I spent last week with company so exercised little and ATE more! I was happy to note that I didn't gain any weight though. This week it's back on the path. Back to my morning 1-1/2 hike and weight workout. I am thinking about getting a personal trainer for a little while to help me work on specifics (stomach and arms) and get more results from my workout.

Good morning!
Hi Wildchild! I'll take up your challenge this afternoon. 10 degrees this morning - brrr.
We had a nice "vacation". More like camping since the only water we had was carried in jugs but we had the furnace and tv on :)
Diet went OK but I admit it was very hard to do. Coming home we hit some nasty icy roads (6 cars off the road in 2 miles!) and stopped at a Bob Evans to let the salt trucks do their work. I had already eaten a small 230 calorie bagel so watched hubby eat hotcakes and bacon and I had tea...good grief!
Later we stopped at McDonalds and I had a cobb salad and then went to visit hubby's cousin and family who built a new house on the water. Oh my - how beautiful it is. Oh oh they thought we were coming for lunch! So I was polite and ate a chicken salad sandwich but no pot. salad or chips. Darn I can't put my slash on the calendar for that day!
TREKaren sorry your lesson was cancelled. I have a friend who owns a thoroughbred off the track and he never did slow down and he is in his 20's. They need a lot of riding and she is a busy mom.
Barnmom a friend of mine has a personal trainer and has learned a lot but is spending $100 a week for him. Might be worth it for a little while.
The new mattress is very soft on top but there is a good support system under there. Hubby does not like it but i am giving it a week and he will. We botha re used to hard as rock bedding but the lady who sold this set said the harder ones are hard on your body's pressure points. Makes sense..
Today show is on - a 66 yo woman gave birth? Are people crazy? With that - goodbye...
Oh - Biggest Loser last show with current people (maybe) is on tonight. Bye, Kathy

Kathy,
You made some VERY GOOD choices!
I had choices yesterday (chips from the machine or my pretzel sticks I brought from home, and I chose pretzel sticks) - GOOD CHOICE.
(drink too much coffee or drink water I brought - chose coffee) - Not so good but IT IS TOO DARN COLD!!!
Georgia is not supposed to be this cold.

There's a new brand of lean tv dinners, and they have these great bowl meals. I think it's Budget Gourmet's Lean Gourmet. I had the Greek Potato Salad yesterday. Three WW points. It had olives, potatoes, spinach, red bells, etc. It was really delicious and filling. You can thaw and eat cool, or heat and eat warm. I highly recommend them!

Well I got my arse out there today to a neighboring town with the 2 dogs (I saw one other brave soul walking). Stole hubby's long underwear - Duotherm - and except for the "pocket" they worked just fine. Much better than mine would have. Walked about 45 minutes and moved quickly. I had waited until afternoon until the sun came out and the wind died down. Came home, looked at the thermometer and it was 11 degrees! 1 day of exercising anyway... Tomorrow it is supposed to snow so it will be warmer.
Will look for those bowls TREKaren thanks.
Watched the Big Loser this evening also recorded Jane Pauley and Dr. Phil - all about dieting. Tis the season...
Kathy

Wow Kathy, I start beeching about the cold when it gets below the sixties. 52 degrees and I'm wearing my long underwear. I have one pair of jeans I bought big just so I could wear my long johns under them. Makes me look 10 lbs. heavier but if I get cold I STAY cold. I don't seem to have body heat of my own. Sometimes I throw my clothes in the dryer to warm them up. I also carry those little packets of "hot hands" around with me.

Gee when it's 52 degrees here and you still see nuts in shorts. Oops I mean people in shorts. The snow is coming by noon today but usually we start 2 hours earlier than they say or don't get any at all.
Hubby was hunting his long underwear this morning and I told him they were in the wash. Well they are...and he found a pair of old white ones.
Sent for the Cooking Light magazine - they sent me an offer I could not refuse - $10 for a year.
Here is a recipe I found in my recipe box yesterday. Will need to try some of the recipes I keep. This one sounds good.

Hearty beef barley soup

2 t oil
20 baby carrots - chopped (or 2 medium - chopped)
1 large onion - chopped
2 celery stalks - chopped
2 t minced garlic (note I buy this in a jar)
1 14 ounce can ff chicken broth
1 " " " " beef broth
3 cups water
3/4 cup quick (10 minute cook time) barley
if you use regular barley cook it seperately to package directions except for the last 10 minutes
1 package (1 pound) already cooked beef tips in gravy

Heat oil in Dutch Oven (If you don't have one saute vegs in skillet and then add to larger pot)
Add veggies and onion until they start to soften (about 2 minutes)
Add garlic, both cans of broth and water stir
Add barley and beef and gravy, simmer until barley is tender.
201 calories 6 servings

I hate this cold weather, and try go to more than one day in between washing my hair, because I HATE to be cold. But today I had no choice but to wash it. So I was chilled beyond belief. I am not exactly "business like" at work today with my turtleneck, jeans and Winnie the Pooh fleece sweatshirt, and my dorky cap. But at least I'm warm!!!

