Circle of Seven

[MI CHICK]

Well D it's midnight for me so only 10 for you--maybe I'll be your bedtime post Just got in from work & dh was napping on sofa waiting for me but is off to bed now.

Well the manicure was very nice. The soaking was nice but the massage of my poor tired fingers/knuckles from Thurs was sooo heavenly!! I did do the French & it looks so nice. I always thought that was done from a form but she very carefully painted it on that's a job for young hands & eyes LOL They took my tools out of a sealed bag D so I knew they were fine. Course the polish brush etc is still shared. Anyway it was very nice. Am curious to see how long it lasts. I made an appt to have them done 2 days before I leave for Wash.DC w/my 2 friends. There were no pricing signs so I don't have a clue how much--will have to go to their web site & see. May end up cancelling the appt LOL It was a spa that did pedicures/manicures/hair/massages. Probably facials too.

Tomorrow morning I am up to bake my muffins & make my fruit salad for bkft Sun morning. Clean the last couple things & put clean sheets on the guest bed. Then off to the wedding that is at 3:30 & on to the reception. When I get home we will have our overnite company arriving. So that will be a short visit & then off to bed. They will be around on Sun til about noon. Then we have to meet dh's cousin & his wife at the Outback Steak house and then back to their home to watch some German history movie.
Hope I don't fall asleep & start snoring...LOL...I hate those history documentaries that him & my dh love Then Mon it's back to work and Tues & Wed to Ohio to take cousin to chemo, then Thurs & Fri work, the Sat my Euchre pool party.............I'm too old or too fat for those long stretches of activity, I just end up so tired. Oh yeah I have to fit a trip into the lab for blood work in the midst of all that. So next week I will be missing in action those 2 days. But Y will be back entertaining you all w/her vacation stories LOL

Today's menu was fine too. Am pretty hungry again. Need to make that jerky D but I just don't see when I can do that until Aug. Guess I should get on the scale in the a.m. & see how close I am to my 233....I'm hoping I'm only up a couple lbs. I have been drinking my water every day. Not 150oz's but lots more than I usually do--around 60oz's

Good nite ladies

[miss.amaryllis]

Hello everyone!

I was about to post yesterday, then remembered that I had agreed to look after a neighbour's garden whilst they're away, + start assembling all the ingredients for my f i l's bd cake + get a little bit tarted up for a National Trust summer get together at a nearby vineyard - then my sister rang up... I spent all day trying to catch up with myself.

I had a couple of glasses of rosé wine at the NT do. It really wasn't very good, but everybody was oohing and ahing and saying how wonderful that English wine is taking off, winning awards, selling to the French (I don't see it somehow)and is soooo fabulous. It wasn't! There was a beautiful chocolate cake with strawberries as a pudding, but surprisingly, I couldn't eat it - I'd had plenty of salad beforehand.

It's Weigh Day. Did the deed and no change! Oh, I hope for a better week next Saturday.

Denise, I have a feeling that you've made the right decision about that little dog. I've never had a dog and don't know a thing about bringing them up, but somehow I'm sure you would know if that had been the dog for you!

Bath really is the most lovely city! I'd forgotten the beauty of all the mellow golden Georgian architecture. We visited No 1 Royal Crescent which is marvellously refurbished exactly as it would have been 250 years ago, and the staff were incredibly kind and knowledgeable. I had to be dragged away from the lady in the basement kitchen with whom I developed an instant rapport. Oh, the chintz-draped four poster bed in the main bedroom! Such delicate colours in comparison with the much heavier stronger taste in decorations that were to come with the Victorians...

Round about 3 in the afternoon I bought my ticket at the Thermae Spa Baths - what a gorgeous new place it is! In a little trouble in the changing rooms with the magneticky-electronicky room and locker discs on the bracelets you put on - but a kind fellow bather demonstrated... Two lovely pools - one on the rooftops where you bathe in the warm mineral water and gaze at the Bath skyline and the Cathedral spires; then lower ground floor the Minerva pool where one drifted around all it's curves with classical pillars.

I had a little surprise here on entering the water - instantly transported back to the Sunday School account of the Pool at Bethesda, where an angel came down from time to time and troubled the waters.... there were currents which swirled you around very gently as you were supported on buoyant blue tube things. Everyone had blissed-out beatific expressions. Strangers kept saying "Isn't this lovely?" to each other.

There was a large hall of steam rooms - in the middle a gentle rainstorm cascade effect of warm mineral water lit with twinkly lights, then around it five glass circular steam rooms each scented with a different aromatherapy oil.

Loads of beauty massages, hot stones, wraps etc; too expensive but must be bliss!

At the end of this, I was clean! Cleaner than clean! Then even cleaner!

A terrific day. And lovely to be back in the water again.

I'd better hurry and give the neighbour back her key - I can see her in her front garden - ooh, I hope she found all her plants are OK - might post more later -

love from Angela

[harley g-ma]

A,your trip sounds wonderful!The spa sounds like you died and went to Heaven Too bad you don't have pictures you could post.I'll check on the web,maybe they have some if they advertise.Is this just a day spa,or can you spend the night there?
C,Just running around like you do has GOT to burn some calories Too bad you don't have time to rest though.I'm glad the manicure turn out ok.Did you get a pedicure also?Thats the one I'm afraid of
I'm very frustrated this morning Yesterday I was down 2 lbs today I'm back up!Dh thinks maybe SC has the right idea about averaging for the week,but I'll go the old fashion way.I'm NOT changing my stats on my profile until I lose under whats posted.I will give myself a false sense of security for awhile I guess it is water weight because I'm swollen but its still aggravating as you ALL know It's raining here this morning so I'll have to exercise inside I don't feel like I get as good of a workout plus I think about stopping and not doing the whole video When you're 1 1/2 miles from home,you know you HAVE to keep going

[harley g-ma]

A, I can't believe you NEVER had a dog!How sad,totally different from a cat.Dogs try so hard to please you and they love you so much.When I'm sad of if I cry my dog comes and lays his head on me and tries to comfort me.They will be there for you,when no one else is

[yellowhair11]

