Dieting for Disney

[CJK]

Welcome back Bubba!!!! We missed you around here. It sure sounds like your vacation was the perfect change of pace and scenery that you needed. Hopefully your enthusiasm will be contagious!! I wish we had FIT TV. That sounds amazingly inspiring. Thankfully we have you to fit that bill! I'm so glad you had a great trip and are ready for a fabulous week!

fromscratchmom: Sending you positive thoughts and prayers. Have you gotten the final test results yet? I'm happy to hear you've gotten in touch with some people on the DIS who are familiar with some similar dietary restrictions. Knowledge is power isn't it!! Hopefully you'll figure everything out and won't have to worry when you're in Disney!!!!! Hope you have a great week!

I'm doing okay. I've fallen into the same ole trap of weighing myself everyday. Since quickly dropping 2 lbs right after coming home from Disney, the scale hasn't moved. I've been eating well, exercising daily, but no progress has been made. Standing on the scale daily, just puts me in a rotten mood so I must stop it!! Dh is wondering if I overestimate my calorie intake. So as sort of a "test" of sorts, I'm eating a couple hundred more calories today than usual. Hopefully this will help shake things up a bit. I'm enjoying a smoothie as I write this - yum!

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend so far!

 

[fromscratchmom]

Welcome back, Bubba! I'm glad you had such a good time!

After hearing about it from several different sources I recently decided to try out SparkPeople dot com and so far, I have been glad I did. The email that I got from them today was about changing up your workout to avoid burnout. So I thought I'd share the URL if disboards will let me. Lets see...

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/thirty_minute_workout.asp

 

[teacher31]

Welcome back, Bubba! I was reading yesterday and I was wondering when you'd be back. Glad you had a wonderful time & seem like you're even more motivated than before (If that's possible!).

I've been doing well. Went to Chicago last week & ate pizza more than I can count. Haven't had any good pizza since we left. I did do it well, though. Simply one slice each time. Moderation was the constant thought. I was pleased to weigh again and I'm still losing weight. I"m not counting calories as much as I used to, and I'm also eating more. It seems to be helping me to lose more faster. I did begin to think I had cut back too much.

I had proposed a Lose a Turkey before Thanksgiving back in Sept. Looks like my turkey had better be pretty small at this point! Since Sept. I've lost about 7 pounds, but am getting ready to kick it up for the last 5 weeks before Thanksgiving. I'm hoping to reach a 12 pound bird.

Hope everyone else is doing well & good luck staying away from that Halloween candy if you've already bought it!

 

[dizchick]

Hi Everyone, just checking in again. I have 9 days before my trip, so now's the time to lose the last little bit. I actually stopped counting my ww points this week b/c I was getting frustrated. I ended up losing 2 pounds!! Go figure...

I almost think that I wasn't getting enough calories on w.w. b/c I work out...a lot! This past week, I ran 5 miles on Sat, ran 3 on Sun, 1 hour weights on Monday, 60 mins cardio at the gym Tuesday, Wed-off, ran 5 miles on Thurs, and did weights on Friday. I just took off Sat/Sun of this weekend. You'd think as much time as I put in working out that I'd have a body of steel, but I think I wasn't giving myself enough calories on weight watchers to take off these last 10 pounds. I have to add though that I know it looks like a lot of time spent working out, but I've really ramped it up lately before my trip. I guess I'm one of the weird people on earth in that I actually LOVE to work out. I go nuts if I can't do a workout for a few days. My time spent running, etc is the time I use to relax and think. So, anyways, here's to 2 more pounds before I leave!

 

[bubba73]

Hey everyone! I thought I would drop by to see how everyone is doing. Are we staying motivated or are we getting discouraged ? It is a very popular thing to happen if we are. You feel like you are doing everything that you possibly can to succeed but the weight just isn't coming off the way that you wish. Then, right about the time you want to totally give up, you get on the scale and see that you have lost 5 or 6 pounds. It's classic. That's why we can never give up. Just remember things don't always happen in the time frame that we want. But if we continue to press on and do what we need to do, we will succeed.

Updates - I have good news, bad news and even worse news. I am going to start off with the good news. The good news is that I was able to get back into the gym tonight. I am slowly working back into my routine so I don't cause any more injuries to myself. Tonight, I was able to concentrate on my chest and I did a little bit of cardio on the exercise bike. It really felt good when I could feel the pump in my chest. I couldn't go heavy and I really didn't want too. Like I said, I need to take it slow to get my body back into a growing state instead of a loosing state.

