Good morning!

Yikes! I can't believe I have missed posting for so many days. At some point, I have to go back to July and catch up there, too!

I am getting up later and find I have little time to post here in the AM.

Beck Book? And I just ordered from Amazon last night. I saw "Mama Mia" on Saturday and walked out of the theater with "Dancing Queen" embedded in my brain. I had to order the CD. Back to Beck's -- I am agreeing with all of you. We all know how to do low carb, it's just getting the mind set. And it sounds like this book is just the ticket to get the mind back into gear.

Thanks for all the positive comments on Paul and Antoniya's wedding pictures. They are so cute!

Quickly -- Shelley, gorgeous rug and fabrics! Oh, it will be so beautiful!

Judy, yea! Finished cabinets. Another summer project successfully completed!

Rachel, I am SO GLAD you are back. Whipping us back into shape, too!

Donna, pearls! What a beautiful gift to receive. My first husband was in Viet Nam and had an R&R in Japan. I got a strand of Mikimoto's. Always said those pearls were the only good thing I got out of that marriage. So, how many lilac bushes are left? I do hope DD's problem is just a little mix up of meds ....

Brenda, pink eye? You know, I don't really know what that is. Does it itch? Is it a virus? Do you really have a pink eye?

Peg, I know I asked this question in the July thread and you probably answered it -- but is there a reason you are feeding Sweet Pea cooked people food?

Mary Kay, you new home just sounds so beautiful. And all your plans seem to be just falling into all the right places.

Berta, I am so glad your DH is doing better. Wow. Was it 13 pounds you said you lost. Even with the few you say you put back on, that's great!

Heather, I have to agree. Sounds like being 8th is better than being #1 in this instance!

Barb, it's that time of summer again? Have fun!

XXOO

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Ok. getting ready to order the Beck Book. I so need motivation. I have some physical now - turns out I have arthritis in my right hip. Which explains the pain when I get up from sitting, and walking - and the fact that I have limited outward movement with that whole leg. at 53. I'm sure this weight has a LOT to do with it.

I'm supposed to take aleve/motrin everyday - try to stretch it out and work with it, and lose weight.
Well, I'm glad we got the ranch condo. dont think steps and I will get along for a while. maybe this has been coming on for a few years, but it has reach critical now. Just riding on the back of the motorcycle is extremely painful (you know, getting around DH butt). and my last PAP was a treat - took 2 of us to get my foot into the stirrup.

so, I have to lose this weight. I have to find motivation and a way to deal with it. We will need to get a thread for this Beck plan, won't we?

All help will be appreciated.

__________________
Mary Kay
2009 WW - 228 / 199

I want a Christmas Onederland!!

Hello Friends!

Well I lost two pounds yesterday, but that was hardly eating at all. Won't do that today. I'm going to track on the other thread here in this Forum. I should get the book today or tomorrow. Didn't eat standing up. That's hardly ever a problem for me. But, remember I don't cook, so am hardly in the kitchen except to "graze." Yesterday, I grazed on cheese.

We went and looked at two dog boarding places yesterday and I was ready to cry after seeing them. Both cater to dogs much older than Sweet Pea. I was getting pretty frantic. Dh and I joked about taking her with us when we go to Seattle in two weeks. But, we are going to be with his two sons, oldest daughter (you know the one ) and their various boyfriends and spouses; in a small cabin. Two bedrooms. They have deigned to give us a bedroom. Sweet, huh? Anywhoo, we are also going sailing. I don't know, this family of his would rather be outside than inside. I would rather be inside. But, I am getting better, I hope.

So, the end of the dog saga. There is a family of five boys all ages from 10 to 18 staying here with their parents for the summer. They are going to sing at my Vespers service on Thursday (another story) so I took Sweet Pea over there for a walk to talk to them about it this morning. I asked the Mom if she thought the boys would be interested in dog sitting at our house, and she thought they would! Not all of them, of course, but the big ones.

So, I am preaching at Vespers here tomorrow night. Aaaack! I mean there are International Biblical scholars living here. Aaaaach! I was hoping to avoid it all together, but no luck. I'm on the committee. But, the boys will sing some rock and roll and praise songs. Yay. And, hopefully, I will rock the house with my preaching (yeah, right )

Today, I can finally relax about the dog. She gets her first grooming tomorrow morning, and I can interview the groomer before. I also need to make an appt with a new Vet. I didn't like the one we saw when we brought her home. She has a little protrusion on her tummy that I want him to look at.

