morning telling dh about all my work stress and my fears about not being able to pull a rabbit out of this hat This constant rain is not helping my mood, energy, or motivation...

Wish I could take some of that stress from you. Do you have a supervisor you could talk to or is it just a short-term project that has you so stressed? Got an assistant you could dump some on?? And I agree about the nonstop RAIN we've had.... so depressing!

I have to thank Pamela, because your TR has been such a bright spot for me this week. Your smiling face says it all You are genuinely happy, and the healthy you shines through! Here's a for your family, for dh's sister. Congratulations on your anniversary! DH and I celebrated 18 years on Mother's Day!

Awww.... thanks! We did have so much fun and it was nice (for both of us) to be able to look at the photos and not cringe about our bodies (however, I am constantly cringing at the WRINKLES!! When did I get old!?)

Congrats on 18 years!


I am sorry I keep doing a poor job of posting here. I have all these great intentions, but 1) I get to work and I have zero "me time", or 2) I get home and I can't get out of my bed because it's

That sun had better come out soon, unfortunately it apparently won't be tomorrow...

That's all I've got -- I have to get back to my crazy day. I don't recommend mental exhaustion as a weight loss strategy. It's not working for me. I'm sitting here about to cry now, for no reason. All I want to do is crawl into a hole (ok, my comfy bed would do), and not deal with anyone or anything for 48 hours. Normally I could almost do that over the weekend, but dh is running a 5M, and has 3 friends coming down from NH -- so there will be bbq in my backyard Sunday afternoon after the race -- and my house is a mess, and I have no desire to clean it for these guys. I am sorely tempted to tell him I just don't care, take ds, and go see POTC4

Maria

Clean up the main rooms (living room, kitchen, guest bath) and shut the doors to the rest! And if they are men, they won't notice any how!!

Pray for good weather on Sunday and fill the beer cooler and other than the potty, they probably won't even need to come inside!

Wish we could meet up for the movie! I'm getting a bit more excited about it. At first I didn't really care, but we (DS and myself) might try to have a mini-POTC marathon over the next few nights and then see the new one over the weekend.

Praying for stress relief of some sort to come your way soon......P

 

[pjlla]

Pamela, loved the TR and especially the WISH greeting! Think of all the wonderful memories that you made with DS and DD on these trips. Maybe you should take DH next!

He isn't a Disney fan.... but I should think about planning a surprise trip for our 20th anniversary next year.... maybe a short cruise for just us two?? He would fall over from shock if I planned something like that. I would definitely have to start planning/saving NOW cause we have lots of expenses coming up this fall and next year!

It's a nice day here today so I think I'll find an excuse to go to the courthouse so I can enjoy the nice weather. My body would not be very happy with me if I did any walking after my long run yesterday.

Appreciate your nice weather, cause many of us aren't having it!! How long was the run??

Glad you got a long run in.... can I call part of it for myself? I had full intentions to hit the fitness room at the Y last night, but I ran out of time since I had to take DS for new shoes while DD was swimming. He took his shoes off after school and he showed me he had a hole CLEAR THRU to the outside!! How does he let his shoes get THAT BAD without telling me?? And of course, I decided to try Payless first, even though it was a bit further away... and they had no sneakers that he liked in his size (but I did pick up a great pair of fall short hiking boots on clearance for him for next school year!). So we backtracked to Target and found a decent pair. He is SO TOUGH on shoes and seems to be outgrowing them so fast, that I hate to spend more than $25 on a pair. He can have expensive shoes when he stops growing!! DH wanted me to wait for the Ecco brand tent sale this weekend and buy DS sneakers there, but I REFUSE to spend $40 on a pair of sneakers for banging around for the summer!

Anyhow.... after the shoe run around and a quick stop for grocery necessities, there was only 15 minutes left before pick-up time. oh well........P

 

[pjlla]

Hi friends Haven't had time to post or read here since Monday but I just got caught up. This challenge, I am most proud that I read every word of every post! And, as others have said, I am still here through the ups and downs and trying to do better. I was doing good, down 1.5 last week and .9 so far this week but since Monday I am constantly hungry and eating ALOT and I didn't weigh in yesterday morning or this morning This is not like me. I'll get it back on track tomorrow but afraid I will end this challenge with not much of a loss
Determined to do better this Summer.

Don't forget, you are constantly learning, even during the bad weeks. Any particular reason (emotional, physical, hormonal) why you might be constantly hungry this week?? You are under a lot of stress right now... cut yourself some slack.

