Hello all! Crazy2 inspired me to get the ball rolling again! I've just been putzing around the last while, picking up a pound here and there. And then suddenly (although not really suddenly) I was up 12 lbs. as of this morning! Those sneaky little bastards really creep back so easily. X-( But it's no one's fault but my own. So here goes.

I entered my weight at Fitday this morning and gave myself until May 31st to lose 8 lbs. That gives me 4 weeks and 4 days according to Fitday. I have to lose 1.75 lbs. per week to lose 8 lbs. in that amount of time. So that's obviously very doable. Of course, my first instinct was to challenge myself to lose all 12 lbs. by the end of May, but then I figured I might be setting myself up for failure. So 8 lbs. it is.

The weather was really nice here last week - sunny and in the 70's. But then over the weekend, it crashed. Low 40's, windy and rainy. And I got to go to Michigan Saturday and sit out for a Little League game in gale-force winds! ONLY for my grandsons would I do that, lol. It was horrible. Then last night, it SNOWED. It covered the grass and there is still some this morning. So I'm going to the gym. I really wanted to walk outside, but it's really messy and muddy. I know that's an excuse, but I've gotten wimpy in my old age, lol. The gym it is! But I do intend to start walking outside as soon as the sun agrees to come out again.

I'm really gonna focus on my food and exercise for the month of May. I was gonna say 'like I'm on the Biggest Loser', but I don't have that kind of time. I'm not gonna set out a list of goals, I'm just gonna do them. Starting today. :mus:

Hey bella! Welcome back to the journals sub. :) You can do it!

What happened? Don't get me wrong, I can gain 12 lbs in one meal... just being curious. It;s nice to know even my idols backtrack a little (you can say you did this to inspire me!)

Hahah! How are you?

Hey Mel,

I am always amazed when something I did helps someone else. Very neat.

You will get those 12 pounds back off, I know you will. I am also shooting for 2 pounds a week. That is pretty big for me but want to push myself and get it done.

What happened??? lmao **** happens. :D Basically, I like to bury my head in the sand occasionally. While i know I shouldn't have something extra (especially at night) I tend to do that and then purposely not weigh in the morning. But tell myself that it was just something small and it probably won't affect my weight. And then I do it the next night too. Then i step on the scale and panic! So then I lose a pound or two. Then I get complacent and figure I have a handle on things. And then it starts over. Then I get really bad for a day or two and put on a couple of pounds quickly. And so it goes. 8-| I can easily put on 5 lbs. in two or three days if I eat badly. Usually I can nip it in the bud before it gets as far as 12 lbs., but not this time. X-(

I'm doing good in general. I still like my job at C&B. Next week my boss and I are going out of town for a couple of days to work at another store. My boss is training a new store manager and I'm gonna be in charge of the floor, as their asst. manager quit as well. So they're really short staffed and we'll be staying there for several days. It'll be fun - my boss and I get along very well.

My grandsons are growing like weeds and Randy seems happy with his new girlfriend. Miranda's wedding is 3 mo. away and she's getting excited. Mike - well, Mike is Mike. The child needs a job, before he gets on our last nerve. Actually, I think he's already finished off my husband's last nerve. He's turning 19 next month and is still very much a teenager. He needs to realize he's in the real world now. He doesn't want to go to school, but also doesn't think he needs a job. Or much of one. He doesn't realize he needs a man's type of job. He can't have a kids job making $6 an hour. He needs a job with benefits and decent pay. He goes off our insurance in about 2 weeks. Okay, enough whining and complaining about my baby. Believe it or not, he really is my sweetie.

Food has gone well the last two days. And today it finally is nice enough outside that Miranda and I took Zoey for a 2 mile walk this afternoon.

Nancy - you and I will lose those 2 lbs. a week together. We can do it!

Well, I'm tired so I think I'll make Dean's lunch and go to bed.

Yep, those kids can float through life if allowed, lol. And its hard when we love em so much. Sounds like they are all good kids. Might have to cut off the money flow to him and let him go without for a while. They seem to wake up when there is no money in their pockets, lol.

Haven't been here for a few days again. Been really busy. The days just seem to fly by. Food is going quite well and I've exercised 2 out of 3 days. My husband and I went to the mall to walk this morning. I would have liked to walk outside, but it looked like rain AGAIN. We had tornado warnings here last night. Thank goodness they didn't materialize.

Nancy - either Mike gets a job SOON or he's not only gonna be without money, he's gonna be without a car. I won't sell it, but he won't have the gas to get anywhere unless he has a job interview. We work too much to chauffer him around. Recently he washed his cell phone by accident and when we got him that phone, it was very soundly stated that it was THE LAST one we were ever going to buy him. He's extremely hard on phones. I got a new phone today, so he's trying to resurrect my old one, lol. He'll learn sooner or later. 8-|

Well, I'd better get moving - I have laundry and cleaning to do. :down:

Yikes! That must be frustrating. Poor kid. (and poor you!)

Does he have a girlfriend? Friends?

