Yes, this is my fourth journal thread here at DietTalk! ;)

I have been working on weight loss since February 2001. It'll be 2-1/2 years of work come August 15, and I have lost 71 pounds so far. I lose slowly but for the most part steadily. I expect it will take me at least another year to make it to my current goal (125), but I have total confidence that I WILL get there. When I reach 125 I will re-assess and decide if more needs to come off.

My last journal chronicled about 6 months. I expect this one will go through the end of 2003, so I am going to set myself a few mini-goals for this time period.

I would like to lose 5 pounds by the end of September to weigh 140. That was the original goal weight I set for myself when I began weight loss. It's what I weighed when I got married 15 years ago. I was comfortable at that weight, although I felt heavy at the time... Today I know I am in better shape physically than I was then, and have more muscle.

There is a blue dress in my closet that I bought to wear to my bridal shower. That was the only time I ever wore it. When I started trying to lose weight, wearing that dress again seemed like an impossibility. It's really close to fitting now -- I just need to lose a little more in the thigh area. I want to wear that dress to work this fall. It might be out of style, but it's my "goal" dress & it will mean a lot to wear it in public! :o

I'd love to lose another 5 pounds, to weigh 135, by the end of the year. I usually have a really hard time losing in the fall, but I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude and convince myself that this is possible. I can do it!

Lisrey *

This has been an extremely chaotic work week for me emotionally. Many tumultuous things happened amongst our staff. I don't feel like I got anything done. Just happy I got through it in one piece & that I now have 2 days to recuperate! :eek:

My Sweetie made sloppy joes for dinner tonight & I also ate a new kind of Terra chips that I hadn't tried before. Not something that's usually in the house. Anyway, calories are on the high side today (I shoot for a target of 1200-1500 calories).

Breakfast: Special K cereal & fruit bar, peach
Lunch: Deli BBQ chicken breast, ff swiss, multigrain bread, honey wheat pretzels, plum
Dinner: 3 sloppy joes (1/4 cup sloppy joe on each bun), 2 oz Terra yogurt & green onion chips, 1 cup grapes
Total calories: approximately 1640

After work today I went to Curves & really had a good workout there. I pushed myself -- tried to go faster and do more reps on the machines than usual. I got my heart rate up good & high & was pleased about that. I would have also gone for a walk today, but some pretty severe thunderstorms blew through here this evening. I will definitely be walking tomorrow if it will only stay dry! :laugh:

I think it was a great idea to take yesterday off from exercise. I was dragging after nearly a month with no break. Amazing how much more energy I had tonight at Curves after just the one day of rest. Even though I knew it was a good idea, just how much it helped really surprised me. :up:

Lisrey :ex:

Hi Lisrey,

I've seen you around DT a lot and even more recently in book chat...I figured it was about time I visited you.

Your slow steady approach to weight loss is impressive. I think it will be much easier for you to maintain your goal weight. Your exercise habits will certainly help! You have achieved wonderful results, and I believe that you can make it to 135 by year's end. What's more, if you happen to fall short a pound or two, I don't think you are one to let that dissuade you.

I hadn't heard of Terra chips before.

Do you do the Curves workout one day after another?

Hey Lisrey...

Just finished up reading your old journal!

Congrats on 145!...This is so great!...

All that exercise is a plus too......keep it up!...AND...I still considered walking around the Art fair and painting exercise...hello!

So you have had peanut butter Puffins and you approve...I am doing SBD as you know...and feeling great!...No more white sugar or white flour for me!...I am truly learning how to eat so much better...

I was able to add in more complex carbs this week...so I have had some skim milk...and fruit!...Taking it slow!

Hope you have a better week at work!...

Congrats again!

mcmarto

Hey, Lutha! Great to have you visit. I just do the Curves thing 3 times a week. The rest of the days I usually walk. Sometimes I do both in one day. Terra chips are really interesting. They are gourmet ($$) chips that come in smallish bags, but they use a variety of potatoes and other veggies to make them unique. I really like the ones that are a combo of colors and flavors... There are several types that are lower in fat & I buy those when I buy them at all.

McMarto -- I am so glad you are doing well on the SBD. It is important to pick a plan you can live with, that's for sure. I know I can live with what I'm doing. I just don't know how long it will take me to get where I want to be, or how much more I will have to adjust my eating to lose what's left until my goal. We'll have to wait & see. I hope next week is better at work too! :eek:

We got a call last night letting us know that the mother of my husband's best childhood friend was struck by lightning and killed. His Dad was struck also, but got away with scrapes and bruises... It was so sudden & scary. I can't believe this has happened & I have been thinking about her all day today. I have also been doing mindless eating as I have been thinking. Not proud of that, but... It is such a tragic loss. I feel for the whole family...

Got up this morning & walked. Was very humid but not too hot that early. I did the 3.1 mile loop that I often do. Finished cassette 6 of my book on tape. In the afternoon, Sweetie & I worked on the yard. I probably did about 2 hours of weeding, plus other miscellaneous chores to help him with the mowing, edging, etc. Our yard is getting compliments from our neighbors this year. It's been a long time coming, but we're finally getting it together! :up:

Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Crunch
Lunch: Deli BBQ chicken breast, ff swiss slice, 2 slices multigrain bread, 1 serving honey wheat pretzels, pluot
Mindless afternoon snacks: 2 oz (finished the bag) Terra chips, some more pretzels
Dinner: bbq ribs & grilled marinated chicken breast combo, baked potato with ff butter & sour cream, 2 yeast rolls
Approximate calories: 2075 :(

Sweetie picked up our dinner from a steak and ribs place that he loves. You can see a big difference between what I eat when I'm with him & what I eat on my own! Tomorrow I am going to try to encourage him to cook a healthy meal for us. I want to go get some of the local corn they sell just down the road & have something on the grill with it perhaps. It is threatening rain all weekend, but has held off so far. Sweetie would say it will probably start raining as soon as he decided to cook outside...

Must try to cut the snacking tomorrow & do better with the calories. As long as it's not raining I will get my walk in again!

Lisrey :ex:

Lisrey, I'm so proud of you. :cheer:

I'm with you every step of the way.

Love the new journal too.

Take care.

Oh, and we'll have to meet up again soon. Have you any idea of when you'd like to do that? Let me know.

Darlene :hippy:

and the amazing determination to get you here


I just luv ya buddy



you are so full of .....



.....something wonderful


happiness and hope




:hug:





Peng

Hiya, Fleur & Pengii!! Thank you both for the kudos and for stopping by my new thread. It is so wonderful to have buddies!! :hug: Fleur, I was thinking we should get together again closer to the holidays. Give ourselves about 4 more months to lose a few more pounds, then go SHOPPING! What do you think???

On my "plan" I pretty much eat what I want, knowing what's right and what's wrong. Today is pretty much wasted effort, food-wise. I did get a lot of exercise in, though, so I feel like it was probably a wash in the end.

My Sweetie is definitely thinking of eating healthier now that he's spoken to the nutritionist. I went grocery shopping today & he told me to get ff ranch dressing. This is something only he eats. I don't touch it, so he can have whatever he wants. He wants to try ff!! He also asked me to get 1% milk instead of 2%. These are BIG changes for him & I am really impressed. He is also drinking water at some meals, and he got honey whole wheat bread instead of his usual buttermilk white. We'll see how it progresses...

For tonight's dinner I told him I'd love whatever he wanted to make, but I'd prefer something that wasn't beef. I've been eating with him the past few days and we've been eating heavier meals... So he went shopping for dinner makings while I shopped for everything else. Guess what we're having? Steak fajitas! :laugh: He told me he knew I wouldn't mind. Of course I don't -- they'll be delicious. But this is the kind of sweet silly guy I am up against here!

Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Crunch
Noon snack: peach, about 1/2 serving honey wheat pretzels
Late lunch: sloppy joe on 2 slices white bread, baked Ruffles
Snack while waiting for dinner (currently still waiting): nachos -- baked Tostitos with cheddar
Dinner: 2 or 3 steak fajitas (steak, cheddar, tiny amount ff sour cream, flour tortilla), more baked Tostitos with salsa
Total calories: Way too many!!!

I would have had my healthy chicken sandwich lunch except my Sweetie couldn't decide what we should have for dinner, delaying my grocery shopping trip. I didn't have any healthy lunch makings in the house, so we had the leftover sloppy joes together.

Sweetie is a procrastinator and a slow cook & I am HUNGRY. Will eat more than I should because of hungriness; I know myself.

I walked this morning for 3.1 miles in 53 minutes. This evening while waiting for him to start cooking, I decided to go out & walk again so I wouldn't snack... I walked 43 minutes on a route that I made up as I went, so I don't know the distance. Felt great to be out both times, but obviously my strategy for the 2nd walk didn't work. Cooking had not commenced when I returned & I was hungry... :(

My husband is really a wonderful guy & I hope this is not coming off as complaining. I just have a hard time getting him to understand what I need and why it is so important to me. He is starting to make some of his own changes, but what will work for him still may not jive with what I want. Can only wait & see. I am just glad he is finally thinking about his health! :)

Tomorrow I have to attend a meeting in the morning & don't know what the lunch choices will be. In the evening I will do Curves & will get to make my own dinner (healthy at last?). Tuesday will be the same, as Sweetie is going to the funeral for his friend's mom & will be down there for dinner. I probably have 3 good days ahead. Amazingly, I have stayed at 145 the past few mornings. Hopefully I can stay there!

Lisrey :flower:

Lisrey,

Well I'm back from vacation and find that you have hit the wonderful number of 145. Great going girl.

I found your new journal and will subscribe as soon as I finish.
I didn't go back too far, please update me on the situation at work? Is your boss gone?

Sorry to hear about your friends mother, what a shock.

I'm holding my own, gained on vacation but not too bad. Hope to get it off within a week.

Jo

I understand how it can be difficult to get our significant others to understand the strategies which we need to follow. It's not just what we eat, but when, and so forth. I told my DH soon after we started dating that I need to eat frequently, and he is pretty good about respecting that. But sometimes events overtake us! If I'm really hungry and trying to wait, eating 1/2 a cucumber or taking a dose of sugar free Metamucil can help tide me over. But I think I remember that you don't like vegetables?

Even if your eating wasn't quite what you would have wanted, I agree that your exercise was excellent!

Just breating in the fresh air here at your Brand spankin new journal. AHHH! Feels good.......

You are still as always doing well my friend. Even when you go over calories you never fret about it. You just hold your head high and move on.... I love that!

At your request, I copied my story and posted it in the Walking Forum.

Hi, Jo! Glad you are back & that you had a fun vacation! Work is crazy and busy and I feel like I haven't gotten anything done in months. It is too hard to focus and concentrate on my big projects while our Board is basically holding our future hostage... My Director is still hanging on, but another Board meeting takes place next week. We'll see what happens there. Our staff is trying to take some positive action and encourage the Board to move on one of our biggest issues... I hope it will work out well but they are very unpredictable. Wish us luck!