DH & DS have been sick since Monday night with vomiting and high fever. Didn't help my jet lag any looking after those 2 I slept from 9pm-midnight Mon night when DS woke me up. He had vomited all over his bed, I don't think he's ever done that before even as a young child. DH & I cleaned it up and about an hour later DH was very sick. He finally got settled and then I was up the rest of the night. Slept a little more from 5am-8am.
DS went back to school today. Felt a little queasy and got some peppermint tablets from the nurse. DH stayed out of work again today but will go back tomorrow. I finally got all bed linens washed and back on beds, bathrooms, door knobs, etc sanitized and the apt aired out. Thank God I did not catch it. I slept in the guest room last night and am debating if I should wash those sheets before my friend comes Sunday. It was only slept in once and it was just me, so.......

So sorry about the icky sickies in your house! Glad you seem to be avoiding it! And nice of you to air out the house before your BFF arrives!!

Pam: Loved, loved, loved your TR and pictures. Esp the Fairy Godmother shout out to us!!! I'm so jealous that your DD will get up early and stay out late and take advantage of every minute of the trip. My guys are so lazy! Sorry to hear about your SIL. As for DS's GF's Mom going through chemo, you have some good ideas. I think just staying in touch with a phone call or note is also appreciated. No one knows what to say in these situations but "Hey, how are you doing" is so much better than doing nothing!
Happy Anniversary! Pink dress! That really surprises and delights me! Bet it was beautiful with your delicate blond hair and skin.

Thanks for reading my TR! I know it was a bit "dry" and factual, but it was fun to just talk about what we did and shrae pictures!

DS's girlfriend's Mom starts the chemo today.... I might give a call tonight or just drop a note by tomorrow... and I will, of course, be praying throughout the day for her.

Maybe someday I'll stop being lazy and scan a wedding photo.... I did love my gown SO MUCH! It was a nice surprise to be "different" that day!

Hope I did not miss anyone! It's 11:30 pm here so I should get in bed. I told DH and DS I was not getting up with them at 7:00 tomorrow. Between nursing them and jet lag, I'm exhausted. I'll probably get up around 8:30. I'm going on a 2 hour "power walk" with my friend tomorrow and continuing to clean some and print out trip plans for my BFF's visit beginning Sunday. I've written down everything and printed flight info/reservations/directions/etc out for the first 5 days so far. I have a cute journal I wrote it all down in with a pocket in the back to hold all the printed documents. I've decided not to do any deep detailed cleaning like I was going to for her visit. The downstairs will be cleaned thoroughly but the upstairs will stay like it is today

See you all tomorrow!

Shawn

Enjoy your visit! I"m sure you will have a GREAT time showing her the sites of Europe! I'm envious! ........................P

 

[dvccruiser76]

Took the kids to the Dr today:
DS14 has a tight chest but no major symptoms as of yet. The Dr gave him an inhaler for for track until he feels better.
DS10 has bronchitis so he is on amoxicillin and tylenol with codeine.
DS9 and DD might be in the road to recovery but we are taking a wait and see approach.

Oh no, hope everyone starts feeling better soon.

While at dinner dh called and he got into a fender bender on the way home. No damage to his car but just a little to the person he hit. He rear ended them but the car in front of the one he hit slammed on their breaks. The lady in front of him stopped fast and luckily for her the guy in front turned in enough time so she didnt hit him but mike unfortunatly slid into her. It was raining and the road was slippery. uggh. Luckily it was minor and dh and the boys were fine. Well nick (DS4) was a little shook up because he though mike was going to jail. poor kid.

Ugh, car accidents can be such a pain, but glad it was nothing serious.

Sue-One more day!!! So excited for you, and thanks in advance for bringing the good weather home when you return. We'll definitely walk when you get back.

I will try my best with the weather

It depends on which way they are taking off and landing but it seems like they are flying very close to you. I'm sure he will love it. Ah, the good old days when simple things excited them -- now if you point out something somedays you are lucky to get a "whatever." Have a wonderful time and big old frou frou drink for us!

