Hi Gang. Yup, been busy around here but I've been trying to keep up the reading. Had a good case of the blahs, too. I must have picked up conjunctivitis at work. LOL, never had pink eye as a kid, so it's kind of funny to have it now.

Rachel, welcome back!!! Don't worry about catching up. Just jump in.

Rachel, Judy, I bought the Beck book last Spring after hearing her talk on an NPR health show. It makes such good sense, but at the time I couldn't make myself start Day 1, even less a diet coach. Maybe with the group's help I can get on the bandwagon again. I've been eating too much crap. Got to get it out again and make a more sincere effort. I totally failed at Day 3--Eat Sitting Down, LOL! I certainly do need more structure and I've been fighting it.

Shelley, your selections are just beautiful, and I absolutely love the print you chose to set off your color scheme--you KNOW how I love your red accent, too. That textured berber looks just fantastic. What a huge amount of work!I hope more pics will be forthcoming Wow, sure sorry you've picked up some kind of bug. Sounds like a very nasty one indeed.

MK, I can't believe how fast your home is coming together. Wow, great progress.

Peg so glad you were ok during the earthquake. I have trouble imagining what it must feel like, but it must be terrifying. You're feeding Sweet Pea a home made diet? Got to hand it to you, I can't make myself go that far! Sorry I didn't get back to you via email.

Judy, considering how many other things you had going on this summer, I think you did very well indeed with your decorating projects. Certainly every thing you accomplished looks terrific.

Heather, I know you are terrifically busy building. You're going to be one buff gal by the time your house is finished.

Alida, how delightful that you and dh will now have a day together since his schedule changed. That'll be something to look forward to every week.

Donna, hope everything is ok up your way. Between crazy boss and kid problems, you have more than your share of things to be concerned about. May your garden give you comfort.

Bert, I was very glad to hear that things are uneventful at your house. That is a very good thing indeed.

Barb, it has stretched my imagination to picture you roughing it so completely But I am delighted you had a great time on your trip and can actually look forward to the next outdoor adventure. Loved that picture of you and your very own fish (and a nice one, at that).

Susie, miss you! Hope I haven't left anyone out. Got a few things I need to do, then off to work at 4. Hugs to all.

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

You all have done such a great job of convincing me... I ordered the Beck book just a few minutes ago. My sister has the work book and is trying to get in the mode. Sounds like this may become a group effort... I lost 13 lbs over all this crisis I have been dealing with, but, 5 lbs is back.. so I need to get serious and not wait for another crisis

Shelley... loved the colors, carpet etc.. YOU THE WOMAN

Had a great time in Tulsa... dgd got great presents. DD out did herself with the shower... lots of food.. lots of guests.

Gonna go read and veg out..

Rachel, Thanks so much for recommending the Beck Book. I agree with Berta, it looks like many of us are looking for a new motivation tool, and this appears to be it for me. Yesterday I wrote my 10 advantages for eating better (ARC card). Today's task was easier. LC is definitely my choice of diet plan. Like Rachel, I'll go low calorie as a backup. For the past several days I've been trying to follow tomorrow's goal. Don't eat while standing up. That may be the most effective tool that I need internalize. I'm am a terrible nibbler and I'm constantly wandering through the kitchen.

I'm off to watch TV in bed. I have to be at school for a meeting at 8:00 tomorrow morning. Maybe if I get to bed a little earlier, I'll manage to go to sleep earlier. What I really wanted to ask the lady that scheduled the meeting was what she had been smoking. Who in their right mind calls a meeting for people on vacation at 8:00 in the morning, especially one where you don't get paid or get comp time. I guess while I am up there I will try to do some stuff that will really benefit me. However, I don't plan to make it a day, that's for sure.

Thought for the day from the Beck Book: "I have to watch out for fooling myself. Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters."

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill

First off...I have to order that book. Just reading what you guys are writing it's all making so much sense.

We decided to go into town Saturday and spend the night with dmil. So, feeling guilty about not filling her cookie jars, I got up at 7 on Saturday grabbed a OMM and then started baking. By noon I had made her 4 different kinds of sf cookies (she's diabetic). And, my guilt about not doing it for her vanished! Whew...one more thing off my plate for awhile. Oh, and Saturday I did a quick visit to our farmers market and got her some of those tiny potatoes, fresh radishes, and some homemade bannock. We had a good visit with her and took her out for dinner then for a little shopping for her groceries. It's hard to sleep there cause it's only a double bed and I'm sure the furkids get more room than we do.

