Nailkita

I'll have to get a chance during work today to read everyone's posts, I missed a lot yesterday, my boyfriend surprised me with a treat out to dinner, and I'm impressed I didn't go far over my calorie budget!

We went to Boston Pizza, shared a starter of pizza bread with dip I had the tuscan linguini, and we had mini blizzards for dessert, that's my big calorie splurge for the month

My Goals This Week:
Weight-Wise:
Get back and stay under 200 lbs M=200 T=200 W=200
Figure out why I'm gaining (not sure how I'm gaining when I haven't reached my max calories) M=increasing fibre and water, looking into digital scales T=Too Much Salt... W=Green Tea!
Survive Thanksgiving M=Looking good so far, I insisted on bringing dessert T=Looks like I'm missing my brother for Thanksgiving, which means more leftover turkey for me!

Other-Wise:
Finish my Portfolio Website M=13 Pictures to go T=No
Get back on track with Freelance work (fell behind this weekend) M=Brain Melted T=Fell Behind
Take Measurements of Kitchen M=No T=No

Mern

Joanna, you did great yesterday on your goals. I know what you mean about switching health care systems--I got Medicare this year, a different insurance company, a different prescription carrier--so far I THINK all the changes will work out just fine. I hope yours work out smoothly, too. I'm sorry I missed it--what is Astro? OMG, you're doing great on your exercise!!!

Dancing with the Stars: my bet is on Ricki Lake winning this season.

Main80, oh, I hope your runny nose clears up soon. OMG, congrats on two all green days in a row! Fabulous! Thanks for your encouragement. I missed all green yesterday by just one packet of artificial sweetener, but I chose it knowing it would get me a red for that one goal. Still really proud of myself so far this week. And hey, BOTH of us are on track on exercise this week! Hooray for US!

Darlene, you're welcome. Congrats on your report again! I used to feel a little embarrassed about belonging to an online support group, too, but after a few months I realized it's exactly what I need to stay on track. Funny you mentioned that because I told my DH just yesterday that without the support of this group I wouldn't have lost weight and kept it off this long because, besides my new doctor, I haven't got any weight loss support system from anyone who understands how much WORK it is. All DH has to do to lose weight is to give up a cookies, chips, and snack cakes. Other than that, he can eat whatever he wants and not gain an ounce. I'm happy for him, but also a little jealous.

Amy, I could think of a whole lot worse than unsweetened squash. I like the revenge ideas that are fun that won't get me into trouble with the BIG GUY UPSTAIRS. Besides, it may have been His intent when he invented squash. Oh, maybe God IS a woman. LOL

quinnesec

I'm the same way. Here it is, 1 1/2 years after reaching my goal, but I still need help to remind myself what it is that I need to do. It's so easy to let a little bad habit slip in... and then another, and then another.

I've lost between 20-40 lbs. 5-6 times in my life and got so sick of having to do it all over again! Taking off 5 lbs. beats the heck out of 25.

So, thanks for letting me stick around and continue to be motivated by all of you great ladies... you too Mike! lol It's been nice to hear the "guys perspective" when something doesn't make sense to me.

It's kind of like AA... after you quit drinking, you still need a support group to keep you from falling off the wagon. When you all reach your goals, (...and I know that you will!) I hope that you, too, will stick around and be reminded of what you need to continue to do.

Mern

Nailkita, congrats on dinner out without going over your calories.
I'm up on the scale but refuse to change the weight in my signature because I highly suspect it's water weight gain from too much sodium--been eating too much ham, green beans cooked with jowl bacon, and salty butter spray. I'm trying Mega-T green tea capsules to see if I can shed some of this. I awoke seven freakin' times last night for a potty trip--so I THINK it may be working. Not weighing until Monday, though.

Quinn, thanks for that wonderful motivational talk. Congrats on a job well done! 1 1/2 years of successful maintenance is totally awesome! I certainly do intend to be here after I reach my goal. I'm sick of the yo-yo dieting, too, and would love to be able to have just 5 lbs. to lose instead of 100+ where I started out.

taubele

Midori: Welcome!

Ann: The problem is that BF doesn't like celery, onions or cooked carrots (He's terrible) so soups get a little crazy - I'm often having to cook two pots, or put a bowl inside of the slow cooker to separate out the "evil interloping vegetables" He's also convinced that he doesn't like lentils, because once I attempted to make them and slightly undercooked them, so the texture was off. He's the sort that - if he tries something once and doesn't like it, he won't try it again. I really realllllyyy appreciate the advice though. I'm a huge fan of lentils, personally.

