Good morning all :) The scale has been stuck the past week bouncing up and down 1.5 lbs. but this morning it finally went down a bit more. I'm sure it will continue to bounce around as it normally does, but seeing that lower number this morning felt encouraging....I needed that! ;) I feel pleasantly sore from my workout yesterday. I love that feeling!

Lisa - Maybe apple crumble is lower in calories? I've never calculated it, but I'm sure pie crust must be quite high with the amount of shortening used. What about a baked apple, sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar and maybe some granola and raisins? I'm not much of a dessert person, so I don't know if that would even suffice as a replacement for apple pie. ;)

Tori - Totally agree...it's all about the number! CICO....calories in versus calories out.

Hope - I started watching Y&R with my babysitter when I was a kid and have been watching it ever since! Was your daughter angry about something that happened on Lost?

Quinn - I'm right there with you...already hitting the dreaded plateau....or maybe it's not a plateau but just the regular pace that weight normally comes off. Either way, I've already started to feel frustration too. Like you said, we just have to keep plugging along and the scale will eventually creep down. All that to say, you are not alone!

Libby - You've been quiet. Hope you're having a good week!

Hi, Mike and Epixi!

Have a great day all!

Weekly Goals
64 oz. minimum water daily: M - y, Tu -y, W - y
under 1500 calories per day: M - y, Tu - N, W - y,
take vitamins daily: M - y, Tu - y, W - y
full body workout (W, F & Su): W - y
core workout (Tu, Th & Sa): Tu - y
cardio (M, Tu, W, Th & Sa): M - y, T - y, W - y

Good morning, everyone!

Busy day today for me. My dishwasher died of exhaustion after having a houseful of college kids for nearly a month over Christmas. I ordered a new one and it took forever to come in. But today is the big day that I can quit washing dishes by hand. =)

Making WW General Tso's Chicken for dinner tonight with brown rice and broccoli or pea pods. Something quick and easy after having installers in all afternoon.

I've been walking 2 miles pretty much everyday and my back has really improved. With spinal arthritis, I think it's true; if you don't use it, you lose it and I don't want to ever lose it again. My MD told me that walking is the only exercise that builds muscle in ALL of the major muscle groups simultaneously. That's pretty amazing, when you think about it. I went off of my Celebrex at Christmas and replaced it with several natural supplements for inflammation, which seem to be doing a much better job than $300/month Celebrex. What a ripoff, not to mention horrible for you for long term use.

Have a wonderful day, friends! =)



Personal Accountability Goal Sheet, Week 3

1. Eat clean; eliminate the 5 "bad foods". Y, Y, Y
2. Limit diet Coke to one glass per day; ideally zero. 1, 1, 0
3. Drink 1 glass of tart cherry juice per day. Y, Y, Y
4. Drink one cup of antioxidant tea per day. 2, 1, 1
5. Take all vitamins and supplements. Y, Y, Y
6. 45 minutes of core building per day. N Back flare-up. Did yoga instead. Y, Y
7. Walk 4 times this week; minimum of 45 minutes each day. Y, Y, Y
8. Stay within calorie limits. Y, Y, Y
9. Log everything. Y, Y, Y
10. Continue to very gradually add yoga and flexibility exercises to increase range of motion. (Spine) Y, Y, Y

I thought I'd share this link that I find really helpful when I'm out of town, traveling or have no other options than a restaurant or fast food. It has helped me make good food choices for quite a while...

Healthy Eating Survival Guides: Best and Worst Choices at Restaurants, Holiday Parties, and More | Hungry Girl

hello losers! I've been MIA but my scale is still moving in the right direction. Our house is very close to completion, so this is when I need to be out there more. I've been super busy with it and work and haven't had much time to eat or drink my water, except in the evening. So busy that I haven't even made it to a single parade.

I feel bad because I haven't been able to check in that often.

Here's a little accountability, since I've been MIA.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps5uynj4qc.jpg

Hi all. I haven't been posting lately because I have the flu and spent most of my time sleeping. Sunday night I started getting aches and fever and Wednesday was the worst of it. Today I was feeling a little better but still weak and tired. I am taking advil and drinking lots of tea. DH has been doing the cooking with a little guidance from me. I will be so glad when I am better again. I hope that you are all having a good week.