I was just curious if your reasons for gaining weight are the same as mine and they are! Maybe there's hope for me yet. How far out of town are you going? I hope you have fun!

I thought Dean retired?

Ha! His retirement lasted about 3 days. He retired from Mittal and took his pension. But he had just turned 54 at the time and Miranda was in college and Mike was still in high school. He has a decent pension, but not enough to pay college tuition and still live! The new job he got kind of came to him and it was a great offer from a guy he used to work with. He's making a better salary at this job than he did the other, lol. Plus his pension. So we're doing quite well right now.

Mike has a girlfriend - the same one for about a year now. They fight quite a bit, but he gets over it rather quickly. She's rather volital, but I think she's used to that. She's not had a great childhood and I try to get Mike to take that into consideration when dealing with her. She can be a sweet kid. She's a senior in high school and Mike's only been out a year, so they're still both kids. I just hope they don't do anything stupid.


My boss and I are working at a store that is about 2 hrs. from here. We're being put up at a hotel cause we don't want to drive back and forth, especially cause on Monday we're pulling an open to close. We'll just be gone a couple of days.

I'm doing all my sprucing up tonight. I'm coloring my hair and I just exfoliated and shaved my legs. I'll probably put a little sunless tanning stuff on my legs so that they're not so pasty white too, lol. Well, maybe I'll check in later after I get this dye out of my hair. Don't want to leave it on toooo long!

Ah, she is getting all gorgeous!!! Good for you for taking time for yourself.

Good work on your food and exercise too. Nothing feels as good as being on track feels!!!

Good Morning Mel, :wn

I just noted YOUR NEW Journal and of course I wanted to subscribe to it to CHECK AND READ ABOUT your ONGOING SUCCESSES .. have and make it a great day and a terrific weekend. Monica

Ah Monica, you subscribe to my journal and then I disappear for a few days, lol.

Well, I survived my time out-of-town, it's fun to go to another store. Just a little different. The drive in the morning was tough, cause it was during Chicago rush hour. But when we came home it was much easier cause we left after the rush. That took 1/2 hr. off the drive! That store was a mess - it makes me appreciate the one I work at. Ours is orderly and clean and we straighten it every night. I couldn't believe the mess we walked into Monday morning. We would be in big trouble if we left our store looking like that!

I've been doing quite well as far as the food goes. Exercise hasn't been too consistent. I hope to do better the next couple of days. Then come the weekend and it's my weekend to cover the store so I won't have much time. :( But I've been drinking lots of water and the scale is showing an improvement, even without the daily exercise. So I'm happy about that. I'm sure it would be more if I exercised every day, but right now that just isn't happening.

Okay, I'm off to bed. I-)

Still on plan and still happy with my progress. I'll be really busy the next 3 days with work, so don't know how often I'll get here. But busy, busy, means i don't have a lot of time to eat. And that's a good thing.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend and a Happy Mother's Day. :)

:wave: I hope you have a faboo weekend!

Thanks Cori - I hope your Mother's Day was a good one. Mine was busy, as work was REALLY, REALLY hectic this weekend. Add register problems to the mix - it was hell. Oh well, I survived.

I have today and tomorrow off! I have lots of stuff to do today, laundry, grocery shopping and some fun shopping. Miranda's future mil is giving a bridal shower for her this weekend. It's not huge, so she's having it at her house. My mom, mil and I are invited. We won't know anyone else, but that's okay. So I'm going to shop for a gift for my daughter. My sisters are giving her a shower in June too. So I thought for this shower I'd get her a fancy nightgown and she really likes board games (which they don't have any yet) so I thought I'd get her things like that. Then when we were at a bridal shop the other day, they had a really cute tote that said 'Bride' in rhinestones - something right up Miranda's alley. They also had a t-shirt for guys that said 'Sorry girls, I'm taken'. I thought I'd get that (or something similar) for Tom. So it'll be kind of an eclectic type of gift, lol.

Anyhoo, I weighed in yesterday. I was really happy with my results - I lost 5 lbs. in 6 days! I really need to step up the exercise if I want to lose much more. But I will, cause I'm determined to be at my WW's goal before the wedding. :mus:

Well, I have lots to do today, so I'd best get to it!

5 lbs in 6 days? Did you swallow a tape worm?!? (No Cori, but with that image, I'll never eat again and lose the last 7 lbs in 3 days)..

Congrats!

When does M get married again? Craziness.

Oh Mel, I'm with you on your motto LOL. Sorta have to be since my house is never clean LOL.

Congrats on the great loss! You'll be at you WW goal in no time.

Thanks for stopping by my journal and encouraging me.

Hugs,
Dar

Oh Cori, now I can add the tape worm in my stomach image to the maggot one, lol. Now I'll never eat again!