Hello everyone, back from the condo now and the place was terrific. I lucked out and had the second best unit in the building, ocean views from the whole place. No one hassled me to listen to a timeshare but could have for some nice freebies but did not want to deal with it. I must say im exhausted now. BF came for a couple days at the start, then grandson, S1, and S3 stayed, and I had a couple days to myself which was heaven. Grandson was non stop play, S3 was a big help as he played so much with him and did things I could not do like the rough housing in the pools, ocean, piggyrides, etc. He was so good with many children-made me wonder as this did not seem like my son with all his issues. Grandson is here till Mon. but S1 picked him up last night so cant say for sure if visit is over. Lots of nasty food, fast food, pizzas, etc. candy, ice cream....I refused to cook but between my loss last week and gain this week I am down one pound. Went to the surgeon with BF and he is scheduled for the colonectomy (sp) on 8/1. Dr. said the polyp is 50% chance of cancer and will be 100% if not removed. They will be taking a couple feet of his colon and lymph glands and resectioning. He is scared and flipping out, I will have my hands full-they said 5-7 day hospital stay, after care and special diet. Ughhh. His parents want to come down but I sent them an email discouraging it as they are old, on a tight budget, poor health, I dont have a clue as to where anything is in the area of the hospital, that will be a challenge for me. But..its their son...
They have alot of expertise in dealing with drs., staff, etc. and I guess think they will be of help in this area. I hope I did not offend them with the email (no response yet) and I am just thinking of them. ???? He will need me more after and ill have to have a big talk with S3 because I do have to work. BF I know in a way wants them there but realizes its not practical so they may have to hear it from him. Them coming will stress me out more if you know what I mean.

Responding briefly to the last few posts as I did not read all yet.

Miss A the baths sound just spectacular, I would love to go there. Sorry no change on the weight loss but at least no gain !!! We all have those weeks.

Sounds like you have a full schedule ahead C, oh you will look so sharp at the wedding tonite. I love history documentaries, just dont dig your new nails into your thighs while viewing, I took gs to see Wall E yesterday at the movies and the last 30 minutes was torture for me. Lab trip-I take it your doing the hand surgery ??

D-glad the dog thing is settled-I just had to chime in on that one. Visit from friend with kid sounded brutal. Noticed gs would listen to me and s3 way better than Daddy-payed no attention to the few fits. Now get on the scale and lets hear some good news !

SC-I hope your cousin is doing ok ! Five pounds in a week ? That will be fabulous-hope the scale agrees today with yesterday !

How is the weight loss going H ? Surely you have lost weight with the walking program - I only went back to the last couple posts so fill me in pls. Did you attempt the Callanetics yet ????

T-I scrolled to the bottom of this page but did not see you and fearful to go back and lose this post. Are those jeans fitting ??????????? Fill me in. Did you attempt any of the Callanetics ? The 10 in 10 is not easy.

Back to plan !!! Ate some bad things but not like a piglet.

[harley g-ma]

YH,it is so GREAT to have you back!You were missed so much! It sounds like you had a great time on your vacation.Too bad bf has the upcoming surgery.It is so hard on the people that have to run back and forth to the hospital too.Very tiring.We will be praying that it's not cancer. You did good on your weight All the activity must have helped.I tried the callenetics but I need to get the beginners. 10 in 10 was too hard.

[harley g-ma]

A, I went on a Bath England website and they had a video of the Thermae Spa Baths and it was so beautiful! I never thought I wanted to go to England but now I've changed my mind! I may have to take a trip one day!

[Denise78]

back YH!! Missed you soooo much!! Congrats on the 1 lb loss. Sounds like you had an awesome time with your family. And it looks as if it was a good healing trip for s3 too. Will keep your bf in my prayers. Poor guy, that has got to be scary. Oh and T had her dd and grandchildren visiting for a few days so that's probably why she isn't posting recently.

Well ladies, between the mineral baths and manicures with massages, you sure are making some good points for that Rio Caliente trip. YH and I will have to tell you all about it when we get back. I'm seriously leaning towards it, it just sounds so wonderful and rejuvenating and something I would love to save up for and reward myself with once I lose all this weight. E, pedicures and manicures are basically the same thing, just on a different part of your body, don't know why one would scare you over the other??

E, that's exactly why I refuse to average my weekly weight. My weight fluctuates up and down so much and sorry, but I feel one day a week is the true weight and also why I don't announce my loss on any other day than Saturday. It's too confusing if you report your losses and gains everyday! If you were down 2 lbs yesterday and up today, how would averaging be what you currently and honestly weigh? You'd just be fooling with the numbers to make yourself feel better. It takes 3400 calories to gain 1 lb from what I've heard, so unless you ate 7,000 calories yesterday , it's just water weight and will be gone in a day or two. Did you eat anything salty or possibly heavy yesterday that you haven't digested yet?? (Maybe you need to go potty later and then weigh again). That's why I didn't want the hotdog and sauerkraut yesterday, they make me retain fluids and not a good thing to eat the day before a weigh-in. I haven't gotten on the scale yet but I'm sure it's not a huge loss this week and that's okay. I know I've stayed on plan and not gone overboard so if the scale is up, it is what it is and I'll try harder next week. We all have weeks like that and it's important to just keep plugging along. I bet anything you will see a good loss next week.

Angela, alcohol does stall weight loss so you might think about giving it up. Or at least not drinking it before a weigh-in. From what I've read, even if you drink 0 carb alcohol, the alcohol is burned off before fat is, so you're now working even harder to get rid of your fat because you have to work off the alcohol first and then burn even more calories to get rid of the fat after that.

C, I hope you had a good loss this week or at least got rid of any extra lbs you had from your previous week. I will be back later with my weigh-in. Need to get a cup of coffee in me and visit the potty before I do that.

