[SandiC.]

Dee, it sounds as if you are having a great time. I always consider a vacation and being able to maintain my weight a success. And it sounds like so much fun, the two of you getting into the scrapping thing. I'm going to try to teach that to my cousin when she comes for Christmas. You've got me motivated!!!

Michelle, sorry to hear about the knees. I'm getting old enough that the wear and tear on my joints is starting to rear its ugly head. Which is one of the reasons I am really working to lose weight. The more I weigh, the more wear and tear on the weight-bearing joints. My sports med doc friend always says "motion is lotion for your joints" I'm not doing very well with the exercise stuff either.

I maintained my weight this week, and that's ok. I know no matter what you do, there are plateaus. The old body just needs a little equilibrium. The hard part is to be ok with a slow down with losing, and yet step up the efforts a bit. But I'm really starting to get my head around this and that's the foundation.

[anemone1983]

Dee, sounds like you're having a great time - too fun to bring your SIL into the wonderful world of digi-scrapping. On the rare occasions that I've been so enthralled I forget to eat, I love that and imagine that's how "normal" weight people live. Ah well, something to aim toward and enjoy when it happens!

Sandi, you know it! I've had knee problems since gradeschool and now it's catching up with me. Slow but steady loss is the way to go. If it doesn't fit into your life, you won't make the permanent change.

Have a great week!

[Laurie in PA]

I was down 1.2 this week, but I still need to lose another 1.4 to make up for last week.
I have not been tracking or following the program. I know it works when I do it, but
the motivation isn't there right now.

My meeting is really great. There is one lady there that has lost 216 lbs with WW and is
so inspiring. She told us tonight that her doctors can't believe she lost so much weight
because she doesn't have all the hanging skin that a lot of people get when they lose a
lot. She says it's because she follows all the WW guidelines and is giving her skin what
it needs.

So, this next week is going to be better. I was so close to my 10% and I want to be there
by Christmas.

[dukebballfan]

Wow, Laurie! 216 lbs lost with WW - I can hardly believe it either. Is loose skin the reason why they advise the slow loss of weight? I'm sure there are other health reasons as well.

I lost 1.7 lbs last week. Nowhere near what I lost the first week, but I wasn't expecting to lose that much again in one week either. My doctor said that my goal now is just not to gain, so I guess 6.7 lbs lost in the first two weeks is good. I'm still very pleased. =) I did not exercise any but a one mile hike w/my son on Sunday and that is what I have got to improve on since my main goal right now is easing my fibro symptoms.

[anemone1983]

Laurie, you can only do what you're mentally prepared to do. Keep thinking about it and psyching up, stick with us here, attend your meetings, and you'll get there!

Crystal, great news about another loss. I love that initial push, but slow and steady is the way to do it. WTG!

Have a great week!

[DeeMac]

Home again, home again, jiggety jig! When I returned home from my trip, I weighed exactly what I weighed the morning I left several weeks ago. I'm happy with that! For today's check-in, I am down 1 pound as I've been "stellar" since returning home. I wanted to go to the WW meeting yesterday, but I have my grandson for a few days as he recovers from a football injury (we needed to separate him from his brother because there's to be no roughhousing which he won't have a my house) so I didn't want to drag him to a meeting. I have, however, been back into the Wii Fit, so my goal is to lose 5 pounds by New Year's. Tomorrow will be a tough day as Thanksgiving dinner is an all time favorite of mine. I will just do very small tastes of my favorites at dinner, and bypass the desserts. I love Pumpkin Fluff, so I'm bringing that along. When you crumble a graham cracker square over top and put a dollop of cool whip free, it tastes like pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! There is so much to be thankful for, and you scrapping girls are among my blessings!

Dee

[SandiC.]

Down again. Whoo Hoo!!! I lost another pound. I have been working horrible long hours, just work and then home, shower, and go to bed. But I only have 1.5 pounds to go to reach my goal for the end of the year. I think I can get that done in 5 weeks. I'm working the holiday tomorrow and that's a big danger zone, because everyone brings in food and they have a nice dinner for everyone. I will have portion control as my strategy. I will not eat more than 4 bites of anything. LOL. I'll see if that works.

[Laurie in PA]

I was down .8 this week. I am still not back down to where I was before my big gain a couple of weeks ago.

Sandi, I relly like your 4 bite strategy.