Darlene, I just spent about an hour trying to tidy up my kitchen so that my mother won't faint when she comes over this afternoon. It still isn't great, but at least the mound of dishes is done, the stove is clean and the counter (where you can get at them) are wiped. The bathroom is also clean. 8-| My mother is affectionately called 'the white tornado', and her home is always disinfected. I'm sure my mom wouldn't have fainted, cause she would have refused to fall down on my dirty floor! :laugh:

My mom is coming over this afternoon to go to Miranda's bridal shower with us this afternoon. Miranda was sooo excited this morning, even though her sinuses are killing her. Cori - Miranda is getting married August 2nd - about 2 1/2 months away. Hard to believe!

I'm still happy with the scale, it's inching down. But today probably won't be the greatest of days for eating, but I'm not going to worry about it. I have no idea what they're having to eat at the shower. I'll eat what they serve, but I won't make a pig of myself. I'll probably post later tonight on what was served. This isn't a fancy shower (thank goodness) just a small family shower at her fiancee's house. Hopefully it'll be fun. Well, I'd better go get ready, it's later than I thought!

Well, the weekend is over - thank goodness. What a terrible weekend from a diet standpoint. :o Saturday was Miranda's shower and while I had cake, the rest wasn't so bad. But then (for some unknown reason) I came home and ate crap for the rest of the day. And then Sunday was Tom's college graduation. (Miranda's fiancee') We went to graduation and then went to Olive Garden with his parents for dinner. Ate terrible again and still ate after I came home. Don't know what got into me! On Saturday morning I was down 2 lbs. for the week. Needless to say, I did NOT step on the scale this morning. I don't even want to hazard a guess as to what it would have said. When my mom came on Saturday she brought a big container of oatmeal/raisin cookies that I believe come from Costco. They're wonderful and I've had about a million of them this weekend. So did others around here, so they're almost gone. I hope they finish them off today so that I don't have anymore! I'm just so darn disappointed with myself this weekend. X-( All that hard work during the week just shot to hell.

i know its hard to think positive after a bit of a bad spell. Im really bad at it myself. but just have to think, that was last week, this is a new week, im gonna start strong, and keep up that attitude i know i have within me to make the right choices. good luck, were all here for u

I'm still proud of you. One weekend doesn't make or break anything. Just choose to finish the week well.. I'd say weekend, but is it a long weekend in the US? It is here.

No, it wasn't a holiday weekend here! What holiday was it in Canada?

I realize a weekend doesn't make or break anything, but it's just so darn hard to get back to the 'straight and narrow' after a really bad couple of days. I ate less yesterday than over the weekend, but still didn't do the greatest. But at least all those darn cookies are gone! Thank you, Michael. :D

I just have to tell you about my baby Mike. He just turned 19. For the last 4 or 5 years, he's had his hair longer and his hair is really curly. It looked rather like a mop sitting on his head and he would wash it and put a cap on so it laid more flat to his head. The only really nice things about it was that it kind of covered up most of his multiple piercings. 8-| But since he is having a hard time finding a full-time job, he decided to cut his hair. He used the buzzer and cut it down to a 4. He just trimmed it and used a 3. You wouldn't believe how different he looks! His face looks much more mature. It does show all his piercings, of course, but he takes them out for job interviews. He really looks nice. He's my sweetie. :love:

Wow, been a while again. Been really busy with work and then I bought a new car, so I've been messing around with that. I got a Nissan Murano and I love it. It's not quite my Durango (which I LOVED!), but the main thing is that my Murano shouldn't guzzle as much gas as the Durango. That's the reason i got rid of it. But the Murano is quite nice. :)

I've not been eating too well, but tomorrow is it! I've got to get back on track - all the way! I'm gonna walk tomorrow - hold me to that! And I'm gonna try to do some more on the Wii. I'm off tomorrow, so I should have plenty of time.

I'll be utilizing my journal more often once i get back on track. You'll probably get sick of me posting, lol. :laugh:

Hey Mel,

LOL, you sound like a proud mom, hope the new 'do' helps him get a good job.

Congratulations on the new vehicle, sounds great!!!

Ok, tomorrow, you and me, back on track, walkin' and losin'!!! :)

Okay Nancy, I'm gonna check on you tomorrow and I want you to check on me to see if I walk.

Good morning. :) I did walk this morning. My husband and i went 3 miles. I could tell I haven't been walking regularly. 8-| It was a nice breezy day, but a little humid. It poured here overnight. There were little helicopters EVERYWHERE. So that is done. I think after lunch maybe I'll do the Wii Fit. I joined Wendy's challenge, so today would be a good day to get that in, as I work a long shift tomorrow. I'd like to walk tomorrow morning early if it's nice enough outside. I'll be back later to report on my day.

My day went well. I did do the Wii Fit in the afternoon for 38 min. We took the dog for a walk after dinner and then I did a few more minutes on Wii Fit until my son and husband decided they wanted to try it again.

I kept my calories low, drank plenty and ended up with 34 gms of fiber. So it was a good start to my week. :)

Wendy's challenge? Congrats on the new car, the walk, the Wii Fitting.. and the eating! :)

Has Mike found a job?

No, he hasn't. 8-| Sore subject around here.