Bad news - If you noticed in the last paragraph, I said that I was able to get back to the gym tonight. Well, Monday when I was planning on going to the gym, I got a headache that day that turned into a migrane. I was literally in tears all of the way home. Then on Tuesday, I had a meeting to attend as soon as I got off work so that killed that opportunity. Plus, since I got back from my little vacation, I have had a head cold. I guess you can say that this week has been trying.

Worse news - I am going to ask any prayer warrior that we may have here to lift me up. Not to turn this into a religious thread but we are family here so I am asking. My knee feels like it is getting worse almost everyday. Right now it feels like my knee cap is on fire and I have to admit that I am more than just a little worried. I have been having problems all night being able to put pressure on it. I am going to call my Orthopedic tomorrow to set up the appointment. I really wanted to wait until the beginning of the new year but I just don't think I can.

So with that, I want to encourage all of you to stick to your routines. Exercise. Eat healthily. (Is that even a word?) And remain determined to succeed. Know that I am going to everything that I physically can to get back and stay in the gym, no matter what so I am asking all of you to do the same. Let's stay focused on what the prize is at the end of our journey. Well, let's see. It could be the fact that we will be able to enjoy our trips to Disney more because we want be nearly as tired. It could be the fact that we will add years to our lives to spend with the ones that we love. Or it could be knowing that we have succeeded in an area where most people struggle their whole life. I sincerely hope that you all are having a great week and I want to be send you tons and tons of encouragement and

 

[blestmom]

Bubba: Sorry to hear that your knee is so painful. I will keep you in my prayers that all will be resolved soon, and that you'll be feeling great again in no time.

I haven't posted in awhile...just been busy with kids' stuff. I've been going to the gym regularly, and having a blast with the step classes. I've been stuck with the last 10 pounds for quite awhile, but I'm not stressing over it. My trip to WDW is in 75 days. So excited!

 

[fromscratchmom]

Great to hear from you, Bubba! I'll definitely hold you up in prayer!

 

[twotoohappy]

Hey everyone
I'm a sporadic poster here, sorry
I'm doing ok, working out a bit more because my trip is just a little over a month away!
My eating is much better so hopefully I'll lose a few pounds before I go. I only have about 5-10 pounds to go, but they're stubborn ones. My problem is that when I see myself, I still see myself seventy pounds heavier. Oh well, it'll come in time.

Congrats on everyone's healthy lifestyles and W.I.S.H. you all a successful week!

special dust for Bubba's knee!

 

[bubba73]

I don't think I can ever convey to you how much your thoughts and prayers really do mean to me. You know that is usually something that either friends or family do for one another. That is why I have said time and time again that you are all a part of my family. We share so much here. Not just diet and exercise tips. Not just motivation and encouragement. We share a lot of perosnal feelings and love. That is why I am very comfortable coming on here and tell all of you exactly what is going on in my life. Because I know that someone else is possibly going through it or has gone through it. I just can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't been led to start this thread. Without this place, I would have never been able to make the relationships that we have made.


Again, let me say thank you!!

 

[CJK]

Bubba I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you! You're pretty amazing considering what you're going through and STILL trying to motivate and encourage us. I feel like WE should be thanking YOU. Let us know how you're doing when you can.

twotoohappy - Oh how I know how stubborn those last few pounds can be!! You can do it though. We're routin' for you. You've got the great motivation of your trip coming up too! Think of how great you'll look and feel!!

blestmom - So you're dealing with those last few pounds too. I'll be there in a month I'd say. We're cheering for you too and just think of how far you've come!

fromscratchmom - Thanks for sharing the link for sparkpeople. How are you liking it so far? I TOTALLY agree with the thought of changing up your exercise routine. The problem for me, is that Taebo has been SO GREAT for seeing results. I need to find something else that works as well.

teacher31 - How goes the "lose a turkey" challenge? Way to go on keeping on plan while in Chicago. I have the same motto of portion control. It really does work doesn't it?

dizchick - You're an exercise machine!!! Way to go!! I'm not sure if you're gone on your trip now or not. If you're gone already, I hope you're having a wonderful time!