Today has been a pretty good day. Calories are sitting at 1100. I had planned on cooking but wound up going my the local Greek place. Their portions are HUGE. I opted for the small Greek salad with added grilled chicken. I used my own dressing to keep the calories down. The small salad is about 3 cups of lettuce and then the add ins. About 3 tbsp of feta, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, olives and another kind of pepper. I take out the olives and "other pepper". It was definitely enough to fill me. I also heard back from the obedience club. Classes start on March 16. I'm so excited it's not even funny. I'm adding a couple of pics of my boys. Just so you know who's who.


http://http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n638/ToriD1012/Mobile%20Uploads/image_3.jpg

http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/...ds/image_2.jpg


I can't remember how to post the thumbnails anymore so I had to do direct links.

Libby, I'm very sorry to hear you've been knocked out with the flu! I hope you feel back to normal soon. Glad to hear that dh is kicking in and helping you out with cooking.

Debbie, yea on the scale moving downward! Yes, I know there are lots of things better than apple pie. I just didn't expect it to be so much because the crust was thin and there wasn't a ton of sugar in it...or it didn't seem like that much. I used granny smith apples and it was actually on the sour side and could have used more sugar. I'll make the pie for the family next time and try something else for myself, or at least a much smaller piece.

Quinn, good to hear that the walking is improving your back. Isn't the pharmaceutical industry a big scam sometimes? Glad that you found some natural alternatives that are helping you more than the meds.

Tori, sounds like a very healthy and tasty salad. what kind of dressing did you use?

It's been a pretty good day for me. I'm over my calories again, but not as bad as yesterday. I looked back at my numbers and discovered that I really haven't lost any weight for nearly 2 months. I've been staying in the same 3 lb range. I'm getting frustrated with myself and I'm toying with the idea of just maintaining for a while (which I've been doing anyways) and de-stress about it for a bit. I don't know...still up in the air about it. Having a bad mental wellness day, and it's not helping.

Lisa, I used Wishbone fat free Italian. There's only 15 calories in 2 tbsp. I used 4 tbsp :)

Good morning!

Didn't get my walk in yesterday because I had a man here installing my new dishwasher and it turned out to be a bigger job than previously thought. I've had to do my dishes by hand since Christmas, so it's a good day to have that job done. =)

Otherwise, I'm really sticking to my goals, although the scale doesn't reflect that. It's firmly stuck in place. =( I had one win last night, when the installer left at 5:00, I almost just ordered a pizza. But, I pulled back and made my WW General Tso's Chicken. Afterwards, I was so glad I didn't buckle. I was tired and ticked off because the delivery/installation crew dragged mass quantities of snow, mud, slush and sand up my oak staircase and all over my hardwood floors in my dining room and kitchen. But, I cleaned it up and just told husband that we would be eating late. The recipe was quick and easy though, and I think I had dinner on the table in 30 minutes; probably the same amount of time as ordering a pizza. Win/win!

Friday night has been date night for us for over 30 years, so I'll be going out tonight. Already have my menu choices selected. =)


Personal Accountability Goal Sheet, Week 3

1. Eat clean; eliminate the 5 "bad foods". Y, Y, Y, Y
2. Limit diet Coke to one glass per day; ideally zero. 1, 1, 0, 0
3. Drink 1 glass of tart cherry juice per day. Y, Y, Y, Y
4. Drink one cup of antioxidant tea per day. 2, 1, 1, 2
5. Take all vitamins and supplements. Y, Y, Y, Y
6. 45 minutes of core building per day. N Back flare-up. Did yoga instead. Y, Y, Y
7. Walk 4 times this week; minimum of 45 minutes each day. Y, Y, Y
8. Stay within calorie limits. Y, Y, Y, Y
9. Log everything. Y, Y, Y, Y
10. Continue to very gradually add yoga and flexibility exercises to increase range of motion. (Spine) Y, Y, Y, Y

Debbie, yes DD was angry because they killed a character she liked.

Mike, NO PARADES? Don't make me come down there, young man. I will drag DH and he will bring a "personal cake" and then you're in trouble.

Tori, can you add couscous or rice to the chili to sop up the liquid or is that verboten? If not, cook it longer on the stovetop. I think our neighbors come over and put clothing in our hamper.
Lisa, I fell down with sushi. I was down almost five and the sodium shot me back up. That was my "apple pie."

Hi Epixi and Quinn. Keep at it, Quinn, the scale will move. You're doing great.