Today we sat out on her deck and talked about our vacation for this year. She's definitely coming with us. I asked if there was anywhere she would like to go and she said she just wants to "go". We are leaving 2 days after dfil's birthday...it will be a hard one for her. Also, we kids have decided to all kick in and get a headstone for his grave for his bd. Not the kind of gift he would have asked for that's for sure.

This afternoon we had a little shopping for ourselves to do so dh and I had to take turns sitting in the car with furkids...it was way to hot to leave them alone in the car. So, he went in to the shoe store to get new work shoes and I sat with the girls with the a/c running..then I went into the mall where there was a closing out sale...didn't find anything I like there but went across the hall and found 4 new tops! One of them was less than 1/2 price. Then I went to Costco for my cream cheese and also got a Steven King book I was looking for. It was a good day for sure!

When we got home dh needed a nap but I was only thinking about getting everything watered and then attacking another lilac stump. The next one in the lineup was a big one....but, I won....it's gone. Took me 2 1/2 hours to get it out. Only 3 more left on that side of the yard. Poor dh got a huge blister the whole size of the palm of his hand so he couldn't help. My shoulders are aching from sawing roots but it's a good ache.

My dsil got back from Beijing on Friday...brought me a gorgeous set of pearls and matching earings. Her stories about shopping there were hilarious.

Rachel: Boy, you sure have started something here girl, and it's a good thing. We all needed a good kick in the butt! Thanks. It's so good to see you posting here again!

Judy: I hate that when people make appointments for early on my day off. If you're not even being paid for it you'd think they would be more considerate.

Shelley: Did I tell you that my brother owns a carpet store? (actually my brother and 3 stepbrothers are floor and carpet layers). Anyway, he says that burber is the best carpet that you can get...wears like iron. Love the colours that you have chosen...you have been one busy girl!

Brenda: Isn't that strange that you should have pink eye....the radio announcer was complaining on Friday that he has pink eye and has never had it before.

To anyone I missed....sorry and HI. I'm tired and off to bed. Talk to you all tomorrow.

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

two posts in two days??? DON'T FAINT!!

ok, trying to catch up..

Alida, wonderful wedding pix - we have a number of regular visitors from our Bulgarian mine site, they are LOVELY people! Thanks for the long email - will respond shortly.

Barb, I was very moved by your verses and have cut and pasted them into an email for my dear father who is a poet in his heart - I have credited them appropriately, no fears.

Bren, pink eye? Don't scratch! (also thanks for the email)

Heather, Agree with Peg, being number 8 means they're real experts by the time they gets to your place!

Peg, glad there was no earthquake damage - and Sweet pea really does sound like a sweetie pie! and a great match for you how nice! (loved the writing, giggled lots, thanks!)

Judy, I can't believe summer vacation is so close to being over! And an 8am meeting?? The woman's on drugs. (why is this so fast becoming my favorite icon?)

Berta, sounds like DH is really coming along, bless his heart (and yours!!)

Shelley, I'm glad you are walking again, you have always been my walking inspiration - I walked to work with my Kiwi colleague (the 27 year old who paraglides, etc.... she's an "amazon" woman) 3 times last week and will tomorrow and hopefully a few times this week as well.

Donna! Pearls from Beijing! DH did the same five years ago - I'll be their stories would be similar - he talked about the huge department-store-like building with tiny stairways and doors leading to stalls and stalls of pearl vendors with them all on thousands of strands, etc... how neat!!

Paul, recording weight loss and inches lost are great motivators - I like your graph! I'm all about visuals...

- - - - -

ok, so, DAY 7... Change the environment (work and home) - there wasn't much to do since I got ready for low carb some days ago but...

I have given away foods that were going to tempt me (crackers and some semi-sweet choc chips - got to put those far away in Yerevan, too)

In the office, I packed up the high carb soups and granola bars and will give them to some of the exploration guys who will love them.

Anyway - so today:
I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite: Most of the Time
I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful dieting behaviors: Most of the Time
I made changes at home and will implement changes at work when necessary.