We are in the furnace too regarding heat. Also humidity which is unusual for us. Honestly, Donna, I don't know how you go out and garden in that heat. I can't even move. When I preached on Sunday in a church that was not air conditioned, I sweat the big one! I mean I was dripping on my notes, on the Bible, on the floor, on my clothes. Sheesh. Next week I'm going to take one of those big white handkerchiefs that the evangelists use, and take off my glasses and wipe my whole face. Ha!

Cool that we are all finding some motivation, huh? Rach! We just needed your radiant face back among us, and your radiant attitudes too!! Yay for Rachel!

Have a fun day, y'all. Barb, we'll be thinking about you and all that BBQ.

Love ya, Peg

Peg: Sweet Pea probably has a hernia...surgery will be needed for that.

Back later

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

just ordered the Beck audio book (I manage better if I hear it on my player, just don't seem to read as much) and I can listen while I work.
also got the workbook.

__________________
Mary Kay
2009 WW - 228 / 199

I want a Christmas Onederland!!

Just ordered by book...won't be here for 7 days!! Don't stop talking about what's happening in it Rachel, okay? I don't want to get behind.

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

Well, I have to get the workbook, because I'll use any excuse not to get going, like, oops don't have index cards, etc. I'm getting excited about working through this. Plus I think I have a Borders coupon for 40% off It's so great to see everyone getting motivated.

Peg, now you know why I haven't had a vacation since my Mom died. I trust no one now but dh with the girls, even though my best friend here owns a lovely small kennel. I suggest getting some cans of high quality organic canned doggie food for Sweet Pea. Less grain than dry kibble, people quality or better, and will be much easy to feed while you're away. A good quality canned food smells much better than a good quality cat food, by the way Good luck with the preachin' Love to see you with that hankie!

Judy, an 8am meeting! Thirty lashes for that gal!

I don't think I had pink eye (conjunctivititis) after all, although several residents where I work had it. My eyes had starting itching, but nothing ever developed except puffy eye lids. Probably an allergic reaction.

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

The telltale sign of pink eye (conjunctivitis) is your eye lashes matted together in the morning when you wake up. I used to have it a lot......

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

It is officially day 4 for me with the Beck book, however, I read all that I could find on the internet while waiting for the book to come, so I have sort of doubled up and am read ing ahead. Today's assignment was to learn to give myself credit for what I did right. I took Rachel's idea and set a daily alarm in my cell phone. It goes off at 4:30....... the time of the afternoon when I have the hardest time avoiding the snack monster. Working in a circular manner, I bought some colored notecards today so that I could make more than one copy of my response cards. Tomorrow I will continue trying to eat slowly and mindfully. This is not the first time that I have read or tried to follow that principle. Eating faster and faster develops with the school year. I really have to work at making myself take longer than 10 minutes to eat during my lunch break. There always seems to be so many things to do. I will practice now and make that a special consideration this year.

Beck thought for the day: I have to put my needs first sometimes.

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

Hello all you lovelies...

..Sorry I couldn't get on yesterday - my job really is nuts - I've been really carving time out in the evenings to be on the boards - but on days when I have to leave the office for social or work reasons - I don't get that quality laptop time in the evenings... last night I was invited to the Robertsons for dinner - nice couple in their 60s - he's the underground electrician out here - I cannot even tell you what his job must be like (simply horrible + very dangerous)... they are from Australia - about the nicest people I've ever met overseas - and she's involved in little old Kapan, teaching neighbors English and setting up ways to help the local orphanages... so I went to dinner at their place and didn't get home until late... and here it is Wednesday already...

So I am going to ride Day 8 until tomorrow when I can have some 'me' time to do what I need to. Tonight I am having 3 work colleagues to dinner (one with his wife) - so I have to run home at lunch and get some things prepared and then run home right at 5 tonight to get the meal started. This little kitchen in Kapan is barely set up so I don't have the right sized pans (large) - I got some a while ago - but they are too small to make bigger meals...