Wendy started a Wii Fit challenge. Should be lots of fun. :)

Well, I was happy with the scale this morning. :)

My daughter asked me last night if I wanted to go out for breakfast this morning. I said yes, but told her I wanted to walk first. She said she might go with me. So I wake up this morning and opened her door and asked if she wanted to go to breakfast first to let it warm up outside a little. No, she didn't want to go to breakfast and no, she didn't want to walk later. She wanted to sleep longer. X-( I purposely got up a little earlier so I'd have time to do both before I have to get ready for work. Needless to say, I'm not too happy with her!

It was really nice here yesterday. Now today, it's like 45 degrees out and extremely windy with the wind coming out of the north. Brrrrr. I'm really gonna have to push myself out the door to walk.

I'll be back later on.

Brr, that is a little cool, but pile on a couple of layers, take some mitts and something for your head, you will warm up soon and have to take off the mitts and head stuff, then unzip the layers, lol. You'll do it, I know you will.

Bummer about the cancelled breakfast and walk. But you had lots of time then before work, how did it go?

Nancy, I'm getting to be really wimpy in my old age, lol. I used to walk no matter what the weather. It could be 0 degrees with a stiff north wind and I'd still go. It could be raining and I'd go. I would layer a few things but not too much, cause after the first mile your body heats up and then you'd be too hot if you wore too much. But the last 2 yrs. or so, I've been using the weather for an excuse.

We'll see how things go today, lol. I haven't been out yet - been paying bills, folding laundry and getting dinner ready since I work afternoon/evenings tonight. I'll figure something out. :laugh: Cause I WILL DO SOMETHING!

So what did you end up doing?

Well, I ended up making 4 laps around the mall. 2 laps before work (I got there a little early) and 2 laps during my dinner break. Not quite what I wanted, but better than nothing. 8-|

I'll check in tomorrow morning, but then I'm gonna be gone to Michigan all day. Won't be back until quite late. Yippee, skippee, I gonna see my boys! :D

Did you have fun? :)

Mel,

that is great that you were able to go see your boys!!! Hope it was a great time.

Yes, I did have fun - part of the time. Mike went with me, that was interesting. 8-| He's been having trouble with his girlfriend (they've been going out for over a year) He found out on the way to MI that she slept with someone else last week. He was hugely upset to say the least. He ranted and raved and then cried. It was very upsetting. She wouldn't admit it at first when he called her, then later admitted it. Then he tells me this happened one other time (where they argued and she went and slept with someone else) and he forgave her. He's not forgiving her this time. He's done. She was going to stop by yesterday and bring his stuff back and she was tacky enough to bring the guy with her. The guy is a real skank, is known to have different STDs and stuff like that. I really liked Brynn, but I'm very disappointed in her. I've overlooked a lot of things she's done, simply because she's had a very rough life and she's quite immature. But she's made some really bad decisions that she doesn't own up to. Even though this is hard for Mike, I hope he's done with her this time.

When we got to MI, I helped Randy and Shannon strip wallpaper for a while till the boys got home from school. Then I helped them clean their room and get ready for their ballgame. They had to be there 1/2 hr. before the game, so I took them so that Randy and Shannon could get cleaned up. While I was gone, they had a talk with Mike about Brynn. He was really receptive and it seemed to help him a lot. I was glad for that. He seemed much calmer on the way home.

The boys won their game - their team is undefeated so far this season. They each got a hit, so they were happy. This is a tough league for them to be in, they're among the youngest. They just turned 9 in April and there are kids that are 11. Christian is somewhat holding his own, but Alex is struggling big time. But they got hits, so they were happy when we went to Applebees for dinner. They both ate like horses and were ready for bed after that. Mike and I left right away and Mike talked quite a bit on the way home. I think he's got this squared away in his head for the most part. I hope he just sticks to his guns. He's talking about asking a different girl out - he's known her for a long time and they're friends. I told him it wouldn't hurt to wait a little while. But I guess I'll have to let him find his own way. It's hard to see them hurt like this. My poor baby is having a tough time this past year.

Okay, enough rambling on. I've been doing well on my eating. My exercise has been good on two days and non-exsistent on the other two. But I will do something every day for the rest of the week. I need to have 5 days this week and I will do it. The scale is cooperating and I'm happy with that. My fiber is up, my water comsumption is good and my sodium is way down. So all is good.

Speaking of which, I'd best get out for my walk!

Hi, Mel! You are doing a good job on your walking! I also think the mall is a good venue to walk in. Have a good day!

Mel,

Sorry about Mikes struggles but sounds like it is good to have her out of his life, especially with possible STD's floating around. I hope the next girl is a real sweetie and very good for him. It's so hard on moms isn't it, lol. Sounds like you are a great mom, oh and a great grandmother too.

Don't forget to walk.

