Time To Start To Slim Down Before Cruise in Fall of 2008

[CruisePrincess51]

Hi all....Got on the scale this morning and it is finally moving in the right direction...boy does that make me feel good again...I'm down 1.5 lbs of the 6 that I had put on after the cruise. I went shopping a little while ago because we are taking the family to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate 3 different anniversaries, I found a cute pair of pants and a top and as usual went for the larger size...I was so thrilled to see that I have gone from a size 18 to a size 14!!!! :D I was dancing all around the fitting room, I was so excited. The woman who was helping me with the sizes told me to wear the pants inside out so everyone could notice the smaller size! :D Just had to share that...I needed motivation and this gave me the boost that I need to keep going. We have a wedding next weekend and I bought a new outfit for that...again...a smaller size...I am so happy...I didn't think I would ever see these sizes again. I guess all the water that I've been drinking and the walks and the no snacks is finally paying off. Here's to healthy eating and wise choices. Have a good weekend everyone!

 

Kathy

[Jan_In_Maine]

Kathy ... how wonderful!!!! I'm doing a happy dance for you! :D Jan

[CruisePrincess51]

:D Thanks Jan!

[OttawaCountess]

:D Good for you Kathy!!! I'm very happy for you too. Stay focused and determined.

I'm pretty much staying the same since I'm back. I really haven't been staying focused and I don't seem to make the time for my walks either.

The good news is my father came home from the hospital on Friday. I drove down to pick him up. He still has a long road ahead of him, but at least his mental state will improve which will help him be strong for the fight ahead.

My FIL is getting a day pass today, so we are all going to my DH sister's house for a Thanksgiving dinner tonight (driving back to Montreal).

So this Thanksgiving - I do have lots to be thankful for.

I'm also very thankful to have found you and this board and all the encourgement I get is wonderful.

So thank you - everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.

Cindy :)

[CruisePrincess51]

Hi Cindy....Happy Thanksgiving to you! I'm so glad to hear that your father is home from the hospital, that is wonderful news...it's been a long haul for you and your family. Now may he get stronger to be able to fight the fight that he has ahead of him...I'll keep you all still in my prayers. What good news too for your father-in-law...I'm so happy to hear that he too is coming along. Better days are ahead for all of you.

 

I'm down 2 lbs of the 6 that I put on from the cruise and feeling good about that...I'm so thrilled that I could actually fit into a size 14 pants again...I can't even begin to remember how long it has been, but I'm really motivated now to stick with this. Even if I could get down a few more pounds...that would be wonderful, but one day at a time. If I start to think about where I really want to be, weight wise, then I get frustrated, so I decided to take this one day at a time, weighing in each and every day to make sure I stay focused and on track. We took the family to dinner last night for 3 anniversaries and I was happy that I was able to stick to making wise choices for dinner and didn't over do it. Now on to today and we'll see what today brings.

 

Have a good rest of the weekend! :)

 

Kathy

[potterhill]

Hello everyone. Well, I survived Thanksgiving. It was a long slog yesterday as I spent Sat and Sun renewing my rusty nursing skills after DH hurt his back and was pretty much immobilized for Sat and needed my help. So my great plan to do things ahead went out the window...Anyway he's feeling much better and off to work today.

 

We had record high temps this weekend and ate Thanksgiving dinner on the patio. A couple of years ago the guys were playing football in the snow! It was 30C with tons of humidity yesterday. It rained overnight and is cooler, but still 18C this am which is definitely unseasonably high.

 

I had a crisis on Friday when I went to the hairdresser. I didn't get my hair cut as I am trying to let it grow a bit so she didn't put a wrap on me to dry my hair......There I was in all my toad-like glory staring at myself in the mirror! I couldn't believe how fat I am! There, I said it, I am FAT, not just a little heavy. My weight hasn't changed much, but the distribution has changed greatly. Rolls on my tummy that were never there. Arms are fat too. When I look at myself in the mirror, I am always standing, which looks MUCH better than sitting. LOL!