One of the many steps that Beck has you do is draw up what are called Response Cards to read for particularly tough issues for your self... These cards are the "response" to the sabotaging thoughts you have... The idea is to carry them around and read them if faced with the issue. One big sabotaging thought for me is from Day 4:

(here, it's right from the book)
Sabotaging Thought: I don't deserve credit for doing things I should already be doing.
Helpful Response: If I don't give myself credit for essential behaviors, I'll be less likely to practice these behaviors consistently. If I were naturally thin, had a small appetitie, and didn't have to work at controlling my weight, perhaps I wouldn't deserve credit. But I'm not naturally thin. I do struggle. I do deserve credit every single time I think about something in a helpful way or engage in helpful behavior.

Instead of a response card - I put the word CREDIT!! in my PDA and it comes up at about 3pm every day as a little reminder... it gives me the chance to think about the credit I can give myself for having a low carb breakfast, politely declining the chocolate I was offered in the 1pm meeting, stocking the fridge with veggies, etc..

It's wild how well it works - it helps me avoid making bad decisions during the hardest part of my day (2-5pm) because I've JUST been thinking about how well I've been doing!

Judy, Donna, Berta, Bren - anyone who wants to try this - I would be delighted to stop here and wait until you have read the introduction and then go back to Day One and start fresh with you... let me know, this is not a rush. Some people do one Day in the book per week - some go day by "day"....

ok before I go, here's another of the sabotaging thoughts and responses I liked so I jotted it down in my diet journal:

Sabotaging Thought: I don't want to waste food by throwing it out.

Helpful Response: If I don't throw it out, I'll be at risk for "wasting" it in my body, where it'll turn to fat. Which is a better way to waste it? EXACTLY!

Day 8 (tomorrow) is about creating the time and energy to diet (it's about scheduling - something I hate doing - so it'll be a challenge for me.. we'll see what the sabotaging thoughts are and what a good response card would be for me.

- a multitude of hugs to y'all (I remember OKC)

__________________
Hugs, Rachel



Quien canta, sus males espanta... ("She who sings frightens away her ills") Miguel de Cervantes

Giving myself credit for NOT going to Ponak's for Mexican dinner with the extended family last night. I LOVE Mexican food, but it's the worst possible thing to put in my body. (Have to confess, however, that the main motivation was to avoid the chaos of dinner with 20 relatives.)

I love all the motivation you're providing, Rachel. Stick around.

The news here: I'm now a step-GREAT-Grandmother. Tilde Jo was born yesterday, and looks to be a cutie in the pictures. Her parents, both computer geeks, named her after that little squiggle at the upper left of your keyboard--the "nyuh" sound in Spanish words like nina (somewhere there's a key to add that, but I don't know how in this Forum). I never would have considered naming a child after punctuation. But it's a cute name anyway. (And there is actually a somewhat famous actress named Tilda.)

Donna, enjoy those beautiful pearls. I have a precious strand of pearls that were my "coming of age" gift from my mother. Pearls are my favorite "jewels."

My brother's family are busy visiting all the relatives here in KC, beginning with our Dear Dad. They can't stay at my house for any length of time, because at least two of them are severely allergic to cats. I thought it would be all right, since I don't have carpeting in the living room, but not so. We're finding "neutral ground" to get together.

Greetings and good thoughts to everyone. STAY COOL. We're expecting 100 degrees here today (with heat index even higher). I got out early for my walk/run and plan to hunker down in the A/C for the rest of the day.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Ordered the book yesterday, along with the workbook. Today is my starting day for induction. Goal is 25 lbs.

Sweet Pea is growing!! We found ourselves without anything cooked for her this morning and I was just beside myself, along with her! But we did have some dry dog food in the cupboard and we added some gravy to it. She keeps going to it, but it is definitely not her favorite! So, I will be cooking today for her.

Gotta jet
Peg

flying by.....

well, the nausea is no better... :( blech! I have a dr's appt this afternoon for another problem, so maybe she can help me out with this icky nausea.

We are forecasted to hit 106 degrees today with heat index around 110. ack!

I'm with Barb...gonna lay low(except for Dr's appt).

Carpet install is set for tomorrow....yay!

new Kassie pic in her journal....



(((hugs to all)))
s

__________________
Shelley


Visit Kassie's Korner


"A goal without a plan is just a wish."
--Antoine de Saint Exupery

I’m SOONER born,
And SOONER bred,
And when I die,
I’ll be SOONER dead!
GO SOONERS!
I be ready for some football!

One little walker-runner Dude for every 10 miles!

We're getting the same. They are warning that the state's electric grid will hit and all time demand high this afternoon. DD's air went out yesterday.............. she went to spend the night at my brother's. It was 98 in her house when she left yesterday, and 89 early this morning when she went home to meet the service people.