Happy Saturday everyone!! D

[Denise78]

Men. Ugh. My husband was busy in the kitchen and I just went in there only to find him making up a homemade breakfast pizza. You all know how much I pizza, so I got very upset with him. The kids aren't even home today -- he's making this pizza for himself alone!!! Not that I want him to cut out all the good things and eat only what I eat, but geez louise, could you have a little compassion for me and not eat PIZZA in my house??!!! I am trying so hard and it's not like I have only 5 lbs to go and a little cheat wouldn't hurt me. I have OVER 100 lbs yet to lose, so I cannot falter now. I have to keep strong and not give into temptation. But do you know how hard it is when the temptation is sitting in my own kitchen, the delicious aromas wafting from the oven??!!! I gave him such a lecture, thru my tears, and he feels really bad. But still....I hope he chokes on it!!!!

[MI CHICK]

Glad that your vacation was such a success Y!! And that is great on the 1lb after all is said & done! Tell bf that my mom had that surgery at 78 & recovered so he will be fine.
It is a major surgery because of the removal of the bowel but it is so good the doc's caught it now & being younger he will heal faster. My mom has had no problems since but does have a colonoscopy once a year. If his parents want to come they should, he is their son. Nice of you to be considerate for all their concerns but when you think how you'd feel if he was your son you know you'd want to come. And they will be able to relieve you at the hospital so they may be more help than you think.

Ms A that trip to Bath sounded so wonderful!! Glad you are healed & got to go! Just remember it took us a long time to put this weight on & it will not fall off in 6 weeks. Just keep being steady & it will leave & not come back! Sounds like you had one of my busy round of days...LOL

Harley same advice, hang in there!! Just think come Christmas when you're wrapping up this year much lighter

Sorry about the bkft pizza D...that's a toughie! But you know men...they just don't think things thru sometimes LOL Well your friends kid sounds like the typical "terrible twos"! She'll learn, she's new at this mom thing. Nice of you to be patient w/both of them. You've raised a few & can give her some helpful suggestions. I had several ladies who had kids a few years older than my ds who would always laugh & say oh when so & so did this or that I tried these things & this worked & that didn't etc. I do remember it as being very helpful. They made us seem like a universal team of moms not as critical busy bodies criticizing me so I guess they must have been kind in their tips. Actually it was the same thing when I got my puppy, had never had one & didn't know what the heck to do with chewing & house breaking so I needed lots of advice from my pet owning friends LOL

Ok I weighed in at 236. Had a great week but am where I am for whatever reason. Went to bed hungry so I got up feeling nice & hollow--love that feeling. This morning I've just had coffee so far.

Well I'm off to bake the muffins & make the salad. Have a great Sat!!!

[Denise78]

Looks like I stayed the same this week. Oh well, my own stupidity eating hotdogs and sauerkraut yesterday, especially after a 2 hour drive. My feet are all swollen so I know it's water retention. I haven't been drinking my potion either so I've not been very "regular" this week. YH, I need some butt-kicking in the potion department!!!

Well I think this is a good time for me to get on the road and get to a bigger grocery store to buy some good legal foods so I won't resort to those yucky hotdogs again and it will get me away from that tempting breakfast pizza in the other room!

C, meant to say...so glad you enjoyed the manicure, you deserve to be pampered, especially with all the hard work you do. It does feel like heaven, doesn't it?? I think manicures usually run around $8-$10, maybe a little more if you get the French. You should treat yourself with them more often, even if you are rough on your hands. Just the massage alone is worth it. My nail tech charges less for partial manicures and pedicures, maybe your's will too (if you don't really want the polish or French manicure, but do want the massages and lotions, or vice versa).

Okay, off I go!

[MI CHICK]

Oh D I love that little zip guy at the end!!!
Our company for tonight just called & cancelled as he went to the hospital last nite & found out he is in the process of passing a kidney stone Poor him! But at least I dropped a whole lot of stress outta my day LOL
So now I can RELAX for a couple hours---think I remember how
Let me know if you find any good nite time snacks at the store D. I really miss my nuts. Am tired of celery w/cream cheese or a wedge of laughing cow
I must get on line & check out the prices cause I just can't imagine it's only 12$ here--great tip on the partial D!
Thanks.

[slendercate]

Weigh in. 154 today, 6 lbs gone since last Saturday.
I kept hopping on and off the scale for three separate times, waited, then repeated it a few minutes later. No change, so I guess it is right. I just can't believe it. I have no explaination. I do know not to believe I will loose like this every week. It is just been so long since I have felt "lighter".
I also know, I haven't been doing the first phase as strict as he recommends, so I am going to try to follow it alittle better this week.

I did read somewhere, when you are small boned, you need less fat to take in to loose the weight, or else, the fat you take in , even if you are going low carb will be stored as fat. Don't know if that is true or not, but this week makes me wonder.


D, well at least you didn't gain anything. Maybe the staying the same is because of bloat. Point well taken about the tortillas, as I know I could really get into trouble.
We have a Chihuahua, standard, that our son left at home when he left, her name is Gwennie.
I was raised with dogs as my Mother's sister raised Kairen Terriers, my Mom always loved Chihuahua's and I grew up with them. There are some misconceptions about them just like some other breeds, they sometimes are pictured as yippy and hard to deal with. We have never had that experience. They are great alarm dogs, as their hearing in incredible, so they let me know when someone comes onto our yard. It is all in how they are raised.


C, glad you enjoyed the manicure. Got to get one someday.
Have you ever eaten natural peanut butter on the celery? That is a good bedtime snack for me, as is the Hood Low Carb milk, either chocolate or the regular.

E, sorry about 10 in 10. If you can keep it up, it will get easier. With my schedule last week, I didn't do it at all, but am planning on doing it sometime this weekend.

A, the Baths' sounded fantastic. Got to get to the UK.

T, hope you are allright and those jeans are closer to fitting.

YH, so glad to have you back. Sounds like you had a good time. My prayers are with you and BF about the upcoming surgery.

Well, off to go grocery shopping. Later today, will finish washing and ironing.
Hate to iron, but in the Texas heat, cotton is the only fabric to keep you cool.