 

Fortunately I have a trainer who calls me and nags me when I don't go. Haven't been in a while for a bunch of reasons but am going this afternoon and will start working out at home. I haven't been on any particular food program, just trying to eat smaller portions and make better choices. I know that if I am to be successful and maintain any loss, I have to do it this way. And I am naturally a slug so increased activity is key for me. If I can mangage to stay the same this week that will be a success as I am up a bit from the weekend. That's me, Yo Yo Mo!

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Mo

[NMCruzzin]

Hello Quiet Cyber Buddies! Yeah... that's you! :p

Kathy, Haven't had a chance to congrats you on such determination, weight loss and new pants!! Yiiipppeee! That's Fantastic! So Very Glad for you!!

Mo - I know how you feel about the yo - yo dieting - the 3 lbs that I played tag with all of September are BACK!! Aaagrgh! Have you gone back to the gym? Has your trainer called?! I am having a heck of a time finding time to work out! - :( Company is nice, but they really put a kink in my schedule! They always manage to put HUGE mirrors in salons, don't they?

Cindy, your such a blessing to your FIL and Dad!

Ok, just had to bump this up - we haven't chatted is such a long time.....;)

Have a great evening!

[CruisePrincess51]

Jean...thanks for the well wishes however the yo-yoing is going on again...honestly...I MUST focus more. I feel sometimes like I'm fighting a losing battle...2 of my pounds slipped right back on again! :eek: It was so much easier when I was younger to keep the pounds off...getting older is a pain...in more ways than one. :) My new pants still fit...thank goodness, but I know with those added 2 lbs that they'll be tight...time to get that weight back off. RCCL just sent me a coupon for a $50.00 credit to use on our next cruise...that made me think of the cruise again, so maybe I can get motivated again to get these lbs off. Here's to wise choices and healthy eating!

 

Where is everyone?

 

Kathy

[Jan_In_Maine]

I think we all need to join the yo-yo sisterhood .... I did well last week ... even though most of the weight I had actually lost over and over again .... this week I was up 1/2 pound . awwwwww! (that's frustration yelling) .... Not that I didn't deserve to gain the weight ... I'm just getting tired of trying and trying.

 

Ok enough ranting! I went to the gym today, and brought Subway home for dinner (its actually a treat for my family) ... tomorrow night I'll go to the gym again ... I promise to have only one cheat day this week ... so maybe I can get over this horrible hump of yo-yoing.

 

One of the best things that I have done for myself is on Saturday morning I get up and go to the local farmer's market ... I've had wonderful yummy fresh vegetables all summer long ... and they still have fresh spinach, all sorts of squash, a few green beans, onions, garlic, basil, carrots, etc. I think it really helped to eat and cook fresh foods ... now that winter is just about here, I'll have to start looking at frozen vegetables. I'm going to have to be careful of the winter "comfort food"

 

Have a wonderful evening all ... only one more day of work and then a nice weekend again ... Jan

[CruisePrincess51]

Happy Friday everyone!

Boy Jan...this yo-yoing is for the birds! Good for you going to the farmer's market...the closest one to me is a good distance away, like maybe an hour to an hour an half's drive, so for me to go there, we try to combine it with other things...like shopping! :D I got on the scale this morning and was down 1 lb from yesterday...not sure why...I didn't do anything different yesterday than 3 days ago when I gained 2 lbs...but I'm not complaining. I took 1/2 a water pill this morning because I noticed that my ankles and fingers were swollen and we have a wedding to go to tomorrow and goodness knows, I can't have swollen ankles for that...I'll never get my shoes on! :eek: So I'm sure that'll drop a couple of pounds by tomorrow morning anyway...but that never lasts.

Well off to do a couple things, have Verizon coming today to install FIOS...maybe my computer will be faster now with that...but I have to get things done before they come as they'll be here for about 6-8 hours! I hope this is worth it! Have a good weekend all!

 

Kathy :)

[potterhill]

I leave this evening to go visit my mother who is ailing in hospital. She started chemo for multiple melanoma two weeks ago and has gone straight downhill. She also has diabetes, kidney failure and CHF and it is all in crisis mode now. She is 83 and was doing really well until she started the chemo. Which I encouraged her to do...