It IS tough on the moms too, lol. Brynn was here a lot during the last year as her house isn't the greatest place to hang out. So they were here a lot and I've gotten to know her and of course, love her. But it's tough being a teenager these days. And even tougher for one who's had their parents each divorce multiple times and remarry multiple times, plus the live-ins inbetween. :sigh: Okay, enough on that subject. Thanks for stopping in, nancy. :hug:

I did get off my butt and went for a 3 mile walk. Good thing i got it done, cause it's overcast now and there is talk of tornado watches. I hope to use the Wii Fit later this afternoon.

Amarantha - I like to use the mall in the winter, but hopefully I'm done with that till next winter. I greatly prefer to walk outdoors if I can. Thanks for stopping by.

Be back later.

Poor Mike. I had 2 boyfriends cheat on me and who has paid for it most? Dan. It's the baggage you're left with that's the roughest.

Can I give you my address and have you help me strip my wallpaper?

You can give me your address, Cori - but you'll have to stand in line for my services, lol. I've been wanting to strip wallpaper at my own house, but haven't had the gumption to get started. And seeing the mess at Randy's, it didn't give me too much of a push. When the paper was put up, it obviously wasn't sized first. They were having a terrible time getting it down! They were using Dif AND a steamer and it still was just coming off inch by inch. At least I know mine was sized, cause I did it myself! But it's such a big job.

This was a blow for Mike, especially after he forgave her the first time. And I tried to explain to him that if he goes back with her (which I don't think he will) he'd better not sleep with her unless she gets tested for whatever she may have caught from this guy, including AIDS. I know he loves her (and she claims she loves him, go figure) and while he's pissed right now, I just hope he has learned something this time. He's got too soft of a heart.

Can you tell this is worrying me to no end?

This was a blow for Mike, especially after he forgave her the first time. And I tried to explain to him that if he goes back with her (which I don't think he will) he'd better not sleep with her unless she gets tested for whatever she may have caught from this guy, including AIDS.


I am glad that you warned him not to sleep with her, who knows these days.

Will keep him in my prayers as I also have a son and would be very worried too.

Thanks Nancy, I think he need our prayers right now. The last year has been pretty tough for him. Some of it was his own doing, but rough non-the-less. It's tough growing up. :sigh:

Okay, I have my morning walk done - 3 miles. :)

It's tough being grown up, too! Was chatting with a friend whose mate is a real ass tonight. Breaks my heart.

I hope Mike moves on and Brynn gives her head a shake.

Mel, you have done REALLY well this week, way to go!!! And thanks for all the encouragement too.

Thanks Nancy, I have to give you credit, you're the one that inspired me to 'get going' again. And it's looks like we're both moving in the right direction!

Cori, it IS tough being a grown up too, but I think for the most part, being a teenager really sucks. It's a scary world out there. Brynn stopped by on Saturday (when Mike wasn't home) and paid me the money she owed me for her cell phone. She's on my plan and I think we'll keep it that way so long as she pays me what she owes. It would cost me a fortune to drop her line and she can't afford her own plan, so it will work for now. I thought it would be awkward when she came, but it wasn't. She admired my new car and we talked about how she would pay me and she was gone.

I LOST 5.5 lbs. this week! Woohoo! :mus:

Whoa, 5.5 pounds gone, that is just outstanding. Very happy for you. Keep it up.

Another good day. :) I'm really happy with my progress right now. Nancy inspired me to get started again and now getting the Wii Fit has sparked my interest in exercise again. I've been walking some too. The balance games on the Wii Fit have made my legs a little sore and I'm really quite good at some of the yoga poses. I've never really done yoga. I bought a set of yoga DVD's a few years ago and did them like twice and now I'm not even sure where they're at anymore, lol. But my balance is quite good and so I hold the yoga poses well, which give me a good score on the Wii. And it's competitive in that it ranks you with some of the other players. And since there's 4 of us here, it's fun to sneak yourself into 1st place and then the next time my husband plays, watch his face when he sees he's no longer 1st, lol. Or groan when I see HE'S snuck in while I'm at work. 8-| But anyhoo, it's fun.

My day has gone well. I got the Murano scotch guarded on the inside today and a protective coating put on the outside. So it's nice and clean and shiny. I'm enjoying my new car. I'm going out for breakfast with my cousin Sue in the morning, so I think I'll get my nightly chores done and head for bed.

You are doing soooooooo well Mel. There really seems to be a Wii Revolution!!! Sure better than sitting on our hineys and playing games.

I love your story about watching your hubby's face when he sees you have passed him, lol. What alot of fun!!!

Glad your new vehicle is all set for you, hope you have fun with your cousin tomorrow.

Thanks Nancy, I did enjoy going to breakfast with her. It was time to catch up and we were there probably 90 min. at least. I don't have to worry about eating out for breakfast either, as I get eggbeaters with veggies and wheat toast - hold the potatoes. But we're usually too busy yacking to worry about being hungry.

