I have missed journaling sooo much. I don't know why I have put it off for so long. It's like I feel guilty for stopping before and just can't do it. WEIRD!

I have been doing just so so with my healthy eating. I haven't lost any thing but haven't gained either. Guess that would be great if I were at goal. ha But I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm just going to work on today.

There have been a lot of things going on in my life. It has been a very trying time for me. The best thing I can do is be good to me and get healthy. All the other stuff is pretty much out of my control. I am very controlling so that's hard.

My best friends ex died unexpectedly and I am going to go with her to the funeral. They have been apart for a long time but still want to support her in the process. I'm sure it must feel strange. He has small children with his second wife. It is very sad. When someone my age dies it always makes me open my eyes and see how everyday is a gift. It makes me want to get my like in order and get undone things done. I have a very long list!!!

Monday is always laundry day for me. We have been getting alot of rain here so there are alot of muddy work clothes from the men. No big deal!

My son is home for the summer which is wonderful. It is so good to have someone else in the house. I must admit that it is an adjustment. The main thing is more cooking!! Again no big deal.

DS sang in church yesterday and did a beautiful job. His love for the Lord pours out of him when he sings. He will make a great pastor.

I have been doing pretty well with my fruit intake. That has always been a down fall of mine. I am trying to eat 5 fresh fruits and veg. a day. I don't always get it done but that's my goal. I have been using fitday and that really keeps me focused on my calorie intake. I get so sick of this battle. But it will continue!! I have to spend more time on my bike! That is my goal this week.

I feel like I could go on and on but better get to work. I have been dropping by and keeping up on a few journals. I hope everyone has a great day.

Yesterday ended up good for me calorie wise. I didn't ride my bike. Today I will!!

The weather is beautiful here. We have been getting so much rain. I hope it doesn't just stop like it has the past couple of years.

Do you count potatos as one of your daily veg? I don't cook potatos as much as I use to. I have never counted them one of my 5 fruits and veg. but maybe should. Yesterday I put some on the grill. They were very good.

Today I am going to grill pork loin. We always have our big meal at noon. One thing I have to work on is not let myself get so hungry in the morning. I over eat at lunch. I have gotten where I don't like the being full feeling. It seems very uncomfortable and I want to be better at stopping before I get there. I'm really bad when we are eating out. I eat too fast and have to work on that!

Hope you are having a very good day. Thank you for reading my journal. Be good you u.

Hi, ZoeZoe! :wave: I personally don't count potatoes as a vegetable. I consider all root vegetables as starch (like bread or grain).

I love the line from your post: "The best thing I can do is be good to me and get healthy. All the other stuff is pretty much out of my control."

That says so much. Have a good day.

Zoe,

It is great to see you again. I have missed you alot. I do see you online once in a while though so I knew you were around.

Congrats on not gaining, that is a feat in itself sometimes. I like the idea of a big meal at noon, they say that it is best to have big meals earlier on.

Great also that your son is home for the summer, that will be so nice for you. How is Erin doing? Did she get a job yet?

Well, get on that bike today, lol. Keep up the good work.

Hi, ZoeZoe:

Keeping a journal can be a great help in the dieting business. Keep posting regularly, jeeo eating those fruits and veggies, and enjoy life along the way.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you Amarantha, Crazy and JoThrive for visiting my journal. It really helps me to stay focused and I will be coming here to vent when I'm in trouble!!

Erin has gotten a teaching job in Kansas. She will be moving the middle of July. It is about eight hours away which is way to far for me but she is excited. I'm glad she has the confidence to do it. I'm getting use to the idea. And it's not about me! My job is to give her wings.:lily: But I have to say I DON'T LIKE IT!!

I got my bike ride in. It seemed really hard today but I will continue to build my distance AGAIN!8-|

Yesterday ended up being a pretty good day for me calorie wise but I really struggled. I don't know why. Guess if I could figure that out I wouldn't have a weight problem!!

It is a beautiful day this morning! When I am done here I will be mowing. I don't like that job but it looks so nice when it's done. The men are gone today so no major cooking. That's nice too!!:)

I have been doing better with my fruit intake. Of course this time of year that is sooo much easier. Just taking it one day at a time.

I hope everyone has a good day. Be good to you!!

Yesterday I had an issue with DH and it wasn't a good day for me. I didn't write in my journal because it wouldn't have been pretty. I didn't do too terrible with my calorie intake which is good for me because I am an emotional eater. Let it go!!!

Sorry pushed the wrong button!! Meant to do this:(

Today is a new day. It is beautiful outside this morning. Just spent some time in the yard. My yard is not great but nobody ever sees it anyway so, oh well!! I do have some flowers on the deck that are pretty. I'm not good at gardening. My sister is a pro. She has the most beautiful flower gardens.

Tomorrow is Father's Day. My Dad is 94 and has been in the nursing home for the past few months. He has really been struggling. It is so hard to see him weak and helpless. I will go in and spend time with him before church. We are so lucky that he was able to stay in his home for so long. I wish he wouldn't have to go through this.

I am going to grill burgers and mixed veggies for lunch. Other than fresh strawberries that will be about it. I bought some cherries the other day and they are soooo good.:)

Today I am going to start on a pile of ironing that I have. grr:whip: Keep putting it off.

Hope you will do something fun this weekend. We have started the haying season here so that's what will be going on here. Be good to you.:up:

Good Morning,

Welcome back home .. and :cheers: HERE'S TO MAKING EACH DAY THE BEST DAY POSSIBLE .. Take care and have and make it a great day and a fantastic weekend. Monica

Thanks for stopping, Monica!:)

Last week ended up to be a good week for me calorie wise. The weekends are always harder but I didn't do too bad. I need to get in more minutes on the bike.

It is a beautifulful morning here and I am determand to make it a good day!!! I am grilling chicken breast and making wild rice for lunch. I need to get to the grocery store for fruit.

It was special yesterday to have my Dad to spend Father's Day with. It was also very hard because he isn't doing well. Three months ago he was still in his home doing so well for his age and now he is in the nursing home showing his age of 94. I know we are so luck to have him so many years. It is such a blessing to be able to give him a kiss and tell him I love him.

Last night my DD called and asked me to go with her to the town she will be moving to to find an appartment. I was surprised and pleased!!! I'm not looking forward to the long drive, however. I am going to try VERY HARD:crazy: to be more of a friend than a mother on this trip. I tend to try and control too much. She is almost 25 years old and doesn't need her mommy telling her what to do. I have to accept her way of doing things. Just because it's not my way doesn't make it worng!!!!::secret: I'm working on it. Seeing the problem is half of it. Right!!:crazy:

A good friend of my is in town and we are having lunch on Wed. so that is something to look forward to also. We were best friends in high school and then she started dating a very controlling man (kid then) and she allowed him to cut her out of life. She was afraid of him and it was just easier to do what he wanted. Anyway after 25 years we started having lunch together everytime she is back and it is so special to me. It's like those 25 years were only a few days. It will be fun. (I'm sure the first time she saw me after 25 years she was stunned at my size.)