Thanks, Lutha! I was very happy with my exercise. :) I don't like many veggies, it is true. Is your husband the one who does the cooking in your household? I think that is one of the bigger issues for me with this -- if I was the one doing the cooking I would have more control over the menu and the timing of meals. However, we would have neither good variety nor expertly cooked meals if I were the chef... :ha:

Welcome, Max! Thanks for posting your wonderful story in the Walking Forum. I am sure the walkers will love it. You know, I have the attitude I do about eating because I am planning on eating this way forever. I know I will eat these things when I reach my goal, and I need to know that it's okay. I think that's gotta be a key to lifelong maintenance... And you know I lose as slow as molassess.... but I can live with that if it means I am NEVER going to gain it back again!

Wow, what a whirlwind today was! I went to a meeting in another city this morning. There is a Trader Joe's up there & I went early enough to stop in and shop before the meeting. I bought a bunch of boxes of cereal, TLC crackers, and some other of my favorite snack foods there. Then went to the meeting (my last one as Chair -- yay!!!). After the meeting the group went out to a seafood restaurant for lunch. Mmmmm... It was fabulous food!

I got back to work around 2 & was on the public desk most of the rest of the day, so I didn't get much done. After work I went to Curves & had a great workout there. The last 2 times I have gone there I really felt like I got more out of it than ever before. I am concentrating on working hardest on the machines, and just trying to keep my heart rate up during the cardio.

Went to the store & got a piece of salmon for tonight's dinner & a piece of chicken breast for tomorrow's. It was rainy tonight so I couldn't walk... but it was getting late by the time I had eaten; I may not have had time anyway.

Breakfast: Special K blueberry bar, peach
Lunch: Small piece whitefish with brie/leek/cream sauce, rice pilaf, 3 small pieces bread with small amount honey butter
Dinner: Broiled salmon in Jack Daniels' marinade, fresh ear corn, baked potato w/ff sour cream & light butter, 1 cup cherries
Total calories: approximately 1580

Slightly higher calories than what I shoot for, but very acceptable considering I ate out. I had two servings of fish! The lunch fish was quite small, and since I did not eat the veggies that it was served with, I was really afraid of getting hungry, thus the extra slice of bread... I really WAS hungry by the time I ate my dinner, so I guess I planned well! :laugh:

Tomorrow I will be working the day shift, then I will have my chicken breast on the grill if it isn't raining. I will take my Curves clothes in case it is too wet to walk... Planning is important!

Lisrey :D

Sounds like you are just as busy as ever Lisrey.

I think you need to get more time of for golfing, lol.

Glad you are free from Chairing now, that is a big responsibility. What a relief eh.

Keep up the great work, I know you will.

Hey Lisrey,

So do those Breakfast bars really hold you till lunch? I'm always afraid I'll be starving by the time lunch come around. How was the Jack Daniels Marinade? I think I may have Salmon tonight. Not sure yet we shall see. Oh My neighbor brought me over a bag with four huge chunks of fresh Albacore tuna he caught off the coast between Mexico and San Diego. I guess I'll throw it on my indoor grill, cut it into steaks and make sandwiches with it. I wish you were close I would give you some.

Have a great day... :up:

Lisrey, I hope everything goes well with the board meeting.

Sounds like you're doing wonderfull in the exercise department, as always :D

Keep it up. Slow and steady wins the race. ;)

Darlene :hippy:

Crazy, glad to see you here! Yes, I wish I had more time (and money) for golfing, too. I think I play maybe twice a month. Which where I live is not a lot, since we can only play golf about 6 or 7 months out of the year...

Maximum... I have been experimenting with different kinds of granola bars for my breakfasts. The kind I used to eat had a lot more fat & definitely would tide me over until lunch. The kinds I am trying now have less fat, less calories, and are a lot smaller. I have been okay with them if I also eat a piece of fruit with them. Did I write about wanting to try tuna in my journal? I know I have talked to a few people about it but I didn't remember writing it (insert Twilight Zone theme music here). Sweetie was told by the nutritionist that he should eat lots & lots of tuna. He likes the canned stuff & I hate it. We decided that we should try tuna steaks. He has had one before & loved it. I have never had "real" tuna, but I like almost any other fish. So we are planning to go out to eat & I will try his at a restaurant. Then if we both like it we will try making it at home...

Thanks, Fleur! I hope it all works out at the meeting too... We have one more week to wait. I am not relishing being there, but if enough of our staff are present, I hope the unruly Board members will behave themselves. Fingers crossed.

Busy day today. Worked frantically at work -- flailing to try to uncover my buried desk. Too much to do; too little time off the public desk. At lunchtime I went out for about a 10 minute walk just to warm up. Sometimes our A/C is overwhelming.

After work I wanted to go for a walk, but it was a little drizzly. I had taken along my clothes for Curves, but I really wanted to walk & listen to my book on tape. I decided to risk the rain. I came home & it was still raining so I made my dinner. Afterward it was clear, so I went out to walk. About 5 minutes in it started to sprinkle again, and rained on and off for my whole 3.1 miles... It rained REALLY hard for about 5 minutes right in the middle. Luckily I was near some condos that have carports, and I took shelter under an empty one of those. When it was back down to a little sprinkle again, I went back out & finished up. Was fun but left me a bit chilly & tired.

Breakfast: Oatmeal & strawberry cereal bar, peach
Lunch: Lemon pepper chicken breast from the deli, ff swiss slice, 2 slices multigrain bread, Trader Joe's honey wheat pretzels, 1 cup bing cherries
Snack when I got home: a few Trader Joe's soy crisps & a couple more pretzel sticks
Dinner: Grilled lemon pepper chicken breast, baked potato w/ ff sour cream & light butter, ear of fresh local corn, nectarine
Total calories: about 1500

The nectarine I had was absolutely awesome. It was a kind I'd never seen before, called a honeydew nectarine. It was pale green, like the melons. Wow -- delicious.

I am really wanting to go in the kitchen and snack on some more of my crunchy snacks. NO. NO. NO. NO! :eek:

Lisrey :water:

This morning I maintained at my "official" weigh-in. Happy with that considering all the eating I did this week.

Went to Curves at 9 & was home to shower by 10. Work starts for me at 12:15 on Wednesdays and goes until 9:15. I get my dinner break at 4:15 so when I get home I am really really hungry for a snack. I have had some but find myself wanting more. The snack monster really has me in its clutches this week. I KNOW that I need to avoid snacking too much to lose weight. I KNOW THIS. :(

Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Strawberry Fields
Lunch: Deli lemon pepper chicken breast, ff swiss, multigrain bread, serving TJ's honey wheat pretzels, pluot
Dinner: Lean Cuisine Thai-Style Chicken, serving Kashi TLC cheddar crackers, peach
Evening snack: 8 TJ soy crisps, 2 oz Baked Tostitos & salsa
Calories so far: 1240

Tomorrow I have the day off & I am getting up early to go shopping with an old friend. I completed a 79-mile walk in the Walking Forum recently, with a destination of a HUGE outlet mall up near my friend's house. The trip is my reward -- and we will shop until we drop! I am not sure what kind of things we will eat or how late we will be out. I would kinda like to get back early so I could walk before dark, but I don't know if that will happen. The mall is about 1-1/2 hours from my house. My friend & I will take some time to get caught up; she has been doing Weight Watchers & so maybe we will eat something healthy???

Lisrey *

My Dh's friend who he has known for years was always considered to be obese. Well one day he got the weight loss bug, and started eating nothing but Tuna and bagels or Tuna mixed with cottage cheese. Weird I know, But for three months straight that is what he ate. He went from being a large untoned, extra chins guy to MR BDOY BEAUTIFUL.... he hit WORLDS GYM and ate tuna, and I swear He looked awesome. rock hard bod. Anyhow he told me to get a can of regular ol tuna any kind and a can of Bumble bee White tuna in water, open them both up and decide which one I would eat. So I did. The Bumble Bee is the best. See for yourself....... Its a little more expensive but well worth it.

Lisrey, I too hope that everything goes OK with your boss. I sure know how it feels to have the work situation in an uproar. Or even unsettled.

Regarding fresh Tuna, it is called Ahi. (I think that is the spelling?) When prepared correctly it is wonderful, but it is expensive. I bought some fresh in Hawai once and tried to cook it on the grill at the condo, didn't turn out too good. If canned tuna is not part of your diet, you might try some different ways to eat it. You can make tuna salad with lite miracle whip or Mayo and eat it on whole wheat bread. I used to carry the little cans to work and dump them on a salad for lunch. Steve doesn't like it hot, but my kids used to love tuna and mac with mushroom soup. There are lots of different ways to eat it and it is a very healthy food. And I agree with Max, buy the better brand if taste is an issue.

Jo

So what did you buy?...Anything good?

Hope you get that desk cleared off at work!

WOW...145...yippee!

mc

Hi Max & Jo... Nope, I have tried enough canned tuna to know I do NOT like it. And I don't like mayonnaise, either, so that does not work for a disguise. But I like just about any other kind of fish, so I am thinking that a "real" piece of tuna, I might go for. My Sweetie is the one who really needs to add it -- I eat enough fish now on my own that it isn't really an issue for me -- except that could be a fish we BOTH like! :)

Mc, I bought a few things! I got a dress at Eddie Bauer that was 70% off -- less than $20 with tax! And I got a pretty green short-sleeved sweater at the Petites outlet for 40% off. These were great deals & I am happy with my stuff. Also bought something for a shower gift for later this fall... Had a great time catching up with my friend, too.

I am not proud of today's food, and I didn't get in any formal exercise. (Boo, hiss.) I wanted to go for a walk, and my friend was game until after we shopped & her feet hurt! :laugh: We ate at Uno's for lunch. We both love their pizza & just couldn't resist. I got dinner on my own, ate rather late. Could have done better with that too, but it wasn't too bad. I have unfortunately been snacking as well...

Breakfast: 1 heaping cup (end of the box) Kashi Strawberry Fields
Lunch: Personal-sized Uno's deep-dish pizza -- cheese & tomato
Late afternoon snack: nectarine
Dinner: Chicken & cheese burrito, baked tostitos & salsa
Evening snack: Kashi TLC cheddar crackers, TJ's soy crisps
Approximate calories: 1650 before the snacking...????

It is late & I need sleep. Working tomorrow & hoping to do Curves AND walk afterward. Not sure what dinner will be or if Sweetie will be around...

Lisrey I-)

I'm glad you had such a fun shopping day! I wish I could squeeze the time to shop, since I find I have few work outfits that are really "summery." Of course now it's a little late since the stores are full of fall clothes.

Does the Kashi cereal satisfy you all morning? I am amazed. I can't go without a morning snack. I think you asked who did the cooking in our household...well we share it, but most weeknights and even some weekends are "fend for yourself/forage" without a formal meal.

I saw the Terra chips at Trader Joe's, but since the calories weren't much different from regular tortilla chips I passed this time. I don't know if the Terra chips would be good with salsa.

Seared ahi -- fresh tuna, is wonderful! We eat it often.

Just be sure to not overcook it! That's true with any fish. Dry, chewy, overcooked fish is awful.

Lisrey,

As Monica would say, you are doing so well don't be so hard on yourself for missing some exercise.

