Biggest Loser--SUMMER 2011 Challenge for Losers & Maintainers!

[keenercam]

Hi, everyone. I have missed you all.

I am sorry I have pretty much dropped out of this challenge the past couple of weeks. I have been feeling overwhelmed and anxious about work and about sending DS off to college, and I have resorted to night-time eating when I finally get away from the office after many 12-14 hour days and working 9 days in a row.

I have definitely had an "entitlement attitude" about food and vast quantities of it. UGH! This means that on top of the stress, I wake up nearly every morning feeling sick because of what I ate the night before. I had a weight watchers leader tell us that it takes 3 hours for food to digest and that your body does not digest food while you are asleep, which means that food just kind of ferments in your stomach over night. I have NO IDEA if this is true but it sure feels like it in the mornings. Feeling that way and having to find something comfortable to wear to work does not make for a happy start to my day. : While I am glad I gave away every piece of clothing in the 5 sizes I've dropped, I have been pretty unhappy about the slim pickins' in my wardrobe due to my lack of discipline.

A few huge work commitments have resolved in the past 24 hours which makes me feel like I can get back on track now, but I know there is always the potential for another "crisis" on the not-too-distant horizon, and what I really have to do is learn how to keep control during those times rather than having to recover from all the negative effects of bad eating once I am past those times.

Well, I got up early this morning and made hard-boiled eggs and a huge bowl of salad and packed good stuff for breakfast and lunch today. I also packed fruit and will eat that instead of the light popcorn I seem to fixate on every afternoon - I am definitelly a carb addict and I find that when I am out of control that is what I am eating. I went grocery shopping last night, too, and bought lots of good ingredients to make and freeze soups and chilis to have good stuff available.

I am determined to start the next challenge at least where I started the summer challenge if not less. I have to really get on the ball for the next couple weeks and can probably make that happen.

That is a start to the "physical". Now I have to work on the sad state of affairs that are my "mental" and "spiritual" well-being right now. Yesterday, I sort of spur of the moment booked a weekend away at WDW for a couple weeks from now. We'll get Andrew situated on campus, enjoy Labor Day weekend with some friends, and then I'll take a weekend to regroup and re-charge. I am optimistic that it will help.

Thank you for letting me vent.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

so, east coasters.... how seriously are we taking this hurricane irene stuff? i feel like every time there's a big scare for a hurricane it winds up being a little bit of rain and then it's done. of course, the one time i don't even think about it my house will fall apart. is it a slow news day or should i really be freaking out a little?

what are you doing to prepare? supposedly it's going to hit on sunday. we are right on the water...BUT we're up on a bluff so flooding isn't really a huge threat.

today show just told me to get this ready:
3 day supply of water and food
flashlights, batteries, portable radio
store docs in ziplock bags
bring in anything or tie down stuff that can fly around
designate emergency contact who lives nowhere near the area

i mean, i have to go food shopping anyway to perhaps i'll pick up some extra water bottles and some non-perishable food while i'm out...

I normally don't take it to seriously but this one I am. It's going to be pretty bad and my side of CT is in the direct path of the eye. We are expected to get 11 inches of rain.

You really want a 7 day supply of food and water.
Make sure you have gas in your cars
make sure you have a full propane tank for your grill if you have one
make sure you have car chargers for your phones
bring in anything that can be a projectile.

 

[lisah0711]

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

so, east coasters.... how seriously are we taking this hurricane irene stuff? i feel like every time there's a big scare for a hurricane it winds up being a little bit of rain and then it's done. of course, the one time i don't even think about it my house will fall apart. is it a slow news day or should i really be freaking out a little?

what are you doing to prepare? supposedly it's going to hit on sunday. we are right on the water...BUT we're up on a bluff so flooding isn't really a huge threat.

You have a bun in the oven and Thomas to think of so I would take it seriously and do everything that is recommended to be prepared. Remember how it was in July when you didn't have water for part of a day? Also, I would be sure to have lots and lots of diapers! It's a pain and hopefully you won't need it but the Weather Channel is saying it will be the strongest hurricane in decades in your neck of the wood.

Quick drive by post from work. I just got Dylan the cutest Mickey Mouse skeleton long sleeve T from Old Navy in case you need any shirts for Thomas.

Sounds cute!

That is a start to the "physical". Now I have to work on the sad state of affairs that are my "mental" and "spiritual" well-being right now. Yesterday, I sort of spur of the moment booked a weekend away at WDW for a couple weeks from now. We'll get Andrew situated on campus, enjoy Labor Day weekend with some friends, and then I'll take a weekend to regroup and re-charge. I am optimistic that it will help.

Aww, Cam, sorry that things have been so crazy and out of control. Thank goodness that you can go to WDW and take a little break. A visit with Mickey will help recharge your batteries! :MickeyMo:

How are you feeling today, Buffy?

 

[JacksLilWench]

Were you the one who told us about making their Halloween costume and didn't tell us what it was? 'Cause you can't tell us about your tattoo and not tell us what it is!

Lol, that was me! The one on my foot is a music staff with a few notes on it. I love music, and used to play and sing frequently (violin in middle school, choir in high school). Now I just sing in the shower and on karaoke nights I want to get something corresponding on the other foot, but I just don't know what yet!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

I'm here!! Didn't go to the ER, my skin finally settled down around 2 am and I got a little bit of sleep. Got up around 8, got the zyrtek out of the car and scared the crap out of the milk man! LOL
Took that and slept til 12ish. Minimal itching today, mostly where the original burn was.
Hopefully I am on the mend.