 

I am taking two of my kids with me. The oldest (24) who starts treatment next Friday for stage two malignant melanoma. And no time in the sun....Anyway she hasn't seen the grands for over a year and has this window of time. Who knows what will happen later so.... The other is my 14 year old son who will miss a week of school to see his grands so he has some work to take with from two of his teachers. The third DD (23) is in Kenya on her first job so she can't visit, but she has spent quite a bit of time with them since last Jan and she was terribly upset at first, we had copious tears on the phone, but she is doing better now.

 

Anyway, I have been too busy to eat and pick at extra calories so I am down a lb or so since Thurs. Here's hoping I can at least maintain it while I am away. There won't be a lot of physical activity as we will have to drive 4 hours from the airport and then an hour a day each way to the hospital.

I will just do the best I can.

 

Funny, most of us seem to be in this upper middle age bracket where aging parents are a concern. My Dad had heart surgery last fall and is doing OK but I hear he is falling apart a bit and no wonder. They have been married 62 years. Also my oldest brother was brain damaged at birth and has always lived with them and he will be devastated when they die. I worry about him the most because the rest of us have our own families to keep us busy.

 

Well I have to run and pack and then go to the Homecoming Football game at school. That is why we are flying out tonight....couldn't miss that game. And of course it is near freezing here, after all the glorious weather last week.

 

So take care of yourselves and I will be back next Thurs.

 

Cindy, I am glad to see that both your Dads are doing better.

 

Have a great weekend everyone. See you all lighter.....

 

Mo

 

We have told Mom we are coming, in case she needs something to hang onto until we get there. She is also very anxious to see the new great grandbaby who is due on Halloween.

[CruisePrincess51]

Mo...I'm so sorry to hear about your mom and your family...I will keep you and your family in my prayers. I hope everything goes well for you...with all the stress you are under, I'm sure the lbs will come off all in good time. Hang in there and try to stay strong...it's very hard when our parents become ill. Have a safe trip and hope you have better news when you come home again. We'll be waiting for an update.

 

Kathy

[OttawaCountess]

Hello all and happy weekend.

Mo, I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she feels better soon. It's not easy as we watch our parents getting older. I will keep her & your family in my prayers.

Thanks to everyone for all your prayers coming my way. My dad is doing ok, but the meds are really strong and he's very emotional. My poor mother (who is a saint) is really getting tired. At least now she doesn't have to drive an hour to the hospital every day.

Thanksgiving dinner was nice with my DH's family. Only one sister wasn't there as she lives in Toronto and her mother in law passed away last weekend (I know, it never rains but it pours). They found out she had lung cancer while I was on my trip and 3 weeks later, she was gone. A blessing for her, but it's hard on the family.

Kathy, keep a short term goal. 5 lbs at a time. You can do it. I'm sure you look fabulous in your new pants. I hope you had a good time at the wedding. I'm having a hard time cutting out the red wine since coming back and I seem to cheat more too. I'm hovering around 140, but I'd really like to get serious again and get to 135. Well maybe now that I put it in writing - I will. I have to eat right - and get walking. Stop cheating.

Cindy

[Jan_In_Maine]

Hi all - Hope everyone is having a good evening. I'm actually hoping that Thursday I will post a loss, I've stepped up exercising and have really watched my food intake ... Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up.

 

Mo I'm so sorry about your mom, I'm glad that some of your kids get the chance to be there.

 

Cindy - I hope your dad continues to improve and that your mom gets some rest.

 

My mom left us in 2000 at Christmas time after almost 20 years of Alzheimer's ... it is never easy, but I believe that she is now happy and that we will meet again in the future and it really keeps me going. I will keep everyone in my prayers.

 

Best wishes to all .... Jan

[NMCruzzin]

Hey There!

Mo! - I am sooo sorry that your Mom is in poor health! It is so wonderful for you and your kids to be able to go see her, check on your Dad & Brother and just be with loved ones! Prayers & a Hug - I've been there - and it's tough! :(

Jan - Let us know how you did this last week - fingers & toes crossed for you! ;) Are the colors in your area putting on a beautiful show? My Uncle & Aunt lived in Bangor for awhile - stunning pictures!

Cindy - Hope your getting back on track - My Sis left today and that's finally the end of company - until the Holidays - and I am so far off track:eek: - but already started today eating right, again! :) And feeling better doing it!

Kathy - Hope the wedding went well - no swollen ankles? Hope Verizon did a good job and your back on!