During the last two days and today I:
- Read my advantage response card (4+ times a day)
- I have focused on giving myself credit a lot.... I didn't eat the bread at dinner, I had a tiny piece of the cake (had to, too few people at the dinner not to be noticed), I avoided the carby appetizers, didn't eat the carrots, ate only two small bites of the two HUGE roasted potatoes, walked the 5 flights of stairs both up and down, and more... this is such a good lesson for me, this giving credit to self thing.
- AND Lucy and I have power walked every morning this week... 30 minutes of hard walking - past the burning garbage, the goats and dogs foraging in the dumps, the shepherds taking te cows and sheep out to pasture, the old ladies sweeping the streets (ok, moving the volumes of dusty sh*t) with their little brooms made of grass.. etc..

Judy, congrats on the cabinets!! This is wonderful.. and I'm so thrilled you are doing the Beck Solution - it seems to be that we ALL have the power to thinking like a thin person, why shouldn't we be in control of our own minds! I also have a tough time with the "slow and mindful eating" - but what I discovered the first time I did this is that by eating slowly - I don't finish what's on my plate in the given lunch period and so I leave it and therefore end up eating less! It's a clever thing.

Brenda, I actually wish I did have the workbook - my copy of the book is filled with my scribbles from the last time - in pencil, yes, but I'm in a different place in life then I was then, so it'd be great to have a fresh start.. <<sigh>>

Donna, I laughed out loud about the DSiL story! Cultural differences can be vast, no? 50 years ago a well-endowed friend of my parents got off a prop plane in Italy and as she crossed the tarmac with a suitcase in each hand, some airport worker came up to her, exclaimed, "Mama Mia!" and grabbed her breasts. She swung one of those suitcases so hard she knocked him off his feet... times have changed... That sure wouldn't happen today, would it!

MK, audio would be a great way to get this information really stored in your brain! Also, one of your advantages might end up being, "to ease the arthritis pain" I added to my AdRes card, "so my knees stop hurting" - no lie, when I'm closer to goal weight - my knees don't hurt HALF as much (you think I'd learn, huh!?)

Here is my updated Advantage Response (AdRes) Card:

Advantage Response Card
Ø I'll look better in pictures.
Ø I'll look better and feel 'lighter' (happier)
Ø I'll be able to buying nicer clothes more easily
Ø I'll be able to exercise without embarrassment or dread
Ø I won't be embarrassed when I'm naked.
Ø no more jiggle-y arms!!
Ø lower cholesterol (goal below 200)
Ø I won't have as much pain, especially in my knees
Ø My body will be physically fit and able to do what I ask.
Ø I can wear shorts again!
Ø I won’t be remembered as the fat aunt.


Peg, two pounds!!! Woo Hoo!! And I can't believe that as talented and experienced as you are that you let the presence of some lil ol' International Bible types shake you - sure as shootin' they'll love your sermon and learn from it, too! YOU ROCK, WOMAN!

Alida, nice to have your smiling face/words here girlfriend!

Barb, I remember that fantastic photo last year (or was it the year before) of all the BBQ women in your red aprons... what a wonderful, wonderful way for the women in a family to connect, bond, and have some good old fun! PIX please!

Shelley, I cannot believe how hot it is there - I would be dyin'

Berta, glad to hear your interested in reading the Beck book... we are going to be a very good and supportive team - I can tell!!

ok all you beautiful women... I'm off to get back to work... I am going to try to ring back in on Thursday evening but no promises (some corporate visitors this week may make that difficult).... I'm still on Day 8 but of course, doing my checklist every night for the slow eating, the sitting down, the giving credit, the reading the response cards, etc...

best to you all - R

__________________
Hugs, Rachel



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

Rachel, It's soooo good to have you back on a regular basis. Thanks for inspiring us to all "Think Thin." We have missed you.