We are going to my inlaws for dinner. I am not crazy about the whole turkey dinner thing. I like the sides
better than the turkey and ham, so I have to change my strategy this year - more turkey breast and less
mashed potatoes
My MIL knows that I love asparagus so she is making it for me. Unfortunately, she has a new recipe that involves
puff pastry, cheese and who knows what else so even the asparagus won't be healthy.

[Laurie in PA]

I was down 2.6 this week!!!! I guess I didn't do as bad as I thought over the weekend.
We did do a lot of walking/shopping so that must have helped. I need .6 to get to my 10%

[DeeMac]

Good for you, Laurie! I just know you'll get to your 10% next week! I'll look for your post next Wed. I maintained once again. I seem to be stuck. Can't let it bother me, tho, because that's when I get into trouble. I guess thru the holidays I'll be satisfied with maintaining. Good choices for the holidays is my motto!
Dee

[anemone1983]

Laurie, keep it up! Your success inspires us all here.

Dee, I know what you mean...as nice as it would be to lose, maintaining is better than gaining!

[SandiC.]

Anyone still with this over the holidays? I'm working on sticking with it as much as I possibly can. And its paid off. I lost 2.5# this week and I hit my year end goal 2 weeks early. Now I have to reset my intermediate goals and that's fun, fun, fun. I haven't seen these numbers on the scale for over 3 years so I'm very pleased. I'm really starting to wrap my mind around this better too. In the past if I had a successful week, I'd let down a little and allow a little treat here and there. and of course I'd immediately gain back what I lost. This time is different. I'm concentrating on how good it feels to be able to easily button those jeans I couldn't wear last year and not have that big ol tummy roll stretch out my sweaters. Now, when I'm tempted to reach for a quick and unhealthy snack, I'm remembering how good it feels to step on the scale and see another half pound bite the dust.

I really think weighing daily (or almost daily) is helping me stay on track. Instead of letting a little gain discourage me and let me give up, I look at what I've done in the last couple of days that could make a difference and that allows me to adjust what I'm doing quickly and that is a huge .

This year for Christmas, we are not having a huge meal. We all decided to have healthy snacks and very ordinary, and healthy meals. About time we got some sense in our stubborn heads. No trying to make a Hallmark commercial this year. This year the focus is on the family, not the food or gifts or decorations. What we will have is good, but nothing in extreme. This will be new for me, so wish me luck on doing a simpler holiday.

[anemone1983]

Sandi, Way to go! And thanks for the inspiration.

I'm at that "30 lb wall" I always hit (actually I'm at 28 lbs, but close enuf). Right now I'm trying to maintain. I'll be traveling for 2 weeks over the holidays, not really planning how to eat with out a consistent kitchen to use. My goal is to maintain until the new year and start "fresh" from my current weight. I've been here before many times and not been successful in continuing on. I'll have to come here for more inspiration to stick with it after the new year.

Have a great holiday - hopefully less stressful than trying to be a "hallmark commercial"!

[Laurie in PA]

Sandi, I wish I was coming to your house! We have Christmas Eve at the in-laws and Christmas day here. I would rather do a brunch since we just did the whole turkey/ham dinner the night before, but I have family that wouldn't have the tradtional dinner unless I do it.


Michele, traveling is hard. I hope you can find a way to maintain.

I was up last week & so bummed that I didn't post. I was back down this week, but now I'm .2 away from my 10%. I have
a really big problem reaching goals.

[SandiC.]

Laurie, hang in there. Don't give up. when I hit that plateau it can last up to 3 weeks. That's really hard. The biggest thing to remember is it will break if you stick with it. And losing 28 pounds is a great achievement. Every morning when you get up, tell yourself "I'm a superwoman, I've lost 28 pounds". And stick with the program to keep those 28 pounds off, and you will start losing again. If you have a big holiday meal or 2 or 3 to go to, remember to drink water first so you'll be full faster and then eat more of the lighter things and only 4 bites of the rich things. And most of all, enjoy your big celebrations. Also, keep posting here, even if you totally blow it, 'cause we love you and are with you on this walk and we've all blown it from time to time too, so we have shoulders that can be cried upon.

Michele, traveling is a great time, but it helps if you have a plan. If you know where you'll be eating out, see if you can pull up the menu ahead of time, find the healthiest yummy food on the menu and have that set in your mind before you go. that way you won't be tempted by the heartier fare while you're at the table waiting to order. Just remember to make the best choices and watch the portions and really savor each of the four bites of your treats.