Things are going pretty well with me. My birthday was this past Saturday. While I did indulge in some birthday treats (I had a big lunch AND dinner on the same day), I really exercised PORTION CONTROL. Well, I weighed myself this morning and I was down a pound from last week. I guess the damage wasn't too bad after all.

My personal life has been pretty stressful lately with various family members (MIL having hip surgery and grandmother losing ability to live alone), but I've managed to avoid the emotional eating I used to do.

Actually Bubba, I have a question for you. How do you suggest I deal with the following scenerio? I've now lost about 45lbs, but I'm still about 7lbs above the upper end of my healthy BMI range. Back when I was gaining weight, my dad used to make comments like, "do you still go on your treadmill"? Now, 45lbs lighter (but still above ultimate goal by about 15-20lbs), I'm now getting comments like, "are you eating enough calories each day"? My dad is quite fit himself so it's not a jealousy thing. What do you think?

Here's to a great week everyone! Happy Halloween!

 

[fromscratchmom]

Hi, CJK. I do like spark people. I haven't used it a lot yet, but some of the tips that they have sent to me have been helpful. So, I'm looking forward to more.

I know what you mean about finding something that works. It is not easy, is it?!

 

[bubba73]

Actually Bubba, I have a question for you. How do you suggest I deal with the following scenerio? I've now lost about 45lbs, but I'm still about 7lbs above the upper end of my healthy BMI range. Back when I was gaining weight, my dad used to make comments like, "do you still go on your treadmill"? Now, 45lbs lighter (but still above ultimate goal by about 15-20lbs), I'm now getting comments like, "are you eating enough calories each day"? My dad is quite fit himself so it's not a jealousy thing. What do you think?QUOTE]

First of all, let me give you huge "props" (congratulations for anyone who may not understand that phrase) on your weight loss total. That is phenominal. Just to understand what you have accomplished, the next time you go to the gym, pick up a 45 pound plate and walk around with it for a little bit. It will blow your mind. Second, as far as your BMI, I don't take a lot of stock into that number. Let me tell you why. I was 195 pounds with a 34" waist and a fair amount of muscle but when I did a BMI test, it said that was about 35 to 40 pounds overweight. That test doesn't take into account muscle weight. So, with as much as you train and the fact that you are only 7 pounds away from your BMI, I would be willing to bet that you are where you should be. As far as the last part of your statement, it is really hard to say whether or not you are getting enough calories if I have no idea how many calories you are taking in or what you are eating to get those calories. (I really hope that didn't sound rude. If it did, I sincerely apologize .) Think about it this way. I may take in 1500 calories a day for my diet but all I eat are Snicker's bars and a bag of potato chips. Or I could take in 1500 calories by eating grilled meats, vegetables with NO sauce and healthy fruits. At the same time, we have to remember that we want to not go to an unhealthy extreme with our dieting. Here are a couple of examples. 1) We cannot be "fat phobic"! What this means is that we still have to eat healthy fats every day. The fact that food says that it is fat free is a farce. Look at all the additives, preservitives and even sugars that are usually added to those items. 2) It is very unhealthy and dangerous to take in less than 1200 calories on any diet plan. If you have ever read anything or heard anything that says otherwise, call them a fool and leave. But for the average woman, they should diet with a caloric intake between 1200-1500 calories. For the average man, it should be between 1500-1800 calories. The most important part of this is to make sure that you are taking in "healthy" calories.

*Update* I was able to get to the gym tonight and do a solid workout on my back. It really has been a long while since I was able to do such a solid back workout. I am really excited about this weeks possibilities as far as my workouts go. I am not excited about my knee though. It is still hurting a lot but I am trying to work through it. I just get so motivated reading about all of your successes that I can't help but want to get to the gym. I know. I'm sick!

Lastly CJK, I really appreciate what you said but I really don't think there is anything "amazing" about me. I really enjoy trying to help anyone that ever asks. When I was in college, my major was Psychology just because I love helping people. I have always been like that but I never have had an outlet to be able to really help. This site has been a blessing to me. You say that I am amazing because I am trying to encourage and motivate all of you. I say that you are all amazing and motivate me on a daily basis.

Thank You All!!

 

[fromscratchmom]

Hi, all! I'm posting to report a little success. I am happy to say that I did my time on my treadmill today and went 1.83 miles! Hooray!

