Anyone up for thinner Christmas 2017 challenge?

[Mick6]

Hooray! I finally got more than 3 to 4 hours of sleep!!! Its nice to wake up feeling tired but not dead I tried Tylenol PM as soneone suggested. I didnt get a full 8 and still feel groggy but oh so much better than 3 to 4 hours. I also didnt wake up achy multiple times a night so yeah Getting sleep might actually help with the weight loss too! I weighed this morning and I am still quite up. grrrrr

I stopped yesterday and saw a few ladies I havent seen since June. I havent lost much since June as our numbers here show but it sure was nice to get the compliments. I guess things changed more than the blips on the scale

Yesterday:

3 eggs with salsa and sour cream

a few baby carrots and green beans

chicken leg, thing and wing. Creamed cucumbers

a few nuts

JESS~ I am so sorry to hear you cant sleep either! I hope your poor eye is feeling better. Man I feel for your dh those side effects can be just miserable from food allergies! I had to giggle about the taxi parent comment I so remember those days. I hope all went well at the ortho and you got to sneak a little R&R into your day!

[FindingMe]

************** START -- CURRENT - 12/24 GOAL ---- OCT START

Mick................... 199.0........190 ............174 ............... 192.9
FindingMe........... 230.2........199.8 .........196 ............... 211.6 (-8)
Dimply............... 198.5........168.5 .........163 ............... 176 (-7.5)
Michelle.............. 220...........213.6 .........190 ............... 215.2
Jess................... 167.8........161.6 .........158 ............... 163.8
Handbells........... 228.6........216.0 .........199 ............... 227.6
Better................ 175...........170 ............165 ............... 178


****Not Weighed in for end of Sept yet****
NightOwl............ 169.8........167.4 ..........144 ............... 167.4
Nanabell............. 241.3........230 ............210 ............... 230
RockinPeach........ 241.6........225.2 .........199 ............... 234.4
DebbieDowner..... 269...........257 ............170 ............... 257
PlanningVacay..... 211...........205 ............165 ............... 205

[FindingMe]

Jess - I hope you had fun with hubby! Wishing you good luck at the eye doctor.

Dimply - Great deals on the clothes! Clown pants. What a lovely compliment. Men.

Mick - I am with you on the sleeping. I feel like I've been up half the day by 8am. Funny you mentioned the OTC PM meds. I took two of those last night also and fell asleep in my recliner. I still woke up at 3am, but at least I slept a few hours before that...I keep them on hand, but try not to take them more than once or twice a month because they are addictive. They always knock me right out. I guess its better than booze. Sometimes you just gotta have something to get some relief.

Well, the scale finally moved. I've just been updating my current numbers from the October list since that is the most recent one. I hope that is okay? I seem to be the only one posting new numbers?
I feel lucky to get to my first big goal for the first time in over 20 years as it has taken me 3 months longer than it should have although I've been stellar. I'm still a few pounds away from being out of the obese zone so I'm trying to keep my 5 month streak going with my calorie deficit challenge. I'm thinking about waiting til the first of the year to get my checkup to make sure I'm firmly in the 100s. Doctors scales can be bizarre.

Hope everyone has a lovely rest-of-the week! And everyone has good scale numbers, too! WE ARE WORTH IT!!!

[Dimply]

YAY FINDINGME!!!!

All of your hard work has paid off!!! Now stay off of the scale until at least the weekend in case your scale decides to revert to its evil ways!!!

[Mick6]

FINDINGME ~ Hooray!!! Im so excited for you Your so deserve this!!!!

I havent done any numbers for a while as nothing is moving yet. I think they 180s are tormenting me

Sorry to hear you are tired too. I didnt know the meds could be addictive good to know!

[jessluvzbacon]

FindingMe- It looks like the scale can only be nice to one of us at a time right now and you're the lucky one.
Hubby and I had such a nice time, it was a shame it was so short.



As for me...
The eye doctor was fine. He can't do anything for me. He suffered from dry eye himself, so he knows, but Restasis and fish oil helped him. Neither has done anything for me. The inside of my eye looks fine for now. I do have high ocular pressure still, so I'll need regular scans every year, but so far so good. He told me to try the high quality omega 3s, so when I use up my huge bottles of reg fish oil I have, I'll try concentrates next.
They did say that the next time I have an eye injury, to call and they'll fit me in for an amniotic graft, which only works while the cornea is injured, but is supposed to make it heal stronger and rejuvenate the cornea. But there's no guarantee there won't be any more injuries on that eye again and it's $1200 per eye. I'm on the fence. Friday is on it's way. So the scale can disappoint me again.

To be positive, I've moved up to heavier weights on my strength routine. DH is going to be mad at me because I ordered an adjustable dumbbell set from Amazon with a giftcard I've had since last Christmas. I just did it. The last time I mentioned it he got all upset. Talking about how I'm going to get all big...I've been strength training for 2 years. If I were going to get "big" I would have by now.

Anyway, blah blah blah.
Hope you all are having a fab day.

[FindingMe]

Thanks so much, y'all!

Dimply - In all my excitement I forgot to say cute pic of the lil darl'n. Hope you are well and hanging in there waiting on those devils for Turkey Day. I'm debating on using the last of my eggs on another batch or doing an omelet. Decisions.

Mick - Just staying below 200 is such a battle this time of year so kudos for that!!! I hope you get your whoosh soon.
I think there have been some others mentioning losing, but not posting numbers so I was just curious. I'll keep posting to the October list if that is okay to keep me accountable. I gotta post those numbers to stay on track. IF I have a gain that lasts more than a week, I want to know I'm going to have to post it.