Things I have learned from this:
A) I'm going to have to be really diligent about what I put in my body and what I use on my skin
B) I must must must take better care of myself from a health/food perspective (this is where I will need you guys)
C) I need to learn my triggers. I plan to avoid known allergens as much as possible like peanuts, berries, the sun, abrasive laundry detergents, etc.
D) throw out all the neosporin in the house. Did you know that 1 in 4 people have a severe allergy to neosporin and bandage adhesives? I apparently have both.

It has taken me 5 years to get my skin back into a really good place (having DD really took it's toll on my body) but one thing like a sunburn set me back to square one.

Thanks for checking up on me!!! Pamela I apologize if my texts sounded wonky, I was pretty out of it!

Glad you are doing better!!!!

i hate how slow i am when running.

Slow is the new fast!!! I am a slow runner to and it is very frustrating. It will get better as you keep up with it. The heat really slows things down too. The thing that had helped me was to do intervals I prefer doing 3min run/2 min walk. You can really do whatever feels good. You may notice by doing this you will actually be faster than if you try to run the entire time. The other thing is to not go to far to fast. Gradually increase how much you are doing slowly. When I started I did 30 min 3x/wk for a month or so until I really felt good about it. Then I started increasing it by 3 min every week.

Which leads me to the QOTD for Thursday, August 25, 2011: Say something nice about your body.

This is a hard one for me right now...I always really liked my smile.

Uh you better turn on the news girlfriend! The eye of the storm is headed right up my road. We are packing the RV, moving everything out the basement and heading for parts unknown, AKA Dayton Ohio. DD is totally flipping out so we decided it was in our best interest to get the heck out of Dodge.
Hopefully DH can get home tomorrow. The kids and I are going to gather all of our valuables and gas up the vehicles. DH is going to haul the Mini's to a friends house in Northern CT, we need to swing by the Storage unit and raise the 3 pieces we plan on keeping up off the floor, then we are coming back here to clear the yard of projectiles.
Then we hope to roll out Friday night or Saturday morning.

East Coasters, stay safe!!! I'll try to keep y'all posted when we get down the road a bit.

Wow I didnt realize it was suppose to hit hard up in your area. Keep safe.

so, east coasters.... how seriously are we taking this hurricane irene stuff? i feel like every time there's a big scare for a hurricane it winds up being a little bit of rain and then it's done. of course, the one time i don't even think about it my house will fall apart. is it a slow news day or should i really be freaking out a little?

what are you doing to prepare? supposedly it's going to hit on sunday. we are right on the water...BUT we're up on a bluff so flooding isn't really a huge threat.

today show just told me to get this ready:
3 day supply of water and food
flashlights, batteries, portable radio
store docs in ziplock bags
bring in anything or tie down stuff that can fly around
designate emergency contact who lives nowhere near the area

i mean, i have to go food shopping anyway to perhaps i'll pick up some extra water bottles and some non-perishable food while i'm out...

I really wasnt worried about Irene until I read these boards. Now I am freaking out and making my list of emergency preparedness items.

I have been up since 6 and have been shaking my head since then. Last month my principal was told he was going back into the classroom because of something that happened. The board appointed an interim principal and then started looking for a new principal. The guy they appointed for interim went through the interview process and was recommended to be the new principal. The board last night refused to vote him in as principal and after that the interim superintendent resigned. Do you think there is any chance we are going to get a contract any time soon?

uggh that is so frustrating.

Stay safe this weekend.

That is a start to the "physical". Now I have to work on the sad state of affairs that are my "mental" and "spiritual" well-being right now. Yesterday, I sort of spur of the moment booked a weekend away at WDW for a couple weeks from now. We'll get Andrew situated on campus, enjoy Labor Day weekend with some friends, and then I'll take a weekend to regroup and re-charge. I am optimistic that it will help.

Thank you for letting me vent.

Cam I really hope that weekend will help you mentally. It is so tough trying to balance everything. It sounds like you had a great start to your day today.

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

We have had quite a wet day today. Lots of storms. Currently it is sunny but not sure how long that will last. Actually I am suppose to be working the snack bar tonight at my sons football practice and I am actually hoping for some good storms to come so it would be cut short.

I think I need to watch the weather channel some more to track this hurricane. My middle name is Irene. Its actually my nana's name too.

Well I need to get back to the kiddo's. Have a great day.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

How are you feeling today, Buffy?

Much better, thanks. Last night I was up again all night and was doing some research on Zyrtek. Apparently one major withdrawal from it is massive itching and hives. ERGH!! It's the thing I'm taking it for. So, this morning I didn't take any zyrtek, instead I took a cool shower and slathered on the coconut oil. While the hives that I had are still there, they do not itch and I don't have any new ones. The only thing that itches is my scalp which if I had washed my hair today after putting coconut oil in it, I would have been fine but I didn't have time (forgot that DD had kindergarten orientation). My scalp thankfully doesn't bother me to much.
So, I am going the holistic route to cure myself. I'm tired of putting toxins in my body that have side effects that are worse then the illness.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Shawn I need you!!!!!!!!!!!!