My daughters have been doing some each day as well, in order to be ready to go to Disney World in December. (I explained to them that even healthy people get exhausted with as much walking as they do on a Disney vacation and that being prepared can help make the vacation more enjoyable.) They are young but it has been too yuck out for them to just play outside lately. So I'm really proud of them for wanting to be active indoors. Today they not only did the treadmill, which I'm sure is deathly boring to them, but they watched fit tv while I was doing my time and they just kept "dancing" along with the aerobics instructors on the tube. It was enough to tire them out even though they are young and healthy. So we talked about it and had a great conversation about active lifestyles and sedentary lifestyles and also about challenging yourself to just keep moving even if you can't keep up with the wild and fast movements of the aerobics instructors.

When I first turned the TV on I had been planning on watching Fox news, but I quickly turned it to fit tv. When my DD asked me why, I told her the truth. I really wanted to get off of the treadmill and lie down. So I was using the exersize shows to help me keep up some motivation to just keep moving!

 

[CJK]

Thanks Bubba. Your advice and kindness mean so much. I knew I could count on you!! Are you familiar with www.calorie-count.com? There are a variety of tools at the site for you to help determine how many calories you need to eat a day, how many calories you burn with various exercise, etc.. I take it with a grain of salt (considering what you mentioned above) but it has been a good guideline for me to stay on track and being sure I eat enough.

Congrats on getting to the gym! Do you have any appointments soon for your knee? We're sure thinking about you!

Fromscratchmom: That is FANTASTIC about your daughters joining you!! Helping them develop those good habits now will only help them in adulthood. I'm envisioning a lot of family exercise in your future! When you all do it together, it just makes it that much easier too. Way to go!!

Today is my official weigh-in day, and I'm down another 2lbs. We're heading into holiday season which is a little scary for me. How do the rest of you feel about the holidays coming up? Are you planning to stay on track? My plan is to exercise portion control and hopefully step UP my daily walks. In the meantime, I'm going to work like mad to get closer to my final goal (I just realized that's 15lbs away).

I hope everyone is having a great week and survived Halloween okay! I still have quite a bit of candy, but I'm really exercising that portion control! Hmm - do I sound like a broken record?

 

[fromscratchmom]

We're heading into holiday season which is a little scary for me. How do the rest of you feel about the holidays coming up? Are you planning to stay on track?

Good question. I can't wait to hear from others on this one. I wouldn't necessarily say that I have a firm plan yet. But I guess I better get one and work on having some resolve. I'm hoping that I can stick to a diet that is very low-carb; I just need to firm that up with some specifics and call it a plan.

I did great last night for Halloween. I did not take one bite of anything with the small exception of licking my fingers while my daughters and I were making treats.

I let my daughters go out for about 25 minutes just on our road and they came back with a ton of stuff, all junk, no stickers, toys, cool toothbrushes or anything; just junk. I try to feed my family a diet that exclude synthetic colors, synthetic flavors and 3 particular chemical preservatives; BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. So that excludes at least 90% of the candy available in America, and all of the candy that was in their bags last night. Luckily I had been talking to them about this in advance and preparing for it. I'm trying to give them the idea that they need to try to eat properly 99.99% of the time. I want to be very strict, but not so strict as to cause a rebellion. Our talks ahead of time worked this year and while the girls wanted to go out for the fun of it they willingly traded in their treats for stuff that wouldn't upset their mom. I had some candies that I bought through my food coop for them and a bunch of other stuff to, stickers, beaded rings, sunglasses, plastic heart-shaped bangles, and a bunch of other stuff. I counted how many pieces of candy they had and then let them take turns choosing that number of items out of my stash. They had a ball with the choosing and I got the happiness of avoiding all of the chemical pollutants in the Halloween candy while still making them happy. Plus I was thrilled with the attitude that they showed about the whole thing.

 

[bubba73]

Hey everyone! Just got back from the gym a few minutes ago. I feel great. I am somewhat dissapointed about my diminishing strength but I have to take it in stride. The type of training I have been doing for the last 6 months has been more for definition. Plus, I am having a difficult time eating enough to really help my strength. My body chemistry is really weird. If I want to be really strong today, it is totally dependant on what I ate yesterday. For example, I am at my weakest on Mondays because I hardly eat at all on Sundays. I know that this sounds wrong for me to be talking about eating more food while I am on a dieting site but I am trying to put on as much size as I can. Today marks the third day this week that I have been able to get to the gym. I haven't been able to do that in months. That alone has really got me excited and "pumped". I can honestly say that I am not by any means trying to get freaky huge. I would be happy if my arms were just a little larger than the sleeves on my shirts so they would be tight.