I did the Wii Fit for 75 min. this afternoon. I'm happy with how I'm doing lately, hopefully it will continue. I work tonight and I'll be curious to see how my boss is doing. I worked with her Monday night and she needed to talk. Her husband passed about 3 yrs. ago and she has lawsuit against the doctor that took care of him. Or didn't take care of him. 8-| Her husband started the lawsuit before he passed and made her and the kids promise to see it through. The case went to court and the trial started Monday. So I'm hoping she's holding up okay. It's a tough time for her.

Well, I'd better hop in the shower.

Another good day. I've gotten the sugar out of my system, which really makes it easier to say on plan. And I'm pleased with my progress. I work 9 - 5 tomorrow, so I'll have to try to exercise when I get home.

I'm really tired but I don't feel like if I go to bed right now I'll be able to fall asleep. :( Maybe I'll read for a little while.

Goodnight.

Did you get a good rest? It is strange how we can feel tired but not ready to go to bed isn't it.

Do you find it easier to stay on your food plan when you work through the day? or harder?

Keep up the good work.

I find it much easier to stay on plan when I working. We're usually busy, so I don't think about food and I'm not hungry. Sometimes it gets 2 or 3 hours past lunch and i don't feel hungry. But I try to make sure I eat so that I don't gorge myself when I get home. I like being busy, it makes dieting so much easier. :)

Had a good day. I was to work by 8:15, worked until 5. My husband and i have gotten into a routine of having dinner from Dairy Queen on Friday nights, especially if I work days. We each get a grilled chicken salad. He gets Catalina Free dressing and I get the Ranch Free. I really like their salads. I did the Wii Fit for 63 minutes tonight, so I've covered all my bases. I'll have a snack in a few minutes and then I'm done for the day.

Another busy day. My husband and I walked 3 miles this morning and I'm glad I suggested we go shortly after breakfast, because I got called into work early. We were really busy all afternoon and then we had tornado warnings in our area and business dropped to almost non-existent after dinner. Thank goodness the tornados went north of us and didn't do much damage where they did touch down. According to reports, no one was injured, thank God.

It was a good day for my diet. No snacking, except for my planned snack that I always have after I get home from work. I'm gonna finish the bottle of water I have now and then head for bed. I'm pooped and tomorrow will be another very long day at work.

Long day yesterday - on my feet for 11 hrs. straight. But also didn't have time to eat other than my planned meals. Also no time for exercise. I could have done some time on the Wii Fit when I got home, but my legs weren't steady enough to do it. When I have that long of a shift, I normally lay on the couch with my legs propped up on the back for at least an hour when I get home. Oh well, it's a new week.

It's Monday, so it's weigh-in day. I lost 3 1/2 lbs.! So I think on that note, I'm going out for a walk before it gets too hot. :) I'll be back later to report that I went.

Hi Mel: Just popping in to say hi... You are doing well.. 11 hrs is a long day for sure... Take care.. Sticky and hot here too

Hi Louise! :wave: Nice of you to stop by - glad to hear you're back in your house!

After I took my son to get his car fixed, I went to the mall and had a 'spa' morning. I got my nails done, pedicure, eyebrows and lip waxed. The girls were doing lots of fancy stuff with the nails today and asked me if I wanted something more done too. So I got 'nail art' done to my fingernails and a flower on each big toenail, with the stems going through my other toenails. We'll see how I end up liking it and if my boss says anything. At work, as part of the dress code, if you wear opentoed shoes or sandals, you need to have your nails painted 'a color'. Mine are french-tipped with the flower design. We'll see if that passes, lol. I got my eyebrows done, but also got my lip waxed. As I get older, I have more stray hairs on my lip line 8-| and this is the first time I had it waxed. Boy, did that hurt, lol. I hope the redness goes away before work!

Still do quite well. I upped my calories on purpose on Monday, but then went a little over what I had planned. But I'm not too worried about it, I just got back on track yesterday. I work at 3pm - Close today, so it should be a good day.

Well, I'd better get in the shower. I'll report back later when I get home.

Wow, sounds like a lovely time at the spa, well except for the wax, lol. The nails sound very pretty. Good for you for splurging a little.

Hi Mel:wave:... that pedicure sounds nice. .I like the French manicure/pedicure too.. The flower with teh stem on the other toes I would think would pass..
May treat myself to one of those this week. Got new sandals today across border in Vermont..
CJ Banks on Friday :)

Take care

It's been a while again. :( Dietwise, I'm doing 'okay'. Not wonderful, but not terrible either. But my stress level is high as a kite. Having some problems with my youngest son, not sure how it's gonna turn out. I don't think I'm gonna get here too often - I'm rather depressed. Why are kids such a PITA sometimes? And why are husbands an equal PITA sometimes? I love them both to death, but they certainly are having a tough time getting along. I swear they do this on purpose just to piss me off. Not really, but I don't know how I'm gonna survive this. :c( Why am I always put in the middle???

Dear Mel,

BECAUSE YOU'RE SO SPECIAL .. I'm sending you :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: .. Monica

Ah, those men, I know what you mean. I hate being trapped in the middle too!!!!

Hope things smooth out soon. Saying some prayers for all of you.