Yes, I already have my mind set on a BBC, cremem brulee martini, bananas foster martini, the new Pink champagne, and a few others. I may have to spread these drinks out a bit since it's only a 4 day cruise

Went on a 90 minute "power" walk with my friend and her dog this morning. Had bruschetta for lunch. It is so easy to make. I just toast 2 english muffins halves, chop two small roma tomatoes and mix them with fresh basil, salt, pepper, tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of cider vinegar. Top the toasted muffin halves with the tomato mixture - YUM!!! I'll need to find a snack soon and then hope I can make it to dinner on just that. Dinner will be black beans and saffron rice.

Love black beans with rice

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything so I really hope I can leave here early and get caught up with everything before the weekend. We've decided to go out to supper on Saturday afternoon/evening since DHs work is paying and I know I won't feel like cooking. I'm not even sure what day of the week it is and our calendar at home keeps filling up more and more!

Hope you get out early and can relax a bit. Our chair massage person just walked in. I am so ready here

I love Gerber Daisies! The bright and beautiful colors make me feel sooo good!

I forgot about Gerber Daisies, I'll add that to my list of favorites



So, DS seems like he's coming down with a cold. He was up a lot last night and I ended up sleeping on his floor for a few hours until he was out for good. Hopefully it'll pass quickly and not ruin our trip.

I always try to have very little to do at work my last day before vacation and yet I can never get things done So, might as well spend more time on the DIS since I'm not getting much done anyway right

 

[pjlla]

QOTD--Thursday, May 19, 2011
What is your favorite spring flower?

I

My first instinct was to say tulips. I love pink tulips and I carried them in my wedding bouquet. That said, when Rose said peonies, it got me thinking. But around here, peonies are definitely an EARLY SUMMER flower, not spring. She must live somewhere with an earlier spring season than me. So I am sticking with pink tulips (although I love daffodils too... nice smell and they are usually about the first flowers out around here!)...........P

 

[pjlla]

Mickey & Donald Statistics: Week 19
Here we celebrate our progress and recognize our superstars.

Reminder:
-if anybody knows they will miss weighing in, just PM and let me know and you’ll be marked excused

First some stats

MAINTAINERS:
(staying within 2 lbs of their maintain weight is successfully maintaining!)
# of Maintainers Reporting In & Successfully Maintaining: 3
Congrats Rose & Mike, StinasMom & Redwalker

LOSERS:
weigh ins----------------------- 17 (11 Mickey, 6 Donald)
gains---------------------------- 3
maintains------------------------ 2
losses-------------------------- 12


Biggest Loser 11 Spring Challenge Week 19!
This week’s group loss is 18 lbs

Total group weight loss for both teams so far 1274.5 pounds! WOW!!!!!
AWESOME!

Before the weekly superstar list comes the disclaimer. I am human and I make mistakes. If you have any questions please contact me. For your reference this is the magic percentage of weight lost formula - weight loss for the week divided by weight for last week times 100, that gives us the percentage. Now let me test that with my numbers for week 1, click, click, click goes the calculator. Yes, that agrees with the percentage on the magic spreadsheet. (btw if its been more than 1 week between weigh-ins, then the % loss is divided by the number of weeks, to keep everybody on the same basis)

Now let's get to the good stuff. Who were our superstars of the week? This time I’ve done a TOP 10 LIST ! That criteria may change from week to week. Hey I'm in charge here and I get paid nothin' to do this so you better take what you can get! (and if there’s something you want to know, just ask me!)

The WISH Biggest Loser 11 Spring Challenge Week 19 Superstars!!

#10 .51% lovetoscrap (D)
#9 .56% Wickey’sFriend (D)
#8- .61% Hulahoopy (M)
#7- .72% Rose&Mike (M)
#6- .74% aamomma (M)
#5- .76% Settinsail(D)
#4- .77% buzz5985 (D)
#3- 1.41% missoutandabout (D)
#2- 1.86% keenercam (M)
and now
The WISH Biggest Loser 11 Spring Challenge
Week 19 Biggest Loser is:
#1- 2.61% tigger813 (M)

HUGE congratulations to all of our BL!! Way to go, especially this late in the challenge! Lots of great familiar names up there! Maybe there is some correlation between posting a lot here and weight loss?? Just sayin' ....P

 

[pjlla]

Finally got the results out!!!!

And I'M THE BIGGEST LOSER THIS WEEK!!!! Of course, at the rate I'm going this week, I'll be next week's Biggest Gainer!!!! Oh well!

Hey.... take the accolades for this week and don't worry about next week yet!!


