Well, today has just totally gotten away from me and I didn't get much done. I keep sneaking over to work on my 1000 piece puzzle, my mind just won't rest until it is done. I don't know why I torment myself with these things! The first 850 pieces were fun but now I'm stuck with 150 pieces in various shades of brown.......
DH and I got lost dropping DS off for the overnight campout.

They are camping in the woods just outside one of the US military bases here and there are roads through those woods but it gets so confusing quickly. It seems like every time we go over there we end up getting lost. I actually only went today so I could help DH in case he got lost. I told him tomorrow he is going on his own. It was about 30 minutes of panic, our cell phones won't work out there either.
After we found our way out of there we did a major grocery shop, came home and put everything away and DH went to the gym. I made a beautiful salad and put some new things in there thanks to yesterday's suggestions. I tried a new lettuce, I don't know the name but it was green and curly with purple at the top of the leaves - very tasty but twice the cost of iceberg.
I think it was worth it though and I will get it again.
In addition to my usual onions, peppers and carrots, I added grape tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, olives and feta cheese. I still have some bottled Italian dressing a friend got for me from the commissary (shhhhh! don't tell anyone!).
It was just very very yummy. Later in the afternoon, I "made" DH take a walk with me and we walked a different route that was nice. He's such a plodder though - ugh! I felt like I was walking in slow motion the whole time! We went to see The King's Speech at 5:00 and both enjoyed it.. Came home and DH made baked chicken and rice and we watched our college play their tournament basketball game....they won in OT. Last night they won just at the buzzer, it was the closest buzzer beater I have ever seen. Our hometown newspaper had a series of 26 photos on their website showing exactly how it happened. You had to see it in slow mo to believe the player got the shot off in time. In regular time we were not sure what happened! And,the final basket was the only time of the game our team was ahead. Very exciting time for college basketball as per usual for March
Shawn Do you and dh have a fun date night planned without ds? I don't remember hearing about paris. How was your trip?
We didn't really plan anything in advance but this is how it worked out. If there is any planning to do around here for ANYTHING, it usually falls to me. I have begged DH to plan a date night for us or plan a vacation for once, but he just won't do it. Our trip to Paris was wonderful! The weather was not good though, very cold, windy and rainy.....a lot like the weather the last time I went to Paris last March! I WILL see Paris in the sunshine some day

The guys were very cooperative with my commando style touring.....we were out of our room by 8:30 both days and stayed out for 12-14 hours. My legs and feet ached at night! We even managed 1/2 day at Versailles. So much to see and do in Paris!
Well, it does beg the question, "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"
OK, I set myself up for that one.....
I got up and ran 4M this morning, then went for my WW weigh in. I was down 1.8, which made me quite happy. This is a different number from my BL weigh in, but I consistently weigh differently on different days (and scales), so there you have it.
Linda -- One of the nicest people I "know" electronically is a lawyer who happens to be on this very thread (yes, that's you, Lisa! -- and Jude seems pretty nice, too!), glad you've found people who can understand the stresses of your work and encourage you!
I will second that - some awfully nice and encouraging folks on here
Good luck with not sweating on your hair for 3 days Maria! I'm at that lovely age were I am almost always sweating at some point during the day, even if I'm not exercising at the moment. And, it always starts with the hair on the back of my neck and then and my hairline/face!
Well... unfortunately the part I would consider my "problem" area is hard to cover with clothes.... my FACE!! Sure, I'd love to have a flatter belly (lots of loose skin from being over weight and being pregnant), but that won't happen, short of surgery. I think the rest is "okay".... legs/hips are decent, arms are okay (upper area is a bit "flappy", but it doesn't bother me too much). But I HATE looking my age!! And I think that my weight loss has made the skin on my face/neck look more loose and saggy. Plus, I definitely FEEL younger since I've lost the weight and gotten more active.... but unfortunately my face didn't come along for the ride!
I've joked in the past about saving up for my future facelift.... but as time goes by, that is becoming less of a joke and more of a true consideration. I'm really not particularly vain, but I hate looking older than my years... and I definitely feel that I DO look older. It would take a lot of thinking/prayer first. I undestand the risks involved in ANY surgery an general anesthesia and it would be so STUPID to DIE for vanity's sake... but I'll never say never.
Funny....I didn't notice you looking old in the picture you posted recently

So far, I am enjoying my new slimmer face much more than my old one. I have a very true round face shape and have very full cheeks so I think that keeps me looking younger. But I could just have that problem where you look in the mirror and don't really see yourself as others do
Is the layered mexican casserole anything you'd like to share??.
Sure, it's a pretty heavy meal but you could probably lighten it up with some changes. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spread a layer of refried beans. Top with layer of cooked, seasoned taco meat (ground beef/turkey), can of corn, can of black beans, layer of salsa, green chiles and layer of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream. I just made it up and do it differently every time. I've googled and seen similar recipes online though.
I love the SOM reference!! My favorite movie ever!
I just have to comment that the movie was filmed a few hours south of us in Salzburg, Austria. We have been to many of the locations you see in the movie. It is lovely there! I swear I never really paid much attention to the scenery and buildings in the movie before and I'm not even sure I knew where it was filmed. Did you see the show where Oprah had the whole cast on?
Good attitude with the (temporary) gain
Woke up to DD NOT coughing!