I'm feeling very positive this week and I am hoping you all have a great holiday season and keep our focus while we celebrate.

[DeeMac]

Good for you, Sandi! We need your inspiration! I maintained last week (was away so I didn't check in), but this week am up! Grrrrrr!!!!! I go to a WW meeting next Tues so I need to get down again. It can be so frustrating. Good luck to you, Michelle, as you travel. I am glad we're just hanging around home except for Christmas day when the whole family goes to my son's. Actually, there's a story behind that...when we moved to the condo, we gave our big old trestle table to my son's family. Everyone used to come to my house, but now we go to my son's for holidays where the table is because we can all fit at it! We all bring appetizers and nibble after opening presents. We play a lot of games with the kids etc etc and enjoy the freedom of not having to prepare a huge meal. It's easy for me to control my eating that way. We started doing this 5 or so years ago because all of us are on WW.

Have a great week everyone. We're all going to hang in there, right?

Dee

[Laurie in PA]

I finally made my 10% last night!!!!! I was down .4 & only needed .2. The leader was out of key rings, but that is ok.
I will feel more like I deserve it if I am still down after the holidays!!!!

Does anyone else have problems reaching goals? It seems like as soon as I get close to the next goal, I self destruct.
I was up & down so much before I got to my 10% that I didn't think I would ever get there.

[DeeMac]

Congratulations Laurie on making your 10%! That's awesome! Yes, I can relate to the self-destruct thing. I am in my early 60s now and it has only been the last few years that I decided I was worth being thin again and to look attractive and I stopped self-destructing. I was carrying a lot of baggage which I worked hard on putting in its place where it can't hurt me anymore.....the past! For me it's all psychological. About that same time I decided to treat the WW program and healthier lifestyle like a hobby since I am a hobbyist by nature......enjoy the process and the end result will be pleasing. As with creating quilts, digi-layouts or whatever, we change things along the way when something doesn't work. It's the same thing with our eating.....when something doesn't work, don't throw the program out, fix it and move on. Anyway, my whole attitude has changed and altho I still struggle with my weight daily, it's no longer an unpleasant experience. It's life. Sorry about the "bandwagon" or "soapbox" or whatever you want to call it, but I'm loving my life now and my 60s after years of being so unhappy with me, so I'm happy to say it is possible to turn things around. I am 8 pounds from goal.....6 pounds from not paying at meetings, and boy, oh boy it's been hard trying to get there again. I was there (lost 72 pounds) then went on prednisone which I'm still on, and it's tough. But, I CAN do it and the support from you all and the WW meetings help so much.

As for me, last week I was up and it was disturbing, but I managed to come down 2 this week. My goal is to maintain until the 1st, then it's back to a serious effort to lose those last pounds and keep them off. That's when the effort and support really are important. The process doesn't end once goal is reached. It continues forever.

'Nuff said! I am excited about this evening's Christmas eve service, and Christmas tomorrow with 6 grandkids, one of which is just 7 weeks old. It's white here and maybe more snow tomorrow....first white Christmas in a very long time. Best wishes for a blessed holiday to all!

[anemone1983]

Laurie, congrats on reaching your 10% goal! WTG!

Dee, thanks for the words of encouragement. You have a great perspective on weight loss and life in general. Thanks for sharing!

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays in their own special way and we all come back to our regular routines refreshed and ready for the new year!

[FaithInLight]

Is there anybody out there still doing weight watchers? I don't see any new posts for a while.

Well I just started ( or should I say restarted?) WW this week. I started before the new year so I couldn't say that it was a "New Year's resolution" I am ready to change my life not just til I lose the weight but for good!

I am new to this message board thing and hope to connect to some new friends this year. I have been on SG for almost 2 years but have never been able to figure this site out. My goal this year is to conquer it! I have to be smarter than a website ya?

Well hope everybody had a wonderful holiday and is looking forward to the coming year!

Christine

[SandiC.]

Hey Christine, welcome aboard! Yeah, we're still here, just with the holidays and all we've been distracted. The MB does take a little practice, but after a while its second nature. There are lots of us here doing WW and other programs as well as the fitness groups too. I guess in a lot of ways, being a SG is about more than scrapping, its about being a better you and for a lot of us that means losing those unwanted pounds and being more active.