B'day party was a success! I had a nice lunch with a friend and then picked up the pizzas for Ash's party. Brian had texted me before I got home "GOD HELP ME!" The girls came in the house as loud as can be giggling and being GIRLS!!!! I got home a few minutes later! Girls watched Tangled while they ate and then she opened her presents and played Ratuki (new card game)! Then they played Hide and Go Seek in the house the last 45 minutes! They were very well-behaved despite spilling popcorn and chips EVERYWHERE!!!

The funniest part of today was that I said something about me vacuuming. Brian said he had vacuumed! I said I vacuumed before I went to lunch. I had to have him move his feet and HE DOESN'T remember that! So he vacuumed while I was out. He was wondering how the floor wasn't so dirty! LOL I had originally asked him to do it but got on a roll and just did it and cleaned the bathroom! I'm a nut right before a party.

Sounds like the girls had a great time! about the double vacuuming!

Mom was doing a lot better today.

Glad to hear this. I'm sure she will have good days and bad days, both emotionally and physically as time goes by. Prayers that the good days outnumber the bad.


I have to work tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening for about a half hour. Friday I don't have any clients and am leaving work by 12:30 at the latest. I was able to get Ash her free consult for braces on Friday afternoon so I will have to have everything ready to go to the Relay tomorrow night and Friday morning. I'll have to pick her up early for that.

I'm happy to say I reached my minimum goal for my Relay Team this afternoon.

Well, I need to make the list for what I'm bringing on Friday to the relay. I was going to take a taco salad but may just take a tossed salad. I'll decide on Friday. Set up for the Relay starts at 4 so we'll go around that time as I'm bringing a tent, chair, extra clothes and food!

Have a great night everyone!

TTFN

Good luck with Relay and have fun! Did you ever get a working link for me? I'd still love to donate if it isn't too late! Guess I've got to get rallying my team to pick up the pace with the donations!! (And food planning, and schedules for set-up and clean-up, and chaperones.... YIKES... lots to do!)............P

 

[pjlla]

Weigh-in was not pretty. I was expecting to gain, but 4.8 lbs still surprised me. I guess I didn't realize how horribly I had been eating. Today was much better. I started the morning with my first glass of milk in days. I also had an apple. I had yogurt for snack, but only had a few slices of ham for lunch. I should have eaten more as I was really hungry by mid-afternoon. Dinner was okay. I skipped the potatoes, but had some pasta. (It was leftover night.) Tomorrow, I am going to journal my food. I had planned to today, but didn't, and I'm not sure why.

I never made it to the gym. I am just exhausted. I did spend some time reading during my lunch break today. That didn't go smoothly at all. I'm reading a self-help time book and I was reading someone's story and her story really resonated with me. I even started crying. I'm sure that emotional rollercoaster didn't help my exhaustion level.

Thanks for all the support! Rose is right. It is wonderful to be able to come here and have someone send you a . Thanks!

Last day before our final weigh-in. Make it a great one! I can't believe this challenge is almost over. I've been thinking about some new ideas for Healthy Habits and I've got a few brewing. I'm trying to make it more fun, less predictable, and more beneficial for us. I'm open to ideas!

You've already done the HARDEST thing! YOu got on the scale and faced the music!

Maybe the work-time reading should be a bit more lighthearted. You could save the in-depth stuff for at home. How about a silly romance novel or just a magazine for lunch time? I love Reader's Digest and WW magazine. I usually try to keep one in my bag.

Can't wait to hear your new ideas for HH! Maybe I'll even get my butt in gear and participate!.....................P

 

[pjlla]

Thanks, good luck with your list. My DH did the same thing when we bought. Unfortunately we're selling and buying, so that should be interesting. Luckily we're leaving for vacation Friday and I won't have to worry or think about it for a few days

Hello and hugs to anyone that I missed and to anyone that needs one

Relax and enjoy your trip and safe travels! We'll be here (somewhere) when you get back!! .........................P

 

[pjlla]

Prayers going up Pamela!!!


Thank you!


Oh and I LOST!!!!!!!!!
Basically one person was running for the position so she got a yes or no vote. If she got a no, I got an automatic yes by default.
It was soooo close, 3 votes separated us. I really hope she doesn't drive PTO into the ground but what can I do?!? DS10 has 3 years left and the middle school part is it's own entity and DS9 and DD won't be going there.

WOOHOO!! This should lighten your load considerably! You must feel some real relief. But it is hard to leave something like that behind when you don't have full confidence in your replacement.