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill

Rachel, I kind of like the idea of us being in different parts of the book. Your reports are like getting a preview. When each new person joins in it will help those that are further ahead to remember the earlier steps. So far today:
I haven't eaten standing up
I didn't eat crackers with my lunch
I ate a normal sized portion at lunch and didn't go back for seconds.

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill

I HAVE FINISHED CABINET DOORS!!........ for the first time in a month or six weeks. Can you tell I'm excited?

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill

I didn't realize how often I ate something when I was standing up... Book should be here by Friday.. maybe I'll be lucky and it will come sooner

Eating standing up is probably my worst bad habit. I succeeded today in eating only while I am sitting.

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill

Rachel: Please don't wait for me...it will probably take a week or more for me to get the book...the fun of living in the toolies. I'm really enjoying you lising the points. When I first read that you weren't to eat standing up I thought you meant a meal...but now I know it means anytime...wow...that's a hard one for me.

My dsil just amazed me with stories of Beijing. My favorite was when she was going through the markets looking for clothes. She's a big girl being of Norwegian decent...probably close to 280 lbs. This little Chinese man came out and grabbed her boobs and rubbed them and called her a "bigger, bigger person...his favorite friend", and said he had something to fit her. She was just floored and didn't know how to respond. Her friend asked what she was going to do....so she said, well, I guess I'll go and look at his clothes. I wish you could have heard her tell it...I just about peed laughing so hard.

Shelley: Sorry you've got the icks...did the doctor give you any help? Wow..is Kassie ever getting big!!

Judy: The doors are finished....I bet that's just a great feeling!

Peg: Get that dog food cooked? Aren't our furkids spoiled? My girls will only eat at work for some reason. They've decided they are supposed to eat on my desk and won't eat at all any other time....we have one heck of a time with them on holidays....have to bribe them with beef jerky.

Well...I have something to give myself credit for....I've finished yanking out the lilac stumps on 1/2 of the frontyard. Did I ever heave a sigh of relief. I still have the other half to do, but I decided not to start it today. I did 3 today and it was some job.....it was soooo hot here today. I waited until the sun had gone over the house so I had a little bit of shade and just plunked my butt down in it to dig. Those last 3 stumps were under my forsythia so I was kind of bent over the whole time I was digging. I'm sore and all scratched up but it's done. Maybe tomorrow I'll start the other side. I really want to be able to transplant some plants so the seeds will drop there for next spring. I can see a whole bunch of coneflowers and star flowers coming up there.

Something is up with dd and I haven't figured it out yet. She showed up here today to go grocery shopping with me and something wasn't quite right. I don't think she was drinking...but she's fooled me before. Anyway, she went to work and an hour later dh called and told me to come and get her...she was acting like she was stoned. Okay, I drove up there and he had her sitting in his office. I asked what was up and she said she had taken her meds late and didn't eat and they upset her stomach so she took gravol and was feeling spaced out. It could be true. I just took her home and told her to have a nap and call me when she woke up. It's almost 5 hours since I took her home and she hasn't called yet. I sure hope I'm not going to go through all the crap I went through last fall.

I think I deserve a nice cup of tea and maybe sit outside where it's cooler for awhile while I wait for dh...the furkids love to sit on the porch and watch the traffic and people go by...so that's what I'm going to do. See ya all tomorrow. (back to work for me)

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

Good morning, Darlings. It's Tuesday, and we're voting today. It's a primary, so I have to decide whether to vote Republican OR Democrat. I usually pick the party with the most interesting candidates, but this time...well, who knows?? Of course, I don't have to pick a party for the general election, and can vote for anybody I like in November.

Donna, I hope all is well with your dd. I can see (sort of) how the vision of coneflowers motivates all that hard work on the lilacs. But still...when it's so HOT here, I can hardly imagine pulling stumps outdoors. Good luck with that!

On the weight management front, I'm a little closer to my "normal" LC routine. However, I'm not making any promises until my vacation season is over. Today I leave for Colorado and the "Rub This" all-woman BBQ team competing in the CO State BBQ contest in Dillon. This year, the women include my great-niece, who's seven, and really excited about her first year as a team-member, and her cousin, who is 18 months old. We start 'em young. At least BBQ is all protein, if you skip the sugary sauces. Can't say the same for margaritas.

I'll try to check in here from CO. If not, I'll be back next week.

Take care of you!

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal