Marcie - I wholeheartedly agree that you did extremely well to only gain 10 lbs in 3 1/2 months of living the life of luxury. Good girl!! I do realize, tho, how frustrating it is to gain in the middle. Don, Wendy & Loon have all given you very sound advice. I truly believe that exercise, along with portion control is very important. You can target the mid section with exercises just for that. All stomach exercises (sit ups, crunches, etc) and side bends will help. I highly recommend that you watch the Denise Austin workout show on TV. She's on in the mornings on Lifetime channel (7:00 - 8:00 a.m. in San Diego). Even if you don't decide to do her workout on a regular basis, she has a lot of great exercises for your target area that you can do on your own. The stomach is her speciality. Good luck and we will all be here to help you succeed!!! Ask any questions you want.

Wendy - if the tummy fat is the first to go, then mine must have been HUGE because it is still fat. I'm finding it is now the last to go. I've been doubling my efforts in that area. Hope it helps.

Trish - Get right back on track and those 7 lbs won't have time to take hold. Stress eating and eating on the run are my 2 biggest problems. I understand what you are going through. Hang in there!!

Don - What can I say? You are my hero!!! You are almost there :) :) :) . Heck, even if you fall short by a pound or too you can consider yourself a major success story! After we all get back from our cruises we will really need each other's help.

I'm still at the 18 lbs lost. At this rate, I'll be lucky to hit 20 before PIP. I was really shooting for at least 30. But at least I'll be 20 lbs lighter than I was and I'm a lot firmer. So I'll still be happy with those results.

Trish--I can't remember where we were last talking about your health (I get confused between all the various threads, boards, posts, etc). So, I'll just ask you here, now that everything is looking so much better, are you feeling better? Do keep us posted on how things are going.

Diana is feeling better and looks like she is coming back to life.

One word of advice for everybody. I was working out this morning and didn't realize that I had downloaded on my iPod an inappropriate song. It was so nasty and vile that it has stuck in my head and I can't seem to get rid of it. Somehow it got stuck in my aerobic music file and I am going to have to delete it. You know it just isn't right to be working out an thinking that you are so good and then hear "Cheeseburger in Paradise" in your headphones. :ohmy:

Now I need "Margaritaville" just to round things out. <img border="0" alt="[beer]" title="" src="graemlins/beer.gif" />

Don - once again you made me laugh so hard!! You had me going . . . I was wondering what kind of nasty & vile song you heard. That one belongs in dieter's hell!!

So glad Diana is feeling better :)

You do know that those songs are by Jimmy Buffet? Just as there is a BUFFET (Boo-fay) like a Buffet Brunch? (lol) Anything around here that has to do with food is our forte!

Kathy - you're making me laugh too. We do have food on the brains, don't we :D :D

Hi Liz --
I had my pre-op on Monday. Everything is a go for my surgery on Monday, May 2nd. My body is registering that there will be pain and a hospital stay and all the DON'Ts! The negative impact is poor eating . So, I'm hoping I will bounce back quickly and get back on track with my weight in June.

Trish

Well, my wonderful exercise program is in tatters. My elliptical won't be fixed for another week, and although I can use it, it is really unuseable since it's stuck at the highest resistance level, way beyond me.

On top of that, my upper back went into spasm this morning--it usually is a result of reaching high for something, but no doubt it's something that I overdid with the weights. So, none of those for a while.

I am doped up on muscle relaxants, and going to put ice on my back.

Trish - once you're past the surgery and feeling lots better, you'll be able to focus again on your weight loss. Right now you need to focus on getting yourself better and feeling better. I wish you so much luck with your surgery 5/2. I'll be thinking of you.

Wendy - I'm so, so sorry you are having these obstacles. How frustrating for you. You've got to take care of your back now, tho. The most important thing, above how you look, is how you FEEL for your cruise. Take it easy and rest up. I sure hope the spasm has subsided. Tom gets those too and I always feel so bad for him. Once your back is feeling better, try just some isometric exercises. You can even just sit in a chair and tighten up each set of muscles, one at a time. It is always amazing to me how well that works. If only I could get myself to do it all the time, I might never have to actually "exercise". Good luck and take good care of yourself!!!

Trish---I think you should do whatever you have to do to comfort yourself before surgery. Facing ANY surgery is very scary and difficult. You'll be SO glad when it's over and as you recover, you'll just get right into the diet routine. My thoughts and prayers are with you. You'd better keep us posted!!!!!!

Wendy--oh, how frustrating for you that your exercise program is being interrupted. It's really, really upsetting to finally get to a point where you are WELL into an exercise routine, feeling great about it, and then have it interrupted by physical (and equipment) problems. I think you should treat yourself to a really nice massage for your back. Gosh, those kinds of injuries are REALLY painful, and affect everything you do, from walking, to sitting, to lying down. Keep us posted on how you are feeling.

Don, you crack me up. I know BOTH the Buffet songs, and Kathy, your great pun has me grinning from ear to ear.

Can I blame it on you that I'm ordering the Crab Cakes Benedict on Sunday???????? Claudia's going to twist my arm, I just know, and FORCE me to drink......so there goes my diet for that day. Who cares!!! After my heartache with Jerry, I need a "recovery day." (Anybody who doesn't know what I'm talking about, go to the "Urgent Message about West Coast Gathering" thread for the last couple of days). I lost my boyfriend to a BIMBO..... amazing I haven't pigged out on comfort food, LOL. Actually, when I get this upset, I tend to lose weight, not gain.

I did treat myself to a Mexican taco salad yesterday. No carbs, but lots of fat-laced ground beef and cheese.......who cares. It was good, and I've lost 2-3 pounds in the last week, anyway.

I'm working on my plans to resist on the cruise. I'm kind of waiting to talk to you Marcie, at the brunch, to see how on earth you managed to only gain 10 pounds. I can't afford to gain that much, but my cruise isn't as long as yours. I DO think I could handle 5. But my intent is not to gain ANYTHING!!!!

With lots of fits and starts, I am down 7 this morning. Woo Hoo! I am doing a calorie thing, so, I've been really good for a few days and the scale shows it. I can have the Crab Cakes if I keep this up. It's the desserts for me that are the issue.

Wendy, I get those spasms too. Ouch. I find moving does help even when it hurts. And a massage! Be gentle so that you feel good - you've got a long trip ahead of you.

That's great Kathy, good for you! And thanks for the advice about the back. I'm sure it will be better long before I travel, but I will be bringing muscle relaxants along in any case, you never know.

Kathy, yes I knew that. I have a friend who is a total Parrothead!!! Whenever you go to his house, that is all you hear!!! His house is the 24 hour Buffet!!! LOL Also, big time congrats on the weight loss. That is terrific.

Well, I thought Diana was getting better and today she is back feeling yucky again. I think it's stress. They put her mom (in her 80's) back in the hospital yesterday in Ca. with shigles and pneumonia and she was on the phone all day with her sisters and brother trying to get updates. Her mom was in ICU but is now doing fine and should be released in four days.

Trish, I agree with Liz. Just do what you need to do right now. You can always get back with it later. We are all going to need each others support even more in a few weeks anyways, so hang in there and we will keep you in our prayers.

Wendy, so sorry to hear about your back. I have had back problems off and on for years and know how dibilitating it can be. It is hard to move, let alone work out. One thing that I do that seems to relieve some of the pressure, is to sleep with a small pillow between my legs to keep my spine aligned when I on my side. Hope it feels better soon.

Liz, I wish I was joining you guys for Brunch on Sunday. I would have loved to have seen everybody. However with the cruise just a few days away it just wasn't possible. Y'all have fun. Those crab cakes do sound fabulous!

Don--I'm sorry Diana is feeling under the weather again. Bronchitis is like that, I think, and does tend to get worse with stress. A doctor once told me that voice rest was important in bronchitis/pneumonia, and if Diana was on the phone all day about her mother, that could have set her back. I'm assuming that Diana's had a chest x-ray???????? If not, maybe she should. Gosh, here go prayers and thoughts for her recovery in time for the cruise. (Maybe the cruise, itself, might be the cure)!! And yes, I WILL enjoy the crabcakes!!!! I've earned 'em!!

Kathy, WAY TO GO!!! Down 7!!! Wow!! How many calories a day are you allowing yourself?? That's awesome news. I guess you can eat what you WANT on Sunday, LOL. :ch:

Good news. Dianas mom gets out of the hospital today and will head for home. Liz, Diana did rest her voice yesterday and is going to take it really easy today and try to stay off the phone. Thanks for the suggestion. She has not had a chest x-ray, but if she isn't better by tomorrow, I am going to take her back in to see the Dr.

Well, I am off to do some walking in the resistance pool.

Oh, Liz, I'm so sorry! I hadn't read any of the gathering threads knowing you all are going to have such a great time and that I'll be spending the day packing for my hospital stay. Break-up's are always so hard, but when they're a result of a bimbo... My theory is you may be feeling bad right now, but it's plausible that there is someone even better and more right for you out there. As you pointed out, she is a bimbo and his losing you - note HE LOST YOU - is HIS loss, not yours. So, you go on Sunday, eat some good food , have a few drinks, and keep repeating to yourself that you deserve much better.
Thanks for the prayers.

Trish

I am eating half of everything and it's working. So it's portion control more than anything. I am staying away from things that we've mentioned one too many times around here and start those cravings.

I've even been thinking that it's a good plan for me while I'm crusing. I won't miss out on anything at all but if I eat half of whatever then I can still do okay. I have to lose between 60-75 lbs. so it's a lifestyle I have to adopt.

Don - I've got all my fingers and toes crossed for Diana to get better ASAP!!!! You both have places to go and things to do. No time for feeling bad. Both of you take care.

Kathy - congratulations on your 7 lbs!!!!!!!! :app: :app: :app:

I think your plan to eat half of everything now and then on the cruise is a very wise one. That way you won't feel deprived. You still get to taste everything!! I think I'll follow your lead and do the same.

Don-Yes, since she hasn't had an x-ray, you definitely should NOT lose any time getting one....b/c she may have pneumonia, not bronchitis. Please let us know/keep us posted, K?

Trish, we will send a big prayer and thoughts for you on Sunday (your packing day for the surgery). Thank you for reminding me about who REALLY lost whom. And what kind of truly satisfying relationship can you really have with a bimbo. But boy, it sure hurts lose someone to one!!!!!!

Kathy--hey your portion control and eat-half idea IS really a good one. It will definitely be on my Plan of Attack for my cruise in Nov. Also maybe alternating "good" days with "badder" (i.e. not TOTALLY bad, but a little bit bad) days---also being good for breakfast and lunch, then being bad at dinner....the main point is that we all keep sticking to whatever ways work for us and that we continue to cheer on, comfort and support each other. It really is a huge help to be able to touch base with others who get up every morning and face the exact same struggles...... Our group is GREAT!!

in an older edition of O magazine there was an article I read last night that I will copy and bring to brunch for Liz and Cyndi. If I can copy parts of it and email it to the rest of you I would. It made so much sense to me. It was about how Oprah finally got it and how she makes time for herself every day to do the things she needs to do to take care of herself, how she eats and exercises. It was really good.

Down 9 lbs now. My MD said - You WILL lose weight and I am listening.

Wow, Kathy, you're rockin,' losing so much!!! How many calories do you allow yourself per day??? I'll be eager to see the Oprah article. I think that some of us forget to do special things for ourselves. I'm going to be REALLY good today and tomorrow so that I can be BAAADDD on Sunday!! :app:

Kathy - FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! You are on a roll now!!! Thanks for bringing the O article. I need all the incentive I can get.

Liz - I agree with what you say about doing special things for ourselves. I've learned over the years that the naturally thin people will go out and have a treat to eat. But then they just cut back on other meals that day or the next. It's no big deal to them. I guess that is the secret. But of course, when you are prone to overeating it is easier said than done. BUT, I DO believe we can change our habits and adopt that attitude. So, on Sunday, I plan to enjoy my meal, but not go overboard. I plan to not eat it all, like Kathy is doing. Then, I won't let it be an excuse to keep eating too much after the brunch is over. Get RIGHT back on track that very same day.

Don - any update on Diana? I sure hope she is better.

Cyndi--I think you nailed the whole problem in your phrase "prone to over-eating." I guess for us, when something's really good, we eat a LOT of it. I used to be one to go back for 2nds and 3rds, even. Now, gosh, it's been nearly 8 months, I eat only 1 small portion, and leave it at that. Of course, stuffing myself with salad BEFORE I tackle a main course at dinner, really helps. I think on my cruise, what ever I order for dinner, I'm going to tell the wait staff who take my order than I want a SMALL portion or half portion. (Once it's on my plate, I'll eat the whole thing, LOL).

I'm really glad we're all here to help each other get back on track.

Don---like Cyndi, I'd like to know what's the latest with Diana? I hope by now she's had a chest x-ray. The fact that this is lingering and causing so much fatigue makes me wonder if it IS pneumonia.

Liz - that's a great idea. I have a friend that asks the waiter/waitress to bring only what she feels she can eat. I'm like you. If it's within sight, I WILL eat it. This same friend leaves for Africa today. She and her husband spend a couple of months over there every year and she always talks about the white linen tables and wonderful food and all the wines and Armula, so it will be interesting to hear how well she does over there when we pick them up from the airport.

Don - I agree that perhaps it is time for Diana to have a chest x-ray. Pneumonia left untreated can attack your heart. I know it firsthand, so it's nothing to fool around with.

Trish

Trish, yes, I think probably most of us WILL EAT whatever is around, within sight and reach. The problem with a cruise is there's so much abundance....I'll probably make a studious effort to avoid the buffets!!! You go into the hospital on Monday, right? How long will you be there? I know you'll be SO glad to get this over with!!!