Jess - Hopefully you and hubby can have some more "alone" time soon! You go girl on the weight lifting. I bet you are getting super fit!!! I actually had to buy a smaller set when I was out of town because I don't like switching up my weights to do my shoulders which are my weakest and the hotels didn't always have good sets. I think the lack of food affects my lifting though because yesterday I was struggling even on the lower weight doing everything but my biceps. I may have to quit lifting in the mornings especially after I've walked 5-6 miles.
Fish Oil and the omegas are supposed to be good for many things so I hope long term use will help with your eyes. I used to take that and tons of other supplements trying to find a "healthy" helper for my arthritis. That eye stuff is so expensive! My mom has lots of eye problems and her doctor suggested fish oil for her, too.

I tried, but I couldn't stay off the scale this morning. I guess I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming. And, it was still sub 200. AHHHH. Feels so good. I even went to Sam's and the first thing I thought was what can I buy to celebrate. I almost walked out with 2 pounds of "Fresh" frozen shrimp, but then I saw the sodium was 750 grams PER SERVING!!! That was over 5000 grams of sodium in the bag and YOU KNOW I would have eaten all of them....so, I put them back and reminded myself that although completely on plan and well within my calorie allotment, it would most definitely send me back over that dreaded 2 number again. And what was I thinking rewarding myself with food!?! I am no longer this person. I am no longer this person. I am no longer this person. UGH. I did walk out with a brick of Tillamook pepper jack though so portion control goddess give me strength!!! Oh and I stayed OFF of the nut aisle. So GO ME!

And I'm thinking about skipping my treat this month. I'm up to FOUR freebies at my favorite coffee place so I really want to get some distance between me and THAT number. I think making it past this huge milestone for me will help so much with keeping my head on straight through the holidays. IF the scale hadn't started cooperating, I know where my brain and body was heading. And it wasn't pretty.

Thanks for putting up with me. Y'all are the bestest!!!

[betterthanever]

************** START -- CURRENT - 12/24 GOAL ---- OCT START

Mick................... 199.0........190 ............174 ............... 192.9
FindingMe........... 230.2........199.8 .........196 ............... 211.6 (-8)
Dimply............... 198.5........168.5 .........163 ............... 176 (-7.5)
Michelle.............. 220...........213.6 .........190 ............... 215.2
Jess................... 167.8........161.6 .........158 ............... 163.8
Handbells........... 228.6........216.0 .........199 ............... 227.6
Better................ 175...........168 ............165 ............... 178


****Not Weighed in for end of Sept yet****
NightOwl............ 169.8........167.4 ..........144 ............... 167.4
Nanabell............. 241.3........230 ............210 ............... 230
RockinPeach........ 241.6........225.2 .........199 ............... 234.4
DebbieDowner..... 269...........257 ............170 ............... 257
PlanningVacay..... 211...........205 ............165 ............... 205

I am finally down to what I was a year ago. Thank goodness! I debated changing my goal for Christmas, but I did not. I've always had a hard time setting weight goals, because it's something I can't control. I can control what I eat, but I can't control how much weight my body is ready to let go. I think I could lose more, but I'm just going to keep with my plan, and I'll get where I get. It feels SO good to be back on plan.

[Mick6]

Busy day yesterday. Worked and then had to do showings at the rental for a few hours. I had 5 that seemed qualified take applications. I have 1 tonight that is cutting it tight. I found out last night I have to do back up for someone today. Wish me luck! I know the paperwork part but not the rest of the job!

Scale still is loving 190. Wow wow this has been a few weeks jumping around this. Same thing happened at 200 to hit 199. Oh well Ill just keep thinking of what my Dr told me about how to proceed by not proceeding to keep it off in the long run My pants are nice and lose again so thats good!

JESS~ I had to giggle about dh thinking you'll get all big. Us ladies just dont have the testosterone for that usually. Enjoy your new weight set! I hope the change in fish oil helps your eyes. Id be on the fence with the surgery too just as there is no guarantee. Kick that scale to the dump if it dissapoints you

FINDINGME~ Yeah on staying under 200! You are rocking this lady!!! I didnt realize shrimp had a lot of sodium! Ill be snagging that list as soon as I see 189 for sure! I shall just be very happy to see no gain during the holiday season. I just love how you are so honest about your thought and how things work for you

DIMPLY~ Hope all is well!

BETTERTHANEVER~ BIG congrats on getting back to where you were a year ago! You make a great point about not being able to control what the body is letting go of.


Howdy to everyone not checking in! On plan or off plan there is no judgement here. This is a rough time of year for anyone trying to lose or maintain weight.It helps so much to check in for the accountablilty. Jan 1 will be 1 year since these lovely ladies and I have been checking in together when we started our first 6 month challenge. This is the first time I have not slunk off when I was not the perfect low carber. I know without the support I would still be sitting at close to 240 or even higher!

[handbells]

WTG, FM!!! That is amazing! Very happy for you!

That's wonderful, Betterthanever!

I've been reading, but not posting. Sorry about that. I'm very discouraged!

I have been staying strictly to my plan, but the scale is not being kind in reflecting that. I'm also under a ton of stress currently and when I'm stressed I don't eat and when I don't eat I don't lose.

*sigh*

[jessluvzbacon]

Jenn- Oh hon, we've been there. I'm so sorry your scale is being a complete jerk and you're under so much stress. I hope it will let up on you soon. Life is hard enough without extra agonizing circumstances.