Did I tell you our principal quit?? Yeah, turned in her resignation Wednesday. She got a job at a local college. Can't blame her but now we are looking for a principal and a superintendent. Scary times!!!!

Our Principal just gave his notice a few weeks ago and we just hired a Superintendent last year! Always something with school, isn't it??


LOL Karen! I fake it til I make it. Honestly I don't keep it all together. Some days are better then others but I do feel like I sit on the edge of the abyss. One more thing is going to push me over the edge. That's why I'm glad I lost tonight, I can slowly step back from school and focus on the house and the kids. PTO took up a huge portion of my life but because of it, I've neglected me. Time to be selfish for a change!

Don't think of it as SELFISH! You need to take time for yourself, both mentally and physically to be the BEST Mom/wife/everything that you can be!


Nothing to crazy. We have a fan/ light vent that apparently is not sealed well so every time it rains the water pours down like a water fall. DH is coming home so we can hopefully fix it or cover it until we can get up there and get a new one. Thankfully it didn't rain to much today.

Oooh... time to get that fixed before you end up with mold problems! I hate house problems.... they are a big PITA!

******************

OK so my treadmill run tanked!! I just didn't have the mental desire to do it. I quit after about 1/2 way through.
Hopefully I think I'm going to go back to Week 5 and try again tomorrow.

Took the kids to the Dr today:
DS14 has a tight chest but no major symptoms as of yet. The Dr gave him an inhaler for for track until he feels better.
DS10 has bronchitis so he is on amoxicillin and tylenol with codeine.
DS9 and DD might be in the road to recovery but we are taking a wait and see approach.

DH called at 6, he is coming home tonight!!!
So now I need to clean off the bed! LOL

Gonna try to go get some rest and see how the kids feel in the morning.

Why is it that SO MUCH of running is MENTAL?? If you're not feeling it in the head, it doesn't much matter what the legs are saying! Hopefully today is better.

YEAH for DH being home for a few days! Boo on the sick kiddos! HOpefully everyone will be well and mended by Saturday!............P

 

[pjlla]

Oh its been a loooong day. I just got home about a half hour ago. Basically saw my kids for 15 min this morning. I miss them.

Maybe you can spend some extra time with each one over the weekend. I find that just a 15 minute card game with DS can make me feel more connected to him.

Work is insane. I cant even see my desk right now. I am locking myself in my office tomorrow and am not helping anyone until I get it cleaned off and organized. We had a dinner meeting tonight at Shula's steak house. Yummy. Im sure I ate too much but when you are getting a 50 dollar dinner free you got to eat it. Yep I know this is why I have a weight problem. It was filet, baked potatoe, and tomatoe and gorgonzola salad. I passed on the cheesecake so I am calling that a success.

I agree... passing on cheesecake is DEFINITELY a success!!

While at dinner dh called and he got into a fender bender on the way home. No damage to his car but just a little to the person he hit. He rear ended them but the car in front of the one he hit slammed on their breaks. The lady in front of him stopped fast and luckily for her the guy in front turned in enough time so she didnt hit him but mike unfortunatly slid into her. It was raining and the road was slippery. uggh. Luckily it was minor and dh and the boys were fine. Well nick (DS4) was a little shook up because he though mike was going to jail. poor kid.


Dang! But glad everyone is okay. Hopefully it won't haunt DS too long!

So I was going to just read to catch up but I wanted to be sure I gave you all a great big thank you for your support. Rose, Kathy, Pam, LisaH, Karen, and all those I may have missed. This is the sole reason I continue to come here everyday. You are all so special to me and I know if it wasnt for you all I would have quit a long time ago. Thank you so much for the advice and pep talks. I appreciate it more than you can imagine.

pam- prayers are going out for your sister in law.

Thanks for the prayers.... and thanks to EVERYONE who has offered prayers here for DSIL. I'm sure that this will be a tough time. She is a single Mom to a 14 y/o boy (her DD is older and married and living in another state). She, obviously, is far away from ALL of her family here in New ENgland. I'm sure my other SILs will be making visits down there, but it isn't the same as having family close by. Other than prayer and a listening ear, there isn't much I can offer her. It just reminds me of WHY I am taking the time to organize this Relay for Life team..... it really hits home. And as a woman and a caretaker, I have trouble when I can't "TAKE CARE" of a problem... so being involved with Relay at least makes me feel like I am doing SOMETHING in a situation where I really can do NOTHING other than pray.........P

 

[pjlla]

Pamela-prayers and hugs for you and your family.