Glad you had a good time, I'll bet there was lots of laughing so just think of all the calories you burned there. lol

Okay, last night's snacking... I went overboard. I polished off that box of cheese crackers. I kept eating them even after I didn't want more. Why did I do this? No idea. I almost think it was a little rebellious voice inside me that said "You CAN still do this once in awhile!" But I did not enjoy doing it. I also did not like stepping on the scale this morning. It said 150! I know that was just from all the salty choices yesterday, but still, it shocked me back into reality! ;)

Hiya Lutha! Yes, I do well on the Kashi cereal. The Crunch, which has a lot more fiber, really keeps me full. Sometimes I get hungry after the Strawberry, but I can usually hold out. If I need something more I will eat a piece of fruit with my cereal. I also do not put milk on my cereal... I have not tried the Terra tortilla chips. Didn't really know they made those. I just love the "potato" chip subsitutes they have -- sweet potato & other things that are so colorful and crunchy... Mmmm... Some of them are less fat than regular chips, and those are the ones I buy on the rare occasion that I buy them.

Thanks for the tip on the Ahi, Kilogo. We are going to go out for dinner & try it together, I guess. That is his plan. Then if I like it we will try cooking our own. I agree that fish should not be overcooked -- but I do not like it undercooked, either! That's one thing that drives me nuts about salmon. It can have such varied thicknesses in one piece that by the time the thickest part is done, the thin part is burning...

Hahaha, Crazy, I was not angry with myself about the exercise. I wasn't too happy about the food, though. Especially the 1/2 box of crackers. What was I DOING???? :eek:

Worked today. Was a constant mad rush from the moment I got there until the moment I left. I would be in the middle of explaining something to someone & I would get interrupted by countless things. I never stopped. At lunchtime I tried to unwind and ate out on the picnic table with my book...

After work I went directly to Curves & did my 30 minutes there, then went to the store & bought myself some dinner makings since Sweetie played golf tonight. Then came home, cooked, ate, and went out for a walk. Did 2.3 miles in about 40 minutes -- that was fast for me -- because I had to hurry home & go to the bathroom! My bladder was gonna burst, LOL! :laugh:

Breakfast: Special K blueberry cereal bar, pluot
Lunch: Deli lemon pepper chicken breast with ff swiss on 2 slices multigrain bread, serving TJ's honey wheat pretzels, peach
Dinner: Broiled salmon in pineapple-sesame marinade, baked redskin potato with ff sour cream & light butter, 1 large ear fresh sweet corn with salt, peach
Total calories: 1286 :up:

Tonight I have told myself NO SNACKING. I am not hungry. I don't need a snack. I WANT a snack. But I am going to be strong and stay away from them. I know that if I don't snack, I can lose weight. I want to lose!!!

Lisrey :ribbon:

Hey girl...I love that pizza too...the same exact one you had!...

I had one when I was in Florida...ate the entire thing...it will be a long time before I get to do that again!...boohoo!

Well...have a great weekend!

mcmarto

Thanks, Mc! I am paying for that pizza on the scale... but it was delicious! :laugh:

Busy day again today. Another librarian & I held a party for the adults who participated in our summer reading program. It was fun, but a lot of WORK. I am so glad it is OVER!!! :D

Thanks, Mc! I am paying for that pizza on the scale... but it was delicious! :laugh:

Busy day again today. Another librarian & I held a party for the adults who participated in our summer reading program. It was fun, but a lot of WORK. I am so glad it is OVER!!! :D

After work I came home & went for a walk, even though my feet were aching from standing all day. The walking shoes felt pretty great despite all that, and it was a beautiful night for a walk. The last 5 or 10 minutes of my walk I got to start the last tape of my book... I may just have to walk twice tomorrow so I can hear the ending!

Sweetie & I had leftovers tonight for dinner:

Breakfast: Oatmeal crisp fruit & cereal bar, nectarine
Lunch: same as yesterday
Party snack: VERY small piece of cake, glass of punch, 3-4 pretzels
Dinner: 3 sloppy joes (1/4 c sloppy joe on each bun), 2 oz baked Ruffles
Total calories: nearly 1800. Too many -- but at least not from snack attacks!

Tomorrow is another day off & my plan right now is to paint the trim around my garage door, which is peeling and needs to be scraped and re-primed before I can begin. Ugh. I hope it will be a nice day so I can get it over with.

Lisrey :lift:

Hope you have fun painting!

I went out and found this carb sense mix to make my own pizza dough...hmmm...maybe one day this week...wish me luck with that!...hahaha!

Hope you are having fun painting!

mc

Lisrey, half a box of cheese crackers? Yes, with me it is Triscuits. I don't know what gets into me either, but "it" frequently comes by and torments me. And getting to goal doesn't help either.

Your weight was just a pop up, should be gone soon. Or not so soon, depending on how quickly you get back on track. Just remember, better to fight it at the size your are now, then the size you were when you started this journed.

Jo

Good luck with that, Mc! LOL.

Yup, Jo, I ate all those cheese crackers. Can only try to shrug it off...

This morning I scraped & sanded the trim around my garage door, which was looking really bad. Then I went for a walk -- about 40 minutes, 2.3 miles. Had lunch, primed the sanded spots, then weeded in my flower bed while waiting for it to dry. Painted, went grocery shopping, then went for another 40-minute walk. I wanted to finish my book, and I did! Showered, did laundry. Wow, exciting day???

Sweetie brought home Chinese food & I ate too much!

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins cereal
Lunch: same sandwich as yesterday, TJ's honey wheat pretzels, nectarine
Snack (yes, a snack): Baked ruffles, couple more pretzels
Dinner: Cashew chicken (for me this is the chicken, the cashews, white rice & low-sodium soy sauce... no veggies), bite of Sweetie's General Tso's chicken, fried won-tons, fortune cookies
Approximate calories: 2000 (ugh!)

My story lately -- good exercise but too much food. Tomorrow will be better, as Sweetie will golf & I will eat on my own after Curves. Need to pick out a new book at work! :D

Lisrey :ex:

Wow. You are becoming the Accomplishment Queen. AND you have time to write on DT. AND you have time to work. AND you have time to read. AND you have time to work out. AND you have time for a social life.

Hell. I'd better get a move on.

This is starting to become embarrassing; my slug lifestyle ain't looking so good....

YOU even lose weight on TOM.

Ack.

I've lit a candle tonight in my Lisrey shrine. And dropped a quarter in the bucket. hee hee hee

Really, girlfriend. I'm really proud of you and extremely impressed.

:bow: ALA LISREY!!!!!

:bow: ALA LISREY!!!!!!


Really how do you do all this, SCRAPED, PRIMED AND PAINTED.. exercised, gardened, and worked......DEEEAM....... Girl! YOU DE BOMB!

Ok, I am going to cook my fresh Alabore Tuna (all though I froze it) tonight for dinner. I'll let you know how it turns out.

WOW...you are burning a lot of calories...that is probably why you are eating a little more to...your body needs it!...I still think you are doing great!

You can always just get back into it!

Awesome!

mcmarto

Hahaha, Chum! I make time to come here & write at least in my own journal every day... It's one of the things that keeps me on track. I try to be honest & keep a record of what I do, so I can learn from my mistakes and successes... But my journal isn't nearly the colorful paradise of wit that yours is! :laugh: It would take me ALL DAY to write a post half as clever as yours! And to be quite honest, the "social life" part is a big stretch. I don't do much. All my friends live at least an hour away, and Sweetie and I don't do a whole lot away from home. Sometimes makes me a little depressed, but I realize it's sort of a plus from the weight loss focus angle... Gotta make the best of what you have, right?

Max, I am waiting to hear about your tuna experience! Have you not had it before either, or have you just not cooked it yourself? I need to ask the Sweet One when we can go out for our tuna dinner date.

Mc, you are too kind. My scale is up. I am not happy about it but I figure the more days I see those numbers the more it will scare me to cut the snacking! I have really been a snack-a-holic the last few days -- ever since my shopping trip & eating at Uno's. :eek:

Busy day today but not too eventful. Had the early shift at work. During my lunch hour I ran an errand for Sweetie that took the entire hour. Ate my healthy packed lunch in the car en route to the errand stop.

After work I went to Curves & did my half hour circuit training workout there. It was very busy tonight! Went to the store to buy salmon afterward. On my way home I was gonna stop & buy an ear of corn at the corn stand -- but it was already closed up! I went to three other places looking for corn before I found a place that was open & had some. What a waste of time -- I could have gotten an ear at the place where I bought my fish! 8-|

By the time I got home I was starving & mad at myself. When I got done eating it was raining & nearly dark, so I didn't get any walking in tonight. I did pick up a new book on tape at the library today -- "White teeth" by Zadie Smith. Hopefully I will get to start it tomorrow evening.

Breakfast: Special K strawberry bar, plum
Lunch: Lemon pepper chicken, ff swiss slice, 2 slices multigrain bread, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, peach
Snack: 1/2 oz Rold Gold twists; 1/2 oz baked Ruffles
Dinner: 6 oz marinated salmon, baked potato w/ ff sour cream & lite butter, ear of corn, nectarine
Approximate calories: 1400

On my spreadsheet where I keep my stats each month it says: "Goals: At least 21 days eating within calorie allotment; 5/week walking; 3/week weights; 3 pound loss!" Out of 11 days so far this month, I only have 4 where I've eaten within my target calorie range. I still have 20 days to go, but I don't see myself making it to 21 good eating days! :c( On the other hand, the walking & the weights are great... I can only wait & see... If I want to be 140 by the end of September, I need to get serious! And I do want to be 140!!!

Lisrey :flower:

First, NO I have never cooked Tuna before..... My neighbor gave me four huge chunks, So I took one of them and sliced it while it was still a bit frozen in long slabs, I sprinkled it with a bit of Onion Powder, Garlic Salt, and some Grill Mates Mesquite, and Grill Mates Teriyaki, then threw it on my indoor grill, it was : hm:

YUMM! I invited a freind over and made her a sandwich out of it. I know you don't like veggies, but I scissor cut romaine, and stirred in Tartar sauce, then layered the bread with Romaine, tomato, onion and Tuna Steak. IT WAS GREAT! My friend kept going MMMMM MMMMM every bite she took.....


So :up: for Fresh Tuna. Much better, and way differant then canned.

Sorry that your eating hasn't been what you wanted lately, but it sounds like you are on top of the situation. Congrats on all the exercise!

Wow, Max! I am so glad you liked the tuna! I am looking forward to whenever Sweetie & I go out to try it. When will that be????

Hi Lutha! I don't know if I'm on top of it or not... I hope my scale will be back to where it belongs tomorrow for my "official" weigh-in. We'll see.

It was a rainy day on and off, but I did get to walk tonight, which made me very happy. I started my new book on tape & it is very different. I'll have to listen a bit more before I know what to think! Sweetie is still at work. I went to the bookstore when my workday was over & picked up a few books we needed in a rush. Sweetie told me to just fend for myself for dinner, so I stopped at Ya-Ya's & got their shredded chicken sandwich. It is supposed to be a healthier chicken, flame-broiled & then served on a pita-like bread. The only website I could find with nutritional info said 407 calories in the sandwich.

Breakfast: Special K blueberry bar, peach
Lunch: Lemon pepper chicken sandwich, TJ's honey-wheat pretzels, nectarine
Dinner: Ya-Ya's chicken sandwich
Snack after walking: plum
Total calories so far: 990... I will eat another snack in a little while, probably a bag of light microwave popcorn, to get calories up to at least 1200.