Mick6- What could be better than loose pants?
I hope your "fill in" went smoothly.
My scale, I think, has decided upon another number it wants to bounce around, too. We'll see tomorrow. I might say bad words in my head. We'll see.
The most annoying thing to me about the fish oil is that I took it for a long time after the symptoms started. I guess it's just not the right kind. I'm taking Omega7s right now. Haven't noticed any difference so far, but I'm still in the 1st bottle.

FindingMe- Yipee! Sticky! I'm so glad it's staying under where it belongs. And perhaps it will give you even more in the days to come.
I have spent so much money on supplements to try to fix me. And so much on MDs to fix me. None have worked. Oh well. It will be what it will be. I'm not dying. I'm just tired from the sleep disturbances and the fatigue/joint-pain which in the scheme of things isn't very bad, just a nuisance. I'm a blessed human being regardless.

Betterthanever- Congrats. I am so so so happy for you!!!


As for me...nothing to report.
Doing the stuff. Soccer party at a pizza buffet place for ds6 tonight. I've already logged it. They have a great salad bar. And serve thin crust on the buffet so I'll eat a massive salad and a piece or 2 of pizza. It fits. Then Friday, shots for poor dd8. I got her in at the health dept and I have a feeling that there will be a lot of shots because she has aged out of the combo vax. I can grouse about how the pediatrician AND the umbrella school both missed it, but I didn't stay on top of it for various reasons so it's on me. I hope she does ok. She's really sensitive. I'm getting her a treat after though and lots of hugs. She'll be 9 soon. My word!
Oh and I have to take dd15 to concert Fri night... SIL is playing flute in it.

Anyway...scale tomorrow. Grrrr!
Hope you all have a wonderful day!

[FindingMe]

Better – Congrats on being back down to your year ago weight! I, too, thought about changing my goal for this challenge but my weight loss goes in cycles so I didn’t want to touch it.

Jenn – I’m so sorry that you are stressed and the scale isn’t rewarding you for not eating. I, usually eat or drink my stress so I feel sure that when things level out that you’ll be duly rewarded! I hope the stress and the scale get better soon!

Jess - I saved a few old pictures of me (I scanned and destroyed most of the old non digital), but I was amazed at how muscular my arms were in my 20’s (back when I went sleeveless in public). I thought about you when I saw them. I never lifted weights or exercised intentionally until I got well into my 30’s. Drives me crazy thinking about it. Well, crazier. Anyway, this morning when I was lifting I could hear my shoulder creaking like my knees started doing many years ago. We just have to keep telling ourselves that it isn't going to get any easier than it is today. Sux to get old.

Mick – One thing about weight stick-age is that you have less chance of gaining it back quickly and it gives you that firm grasp before the scale releases you into a lower number. I know it is easier to say when it isn't you (at that moment). I’ve been cursing my scale more the last 3 months than my whole dieting life because it does seem so much harder to lose so much less. But hang in there because you get so much exercise and stay so busy that I know you are much healthier than any dumb scale numbers!

Regarding the shrimp sodium. Up until I saw that packaged frozen nutritional label, I thought raw shrimp had very little sodium, but I’ve done research since then and seen everything from <200 to 500 grams per serving. And if you use crab boil or whatever to boil it (I used to, but started sauteeing it in kerrygold if I’m just cooking for myself), it can get way up there. So, my final analysis says that they probably put something into the processing to freeze it, but not as much as I first thought. Did I tell y’all I over-analyze everything???!!! No matter what, I still love my shrimps!!! Any way I can get them. I'm not giving them up forever. Just until I put a little distance between me and that number. And I live in the land of wonderful fresh seafood so I should never think about buying any kind of frozen seafood anyways. Shame on me.

I upper my calories a tad after a week of non sustainable eating and was happy that the scale still seemed to like me. I want to get back to a more normal range of calories to keep up with all the exercise. Trying to find that sweet spot.

[Dimply]

Hanging in there eating-wise. Scale is being stupid, but that's out of my control.
I have a doctor's appointment on 12/21, and I really, really want to be in the overweight as opposed to obese range by then.

FindingMe - for sticky numbers!!! I found 2 before pictures of me from 12/2015 & Jan 2016 and was shocked at how big I was. I was truly in denial about my size. And I probably got even bigger in the year or so after that, before I found you ladies & got really serious again.

Get yourself a shrimp man!!!

Mick - Hope you find a great tenant.

Sorry your scale is being a butt, but I am glad that your doctor has a good attitude about it and knows you are working on it. My doctors seem to only care about BMI & write it in huge numbers on my chart for loose pants!

Jenn - Good to see you. Sorry you are having lots of stress. I sometimes see no loss on the scale when I don't eat, but I have also gained Anyway, I hope things calm down in your life.

jess - Hope you can find the right combination of supplements/meds to get relief. Enjoy the soccer banquet.

better - I hesitate to set weigh loss goals also since the scale is going to do what it's going to do. So I figure all I can do is stick to my plan and hopefully things will fall into place. Congrats on being back down to last year's weight!

yesterday:
B - coffee w/cream & DaVincis
D - chicken breast sauteed in olive oil; Greek salad

Hazel is 8 months old & crawling! Those cheeks are all mine next week

[jessluvzbacon]

I'm still up 4lb.




Ok now. Enough of that.
Have a wonderful day, ladies. I'm going to go torture my child with vaccinations.

[Dimply]

That is hilarious jess Reminds me of the printer scene in the movie "Office Space". Hope your scale moves in the right direction soon!

Hope DD's vax aren't too bad.