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

Good morning ladies. Judy, you couldn't have said it better....welcome back Rachel...you sure were missed. (now I'd like to know if you're getting a kickback for getting all of us to buy the book? lol)

It's hotter than hades here....the kind of heat where you walk outside and immediately want to take a nap. Just drains ya!! But, last night I had to cut the grass...didn't want to...but had to. I had mentioned to dh that we should take the stumps and branches to the landfill but I know that asking once doesn't get it done. Well...when the grass was cut I found he had not only loaded the truck but was starting to cut back the lilacs on the other side of the yard. What a good boy he is? (what does he want?) I had to give him heJJ though. He has a huge blister covering the whole palm of his hand from helping me last week...and we have a ball tournament coming up in two weeks. He's the pitcher so it has to have healed by then. I ended up taking over with the shears and cutting the rest of the branches down...and now I have a big blister on my middle finger. Aren't we a fine pair? I had to stop when I got to the point where I couldn't reach the rest of the lilacs...I'll need to cut down 2 small evergreen trees first so I can get to them. In the beginning I thought this would be good project...now I think I'm retarded!!

I'm not doing well with my eating...I sure need this book I'm waiting for. I do great all day long and once I walk in the door at night it's like I'm a mad woman eating everything in sight. I didn't use to be like this...can't figure out what's triggering it, but it has to stop.

Rachel: What a funny story. After hearing some of the stories from my dsil I was floored at how other people live...the bathroom stories were terrible but to people who've never lived any other way I guess it's just a way of life. You must see some real different things!

Peg: Sounds like Sweet Pea has you wrapped right around her paws! Just like all furkids do. I go very few places without my girls and I'm sure people think I'm nuts...but that's just how it is.

Brenda: That's good news that you don't have pink eye. I think it's highly contagious though...we'll have to ask our resident nurse, she must be lurking somewhere.

Well, I really don't want to be here. I haven't been sleeping very well and I'm getting tired. It's hot, I'm cranky and I just want to be home playing in the dirt. But, that's not going to happen so I guess I'd better just suck it up and get to work. We're heading to town tonight to a ball practise so it will be a late night...maybe I'll sleep better.

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

Howdy girls! Me and the pool boy were just having a little swim - he was asking about you Rachel. I told him that you lived too far away for him. Sorry.

And, now on the REAL side of things: I'm rushing through this so I can get to my inevitable sermon. I know what I'm going to preach now, but have to do some big revising.

Dgd is here and having a great time with the Wii and any thing else that she can find. This morning she dragged out my knitting and asked me to teach her. Sheesh! I hadn't even had my cuppa yet! We took Sweet Pea to be groomed for the first time, and then to the grocery store. As usual, I bought dgd way too much food. She asked for it. Not my fault! Ha!

Sweet Pea looks like a little doll. The groomer put a ribbon bow in her topknot. How cute she is. But, she is sleeping big time right now. Stressed out, I suspect. Thought I did really like the groomer. She offered to board Sweet Pea at her house while we are gone!! She even said Sweet Pea can sleep with her!! I'm thinking very seriously about doing that. She has two Yorkies. They are real sweeties. They were there, just walking around. Also, there was none of this shutting the dog up in a cage, or hiding what is happening. All of it was out in the open and very above board. The groomer has been grooming dogs for 30 years. While I was there there was a Shih Tzu in full coat. Just beautiful, and a Shih Tzu getting a summer cut to go to the beach. And, her Yorkies were running around. Sweet Pea fit right in.

When I came back, Sweet Pea was running around with the other small dogs having a ball.

I lost another pound yesterday. That makes three since Monday. I'm drinking as much water as I can get in, though I admit that I am not measuring it the way I should. But, I am only eating protein and small veggies, and water (and coke, wine, and coffee). Diet Power is about to blow a gasket about my wine and my lack of carbs. I love how they grade each day for you. So far, I've gotten all "F's".

Flying by, you guys!
Peg

Meh. I slipped a bit. At least I had a good excuse. I just got back from my grandmother's funeral in Buffalo. And when Polish people grieve, they EAT! Luckily I only gained one pound back. Today I had an omelet for breakfast, salmon for lunch, and chicken for dinner. Time to get back on track!

__________________

Hey Paul...... Buffalo??? Who are you for tonight --- Rangers or Yankees? Got to say I'm definitely a Ranger's fan. I'd love to see them pull out a sweep, just not looking like that will happen with it 5 to 2 in the 5th. However, after the game earlier this week I shouldn't be pessimistic.

Sorry about your grandmother. Good job on only gaining a pound.

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