Company gone and now the weather is turning blustery - My walking has really been put on hold! I am so ready to be eating right and walking and just back into my regular routine!

Have a great evening!

[potterhill]

Hello everyone. Back from visiting my Mom in Nova Scotia. She is still in hospital, but out of intensive care. She is able to ambulate with a walker which is an insult to her, she has always been totally independant.

 

The trees were beautiful on the hour long drive to and from the hospital. Just glorious fall waesther while we were there. Got a bag of Gravenstein apples which are grown in the Annapolis Valley and are my absolute fav apple. They are juicy and tart, great for eating and pies. They don't keep well and are a fleeting pleasure in the fall.

 

I think my weight is about the same. Tonight will be the challenge. Our dinner club meets for one of our dinners (4X yearly) Lots of wine and incredible food. I am making myself the designated driver so that will limit the wine intake. Will try to limit the damage from the food as well.

 

This afternoon I am going out to the yard to do some planting.....some of the plants I bought in the spring and they are still waiting.....No bulbs this year though, so that helps. We have lots of huge trees so there are tons of leaves to rake over the next month as well.

 

Mo

[Jan_In_Maine]

Mo - glad your mom is doing better! The trees are beautiful here too ... we normally have the same type of weather (tree changing times) as parts of NS.

 

I have 70 tulip bulbs I still need to plant (why I bought 70 I have no clue!). I really need to get them in by the end of this month, otherwise I run the chance of snow.

 

I posted on the Thursday weigh in that I was down 1 1/2 pounds ... It is 1 new pound gone and one old pound. I met a friend for snacks and drinks this afternoon, I did splurge and have 1 appletini and a few finger foods ... I'll just be very good for the rest of the week and go to the gym more often. It was great to relax and spend some time with her ... I end up getting so busy that there doesn't seem to be enough time for friends.

 

Have a great weekend all. Jan

[petesgirl]

Kathy next August will be our 35th wedding anniversary!! 1973 was a great year to get married.

 

I seem to have been on a diet most of my adult life. I tend to be an emotional eater, so I really have to watch that. I tried WW, but so many of the people seemed to know each other that they didn't really want to let others in ... I love to talk and I really think that it helps with the losing, so now I just do my own thing. I try to stay 1000-1200 with one cheat day, no carbs at night, packaged meal for lunch (lean cuisine) then healthy at night. I also use sparkpeople for motivation, although I don't talk to people on those boards.

 

This is what I would like to do .... I've lost 40 pounds, I need to lose 15 1/2# to get to "healthy", I want to tone up. I really would like to lose more than the 15 1/2# but don't want to push it. I will never be a "skinny-minny", but am looking to be healthy and I'm hoping by Christmas I will be off some of the meds (choelesterol, diabetes, etc). Then by next August and our cruise I want to be stable with weight, etc.

 

Oh yeah ... and next week I turn 55, (where did the years go?) ... I'll take each week and each weigh in until I get to where I want to be.

 

Hopefully a whole group of people will join in the fun of making ourselves the best we can be. Jan

 

Hey Jan, I just posted after you on the thread before this ... it really is about avoiding all the "white starchy stuff" aka complex carbohydrates, sweets and alcohol AND drinking a gallon water. adding some unsweetened cranberry juice..I use Nature's Promise really helps a lot ... and that is the byword for all diets. Also ... on the cruise, as long as your legs are working .. never take the elevators except on embarkation and debarkation (or obviously an emergency) and you will be apt to lose weight despite NORMAL food, alcohol and dessert consumption. Always use the stairs as fast as you can. Avoid Mrs. Field's cookies in the casino ... they are purported to be 750 kcal each :eek:. Last cruise on the Spirit I had 3 before bed with a nice glass of milk. Couldn't figure out WHY I didn't lose any weight :p.

[petesgirl]

PS I got married in 73 too, am 56 but got divorced after 30. I eat when I am happy :eek:. I need depression in a major way ;). Tink

[realtordebbie]

Room for another? Just happened into this thread. It's amazing how much I have in common with all of you. Even though my weight has only fluctuated 10 lbs in 10 years I seem to be getting broader. Someone mentioned sitting at the salon in those chairs and seeing yourself in this mirror in the sitting position made me laugh. That is frightening. I look like the Michelin Man.