I watched a clip on TV this morning on heart disease. Scares the hell out of me. I want to be a healthy weight!!!!!

Well, I better get busy. I hope you have a very good day. Be good to you and make healthy choices!!! I plan to!!!!!!:D

Pat,

I am glad you were able to see your dad yesterday. You are a sweet daughter to him.

That is really neat that Erin asked you to help her, she obviously respects and appreciates your opinion but yes it is hard sometimes to keep our mouths shut isn't it. But yes, recognizing it is half the battle, now for the other half, lol. It is trick business, what do say, what not to say, etc.

That is wonderful that you are able to meet up with your friend. I have been trying to see if one of my friends from high school might be on facebook but nothing yet.

Well, lets make this a great week!!!

Thanks for stopping, Nancy. You always say the nicest things!! Have a good day.

Today will be fun. I am having lunch with my best friend and another high school friend. We always talk for hours and catch up. I look forward to it everytime.:)

I have a big pot of beef stew in the oven for the men and will have that for supper. I will try and make healthy choices at noon. Being away from home is always hard for me but I never order fried food and have been doing much better ordering. I am still always tempted though.

I got up at 4:30 to p and couldn't go back to sleep. I feel like I could go to bed now but I have lots to do. Mostly I couldn't sleep because I was worried about my Dad. I visited him yesterday and he didn't seem to be doing very well. Every time the phone rings I jump. :c( I feel so sorry for him.

Tomorrow I leave to go with DD to find an apartment. I'm not sure how long we will be gone but I probably won't be back until at least Sat. I'm going to make very good choices while we are gone. For me and for DD who needs to get her eating under control. Both my children have a weight problem and I feel very guilty about that. The only thing I can do is be a good example for them.

Better get to work. Hope you have a very good day.:hippy:

Hey Pat,

Hope your lunch date went really well!!! I am sure it did.

wow, a few days away with Erin, what a great time you will have!!! Lucky girl!!!

I will be giving blood this afternoon, in just over an hour, and I just remembered that after you give blood they give you some juice/pop and a cookie, it is to help you not get too weak after giving. Our local Subway store donates the cookies so I just looked up the calories and one cookie is between 200 and 230 cal. Hmm, will have to descide if I want to spend my calories on that. Maybe I will take a Kashi chewy bar with me, they are only 150 I think. Ooops, sorry for the long story, lol.

Good Morning. I can't believe it is Monday again already. The weeks fly by so fast. It makes me realize how each day counts. I had a pretty good week. Need more time on the bike. That's my goal this week. I'll be back later. I'm being called!!:)

Morning Pat,

So how is the week going?

I found that making a goal for my walking has helped me alot. Now I realize that this strategy does not always work but you might find it helpful. So many minutes or miles a week, just a thought.

Nancy, Thanks for stopping.

Yet another week has slipped by and here I am days later. I'm so bad!!!

It has been a so so week for me. My eating hasn't been too bad, had beer twice and haven't been on my bike enough. Not a great combination!! I am going to make this coming week go well!! We always have a 4th of July party with the family and I'm not going to just let go!!!

DS and I are going to church soon. Tonight we sing at a church benefit for a community member that needs a new wheel chair. That should be a good time.

My father continues a very slow decline. It is so hard to watch. He is 94, old and tired. Bless his heart!

I am really going to try and journal every morning this week. It really helps me focus for the day! I'll get on my bike and use my journaling as a cool down.

Hope you are having a good weekend and have a good week!!!

Nice to see you Pat.

The party sounds like it will be fun. And I think you are wise to not let it be an excuse to go crazy. make it more about the people and the fun than the food.

Good luck with your singing tonight, that is a very nice thing for you all to do.

Make this week a good one.

Today is a busy Monday. I have four loads of laundry done and meat loaf, potatos and mixed veggies in the oven for lunch. I am really getting tired of cooking. I have been trying to make myself try new things to spark my interest but it doesn't seem to be working.

It is getting really hot here today. That is good for our crops which are way behind buy I like it 60!:( Thank God for air!!

Tonight DS and I will sing in a patriotic cantata. That is always fun.

I called my sister this morning. For the past couple of weeks I have felt a distance between us. I don't really know if it just my imagination or what. I don't think I have done anything to upset her. It worries me a little that something is going on.

Last night one of my good friends asked me if I had been losing weight. That was cool!:) I wanted to say "not lately" but just thanked her for noticing. I will make this a good day!!! Be good to you!!

The weather has gotten very hot and humid here. :sweat: Summer is my least liked season for more reasons that the weather. But on a positive note, THANK GOD FOR AIR.

I just got done making my yearly potato salad for the 4th. It took me two hours from start to finish. No wonder I only do it once a year. lol Everyone loves it so I can handle it. I gained a pound just mixing up the mayo!!

Yesterday I had a bad day. I don't think my calories were too high but I didn't eat healthy enough. Today I will do better. That seems to be the story of my life. Today is the only day I will worry about!!!

My DD still hasn't found an apartment. I should say she hasn't done anything to find an apartment. She has three weeks before she moves. That girl can drive me crazy. I try not to say too much because she is almost 25 years old. It is so hard!!! I don't understand her way of thinking but I can't do it for her or I should say I won't. I guess it will work out some way. I pray she finds some place that is safe. That's my biggest worry.

I have planted a few more flowers. I love flowers. When I move to town I'm going to buy fresh flowers a lot. They are such a gift.

My Dad seems weaker. I worry about him constantly. I just wait for the phone to ring.

Better get back to work. Have a good day.

Good Morning,

First of all REMEMBER YOU'RE ON A LIFESTYLE CHANGE that TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE .. and one day IS NOT THE END .. if anything WE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES .. YOU CAN AND WILL SUCCEED .. SO KEEP THAT FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL ..

I hear you about your daughter .. I WALK AROUND MY WORDS .. if you get my drift when speaking to my youngest daughters (Barrie and Jessica) .. I certainly don't like WHAT THEY DO .. but they're adults and I remember what my father said to me when I was young .. "IF YOU FALL DOWN .. HAVE THE GUTS TO PICK YOURSELF UP .. BECAUSE NOBODY IS GOING TO DO IT" .. I worry about the way they SPEND their money .. it would be different if they were in their late teens or mid twenties .. BUT they're in their 30's ..