Later,

[harley g-ma]

Congrats, SC on the BIG weight lossWhatever you're doing must be working so keep it up:up
T,I guess you are busy with family.I miss mine and if I didn't already have plane tickets to go home in Aug.I think I would go next week!
I am so totally BORED! My friend has a headache and it's raining so I'm stuck inside all day I did find a great website for recipes.D,you may already know about it as it is really a diabetic site but they have wonderful LC meals.It's dlife.com click on the recipe and it has all kinds of options.It looks like their all really easy I guess I'll go read my book.There's not even anything on Ebay I want to buy!How sad is that

[Denise78]

Well Elaine, I am here, where are you?? Geesh, I race here to entertain you and you're probably off buying scads of things on Ebay. I have never been to that recipe website so I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the tip! Always looking for new things so I don't get bored with this WOE.

Congrats on the 6 lb weight loss SC!!!! That is awesome!! It's been so long since I've done SB Phase I but I do remember the first 2 weeks I had a really good loss because you're getting a lot of toxins and water and crap out of your system, along with fat too! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I think once you get past the first 2 weeks, you're still looking at around a 2 lb weekly loss if you follow the plan strictly. I'm so happy for you because I know you were getting very frustrated and I bet this is so motivating for you, isn't it?? Keep up the great work!

Okay C, I scoured the stores and I'm not happy with the outcome! I think we may be down to that nice big ole glass of water for our carb-free night-time snack! I did find a low-carb cereal. Kellogg's All Bran Extra Fiber. It's more fiber than their regular All Bran. Of course, I'm sure it tastes like cardboard but I thought I'd throw some blueberries on it. Only 7 carbs so if I can keep my portions under control, it should be okay. SC, remind me, but that Hi-Lo Cereal is about 6 carbs?? They don't carry that in my stores so I would have to order it from Netrition and I didn't feel like placing an order right now, so this bran cereal will have to do. I bought some fat-free chicken/turkey breast, you know the Louis Rich kind. I know it's processed and not the greatest to be eating but I figure I can make a quick roll-up with a slice of cheese if I want a snack sometime, maybe even spread some cream cheese on it and put a pickle in the middle. Guess I can always revert to the hardboiled eggs and canned tuna or chicken breast too, along with healthy green salads. I think the whole foods are the best and healthiest so I'm going to try to go back to my old ways of cooking a little extra and having the leftover roast or chicken as snacks and/or lunches. That's always worked for me in the past.

Oh I did buy some green tea bags because I read on one of the boards that if you have hit a plateau, a good way to break it, is to drink 16 oz of cold water as soon as you wake up, eat breakfast within one hour of waking, and drink 3-6 cups of green tea per day. It's supposed to jump-start your metabolism. Heck, I don't know if it works but I'm always game to try something once.

Yeah I think Chihuahuas do get a bad rap for yapping but I haven't met one yet that doesn't do just that. But I know what you mean SC, it's really all in how you raise them and I seriously haven't been around that many Chihuahuas in my lifetime. I had a friend who had one and he certainly was a skitterish little yappy thing but I'm sure there are a great many that aren't. Hey the Taco Bell puppy seems pretty laid back.

Speaking of dogs....I found my baby today. I didn't get it because it was $350 and dh was with me and walked out of the store when he saw the price but it was the cutest little West Highlander terrier that you ever saw. One of those little white Westies that I've been wanting. Actually they had 2 of them, but I was only interested in the female. She was 5 wks old and adorable. I think if she had a lower price tag, I would have come home with her. I will check again next time I go there because they do tend to lower the price on puppies after a week or two, but the last Westie they had sold on the 2nd day for $400 so I don't think they're going to have a problem finding these 2 darlings new homes.

C, glad to hear you can relax tonight. Hope you have fun at the wedding! We have one to go to next wkd. I think it will be a pretty casual one and it might be the last time I can wear one of those capri outfits before the pants fall to my ankles.

So YH, how does it feel to be home? Are you stocked up on movies and just relaxing and enjoying the wkd or do you have tons of laundry to catch up on??
Miss A and T, hello to you also! Hope I didn't leave anyone out?? It's so confusing sometimes!!

Well ladies, I must go rest these weary feet. I hope you are all enjoying the day! D

[harley g-ma]

Here I am but dh just got home and we're going out to eat.I have to confess I made brownies today for dh and the guy that works with him and I LICKED the spoon and the bowl.I was so good,the first sweet thing I've had in 5 weeks I don't even feel guilty but it's better than eating a whole brownie

[Denise78]

You LICKED the spoon and bowl??!!! Yikes E, that's grounds for a big-time spanking!! Have a fun time with dh!!

[Teresa3]

Oh, those are such cute little blue creatures, D! Where did you get them? I'm sure we all just adore them!

Dd1 left this morning, and took the 5 year old with her, and the 8 year old is staying here with her dad for another month. I will be seeing her more often now because it is so much easier for me to spend time with just one girl. We had a pretty nice visit. Dd arrived storming around, but left much more mellowed out after her dad and I talked her down. She gets easily outraged at some of the smallest things concerning the way the kids' dad and his girlfriend handle the kids. It's hard on the kids to hear all the fighting and feel caught in the middle. But things did calm down and we ended up on a decent note. And the great thing was, through all the stress and eating dinners and lunches out, I managed to stay totally on plan! Yay!

Wow, SC, 6 lbs. in one week! Holy Moly! That is incredible! As I recall, that is fairly typical on the first week or two of SB, then it tends to slow down. I think it could be because of the added fiber from the vegetables, and then, as you mentioned, the lower fat does help many people. So it looks like a winner for you, and so healthy too!

D, you did good this week even though the scale didn't reflect it this morning. I imagine the hot weather has got you retaining water again. We know it will go away eventually, it always does! OH, girl--pizza for breakfast! Who on earth could resist that! What was dh thinking! You know, if we have to suffer through this, they could give up a few things too; it's not like they're being deprived! They can eat pizza out of the house if they really have to have it! Hope you get to go swimming tonight so you can cool off! The story about the toddler trouncing the garden was hilarious, but I bet your dh didn't think so! Or maybe you were just able to convince him those plants wilted in the heat! The Westie pup sounds sooo cute--with the price of gas being what it is, maybe you could skip Curves a time or two, and you'd probably have saved the price of the dog!