I am a WW flunkie many times over. Still working on it. In agreement with all of you, I am 53, and the only place the fat moves is wider on my body.

DH and I live in CO. One son and family live here. The other three children and their families live in IN along with my parents and sister. Just back from a 10 day trip to IN to attend a son's wedding. Also to visit new 1 month old granddaughter for the first time. I had lost 10 lbs on WW and only gained 2 while gone. That was an accomplishment. No stress at the wedding. Ha! Got to sit in the front pew between my DH and his ex-wife! Let alone all the other functions. Funny thing I was smaller than her. Yea! Am I bad?

DH and I leave for a B2B short cruise in December. This will make us Diamond with RCCL. We then have a fall 08 to Hawaii and March 09 Caribbean.

Our first cruise I weighed 25 lbs less than now. Would be nice to get a large amount off by the Fall cruise to finally look good in clothes. This is my goal.

I am a realtor. My busy season just finished. Now time to breathe. My mantra now is "Me First". I'm carrying around a lot of weight because everything and everyone comes before my needs. The colors of the leaves are changing and so am I.

Doesn't this sound good. Now I need you all to remind me and hold me to the fire. I'll do my part for all of you. In case I lose this thread is there a place to hold the thread in favorites?

Happy weekend everyone.

[OttawaCountess]

Hello all & welcome Debbie,

Kathy I hope you are doing well and keeping up with your WOL. The weather has been amazing and great for walking.

I just got back from another trip to Montreal. Spent my birthday (Friday) at the hospital with my dad. My day didn't go the way I had planned, but I did eventually meet my DH at a hotel downtown at the end of the day (it was after 8:00 by the time I finally made it in). Tuesday was also our 25th anniversary. I had hoped to do some shopping & go for a nice dinner, but at least I was in town to take my dad into the hospital. He's home, but isn't out of the woods yet.

My weight continues to go in the right direction - down. Tonight I will be splurging and having some ice-cream cake that my son bought, but otherwise I'm still being pretty good. I really try to stay away from any sort of bread. It seems to be working. Good luck & good choices to all of you. Hope you have a good week.

Cindy :)

[CruisePrincess51]

Good morning everyone!

 

Belated happy birthday and happy anniversary Cindy...glad you finally were able to have a nice day. Glad to hear too that your dad is doing a little better...I'm keeping your family in my prayers. I have a birthday next Monday and told the kids...NO CAKE please...that's the last thing I need right now...lol! And good for you keeping your weight down and still losing...I need your motivation!

 

Welcome Petesgirl and Debbie! Glad you found us...we all seem to have a lot in common here. I've been trying to stick to my diet and I'm still hanging on to 3 lbs since we came back in August from our cruise...soooo many temptations...and I'm afraid my will power is out the window right now. :) I dread the holidays with all that good food....I'm really going to have to work extra hard to try to get rid of these additional lbs. The weather has been warm here...much warmer than usual, but I think this is supposed to be the last day...at least for a while of 80 degree weather...I'm ready for fall and a little bit cooler temps. Usually the leaves are all beautiful on the trees at this time, but I guess because it's been so warm...a lot of our trees are still green...different for this time of the year. I usually walk my little granddaughter 3 days a week, and the older she gets...the more we walk (she's 8 months old and into everything) but we're having work done in the basement...French drain installed, and because of the noise and dust, don't have her these 2 weeks, so my walking has really slacked off...not a good thing. I can relate to those of you who mentioned sitting in the chairs in front of the mirrors at the hairdressers...oh my gosh...seeing that sight in front of me...you would think that would be enough to shock me back into reality and make me stop eating...I think I need to take a picture while sitting there and hang it on the refrigerator and the kitchen cabinets (especially the ones that have the snacks in them) :D ...maybe that would help. Well here's to nice long walks and healthier eating...I'm going to try...I know I would feel so much better if I could just get another 20 lbs off. Of course my clothes wouldn't fit...but then I can go shopping...now that is motivation! :D

 

Have a good Monday all...here's to making healthy choices and getting a little more exercise.

 

 

Kathy

 

Debbie...a B2B...sounds wonderful! Where are you going?

[realtordebbie]

Thanks for the welcome. B2B is 4 nt then 3 nt out of Los Angeles to farthest point Ensenada twice. We just want a break. This will also make us Diamond status. We can fly reasonably from CO to LAX. Would prefer Caribbean but not cost effective that time of yr. I'll take it.

 

B2B is fun. If you haven't done it, I recommend it. It's fun not packing when everyone else is. We did Mariner B2B and it was great.

 

Need to get back on track with WW. Has anyone tried Core?

[NMCruzzin]

Good Morning!

Welcome Petesgirl & Debbie!

I need to try one of those B2B!! They sound great!

Kathy-It sounds so nice walking with your Grandbaby - I walk with my 7mo puppy and last night we went pretty far, but she loves it so much she kept up pretty good. She's at least quit chasing leaves as they blow around, but still needs to stop and smell the weeds, grass, sticks etc... along the way, so I can't say that our walks really get my heart pumping -yet! But at least having her - I feel like its my duty to get out there and walk with her everyday, so really - she is helping me to keep walking!

Cindy - Happy belated Birthday & Anniversary! Sorry you didn't get your shopping in - but glad you were there for your Dad!

Jan - You'll be busy with all of those bulbs-but they will be beautiful next spring! I love bulb flowers - but the heat down here can be tough on them!

Mo- Glad your back! Your dinner clubs sounds really great - and dangerous! We have a supper party on Sat to go to and I know already that there will be some awesome dishes there - so I will have to eat some veggies before we go!

Have a great day everyone!

[Jan_In_Maine]

Finally got all the bulbs planted, so it should be beautiful next April. I have had a little bit of a difficult time being totally motivated. I think that I am was up about 2 pounds on Monday, but I've tried to be good, so I'm hoping that some of it goes away. I don't think I'll post a loss on Thursday though.

 

I'm going to keep plugging away. Normally I'm fine on my WOE, I enjoy it and I can stay on it. BUT Saturday I met a friend for drinks and yesterday I had some chips and dip. I have avoided all the candy that is hanging around work. I did put my head in the bag to smell the kit-kats and butterfingers, but surprisingly enough I had no desire to eat them.

 

I've been exercising (I walked 4 miles on the treadmill yesterday) and I have a very old dog (16) who is still willing to power walk.

 

I eat about 1100 calories per day and I lose 1 - 1 1/2#. This is what I eat (and I'm happy with it!).

 

Breakfast - 1 piece toast w/ peanut butter, coffee.

lunch - lean cuisine, sugar free pudding, sugar free jello, soda or water

dinner - lean meat (chicken, fish, beef) nothing fried. Lots of broccoli or summer/winter squash, or asparagas, or green beans/wax beans. Lots of Romaine letture with baby tomatoes, 4 croutons, a little cheese, dressing. Flavored water.

Dessert - fat free pudding, jello.

 

I never feel deprived (I have lots of allergies, so I have to be very careful of what I eat ... and this is a WOE that does not make me sick). I also take a multi-vitamin. I had to quit taking calicum as I have too much of it in my body. I am also diabetic and this diet has made it so I'm really not anymore, my cholesterol has been as high as 330 and after 20 years of taking 4 times the normal meds .. It is now in the 170 range ... unbelieveable!!!

 

I do have 2 cheat days ... Saturday morning I go out with my DH and have 2 blueberry pancakes w/ really maple syrup and butter. 2 pieces of bacon. Wednesday night I go out to dinner with my 16 yr old DS and I have a small amount of meat/chicken/fish, vegetables and a wonderful baked potato with a little sour cream and butter. It keeps me going. I've been trying to exercise 4-5 times per week.

 

I will never be a skinny-minny ... but I would love to have less of a belly, and I have no idea where the back fat came from ... now that was a surprise. I would also like to be less saggy, but I think gravity is just too strong ... but I'll still be healthy!

 

Welcome to the new people ... petesgirl, I enjoyed your post you made me laugh!!! Debbie, its so nice to meet people from all over the world, I'm always amazed at how much we all have in common. I love the idea of "me first", I think as women, workers, mothers, wife's, we never seem to take care of ourselves first, how liberating to realize that we are important too and really need to do that (without guilt!).

 

Have a wonderful evening all. Jan