Not to say that I was lol THE WISEST or an angel :not: -- but now that I'm in my sixties I have LESS TIME to make the errors I made in my twenties and thirties .. my oldest daughter (Laurie -- she'll be 42 in November) HAD to learn the hard way (just like I did) that IT'S ESSENTIAL to prepare for the TOMORROW'S TO COME ..

But lol ALTHOUGH IT'S HARD TO KEEP ONE'S MOUTH SHUT :secret: it must be done .. take care of yourself .. KEEP COOL and KNOW THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE THE GOALS YOU'VE SET FOR YOURSELF. Monica

It's Monday again! Hope everyone had a good 4th of July weekend. We had fun. I got to spend time with friends and family. We always have a picnic after the parade at my parents house. This will be the last year for that which was sad. We have decided to clean out Dad's house and sell it. That will be hard but he will never live there again and it's time. Things change. Life goes on.

I didn't do as well with my eating as I should have but not as bad as I could have so I don't know if that's good or bad. The only thing I know for sure is that it is over and today is the only day to worry about. So I'm back at this life style change today. I'm just like a broken record!! I figure if I can get through a four day holiday without a gain I have done well. That's not a great goal but I'm not great at this so there you have it.

DH and I have been have some good talks about changing our business. We are looking for someone to work for us, live here and we will move to town. I am very ready for the change. He isn't as ready but tired of working so hard. Neither of our children are intested in the business so there is no reason to not make the change now. We can afford it and the years are passing sooo fast. Of course the hard thing is finding someone who has experience in farming and cattle raising that is available and willing. We offered it to my nephew but he decided he wanted to join the air force but really wants it in four years. That's a long time and who knows what will change by then. I'm not willing to wait. It's a very big step and very stressful but it's time. It's exciting and very scary.

I am going to be gone for two days this week. My sister is babysitting her two grandchildren this week and I am going to go spend some time with them. I can't wait. They are so fun and I'm in the mood to shop!!:) I think DS will go with me and that will be fun too.

Today is laundry day and I have only just begun to fight!! I can't believe what a difference have DS here makes. No big deal though.

Guess I better get to work. Hope all is well with everyone.

Monica-Thank you for visiting my journal. It is so hard to stop mothering my children. I try very hard to remember what it was like having my mom telling me what to do. I didn't like it!! I tend to be very critical of so many things they do. My goal is to not say anything to my daughter that I wouldn't say to my friends. HARD!:help: Have a good day.

Good Morning,

I just finished posting in my own Journal and I thought I would read what you had to say ..

I hear you about selling your parent's home .. it was one of THE HARDEST things I had to deal with insofar as settling things for my father .. and by the time my mother passed away (two years later) I was a little more prepared .. I think the only thing that bothered me was NOT HAVING ANYONE TO SHARE .. not that it matters .. but when you have siblings (imo) it makes it easier to go thru ..

LOL I know it's hard to KEEP OUR MOUTHS SHUT when we see our children doing things WE DON'T THINK ARE RIGHT .. I spend most of my time LOL TRYING NOT TO SEE :O ..

Insofar as your losing weight .. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN .. just REMEMBER IT'S A LIFESTYLE CHANGE .. and IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME AND PATIENCE .. lol and hopefully you're more patient then I am .. well I've got a slew of things I want to accomplish so take care of yourself and have and make it a great day .. Monica

Hi Zoe,
I am sure it is rough going through your dad's thing and selling. I wish you all the best!

You have been staying about the same so that is a great thing. You will get there, as they say move forward and don't look back, one day at a time! God Bless!
...Hugs, Millie

Good Friday morning to all. This has been a very fast, busy week for me!

DS and I were gone a couple of days. We went and spent time with my sister who is babysitting her grandkids. They are so sweet and fun. Little kids are so much work! I guess a person forgets that part. They are so fun! We also did some shopping.

My DD is to move in two weeks and hasn't found an apartment yet. It's driving me crazy! I think she is going to go back down there next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. She got a lead yesterday that the second grade teacher in the school she is going to was looking for a room mate but when she called the person had just gotten someone else that morning. I really wish that would have worked out. It felt good thinking she might not be alone. Oh, well. Something will have to turn up.

The sewer at my dad's house backed up yesterday so I spent most of the day dealing with that!!! Luckily the basement was about empty. We have some friends staying there until they find a house to buy and I felt bad for them.

I have been keeping my calories down pretty well. Didn't do too bad while I was gone. The afternoons are always hard for me so I'm going to try and have something planned to work on to get me through. Mornings are easy for me and I think it is becasue I do all my work then. I keep busy and don't have food on my mind. I'll keep plugging away.

Hope everyone has a good day!:)

Hello, ZoeZoe! :wave: Just happened to be reading your journal and I really like your attitude of "I'll keep plugging away!" :cheer:

That's all we can do but it's powerful. Have a good day!

Pat,

Glad you had such a good time at your sisters. I'll be her kids just loved your son!!!

Will say some prayers for Erin to find a nice place, and soon!!!

Keep taking good care of yourself. If it would help come join us in the July Exercise Minutes thread. You could report in on your minutes on the bike.

see you soon

It has been hot and windy here the past couple of days. My very least favorite kind of day. I am thankful that I haven't had to be outside much. I just look out the window and be thankful! :D

My calorie intake yesterday was good. Tonight I am going to a good friends 60th birthday party so that will add some. I will try and keep the calories down and will only drink one beer. That's the best I am willing to do, I guess. 8-|

On Tues. DD and I will be making the eight hour drive to where she is moving. She has a lead on an apartment and wants to look at it. If she likes it it's hers. I HOPE THIS WORKS!! She will be moving in two weeks. I have been spending way too much time worrying about it!:( I really hope she will like it there and will be very happy. She will be teaching special ed. K-2. It will be perfect for her, I think. With that being said, I hate the idea of her moving so far away and it really hurts my feelings that she had the need to go that far but it's not about me. So...it is what it is.

Don't have much else to report. Hope all is well with you. Have a good day.:hug:

Haven't journaled for days. I need to get better at this!! Consistancy is my enemy!!

DD and I found her an apartment and she will be moving in about 10 days. If things go as planned. Her move is ending up to be right in the middle of grain combining which is making it hard but it will all work out. If nothing else she will move down there with what will fit in her car and we will bring everything else when the harvest is done or we have a rain which ever comes first. She found a very cute apartment that I feel she will be safe at. I am very thankful for that. It has been a very big worry. (I'm a worrier) I hope she will be very happy there and after a few years move closer to home. She feels she needs to get away so away she will be!!!

On the subject of worrying....I am so bad. My guts are in a knot all the time about something. I just can't seem to turn it off. I guess it just becomes a habit. I thought once my kids got older I would get better but it seems worse. The more I try and shut it off the worse it gets. I know it doesn't do any good! What's the point.