Thanks to both of you. :hug: Thanks for the prayers, Nancy. They always help. It's just so darn tense around here - I was glad to go to work today. And tomorrow. We were really busy today, so it helped to take my mind off my troubles.

Have you tried smacking them both upside the head?

Many times, Cori - many times. :sigh:

Food was really bad the past couple of days, but did really good with it today. I just felt I really needed to get a grip on it before it got really out of hand. Hopefully I can string a couple of good days together, then it tends to get a little easier. I work quite a bit the next few days, so we'll see. Busy is good, lol.

You can do it Mel.

How are the guys doing?

Well, they haven't been snipping at each other, but Mike's been keeping his distance so they don't have much chance. I took his car keys away, so he's home a good part of the day, but then late afternoon he usually has a friend come pick him up and then doesnt come home until after his dad goes to bed. Guess for the time being it's better that way.

He has some good leads on a couple of jobs, one at a new Best Buy. Please pray that he has a good interview on Tuesday. He really needs a decent job. That will certainly help things around here

Good Morning Mel,

JUST STOPPING BY .. :wn .. take care of yourself and have and make it a great weekend. Monica

Avoiding each other, that happens in this house too sometimes. Can't blame the kid at all for staying away til bed. I would too.

Hope work is going alright for you Mel. You get a chance to get away from everything too.

lol - I was off for a couple of days while all this was going on and I was happy to go back to work. And I worked several nights in a row until close, so that worked out quite nicely. Gave me some peace and quiet. :D Things seem to have kind of calmed down, they at least are being civil and the worst seems to be past. 8-| Mike did some landscaping and yard work for my boss at her house today and she paid him rather well (plus gave him lunch), so he's got a little money of his own right now.

I had a very good weekend food-wise (Fri., Sat. & Sun.) I didn't get any exercise other than my standing and walking around on my job for many, many hours, lol. I'm off tomorrow and have lots of wedding details to attend to. My boss is on vacation this week, so I work 32 hrs. this week. I'm just part-time, I normally work anywhere between 20 - 28 hrs. I work 4- 8 hr. shifts for the week which gives me a 3 day holiday weekend! Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Go me!!!

I'm debating whether or not to call my son to see if my grandsons can come for the weekend. I'm rather indecisive about that, cause we're invited to some friends house on the evening of the 4th for a cookout and then on the 5th we're going out of town (only about 1 1/2 hrs. away) to a small family reunion for my husband's side of the family. I don't know whether to see if the boys can come or if it would be nicer to have a more relaxing time without them, lol. That sounds terrible, doesn't it, lol??? I guess I'd better decide soon, so I can make arrangements if they can come. I'm not quite sure what to do.

Well, I'm hoping to get back to some exercise tomorrow. We'll see how the day goes. Thanks to Monica, Cori and Nancy for their support and visits. I greatly appreciate you guys reading my ramblings, lol. I think I'm going to relax my legs in a warm bath and head for bed.

Good morning one of my favorite people. I have many but since I have been absent and on and off, I havent been very supportive to anyone else. SOOOO I thought I would come and visit your journal to see whats happening. I need to go and read it so brb.

Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time but it seems to be lifting which is good. Hang in there, you are a tough chicky. :hug: miss chatting with you. Hope to catch up soon.

Hey girlfriend, that's weird - I just came from posting to you on your WW's thread and find that you visited me in the meantime! Great minds think alike, huh? :D

I got lots of wedding stuff done today. :dance:

Hey Mel,

You know, I think that sometimes these conflicts in the family can be good in that it helps push the 'young ones' out the door. They get tired of the 'authority' at home, it gives them the urge to be on their own, and it is getting to be that time. Mike will see that he needs to get a good job, or a good education to be able to afford being on his own. Hey if everything was perfect they would stay forever, lol, and that is just not what life is about.

Glad you had some time away from the tension though. Sounds like you are going to have a busy but fun weekend coming up!!!

While the conflicts might help him out the door, I don't think I want him gone quite yet. He just turned 19 and my daughter is on her way out the door in about 5 weeks. I think it would be awfully quiet without him around. I just wish he'd quit making such dumb decisions. 8-| I just think he's a little young to be out on his own. He's still my baby. Of course, maybe that's part of the problem. 8-|

THE WEDDING IS ONE MONTH from today!!! :O

Good Morning Mel,

NOW THAT'S EXCITING .. you know the DAYS are going to fly by ..

At each anniversary I think of the day Les and I got married -- lol compared to the weddings my daughters had (which they and their spouses paid for) our wedding was on the QUIET :secret: SIDE .. but here's :cheers: to your daughter and your future son-in-law .. have and make it a great day. Monica

It IS exciting - very much so. But it also seems un-nerving, considering how much has to be done! It all just seems to be closing in on me. So many details, my head is spinning. :crazy:

I've decided that for the next month, I'm not going to beat myself up over whether I get any exercise done. If I do - great! If not, then too bad. I'd like to eat sensibly and maintain my weight. If I lose - wonderful! I'll be happy just to not gain anything. The days are flying by and I have better things to worry about than when I'm going to find time to exercise.