Y, we are so happy you had such a great time at the condo! And to have such a positive experience with ds3, too! It's eye-opening to be able to see another side of your offspring, isn't it! Life maybe ain't so bad after all. It is very sad about your bf, though. This will be another challenging time for you, but time will pass and he will heal. Thank God the tumor was found before it got worse! I guess we have your recent decision to have all your medical tests to thank for this, because that must have got him to go get this done. Had he been having any symptoms? Are you concerned about his parents coming down because they might have to stay with you? Or could they stay somewhere else? Does he not want them there? When I have anxiety about something that's going to happen, I often tell myself that Time will take care of this; it will all be overwith at such and such a point. That actually takes some of the sting out of stuff for me. And hey, on a really fabulous note, you had a great time, ate a bunch of crap, and LOST a POUND!

E, the experience you had with your new friend was sure scary! Maybe you two should walk everywhere together instead of drive--we want you here, girl! You've been doing so well with your exercise and your eating; I'm sure that 2lbs. is not real! Both those scales have been fluctuating on you, too. I never trust a digital; I think they're only good for major upswings! I have yet to see one that is truly accurate. How are your clothes fitting? That might be a good marker for you. Congrats for going to Crackerbarrel and resisting the goodies! Where are you off to on your ride tomorrow?

C, I have to wonder about your scale, too! I doubt that you are really up 3 lbs! As D points out, that would mean you'd have eaten 10,500 more calories than you needed this week, and I don't think those celery and cheese snacks added up to all that! Too bad you prepared all that nice food for your guests who weren't able to visit! I think it was mostly good things you can eat though, wasn't it? Wow, you really have a full week coming up! I hope you can arrange to get some naps or time to yourself in order to recoup. I imagine you will have some good times, though.

MsA, you had such a romantic time at the baths--maybe that makes up for staying the same for a week! You have done well not to put any weight back on while you were away. So happy for you that you have healed so that you can enjoy the water now!

Y, I did get into those jeans, but they are tight around the stomach--that's my weak spot. I have lost everywhere but my abs. Most of the 10 in 10 dvd is too hard for me, but I am doing one of the ab exercises, which feels like it is doing something--sure hope so! I think I am going to have to do a few all-protein days, or some more of the fat fasts to get some more of this fat off, though. I haven't made any real progress this week, just stayed the same, but we did eat out a lot. After dd and kids left, dh and I went to the gym, and I rode my bike twice at home. Today's menu:

B - scrambled eggs, spinach, sausage
L - salad w/salami, turkey, beef brisket, mushrooms, strawberries w/wh cr
D - halibut, eggplant, baby green beans
S - almonds, string cheese

Have a fun Sunday, everyone! T.

[yellowhair11]

T-I bet the 5 yr. old was nonstop as my gs is 5 too and constant motion. I am glad you had a nice visit. Keep up the ab exercises T with the Callanetics, be patient, they do work but yes it sure is the worst area. You did well with the company and the food !

C- How did the wedding go, hope you had fun. I bet you did not really gain 3, for whatever like you said it had to show up on weigh day. I brought the scale with me to the timeshare and had it planted in the middle of the room just to see it but never got on the thing. I must have soaked in the whirlpool 3 times a day with lots of epsom salts, that maybe helped me not have a big gain. Plus it is so hot here now.

SC- a big on the 6 pounds, thats really great. Numbers like that usually show at the start of whatever plan. Sounds like SB will be a winner for you !!

H-Sounds like you are at a stall this week, stayed the same ? Im surprised with the amount of walking you do. Glad you met someone to hang out with, is she going to diet with you ? That would help. Where are you off to this weekend ?

Miss A - where are you ? I would not want to leave the Baths.

D-all the talk of pedicures/manicures-I went and had those at a place near the condo last week-very good. Ok everyone, where are the ideas for the getaway ? We have plenty of time to save our pennies. The Rio Caliente place sounds good to me, unpretentious, variety, something for all and reasonable for this type of thing. The green tea should be a big help, I have the green tea pills that I always forget about but im sure the tea is way better for weight loss.

S1 and gs were here on Sat. before noon ! I guess he likes Grandma's place so that was a surprise so I did not get what I planned to do done. BF's mom emailed me back and they are coming period. They cannot stay with me, I have no room not to mention all the crap piled up all over. They would end up in the hospital ! They said they will find a hotel, ill look for a condo deal for them if they like and explained I will be of zero help with the area and directions, etc. I dont even know how I will get there with my driving issues and freeway, ill deal with it when the time comes. BF-no symptoms-just the colonoscopy test. C got me on the test kick, he saw me getting tests, then he went. More stress and challenges. I think s3 will come thru if BF needs help when I am at work even tho they dislike each other so. Its BF who truly despises him. Now BF is going the the gym he joined in hopes of getting some belly fat off for smaller incisions !!!! The surgeon made the statement to him that yes the cuts will be bigger on him then say for instance someone like me, HA !!! He did not like that. Now I have strict orders not to feed him anything fattening, I can hear s3 whining now over plan type meals I managed to jump in the pool Sat. and did 30 laps and some Callanetics.

Sat.
am- 2 scoops of husk in crystal lite - yum ( did not take POTION to condo and could tell )
lunch-peach and nectarine
dinner-subs for guys, I had a WW entree
snacks-fruiti, pretzels

Pool and random Callanetics

[Denise78]

Good morning ladies!

T, glad you had such a nice visit with dd and your grandchildren. How nice that you will be able to continue the visits with the older grandaughter. Is her father okay with you visiting while he has her? Meaning, are you on good terms with him? Is this the dd that is pregnant?

C, yeah I tend to think the 3 lbs are water weight unless.....is it 3 lbs since you've last weighed in? I can't remember the last time you got on a scale. Possibly it is a true gain if it's 3 lbs since then. That's one reason I don't like staying away from the scale. You don't know if it's a recent water gain or one that has slowly crept up on you. In any event, the exercise and good eating is sure to get those excess lbs off very soon!!

YH, I think s3 will help out bf too. He has a kind and perhaps bf will get to see that. Might be the one good thing in all of this that bf is dealing with, who knows. Funny about the surgeon's remark on your little size vs bf's. Do you get along with bf's parents? Maybe if they stay near you, they can drive to/from the hospital or at least go with you so you aren't alone. I dreamt I moved to a crappy old house but I had this gorgeous HUGE pool in the backyard so I stayed outside and swam and swam all day long, who cared about the house. I woke up and my arms were tired.