I have been doing pretty well with my healthy eating although not good enough for the scale to move much. The only real bad thing I have done is go to Dairy Queen after we found the apartment to celebrate. The very worse part about that is the very poor example I set for my daughter who has a very bad weight problem also. grr

I have challenged myself to ride my bike everyday for a week. It seems like I have been missing way too many days. I'm going to try and do it first thing in the morning and make sure it gets done. The later in the day it gets the easier it is to find an excuse. Why would I ever find an excuse to not do something that is so important to my health. Can't seem to figure that out!!!

Well, I need to get busy. I hope everyone has a goal of healthy eating today and does it successfully. Take care and thanks for reading my journal.

Good Morning Pat,

LOL I hear you about being a worrier :sweat: .. I worry about things primarily because I CARE .. I wish I could just relax because in reality I have NO CONTROL .. but I can't take the attitude that EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT .. lol

I'm glad that your daughter is FINALLY settled in her apartment that's a HUGE STEP in growing up .. I didn't think about it when I moved out of my parents home .. and I didn't realize how DIFFICULT it was to adjust to the empty nest syndrome .. BUT it's all part of life .. lol OR SO THEY SAY ..

Don't worry about going to Dairy Queen .. one day doesn't MAKE OR BREAK your lifestyle change .. just REMEMBER THIS JOURNEY IS FOR LIFE .. and you will achieve WHATEVER GOALS YOU SET FOR YOURSELF .. have and make it a great day. Monica

Good morning. Yesterday was a very good day for me. I really can put it all together for one whole day!!! Who knew! lol Hopefully today will be the same. I'm going to try.

Spent some time with my sister yesterday. I think over Labor Day weekend we are going to go visit her son that is in the service. I am really looking forward to that. The first thought that came to my mind was "I wonder how much weight I can get off by then". That thought runs through my mind whenever anything like that comes up. Setting a big goal is not in the plan. I am going to continue to do one day at a time and use it as a tool to stay consistant. Same old thing with good results, I hope.

We had a real scare yesterday. The person DD rented an apartment from called and said the person in the apartment she was going to rent changed his mind and isn't going to move. I about had a heart attack!!! They do have a two bedroom available and it only cost $50 more which isn't bad. Her utilities will be more becasue the apartment is bigger but she can still afford it and it will work out fine but they really messed with her. My little voice told me she should be signing a lease but the women assured her that the deposit was as good as a signed lease. DD would have probably done the change anyway because it didn't make that big of a difference but the lesson is "sign a lease"!!! I really wanted to talk to the person on the other end of the line but I have to let her handle it. THAT IS SO HARD!!!

DH and DS are going to go get DD's things tomorrow and bring them this far. She doesn't have to be out of her apartment for another week but harvest will be started by then. She can't move into her new apartment until Aug. 2. DH will take her stuff down there when the harvest is done or it rains which ever comes first. I'm wondering if I wrote this before!! Dear me! I will be glad when this girl gets moved and settled.

Tomorrow night we are invited to some friends home for a yard party. That will be fun and it's always nice to have something to look forward to.

My brother & sister-in-law are stopping today. Not looking forward to it. It will be fine. I am so uncomfortable around them. I'll get into that sometime. It's a long story!!

Well, better get to work. I am going to make this a good day and I hope you do too.

Wow, crazy stuff with the apartment. She better have a good look at the other apartment BEFORE signing the lease, just to be sure.

Hope your day goes as good as yesterday, apart from the apartment stress that is, lol.

:wave: Hi Zoe!!

Love your attitude! You are so right, we can't predict tomorrow and can't worry about yesterday so lets focus on today! :up:

Where in Kansas is your daughter going? Curious b/c I live in Kansas, wondered if she was one of our new teachers? And were are you located? I'm in a farming community but thankfully we are all down with harvest..well until fall harvest which for my dad is bigger than wheat..but not bigger for the community as a whole, if that makes any sense! :laugh:

Nice to "meet" you!

The harvest has begun and life will be on hold until it is finish. The men put in long, hard days and I pray for the harvest to be safe. It is such a worry.

I have been having good days with eating healthy. It is on my mind constantly and I seem focused. If I just don't let down and have a bad day things seem to go smoothly. Again I have trouble with consistancy. I haven't riden my bike today but plan to this afternoon.

I have tackled my mountain of ironing today. I put the board right in the middle of the livingroom so I'll stay at it. It drives me crazy to have it setting there. I think I'm about half done. Why I let it get so bad I'll never understand. I always say I won't let it happen again but I always do. :crazy:

DH and I had a long talk again about hiring someone to work for us and moving to town. Each time we talk about it we both get stressed out. We offered the business to my nephew but he wanted to go to the air force for four years first. At first we thought about waiting for him but now I don't think that is going to happen. There are so many factors in the decisions. It's so hard.

Hope everyone is having a great day. It's a hot one here. Be good to you.:)

After one good day of harvest it rained and we are now on hold! The rain is wonderful for the corn so no complaining!! It is hot and humid which is just what the corn needs.

I have been doing fair with my healthy choices. I still really struggle in the late afternoon and I am sure it is because by that time of day my "to do" list is done or I'm done working on it and I have time to think "what can I eat"!!! I try to eat a piece of fruit and stick gum in my mouth. That helps but it still haunts me daily. I need to be better at finding something to keep busy.

Today is a busy day so far and I am going to make it a good one. I have my bike ride done, a healthy lunch made and joy in my heart! Have a good day.

Zoezoe,

You are sounding just terrific!!! So nice to hear.

Hope all goes well with the rest of harvest!!!

Thanks for stopping, Nancy.!

This morning I got on the scale for the first time in awhile and it hasn't moved an inch!:( I thought I had been doing pretty well but obviously not good enough. So I have decided to add to my bike ride and see if that won't help things along. I will also try and do better with my consistancy. Those little bumps along the way cause the problem, I'm sure!!:help: It's very frustrating but what in life isn't!!!

It has been sooo hot and humid here. I am already looking forward to fall. It's the best!!!

Yesterday I FINALLY ordered new floor covering for the whole house. It is very hard to spend that much on flooring when I am hoping we don't live here much longer but it needed it no matter who lives here. It will be a couple of weeks before they install it.

As of today we have made the decision to lease out our business. We are just in the very first stages of looking for someone and it is very scary and makes us both nervous and uneasy. Although we both think it is the right thing to do. DH is tired of the 14 hour days all summer and the pressure of this business. Change is hard. We were going to try and find someone to hire to work for us but decided that wouldn't relieve the pressure of running the business so have decided to lease it out instead.

We are hoping it is dry enough to start combining again this afternoon. The humidity has been so high the grain hasn't been drying well. Hopefully things will progress!!

Tomorrow I am taking some friends to lunch to celebrate a good friends 60th birthday. I just can't believe we have been friends for so many years. Man they go by fast!!!

Today DD is coming home. She will be here until next Sat. and then moves and has to be at her new school the 4th. I pray she will like it there and will be very happy. It makes my heart so sad to think of her so far away. But...It's not about me!!!!:c(

I am hot!! I just got off my bike. I added a half mile and will continue to add another in a couple of days. I know that is the key. That and CONSISTANCY!!!! :help:

Also today I will finish my mountain of ironing. (I took yesterday off) I can only handle a few things a day. HATE THAT JOB!!X-(

I put up a new shower curtain and window curtain in the main bath yesterday. That was fun!!

Hope everyone has a good day. Be good to you!!!:ghug:

Just got off my bike and I'm HOT again!! It's best to do it right away or I don't get it done. It seemed harder today! Oh well, it's done!!!

Harvesting started up again yesterday afternoon with combine problems. Hopefully it will be an easy fix. DS is off for new batteries. That just sounds too easy!!

I just made a banana cream pie to take to lunch with for my friend who is 60 today. I will have a small piece and send the rest home with her. That will be safe!!

Yesterday was a good day for my healthy eating. The only thing bad I did was eat a few sunflower seeds last night which I never do anymore because of the salt. I can tell I ate extra salt!!! I believe the less salt you eat the more you react to it!

DD got home yesterday and is out in the hay field. It is good to have her home. She will be moving a week from today!!

I need to get my meringue done for my pie. As high as the humidity is I'm setting myself up for failure. :bdaybanne Lynn!

Hope everyone does something fun this weekend! Be good to you!!:)

Good Morning Pat, :wn

It appears YOU ARE STEADILY improving on your GOALS .. and your PLANNING to celebrate your friend's birthday and allowing her to take home the dessert IS terrific :jn ..

REMEMBER this lifestyle change is one that takes time and patience (lol and I have to KEEP REMINDING MYSELF ) and we're well worth the time and patience it takes .. take care of yourself and have and make it a great day .. Monica

Thanks for stopping, Monica! :)

It is a very foggy, humid, hot morning here. I hope we don't get storms later in the day. Harvest is in full swing again and things are going pretty well. A few set backs but nothing major after day one.

Yesterday was a good day for me but i didn't have any fruit. Had losts of fresh verggies though but need to do better with the fruit!! I drank water, rode my bike and had good calorie count. Not bad for me!!

I have to go to town later today and visit my Dad. It is so hard to go there. But I get to tell him I love him and that is really a blessing to me!!

I started laundry last night so I have a good start on it. I am going to try and make ironing part of my Monday laundry day so it doesn't turn into a mountain. (I say that everytime I get caught up):D

Hope you have a good day. Be good to you.

I have to go to town later today and visit my Dad. It is so hard to go there. But I get to tell him I love him and that is really a blessing to me!!

I am sure that is an amazing blessing to him as well!!!

Sounds like harvest is going well and what a great thing to have both kids home and helping out. Just like old times!!!

Good work on getting on that bike even with the heat and humidity!!! Keep it up.

Hope you had a great time with your friends the other day!!!

Nancy, thanks for stopping in. My bike is in my basement where it is about 65. There is no way I could bike outside in this heat! I just got off of it and am really hot inside!!!:sweat:

Things are humming around here with harvest and second cutting of alfalfa. It should take another week to get done. What a relief that will be.

We had a terrible storm two days ago. There were tornados all around. We had high wind, just a very little hail and an inch and a half of rain. The lightening was the worst I have ever seen. It was very scary and I'm so thankful we didn't get more damage than we did. Our oats crop was blown over and will be very tricky to harvest. Not a big deal considering what it could have been.

I have been really struggling with my eating. I'm not doing terrible but not great either. Everyday I fight it. The battle continues!!!

Nothing new around here. DD is leaving early Sat. and will be taking only what will fit in her car and we will deliver the rest of her things when harvest is over. I have been really feeling down the past few days and I think that her leaving is the reason. I hate the thought of her being so far away and not knowing one person. She will be going to an empty apartment with nothing and sleeping on an air mattress until we get her things down there. I pray that the people at her school reach out to her. I think it will all go well, I just am a worrier!!

Best get to work. Be good to you!!:)

Good work on your bike already this morning. That is one thing I like about getting exercise done early is you don't have to worry about it for the rest of the day, and you are also guilt-free for the day!! LOL

I am sure Erin will be fine. Maybe she could also check out some churches there, that would be a great support system for her.

Glad you all didn't blow away!!! Wow, sounds like it was crazy. I hate lightning, it always scares me.

Good morning! Today will be another crazy, busy day here. The combining continues.

I had so much fun yesterday afternoon. I went to my sister's house and spent time with her grandchildren. They are so fun. When I first got there Grace (4) had a tea party all set waiting for me and we had apple juice, grapes and animal crackers. She is the sweetest thing. The Eyan (almost 2) woke up from his nap. He had picked the wall paper off the wall by the crib. It was so funny. Sister and I talked about how mad she would have been if it would have been one of her kids that did that and we found it very entertaining for the grandchild to do it. He's so cute. I played ball with him outside. He tries to say everything and it's so cute.

I had a pretty healthy day yesterday. I added a 1/2 mile on my bike ride and I was surprised how tired it made my legs feel all day. I'm such a baby!!!

Need to get going. Hope all is well and have a good day.

LOL, sounds like you had a great time!!!

Keep up the bike work, you will get stronger!!!

Good Monday morning. The weekend flew by and I didn't do the best with my healthy eating. Today is the only day I can do anything about that!!

DD packed up and left early Sat. morning. It was so hard to say good-bye to her.:c( I hate it that she is moving so far away and doesn't know one person down there!!! One the other hand I am excited for her and hope she will be very happy and loves her new job. She starts today.

I woke up at 4:15 this morning and tried to go back to sleep until 5 and just gave up. Now I feel like I could go back to bed. I will probably hold out until after lunch and have a nap.

I started the laundry last night so I have the last load in already. Think I'll hit the bedding next.

For lunch I am making sweet and sour meatballs and cabbage. I don't know what else. I get so tired of trying to think of something to cook. Shouldn't complain, it's not a bad problem to have!!

The harvest should get done tomorrow if all goes well. CAN'T WAIT!!:cheer: It seems to be taking forever and I don't have to do the hard stuff!!

Our weather has been very hot and humid. It's great for the corn but that's the only good thing I can think to say about it.

My sister's family was all at her house (except her son in the air force). I had so much fun with her grandchildren. The are sooo cute!! Her daughter and I decided we should come up with a small tattoo that would be our family symbol and all get the tattoo. We will see if it ever goes any where. I have wanted to get a tattoo for a long time. I know weird for a fat, old lady but what can I say!:crazy:

Well, guess I better get to work. Hope all is well!!!:)

Tattoos! that is a really neat idea. Is her daughter artistic? is she going to create it?

My DD1 and I have talked about each getting one. I am pretty sure she will get one before I ever do. But she is very artistic and is making her own design. I think she might do it this year while she is still home but just working. Her and a friend have been talking about it. We'll see.

Laundry almost done alreay wow, we are sleepy heads here today. It is a holiday in Canada. Poor hubby is at work but that is the life of a shift worker!

Good morning. Just got off my bike and expect this to be a great day. I have started to increase my bike by minutes not 1/2 miles. That seems to be a little easier on my old body!:sweat:

The men should get done combining today. That will be such a relief.:D There is still plenty of work to do. The second cutting of alfalfa is waiting. Wed. they are going to get a u-haul and take DD her things. She has been living in an empty apartment.

Yesterday was DD's first day at school. She said the meetings they went to were pretty boring but she met a lot of nice people. Her class room is a much smaller room than the one they showed her when she went for her interview but all in all the day went well I think. I miss her so much already. I have gone two months without seeing her before but just knowing she is so far away makes it bad.:( I pray continually that she will be happy and love it there.

I have been studying house plans incase things work out that we move in the near future. I had one picked out about a year ago but have decided to scale down a little. This business change hanging over our head is very stressful and only time will tell.8-|

Hope all is well and you have a great day.:)

Good work on getting in the biking already!!!

Praying for our kids, something we will always be doing. LOL, I hope they say a few for us once in a while!!! I bet that Erin has been imagining where she will put her furniture once it comes, what a fun time for her.

Have a good day Pat, so glad things went well with the harvest.

For some unknown reason yesterday wasn't a good day for me. (maybe because I didn't post):O I didn't ride my bike and I had popcorn and a coke for supper. Calories weren't real bad but for a person who wants to be good to her body popcorn and coke doesn't qualify as a good meal. :( But today is a new day and I have already riden my bike and will try and make healthy eating choices.

DH & DS left early this morning to deliver DD's furniture. I'm so glad they went. I have been feeling bad thinking of her living in an empty apartment. They will come home tomorrow. With them gone it will be easy to not cook and eat right but I'll try! My health is worth the bother!!!:)

I am going to go visit my Dad in awhile. It is so hard to make myself go there but I charish the time I have with him once I'm there. WEIRD!:crazy: I just love him so much and hate that he has to go through this.

My to do list is short today. I will have to find something to fill the day. Hope all is well with everyone that reads this. Make it a good day!!!:D

Good morning! Oh, my bike ride was hard this morning!!:sweat: I don't know why some mornings are harder than others but this morning my legs felt like they had weights on them. I pushed to the end thought.:cheer:

DH & DS are on their way home this morning. They drove in very thick fog yesterday morning but other than that things went well. They went to see DD school and classroom. I am looking forward to seeing pictures.

I haven't liked being home alone. I woke up a bunch of times last night wondering what that sound was!!:o I'm a baby!! It's too quiet around here!!!

Nothing really planned for the day. A few jobs around the house.

Sunday afternoon we are going to the play The Best Little Whore House in Texas with our best friends. That should be fun! It's nice to have something to look forward to.

Dad didn't seem very good yesterday. He hardly talked and looked very tired. SAD

We have some corn on the cob that I'm going to have today. It is such a treat. I will try not to over due. With it just being me I'll only make a couple of ears and won't be tempted with more.:)

Have a good day and thank you for reading my journal!:D

Good Morning Pat, :wn

I just got back from my morning walk .. I purposefully stayed up .. I woke up at 4:10 a.m. to visit the resting :toilet: room and instead of going back to bed I went into the computer room and played some games until 5:30 a.m. -- got dressed and left the house at 5:40 a.m. ..

LOL I hear you about HEARING SOUNDS .. when Les was away I used to turn on ALL THE LIGHTS in the house .. lol and I would fill the bathtub up with water .. JUST IN CASE ..

I know what you mean about riding your exercise bike .. I always thought it was because I rode it later in the day .. considering I am a morning person -- well Les is up so I'd better go and get the coffee started and take my blood sugar and such .. have and make it a great day .. KEEP RIDING .. and don't forget to drink your :water: .. take care .. Monica

Monica, thanks for stopping. I too get up at least once at night.:toilet: I really hate it when I've slept long enough I feel like it's morning and can't go back to sleep. I have started cutting out water by early evening and that helps some. Another joy of getting old.:(

Today will be a fun day. We are going with our best friends to a play in a town about 2 hours away. We are leaving at 11, having a light lunch, go to the play at 2, shop a little and go someplace nice for supper. It will be fun. The play is The Best Little Whore House in Texas. It should be funny. On of my DS's college friends is in it so he is going to go too.

DD has been working hard getting her classroom and apartment settled. I miss her so much. I hope she will be so happy there.

I just got off my bike and there is sweat running down my neck.:sweat: I guess that's a good thing but I don't like it!!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Please be good to you!!! :D

Good Morning Pat, :wn

LOL I too don't like to :sweat: sweat BUT it is good that you worked up a sweat BECAUSE that means you're burning up calories ..

Enjoy your day out with your friends :dn ..

It sounds as though your daughter is settling in and I can understand YOUR MISSING her .. the empty nest syndrome is HARD TO TAKE (or at least it's hard to take on me) but your daughter is FINDING HERSELF and will have much to share with you ..

Take care of yourself and have and make it a great day .. Monica

Good morning. I just got off my bike. I added another minute this morning and it felt fine. Watching the Olympics just amazes me. Those athletes are just unbelieveable. I thought about them while I did my ride and marvel at their determination. WOW!!

Didn't post yesterday so will update Sun. Went to the play with our friends. It was good and we had a great day. After the play we went out to celebrate their anniversary and I ate and drank way too much. Yesterday I felt like I was 110 years old!! WILL I EVER LEARN!!

Pushed the wrong button. Meant to do this.:(

We got a nice rain last evening. It is perfect timing for the corn. We have been so lucky this season. All the bad weather has missed us and we have been getting very nice rains. THANK YOU GOD!!!

DS went to a job interview today. If he gets it he will be working at the after school program at his church. He is very interested in youth ministry so I hope it works out for him. I think it would be a good change. Last year at school he worked at Java City. He became the student manager and it took up too much time and he was under too much stress. He puts way too much pressure on himself.

DD sent me pictures of her classroom yesterday. It is a very small room but it looks like she has done a very nice job preparing for her class. She is so excited. The students start Wed. Since she will be teaching Special Ed. it will be a day or two before she gets her schedule set up with the classroom teachers so she might not have students the first day or two. She is so good with small children I know she will do a good job. The only thing I worry about is her time managment and organization skills but I have to have something to worry about! RIGHT:o

I continue to look at house plans and worry and wonder about our future. DH seems to be backing away from change. I think I was pushing too hard. I will be bringing it up again at noon since DS is gone for the day. :crazy: If he is not going to make a change then I have to decide if I will do it myself.

The summer has gone by so fast. It is really scary!

Better get to work. Hope you have a great day! I'm going to be good to make up for Sun.!!:) I have been feeling better since I have been pushing myself on the bike. I highly recommend getting that blood pumping!!! Have a good one.:D

The only thing I worry about is her time managment and organization skills but I have to have something to worry about! RIGHT:o


LOL, you silly girl.

Great job on your biking!!! Keep it up, and yes, it feels good to get the blood pumping, lol.

Just got off my ride toward good health! I'm hot!:sweat: It feels so good to have it done for the day. I will cool down while I type!:)

Today is DD first day of being a real teacher. I am so excited for her. She has worked so hard for this day. I hope it is just wonderful for her. I can't wait to hear what she has to say about it. It sounds like she is getting to know some very nice people and I am so thankful for that.

DS took the new job at the after school program at his church. I think it is a very good change for him but...It means he will leave two weeks sooner, which is Monday. I love having him here. It wouldn't surprise me if this is his last summer coming home. It makes me very sad.:( But once again, it's not about me!!!

I saw two things on TV this morning that I have to vent about. They interviewed a plus size model, size 10. Are you kidding me!!!! No wonder young girls have size issuses. Could go on and on about that!!! The other was research has shown that fat people can be healthy and skinny people can have poor health. DUH!!:crazy: No where in the interview did they say long term weight issues catch up with you and incourage people to be a healthy weight. The impression I got was don't worry. I wanted to grab them by the neck and shake. Ok I'm done!:o

This afternoon I am going to go visit my Dad. I haven't been there for five days. TERRIBLE!! I miss him but hate going there. GO FIGURE!!

DS is mowing the lawn so I don't have to.:cheer: The next time will be my turn!!

I am making something Mexican for lunch. Haven't done that for awhile.

Well, can't think of anything else to say so will go get to work. Have a good day. Thanks for reading my journal. It really helps me to write here in the morning and get my day off right. :ghug:

Good morning! I just got off my bike.:sweat: It was hard this morning. I assume because I sat and visited with a friend last night and drank a couple of beers.:secret: That cancelled it out as a good day but I enjoyed visiting with my friend.

Today I am doing something with chicken breast for lunch, probably grill them. This afternoon I get my hair cut and colored. That is always fun.

Things are really stressful with DH right now. I find it all very frustrating and wonder what are we doing!!:( Way to complicated to explain.

DD had a good first day of teaching. Her birthday is the 23rd and I'm trying to think of something to do for it. Any ideas for far away birthdays?

Hope this will be a great day for you. Thank you for reading my journal. :)

Good Morning Pat,

First of all I SO TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH YOU .. I think you had a GREAT DAY .. you rode your exercise :ex: bike and you enjoyed the time you spent with your friend SO IN TOTAL IT WAS A GREAT DAY .. so please DON'T NEGATE what you did .. everything we do in this weight loss journey IS A PLUS ..

What about sending balloons :balloons: and flowers :spring: to your daughter at her school ? .. A long time ago I did that for one of my daughters .. LOL granted she was totally surprised and A LITTLE EMBARRASSED because she was then bombarded with questions as to HOW OLD SHE WAS .. but other than that she enjoyed it and told me IT MADE HER DAY SO SPECIAL ..

Take care of yourself and have and make it a great day .. Monica

Monica, Thanks for stopping. I have thought of sending her flowers. Her birthday is on Sat. so I think I'll have them delivered to school on Fri. I just want to make sure she "feels the love"!!!:)

This morning I got on the scale thinking a should show a little bit of a lose and was THREE POUNDS more!!! I'm so mad and frustrated. It's better for me to stay off the scale!! It just throws me!!! But....Instead of giving up I added another minute on my bike ride and am determinded to make this a good day because this is the only day I can do a damn thing about it.:( I will not weigh myself again for at least a week. It's not about the numbers, it's about good health!!!!!!!!X-(

I don't really have much planned for today. I might run in and see my Dad.

I got my hair cut and colored yesterday. It's so nice to have the gray roots gone.:D

Hope you have a great day. Be good to you.

Hey Zoe,

Sorry about the darn scale, but good for you for keeping going and not letting it slow you down. So many, many things affect our weight, it is really quiet amazing.

A thought for your DD - a gift card to a store near here, it could be a store to get something for her apartment or for her personally, or just a general store, like Walmart. We love gift cards around here, lol.

Keep making those good choices!!!

Crazy, thanks for stopping!

Good morning. The weekend was busy and I didn't take time to journal. I missed it. My healthy eating wasn't the best but I only took Sun. off riding my trail to good health.

This morning DH and I talked again about out business decisions. Since I keep bring this up I decided to explain a little bit about it. We raise 200 head of cows and have 2200 acres of farm ground. It is way too much work for us. We are trying to decide if we should rent, lease or hire a manager for our business. It is such a stressful decision. If it were up to me I would put it up for sale but DH would NEVER do that. He has a couple of leads on men that would be interested in working for us but he can't decide if that's what he wants to do. I have so many feelings that are involved in this that I could write a book. I won't even go there. I keep praying that the Lord will guide us through this and we make the right choices. It is sooooo hard.

I had to get away yesterday and went shopping. I bought a few summer things on sale and I hope I won't wear them much becasue they will be too big next summer. At the rate I'm going who knows!!! I keep thinking with the increase of time on the bike and trying to eat healthy something should start happening!!

I bought my DD a gift certificate at Maurices yesterday and I will send her flowers to be delived at the school next Fri. I can't believe how much I miss her. I have gone much longer than this without seeing her but just knowing she is so far away makes me long to hug her!!! I HATE IT!! Yesterday was her first day of having her students come to her room and she loved it and had a great day. I'm so thankful for that. She also went to a movie over the weekend with some other new teachers. Isn't that wonderful!!!

DS left Sun. to go back to school. Yesterday was his first day of his new job. He said it went well and he thinks he will really like it. I miss him so much. The house is EMPTY!

Well, I better get to work. I hope everyone is having a great day. Be good to you!

Good Morning Pat,

I can TOTALLY empathize :console: with you about the "EMPTY NEST SYNDROME" .. I didn't think it would bother me when my girls moved out .. BUT I WAS WRONG .. maybe it's because we're SO INTO THE "MOTHERING" mode and suddenly we're not needed in the same way ..