It is super-humid & I am feeling very sticky... Our phone had been out for a few days but it is working again... The bike shop guy called & said my new tires are still on back-order. Might have them by Friday, which is my day off & I have fingers crossed... The Board meeting is tomorrow night & everyone is nervous. I am not looking forward to being there. Can only wait & see what will happen. :eek:

Lisrey :flower:

Hey Lisrey,

Don't you just hate that 'back-order' thing!!! There always seems to be something on back order when you have to get something. LOL

Have a good week.

Hope it all goes well!

mc

Thanks for the well-wishes, Crazy & Mc!

I'm just popping in this morning to report I am finally back to 145! :up: Yay!! I am soooo happy, since this was my weigh-in day, to be back to "GO." Maybe now I can think about going down some more!

I am off to Curves this morning, then work. I hope the Board meeting does not run late... And I hope it is civil!

Lisrey :D

There you go Lisrey, being back at 145 is motivating you to be back on track. I'll bet you don't snack as much as you were, lol.

Happy Lisrey again!!!

Lisrey,

Just popping in (*pop*) to say congrats on getting back down to 145. Thought it would be worth coming out of Lurkdom to say a kind word or two.

So :cheers: and thanks for inspiring me!

:hop: WHOO HOOO :hop:

Hope your meeting is pleasant today. Good for you on the 145....

The Board meeting did not end until 11 pm. I got home about 11:30 & need to go to bed ASAP, so just a quick post!

THANK YOU Crazy!!! :)

Thank you too, Elivi! I am happy to see your post... "Lurkdom" really made me chuckle! :D

Thanks, Max! I would not use the word "pleasant" to describe the meeting, but the one huge important thing DID get approved. Whew! And the new Board member seems to be a good facilitator, and has a balanced approach which is sorely needed. I went up to her after the meeting and complimented her on her graceful entrance into this fiery situation, and thanked her for her attempts to move the discussion forward... the two guys who are holding everything up are just so incredibly PETTY. More than anyone wants to know, I know. Sorry!

Okay, so I did Curves this morning, then realized I had nothing to make a sandwich with in the house. So I went to Quizno's for my lunch on the way to work. Here's what I ate:

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins
Lunch: Small Sierra Smoked Turkey sub at Quizno's, KC Masterpiece BBQ Baked Lay's chips
Dinner: Lean Cuisine chicken fettuccine, TJ's honey whole-wheat pretzels, peach
Snack at work: mini Mr. Goodbar from colleague's candy dish (??), approx 1 oz Rold Gold classic twists pretzels (on & off munching)
Snack at home: 2 oz Baked Tostitos, salsa
Total calories: 1450 :up:

I don't know what possessed me to eat the Mr. Goodbar, but it was just one of those fun-sized ones. I can't remember the last time I had a candy bar! I don't crave chocolate; I am lucky with that.

Tomorrow I take my car in for routine maintenance before work, so I must get up extra early. Hoping it is done when I get out of work. Husband is going to a concert tomorrow night (Iggy Pop with the Stooges!), so I will be on my own for dinner & that's a good thing. It is supposed to be sweltering HOT the next 2 days & that is NOT a good thing. Hope I will be able to stand walking after dinner. We'll see!

Lisrey :spring:

Lisrey,

Glad things are looking positive, that is great. I love people who are good mediators, a wonderful skill to have.

Well you will just have to get out the fan, put it on HIGH and walk on that wonderful treadmill of yours. And a glass of ice cold water close by.

Yes My dear make sure you drink plenty of fluids.

Hey do you tally everything in your head, or do you write down your food? Just wondered.

Lisrey guess what? I used my treadmill yesterday :eek: No really I did. Swear! I know I know... Its hard to believe but I did. I also started a new journal - "Living my Life to the Fullest"

Sorry your meting ran so late but sounds like it went well. Hopefully things will look up....

Do you have power, Lisrey??? Let me know!

Hahahaha Crazy, I could use neither fan nor treadmill, nor lightbulb! What a strange night.

Yay for your treadmilling, Max! That is so awesome! I use FitDay to do my calories.

Chum, my power was restored this morning sometime between 8:30 and 9:30. I still do not have very much water pressure. I am glad you are back up!

The saga:

Yesterday morning I took my car in for its oil change, etc, and to have a noise left over from my accident last December checked out. I left it at the shop, to be picked up after work. The shop is about 3 big blocks from the Library.

I didn't have anything in my house to pack for lunch except Lean Cuisines, so that's what I had. About 4:15 the lights & computers all started flickering & we lost all but backup light power at the Library. When we discovered we also did not have water we had to close & sent all of our patrons home. We could not get through on cell phones but did have some battery-powered radios and got the word that power was out all over the East...

One of my co-workers took me to try to get my car. The service guys told me I was one of the lucky ones, that my car was put back together & ready to go before the power outage. So I wrote a check & they told me they'd mail me a receipt! Now, I work and live in between Detroit & Ann Arbor. It's all suburbs and traffic lights galore. It took me about an hour and a half to drive home. There were a few intersections with police directing traffic, but most of them were big messes that were being treated as four-way stops. 8-| I actually live out in the country (sort of), so the closer I got to home, the less traffic problems.

My biggest fear was for my husband. He & two friends were going to a concert last night, at a venue about 2 hours from home. It turns out he & one friend left home just as the power had gone off. They thought it was just us, had no idea it was everywhere. They got on the freeway & headed up there... They ended up at their third friend's house 3 hours later (yeah, they figured out something was up), and they spent the night there. The concert has been postponed.

So I had no light, no running water, no microwave, stove, or oven to use, and basically nothing in my refrigerator. I do have a Brita pitcher in there, so I had water for drinking. What did I eat?? I made 2 hot dogs on my gas grill. Not too healthy, but food! :D

After eating I went for a walk. For part of the walk I listened to the news, for part to my book on tape. It is sweltering hot & super humid. I didn't go very fast. Walked until dark, about 45 minutes.

When I got home I read my book by flashlight until about 10:30. Somewhere in there I discovered my upstairs phone was working & I was able to call & talk with my husband on his cell phone. He could receive calls but not make them.

Could not sleep on my waterbed without power (if you sleep on water that's too cold it makes you ache), so I slept in our guest room. It was not easy to sleep. Too humid. Two anxious cats. This morning I got calls from confused employees wondering what to do. It's my day off so I told them as much as I knew & told them to stay by the phone... that was around 7. Didn't get a whole lot of sleep after that. I had unplugged the big stuff & turned off the A/C when I got home last night. Around 10 I noticed that one of my digital clocks was flashing at last. Yay!

So food yesterday was:

Breakfast: Oatmeal Crisp strawberry & cereal bar
Lunch: Lean Cuisine cheese lasagna & chicken scallopini, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, nectarine
Confused snack: a few more pretzels, a handful of baked Tostitos
Dinner: 2 hot dogs with ketchup on buns, 2 oz baked Ruffles. (Did not have any more fruit or would have had some!)
Total calories: 1625

Was so hot & humid after my walk I had no desire to do any more eating the rest of the evening. That was a plus! :laugh:

I am still confused this morning about what to do. They have asked us not to turn on our A/C so I have not, but I am sure Sweetie will want to when he gets home, regardless. I need to go get some groceries but I have no idea if stores will have anything to sell me. There are stores in several directions but I am not sure who would be more likely to have power... Will have to try to make some phone calls and make a plan.

Lisrey :spring:

P.S. Just got two calls, one from husband & one from a friend in Ann Arbor. Neither have power where they are. I am VERY lucky here, it seems.

Such a weird day! I did go to the grocery store. It had groceries as usual and was no more crowded than usual. My bank was closed, however, and I had to sit in a huge line of cars that were waiting to get into a gas station before I could get into the parking lot of the bank, where there was a functioning ATM... :( Lucky for me, I did not need gas.

My husband & his friend got home around 12:30. There was still no power in the place where they spent the night last I knew. Apparently there was no power at the Library all day until the last hour or so. I spoke with the Director & she has decided that we should be closed, as she is not sure the water will be safe to drink & does not want to run the A/C. She still does not have water at her house.

I talked to my Mom this morning. Their power has been on since early this morning & they never lost their water. The big news she had for me is that my recently-married sister is now pregnant! Due March 21. So that is exciting! She thinks her clock is ticking & she would like at least 2 kids. I knew it was gonna be fast -- but wow! Almost exactly nine months from their wedding date! :laugh:

Sweetie drove his friend home, about a 4-hour drive each way. The friend's van broke down & his other alternative was to hitch-hike... So I am Sweetie-less again this evening.

It rained a ton earlier but has been hot & humid throughout. I sweltered through the day. Just was a blob mostly -- did a bunch of online stuff & not much else. Finally around 6:30 I went for a walk. When I got home I couldn't stand it anymore & turned on the A/C. I feel guilty but I noticed that a lot of others in my neighborhood have it on already too... :o

Breakfast: 1 c peanut butter Puffins cereal
Snack: handful of Baked Ruffles, 4-5 TJ's pretzels
Lunch: Lemon pepper chicken breast w/ff swiss on 2 slices multigrain bread, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, plum
Snack: small peach
Dinner: Grilled Hawaiian-marinated chicken breast, baked potato w/ff sour cream & light butter, 1 ear fresh sweet corn, small peach
Snack: couple more pretzels
Total calories so far: about 1350. Hope I am done... the long, boring hot day has made me snack-y. :(

So! I will be home all weekend. Need to clean up my house in anticipation of In-Laws visit next week. LOTS of work involved in that... house is a disaster area. I tried calling the bike shop this morning but they did not answer. Disappointed that I cannot get my bike yet. I will try them again tomorrow but I don't know if I will have any luck... we shall see.

Lisrey :ex:

Lisrey,

I too was affected by the black out.

My neighbor gave birth to a "black out baby" this morning at 1AM.

I lost power about the same time you did, but got it back by midnight. AT 8AM, it was out again till 1 this afternoon. So far we have had power.

Don't feel bad about the AC. I mean, we have to cool off somehow. The heat today was extreme. If you watched your energy consumption in other ways, you did your part :)

I'm up doing laundry and posting on the puter late at night so I won't strain system, but I've got my air on.

From what I've heard, we can expect rolling blackouts for up to a month. Don't know about in the US, but that's the rumor here. Who know's for sure.
I guess I was lucky, we've had no problems with our water. At least not in my area. My mom had no pressure either. Wayne county is under a boil advisery.

I hope things get back to normal soon.

Hope you have a great, ...well lit and cool, weekend LOL

Take care

Darlene :hippy:

Hiya Fleur! :hug: Glad you have power & that everything is okay where you are. Weird stuff, isn't it!? They are telling us here to boil our water at least through Wednesday.

Got up around 8:30 and was out walking a little after 9. It was extremely humid, and the sun was hot. I did my 2.3 mile loop and headed in. I was dripping!

Sweetie and I worked on cleaning the house through the afternoon. Got a lot done, but I still have a lot of projects on my list for tomorrow... and a lot of them are big ones. I'm glad I had the day off today so I could work on it gradually. We have quite a nice mess here!

I took a shower & then had an appointment to go to this evening. On my way home I picked up some Fazoli's. Not the healthiest thing, but I had a good calorie day nonetheless.