E, did you get on the scale this morning and see any difference? Maybe you need to drink more water?? Especially true if you are exercising a lot. The less water you drink, the more you retain. My rings are tight on my fingers today. It was way too hot yesterday. I'm hoping it will cool off today, kinda misty out right now, maybe my swelling will go down some.

SC, do you work Mon thru Fri only or do you work wkds too? I used to work in a hospital when I lived in New Hampshire but I was not a nurse. I worked in the ER and Admitting dept, registering patients coming thru the ER, finding the inpatients beds on floors and all that fun stuff. I really enjoyed it but it was pretty hectic!

Miss A, you seem to be hit or miss with us lately. Hope that doesn't mean you are getting discouraged! Hang in there -- usually after a stay-the-same or small loss, the next week is pretty good!!

Ds2 leaves for Washington, D.C. today. I cut his hair out on the deck yesterday. Boy did he need it! Got him all packed up. He's so laid back -- says he'll do it later, he'll do it later. I cannot look at an empty suitcase sitting there, gets me too nervous, so I've been putting things in it all week long and I think he's finally good to go. Ds1 came home last night. They went camping the night before, or at least tried to. Got to the campground and realized they had forgotton all the poles to the tent. So they just stayed up all night and then went to his friend's house at 5 am to crash. Ah to be that young again. Not!!

I think today will be a stay-at-home day other than taking ds2 to meet his group at the school. They will drive to Omaha tonight and sleep at a hotel since their flight to D.C. is very early tomorrow morning. I'm hoping they get a chance to stop in and see little Vonn. He is not doing very good right now. Still not eating so he's still on the feeding tube. They had to open him up and put in another drainage tube as the first one stopped working and they discovered a stitch had popped open and that's where all the drainage was coming from. So they repaired it and hopefully this new tube will work.

T, I tried your suggestion about eating an apple with protein. Had a small golden delicious (my fav) with p'nut butter but it still raised my sugars considerably. Darnit. Glad I only bought 2 apples and not a whole bunch!

Yesterday's menu:

B-coffee
L-chicken, shrimp, beef & broccoli
D-chef salad, 2 scrambled eggs, 1 pc leftover meatloaf, 1 strawberry
S-10 almonds, 1 sm apple, 1 tbs natural p'nut butter

Water-96 oz
Exercise-none (I don't go to pool on the wkds but will be back to swimming tomorrow)

I drank one cup green tea but will try out the new theory starting today and we'll see if it makes a difference. I hate eating breakfast this early though. It usually makes me hungrier before noon!

Happy Sunday gals! D

[slendercate]

Hi, ya'll,

Today, a more restful day. Dinner is over, on plan and getting ready for the week.
Will take chicken salad on lettuce (sandwich for my dh) as when we get on the road from voice at 7.30ish, we need to have something to eat on plan.

I wore an outfit that barely fit in the spring and it actually looked good today.
I can see the difference in the mirror. Now , if I incorporate Callanetics daily for abds, I should really see the results.

D, I only have to work M-F, no call. Even so, M-F can be very hectic.
I love Westies, they are so cute. You might try your local Westie rescue society, where they have purebreds that need a good home, some puppies, for far less.
Yes, the High-Lo cereal is 6 carbs. I used to eat the Kelloggs Extra Fiber you mentioned and liked it alot.

T, glad those jeans are getting closer. The Callanetics for abds will work.
Glad you got to see the grandkids.

H, hang in there. You are bound to show a loss this week with all the walking you do. I don't blame you. I would have had to licked the Brownie bowl, too. Thank goodness I no longer have to make them. What a temptation.

Miss A, we miss you. Hang in there and don't get discouraged.

C, hope you have a happy week. Hang in there, if the 3 lbs is real, it will come off. Like YH, I am afraid to go too long without getting on the scale.

YH, you and your BF in my prayers/thoughts for the upcoming surgery. Is there a place your BF's parents could stay near you all?
Interesting comment from the surgeon about you vs your BF. They are great at what they do, but sometimes speak more techical without thinking of how their verbage will be recieved, like with the comment to your BF.

Well, off to do some rehearsing before voice today.


Menu:
b- whey protein in lc milk, ( I don't think I can give it up), added fiber
l-grilled steak w/ mushrooms, zuccini w/ tomatoes, few onions, few bites of DH watermelon
s-2% cheese on celery
d- planned:
chicken salad on lettuce, few tiny dill pickles, iced tea.

Have a great day, all.

Oh, we finally heard from our son.
He phoned me to tell me "he'd been bitten by something". He went into the ER, shingles it was.
The doc there said (as I allready knew), were rare in someone under 45-50 and were usually the result of a strssed immune system.

Things aren't going too well with the new girlfriend. She told him she had been writing to a previous boyfriend now in jail who wanted to "come visit" when he was paroled!
We asked him what was going on. He says now, they "have worked it out", but of course, I am skeptical. He also says, he hates the small town and but he is going to "try and make it" work. We are just hanging in there, trying to give good advice.

[harley g-ma]

It's late for me,so this will be short.Computer was down when we got home from our ride.Not so far today,about 125 miles.My butt can handle that much without hurting too bad I am going to start drinking ALOT of water tomorrow and drink atkins shakes for breakfast.YH and D,what are the potions you drink in the morning? Is it for the fiber?I looked for the extra fiber cereal at W/M tonight but they didn't have it.I'll check at Kroger.I think I need to tweak my diet a little.The all protein is good,but it's alot of calories.I will still do LC.Glad to see everyone is posting when they can. It's PAST my bed time! I must get my beaty sleep

[harley g-ma]

That's suppose to be beauty sleep

[Teresa3]

Hope that was a fun ride, E, wherever you ended up going--it must have been, for you to get back so late! Have sweet dreams, and a great day tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how the shakes work for you.

Too bad the apple and protein didn't work out, D--I know you have been looking for some different kinds of snacks lately. Have you tried raspberries? They are very low in sugar, high in fiber, and could taste good with p-nut butter. So sad about little Vonn, but now maybe he will start doing better.

How long will ds be gone? That sounds like a wonderful trip--was he looking forward to going? We took the girls when they were young and all enjoyed it, but it was horribly hot and humid in the summer, so I hope he has good weather.

Funny thing about that trip was that our younger dd, who was only 9 at the time, came down with a case of....SHINGLES! We took her to the children's hospital in Boston, and several doctors came to look at her; it's so unusual to get them as a child, so, SC, it definitely happens. And she got them again when she was 20! All three of dh's sons had them in their 30's, too. Dh had them about 10 years ago, and suffered with PHN for several years. I hope your son gets over them entirely. He's young, he'll probably get over them easily. His immune system must have been down. I believe our dd was stressed from traveling when she got them, and dh had a bad case of flu just before he got them. Boy, his gf sounds like a piece of work, huh! You gotta feel for him--hope he gets out before it gets worse! I know how painful this is for you, since you didn't want him to go! Well, he's learning fast, and is probably realizing what great parents he has after all! Hope things get better for him soon.

BTW, congrats on getting into the outfit you bought last spring! How good does that feel!

Y, it's funny we both had 5 year old grandkids visiting the same week, huh! Yeah, they are a barrel of energy, aren't they! But you are still standing, and it sounds like you just had a wonderful time. You really cut the calories and exercised hard today! You are really determined to get into the 120's soon! Gosh, your poor bf, now not only does he have the anxiety of his surgery and possibly having cancer, he has to lose weight! Just don't let him overtax his system before he has the surgery--he needs to keep up proper nutrition so he doesn't get his immune system down. How far away is the hospital? Any chance you could avoid the freeway to get there?

D, did you get to go swimming this evening? I guess your dream shows how important and beneficial it is to you--a respite from the stresses of daily life! It's great you have a way to both exercise and relax and enjoy yourself at the same time!

I went for a little walk at the arboretum this afternoon, then rode the bike and did some callanetics on my abs. We roasted a chicken for dinner, and I rode the bike again after. I think I may have eaten a little too much today, though. Not off diet, just larger quantities. I might be getting hungrier with the extra exercise I've been doing. It never ceases to amaze me how you gals can swim so much and not be famished! Or does it not affect you that way? Here's today's menu:

B - egg, spinach, sausage, lc choc
L - Greek salad, moussaka (no potatoes)
S - small plum, few almonds
D - roast chicken wing and thigh, baby green beans
S - almonds, string cheese

Have a great start to the new week, everybody! T.

[yellowhair11]

Monday, I dread going to work as im sure there was some evil while I was out, never fails.

SC-glad you made it into the outfit, thats great ! Son's GF-well maybe she was writing to the guy prior to relationship or he is a friend, I would not fret about it.

C and A - hope your ok, know you have a full plate C !

T- Bike and walks-its paying off-yep we have to move it somehow ! BF's hospital-I dont know if there is a no freeway way to get there-ill have to check but this may be a time I should attempt this phobia-I should have tackled in baby steps long ago, not sure what ill do. Not sure if BF's parents are coming or not now and im staying out of it. If they do come they would stay close to the hospital, not near me.

H-the potion I drink is psyllium husk powder, green foods powder, mixed with water, maybe 1 oz. of juice to cut the nasty taste. You can add whey powder if you are hungry or want more of a shake type taste. Its the husk powder thats tough to get down by itself but great for flushing fat, there are husk pills but I dont think they work as well.

D-Your son will have so much fun on his trip !!! Every diet I see lately says to eat those apples, I have not been buying them as the average 2.60 a lb. here, dont know whats up with that. Do you think all the water is helping ??? I hardly drink the stuff as you know but can try harder this week at work.

Sunday was pretty quiet, I snuck BF into my old gym and he did the bike and I went on the treadmill. My old gym is a dump compared to the one he joined but its so cheap, he said the equipment is way better at his gym but we got some exercise in and thats what matters. I did 40 minutes on the treadmill, only 2 miles. He did like 7 miles on that bike !

Sun.
am-lunch-slimfast
dinner-pork roast and veggies
snacks=skinny cow cone, fruiti, pretzels
exercise-treadmill

[yellowhair11]

Monday, I dread going to work as im sure there was some evil while I was out, never fails.

SC-glad you made it into the outfit, thats great ! Son's GF-well maybe she was writing to the guy prior to relationship or he is a friend, I would not fret about it.

C and A - hope your ok, know you have a full plate C !

T- Bike and walks-its paying off-yep we have to move it somehow ! BF's hospital-I dont know if there is a no freeway way to get there-ill have to check but this may be a time I should attempt this phobia-I should have tackled in baby steps long ago, not sure what ill do. Not sure if BF's parents are coming or not now and im staying out of it. If they do come they would stay close to the hospital, not near me.

H-the potion I drink is psyllium husk powder, green foods powder, mixed with water, maybe 1 oz. of juice to cut the nasty taste. You can add whey powder if you are hungry or want more of a shake type taste. Its the husk powder thats tough to get down by itself but great for flushing fat, there are husk pills but I dont think they work as well.

D-Your son will have so much fun on his trip !!! Every diet I see lately says to eat those apples, I have not been buying them as the average 2.60 a lb. here, dont know whats up with that. Do you think all the water is helping ??? I hardly drink the stuff as you know but can try harder this week at work.

Sunday was pretty quiet, I snuck BF into my old gym and he did the bike and I went on the treadmill. My old gym is a dump compared to the one he joined but its so cheap, he said the equipment is way better at his gym but we got some exercise in and thats what matters. I did 40 minutes on the treadmill, only 2 miles. He did like 7 miles on that bike !

Sun.
am-lunch-slimfast
dinner-pork roast and veggies
snacks=skinny cow cone, fruiti, pretzels
exercise-treadmill

[harley g-ma]

Good Morning EverybodyI'm glad everyone is doing so well on their diet and exerciseIt's a good motivatorI am going to really concentrate on my food plan this wk.and drink my water and hopefully I will see a change this Sat.As I said before,I have very STUBBORN fat I've always had trouble with constipation,don't go but about once a wk but this is normal for me.I'm hoping all the water will get things moving so to speakI need to start eating some fiber also and I'll look for the All Bran.I may even try the dreaded potion if it works I am going to go do laundry this morning with my friend,it's not very far so I should be safe,only 2 stop signs

[Denise78]

Good morning ladies!

Stormed all thru the night and still raining this morning. Wind is pretty fierce. Hopefully it clears up so I can get to the pool tonight.

E, you crack me up, only 2 stop signs. Hope you make it there and back!! Make sure you get the Extra Fiber Bran, not just Kellogg's All Bran. The Extra has more fiber and less carbs than the regular one. I am the same way with the constipation. The potion helps but I can't eat all the fruit that YH eats, so I think it works better for her than me, plus I don't remember to drink it everyday like she does. I'm blocked up most days. I ran out of water pills, so I'm retaining water badly today. I called in the prescription to be mailed but it won't get here till tomorrow so I shall suffer till then. I think drinking lots of water helps so I will keep at it. Eating breakfast just made me hungrier yesterday, so I don't know how well that new theory of mine will work.

Yesterday's menu:

B-2 eggs, 3 veggie sausage links, spinach, coffee
L-ff turkey breast, cheese, lettuce, onion, lc pita
S-1/2 c bran cereal, 8 blueberries, 1/2 c ff milk
D-steak, cauliflower casserole, lettuce, jalapeno poppers
S-10 almonds, pepperoni

Water-78 oz
green tea-3 cups
Exercise-none

I tried the raspberries, T, but they are pretty expensive out here. I bought strawberries and blueberries this week and those don't seem to raise my sugars at all. I would love a banana with my new cereal but they really raise my sugars unfortunately. Weather was not good last night for swimming plus the pool is packed with kids on the wkds so I try to stick to Mon thru Fri adult swimming. We'll see about tonight since the weather is pretty yucky today. You're doing awesome with your exercising! Have you got on the scale lately? I bet you have lost a lot!!

YH, let's hope you got back to the office and it's still in one piece! I can only imagine what witchie-woman did while you were gone!! Great job on taking bf to the gym. I think it's nice when you can do things like that together. 7 miles is awesome -- he did that in 40 min?? -- wow. I think 2 miles on the treadmill is great too!

SC, sorry about your son. I wonder if he will move back home?? Can't see him staying out there if they break up, especially if she has her eyes set on someone else. That's pretty rotten of her, especially when your son gave up everything to move all that way with her. I hope it works out but I wouldn't trust her about the other guy. Congrats on fitting into the outfit!
C, I imagine you're busy, busy, busy so I'll just say hi and hope you had a nice time at the wedding. What was on the menu?

A, are you hanging in there?? Hope you're just busy too and will pop back in when you get a chance!

Happy Monday! D

[MI CHICK]

gal's!!
Weekend was good & eating was good except for a handful of corn chips last nite. Ya know it was hot & I wanted salty & crunchy.....didn't get my water in over the weekend. Our Sat over nite co cancelled at last min as he was sick (turned out he's passing a kidney stone ) so my house got a great cleaning & I was able to relax on Sat as I only had my wedding to attend. Then Sun our friend called & cancelled cause he had been not feeling well (heart arrhythmia). So all that stress felt apart at the last minute LOL So dh & I ended up going shopping--his suggestion. We went to get lights for his mom but also we found 2 living room lamps for $50ea and then we saw this glass topped sofa table w/2 small lamps for $88.
The floor lamps are so heavy I can't move 'em & the table set was good quality too--for those prices it's usually pretty cheaply made. Lowe's much be struggling like everyone else I guess. So they are the finishing touches for our living room. We painted & put in new carpet and kitchen flooring 2years ago and have slowly been finding the new sofa, curtains etc. Now it's complete. Well except for the tv---but those babies are still really expensive so the old tv stays. Think we almost enjoyed the buying more cause we weren't out looking they just were there & were just what we wanted. Don't y'all like deals like that!!

Harley All Bran is tasty--a sprinkle of Splenda or a few strawberry slices. I do a fiber shake that I add 1tbsp of whey protein powder to 1tsp splenda 1tbsp dry cocoa. It's pretty decent but the carb count is a bit higher than what D wanted & she uses something else. There is a lc shake mix that I will get next time & add the fiber to it. Go into a vitamin store & they will have enough choices to totally confuse you LOL T told me to take fiber pills when I was having troubles w/constipation & they did the trick. Only started the shake as I was hoping the fiber that way would make me feel fuller. But it doesn't really so I may just go back to the fiber capsules. With all your exercising you must have stubborn fat our age doesn't help....but some people's metabolism is slower than others. Just keep thinking you're being healthy & the weight off is a added bonus!!

Back to work is always a major drag T!! Hope things aren't too piled up! Glad bf is exercising w/you. If he does it by building up slowly it will help him w/his recoup time after surgery. His folks are adults & will work out their own details so don't worry about them. The driving...well that's a different story. We all have something---I would never go thru an airport & board a plane by myself but you flew home w/o a problem.
Actually I've only been on a plane once, went to Chicago w/my 2 gf's about 7yrs ago. These are the 2 gal's I'm going to Wash DC w/this Sept. Not looking forward to flying but at least I can just follow them like a puppy thru all the steps LOL

Yup SC that school of hard knocks is teaching your son well....LOL he will either be back soon or at least will drop this girl sooner than later. It is so very very hard to watch our kids grow up & have to deal with all the bs that is adult life!!! He must be feeling very stressed to have shingles--poor baby--it's quite painful isn't it?

T that extra exercise will raise your appetite for sure. I am always just starved after I am in the water!! What's w/that I wonder??? Glad you were able to have so much good time w/grand kids!

Well I have to do a zillion things before work as I won't have time after I get in from work tonight & am leaving for OH in the morning. KUTGW while I'm gone ladies

[Denise78]

Well looks like we were posting at the same time again, C! Good morning!!

Friend just called and we're off to Curves this morning. I am so happy! We only went once last week and I missed it a lot but I won't go without her since it's an hour's drive each way and with gas prices the way they are, it's best to carpool as much as possible these days!