Some people can adjust better than others .. I am not one of them .. but I do TRY to keep myself busy .. but truthfully I'd RATHER be out in the "WORKING WORLD" than being in the "AT HOME" mode .. lol let's just say I'm NOT THE "ADJUSTING TYPE" ..

You're doing great riding your exercise bicycle .. and I'm sure that the INCENTIVE of getting into new clothes will be a GOOD :up: way to BEING CONSISTENT .. in traveling down your Journey to success ..

Since I've not had to face the same circumstances as you insofar as your "family business" I have no other comment than to say I'm SURE YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND will make the best decision for yourselves .. take care of yourself and have and make it a great day .. Sincerely, Monica

Good morning. I don't have time to ride my bike and journal so I'm leaving the ride for later. I'm usually not good at getting it done when I put it off but I'm determinded!!

Our truck needs to be worked on so I have to go pick up DH when he drops it off. Then I'm going to hit the store for fruit and veggies.

Last night DH and I went to a family picnic at the nursing home with my Dad. He wasn't in a very good mood and to tell you the truth it made me very depressed!! I could hardly hold back the tears through the whole thing. Modern medican keeps people alive too long!!! My Dad tried getting out of his wheel chair two days ago and fell. Thank God he didn't break a hip or something. Bless his heart!!!

Need to run. Be good to you today!!!!

Good Morning Pat,

Just wanted to give you a SUPER SIZED :hug: .. Monica :hug:

Good morning. For some unknown reason I haven't taken time to journal for the past few days. I have been doing well with my healthy eating. Yesterday was the only day I didn't ride my bike. My knee hurt so I rested it. I don't know what got it going but it's better today. I will ride. I haven't gotten on the scale because it's so frustrating for me it's better to stay off. I have to keep telling myself I'm not doing it for the numbers.

Today is laundry day again. This morning is a beautiful morning. It reminds me that fall is very near which makes me happy. I love fall.

We are going to go visit my nephew over the weekend. It will be nice to get a way for a couple of days. I'm going to try very hard not to over eat. I'm really bad when I'm away from home but I'll try!!!! Maybe there will be a bike where we are staying. I don't know if I would exercise this fat body in front of other people or not. I'll take clothes just incase.

I am getting use to the empty nest again. I HATE IT!! Cooking is a whole different thing without DS. He is liking his new job so that's great.

Don't have any interesting things to tell. Hope all is well. Be good to you.:)

Good morning! I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. We were gone for several days and once I get out of my mode it takes me awhile.

I have been doing so so with my healthy eating. There is room for improvement! I went 5 days without riding my bike but did it yesterday and it wasn't too bad. I haven't had time to ride it today but I will get it done.

I will be gone for the next two days. I am going with my sister to her granddaughters
5th birthday party. That should be very fun. I never do as well away from home but I will try and do better than usual. A person can cut out so many calories if you just keep thinking!!!8-|

I have to confess yesterday was a terrible day for me. A couple of things happened that were very emotional for me and I tried to eat it away. It didn't work!:( Can't do anything about it today but have a good day.

Need to run. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Be good to you. I'll be back Monday!:)

Good morning. It is a foggy fall morning here today. The sun is trying to shine!

My healthy eating is going pretty well. I am keeping track of my calories and being aware of everything I eat. My weight is jumping around wildly and I try to stay off the scale as much as possible. Over the past week there was a 4 1/2 pound difference in my weight. I am beginning to think I should go to the dr. to see if there is something wrong with my phyroid or if I should start taking a water pill or something. It is very frustrating and one of the reasons I haven't been posting because I hate to complain the whole time. :(

The weather has been so nice. I love fall. Tonight we will be going to the high school football game. I am looking forward to that. I do admit that football season hasn't sparked my interest like it usually does. I haven't even watched a game on TV which is very unusual. I guess my interests are changing.

My daughter is loving her new job. She is giving it an A!! :) I'm so happy for her. Tonight she is having three friends over for pizza and a movie. It seems to be a perfect fit for her. She was telling me yesterday how some of her students are improving with what she has been working on with them and was so excited about their progress. I'm so proud of her.

I don't have much news. It has been very hard for me to stay on track lately because I'm so discouraged that I'm not losing any weight. I know it isn't all about the numbers but it seems like I should be getting a little off. It makes me so worried because I need to get some of this weight off!!! I need to do better!!!

Hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for reading my journal. Be good to you.

Good Morning Pat,

I can SO empathize :console: with you and I also hear you about not wanting to POST thinking it would be a downer for others to read .. lol SEEMS LIKE GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE ..

I have a couple of questions :-/ : ARE YOU RETAINING WATER? ... WHEN YOU WEIGH YOURSELF .. DO YOU WEIGH YOURSELF AT THE SAME TIME EVERY TIME? ... ARE YOU GAINING OR ARE YOU MAINTAINING? .. in regards to the last question if YOU'RE MAINTAINING for more than three weeks I'd like to suggest you try the PLATE METHOD ..

The Plate Method was suggested to me at Dietwatch by one of the dietitians and it has worked for me IN THE PAST (you know thinking about it I might even try it NOW) .. The Plate Method is a follows:

Use the Plate Method for ONE WEEK .. have your usual breakfast and luch menus and at DINNER TIME take a LARGE DINNER PLATE --

FILL ONE HALF (1/2) OF THE PLATE WITH VEGETABLES EXCLUDES PEAS AND CORN ...

FILL ONE QUARTER (1/4) OF THE PLATE WITH PROTEIN FISH, CHICKEN OR TURKEY ...

FILL ONE QUARTER (1/4) OF THE PLATE WITH STARCH WHOLE WHEAT PASTA, POTATO OR BROWN RICE ...

If you are still hungry TAKE ANOTHER LARGE DINNER PLATE .. FILL IT WITH DARK GREEN LEAFY LETTUCE (ROMAINE OR SPINACH) .. RAW VEGETABLES BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS, JICAMA, CUCUMBER, ASPARAGUS, TOMATO .. and for a SALAD DRESSING use RICE VINEGAR OR BALSAMIC VINEGAR ..

After the week go back to your weight loss plan .. and JUST BE PATIENT AND KIND TO YOURSELF .. if you have questions GO AND DISCUSS THEM WITH YOUR DOCTOR .. take care my friend .. have and make it a great weekend ... Monica

Hey Pat,

I am so sorry that I haven't been here much lately. My life has been just a bit crazy with learning my new job and the long hours. This weekend is going to be much shorter so that is nice.

Glad Erin is so happy with her new job and her new friends. That is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope things smooth out for you a bit. Those tough times are hard, but you will make it through.

Something I have started to do: I read an article about all the things that make our weight change and have come to realize that as long as I am relatively on track that those high numbers mean nothing. As long as there are some low numbers peaking through once in a while I only pay attention to the low numbers. Just a thought.