Otherwise, how is everyone doing? I read CJK's question about staying the course during the holidays. Even though I am being a little more "liberal" with my diet right now, I am still trying to eat clean. That means I am still going to stay away from all of the deserts, breads and sugary drinks. My goals are to eat grilled or baked meats, healthy vegetables and drink only water. I guess that means I am going to stay the course but this is a way of life for me now. I don't even crave the other stuff anymore. I guess after all of this time, my mindset has changed to the point where the same sweets that I used to "have to have" is something that actually makes me sick. That's a good thing but kind of scary.

I hope all of you are doing well. If anyone is about to leave to go to WDW, please think about us here and ride just one ride for us all. I know while I was there I wasn't able to ride POC because it was closed for refurbishment. I almost cried. It's somewhat "cheesy" but it is still a favorite. Actually for me, my favorite ride is Soarin so if anyone goes on it, I will be with you in spirit.

Thanks everyone! Let's get out there and make our goals a reality. You are all winners so I know you can do it.

Have a great day!

 

[AlaskaMOM]

Oh my
It's been a long time. I've gotten so caught up with other things that I haven't had much time for posting. With the exception of the exercise threads, if I don't post my time I lose track of how much I've done for the month.
I just skimmed over the last couple of pages and I have to say:
I'm so sorry to hear that
Congratulations!!!
and you're in my prayers, no question!
and Welcome to the Dieting for Disney Family (headed by Bubba)

Fromscratchmom- Sorry to hear about you having to worry about celiac disease. It must be hard keeping track of every single morsel.
and Bubba- I am truly sorry you're still dealing with the knee pain. I have been hoping that it was something minor and you'd be healed up by now
Congrats to all those who've accomplished some healthy changes. Losing a pound or few, getting in your workouts, or just eating more healthy!!
And Bubba- I'm not sure if you've seen the dr yet or not, but I believe that there are many of us who will be praying for you, until we hear otherwise (and we'd love to hear otherwise!)

As for me I kind of got caught up in the Biggest Loser challenge (motivation for me) and the monthly exercise challenges. I still use the scale way (weigh) too much. But I've resigned myself to it.If that's the bad habit that I still have, after giving up (or altering) so many of my others so what??? I'm still low-carbing it. I have'nt had sugar since july, or caffeine either. I limit the amount of "white" food to almost zero. Tonight I splurged and had ketchup with my lean hamburger pattie and had 4 chunks of cut-up melon. I am still drinking 3-4 liters of water, although it's getting harder to drink as much when it's getting cold out. And I think I have the vitamin routine down. I am doing so well on my "diet". I've lost to date 45 pounds, I still have 10 more for my dec trip goal, and it's coming off a little slower, but I'm doin' my best.
My trip is fast approaching and I'm so excited. But I'm also a little scared. All along I've told myself that while I was on vacation that I could "be" on vacation. So if we went out I could eat things I wouldn't normally eat, but if in the villa I would have lots of healthy options for me. What if I fall off so far I can't find my way back? I don't want to think like this, but I do have a track record of being heavy most of my life, so that would mean that either I never tried, or I tried and didn't succeed. (it's the latter) Will I be able to come home from our trip jump back into my routine; lose the couple (I hope not more than a couple) of disney pounds and then the last 20-30 I need?

OK I guess that's pretty heavy stuff from the girl who just made a reappearance.

Have a great Friday all!

 

[fromscratchmom]

I haven't reported back yet. My doctor told me that I do not have Celiac Disease. So, I don't really know whats going on. I had to go back to eating gluten foods for the test and I felt awful while doing it. After I got the blood drawn, I went back to avoiding them and began to feel better. After I heard the negative result, I tried a few foods one at a time that I had been avoiding (and they weren't even gluten foods, just other grains) and had problems with everyone of them. So I guess I have to look at that experience as a learning situation. I kept thinking about why I needed the test to tell me for sure what I already knew. And I am still bugged by it. But I'll just have to eat the way that works for me and quit looking for anything outside myself to agree or validate or better explain my choices.