Nailkita: I'll try searching for that Lentil soup - as I've said before, BF is convinced he doesn't like lentils, but if there's a good enough flavor perhaps he'll overlook it? BTW - Gamer Girls rule I am one myself.

Darlene: Thanks for the idea about the chicken and tomato sauce!! Sounds like BF would love it. Sadly enough, anytime someone says "it's a recipe my kids like" I tend to go "Oh, that means it's good for the grown man I live with!" Getting rid of the debt is proving more difficult that we imagined, but we're trying. Thanks for the support!

April: Ooooh, your description of fall makes me miss the crisp air and all the leaves - still hot here in FL!

Lizzie: Thanks so much for the support! I have (small) student loan debt, plus one card with a couple thousand dollars on it to still pay down - but hey, it used to be over 3k, so I'm telling myself a good chunk is gone! The student loan debt is "good" debt, so I'm worrying about that less than the card. I'm looking forward to the day where I make enough money to be able to pay off what I put on the cards. My parents weren't so good at teaching me about money/financials, so I've had to learn on the fly.

Mike: WTG with the situation with your daughter and ex-wife! Sometimes Dad DOES know what he's talking about.

Mern: Thank you so much for the encouragement, you're so sweet. My best friend's wedding is extra-special to me because I nearly lost him in a car crash about three years ago - he got a devastating injury (backbone) but he's recovered so well and been through so much, AND it happened on the first date with his future wife!! There's just so much emotionally tied to this wedding and my very special friend that I wouldn't miss it for all the world. I'm blushing that you'd be proud to have me as a granddaughter, thank you so much. I have a pretty amazing grandma as it is, but I wouldn't mind another!!!!

Main80: welcome back and thanks for the encouragement!!

Joanna: Aaaah, those high-cal days sneak up on you from time to time!!! I just log it, look at it, and move on! I'm sure you will too!

Amy: You are so sweet - I would take that squash and tomato and make fall food for years! Or at least try! I will definitely check out that book. I think a lot of my frustration comes from the fact that many of my friends are making a LOT more than me at this stage of their lives because they went directly into the work-force, while I was at school at a below-poverty pay for 5 years. I have a Ph.D. to show for it, but I also have third-hand furniture and old clothes, too. It just gets frustrating when you get that "Keep up with the Johnsons" vibe, and I was definitely feeling it this week.

quinn: Oh man, it sounds like one of those days that ridiculous situations that should make you laugh (crickets in the laptop!!!) just turn into rip-roaring ridiculous fights. I'm glad you're all laughing about it today!!!

Man... maybe I'm just a pushover or something, but I can't really make a dinner I know BF won't like. He usually gets pretty cranky when I do "You KNOW I don't like this!!" and he'd accuse me of being passive-aggressive if I did it on purpose ("Why don't you just tell me why you're mad??") -- maybe after a few more years I won't care anymore!


Food/Exercise/Lifestyle Goals

1) Achieve an average between 1200-1400 calories for the week. No single day over 1600 cals. M: 1,090 T: 1,338 (Week Average: 1,214)
2) Exercise 3-4 times this week M: Day off T: Zumba Cardio Party
3) Calorie deficit of 5,000-7,000 M: -746 T: -1,121 (Week Total: -1,867)
4) At least 80 oz. of water daily M: No T: yes
5) Multivitamin daily M: yes T: yes
6) Weigh in Monday and Friday M: 163.2 T: No weighing

Other Goals

1) Make an effort on my appearance every day M: no makeup T: yes
2) Take some "time out" for myself every day M: yes M: yes
3) Cross-stitch; post pictures! M: No T: No

Sorry for not checking in yesterday - the day sort of got away from me.