Yesterday was a splurge day, pizza for lunch to celebrate some recent milestones the team accomplished. So I had 3 slices. (but hey, that's better than four!)

I was very conservative the rest of the day because I had the lunch planned into my week.

Today's weighin shows a little movement on the old needle, in the RIGHT direction! I'm going to keep at it.

The one thing I'm not doing is drinking enough water, and with this winter dryness, and all the colds going around, I really need to get better about that. BUT it is so hard to drink non-heated beverages during this cold snap.

I started my day with 20 oz of watered down OJ. (about 4 oz of OJ and the rest water). So I am hoping that starting my day with some hydration will make it easier to do the rest of the day.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY TO YOU ALL!

TREKaren, I've been really bad about the water. When I get home from work, I can usually get in 32 oz of flavored seltzer, but during the day, it's herbal tea and lots of it. Not sure if that counts.

No exercise for me this week; I'm still fighting a chest cold and have absolutely no energy. When I do anything like even climb a few flights of stairs, I'm exhausted. Tonight I'll try my Yogalates class and see what happens.

MAKE TODAY COUNT!
DeeMarie

Did my full workout for the first time in a week and a half. I should be sore! Back on the path one step at a time. How many crunches is enough? And what kind?

Happy Thursday!
Oh my I think I am suffering from sleeping sickness. Cleaned a house today (exercise!) and had some errands to run. Home and returned phone calls, felt sleepy and slept for 2 hours! Last night I went to bed before 7 (but was up at 4). I am learning when I am sleepy not to fight it.
Hope you feel better soon DeeMarie.
Barnmom - can't help you with that one.
I had to push myself into the shower this morning - brrr, but at least today was in the 20's. It snowed yesterday - only an inch. A big snow might come in on Saturday through Sunday.
Supper tonight was a chicken breast with montreal steak seasoning and a piece of sweet potato which must mean my diet is lacking something because I don't like sweet potato but it wasn't too bad...nice and soft after cooking all day in the crockpot.
Hubby is skiing so he will eat supper at bedtime.
Bye, Kathy

Hi all. Walked and played with dog today. Later went out with another Red Hat group. Pricey Italian Bistro so the portions weren't huge. I just had an entree' (scallopine) so diet was ok except for the breads and dipping oil.

Afterward we went and shot some pool so I did some moving around. Warmer weather here so the days are nice for walking.

I'm going to try that soup recipe, Kathy. Sounds really good.

hi!

Ive been out all week. A friend's Dad was very ill and passed away on Wednesday. We have been friends since we were little kids.

So... poor diet, no exercise for me. DeeMarie, you get better right NOW!! : )

WildChild, that Red Hat Society is supposed to be a real hoot! Tell us more... Hope everything is okay at home.

More tomorrow,

Tikanas

Hello. Free snow here - any takers? Not very deep but I shoveled here (after hubby used the snowblower) and then went to mom's house and shoveled there so my back knows it this morning.
10 degrees this morning with a wind chill advisory. I still would rather have that then 90 degrees.
TOM is coming and the cravings are here so I did not do as well as I wanted this weekend but did not go crazy either. I would like to know exactly what to eat to kill those cravings. You know - "other than" crackers, chocolate and cheese - haha!
Tikanas sorry for your and your friend's loss. A friend of mine's mother died before Christmas (she was my neighbor too).
Here is my dog Sage enjoying a toy. She does not mind the snow and often comes in with a white nose.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Well, it's official. I have bronchitis with an added bonus of a urinary tract infection. That may explain why I've got no energy over the last 2 weeks. I've been on meds for 4 days and I'm still beat. My eating has been lousy at best. Not getting my veggies or fruits in; living on some yogurt and canned soup and crackers.

We had over a foot of snow over the weekend. DH was passing a kidney stone (when it rains...), but managed to get us shoveled out yesterday. He goes in for surgery next week to remove a bunch more. Whew....

I feel like I'm swimming uphill, but I'm hanging in there.

Hope everyone has a great week. Stay healthy.
Dee