DH wanted to go out last night, but between the remodeled restaurant being too loud, an overcooked steak, a not great server, & $10 for a bowl of ice cream, he said he is done with eating out. Famous last words probably, but I prefer to eat at home so I hope he sticks with it. Tiny cheat in that I had a cappuccino, but I wanted something creamy & frothy.

This is probably tl;dr, but over the summer DH & I were eating at Flemings (a steak house), and I noticed that the bacon on the wedge salad was different - sweet & spicy. Delicious, but because of the sweetness I gave it to DH. I asked our server about it, and he said they got it from a farmer just outside of Houston and it was from a red wattle neck hog and that he himself had bought 1/2 pig from him, and was telling us about the farm. I thought it was neat that a chain with restaurants all over the US sourced local ingredients, but didn't think any more about it. FF to last month when we were in NOLA for my aunt's 70th birthday, and that Sunday my sister gave a birthday brunch for a friend of hers. I was briefly introduced to her cousin who lives in Houston and was in town for a wedding. Both he & DH are in the oil business so they chatted and I moved on. Later, I overheard him talking to my dad, and he was talking about raising hogs and was telling the same story that I had heard from our server months ago. I asked him if he provided bacon to Flemings in Houston, & yep that was him. I thought it was kind of neat that I live smack dab in the middle of the 4th largest city in the US & I met the farmer of food I have eaten! Like I said, probably tl;dr but I thought it was cool.

B - coffee w/cream & DaVincis
D (Flemings): 1/2 wedge salad, ribeye, mushrooms, cappuccino

[handbells]

Oh my word, Dimply! Hazel is just too adorable! Enjoy your time with her

Jess- that is too funny! Hope DD's shots went okay. What kind of concert are you taking DD15 to?

Still stressed, but it's getting a little better. At least the scale cooperated today.

Hope everyone is well!

[FindingMe]

I hope you all are having better scale numbers today! On the weather front, they are again saying today will be the last of the 80's until 2018. I'll believe it when I see it. Next week we aren't supposed to get above the 60's.

Jess - Thanks for the funny!

Jenn - So glad that your scale is cooperating and things are getting better for you!

Mick - Hope all is well and you get some much needed rest and relaxation this weekend!!!

Dimply - That is neat about the farmer meet/meat! Cute pix!!!
How much more do you need to lose to be in the "overweight" category? You must be close!!! I'm about 5 away, but going through the same thoughts as you regarding checkups. And I want to have a little wiggle room for height shrinkage so ideally I'd like to lose 15 more before going so definitely 2018 at the earliest. I think I mentioned before that I had issues with an old insurance plan a few years ago because they had coded my wellness checkup as obesity and decided they didn't want to cover any of it. And another doctor before that said all of my temporary issues were because of it. The issues went away, but I gained more weight... Needless to say, I never went back to either. Looking forward to a clean slate with a new doctor and for once actually being honest with my insurance company about my weight.

Well, it has been an exciting week. The scale has been nice to me, I had eggs for dinner (a first for me), and I bought bacon (ALWAYS a delight) instead of sweets. I once again had that sweet craving and scoured the shelves almost picking up the new Atkins macadamia frankenfood. Thank goodness I've been reading labels as I rarely buy anything after. And although the bacon had 400g of sodium per serving, I had two and it was worth it! Gotta keep living, although the scale stopped moving down even keeping below my daily sodium goal.

I'm cooking the last of that pork roast this morning before the house temps get unbearable. Hoping to at least maintain my new low although my calories will be up and my body will probably rebel. I'm not buying anymore meal meats until I have cleaned out my freezer. I'm on a mission.

Have a great weekend!

[Mick6]

Crazy crazy. I noticed my belt was in another notch yesterday but guess what the scale still says........ You guessed it 190 LOL I think Im in for a super long bounce around like the many many weeks I flirted with 199. I dont really care.Im not getting frustrated. Id rather flirt with 189 than the almost 240 I started at. I'm not willing to be hungry or go to extreme measures to get it going either. I have a very very lax goal here. Stay with my plan and start Jan 1 even just one pound lighted than the holiday season began. Pretty lax but very realistic. More would be better of course~!

I was crabby with dh this morning. He was going hunting and set his alarm wrong. It was blaring music at 3:23 AM!!! I was actually sleeping good for once too! I just dont know what to do about this sleep issue I have going on. I got one decent night and that was the night I took the Tylenol PM.

I am returned the app fee to one applicant as I knew they were not going to be approved. Im waiting on income / job verification for another one before I run the credit report. I got their letter of hire, starting date and salary with the app but I still need to verify because people do crazy things. We had a business owner once list their source of income as the business. Upon research I found the biz had been up for sale for a while and was now in banruptcy. I verify as much as I can for free before running the credit. If I hit red flags I return the fee they submitted to them. I would love to put this with property management but dh doesnt want to lose full control. He of course helps with painting/ inspections/maintence etc but I handle all the paperwork, people etc.

JENN~ I know it is hard but try not to be discouraged. Our bodies are not predicatable machines when it comes to losing pounds. I hope the situation that is stressing you resolves soon. You know we are here for you if you want to chat about it. Try to eat. Even if your just making your self smoothies. Be good to yourself and take care. I just read further down and saw your scale behaved now

DIMPLY~ Hazel is just a little doll! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago you posted her newborn photo That is really cool about the restaurant and meeting the farmer! Thats fabulous. We have 3 places that do local grown foods.They are a bit more expensive but worth it to me to get local and hormone free. Sorry to hear your dining out experience wasnt so hot. I swooned at $10 ice cream. I hope it was super good ice cream at least. I wouldnt sweat the your treat beverage to much. I too was in denial about my weight for sure. I think its pretty common.

