Kathy and Don - you guys are so good!

Those are absolutely cool ideas of how to handle hard food situations.

I keep thinking about Nevis and lobsters. Yummy. "I'd like to order a 4 pounder, please".

In the meantime, we went out to dinner again last night and I had a big rack of barbecued ribs. I don't think my scale is going to budge tomorrow.

Trish

Lobster is a really good food to eat! Just stay away from the butter! Don - be proud of yourself - A Diet Dr Pepper and no pizza or beer at the game. It's doesn't matter what team won because you will with that behavior! Wendy - hang on to those jeans - maybe I will need them for our June cruise! :D

Kathy, I admire that you got back on track even with the fire situation. Stress like that is such a trigger for taking comfort from food! Great job.

Don, sounds like the Stars game was definitely a victory for you! I went to the Angels game last weekend, as a guest in a suite, where they had all kinds of temptations. I followed the plan I set for myself in advance - not knowing what they would have, but knowing it would probably be tempting, I had a very light lunch and decided to allow myself one indulgence (which ended up being a not-too-big slice of pizza). Having a plan firmly in mind helps a lot. When eating out in restaurants, I often look at the menu on the restaurant's website and decide in advance what is the best choice - then eat half.

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Dena

:banana: Lost 4 lbs this week! Now I am right where I wanted to be. A little over five weeks to go and 16 more to lose. Have lost 15 since starting back on the diet. Almost halfway there now! :woh:

Don - WOW! That is terrific. You can make goal. Keep the momentum going!

Good for you, Don - that is great! I know you will make it.

I'm down .75 this week (wish I could say 4 pounds as Don did!) toward my 6-week goal of 3 pounds.

Hope all my fellow "losers" have a great week!

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Dena

Dena, For us woemn the goal of a pound a week is about right so that is great!

Thanks Kathy and Dena. Good job Dena. You are so close to goal that losing that much is fantastic. Keep it up.

I know that women lose it slower than men and it really isn't fair, but the downside for guys is that we put it on faster as well. I just want to get down and keep it there and stop the YoYo.

Signed up today to get certified for Scuba and I start classes on the 13th, just in time for our cruise in November. So I have some additional motivation to get down.

Hi all!!!

Don - Way to Go!!!! 4 lbs is fantastic!!! You WILL meet your goal, I just know it. I'm with you about stopping the YoYo syndrome. Just gotta do it. Your Scuba classes sound exciting. And great motivation, like you said.

Kathy - Your Jenny Craig sounds so good. I didn't realize they factor in lots of snacks. Too much food??? That's a problem I'd like to have. Get ready to go shopping, girl. You'll be ready for some new clothes for your June cruise!!!! I'm so proud of you for sticking with it during all the stress of the pending fire situation.

Wendy - love your incentive for your new expensive pair of jeans. Fitting like a glove may look good, but it sure is uncomfortable. Just a few lbs and you'll look great AND they'll feel so good on!!! You reminded me of the pair of pants I was using for inspiration before PIP. When I first started my PIP diet I couldn't get them over my hips. By PIP I could get them on and zip them up!!! Now they are back to not fitting over my hips :( :( . I've pulled them out to try on every goal day as a reminder. It worked before!!!!!

Dena - .75 lbs is great when you are this close to your goal. Great going!!! That is more than the .5 lbs you had set for yourself!!!!

Trish - don't give up. Stick with us here and you can't help but get motivated. But boy did those ribs sound good :D :D

Well, I lost 1 lb for this first week. Not exactly anywhere close to my final goal weight, but 1 lb closer to the 5 for Nov 5/6. I may just make that and go on for the rest - no matter how long it takes!!!! I have been doing my exercises again and am walking when I can. It feels soooooo good!!! Now, if only my clothes would stop squishing my fat stomach, I'd feel even better :D :D I know, give it time, give it time. . . .

Love hearing all your stories. We'll do it together once again!!!!! I wish everyone the best week!!!

I weigh in at JC tomorrow. My scale says 3 lbs but we had a holiday dinner here and maybe I ate a little too much. Not what I'd have eaten a week ago, but, more than a 12 oz TV dinner holds. I did eat a salad for lunch - no dressing on it or protein and I missed a few snacks.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Trish

As my baby sister used to say in her high chair Hooray for me! :app: I lost 3.5 lbs in 5 days.
Now if I can get on that treadmill tomorrow morning. As the Nike slogan says..Just do it

Cyndi, that is a really good start. The important thing is you are heading in the right direction. A pound here and a pound there add up before you know it.

Kathy, that is fantastic. I guess JC is really working good for you. Keep it up.

Yesterday I went to the dive shop and signed up to get certified. Now I really have to get down. It was a little embarassing not to be able to fit into the BC vest without an extender! :eek Good thing I am going to the Caribbean. I would have hated to see what would have happened to try and find a wet suit to fit.

Don - just think of the extender as another motivation for you!!! It won't be long until it is gone with the extra lbs!!! Be proud of yourself for signing up. That is a great first step. Once you start the program and then finally do your diving, you'll be having a blast!!

Kathy - You are doing GREAT!!! I'm glad the JC is fitting in so well for you. It makes all the difference.

Trish - Hang in there and soon your :mad: will turn into :woh:

Cyndi, I am really looking forward to it. I have started studying for the class. Sure hope these old gray brain cells can still work!!! LOL

The good news for me today is that I am wearing some pants that three weeks ago I couldn't wear. I haven't tried the tux yet. I think I'm going to wait a couple more weeks on that one.

Trish, don't give up. You can do it. Just keep after it.

Hope everybody does well this week.

Hey Cyndi and Kathy, good for you both! Keep up the good work. I was on my elliptical this morning, after having pizza the night before. So it goes. I also have gained 5 pounds since Pip, by the way.

To everybody else, be good to yourselves.

Wendy - Good for you to hop back on the E.T. Pizza is okay - as long as it's a small amount.

Why do we do that to ourselves? WE do all the right things, we get our weight down and then one event sets us off and running without regard to all the good stuff we did? We seem to forget how to eat veggies and protein and fruit and eat all the bad stuff. I can't believe that I am doing a major weight loss thing AGAIN! I am so appreciative that you are all here and know what it's all about.

The good news is something has clicked and I am really, seriously doing it after years of half way. Even tho I lost 15 lbs for PIP, I gained it back. I went to a business dinner and they had key lime pie for dessert. I passed. That was a big test. I ate a dinner plate full of lettuce with about 4 oz of very plain chicken breast with no skin. Nothing to detract me from my goal.

I've been pretty much the same size for a few years and I bought some new stuff for Italy from Travelsmith. All too tight. I can imagine how I'd have felt if I couln't have zipped up those pants - at least I was able to get them up and on.

My scale says I am down almost 6 lbs. Maybe I can lose another 10 before the month is over. That would feel really good.

That's great news, Kathy, keep it up. I just did my pilates workout, feeling good. Still no weight loss, however.

Way to go Kathy. Keep it up. Looks like JC is really working for you.

Wendy, just keep after it. The weight loss will come. It just takes a little longer sometimes. Feeling good is most of it anyways.

Last week I did work out every day. A couple of times, I just wanted to hit that snooze bar, but you know it isn't true what they say. "You Snooze You Lose" LOL Weigh in was today and I am down another 3 lbs. Was really hoping for more, but I am feeling a lot better and like I said that is most of it. I now have 14 more to go to goal and 4 weeks and 2 days to do it in. It will be close, but I think I can do it.

I hope that everybody did well this week. Just keep it up!!!

Well, I am really proud of myself. I went to a party at a friends home. They brought in Chinese food. I asked ahead and brought my own dinner. I passed on eating anything but the raw carrots from the appetizers.

Now this party was a reunion for my BlueBird/Campfire troop. We're all 50 this year and we thought it would be fun to re-kindle some old memories. We had a great time. We were to bring a dessert we remember from our childhood. I brought Popcorn. Other people brought Hostesss Twinkies and Cupcakes. One girl brought a homemade Chocolate Banana Bundt cake. Chocolate and Banana are my favorite dessert. I ate a very small piece that was about the size of a brownie. I had saved some calories to eat one small dessert and I did it.

My scale say 6 1/2 lbs. Not bad for 13 days.

Kathy - good for you! It sounds like you handled the party really well. I believe you need to allow yourself small indulgences every once in awhile as total denial is not a good thing. You picked the very best thing and had a small serving. Way to go!

Don - you are doing great - 3 pounds keeps you right on track to your goal. And not surrending to the snooze button is a great accomplishment!

For the 2nd week of our 6-week challenge, I'm down 0.75 for a total of 1.5 pounds toward my 6-week goal of 3 pounds. If I can keep these small but steady losses going, I'll be happy.

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Dena

Dena and Don - great progress. The motivation to walk and exercise is hard but we just have to plug ahead and do it anyway.

We're all gonna get where we want to be!!!! YAY!

By Friday I had weighed myself and had lost two pounds. And you know how goood that feels to see your scale move here and there. Saturday night I went to a Pumpkin party and it was cold and I ate a big bowl of chili and dessert trying to stay warm. On Sunday night I went to my usual get-together at a friends house where we all bring a dish to pass and we have a bonfire. Again, I'm freezing and have a big bowl of beer cheese soup and a few other things - including dessert. So, I get on the scale this morning and not only are the two pounds back, but a third one has joined them! It just makes me sick to think how well I did all week. Oh well, guess I'll be working at it again this week. You can never tell what my body has in it's plans.

Trish

Trish - the good thing is you know what to do and what works for you. Don't beat yourself up. The key to maintaining is that we have to diet all week and we can sneak in some things here and there to maintain. We just don't have the metabolism to eat whatever we want. So to lose weight we just have to bite the bullet, cheat in small bites and stay the course - it's a life long thing we are learning to do one day at a time.

Trish, I don't know if this will be any consolation - but just think if you hadn't "been good" during the week, you would probably be up a lot more than one pound today! So you really did quite well, I think. And the best thing to do is to get over it, don't feel guilty, and get right back on your plan. I get in trouble when I'm up 1-2 pounds, blow off my plan, then it quickly becomes 5..10..and those numbers are much less manageable.

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Dena

Kathy and Dena I am so proud of both of you. Good job!

Trish, that is OK. Here is a little tip which at least works for me. I only weigh once per week because I get so frustrated when the scale doesn't move or worse yet shows a weight gain. In a weeks time it gives you a better read on what happened during the week. When I am being really good and I am on task, I still allow for one small indulgence per week, but always do that usually just after my weigh in, so that I have all week to get past it and get toward my goal for that week. Tonight we are probably going to go out for dinner I will stick with the plan for the most part, but I am planning to have wine with dinner as my one indulgence for this week. Hang in there, but don't beat yourself up. Just get back on plan.

Don - great tip. i like the inducglence right after weigh in. Thanks! I weigh in tomorrow.

Yippee! Topped the 7 mile mark today w/ 7.25 miles on the bike. For most, that probably is no big deal, but for me that puts me back at the same level that I was at when I had been working out over several months consistantly. Didn't think I could hit that so early.

Kathy, I hope your weigh in was a success!

Hooray Don!!! My counselor told me muscle has memory and you getting back up to speed tells me that's true. That is awesome.

Still trying to get myself walking. Not doing the cardio thing yet.

Oh - weigh in - down 7.75 lbs by Jenny's scale and 8.5 by mine.

Kathy...great! Keep up the good work!

Go Kathy, Go!!! That is fantastic.

Tomorrow, I think I am going to add a new twist to my routine. Going to don the fins and do some laps in the pool after riding the bike. I start my scuba certification class tomorrow night and need to get my legs used to working that way.

You all are doing so well. Stay focused! I get such a "lift" from reading your posts, Cyndi, Dena, Wandra, Trish, Kathy, & Don.
Wow. JC is working for you, Kathy, and that's so wonderful. I think her program is great. You're going to have a terrific birthday celebration in Rome after all this work!
Don, I applaud you for signing up for scuba certification. It's a "love" of mine & it really keeps you in shape! I think you are very smart to get in the pool and start to get used to the exercise. It's the toughest exercise there is. After hearing cardiologists tell us that we need to push the cardio workouts, I took it seriously. We spent the summer swimming every single day - it's fantastic. Nothing like it! Now, we leisurely look forward to it in the evenings & we're keeping it up! It's so hard but so relaxing! Good luck with the certification. It's so exciting to get down under to a whole different world! Take care everyone. - Michele

Thanks for the encouragement, Michelle, Dena and Don!

As for Rome, I told Frank I was planning to diet there. I will only have a gelato every other day! (lol).

Travel can really create havoc with a good diet, but, if I watch the portions and walk a ton, I can do it. My goal is to weigh the same when I get back after two plus weeks being gone. I've gone on a cruise and gained a pound a day (of course the wine, extra sodium in the foods and devil may care attitude, then add the water retention - so some of it comes off). Years ago I went to Club Med in Ixtapa, when I was a size 4, and by the 7th day NONE of my clothes fit by the end. And that was an active vacation. I gained 7 lbs that week - some from salt. Anyway, I've promised myself that I'd continue to watch it since I am doing so well. Maybe eating by half or ordering only primi and no seondi. But having a plan every day. Of course, not the night at the Hotel Eden (A Michelin Star restaurant) for my 50th!

I agree that travel is a definite wild card when it comes to managing weight. Earlier this year we went to Aruba for a week and I had a definite plan...very light breakfasts and lunches and then whatever I wanted for dinner, within reason. I was pretty active and hit the gym at the resort every afternoon. But I gained more than I expected during the week. Later we spent 10 days in France - I did not really follow a plan (croissants for breakfast every morning - yikes!) but didn't snack at all. Dinners were delicious but portions smaller than at restaurants here. No exercise other than walking everywhere. And I was very pleased to maintain the same weight during that trip!

So I don't really have any advice other than that your plan sounds good. I think that local food is definitely a part of the culture to experience while traveling - gelato, "street food", special dinners - and it would be unfortunate to miss out on it. So yes, have gelato every other day, but maybe only one scoop. Moderation is key!

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Dena

I think we should stick with Med cruises. In the Med we either stay the same or gain very little. In the Caribbean, even when I exercise, I still manage to put on a few pounds. Maybe I need more limbo dancing!!! LOL

OK, now it is time for true confessions. I REALLY BLEW IT, LAST NIGHT! I was doing so good. Had my one indulgence early in the week, but last night we had a big bash at our house. We had three kinds of pasta that we served from Macaroni Grill. I was doing pretty good at first. I stuck with a caeser salad with grilled chicken and had my water. I was OK with the food and still never dabbled in the pasta, the breads, or the desserts, however the wine was another story and I am paying for it today. Right now I am drinking water like a fish because in about another hour I am going to be in the pool for my second underwater scuba class down in about 15 ft of water!!! :eek: Let's just say, I hope it isn't just my mask that is cloudy! All this and tomorrow is weigh in day. What was I thinkin'?
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Just get back on the horse and quit beating yourself up. (that was for me not you, Don)

I went to a BBQ today (Cairn Terrier Club had a dog costume party!) and they served Haute Dogs, Bratwurst, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and a dessert buffet. People were to bring a salad or a dessert. I brought a dessert Frank would enjoy and my Jenny Craig lunch, which remained in the car. I was counting on the salads and No one brought them. I ate one hot dog with bun, mustard only and about 1/4 cup of cole slaw and potato salad each. And One cookie. The good news, it was ONE hot dog, ONE COOKIE and small portions of the other stuff. That was a win right there for me. I have to stick to my plan. I want a whole new wardrobe.!

Congratulations, Kathy. You didn't eat your JC but you watched your portions. That's the key.

I should be posting here but I hate the weight-loss thing. Or, maybe I don't like holding myself accountable ;) . Guess it's time I joined in.

Our cruise is in 3 weeks and I had hoped to be farther along. I keep losing/re-gaining the same 3 lbs. To make matters worse, I'm having back problems which has caused a halt to much of my exercise. I really rely on exercise to lose weight. Now, I'm watching portions and cutting way back and walking when I can.

My long term goal is to learn how to travel, enjoy myself and not gain weight.

Good luck to everyone in the on-going saga of weight loss!

LOL

Kathy, I guess we both had some downfalls, but also some victories yesterday, and today is another day and I had a great one. Drank plenty of water to flush all that wine out of my system, ate very reasonably, and had a really good workout diving today, and boy am I sore.

Condolences to all you Angels fans (myself included). They had a great year, but it just wasn't meant to be. So, now that they are out, I only have one thing to say. GO ASTROS!!!

Down 3 more and 11 more to go in 3 weeks. How did everybody else do???

Don, I weigh in tomorrow. Think I am down between 1 and 2 :rolleyes: - You men have it so good with your higher metabolisms!