I still use the scale way (weigh) too much. But I've resigned myself to it.If that's the bad habit that I still have... I am still drinking 3-4 liters of water, ...
...All along I've told myself that while I was on vacation that I could "be" on vacation....What if I fall off so far I can't find my way back?...

AlaskaMOM, I have that problem with weighing myself too often, as well. I love your attitude about it! I think I may use that line. Way to go on your other accomplishment! They are all inspiring to me (and exactly what I needed to hear!) I have some of the same elements to my overall plan.

I can also completely relate to your thoughts on your upcoming trip. I struggle with almost the exact same fears and for similar reasons, I suspect. I'm trying to psyche myself up for my trip and be prepared to stick to my plan for the most part throughout the trip. I think with my history of dealing with and sometimes reinforcing these fears, that I need to stick to my plan pretty close to 100% while I'm there. I love the idea of splurging and enjoying a one time sugary treat, but I don't really believe that I can handle it. My body's reaction to simple carbohydrates is too extreme even when I eat just a crumb of something. And part of what is important about that is it has this huge effect on so many of my systems. So I am going to try to have the attitude that I'm there for the fun of the parks and that lies in other things more than in food. And as far as food goes, I will truly enjoy things that are within my plan enough that it will hopefully not allow much room for lusting after everyone else's dessert or feeling deprived. Lucky for me, I really do like steak and things like that. So I have made reservations at restaurants that I think can do a good job offering me something appetizing in a great atmosphere, where I will be happy being waited on and relaxing with my family.

And since the question was asked, recently, I'm trying to incorporate the holidays in my mind in the same way of thinking. I will be cooking things for other people that I won't be able to eat myself. But I'm going to try to make the best of it.

I'm on an email list of people who follow an extreme diet plan called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, for various reasons but mostly to heal intestinal problems. And I just received a wonderful sounding Thanksgiving menu from someone on that list. This particular list member always submits really good recipes, so I am pretty excited about trying out some of her Thanksgiving recipes for myself and my one friend who has some intestinal issues as well. I think I can bake and prepare some things in the two days before Thanksgiving and some more that morning so that I can handle the whole thing if need be. But my husband like to cook just as much as I do and he'll probably work in the kitchen with me and it will most likely be a good time.

 

[silverangel879]

"Mickey is poppin' in to say "Be Thankful" and to pass it on to two DISfriends.....copy and paste Mickey onto your siggie....

Happy Thanksgiving!"

I recieved This "thanks" this morning! I was suppposed to choose two DISFriends but I couldn't choose only two...so I give it to ALL OF YOU!!! ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF THIS THREAD!!!
Bubba, CJK, momrek, AlaskaMom, blestmom, teacher31, fromscratchmom, and all the people from "Dieting for Disney"

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPORT AND THE GOOD VIBES!!!!

I'm waiting to see the Mickey's on your siggie!!!!!

 

[teacher31]

Hello everybody!! As you can tell by my name, I'm a teacher. I also have 3 very active children, a house to clean, exercise, running fundraisers for my daughter's gymnastics team, etc. THAT is why I'm not here that much. I love reading the posts but feel not much to add. I have time tonight since DH is picking up Chloe from the gym. Whooo hoooooooooo!!

So is anyone else struggling with the Halloween candy? I've cut back to only my favorite: Dark chocolate Mounds. That was actually last week after a sampling of everything. Today is the first day I've been candy free. I feel very proud of getting through the day without chocolate. For those who aren't teachers - Schools are a ****ie trap. The secretary has chocolate so if she sees you and thinks you've had a rough day, she'll pull out the drawer. Didn't help I restocked it with my favorites, but I digress. Honestly I've done well, just feeling guilty for indulging some lately. I AM BACK ON PLAN, THOUGH! My goal is to lose a couple more pounds before Thanksgiving, then hold firm until Jan. 1. Since I've lost around 45 pounds, it's obvious to all the parents in my school I've been trying for a while. I just hope no body sends sweets my way for a Christmas gift. I know that may sound horrible, but honestly I would rather have a card thanking me than 1,000 calories. It's always the notes that I treasure and appreciate so much. Oops. Off topic.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Has anyone heard from TLQ lately?