JESS~ Yep thats exactly what we should be doing to our scales LOL!!!! Are you measuring? How do your clothes feel? I hope the right fish oil helps you out! How did DD do with the shots? I hope it went well.

FINDINGME~ I so glad your scale stayed stable with getting back to a more sustainable calorie level. If there is something to maintaing and being stuck as you lose I should be a winner! I had shrimp in butter last night at the Chinese buffet.Yummy! I couldnt stay away from them permanently either. If they were not so spendy Id eat them constantly. Are you watching sodium just because of the scale. Good job passing up the Atkins bars. Its kind of gross but I call them explosive EXLAX bar. So not worth the stomach pain to me. Im glad your getting some cool weather

HAS anyone heard from MICHELLE? Im getting worried about her!

Have a fabulous day ladies!!!

[jessluvzbacon]

Dimply- That was definitely a cool story!
Hazel looks just sooo squishable.

Jenn- Glad the scale is playing a little nicer. It's so disagreeable! I hope the stress continues to fall for you.

FindingMe- really, what else can we do but resort to humor when our weight is sooo OBSTINATE! I'm glad the scale continues to play nice for you.

Mick6- Congrats on the belt notch!!! My scale and yours seem to be in cahoots! I do need to whip out the tape measure. Perhaps if the scale is still being a stink on Friday. I try not to get too obsessed with that. For me where I am regarding weight, there's such small changes, and interference of the remaining loose skin that it looks like isn't going to leave, that it's very difficult to measure, or even be sure the measurement is accurate. And when I'm up in weight from water, it hangs around my belly and thighs in the very worst spots. *le sigh*... I just want my jeans to fit right in the waist. I won't wear them if they are tight. And I'm constantly getting bloat there for the last 6 month. It's just stupid.


I'll just answer some things here in the update since multiple people asked.
DD seems to be doing alright. She had 5 separate shots. But was very calm and brave even though I could see her frowning and tearing up. But she was very excited about her milkshake coming up. She did well. I had to give her some ibuprofen at bed because both her arms were sore. So far she seems normal and no tiredness or anything.

DD15 went to her SIL(16) homeschool band concert.
There were several small bands. Beginner, intermediate, concert band, and symphonic. Seperated by skill level. The beginner and intermediate were atrocious. The concert band was a little better. Symphonic is the best...but they had some very young brass players and you could tell. Out of tune, mercy!!! They did play a couple of cool melodies. My favorite was the Original Star Trek mixed with the most recent Star Trek movie theme. Very cool. And a clarinet quartet played a ragtime piece. They were actually VERY good. I played clarinet, flute, and mellowphone (marching french horn) back in my day and was in symphonic band in highschool, played in the church orchestra, and was in Woodwind Ensemble in college..so I'm probably (most certainly) a little over-critical.

DH took the teens over to the ILs today to do some work on his property. But when DH got there, he had to take FIL to the urgent care for a possible kidney stone. So the teens are there alone playing music too loud. Littles are here with me playing on the keyboard and/or making messes all over the house. I'm sipping and snooping around here.
My weights came! So I get to get into those Monday.
Blah blah blah . Chatty chatty this morning.

Hoping you all are having a greak weekend.
And Michelle if you are out there, I hope you are doing ok.

ttyl.

[Dimply]

Felt really yesterday. No idea what caused it, and I had to stop at Starbucks for tea while out running errands. Slept for a little while & felt better so ate dinner then felt again. Feeling OK now.

I PM'd Michelle a week or so ago but have not heard from her. Hope she is doing well & checks in. I'm missing Gail too.

Glad y'all liked Hazel's pics! She really is squishy & huggable

2 NSV yesterday. I hate squats because they hurt my knees so badly, and if I ever have to bend I just bend at the waist. Yesterday at Walgreens I was looking for something on the bottom shelf, and realized I was squatting without even realizing it. Then I went to Target & was looking for black tights. There was a tiny lady also looking & she had a Target associate helping her find her color & size. I hung back so they could find what they needed before I looked, and the Target worker, who was putting the display in order, asked what I was looking for. I told her black tights also, and before I could tell her my size (M/L), the tiny lady handed me a pair of S/M and said that she found 2 & I could have 1. I thanked her but told her I needed the next size up, and both asked me if i was sure. I could have hugged them, but yes very sure.

Originally Posted by FindingMe

I hope you all are having better scale numbers today! On the weather front, they are again saying today will be the last of the 80's until 2018. I'll believe it when I see it. Next week we aren't supposed to get above the 60's.

Dimply - That is neat about the farmer meet/meat! Cute pix!!!
How much more do you need to lose to be in the "overweight" category? You must be close!!! I'm about 5 away, but going through the same thoughts as you regarding checkups. And I want to have a little wiggle room for height shrinkage so ideally I'd like to lose 15 more before going so definitely 2018 at the earliest. I think I mentioned before that I had issues with an old insurance plan a few years ago because they had coded my wellness checkup as obesity and decided they didn't want to cover any of it. And another doctor before that said all of my temporary issues were because of it. The issues went away, but I gained more weight... Needless to say, I never went back to either. Looking forward to a clean slate with a new doctor and for once actually being honest with my insurance company about my weight.

I'm cooking the last of that pork roast this morning before the house temps get unbearable. Hoping to at least maintain my new low although my calories will be up and my body will probably rebel. I'm not buying anymore meal meats until I have cleaned out my freezer. I'm on a mission.

Have a great weekend!