Well, I closed the store tonight and have to open in the morning, so I'd best get to bed. Goodnight.

Hope you got a good rest last night!!! You will be needing it.

Take good care of yourself.

I had a very nice day on Friday and Saturday. I have a 3-day weekend off work (Fri., Sat. and Sun.) Friday we putzed around the house, ran some errands and then went to a cookout at friend's house in the evening. On Saturday, we got up early and drove to our niece's house about 1 1/2 hrs. away. Our daughter and future s-i-l went with us. We had a family reunion for my husband's side of the family and we had a great time! My m-i-l was able to go, which was in doubt until this morning. But she did okay. I was happy for my f-i-l, as he needed to get out of the house and needed a change of scenery. I was glad to see him enjoying himself. We got home in the early evening.

But then the saddness started. I checked my email and found out that my friend Tammy (who I met here 10 yrs. ago!) lost her husband today. She is part of an email exercise group that was comprised of people from DT and there are still a few of us left and we email everyday. I've met Tammy several times in real life and she is really a good friend. I feel really bad for her. Tammy is in her mid-fifities and has a 20 yr. old son.

Then I come here and find that our Louise has lost her Ross. Another rather unexpected loss. Such a shame. Two such wonderful women facing life-changing situations. We really need to keep both of these women in our thoughts and prayers, not only in the next couple of difficult days, but in the months ahead. My heart goes out to both of them. :sigh:

It is very sad, for both woman who are from diettalk.

I am glad though that you had your reunion before finding out so that you could just relax and enjoy yourself.

Dear Mel,

First of all when I first read your Journal entry I had to laugh over a word THAT I used to hear quite frequently from my father .. the word is "PUTZED" .. my father used that word quite frequently if only to DESCRIBE my laziness .. so when I saw it lol I thought OKAY PAPA YOU SENT ME A MESSAGE .. I was MEANT to read your Journal ..

I read earlier this morning about Louise's loss and I'm sorry :console:about your friend Tammy losing a LOVED SOMEONE IS ALWAYS HARD .. AND you're so right NOW IS THE TIME to keep them NEAR TO US ..

You've got a KIND HEART :hug: .. Monica

Days are flying by. Today we're moving my future (VERY near future!) s-i-l into their apartment. They are signing the lease and getting the keys as we speak. We have both of our vehicles loaded up waiting for them to call that things are all set. Should take a while moving and getting some things set up.

Things are shaping up for the wedding. The bridal shop called yesterday and said my dress is in. That's a relief. I couldn't believe they had to order me another one after having one for more than 3 months. I go Monday for a fitting.

My grandsons are coming tomorrow and staying for a couple of days. I'm happy about that, even though I have some wedding stuff to do during that time. But the twins have to be fitted for their tux, so that will be one more thing done. I'm looking forward to having them. :)

Diet is just so-so. I fluctuate a couple of pounds every few days. I've walked occasionally, but not nearly often enough. But I'm not going to worry about it right now, I'm just too busy to worry and it doesn't help anyway, lol.

Gotta go.

Hey Mel,

Yes, just do what you can to take care of you and then enjoy the hustle and bustle of wedding planning and celebrating.

Hope all goes well and you all enjoy your time together.

Are you enjoying your time with your boys? :) Will Cody attend the wedding?

Yes I am, Cori! Cody is going back to his mom's tonight and I'm taking the twins home tomorrow.

As far as I know, Cody is coming to the wedding. When I mentioned it to him a couple of months ago, he was like 'I'M INVITED TO MIRANDA'S WEDDING??' I said 'of course you are! - why wouldn't you be?' He said 'I don't know - cool!' So as long as he can hitch a ride down here with Randy, he's coming. He asked me yesterday what he needed to wear, so I know he's planning on it.

I took the boys on Sunday to be fitted for their tux. They were so solemn about it, lol. But they looked mega handsome in their suits. :)

Good to see you back, Cori!

OMG - we're under a week till the wedding! :O Six days, but who's counting??? :laugh: I'm not sleeping much, my head just can't stop spinning details. I'm so worried I'm going to forget to do something!

I'm also not eating well. I really need to do better with that this week so that I feel better for the wedding. Just clearing some of the junk out my system will help. But I'm stress-eating. Yikes, I've got to quit this.

I'll get back here regularly after the wedding. Of course, I don't know what I'll do with myself when everything is over!
8-| But I'm looking forward to my son and grandsons coming in for the wedding. Randy, Mike and the twins are all in the wedding party. It's going to be so nice. I'm so excited that it's almost here! :jn

I haven't posted here in sometime. I'm gonna close this journal. There is a thread in the Weight Watcher's forum that I've been using as sort of a journal and I posted a few pictures of the wedding. I may post a few more, but I've been quite busy. I'll get time one of these days. The thread is 'WW's Unite!' That's where you can find me now. :)