It is amazing how fast things can clear up with the right treatment.
She wants to make her own birthday cake so I don't even have to do that this weekend! Love the enthusiasm of an 11 year old. Her big sister is going to help her and they will have a great time. So I have a pretty quiet weekend. May have to run up to the pool today to help with an interview for a potential coach. We are having a really hard time finding one this year and we are all starting to get a little panicked!
Unfortunately she has just informed me she wants to go to Olive Garden for her birthday tomorrow. NOT a good option for the low carb diet. Need to see if I can steer her in another direction!

for no coughing! The enthusiasm and energy level of tween girls is amazing!

We have a 12 year old neighbor here who wears me out just talking to her. So different from my DS who is too cool to get enthused about anything

Good luck finding a restaurant to accomodate all, wish I had a suggestion for you. As for the swim coach, back home we always had good luck hiring a teacher looking for Summer work and then used the senior swimmers as unpaid volunteers.
Right now my biggest issue is the "fat roll" under my belly. It has been my biggest source of concern. It is shrinking nicely with the weight loss so I am very happy about that. I am really hoping I don't have any excess skin issues because of it when I get all the extra weight off. I am not really doing anything special other than just cheering when I realize it is smaller.Clothing wise my issue is really that I am large chested. Always have been, even when I was skinny. It makes getting clothes that fit very difficult because in order to fit on top they are too big in the arms and waist.
Are you able to get the TLC show "What Not to Wear" over there? They have some good advice and work with all different body types. You just have to watch enough of them to find someone that looks like you! Their website may have some ideas for you. I haven't watched it much but when it first came out they had a "pooh" sized woman on and they showed how a turtleneck made her multiple chins look worse and her face look fatter. I wore a lot of mock tnecks at that time and after I saw that I immediately put them in a box and haven't worn one since!
LOL at the bolded part


I also have the belly roll and large matronly bosom. The bosom has shrunk down nicely and I look so much better in clothes there now. As I age, I am developing belly fat higher on my torso, just under the bosom, AKA the "meno-pot". Honestly, it was hard to narrow it down to just one problem area for me but I picked my worst.

I really should be glad that I have all body parts still working and not complain
Yes, I can get all the US shows on my laptop through our Slingbox, I just have to DVR them so I can watch them when it's a normal hour here. I used to love WNTW, haven't watched it in ages. I NEVER saw anyone who looked like me on there but maybe now that I've lost some weight, I will. Thanks for the suggestion.
Here it is! As promised! I'll add more later when I have time to chit-chat more! Follow this link to our new BL meal planning thread!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=40291141#post40291141
.................P
Thanks - the shredded pork sanwdwiches look great! We do a tenderloin in the crock pot but never thought to shred it
Regarding the salad from the restaurant that's pure EVIL! It's lots of romaine, shredded mozzarella, red cabbage, grilled chicken, bacon, chopped pecans ... but, what makes it HORRIBLE (horrible in a not-good-for-you way) is the dressing that comes with it: homemade warm and spicy honey mustard with mustard seed. It's a massively HUGE salad. It must have a gazillion calories. Now I've gotta go read about something else to take my mind off it.
Sounds like some of the salads from Cheescake Factory. Boy are they yummy but sooooo high in calories and fat!
Yeah—had a c-section..that area I just can’t fix it myself—wish I could afford surgery but I can’t so so the best I can. I have a lot of muscle built up under but there’s definite loose skin. I do core exercises and use the abdominal machines at the gym—it’s all I can do.
I'll catch up later--doing a little better, have more ideas anyway thanks to Im's ;-)
yup, I have that issue too but since it's always covered up on me, I don't even worry about that one. Glad you are doing a little better
QOTD Saturday March 12, 2011
Do you have an area of your body that you consider to be a "problem area"?
Definitely my stomach/waist. It's huge!! No matter what I do, nothing seems to help.
My thoughts exactly! But even when I look back at pictures of me when I was young and thin, I just don't have a defined waist. Like the song says,
"I was born that way"

Hope you were able to get out and work in the yard today!
Almost midnight here so I will have to call it a day. Wonder where Dona is today. Probably busy working on the high school play. Enjoy your evening and I will see you here tomorrow.
Shawn