Thanks.

Buffy- Congrats on losing the PTO election!!

This just sounds funny!

[Pamela- I loved your trip report. We try to do living with the land every trip because michaels was scared of every thing on his first trip, and we did it while the others did Soaring and he asked the attendant if it was scary while we were waiting in line, and she told him, "only if you're afraid of vegetables", so we always laugh about that. I love all the pics of you and dd, and think she will love having them and always having those memories.
On the chili, I like the old el paso seasoning packet, and use two with a pound of ground beef, 3-4 peppers, a big red onion, 3 cans of beans, and 2 big jars of diced tomatoes. It makes a ton, I'll freeze a few servings, and it will last me almost a week. It does help kick start me because my dinner is set, and I don't slack as much.

Glad you're enjoying the report. I have to laugh because if someone asked MY DS if he was afraid of veggies, he might say YES!!

THe chili sounds great..... I don't usually add onions and peppers, but I might tonight!

Hello to everyone I've missed this morning. Off to work, healthy bkfst eaten, and lunch packed. No I just need to continue that after work. I did eat a few congobars, but brought the rest, so none remain in this house.

Have a great day. Let's get that water in flush out those pounds before final weighin tomorrow.

I'll need lots of water.... I overindulged on some salted almonds last night!! Not a smart thing to do less than 48 hours before weigh-in! And it was kind of mind-less eating too.... (insert head-banging smilie here!)

Glad you got a healthy breakfast and lunch for today!.............P

 

[pjlla]

You know that first hand, Deb. When does your new job start?

Yes, she does for sure, doesn't she!!?? I think she said it started 5/23 if I recall.


Everyone should give themselves a big pat on the back for sticking with it throughout the whole challenge no matter what -- finish strong all!

I agree! What is that saying about "finished last trumps did not finish trumps did not start"??

Hah! Neener, neener poof fairy didn't lose my post after all!

Well... not much chance of the poof fairy visiting me today, the way I am posting!..................P

 

[pjlla]

Happy Thursday everyone!

Rose, I love peonies as well, one of my favorite flowers. I also used to have at my old house a beautiful camellia bush that flowered in April and I love Gardenias and tulips too! Purple hyacinth, daffodils, tulips, dogwood flowers,
I love all the Spring flowers!

Love all of those flowers! Too cold where I live to grow gardenias, but I enjoyed them in Disney a few weeks ago! Lilac season here now (State flower), but I haven't been out to enjoy them or to pick any yet... too rainy!

I was up 1.8 this morning, I actually didn't think it was that bad for as much as I've eaten this week! I think if I'm careful, I can get that off today and end the challenge with a 6 pound loss. Not spectacular, but I will take it.
Arrrgh, only 6 lbs in 20 weeks! My goal will be 10 lbs for the next challenge.
Kathy, and others, we will have to support each other this Summer and try to get motivated again!

Great time to get REMOTIVATED for the new challenge!! And ANY loss is better than a gain, right??


Went on a 90 minute "power" walk with my friend and her dog this morning. Had bruschetta for lunch. It is so easy to make. I just toast 2 english muffins halves, chop two small roma tomatoes and mix them with fresh basil, salt, pepper, tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of cider vinegar. Top the toasted muffin halves with the tomato mixture - YUM!!! I'll need to find a snack soon and then hope I can make it to dinner on just that. Dinner will be black beans and saffron rice.

Bruschetta and dinner both sound delicious!


Today I only have left to do some more planning/printing for my trip next week and cleaning for my friend's visit. I've done all the bare basics for both and I just keep going back and doing a little more. I'm going to make a reservation for High Tea for us at Harrod's next week!

That sounds like fun!!

It's a perfect time for the challenge to end for me. I'll have time to be on here tomorrow and then Saturday we have a very busy day and Sunday my friend arrives. I probably won't be back on the DIS until May 31st
Hopefully I will be able to stay in control. My goal is to maintain until I can get back here but maybe if I stay busy enough I will even see a small loss. My friend is very lean and active. She's 5'9 and 140 lbs and still has jet black hair at 50!!! She is my idol!!! I will try to eat what she's eating She is very very picky about eating healthy so I have no excuse.

See you all tomorrow

Shawn

We'll miss you, but have a GREAT time with your BFF!..............P