DH just got a potential job offer in Stuttgart!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I want to live there? Is it cold? Does it snow a lot??? Do they like Americans?? Can I find a house for 6 people?? Do they speak English???
Do I homeschool my kids? Should I put them in a German school or an American school? I'm leaning towards homeschool because it would free up time for us to travel.
It's for the Army, any info about the base there?

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mackeysmom]

Which leads me to the QOTD for Thursday, August 25, 2011: Say something nice about your body.

I have nice legs - my legs are not heavy at all. In fact, if you saw me only from my mid-thighs down, you probably wouldn't know I had so much weight to lose.

It does pose a problem though - when I buy pants/shorts, I have to buy sizes to fit my stomach/waist, so they always wind up being waaaay too big in the thigh area.

As for the Hurricane - my only real concern is flooding in the basement due to the rain. Since I had that flood 2 weeks ago - I am a little paranoid.

Supply-wise: I always have a few cases of water in the house, and even without power I could survive on my recent Costco purchases: FiberOne brownies, pistachio nuts, peanut butter and Wheat Thins. Not the most balanced diet - but I'd live.

I DID make sure that my Kindle is fully charged - at least I can always read if I lose power.

I've been very good this week in terms of diet and exercise - hoping to close out this challenge on a positive note.

- Laura

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Good Thursday morning everyone.

I have been up since 6 and have been shaking my head since then. Last month my principal was told he was going back into the classroom because of something that happened. The board appointed an interim principal and then started looking for a new principal. The guy they appointed for interim went through the interview process and was recommended to be the new principal. The board last night refused to vote him in as principal and after that the interim superintendent resigned. Do you think there is any chance we are going to get a contract any time soon?

Congrats to the losers from last week especially satorifound.

I am worried about the hurricane. Ds2 is coming home tomorrow but may be turning around on Sat to miss the weather. We have been in this area for 33 years and seen a lot of storms. Flooding is a big problem. We have been pretty lucky but with all the rain we have had this month it could be a big problem. I hope it heads out to sea.

Off to get somethings done.

Have a happy and healthy day.

sounds like a cluster you-know-what over at the school. hopefully they can figure things out!

Those stats really are pretty shocking I saw something yesterday at work that really shocked me, and will probably change the way I eat for the rest of my life. I work in a OR as an anesthesia tech, which means I'm basically an assistant to the nurse anesthesticist (I can never spell that word right!) I normally don't get to stay in the rooms during surgeries, but I was able to see one from almost start to finish yesterday. A gentleman was added to the schedule by 8:00am (which is pretty uncommon), for an exploratory surgery, which is not a good thing. He was pretty sick, and the doctors didn't know if he would even make it through surgery. A lot of his problems stemmed from his weight- over 360lbs, and he was only in his late 40's. It was pretty heartbreaking to see, but really changed my point of view on some things. It made me really thankful to be able to know how to stop that from happening to me!

yeesh! if that's not enough to make you not hungry, i don't know what is. although...i type that while eating, so, ya know.

Quick drive by post from work. I just got Dylan the cutest Mickey Mouse skeleton long sleeve T from Old Navy in case you need any shirts for Thomas.

ooo! it's cute! i just looked. and it's glow in the dark! too bad when we go to disney in a couple weeks it'll be hotter than hades or else i'd get it for him for our trip. very cute though. pretty sure i'm going to have to order it!

Hi, everyone. I have missed you all.

I am sorry I have pretty much dropped out of this challenge the past couple of weeks. I have been feeling overwhelmed and anxious about work and about sending DS off to college, and I have resorted to night-time eating when I finally get away from the office after many 12-14 hour days and working 9 days in a row.

I have definitely had an "entitlement attitude" about food and vast quantities of it. UGH! This means that on top of the stress, I wake up nearly every morning feeling sick because of what I ate the night before. I had a weight watchers leader tell us that it takes 3 hours for food to digest and that your body does not digest food while you are asleep, which means that food just kind of ferments in your stomach over night. I have NO IDEA if this is true but it sure feels like it in the mornings. Feeling that way and having to find something comfortable to wear to work does not make for a happy start to my day. : While I am glad I gave away every piece of clothing in the 5 sizes I've dropped, I have been pretty unhappy about the slim pickins' in my wardrobe due to my lack of discipline.

A few huge work commitments have resolved in the past 24 hours which makes me feel like I can get back on track now, but I know there is always the potential for another "crisis" on the not-too-distant horizon, and what I really have to do is learn how to keep control during those times rather than having to recover from all the negative effects of bad eating once I am past those times.

Well, I got up early this morning and made hard-boiled eggs and a huge bowl of salad and packed good stuff for breakfast and lunch today. I also packed fruit and will eat that instead of the light popcorn I seem to fixate on every afternoon - I am definitelly a carb addict and I find that when I am out of control that is what I am eating. I went grocery shopping last night, too, and bought lots of good ingredients to make and freeze soups and chilis to have good stuff available.

I am determined to start the next challenge at least where I started the summer challenge if not less. I have to really get on the ball for the next couple weeks and can probably make that happen.

That is a start to the "physical". Now I have to work on the sad state of affairs that are my "mental" and "spiritual" well-being right now. Yesterday, I sort of spur of the moment booked a weekend away at WDW for a couple weeks from now. We'll get Andrew situated on campus, enjoy Labor Day weekend with some friends, and then I'll take a weekend to regroup and re-charge. I am optimistic that it will help.