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins cereal, small peach
Lunch: Deli sliced lemon pepper chicken, ff swiss, multigrain bread, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, small peach
Snack while cleaning: 1 oz Baked Ruffles
Dinner: 2 Fazoli's breadsticks, Fazoli's lasagna
Total calories: 1375

Might eat another peach in a bit. That's the only kind of fruit I have right now! Will go to the grocery tomorrow & will get some more variety. Good peaches, though! :D

It is supposed to be a little cooler tomorrow. I hope it will be good walking weather. Not sure what Sweetie will want to do for dinner. Tonight he is out watching pre-season football. He will have to do some work tomorrow evening for his job, so I may be on my own. He was supposed to do this stuff Friday, but the U. was closed... The power outage messed up a lot of stuff! All we can do is laugh about it & go on.

I wore some shorts tonight that I bought earlier this summer. When I bought them they were a little tight, and tonight I noticed they felt really comfortable. :) I also talked to the bike shop guy today. He's having problems getting the kind of tires I want in the size I need. The tune-up is done. Hopefully by sometime next weekend I will be able to go get it fitted and bring it home.

Lisrey :lift:

Hey girl!

So sorry to hear you lost power...but glad to hear everything is ok!...I would have been freaked all alone...eeek!

I get to meet Lutha...yesssss...my first DT meet and greet!...hahaha...

I am off to LV for a week...so have a good week...I want to hear you lost another pound...heeheehee!

mcmarto

How was your weather today? We got one freak storm after another.
The first came and the kids were in the pool. I hauled them out and got them changed. The storm passed the sun came out. They'd change back into their swim clothes, swim for a short while, then a new storm would hit and we'd have to dot he whole thing all over again. Strange!

At least we still have power!

I'm guessing you had power all day today too. I hadn't heard of any more rolling blackouts.

Congrats on getting into those shorts. Inch by inch, pound by pound, you're getting there. The end is in sight.

You're doing so great. It's all paying off.

Would you do me a favor? When we met, you told me the story of how you came to start losing weight. Would you share that here? I really think others could benifit from it. I know I did.

Have a great Sunday :hug:

:wave:

Darlene :hippy:

Lisrey, what an experience with the power. I bet you were glad to see the lights come back on. I remember one time our power went out due to lightning. Steve was at the lake and I was home alone. It was hot as bg's, a real unpleasant time. The power finally came back on about 2 am.

Great to hear that you made it back to 145. Onward.

Jo

Thanks for stopping by, McMarto... have a great time in Vegas!

Fleur, we never got any rain here yesterday at all. It all went around us, although we were hearing about storms on the radio. I will write some stuff about what inspired me to lose weight in a separate post, just for you. :hug:

Jo, thanks for the kudos. I really want to see a loss soon. I've been pretty good this week and I have TOM coming up, so I think it may happen!

My Sweetie and I reserved today for some big cleaning projects around our house. I went out walking first thing, trying to beat the heat. It was cooler today than it's been, and a lot less humid, but in the morning sun it was still pretty hot! I did the 2.3 mile loop in 40 minutes, skipping from shade to shade.

We have the A/C off today, but they said we can do laundry now and run our dishwashers. We are still boiling our water. Power issues are supposed to be back to normal tomorrow; water not until Wednesday perhaps.

When I got home from my walk, I made a grocery list & went to the store. I had lunch when I got back, then started my projects: laundry, cleaning up the basement stairs & floors (including overhaul of :cat: litter box), clean out and wash refrigerator inside & out, dust & vacuum in family room & living room, vacuum cat hair off furniture everywhere (ugh big project here), fix places where wallpaper was peeling in bathroom (yay for Elmer's glue!). I did all the stuff on my list except clean my bathtub, which I just didn't want to do! Sweetie washed windows and now is working on his work projects. He said he's going to be up really late but hasn't gone out to his job sites yet.

After I ate dinner I went for a second walk. Did the same route but it was cooler with the sun low -- 39 minutes. Felt really great to be out! I like evening walking best this time of year.

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins cereal, small peach
Lunch: Deli BBQ chicken breast w/ff swiss on multigrain bread, 1 oz baked Ruffles, plum
Snack: handful of baked Tostitos
Dinner: Grilled, pineapple-marinated boneless pork chop, baked potato w/ff sour cream and light butter, good sized ear corn on the cob, nectarine
Calories thus far: 1375 :up:

On deck for tomorrow: work, lots of errands at lunchtime, Curves, then hopefully walking. I will be eating on my own since Sweetie will be playing golf in his league. Tonight he cooked a casserole (which I do not like) that his friend's wife had been just about to put in the oven the day the power went out. He brought it home the next day because he knew our power was on & could refrigerate it, while they still did not have power. So I got to have my own choices of food, though we ate together, which was nice.

I am going to be doing really well come Wednesday, when I will "officially" weigh and his parents arrive for their visit... then we will probably eat out every day they are here... Hopefully I will not reverse all my progress! :eek:

Lisrey *

Well, Fleur asked me to share the beginnings of my weight loss here. I'm not sure which part or parts of my story I told her that inspired her, but I will ramble a little bit about it, since I had a request! :o

I was chubby as a kid, but in high school I got interested in how I looked and lost weight. I got down to about 115. I was a nice size although I hated exercise so I was not at all fit.

When I went to college I started putting weight back on. Lots of pizzas, lots of studying, no exercise. I got married with one semester left to get my Bachelor's degree, and I weighed 140.

A year and a half later I had my Masters & started my career. I took a job an hour's commute from home. I spent two hours a day in the car, made frequent stops at drive-thrus, ate late, heavy meals prepared by my husband, and felt I didn't have time to exercise. Before long I was up to 180.

I loved my job. I had a fantastic boss and worked for an institution I believed in. But I knew that I was sacrificing my health with the commute. (My husband's job kept us where we were, and we love living in the college town anyway.) I worked there for 10 years. I finally decided to accept another position closer to home so I could have more time to myself and lose weight. I weighed about 210.

A year into the new job I woke up one day and realized it had been such a stressful transition I hadn't worked on my weight at all. I'd gained another 5 pounds! I had my lightbulb moment then -- I realized I'd been making excuses all along. If I had wanted to commit to losing the weight at my old job, I could have done it. I just needed to put it at the top of my priority list. I found an online support site (not this one at that time), and I dove right in. That was February 15, 2001. I am 2-1/2 years in, and I've lost 71 pounds. I have at least 20 more to go.

There were two people who I recognized after the fact had an impact on my wake-up call. One was a dear friend I'd met at my old job. She was an extremely large, extremely wonderful woman -- the best listener I've ever met. She made everyone feel like she was their best friend. She had a degree in education and a Masters in biology, but she'd always dreamed of being a doctor. When she turned 40 she decided to persue it and went to Chicago to go to medical school. We talked often on the phone, but one day a mutual friend called me instead, to tell me she'd had a massive weight-related heart attack and died. I still miss this friend terribly, but her death showed me what would become of me if I'd stayed on the course I was on... The other person was a colleague at my new job. This woman is undoubtedly the largest person I've ever known. She is warm, smart and funny, but very unhealthy, and can barely walk. (She is no longer working.) I had in front of me each day a vision of what could happen to me... and my lightbulb came on.

After much analysis of what made me gain and why I eat, the one thing I've decided contributed the most was this: I never learned how to eat with my husband. He's 6'3" and a big guy. I'm only 5' tall and medium boned. I never had any brothers, and my Dad is a modest eater. My family eats fast, while my husband's family really takes its time. I would finish everything on my plate, and be done eating before my husband barely got started. Mealtime was one of the few times, especially in our college years, that we got to be together. I would sit with him at the table, nibbling and picking at more food, until he was done. Eventually, I was up to eating as much as he was!

What finally made me stick with weight loss was poor health. I wanted to lose because I wanted to feel better. All these huge meals with my husband made me feel sick. I was constantly overstuffed. I went to bed with heartburn every night, when I'd never had heartburn a day in my life before I hit 200 pounds. My blood pressure was borderline high, and I was taking medication for it. I huffed and puffed climbing stairs. Bending over to pull books from a bottom shelf, or to tie my shoes, was uncomfortable. I couldn't stand it. I wanted to be able to breathe and to GET RID of the heartburn. I figured if I lost 20 pounds I could do that. I didn't want to believe I could do more than that. Just 20 pounds so the heartburn would go away...

The online support I found helped me tremendously. Monicapink was the first person I met & she helped me believe in myself. I started to make progress. Once I had some momentum and knew it was possible, I never looked back. It took about 35-40 pounds for the heartburn to go away. Last Fall I was able to go off the blood pressure meds. I feel great, but I still have a ways to go to reach my goal. I figure it'll be at least another year, but I can wait. I want to be fit this time. I want to be able to walk and climb and have stamina for projects I try. I'm getting there!

What are the things that have helped me the most?
1) Online support, both at DT and before I came here.
2) The "baby steps" philosophy. Taking it one change at a time.
3) Finding a way to enjoy exercise & becoming an "exerciser."
4) Having confidence that I will reach my goal, while putting no time constraints on it.
5) Celebrating mini-goals and giving myself challenges as I go.

So, thanks to all my buddies for continuing to support me! I could never have made it this far without you!

Lisrey :up:

Wow.... Lisrey, that is a great story. Boy I had a lot to catch up on. My eyes :eyes: My eyes.....

Hey that Chicken sandwich you eat everyday? Do you grill that chicken at home or is that a frozen deal? And how many calories does that FF swiss have?


Good Luck when your In-laws come?.. You can RESIST.......:up:

Haha! Hi, Max! Sorry I got so carried away with my post. I am a writer, ya know? I don't know how to turn the words off sometimes, and when I get a *request*, well look out! My chicken sandwich is made with chicken I get sliced in the deli -- cold lunch meat. I get Boar's Head BBQ chicken breast or Sahlen's lemon pepper chicken breast. I put about 1.75 oz on each sandwich, which is 53 calories. The swiss is Kraft ff swiss singles, 30 calories each. My bread is 120 calories for 2 slices. So entire sandwich = 203 calories. I should probably abandon the cheese, as it doesn't have a whole lot of taste, but there is something about the creaminess of cheese that I don't want to give up... I am so boring with my food, aren't I? I do eat the same thing a LOT. But I shake it up with different flavors & I like it. Wow, I can't even keep a reply to you short! Sorry! :o

I went back to work today. Very busy after our unexpected weekend closure. I was also dealt an ultimatum deadline of sorts for some major work. I will have to probably bring some work home in the next two weeks if I really expect to get it done by then. :(

On my lunch hour I drove around & did errands. Ate my packed lunch in the car. After work I went to Curves & did my workout, then came home to grill my dinner. My grill ran out of gas! I had to bring my chicken inside & heat up my George Foreman grill. Lemme tell ya, it did NOT taste the same as my recently grilled foods. I like the GF for the times I can't cook on the big grill, but when I can cook outside I WANT TO COOK OUTSIDE!

After eating I went walking. It was a gorgeous evening & I just couldn't pass it up. Now that the humidity is back down I want to be out all the time. Did my 2.3 miles in 39 minutes & got in just as it was getting dark. Ran out to the store for my Sweetie when I got home -- I just never stopped today & I am feeling a bit of mental fatigue. In-Laws will be here in 2 days & I still have some leftover cleaning projects to finish. Not sure when I will do those, either. Grrrrr....