On the food front: BF actually went out and bought some chicken thighs, and we used them along with some things we scrounged for in the cupboard (some whole-wheat egg noodles I found buried behind the sugar, leftover homemade marinara sauce that was hiding in the fridge, a few spices and cream of chicken soup) and we made an impromptu casserole out of them. BF is calling it "noodle caboodle casserole" -- it's not a culinary masterpiece, but it's filling and calories aren't bad (I figured it at about 550/serving -- I'll take it, considering I didn't measure anything out beforehand) It's not chili, but it made enough food for us for lunches this week. Dinners have been fairly light affairs (soups, and eggs/breakfast-for-dinner) but we rationed it out and we WILL make it to Friday. Just barely. Of course when I get paid on Friday I already know where almost all of that money is going, haha

$200 must go to my parents -- they own the car I'm driving, but I pay the insurance every month, and they also have our phones in their name so we're on a family plan to save money -- so basically, this is for car insurance/phone bill

$100-ish for student loans

$100-ish for a credit card payment

$120-ish for electric bill

$150-ish for hair (don't look at me like that, my hair hasn't been done since March, and I'm going to a wedding, darnit. I like to get my hair done professionally, it lasts longer and looks better)

$140-ish to BF -- my car needed $280 in repairs last month and he put it on his credit card as I didn't have money at the time; I'm paying him back off my next two paychecks.

So, there's about $750 off of my $1000 paycheck. Hahaha. Hey, at least there's enough left over for gas and groceries!!!

My good-ish news is this: I stepped on the scale this morning as I "had a feeling" even though it's not an official weigh-in day and it said 161.6 -- woohoo!!! I'm not logging it in my signature since it's not official, but it brightened my morning.

I hope everyone has a lovely, lovely Wednesday!

~Terri

wildbeanerz

Health/Fitness Goals
1. 80oz water daily M: Yes, T: No,
2. No stuffing junk in my mouthM: Yes, T: Yes,
3. Exercise when hubby leaves for work Weds-Sat M/T: N/a, W: 45min!,
4. Limit to one diet soda daily M: Yes, T: Yes,
5. No added salt on my plate except specific foodsM: Yes, T: Yes,

Life Goals
1. Enjoy visit with Dad M&T: Yes! Too short but it was great.
2. Cross-stitch project M: No, T: Yes (1-1/2hrs),

Sorry I bailed on checking in yesterday. Monday and Tuesday were good days though. I had an awesome but short visit with Dad. He got to our place at 6:30 Monday evening and went to bed around 10PM. Then up at 6Am to get the boys off to school then we went for breakfast and back to our house and he had to leave around 11 for a quick visit with my brother & sister before getting back on the road for home by 1pm. He brought his new GF with him. She seemed nice. As much as you can tell in that short amount of time anyway.

Thank you all for the positive words on my loss. I am loving it! I worked out this morning like an animal. My muscles were burning until I was done. And as soon as lunch time gets here I am headed out for a walk too. I just don't want to do that bounce back up this time. My scale plays the tricks too. This morning it ranged anywhere from 173.6 - 281.0. WTH?? Days like that are usually ones where I am holding water and I think the scale has a hard time with that. It would make sense since I had a small sausage patty when we went for breakfast yesterday.

Terri....Good for you on getting those debts taken care of now. We didn't have financial role models either and in our younger years we ended up in trouble. We are back now but it's hard living with no savings due to having to pay for what you did in the past. Any little hardship really puts us to the edge of being able to make our monthly bills. But each day it is getting better and just two days ago I got a check returned to me with a letter stating that the card I had been paying on is now paid in full and they no longer want my money!! It was an old closed accout that we were paying off. That $100 a month can now go into something else. Hopefully savings. I have convinced hubby that along with the $20/wk we put into a Christmas acct we should be putting $20/wk into a regular savings as well. Just for lifes little surprises. Like last week when we almost needed a new stove but since my hubby is a mechanic he figured out that it was just the bake element in the stove and for $45 we fixed it up like new

Quinn...your evening sounds like one that could have happened in my house. Once anyone starts arguing in our house the rest of the family just follows for some reason.

Amy...I love your gardening. I am hoping that mine is bigger next year. We have planned it for a few years and this coming year we should be able to make that happen. Sometimes we just slice a zuccini and put Mrs Dash and a touch of margarine in it and cook till soft. Yum! Maybe not the best with the margarine but the kids eat it too.

Mike...sometimes you just have to suck it up and decide if what you are fighting over is really worth it. I'm glad that you seem to have made up.

Mern...I love your posts. You are always so encouraging to everyone. I think we should just designate you the forum Gramma.