On one of many may forays into the world of commercial dieting (ie Jenny someone) I was told that if you eat at a restaurant ask for a to go box right away and take half the food off the plate before you start eating. If it's not on your plate you won't be tempted. I did that at a business hotel dinner yesterday sans the box. I cut everything in half and pushed it away from the portion I was going to eat and then I did leave it. I took and cut the cheesecake about 1" from the back end and ate only the single inch.
I didn't feel deprived at all. The movement on the scale seems extra rewarding or maybe I've finally gotten into things.

Liz - I still think you might find that RSSC meal portions are very reasonably sized. I never felt like I was "pigging" out at dinner. So that should be a big help. You may find that you won't need a special request for smaller sizes. But, if you do, your idea is very, very smart. There are certain restaurants on land that I know it would help with. Ever eat at Claim Jumper? Now those are HUGE servings. I'll keep your idea in mind when I go there.

And you are right about the buffets. They are very dangerous. I found that after close to 3 weeks of having buffet breakfast (on our Navigator cruise plus the pre & post cruise hotel buffets), I was "hooked" on eating that way for breakfast. It was very hard to go back to normal eating after that trip. We need some good tips for how to handle the buffets. Any ideas anyone?

Trish - I'm just like you & Liz. If it's in front of me, it is so very hard to resist.

Cyndi--It's nice to know that RSSC meals are smaller portioned. YES, I've been to the Claim Jumper. Now THAT's right up there with (dare I say it?????) In and Out.....K, I'm NOT thinking about it.....

Buffets ARE dangerous. My thought is to avoid them on the cruise, if I at all can. It's just too much to resist...and to live with it day in and day out, I can see how difficult that would be (especially after, like you say, you get used to eating that way).

Diana is feeling better. (No, she didn't go to the Dr. even though I did all but drag her there). Still has a cough, but feeling much perkier. If not completely clear by Monday, she promised that she would go. That's the good news. The bad news is that they took her mom back to the hospital this afternoon and she is having difficutlies breathing again. What a roller coaster and I am sure that the stress about her mom isn't helping.

Now with our cruise only a week away, we are really in limbo as to what to do. Thank you guys for all your concerns.

Are all you PIPsters dancing today???

Wow, Don. I hope that Diana will stick to her promise and go to the Dr. if she's not better by Monday. And now this with her mother. Are you guys still going to go? I've lived through my mother being that ill and it's very difficult. PLEASE keep us posted about both things.

Wow, Don - sorry to hear about your MIL. I hope that she will be better quickly and that it works that you will be able to take your long awaited cruise.

I thought I 'd have to cancel our last cruise two days before because of illness but it worked out. I was very sad to think of the possibility of not going. Well keep our fingers crossed (and the bad food out of our mouth)

Don - Oh this must be so nervewracking for both you and Diana. Diana must be about wiped out with not feeling well and then worrying about her mom. I sure hope things improve all the way around ASAP. I know you would be heartbroken if your cruise got cancelled. We'll all think very positive thoughts for all of you. Take care and :hug:

Well for now we just need to keep getting ready to go. I got the suitcases down yesterday, made sure that they all had luggage tags, the straps to hook one suitcase to the other while wheeling, and put the new TSA locks on all of them. Started laying out all of our cruise supplies. Duct tape, corkscrew, clothes pins, extra batteries, bandaids, etc.

At least it helps to keep our minds off of things.

Thanks for everybody's prayers.

Y'all have a great time tomorrow at the brunch. Like I said before, we wish we could join you, but I now have three weeks worth of work to get completed by next Friday, then it is adios, oops I mean arrividerci!!! :D

Liz - I go into the hospital Monday morning at 6:30am. Surgery is scheduled for 9:30 and I will stay a couple of days. Hopefully no infections or problems with leads in my heart that will keep me there any longer. I will be SO glad when I'm home again. 4 - 6 weeks and I should be as good as new.

Don - Your stress level must be high with worrying about both Diana and your mother-in-law. Dave and I have friends that just left for Africa yesterday and his mom is sick, so they were rather concerned. I'll be praying that everything works out and both are better within the week.

Trish

Don and Trish:

We're all thinking of you. Good health is one thing, no matter how much else there is, we cannot take for granted. We never know what is in store for us or our loved ones. We hope that all goes well for Diana's mother and for you Trish. We'll be praying.

Don and Trish - I'm sending both of you all my best wishes that all will go well. And lots of hugs. Hang in there.

Trish, sending prayers your way. You'll be SO glad when it's over. Get online as soon as you can and let us know how you are.

Don, you've got quite a week ahead of you. I so hope Diana gets better. I think the cruise, itself will be great medicine. Between all that you are dealing with, don't forget to keep eating right. Some of us (don't know whether you're like that) turn to FOOD when stress gets high.

I haven't logged onto here in some time, so I am playing catch-up.

Wishing you all well! Take care, please and keep us posted on how you're all doing!

Ditto what Denise said. Wishing the best to Diana's mother, Diana, and Trish!

Masaki