Thank you for letting me vent.

cam, i want to eat just reading your post. i'm a big emotional eater and definitely find myself munching more when i'm tired.

i sent you a message on facebook - since we're overlapping by one day, maybe we can meet up for a drink or a snack or a quick whirl around the finding nemo ride??? would be superfun to see you

I normally don't take it to seriously but this one I am. It's going to be pretty bad and my side of CT is in the direct path of the eye. We are expected to get 11 inches of rain.

You really want a 7 day supply of food and water.
Make sure you have gas in your cars
make sure you have a full propane tank for your grill if you have one
make sure you have car chargers for your phones
bring in anything that can be a projectile.

my HOUSE can be a projectile! these houses were not exactly built to code back in the 20s! i'm starting to take this more and more seriously. i might pick up a few more things tomorrow before this thing gets bad.

i went to stew leonards today and instead of buying provisionals i bought...an angel food cake. need to get my priorities straight here. the parking lot for costco was PACKED.

You have a bun in the oven and Thomas to think of so I would take it seriously and do everything that is recommended to be prepared. Remember how it was in July when you didn't have water for part of a day? Also, I would be sure to have lots and lots of diapers! It's a pain and hopefully you won't need it but the Weather Channel is saying it will be the strongest hurricane in decades in your neck of the wood.

you're right. i'm going to get my butt in gear and make a real list (and stick to it!) for tomorrow shopping.

luckily we just did a costco run over the weekend and have plenty of diapers!

Slow is the new fast!!!

amen sister!


We have had quite a wet day today. Lots of storms. Currently it is sunny but not sure how long that will last. Actually I am suppose to be working the snack bar tonight at my sons football practice and I am actually hoping for some good storms to come so it would be cut short.

I think I need to watch the weather channel some more to track this hurricane. My middle name is Irene. Its actually my nana's name too.

Well I need to get back to the kiddo's. Have a great day.

the weather today is so weird, right??

is it bad that i have been singing my own song today? goes like this, "Come on, Irene"

Much better, thanks. Last night I was up again all night and was doing some research on Zyrtek. Apparently one major withdrawal from it is massive itching and hives. ERGH!! It's the thing I'm taking it for. So, this morning I didn't take any zyrtek, instead I took a cool shower and slathered on the coconut oil. While the hives that I had are still there, they do not itch and I don't have any new ones. The only thing that itches is my scalp which if I had washed my hair today after putting coconut oil in it, I would have been fine but I didn't have time (forgot that DD had kindergarten orientation). My scalp thankfully doesn't bother me to much.
So, I am going the holistic route to cure myself. I'm tired of putting toxins in my body that have side effects that are worse then the illness.

glad you're feeling better. hope you can finally get some sleep!!!

***********

hi everyone! very weird weather today. one second it's pouring, the next nothing...lather, rinse, repeat.

i went to stew leonards today and saw stew jr! this is totally an east coast store and there are only 4 of them so probably nobody has any idea what i'm talking about! they have a little petting farm of baby goats, sheep and cows. i know sue was saying she had drama with dylan's speech but i can tell you he probably speaks more than thomas! every single animal that we saw he called the "woo-woo" aka dog.

so yeah, we totally saw the owner of the store and i definitely yelled out "HI STEW!" like he is a huge celebrity! i'm such a geek. and my face was totally bright red. what a geek.

skipped the walk today. my sciatica is really bothering me and the fact that it's so humid is making breathing a little hard. so, skip.

tonight i'm making shrimp lo mein. bought some beautiful shrimp and a pre-chopped up thing of stir-fry veggies that are gorgeous. should be yummy.

the impending storm is really putting a damper on our plans for the weekend. we were going to go to the met game on saturday afternoon but it looks like it's going to be storming then. bummer.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

by the way, thanks lisa for being a fabulous coach this week!!!

QOTD: what do i like about myself? well, i used to really hate my freckles (fyi, despite popular belief, lemon juice does NOT remove them ) but i've grown to appreciate them. they are a part of me. and i have about a billion more now that my face is tan from being outside all summer. yeah, i like them now. plus it makes it easy makeup wise. foundation and powder over freckles looks silly so it's one less thing i have to do (not like i wear makeup anyway!!)

 

[Rose&Mike]

Cam--I'm sorry things have been so tough for you. I too am a carbaholic who has been having major issues this summer. I am attempting to cut way back on my snacks until I gain some control again over what I'm eating. Stress will really do that to you. And sending your baby off to college is really hard--no matter how close he will be. It's a big adjustment and a big turning point in your life, at least it was for me. Give yourself some time to just process everything that is going on and maybe even grieve a little bit. I know I had to. I'm ok with only having one child, but for some reason when Tom went away to school it stirred up so many other emotions having to do with the failed adoptions/miscarriage. Lean on your friends and your hubby and I know you will come through this tough spot. Are you all going to be empty nesters now or is your daughter back at home after graduating? And sometimes you just need a Mickey trip. I am personally going to seek out "My Fairy Godmother" next weekend because I could use a hug. I'll get an extra one for you.

*****
Congrats to all our Losers this week! We will continue to chat on this thread until the new thread starts with the first weigh-in on September 9th. We should have QOTDs most days.

Stay dry everyone!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Tracey--I don't think I have seen your name in a couple of days. I hope everything is ok.