Enjoy the cool weather! We're supposed to hit 84 today, but next week the highs will range from 66-73. Then back up to 82 Sat. Looks like when we are in NOLA next week highs will be mid60s-mid70s.

I have 3-5 lbs to go, depending on what the scale wants to do on any given day, before being overweight, but that is with no clothes on so I doubt I will be there, with clothes, by my appointment. But I should be close so they can deal. I hate when doctors think every health issue is weight-related when you're obese.

My freezer is pretty much cleaned out. There are a few things, but it's not like the meat counter in there any longer. Which is good, because it means we are eating at home a lot more than we are eating out, which has not always been the case

Originally Posted by Mick6

Crazy crazy. I noticed my belt was in another notch yesterday but guess what the scale still says........ You guessed it 190 LOL I think Im in for a super long bounce around like the many many weeks I flirted with 199. I dont really care.Im not getting frustrated. Id rather flirt with 189 than the almost 240 I started at. I'm not willing to be hungry or go to extreme measures to get it going either. I have a very very lax goal here. Stay with my plan and start Jan 1 even just one pound lighted than the holiday season began. Pretty lax but very realistic. More would be better of course~!

I was crabby with dh this morning. He was going hunting and set his alarm wrong. It was blaring music at 3:23 AM!!! I was actually sleeping good for once too! I just dont know what to do about this sleep issue I have going on. I got one decent night and that was the night I took the Tylenol PM.

DIMPLY~ Hazel is just a little doll! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago you posted her newborn photo That is really cool about the restaurant and meeting the farmer! Thats fabulous. We have 3 places that do local grown foods.They are a bit more expensive but worth it to me to get local and hormone free. Sorry to hear your dining out experience wasnt so hot. I swooned at $10 ice cream. I hope it was super good ice cream at least. I wouldnt sweat the your treat beverage to much. I too was in denial about my weight for sure. I think its pretty common.

Yay for another belt notch! Hope the scale cooperates soon, but unfortunately it is gonna do what it's gonna do. Such a pain

Sending major sleep vibes to you. Are you off all week?

Now that Amazon has bought Whole Foods, I think I am going to start hitting the farmers' market near my house. It seems to be the type of market that is more artisans than farmers, but it's worth a look. I just keep forgetting about it since it is only opened 9-1 & only on Saturday. I haven't noticed differences in the meat at WF so much as I don't think the produce stock is being replaced as often as it had been & should be. And DH swears he saw Cheerios there last week

You are being very sensible in knowing what will & won't work for you. Ending the holidays without any gain is a major feat! Since I have never been able to maintain any significant weight loss for more than a year or so, that is the next thing I am going to work on, once my doctors' appointments, labs, etc. are done. OMAD is best for me, but I want to get to the point where I don't consider having to eat more than OMAD a huge crisis. I have 3 Thanksgivings to go to Thursday, and I am already planning to play one against the other so I can get away with eating as little as possible. So may issues, so little time...

Originally Posted by jessluvzbacon

DD15 went to her SIL(16) homeschool band concert.
There were several small bands. Beginner, intermediate, concert band, and symphonic. Seperated by skill level. The beginner and intermediate were atrocious. The concert band was a little better. Symphonic is the best...but they had some very young brass players and you could tell. Out of tune, mercy!!! They did play a couple of cool melodies. My favorite was the Original Star Trek mixed with the most recent Star Trek movie theme. Very cool. And a clarinet quartet played a ragtime piece. They were actually VERY good. I played clarinet, flute, and mellowphone (marching french horn) back in my day and was in symphonic band in highschool, played in the church orchestra, and was in Woodwind Ensemble in college..so I'm probably (most certainly) a little over-critical.

5 shots! Poor baby! Glad she was brave, and then got a milkshake afterwards

I played flute & Fr horn too I switched to French horn when I went to an all-girls high school since there were tons of woodwind players. Switched back to flute in college. Parents are so good to sit through those concerts; I can just imagine how awful we must have sounded

Hope your FIL's kidney stone passes quickly. They are excruciating!

Jenn - Glad the scale was cooperative!!

yesterday:
B - coffee w/cream & DaVincis
D - buneless cheese burger w/mayo & mustard, parmesan crisp

[betterthanever]

Today was not a good day. :-( I ate a bunch of weird stuff. Mostly lc, but I ate popcorn (naughty) and lc treats, which I know are not good for me. I expect the scale to be up tomorrow. So, why? Maybe stressed out with all the school work I have to get done this weekend, plus trying to figure out Thanksgiving...and wondering how I will handle food. So, NO GOOD REASON! My fasting did not go well this week--I ended up eating too many nuts on Wed and Thurs (sometimes I'll have a few if I'm not feeling good, but I had a LOT). So, maybe it's time to take a break--just do normal low carb for a few days. That would be better than going wack-o like today. I know I'm worried about Thanksgiving. In a way, I'm really glad it comes "early" this year--gives me more time to lose between now and Christmas.

[Dimply]

Hope everyone is doing well & had a good weekend. Mine was nice & very busy, and I am trying to get the house cleaned, laundry done, etc. in anticipation of leaving town Wednesday. DH said he wants to get on the road early, which we really do need to do in order to avoid as much traffic as possible. I 10 is going to be a madhouse!

better - Sorry your eating has not been going well, but maybe give yourself a slight break. You have posted that you have lost all of the weight you gained since last Christmas, and that you love the way you feel. And you've lost 100 lbs - that is amazing!! Think of those accomplishments when you feel like feeding your stress, or feeling bad because you didn't fast. Instead of feating & fasting through the holidays, eat what you really, really want, and instead of depriving yourself of food, stick to plan on non-holiday, non-party days. It's OK to maintain over the holidays, and you might even find that you lose a little. And I say this as the queen of finding excuses not to eat, believe me.

yesterday:
B: coffee w/cream & DaVincis
D: grilled filet, hotdog; salad w/lettuce, tomato, Olive Garden Italian dressing

[betterthanever]

Thanks, Dimply. I don't really know how to maintain, so I keep thinking I need to lose! I did fast today, which is good since I was up a few pounds from my yucky weekend. I'm planning on staying low carb through Thanksgiving, but I also know that I want to eat more than usual, so just doing that might put me over on carbs (though most will be from veggies). So I'd like to plan on being able to do that Thursday. I think I'm more worried about Friday--all those leftovers, and being IN the house instead of at work. I think that's the day I really need to think through.

[handbells]

Hi, there!

Sorry to be MIA...I'm a busy beaver getting the house ready for Thursday. Just a quick pop in right now to let you all know I'm still around! After Thanksgiving, things should settle down a bit

Have a wonderful holiday!

[Mick6]

Oh did I go off the rails a little bit yesterday. Not planned, over done and not going to fret it. Going out to eat with mom is always a focus on diet. Since its is getting obvious Im losing weight I started hearing all about the "our diet " crap. Oh no your diet. Mine is not nutty, restricting everything in the world and starvation calories. So I decided to prove it. Yes, yes , Yes I am crazy. Ironically she will not actually acknowledge I have lost a chunk of weight.You certainly can NOT tell when 3 sizes are lost right?! It will not be acknowledged if I lost 100 pounds. After all thats her star.


I am off all week. I was gone all day yesterday running around. I have an appointment out of town with the dogs this morning. A lease signing with the new tenant and some bookwork to finish. Tomorrow another bunch of appointments. On good thing about my having more carbs yesterday is it should boost water weight. I dont know if you remember but I had the Dr telling me to stop losing weight and maintain it for many months before going in losing mode again.

YESTERDAY:
grilled meats and veggies with green curry and rice/ crispy treat

pork loin and a buttered potato

Im going to try the taco egg muffins recipe from peace love and low carb tonight. They look so yummy!



DIMPLY~ I also have sent a PM to Michelle with no answer That is so very awesome about squatting and the tights!!!! That just made me smile for you

Im sorry to hear that WF seems to be slipping. We dont have them here so Ive never seen one. Farmers markets are awesome! I really like how weight wise you are already looking at the future. I think losing is hard but staying at a weight in harder. Enjoy your 3 T dinners. Your going to do great! Have a safe trip!

JESS~ I hope you are enjoying the new weight set! I just ordered Body Groove because it looked fun. I'm so glad DD did ok with the shots. Thats a lot of shots!!! Is that normal for you to stay bloated around the middle? Have you brought it up to the gyno? Have no fear your pants will fit perfect down the line!

BETTERTHANEVER~ Be kind to yourself. You have accomplished something so many people can never do. Im no pro for sure but I find the more rules and regulations and restrictions I put on myself the more I go off the rails. In all honesty low carb is awesome. However there are many ways to lose weight and maintain. I think we get too caught up in an all or nothing and I must be perfect mentality when in all honesty people have kept their weight off and lost it in many different ways.

JENN~ Glad things are going well for ya! Im cooking for 20 plus and havent cleaned or done a darn thing. Can we say mad rsh tomorrow after all my appointments?

FINDINGME~ How are things going?

[FindingMe]

Hey everyone!

I'm sick. UGH. I think the last time I felt this bad was last Thanksgiving and I was forced to participate as I will again this year as much as I don't want to.

I'm still doing all I can. The scale has been up and down all week, but still below 200...barely. Just daring me to give in to one of my cravings. I see a White Russian in my future.

I hope you all have a wonderful Turkey Day and safe travels Dimply and anyone else braving the highways. Luckily, I only have to drive about 10 miles and hope to be home before the drunks get on the road.

[Dimply]

DH just texted me that he will be home around lunch. His company works 9/80 so he has every other Friday off, and since this Friday would be his day off & it is a company holiday, he gets Wednesday off. They are closing the office early tomorrow, so those off Wed get to leave early today. Nice!

Down 2 lbs & 1.5" That puts me 10 lbs down since we were in NOLA last month, but probably 5 were thanks to a stomach bug I caught. I would be swooning if 10 lbs/month were my normal loss.

better - I have never successfully maintained either, and it is something I need to work on so I can hopefully, finally get off of this weight rollercoaster. I hear you on the leftovers. Are you having guests Thursday that you can send them home with? Or just get out of the house Friday to take a drive or have coffee or see a movie. It's hard, I know.

Jenn - Good luck getting everything ready for T-Day!

Mick - 20 people? Wow!!

I am the same way around my family, and even my in-laws to a certain extent. They think I am starving myself, so I have to be sure they see me eat. That's when having 3 dinners to go to comes in handy; I can get away with eating what I feel comfortable with by using the other 2 as an excuse that I'm stuffed or need to leave room. Ironically my sister is one of the worst, and she is on a 1,000 calorie/day plan of prepared meals, so she has nerve talking about my eating.

Rice krispie treat -mmm I am going to look up the taco egg muffin recipe. Sounds good!

Findng Me - Sorry you're sick. Hope you feel better. White Russians are so good!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! I am definitely thankful for all of you!

yesterday:
B - coffee w/cream & Toranis
D - parm/mayo chicken; salad w/lettuce, tomato, creamy Italian dressing

[handbells]

FM- So sorry to hear you are sick! Hope you are feeling better soon!

Mick6- Good luck getting your house together! Hopefully the living room will get finished today (we've just finished putting down new carpet and painting)

Dimply- That's awesome your DH has a nice little holiday like that! Enjoy your trip and your Hazel time!

Better- be kind to yourself. You have lost so much! Are you at a point where you feel comfortable? Do you want to lose more? Maybe make a plan for Thanksgiving. I know exactly what we are having and have planned out exactly what I'm going to have. I follow JUDDDD, so I'm not worried about the leftovers, but maybe if the urge to munch to hits you could work on a project or take a walk?

I have decided that I will have some stuffing tomorrow, I just won't go overboard. It is my most favorite Thanksgiving food after all. I made some grain free stuffing and it's okay, but it's not the same. At all.

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

[jessluvzbacon]

Originally Posted by Dimply

Felt really yesterday. No idea what caused it, and I had to stop at Starbucks for tea while out running errands. Slept for a little while & felt better so ate dinner then felt again. Feeling OK now.

I PM'd Michelle a week or so ago but have not heard from her. Hope she is doing well & checks in. I'm missing Gail too.

Glad y'all liked Hazel's pics! She really is squishy & huggable

2 NSV yesterday. I hate squats because they hurt my knees so badly, and if I ever have to bend I just bend at the waist. Yesterday at Walgreens I was looking for something on the bottom shelf, and realized I was squatting without even realizing it. Then I went to Target & was looking for black tights. There was a tiny lady also looking & she had a Target associate helping her find her color & size. I hung back so they could find what they needed before I looked, and the Target worker, who was putting the display in order, asked what I was looking for. I told her black tights also, and before I could tell her my size (M/L), the tiny lady handed me a pair of S/M and said that she found 2 & I could have 1. I thanked her but told her I needed the next size up, and both asked me if i was sure. I could have hugged them, but yes very sure.

...


5 shots! Poor baby! Glad she was brave, and then got a milkshake afterwards

I played flute & Fr horn too I switched to French horn when I went to an all-girls high school since there were tons of woodwind players. Switched back to flute in college. Parents are so good to sit through those concerts; I can just imagine how awful we must have sounded

Hope your FIL's kidney stone passes quickly. They are excruciating!

for your NSV.
I hope you've experienced no more of that yucky nausea.

I switched to mellophone my senior year during marching season because I was so sick of the other woodwinds just not being serious marching and being notoriously terrible at it. I wanted to be in a section that wanted to be good. So that's where they needed someone. And I learned how to play the mellophone in a month. Surprised the heck out of the director, too. :wink:

Clarinet was my main instrument. In college, I taught myself the flute as the Woodwind Ensemble needed more for a couple pieces and so did the Church orchestra.

I do feel sorry for the awful ruckus made during the learning period. Clarinet played poorly is horrid. My sister played the trumpet...

They said FIL didn't have a kidney stone. They didn't know what and sent him home with nothing. He had some muscle relaxers from an old back injury, so he's been on those. Healthcare here just really makes me bonkers. *le sigh*

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

[jessluvzbacon]

Jenn- Good luck on your prep. I'm working on stuff right now myself.

Mick6- Let me know what you think of Body Groove.
I'm loving the weights. They are bulky and take a min to change up, but they are perfect. I will never need a gym.
It was a lot of shots. Which is why I am so mad at the Pediatrician. They never caught that she hadn't had the shots so long that she aged out of the combo vax they use. Oh well. It's fine. I didn't used to bloat around the middle until about 8 months ago. I started gaining weight and then my cycle bloat got ridiculous and started taking longer and longer to leave. I get it on my thighs as well. I'm most definitely a pear. The slightest thing causes me to puff up any more. On the one hand, I need that water, because my body obviously doesn't retain enough to make tears properly. I immediately pee off whatever I consume. So maybe my body needs the buffer? I still don't like it. *pouty pout pout* I haven't been to a gyno since the one I liked moved about 4 years ago. I don't like male gynos. They just have little to no understanding of female problems. Or at least the ones I had don't. But then we don't get much choice here in Appalachia. What there is that takes your insurance is what you get.
Sounds like your mom is something else! Mine was too in her own way. She sure knew how to give a backhanded compliment.
I hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving Eve.
How'd the muffins turn out?

FindingMe- I hope you are feeling a little better. So sorry you are sick. I hope you get rest and you heal quickly. That White Russian sounds so good.

Betterthanever- I think a "diet break" is in order. Just try maintaining, find the maintenance calories you are supposed to have and just cruise on that for 2 weeks. I've been hearing a lot lately about how doing that every 4-6 weeks helps with diet fatigue, and resetting your hormone levels and appetite that get strained from restricting so long. Plus, it's practice for later. Don't worry about carbs tomorrow. As long as you are eating the right kinds, right?



I hope I didn't forget too much with my comments.
I'm taking a sec to fiddle around while the eggs cool before I begin the process of peeling and turning them devlish. I have 2 pies to make as well.
And I need to sling some weights around. And fold clothes. And get the littles to work on their room some. DD8 is having some girls over for her birthday next Friday night. They have a MIGHTY mess in there!

I will go off-plan for Thanksgiving. But that is according to plan, so is that really off-plan? I'll do my best to get in a walk that day to soak up some of the carbs. And I'll get a walk in Saturday as well, as I usually take weekends off, to make up for the extra intake. I'll probably be doing some extra workouts here and there to try to get this weight to BUDGE ALREADY!