Breakfast: Nature Valley apple crisp granola bar (higher fat bar -- I am wanting to finish up this box), plum
Lunch: Usual sandwich, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, small peach
Dinner: Grilled marinated chicken breast, baked potato w/ff sour cream & light butter, medium ear fresh corn, nectarine
Snack: 1 oz baked Tostitos munched on & off
Total calories: 1400 :up:

Will try to get another walk in tomorrow morning before work, but have many things on my list. MUST go buy cat food at the vet's or will have a feline mutiny on my hands! :laugh:

Lisrey :ex:

:rofl: Your funny.... And I love it!

Hmm I think I'll look in my deli and see what they have to offer. Sometimes it easier to eat the same things. Since we alreay know the content. I tend to do that myself. I thought about buying a Low cal cook book and making one new meal a month. Hmmm :hm just a thought!

Have you ever tried the Tofu Cheese, Its pretty creamy, I havent had that for while they have it in Swiss and cheddar. hm maybe need to look into that again too. I bought peaches and netarines and will, see how it goes.... I have the worst luck with fruit..... but all your peach,plum and nectarine eating made me want some......

I'm glad you rambled on! It was good reading!

Well, thanks for leaving me a note in my journal! I haven't had a chance to write back to you on my journal yet. But...um...I've been sending you lots of positive thoughts! Did you get them?

My jaw is still hanging open. I can't believe you don't crave chocolate - you are so lucky!! Either that or someone MIGHT want check your pulse. :D I don't think I've ever met anyone who actually didn't crave chocolate. It got to be so bad for my dad he actually had to swear it off 10 years ago. Hasn't had one bite of chocolate since, but he misses it everyday.

LOL Elivi


Thanks so much Lisrey for sharing that story. It is truly inspirational.

I'm so proud of you for the way you've changed your life for the better.

:hug:

Thanks again

Darlene :hippy:

Max, I have never even heard of tofu cheese. Next time I go up to the Trader Joe's I will look for it. Sounds interesting! I love fruit & since I eat next to no veggies I eat as much of it as I can. You must find a store with good produce! I am very choosy about where I will buy my produce & my meat.

Elivi, I am glad you came back in. I have been enjoying your wit in your journal, too! So funny reading your post tonight made me embarrassed because I actually DID eat some chocolate today... :o

Fleur, you are more than welcome. :hug:

Sooooooo busy, in so many ways. Trying to get ready for In-Laws' visit. Trying to get big work projects accomplished by impossible deadline, while also getting regular work done. Eeeek! Trying not to pull out hair! :eek:

I set my alarm early this morning. I am NOT a morning person & I really don't like to get up if I don't have to. In the summer I wake up earlier than in the winter. They daylight draws me out. I went out & walked this morning; finished my short destination challenge I was working on in the Walking Forum! :up: I am liking my book much better now that I am getting further in.

Showered & cleaned bathtub, went to buy cat food. Fed cats fresh food (they hate the bottom of the bag!). For lunch I tried a new Lean Cuisine pizza. It has a very unusual (I thought) way of cooking in the microwave & I thought it was pretty good! Actually probably the best microwaved diet pizza I've tried. More cals and sodium than I would really like, but I might have another one now & then. I do love pizza, and I miss pizza!

Ate my dinner in the car while running errands. Whew! A colleague had chocolate-covered raisins today. NOT something that anyone usually offers me at work. I have a soft spot for this particular candy -- something I have childhood memories of that are pretty meaningful to me. So I indulged in a few -- probably had less than 10 raisins. They were a delicious treat!

Breakfast: 1 c peanut butter Puffins
Lunch: Lean Cuisine pepperoni pizza, baked ruffles, plum
Snack: 1 vanilla wafer, a few chocolate covered raisins
Dinner: BBQ chicken breast, ff swiss & multigrain bread, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, nectarine
Evening snack: 3 oz baked Tostitos, salsa
Total calories: 1450

Didn't need the extra oz of tostitos, but was craving salt. Grrrr...

Tomorrow is my "official" weigh-in. I'm working the day shift, which is really weird -- I always work the late shift on Wednesday nights. After work I need to do some last-minute cleaning projects, then we will go get the In-Laws at the airport. I don't know if/when I will get to post tomorrow. Probably will be late! I can't see any exercise working its way into the picture, either...

Lisrey :ex:

Our Little Walking :queen:

I bet you find time to walk. Maybe MIL will want to walk with you? Ya never know.....

In my store the Tofu cheese is near the Produce, or Tofu. Its really pretty good and melts well too. Plus its TOFU!

MMM I miss Puffins. I love them, Stupid Ants ate my KASHI.... We are having major ant problem... They literally were thriving on BOTH boxes of KASHI, oh and Milk bones.

Gosh I havent had a Lean Cusine in so long. I use to love the pizza bread, course I always had to squirt Mustard on it. 8-| I dont know it reminds me of a big pretzel.

Oh one more thing,

In my preventin Magazine Denise Austin gives some Diet Shortcuts: She says

"When I have a craving I just can't resist, here are some ways to satisfy it - without to much calorie damage.

Chocolate Cravings: She has 10 Chocolate Covered Raisins - 39 calories...

Gonna be real quick tonight. Have TOM headache & have stayed up too late already on too little sleep the night before. In-Laws are here.

I weighed in at 144 this morning! * Down a pound. Very happy.

Worked on my big projects a lot more today, but picked up this headache in the mid-afternoon & was much less productive afterward. When I got home from work I finished the last-minute cleaning, then while Sweetie went to the airport to get his Mom & Dad, I went for a 40-minute walk, so I did get my exercise in!

We took them out to dinner to Sweetie's favorite steak & rib place. I had the rib & chicken grilled combo. Mmmm one of my favorite things, but I didn't do so well trying to be healthy. :(

Breakfast: Oatmeal crisp strawberry & cereal bar, plum
Lunch: Usual chicken sandwich, TJ's pretzels, plum
Snack after work: few more pretzels, Baked Tostitos
Dinner: 10 peanuts, 3 rolls (!), baked potato with a small amount of butter & sour cream, 4-5 oz bbq ribs, grilled chicken breast (small) with parmesan peppercorn dressing, rice pilaf
Approximate calories: 2000

MUST sleep now. Will post again as I can. Night!

Lisrey I-)

Hooray for going down another pound! At least Tom gives you that benefit. Sigh.

Just wanted to pop in and tell you how much I appreciate your support and friendship these past months!

Have a good visit with the in-laws!

:hop: another pound gone :hop:

DONT GAIN IT BACK....... ALL YOUR HARD WORK........

*145 *

Good for you on your walking.. How long are the inlaws here for?

Thank you Chum! I certainly appreciate your support & friendship too. All of my buddies here are very important to me, and to my success. :hug:

Thanks Max! My In-Laws leave Monday morning. They're nice folks & it's good to have them here, but it disrupts my eating & exercise plan.

Today was very weird, food-wise. We played golf at a very difficult course. It was fun, BUT we all played terribly, and it was incredibly hot! It got up into the mid-90s and was somewhat humid. All energy completely sapped, plus my TOM headache was still trying to hang around. Was exhausted by the time we got home. We all took showers, then went to the Japanese steakhouse for dinner. Mmmmm...

After we got home we played bridge & everybody had some ice cream. I had a little teensy bit -- was good! :laugh:

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins cereal
Lunch: Zone chocolate & peanut butter bar (quite melted!)
Snack: 1 serving TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, nectarine
Dinner: few sips miso soup, 3 small appetizer shrimp, couple tastes of zucchini (didn't really like it), hibachi chicken breast & swordfish, white rice, small bite of husband's steak
Evening snacks: plum, 1/2 scoop caramel-vanilla ice cream
Approximate calories: 1300

Tomorrow the In-Laws are renting a car & visiting some other people. Sweetie is playing golf all day in his league to make up for 2 nights that they got rained out. I am working, then I will go to Curves & fix a healthy dinner for myself. We'll see if walking is in the picture afterward.

Lisrey :ex:

Lisrey, you are just doing wonderful my girl. Another pound is in the works. Good for you.

Sounds like it is hot for Michigan.

My sweetie and I are looking around for a cabin, someplace cool, to spend a month next summer. ONe of the areas we are looking is Michigan, since we like to fish. But I don't know, it sounds like it ges pretty hot there too. When we went to Colorado the highest it got was 74. But we need a place that will allow a pet, and what little I have found on Colorado on the internet is pretty expensive. Oh well, I have at least a year to find something. Maybe two, it will depend on how much work I am getting.

Pretty slow right now. But I did have some hours for August, so at least I will have a check. And Larry told me he has something for me as soon as the depos come in. But my guess is the work will be considerably less now, what with Thom gone and more para legals working in the office. Still, it was a great run.

Jo

Hi, Jo! Michigan is a great vacation spot. Just look for a place up in the North. It stays hot down here, but up in the Northern Lower Penninsula & in the Upper it is a lot different. Lots less people, tons more trees, lakes and wildlife everywhere. You would love it if you like to fish! If you came up here, though, I would insist on meeting you somewhere! :D

Very busy day today. I worked all day on one of my staff performance evaluations. Almost got it done. My Director said if I need to work extra hours to complete them I can do it when the building is closed... I do not want to work the extra time, as I will not get paid for it, but I definitely want to finish these! :eek:

Ran errands at lunchtime. After work I went to Curves, then the grocery store to get some food for my dinner. I walked the 2.3 mile loop after eating. Legs feel great now! The In-Laws are back from their day of visiting with others, so I am needing to go be social again.

Breakfast: Oatmeal Crisp strawberry & cereal bar, plum
Lunch: Usual sandwich, TJ's honey whole wheat pretzels, nectarine
Dinner: Marinated broiled salmon, baked potato with ff sour cream & light butter, corn on the cob, plum
Total calories so far: 1350

Will probably be eating some light popcorn tonight while playing cards. Not sure where that will put me with calories, but I am doing okay. Was thrilled today on the big "doctor" scale at work I got to move the weight to 100 instead of 150! Weighed 149 there for the first time ever (this is with clothes on & having eaten). *

I keep seeing new Ritz baked crackers in the store. I haven't checked out the nutritional info on them yet -- I am a little afraid I will like them too much if I buy them & want to eat an entire package... Has anybody tried them yet or looked at how they stack up nutritionally??

Tomorrow morning we are going back out to play golf again. It is supposed to be cooler and I am hoping we will all play a little better so it will be more fun!

Lisrey :flower:

Shoot.. My DH bought two diffrant kinds of those new Ritz chips and they are gone already.. I tasted one and it was pretty darn good, Kind of like a cracker chip mixer, I didn't even scope out the nutritional facts. Darn I wish I had now. I usually do, but since they were DH's I didn't want to make a big deal of it.

So see you have found time to exercise and have even kept your food under control Thats awesome, AND THE DOCTORS SCALE.... even more awesome..... THATS THE BEST!

I had Salmon tonight also. I liked how you tried the zucchini but made sure to tell us you didnt like it. you brat! Not even salad huh, No lettuce? no onion? Well have a great weekend!

Did you see the lightning last night??? Wasn't that the neatest thing? LOL I haven't seen sheet lightning like that in years. Very pretty. Sure wished I would have had my camera.