 

[SettinSail]

Hello Losers Congrats to all our winners this week, esp Santori

I've found myself with a few hours of extra time DS & I were going to the JV football game today with friends but my landlord scheduled the exterminator to come again this afternoon and didn't let me know until late in the day. They had to send out the owner of the company to find out what we have. He thinks the things in the back window are carpenter ants and the things in the front windows (up and down) are mice droppings He saw evidence of mice in the attic and said when you have a brick front home they can get in between the brick and the siding and run up and down the whole house, building nests and such. I still don't understand how the droppings got inside the window onto the ledge but We've never heard any mice either. He's coming back tomorrow to treat for both which is such bad timing because we get our furniture tomorrow He said he would put poison in the attic and I asked who would come back to pick up the dead mice? He said you don't need to get rid of them, they are tiny and you'll never see them or smell them Does that sound right DH said he thought it was true but I don't know! Needless to say, it will be a happy day when we get out of this rental house!

But this fate does not have to be ours. One of the solutions is to end the negative self talk and "retrain" your brain into a more positive outlook -- easier said than done, I know.

Which leads me to the QOTD for Thursday, August 25, 2011: Say something nice about your body.


Regardless of how you did this challenge, I urge to stay the course in between challenges and make an effort to have your starting number for fall be lower than the ending number for this challenge, if you can.

Wow, I feel sorry for anyone who would rather be blind than obese? Really?
Those are some sad statistics. I don't know why but I've never been too bothered by my size. Maybe because I was never very big until around mid 30's. In fact, I probably need to be a little bit more bothered about it!

I like that my body is proportional - when my waist was smaller I used to get the comment that I had an hourglass shape. I've always had big chest and big bootie and used to have normal size waist, not tiny. Now the big chest/booty don't look as good with my matronly waist

so, east coasters.... how seriously are we taking this hurricane irene stuff?

We take any hurricane warnings VERY seriously down here. I've got cash, gas, bottled water, flashlights ready and plenty of canned food. My BFF in the neighborhood has a freezer full of meat and can grill for us if needed. We have relatives widespread throughout the state so we could leave and go to them if needed. I just want to get my stuff unloaded and in the house before the rain tomorrow!!! Go away Irene!

I will also say that we prepare very seriously for ANY amount of snow down here too! The grocery shelves will be bare if they call for any amount!

I have been up since 6 and have been shaking my head since then. Last month my principal was told he was going back into the classroom because of something that happened. The board appointed an interim principal and then started looking for a new principal. The guy they appointed for interim went through the interview process and was recommended to be the new principal. The board last night refused to vote him in as principal and after that the interim superintendent resigned. Do you think there is any chance we are going to get a contract any time soon?

Good grief!!

I was up way too late last night and looked on here to find something to read. There are way too many threads/discussions to chose from. It was a bit overwhelming. So can you guys suggest other areas on here that would be good to follow?

Also wondered what is most a person has lost in one of these challenges?

I like the budget board, the community board and the cruise board. I lost 12 pounds in my first challenge

More great advice! What's next pestilence and fire?

Hi, everyone. I have missed you all.

I have been feeling overwhelmed and anxious about work and about sending DS off to college, and I have resorted to night-time eating when I finally get away from the office after many 12-14 hour days and working 9 days in a row.

I have definitely had an "entitlement attitude" about food and vast quantities of it. UGH!

Well, I got up early this morning and made hard-boiled eggs and a huge bowl of salad and packed good stuff for breakfast and lunch today. I also packed fruit and will eat that instead of the light popcorn I seem to fixate on every afternoon -

I am determined to start the next challenge at least where I started the summer challenge if not less. I have to really get on the ball for the next couple weeks and can probably make that happen.

That is a start to the "physical". Now I have to work on the sad state of affairs that are my "mental" and "spiritual" well-being right now. Yesterday, I sort of spur of the moment booked a weekend away at WDW for a couple weeks from now. We'll get Andrew situated on campus, enjoy Labor Day weekend with some friends, and then I'll take a weekend to regroup and re-charge. I am optimistic that it will help.

Thank you for letting me vent.

Sounds like you are on the right track already. I think your weekend away sounds fantastic. I hope you come back refreshed and ready to tackle your challenging schedule. I'm also trying hard to start the Fall challenge at my lowest weight this Summer. I need to lose 5 pounds to get back there

I
make sure you have car chargers for your phones

I forgot that one! Good advice!

Shawn I need you!!!!!!!!!!!!

DH just got a potential job offer in Stuttgart!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I want to live there? Is it cold? Does it snow a lot??? Do they like Americans?? Can I find a house for 6 people?? Do they speak English???
Do I homeschool my kids? Should I put them in a German school or an American school? I'm leaning towards homeschool because it would free up time for us to travel.
It's for the Army, any info about the base there?

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do it, do it, do it !!!!! I'll PM you my email so we can chat more.

I thought it was very cold there but we knew alot of native Michiganers who lived there (large automotive industry there) and they said the weather was very similar to Michigan and they didn't find it to be too cold. It snowed ALOT when we were there but we were told every year it was unusual. Again, the Michiganers thought it was a "normal" amount of snow. It was the most snow I've ever seen in my life! You can find large housing easily. It will probably be a little smaller than what you're used to here but definitely do-able. Most people speak a little bit of English but only if they have to. Most Europeans will tolerate Americans. We tried to blend in when we were out and about (no loud English talking, no T shirts with slogans, no tennis shoes etc) and not look too "American". I would not put my kids in German public schools unless they were K or younger. DOD schools there have a bad rep but I don't know if it's true. The International School of Stuttgart is around 20,000 euros per child. Will DH get any tuition assistance?
I do know a little about the bases there....