Usually we check in on Wednesdays to share our progress or challenges. Everyone is so supportive.Its ok to come here and say I really blew it this week, and instead of criticism, you'll get tons of encouragement to get back and keep on working on it. and the celebrations!!!!! Wow, we surely do love to celebrate someone doing well.

I've been doing WW online and some of the MBs there have some really nasty people on them....so while I'm using the online features and the program, I come here for my support. Its just much more supportive.

I know today is not check in day, but since I was working last week and didn't make it I'll let you all know I lost another 1.5 pounds.!! As of today I am under my year end goal by 1.5 pounds! Since early October I've lost 14 pounds. My jeans are getting baggy and I think in another month or two I might have to retire these and donate them. I went through some clothes in my closet today, clothes that I had not worn in about 2 years, and I can wear about 2/3 of them now. So going through my closet and getting rid of the things I am tired of, but more importantly, the ones that no longer fit, is a great thing to be doing. I may have to schedule myself a time once a month or so, to do this. Decluttering and rewarding myself for doing a good job. Not a bad way to start a new year.

[Laurie in PA]

Welcome Christine.

WTG Sandi, it is so nice to be able to shop your closet


I was way up last weigh in, I am too ashamed to even post how much I gained over
Christmas. I think it was a combo of too much stress & too many cookies


Time to get back into it!!!

[DeeMac]

Welcome Christine! You'll notice a lot more activitiy here now that the new year has passed. It's hard during the holidays, and I don't know about you all, but I'm always ready for all the food to GO AWAY!!!!!! I get tired of all the treats. Laurie, you're not alone with your gain. There are many of us right there with you, including me! I'm up two. We'll all help each other get back on track. WTG Sandi....you're our inspiration!

Dee

[anemone1983]

Christine, welcome to the WW forum! There's lots of support here for your weight loss endeavors as well as other threads on using the MB and your digi-scrapping software, etc. Glad you felt comfy enough to post

Sandi, WTG!!! Congrats on your continued weight loss! Keep up the great work!

Laurie and Dee, I've not stepped on the scale yet, but I've been "off the WW wagon" so I'm expecting a gain. I started back on program today and will weigh in on Wednesday - we'll see the damage then.

Here's to a successful year in all ways, including health/weight loss! Happy 2010!

[FaithInLight]

Thanks for all the welcomes! I noticed that most of you weight in on Wednesdays but mine is Mondays and I couldn't wait to share my success with you all! I lost 5.6 this week! I am SO excited to be back on plan!

I also learned this week how to create an album, make and upload a siggy and get blinkies too. And it only took me a year and a half to figure it out! So I have already completed one of my goals for the year (to figure out these darn message boards).

Today I feel that I conquer the world!

[anemone1983]

WTG Christine! Feel free to check in on any day of the week - Wednesday was chosen at random so it's just a day we all try to visit this thread and post for encouragement from our SG friends. Grats on mastering the blinkies you're well on your way to a great 2010

[Laurie in PA]

I started over today too. It really helped me to resist the donuts our boss bought for us today.
I didn't even look in the box.

[anemone1983]

Great strategy, Laurie! Sometimes I can resist, others I can't - so it's best not to peek at all so you won't be tempted

[SandiC.]

Almost broke down last night and had a snack attack, but was able to remind myself what my goals were. I was grocery shopping and my DIL had asked me to pick up some salt and vinegar chips for her...a real red light food for me, you know, you can't eat just 1 (or in my case 1 bag). right there in the grocery store, with my cart full of healthy foods and sticking to my list, I WANTED those chips. By the time I got home and had the groceries put away, I had gotten a little equilibrium back and was ok, no chips. LOL. Its amazing how old ingrained habits can really suck us in. Its getting easier to stop myself from automatic eating when the urge hits a little better now. Practice makes perfect, and while I doubt my eating habits will ever be perfect, I am practicing some very positive attitudes about eating and its getting easier.

[anemone1983]

Sandi, that's great! Stick with it!

This was my first official weigh in for since the holidays. I'm up 4.5 lbs, which is better than the 10 I expected LOL. Since Monday, I've been loosely following WW, but today is my official re-start I've recorded my coffee (I stopped recording somewhere around Thanksgiving - bad sign!) and I'll weigh (as needed) and record all of my food today. I want to stick with this until mid-February when I leave for AZ to attend my sisters wedding. Seems when I'm away from my normal routine, I just can't make good food decisions!

I hope you're all doing well in sticking to (or jumping back into) program!