I'm glad the storms didn't interfere with you golf game. Golf and lightning sure don't mix, but go hand in hand just as tornados and mobile homes do LOL.

You sound like you've been having lots of fun bad golf game and all LOL

Keep up the great work Lisrey.

You go girl.

Darlene :hippy:

I leave and you go ahead and lose another pound!

Good for you!

Thanks for sharing your story...I am so proud of you!...Most people would give up...within months...or even weeks...you are truly inspiring!

Keep up the great work!

mcmarto

Hahaha Max! No, no salad. No lettuce, no onion. I told them I did not want a salad. Unfortunately, I just don't do them. :(

Yup, Fleur, saw the lightning. Was pretty incredible... there was a tornado warning in our county. We were playing cards & my In-Laws wanted to go in the basement. The tornado wasn't supposed to get to our city for 20 more minutes, so we finished our hand & went in the basement. We took extra chairs down there & I cleaned off the table, then the radio told us the warning had been cancelled! So we went back up -- nobody even sat down! :D

Hi Mc! Thanks -- I think you will have a great story to tell someday soon too. You are doing very well & I am really proud of you for staying on plan during your trip!

This morning I forgot to take my Zone bar with me to the golf. Was pretty disappointed when I realized that, but didn't do too bad anyway. The temperature was very comfortable for golfing today & we all played much better. I had a LOT of trouble with sand traps so my score wasn't great, but I felt much better about how I played.

My Father-In-Law wanted to go to dinner to this place on campus which is a traditional student burger place. He'd been telling my MIL about it for 40 years & wanted to take her there. I enjoyed too many fries (mine & then some of Sweetie's!)... :eek:

When we got back I went out for a walk while the others were taking showers, then we played cards & I ate some more snacks. Wound up with too many calories, but actually could have been much worse as Sweetie's original plan was to order pizzas tonight & then I probably would have had a whole lot more.

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins
Snack on golf course: 2-1/4 oz bag pretzel twists
Lunch on golf course: grilled chicken breast on a bun
Dinner: 1/3 lb burger with swiss on a Kaiser roll, fries, taste of onion ring
Evening snacks: nectarine, light microwave popcorn, plum, some of "regular" microwave popcorn others were eating
Approximate calories: 1800

Tomorrow we are going to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. This may not mean a lot to any of you, but the Tigers are going for the record worst season ever... they are BAD. But my FIL really wants to see the new stadium while he is here, and we haven't been to a game this year, so we are going. They have lost 11 in a row, so maybe they are due??? 8-| Ballpark food won't help me, but it's only one more day with the In-Laws and I can get back to my normal routine. Will miss them -- all the golf and cards has been fun! Also not looking forward to work next week -- WAYYYYY too much to do.

Lisrey I-)

Hey Lisrey,

HOpe you are the Tigers good luck charm, well for one game anyways, hehe. Go Blue Jays!!! Oops, this is your journal, sorry.

Congrats on the last pound. Pound by pound you are dwiddling away!!!

EEEK...I went to the Sox game a few weeks back...I did ok...had a bun-less beef and a diet coke...oh...and water too!

I would have loved some nachos...and of course something off of the dessert cart...but on SBD...its not allowed!

How did you do?

mcmarto

Hiya Crazy & Mc! Yes, had a good time at the game. Split some fries with Sweetie & had a polish sausage dog. Not great diet-wise, but it was good. Was also VERY hot & Sweetie got me a frozen lemonade, which was ff but 300 calories. The best part was the Tigers actually WON! Broke their 11-game losing streak & came from behind for the first time this whole YEAR! They won in a last-play home run -- it was SO exciting & everybody loved it. :D We were all happy that we went.

Gotta write up my food & hit the sack -- very tired plus work this week is gonna be killer. In-Laws leave in the a.m.

I didn't get any formal exercise in today, and I ate too many calories. :(

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins
Snack: 1 serving Snyders honey wheat pretzels
Lunch: 1 sausage dog on bun w/ketchup, some french fries, frozen lemonade
Dinner: 2 grilled chicken breast sandwiches with bbq sauce, 2 ears corn on cob, plum
Approximate calories: 2050

Lisrey I-)

You are the Tigers Good Luck Charm!!!

Hello My dear. You are a good Luck charm.....

I'm glad to hear you are having such fun. And you are still aware of what you are doing.

I went to a friends over the weekend and she had lost so much weight. She went on this Londora diet and was showing me these bars she eats. I may have her order some for me. They are 150 cal. 4.5 g of Fat, 10 g of protien and 21 g of carbs. Do you think the fat is high. I'll let you know how they taste.

I knew you would find time to walk! :up:

Crazy, you're so cute! I had a really fun time at the game -- what an amazing ending. I'm sure they did it just for me! :o

Hey, Max, I don't know anything about that diet -- never heard of it. Those bars sound okay; I think the important thing if it is a meal replacement bar is that it have a significant amount of protein in it.

My In-Laws flew home this morning & I worked all day. My Sweetie is at the concert that had to be rescheduled from the night of the blackout. Kind of a crazy day around here. I am doing laundry now & trying to catch up on stuff I couldn't do while our guests were here.

Got one evaluation completely finished & started on a second at work. Hopefully will finish that one and start on a third tomorrow. I scheduled myself off the public desk all week. I hope that is enough time for me to do this stuff so I won't have to go in and work over the Labor Day weekend. :eek: We'll see.

Did Curves after work. Had them weigh and measure me. I lost 1/2 pound according to their scale, and my body fat percentage was up a little from last time. I know it's from all the bad stuff I ate the past couple of days. Hopefully the scale will be back down where it belongs by my "official" weigh-in on Wednesday. I am not too worried.

Breakfast: Special K blueberry cereal bar, plum
Lunch: BBQ chicken sandwich, honey wheat pretzels, nectarine
Dinner: Broiled marinated salmon, baked potato w/ff sour cream and light butter, ear of corn on the cob, peach
Total calories: 1450

My salmon, potato, corn, and peach I had for tonight's dinner were somehow all HUGE! I am not sure how I wound up with such big things all at the same meal! :laugh: Sometimes I have a large-ish potato or corn or whatever, but usually just one thing is on the big side! I am stuffed & calories are probably a bit higher than I realize...

I am pretty tired tonight. I need to catch up on some sleep now that my In-Laws are gone. I work the later shift the next two days. I plan to walk tomorrow morning unless it is raining, and will go to Curves Wednesday morning. I am soooo hoping I can finish these evaluations without having to put in extra hours...

Lisrey *

Oh...glad you had fun at the game...and...you didn't do too bad!

Keep up the good work!

mcmarto

Exciting Announcement!

Today I realized that I have lost exactly 1/3 of my starting body weight!

72 + 72 + 72 = 216 and 216 - 72 = 144.

Wow! I was astounded to recognize this! *

**************************************

Hi, Mc! Well, all I can say about my food at the game was at least there wasn't more of it! I didn't make good choices at all, but at least I didn't overeat. :)

It was raining this morning when I got up, so I revised my plan. I went to Curves instead of walking. Tomorrow morning I hope to walk -- no rain in the forecast as far as I know. I don't usually like to do Curves 2 days in a row. I like to space my weights work out every other day or so through the week. I felt like I got a really good workout there today, though. I don't understand sometimes what makes my heartrate do what it does. I went lighter on the cardio today & tried to push myself on the machines, and my heartrate was way up (where I want it to be). Sometimes when I try this strategy it stays way low. I don't get it, but I am going to keep working at it!

Did well with work today -- got the first draft of another evaluation written. Tomorrow when I go in I will edit and proof it, and then dive into the next one... Two down, two to go. 8-|

Breakfast: 1 cup peanut butter Puffins (almost gone!)
Lunch: usual chicken sandwich, honey wheat pretzels, plum
Dinner: Lean Cuisine chicken fettuccine, Kashi TLC crackers, peach
Evening snack: couple of Baked Ruffles, 1 bag light microwave popcorn
Total calories: 1314 :up:

Tomorrow is my "official" weigh-in. Not sure what to expect. I was back to 144 this morning after the In-Laws' visit. Could I possibly be lower tomorrow after today's good effort? I really wanted to lose 2 pounds in August, and tomorrow is the last weigh-in of the month!

Lisrey :flower:

Congrats on the 144 after your in-laws' visit. Eating out more than once or twice in a week is difficult, and arena/stadium food is really tough to deal with!

I didn't check yet today but now I think you are beating me on the Green Acres Challenge. I'm not giving up though...this is the most consistent I have been since I can remember!

The job I started last October is the first in which I must write employee evaluations (I'm assuming that's what you mean...I may have missed the details a ways back). Unfortunately where I work they don't make it a priority unless the employee is due for a step increase. I'm one of the few supervisors doing evaluations. Thank goodness I've only got two!

Hi Lisrey :wave:

Goodie for you and the 1/3 and maintaining 144....... :hop:

So I was curious about your heart rate because this is my concern. Is it better for your HR to be at the high end or somewheres in between?

Oh hey i was at the store last night and was looking at the Ritz Chips, I beleive they were somewhere between 120 and 140 cal for 14 (I think) and 6g of fat.

So are you starting to notice the time change over there yet? I'm noticing its darker in the morning and getting darker sooner.

I weighed in this morning & lost another pound!!! Yipppeeee!!! * :D *

I just got back in from my 2.3 mile walk & am about to hop in the shower. I am soooo excited I have accomplished my goal of a 2-pound loss for August. My next goal is 3 pounds in September, to get me to that magic number 140...

Be back tonight to respond & report!

Lisrey :ex:

Good for you!!

I think that is so cool that you're still setting and reaching (small) goals after coming so far!!

:dn :dc :jn

Hi, Lutha! Yes, the Green Acres thing has been great. I wish more people were still posting, but maybe they will report in at the end of the month. I will miss another day tomorrow, but I'm likely to end up 28/31. I have been jammin' with my exercise this past couple of months. I love Daylight Savings Time!! :D Yes, I am writing employee evaluations. They are tough, long forms that I have to do, with a lot of narrative. We have a merit-based system for raises, so what I write and how I score has a real impact on people's pay. I have 6 people who work for me right now. 4 evals are now done. I got a good start on the 5th today. I may actually finish by the Friday deadline & that will be such a relief!

Max, yes, I love Daylight Savings Time (see above!), and we are starting to head back to the dark side. It's sad & depressing. Used to be light well after 9 p.m., now it is dark by 8:30. :( I think that's kinda high fat in those chips. I will try to resist even trying them! As for the heartrate thing, I just use the chart on the wall at Curves. I don't really know that much about the numbers -- I just go by my age on that chart & shoot for the 80% rate. (Does that make any sense??)

Hi, elivi! Yes, mini goals have helped me all the way. Can't look at it as the whole huge number or it is overwhelming. I am psyched to get to 140 for so many reasons. It will be a major accomplishment & I sure hope I can do it by the end of September. I have a tougher time in the Fall (see above comments on DST, apparently this is a themed post, LOL!) I will be going to a wedding in November and I would LOVE to be in the 130s by then... we'll see how I do!

I already reported that I lost a pound & walked, I talked about my work accomplishments... here's what my food looked like:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup peanut butter Puffins & 1/2 cup Kashi Crunch
Lunch: usual BBQ chicken sandwich, Kashi TLC crackers, plum
Dinner: Lean Cuisine Thai-style chicken, honey wheat pretzels, peach
Evening snack: couple Baked Ruffles, 1 bag light micro popcorn
Total calories: 1264 :up:

Tomorrow will be tough. I don't have anything left to make a sandwich out of, so I will go out for lunch. After work I am taking my parents out for dinner for their anniversary. They have had a couple of rough years with their relationship & I want to try to make them feel good. I suggested to my sisters that we go in together on Pavorotti tickets (my Mom is a HUGE opera buff), and I am sure she will be thrilled. I won't get to exercise, but the restaurant I have chosen has great fish, so I ought to do okay with that part.

Lisrey :cat:

:dn Gosh just the mention of you getting into the 130's makes me shiver with Gleee........ Can you imagine.....!!! I;m sure you will do well with your food today. Let me guess a Quiznos for lunch with some baked chips?
White fish for dinner? Hey maybe try a Tuna steak? Or maybe wait till someone elese orders it so you can try it. ;)

Gosh Lisrey I am so happy for your steady weightloss.... You just keep on shrinking.... :up:

Oh and feel glad its getting dark at 7:30 8:00 here.....

wow 143, that is great Lisrey.

Glad to see you doing so great.

I will be starting a new journal in Sept. so am working up to a fresh start then.

I deleted my old journal, not much there anyways.

I am looking forward to having a regular routine again, summers are just crazy.

Well, I think things will pick up again in the fall. I wonder if all summers are slow here?

See ya soon.

Hey Lisrey!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are so awesome...so happy to lose 2lbs in one month...I am stressed cause I have only lost one pound in the last 2 weeks...this is week 3 now!...I am getting frustrated...keep up the great work!

Hope you have fun at your lunch and dinner!

Question...You have only about 1200-1300 calories a day...are you hungry?...OR used to such a low amount?

mc

I have been staring at my computer screen at work for 4 days. My eyes can't take much more tonight! :eek:

Max, I can't imagine the 130s... but I WANT to!

Crazy, message me when you start your new journal, k? I don't want to miss it! I traditionally have a stagnant period in the fall & don't lose again until January... but I am gonna try my darndest not to let that happen this year!

Mc, I shoot for 1200-1500 calories per day. Often I go over on my calories. No, I don't really get hungry at this amount of cals, but I don't always eat because I'm hungry, and that's not good. You have looked at the past couple of days, when I've eaten on my own without my husband cooking or bringing home takeout! :laugh:

I got another evaluation done today & got the groundwork prepared for the last one. I am going to work on it all day tomorrow and be DONE. A former employee who is now 8 months pregnant & a good friend is coming to visit me for lunch tomorrow (I am taking her out). Haven't seen her since last summer or fall, so this is a special event. Not sure where we will go -- gonna let her pick since she is eating for two!

I got out of the building for lunch today. Did not make the healthiest choice... Went to my favorite place for grinders & had a slice of pizza with pineapple & bacon (for some reason this is my favorite combination on pizza, don't know why -- even I think it is weird). They do not have any baked chips there & I had a bag of cheddar & sour cream Ruffles. They weren't that exciting to me, I couldn't believe it. (Still ate them, though!)

Dinner with my Mom & Dad was really nice. They liked the restaurant I picked, and afterwards we strolled around the downtown a little. They liked their gift.. I cannot tell how they are getting along. They seem fine but they don't. I am still hoping for the best. :(

Breakfast: Special K fruit & cereal bar, peach
Lunch: Pizza slice with pineapple & bacon, cheddar & sour cream Ruffles
Snack at home: 1/2 serving honey wheat pretzel sticks
Dinner: 4 small slices Italian bread w/olive oil, whitefish encrusted in pine nuts, small roasted potato, bite of Dad's cannoli (he forced it on me!)
Estimated calories: 1400 (not sure how this can be, but that's what I get!) :up:

My Mom is looking great. She has been doing WW and pilates. I can definitely notice her hips looking smaller, which is very cool, as I inherited mine from her. I want results like that! Maybe I can get them???

I really really really need this 3-day weekend!! I am mentally exhausted from writing these evaluations. They are intense and difficult. One a week would have been do-able. Four in one week is torture. Over the next two weeks I will have to give them, which will be a different kind of fun...

The guy called to let me know my bike is finally ready to go! He said he ordered a bunch of different possible set-ups to solve my handlebar fit problems, too, so when I go in we will try to figure all that out. I am really hoping that these changes make a difference in how I feel about biking. I don't want to be disappointed. The summer is coming to a close & I would like to be able to get myself riding comfortably for a little while before I need to put the bike away for the winter again. Not sure when I am going to be able to go pick it up. Thinking about Saturday after the football game if there is time. Otherwise will have to be late next week.

Hahahaha my cat is here and wants attention. Laying all over my laptop purring and making this impossible to type. Guess I am off!

Lisrey :cat:

Have fun with your friend today. And have a wonderful few days off. I've always wanted to try pilates. Have you ever done that? Good for your mom that is great.

Hi Max, my faithful visitor! :) Nope, I've never done pilates. It's been the hottest thing at the Library for a long time now -- we can't keep those videos/DVDs on the shelf. Same with yoga and tai chi.. Since I am doing Curves I feel like I am getting my weight training/stretching in, but I would like to find some more cardio exercise that I enjoy... Walking is great, but would like something else for variety. Hm...

I finished the last evaluation today. I printed them all out & turned in the scores. I am SO RELIEVED to be done at last. My eyes aren't as bad as they were last night. I feel okay. Let the weekend begin! *

My 8-month pregnant friend visited at lunchtime today. She looks gorgeous. I am so proud of her... I have been a mentor to her in our profession & although she is taking a break right now to have her baby, she is doing great things in her career. It was wonderful to see her.

After work I went & did my workout at Curves. When I got there, there was only one person on the circuit! I have never seen it so empty. By the time I left there were 6 or 7 more people, but it was very odd with just two of us!

My Sweetie played golf this evening so I fended for myself for dinner. I was very sad when I got done eating to see how dark it was... could not walk. :c( Fall is sneaking up on me! I don't want this! Aaaarrrggghhhh!!!!

Breakfast: Oatmeal Crisp strawberry cereal bar
Lunch: Applebee's fiesta lime chicken (only ate a little of the rice)
Dinner: grilled marinated pork chop, baked potato w/ff sour cream & light butter, ear of fresh corn, pear
Total estimated calories: 1480

I have no idea what kind of nutritional value that chicken has. I went to their website & there is no nutrition info. Grrrr... It has a somewhat cheesy sauce over it but not a lot. The description of the sauce is kind of strange, though... ??? Whatever its nutrition value, it tastes great to me, and it's what I always order if I go there. So I hope it is reasonable!

Tomorrow will be a challenge, food-wise. We are going to the year's first Michigan football game. I usually get a sausage dog at the games, sometimes a big soft pretzel, too. I need to make better choices. I wonder if I could take my own food? I will ask Sweetie. They are very restrictive about what they allow inside the stadium anymore. The game is at noon so we will go early & eat there... GO BLUE!

Lisrey :up:

Tequila Lime Chicken (including Mexican Rice) 22.5 at Apple Bees.. I could only find the WW point value. :tomato: Hope this doesnt annoy you!

Many congratulations are in order. First for another pound gone for good, then for all of your exercise, and lastly for getting those evaluations done! Yours definitely sound more in-depth than the ones I do.

The fiesta lime chicken had a cheesy sauce, eh? I wouldn't have thought those things would taste good together, but of course I take your word for it.

Darn, I'd better get to bed...can't seem to type properly and I didn't even have any wine.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks, Max, for the ww info. Do you have any idea what that means? It doesn't annoy me, but it doesn't mean much to me, LOL! :laugh:

Hi, Lutha! Thanks for stopping in. Yes, the chicken thing is good. They marinate it in tequila-lime stuff, then grill it. They serve it over some thin tortilla strips, and pour a little of this creamy sauce over it. It is not that heavy thick cheese, just a little cheesy. Mmmmm...

Well, I did okay at the game, but later I did not do as well. Lemme tell you about it! Walked this morning when I got up. It was a crisp morning -- I wore shorts & a t-shirt as usual, but I could've stood a jacket at the beginning. Did the 2.3 mile loop/39 minutes -- told Sweetie I could be back by the time he wanted to leave, or I may have walked longer. Started the 7th tape of my book. :)

The game was at noon today -- it was fun! Kinda warm in the sun. We got hot in the 2nd half. I ate a grilled chicken breast on a bun, and when it got hot, Sweetie bought us each a frozen lemonade thing. I didn't like mine that well & only ate 1/2 of it (Sweetie polished it off). The good guys won 45-7. Yay!!!

Later, I went to the bike shop to get my bike & try to get it fitted better. The poor bike shop guy was really busy & I had to wait a long time (over an hour)... He adjusted the seat height & angle, then adjusted the angle of the handlebars to try to relieve the pressure on my carpal tunnels. We made a plan that I would try it this way for a few days while he orders a higher handlebar that is black like my existing ones.

When I got home I only had about 10-15 minutes before it was too dark to do anything outside -- and I took the bike for a quick spin. It has brand new road tires & had a tune up -- and I loved it! I could go so FAST! I was smiling and laughing and I am thrilled! I am going to be able to ride more after this (except the summer is nearly over...), and I am gonna like my bike for the first time since I bought it in 1992!

Sweetie went to the store this evening & bought stuff to make tacos, but we didn't eat them until after 9:00. I was really hungry & didn't pay a lot of attention to how much I was eating (rare for me). Just really enjoyed my tacos & ate more than I should have. I'm not overly full, but feel satisfied. I should -- almost 2300 calories today! Arrrggghh!!

Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Crunch cereal
Lunch: grilled chicken breast on bun
Snack at the game: 1-1/2 cups frozen lemonade
Snack at home: plum, 1-1/2 servings Kashi TLC crackers, couple of Baked Ruffles
Dinner: 4 tacos (Taco Bell hard taco shells, spicy ground round (pan fried), shredded cheddar cheese), baked Tostitos & salsa

I am super-happy about the football, my bike, and the long weekend! Tomorrow: weeds in the wall bed, more bike riding, maybe a hike?? Monday will be the Labor Day Mackinac Bridge walk, which I have wanted to walk for 3 years now... and I am not going to be there AGAIN. :( So I want to do some kind of hike or other outdoor activity in its place. Monday I think we are gonna play golf. Should be fun!

Lisrey :lift:

just a quick :wave: & :hug:


hope you have a fantastic long weekend


:jn



Peng

I have had that chicken from Applebee's...it is good!

Of course not listed on www.calorieking.com either!...hahaha!

You are doing so well...keep up the good work!...Yahoo...you are done with all those evaluations...now what?...

It's been raining for two days now...and it is cool now...maybe only in the 60's!...

Well...hope you had a relaxing weekend!

mcmarto

Hiya Pengii & Mc! So nice to see you here!

Had a weird day today. Was nice & sunny this morning. Got up & out & weeded in my flower bed for awhile. My plants have gotten so big I have to really bend & reach to pull the weeds & I can't sit down at all. My thighs were aching when I wa