 

[bellebookworm9]

I was up way too late last night and looked on here to find something to read. There are way too many threads/discussions to chose from. It was a bit overwhelming. So can you guys suggest other areas on here that would be good to follow?

Also wondered what is most a person has lost in one of these challenges?

I generally hang out on this thread, the Y&BC thread, and follow some trip reports/pre-trip reports. I find most other areas of the boards have a lot of drama.

I will have lost almost 15 pounds by the end of this challenge.

tomorrow He said he would put poison in the attic and I asked who would come back to pick up the dead mice? He said you don't need to get rid of them, they are tiny and you'll never see them or smell them Does that sound right DH said he thought it was true but I don't know! Needless to say, it will be a happy day when we get out of this rental house!

Yup, that sounds right. A few years ago I could hear mice living in the walls behind my bed, so Mom bought d-con (I think that's what it's called), they eat it, and they basically just disintegrate in the walls, so you won't see or smell them.

**************************
My eating has been terrible today, but in the opposite way from normal-I've only eaten 15/35 points. I've just been so busy unpacking and arranging stuff today. But I'm having a game night at a friend's house later, so I'll not feel bad about snacking if the opportunity arises.

Irene isn't supposed to hit badly here, just low-moderate rain. That's good because I don't have supplies and no way to get to the store for more!

Here are some pictures of my bedroom and bathroom in the house. The downstairs and other bedrooms (obviously, since I'm the only one here) are still looking pretty bland, but at least the bed and bath have some life and color to them!

Gretchen's Townhouse Photos

 

[my3princes]

just checking in. I'm on vacation this week and ive been really going up and down as far as my mood goes. one minute i feel fine and the next i want to tear someone's head off. I've been doing so so on eating. Well I guess if im being honest, there has been at least one meal a day that ive been doing BAD and the rest are so so. I expect a gain this week and im not happy about it but i have only myself to blame.

i guess you slack on vacation even when you are not going anywhere.

yesterday my mom called out of work and we went to the beach. I honestly hate the beach. Its hot and sandy, my hair is too long and blows in my face, and all i want to do is read a book but i can never get comfortable. plus i have very bad reactions to heat, i get a bad headache and get dehydrated. but my mom loves the beach and it was something to do. I know, how can someone sound so crabby about spending the day at the beach?! when we got home i felt very annoyed and crabby so despite not planning on it i went for a run. Had an ok run, but its the best ive had in days. Was supposed to run 28 minutes, managed 15 then had to stop and walk for 30 seconds and finished the rest at an even faster pace.

i hate how slow i am when running. my pace is like tortoise slow. i cant even imagine what my 5k will be like, as right now its taking my 15-18 minutes to run a mile! and after the first mile i feel ready to quit! i know there are quite a few runners on here, any advice on how to improve my time or endurance or just keep my spirits up haha? Or does that all come with time?

Today my boyfriend and i went to the zoo and target and got frozen yogurt and drove around his neighborhood looking at old houses. i will probably stay over here tonight which usully means not a lot of sleep because i dont sleep well if im not in my own bed. oh well, school starts next week and im sure we wont be seeing any of each other then!

Speaking of school im not sure if i posted here or not but i recieved an A- in my advanced comp class. i will take it! Considering i never got an A in anything in that class not sure how that happened but sure!

We are trying to plan a vacation for march 2012. my vote is for disney but also thinking about cali or maybe williamsburg. anyone ever been to williamsburg?

things i need to work on the next few days are...EVERYTHING haha. ive been seriously dehydrated lately, drinking so much water and it doesnt get any better. Im not sure what to do, it doesnt matter how much water i drink, i always seem thirsty! And i really need to work on eating. Sunday i had a "skinny day" where i thought i looked really good but since then ive been having fat days. i havent taken the quiz yet but i know my body image is horrible. i look in the mirror and see someone who is 200lbs heavier than me even though ive never been that heavy. im sick of feeling discouraged.

tomorrow i will eat lots of veggies. its a plan!

Have you ever had blood work done for diabetes? The unquenchable thirst can be an indicator. Also a craving for sugar and carbs. Just a thought and an easy thing to rule out.





I have started preparing for the hurricane. We aren't worried at all about flooding, but the winds will most certainly take down trees as we live in a very forest ladden state. I've got 2 5 gallon bottles of water. We are going to fill the potable water tank on the camper which will allow us to bath (propane water heater out there). We can also cook and run the refrigerator on propane out there. The gas grill is also good to go. Tomorrow I will pick up any loose items outside. We've got plenty of food in the freezer which we can cook up if needed. I will bring our battery lanterns in from the camper and fresh batteries are in the drawer. I think it will be fine, but better safe than sorry. We are normally well stocked as Nor Easters can cause similar damage and we have several of those each year.

 

[donac]

I have started preparing for the hurricane. We aren't worried at all about flooding, but the winds will most certainly take down trees as we live in a very forest ladden state. I've got 2 5 gallon bottles of water. We are going to fill the potable water tank on the camper which will allow us to bath (propane water heater out there). We can also cook and run the refrigerator on propane out there. The gas grill is also good to go. Tomorrow I will pick up any loose items outside. We've got plenty of food in the freezer which we can cook up if needed. I will bring our battery lanterns in from the camper and fresh batteries are in the drawer. I think it will be fine, but better safe than sorry. We are normally well stocked as Nor Easters can cause similar damage and we have several of those each year.

I have to get some things incase. Dh has all sort of camping things and we have the gas grill. I am thinking about getting some containers of water and putting those in the freezer to pack it solid.

I know we have plenty of batteries and a portable radio (It it the one I use in my shower. It is set for the news station from NY). We have had several storms in the last couple of years where the winds got up to hurricane strength. So I think we may be okay there. I am hoping the rain is not as bad as they say. I don't want water in the basement. I really hope it just goes out to sea.

It could be worse. I was thinking of going to DW this weekend. We would never gotten down there.

I hope that north jersey doesn't get too much rain on Sat since my neice is a Maid of Honor for a friend's wedding.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[dvccruiser76]

All this hurricane talk and I've been ignoring it. Weather in New England changes daily, so I didn't want to get worried, but since it's almost the weekend maybe I should see what we're in for.

Today my boyfriend and i went to the zoo and target and got frozen yogurt and drove around his neighborhood looking at old houses. i will probably stay over here tonight which usully means not a lot of sleep because i dont sleep well if im not in my own bed. oh well, school starts next week and im sure we wont be seeing any of each other then!

Speaking of school im not sure if i posted here or not but i recieved an A- in my advanced comp class. i will take it! Considering i never got an A in anything in that class not sure how that happened but sure!

Nice work on the A- Which zoo did you go to? On the ride home we kept seeing signs for Beardsley Zoo???

Which leads me to the QOTD for Thursday, August 25, 2011: Say something nice about your body.

I have great legs It sounds so funny saying it, but I have my mothers chicken legs. I can get my fingers to touch around my thigh, and I'm 5'9", so even if I put on 10 pounds I can usually wear a different top and not many people would notice the weight gain

Evening friends! Thanks for all of the well-wishes for today's shopping expedition. It went okay. She didn't need much, so we were kind of just browsing. But we didn't buy much. One hoodie at Hollister (overpriced, even at 50% off), a few basics at Old Navy (a bit for her, a bit for me), free panties at Victoria's Secret (love the coupons!), and a blouse for me and a wrap dress to share from Macy's (LOVE that we can share clothes!). We maybe head out tomorrow for another bit. Oh, we did find the backpack she wanted at Kohl's!

I forgot about my VS coupon and I'm headed to the mall tomorrow. You also reminded me of what I was forgetting; my Vera Bradley coupon.

Sorry to hear this, but of course with my speech path background I'm curious.

So here goes...

Dylan was evaluated by Early Intervention on June 29th. At the appt. they said he was behind in expressive language. You should hear from someone soon, if not in 2 weeks, feel free to give us a call. Called in 2 weeks, got no reply. A co-worker said it took a month for them to start services for her daughter. So I wait. Called at about the 5/6 week mark and leave a message. Got a call week 7 aplogizing that they had lost some messages, and didn't know I had called blah blah. Said they are short staffed but were doing assignments Aug. 12th. Then said I should hear either the end of that week or during the next week. If I didn't she suggested letting the director know that I was unhappy.

So last Sun. sent a not so nice email to the director about how disappointed I was, it's been 2 months, no help for my family, etc. They email back Tues. saying I will get a call Wed.

In the meantime, I asked my son's school for a rec. and one of the parents there does private therapy. So I email her Mon and get a reply Mon. She accepts BCBS and Harvard, but we have Aetna so it would be $110 per session But she's really nice and said to check with my ins. to see if they cover out of pocket, but they say no.

They said most insurance co.s don't cover speech therapy anyway, however, mine will for in network @ $20 per visit limit 30/year. So I ask for list of providers within 10 miles and there is only 1, but they are in my town

So, I called there yesterday and they booked an evaluation for us for this am.

In the meantime the mom from Dylan's school said if EI was to call to request a speech therapist if they assign someone.

They called yesterday too and assigned me a developmental specialist. When I asked if she is a licensed speech therapist they say no. When I say I'm frustrated that it's been 2 months and I'd prefer a speech therapist they say it's not age appropriate for Dylan and that their program recommends a DS instead.

So I'm torn at this point. Maybe we'll try both????

DS had his eval, they were great, but are not open on Friday's (my day off) but they do have evening appt. which will work if I leave early; which I will.

Dylan loved them and didn't want to leave.

EI called today and wants to start coming out tomorrow.

I guess I need to find out what their payment policy is. If they want their $ up front I'm hesitant as I don't know if they will provide what he really needs or not.

The woman today said Dylan has trouble getting his words out. She did something called "prompting"? Where she touches Dylan's mouth so he knows where the sound should come from? Does that make sense?

If we have them both come to see what works best how will we know which one is the one getting him to speak more? Will I even know?

It's just so aggrevating with EI. I kind of feel like telling them tha we're going elsewhere but now that I complained they are doing something about it

First some stats

MAINTAINERS:
(staying within 2 lbs of their maintain weight is successfully maintaining!)
# of Maintainers Reporting In & Successfully Maintaining:1
Congrats Rose & Mike

The WISH Biggest Loser Summer Challenge Week 11#8- liesel .187%
#7- momofdjc .237
#5- mackeysmom .485%
#5- glss1/2fll .485%
#4- JaxksLilWench .84%
#3- pjstevens 1.13%
#2- bellebookworm9 1.41%

and now
The WISH Biggest Loser Summer Challenge

Week 11 Biggest Loser is:
#1-satorifound 2.58 %

Congrats to our losers and maintainers and to Satorifound! Great job

I am sorry I have pretty much dropped out of this challenge the past couple of weeks. I have been feeling overwhelmed and anxious about work and about sending DS off to college, and I have resorted to night-time eating when I finally get away from the office after many 12-14 hour days and working 9 days in a row.

Thank you for letting me vent.

Hi Cam, can't wait for you to be around more during the fall. I always have to double take when I read your emails about having a son in college. From your pictures below, I can't believe it. You look too young to have a son in college.

i went to stew leonards today and saw stew jr! this is totally an east coast store and there are only 4 of them so probably nobody has any idea what i'm talking about! they have a little petting farm of baby goats, sheep and cows. i know sue was saying she had drama with dylan's speech but i can tell you he probably speaks more than thomas! every single animal that we saw he called the "woo-woo" aka dog.

so yeah, we totally saw the owner of the store and i definitely yelled out "HI STEW!" like he is a huge celebrity! i'm such a geek. and my face was totally bright red. what a geek.

Now that's funny I've never been, but I know what you're talking about. They have really good red velvet cupcakes Funny you mentioned them, because we were in Paramus, NJ last weekend and drove by a Stew Leonard's Wines store and I was like...hmmm... wonder if it's the same company. No food, just booze.

 

[SettinSail]

Yup, that sounds right. A few years ago I could hear mice living in the walls behind my bed, so Mom bought d-con (I think that's what it's called), they eat it, and they basically just disintegrate in the walls, so you won't see or smell them.

Thanks, that makes me feel better. DH is not too concerned about it so I guess they are really tiny mice.

Your place is so cute! And I didn't realize you had a German last name. I tried to translate it, I don't know if the first part means anything but the last part means home. I guess you already know that

DS is still not home from the JV football game! I don't think I'll be letting him go to any more away games, this is way too late when you have to get up at 6 am. Hopefully since tomorrow is only the 2nd day of school, they won't be doing much again.

Everyone stay safe tomorrow! Has anyone heard from Karen in NJ? It's been awhile since she's checked in...

Lisa, thanks so much for coaching us this week

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Just saw the NYC evacuation map. My house is in Zone C Which isn't that bad it seems. However, LITERALLY across the street is Zone A. Like, we are talking less than 50 yards. So....yeah. This should be interesting! Hopefully a nice gust of wind will blow this bad boy (well, girl since her nameis Irene) to the east and away from everyone!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Do it, do it, do it !!!!! I'll PM you my email so we can chat more.

I thought it was very cold there but we knew alot of native Michiganers who lived there (large automotive industry there) and they said the weather was very similar to Michigan and they didn't find it to be too cold. It snowed ALOT when we were there but we were told every year it was unusual. Again, the Michiganers thought it was a "normal" amount of snow. It was the most snow I've ever seen in my life! You can find large housing easily. It will probably be a little smaller than what you're used to here but definitely do-able. Most people speak a little bit of English but only if they have to. Most Europeans will tolerate Americans. We tried to blend in when we were out and about (no loud English talking, no T shirts with slogans, no tennis shoes etc) and not look too "American". I would not put my kids in German public schools unless they were K or younger. DOD schools there have a bad rep but I don't know if it's true. The International School of Stuttgart is around 20,000 euros per child. Will DH get any tuition assistance?
I do know a little about the bases there....

Will PM you. don't know all the details yet. Our friend was not available today but will be in the office tomorrow, hopefully she will be there before DH leaves.
One good thing is that all of DH's european friends say he's a bad American, as in not a typical American. He is very European in mannerisms and attitude.
One bad thing is all the kids are learning French not German!! LOL

ETA: my house is 2 bedroom, 1100 square feet. I know all about small! LOL

I guess I need to find out what their payment policy is. If they want their $ up front I'm hesitant as I don't know if they will provide what he really needs or not.

The woman today said Dylan has trouble getting his words out. She did something called "prompting"? Where she touches Dylan's mouth so he knows where the sound should come from? Does that make sense?

If you have to pay cash out right see if they have a discounted cash rate. Insurance never pays the full rate, they negotiate.

Yes, DS9 had prompting too. If you get the right speech teacher it is so worth the cost! We went through 3 teachers before we found the right one. I loved her and it broke my heart when she left the school.

Just saw the NYC evacuation map. My house is in Zone C Which isn't that bad it seems. However, LITERALLY across the street is Zone A. Like, we are talking less than 50 yards. So....yeah. This should be interesting! Hopefully a nice gust of wind will blow this bad boy (well, girl since her nameis Irene) to the east and away from everyone!

If across the street is Zone A I would leave if you have a place to go. Hey you can join us in Ohio!!! that's where we are heading. Streetsboro KOA campground is our target point.
Bloomberg was talking about evacuating NYC Saturday so be prepared.