I'm sorry to anyone that I have missed. That was a lot to catch up on.

bojibridge

Terri - good for you for staying on budget! It sucks, but, as you no doubt know, you'll be so glad you aren't getting into credit card debt much - annoying to pay off!

Mern, my graduate program is working towards a PhD in astrophysics, so all my classes are labeled Astro.

Also, I'm trying to cut out my morning coffee, because I put waaay too much half and half in it for it to be worth it - like 200 calories worth! And I'd rather just not have the coffee than drink it less perfectly prepared than how I like it. So far, no trouble.

01gt4.6

Ladies, life has been super hecitc for the past couple days. I will try my very best to reply to each and every one of you tonight.

I just picked up a check for another donation!

Health & Fitness goals
1) eat clean for 6 days yes, sort of (when most of the day without eating )
2) workout like a beast 3 times no, yes
3) walk 10 miles 0, 0
4) gallon of water/day no, yes

Non Health & Fitness
5) 3 pledges to help fight breast cancer 0, 0
6) write 3 policies0, 1

almeeker

Quinn, we get these little critters in our basement, basically grasshoppers, but since they live in the basement (where there is no grass) the kids call them basement hoppers. Saw 2 this morning, thought of you.

wildbeanerz, thanks so much for your warm thoughts on my garden, a lot of people see my garden and think I'm a nut job. But my goal isn't to grow a little for a taste of summer, my goal is to grow what my family needs for the year. The more I can grow, the healthier we are and the less actual money it costs to feed us. Plus it's also a really good workout. For years I've had people shake their heads over my gardening, but now that food prices are soaring, I'm getting fewer weird looks and more intelligent questions. You really don't need a lot of land to take a huge bite out of the grocery bill. My garden is just under 2 acres, but it feeds the 5 of us, my 3 daycare kids and my parents, and we give away stuff all the time. I could probably get about the same amount of produce off a much smaller plot, with square inch gardening, but I love my big fat rototiller. Oh, have you tried swapping out the marg for spray butter? Soooo yummy, trust me on this one.

jjeand, I'm so sorry that your DD even has a cardiologist, let alone that he's a big fat jerk. Wow, how scary is all that? I'll be keeping her in my thoughts and prayers. Is it something they can fix or does she have to be on meds? We went through (truthfully are still going through) heart issues with DH, but I can only imagine how much worse it would be if it were one of the kids. My heart goes out to you, a big cyber hug your way.

Mern, I would second the forum title of "Grandma", but you aren't anywhere near old enough to be my grandma! LOL. Maybe we should call you the Cheer Team Captain instead? We'll pass the hat and get you some pom-poms, hot pink maybe? I sometimes think that God could be a woman, and then I end up with Aunt Flo visiting while I have to be at the in-laws house and I think to myself that no self respecting woman would force that on another. LOL.

Terri, I soooo know where you are coming from on the "keeping up with the Johnson's" bit. We used to be DINKS (double income no kids). Now we're OINKS (one income numerous kids), but most of our college friends are still DINKS and in professions that pay much better than architecture in the first place. Ugh, it's tough I tell you. You might want to check out couponmom.com, now there's a website that can teach you how to live a whole lot higher on a nothing budget. It also helps me to rejoice over a bargain rather than feel sorry for myself that full price is out of the question. Sometimes happily living the deep discount lifestyle takes the right perspective. Oh and I thought of you the other day. We had like 6 different leftover things in the fridge, it's hard to sell that on a good day, and it was of course soccer night. Anyway I pulled it all out and thought that minus a couple of pieces of bacon and a few smashed potatoes I had the fixings for Shepherds Pie. So that's what I did with it, chopped up leg of lamb and pork tenderloin leftovers, threw in the leftover gravy from the pork, added in 3 different kids of cooked veggies, plus a little onion and mixed in a tub of Greek yogurt, a small handful of diced honey ham (for baconish flavor), some thyme and paprika, and topped the whole thing with smashed redskin potatoes (also with Greek yogurt because I was out of sour cream). Turned out awesome (only 1 serving left actually) and all the veggies were cut small and covered in sauce, so BF might even eat it.

almeeker

I love creamer too, can't even really have it in the house with out an OD incident. Anyway I swapped creamer for almond milk, started with the sweetened and have since moved to unsweetened and at 1/4 cup it's like 8 calories. So I get my creamy taste, some good fats and almost no calories. Although kudos to you for going cold turkey.