Good morning, Suzanne. I decided to lurk this morning and get inspired, and your post was so interesting that I decided to re-register and post with you!

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's husband. Death never picks the right time, but it sounds like he died doing something he enjoyed. What a loss for his growing family though.

I always enjoy reading your posts. You have such a way with words that I feel like I'm there with you!

I've recommitted myself to low-carbing and have lost 6 pounds so far. I've already gone through carb-withdrawal, and now I'm feeling good. I am doing this without any family or friends knowing, but I know that I need support from time to time, so I came back here for the encouragement that's always available. I need to go back a few weeks and read and see what everyone is doing for their WOE.

Welcome back Milkdud! It's been a long time since we've heard from you. Looks like it's just you and me today!

Good for you for re-committing yourself! You can always count on encouragement here!

I have recently really put forth a major effort to lose and I am doing WW on line. It's working very well for me and it allows me to eat in the real world. I just can't deprive myself of carbs forever! I find it interesting that when we really commit to losing weight that we keep it secret from everyone. I kept it from my friends here until I lost 20 lbs! I wondered why I did that. Afraid of failure I think.

Good luck and keep posting with us. You will notice that others are posting menus for accoutability right now.

Hi! I'm a frequent lurker and occasional poster on some of the forums here. I just discovered this one today. I'm on a mission to lose about 40 lbs. I delivered my 2nd DS in July 18 mos. after delivering DS1. So, I've got baby weight on top of baby weight plus additional weight I had put on as well. I'm attempting to do a form of Weight Watchers. I've never joined, but there's lots of info on line. I realize I will not have the support of the meetings, but I'm hoping to get inspired on forums like this one. My current weight is 187. Today I've stayed within my points range plus I walked 5 miles. Also, I resisted the temptation of the leftover Halloween candy. I would love to lose at least 10 lbs. by Chrismas if not sooner. I'm not sure what to expect. After getting married, I let the pounds (about 15) creep on without making an effort to get them off. I'm anxious to see some results!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back Milkdud, so great to see you again. I think of you whenever I use my Texas mug! I am also doing WW Core and going to the meetings. They keep me accountable and I really do need that support feature.

Cindylou, welcome. It is always nice to see new faces here and I hope that you will stay with us. I also have 2 boys and am still losing baby weight. My youngest is 16 (years, not months!). I went back to WW after he was born and it has been a constant battle since. I hate to think of what I would weigh if I wasn't going to the meetings!

DH had to have emergency knee surgery over the weekend. His knee was not getting any better, worse if anything. He finally went to the Dr. on Friday who referred him to an ortho person. Once there, they drained some fluid from him knee and found that he had a major infection going on. He was operated on Saturday and went back today for some more draining. It has been such an ordeal neither of us can even believe all of this has happened. He is on major antibiotics and is definitely on the mend. He has to have 2 more procedures done in the next 2 days.

Suzanne, so sorry about your friends DH. How sad. It is so hard especially when it is unexpected. She is lucky to have you as a friend.

TTFN

oxBesh

Am I experiencing hallucinations---or is a dark chocolate Milky Way candy bar ad popping up when I log into *DIET* club---NOW THAT'S JUST PLAIN CRUEL! Who's idea of a joke was THAT?

Friday:
B: String cheese, apple, coffee
S: N/F latte my GF bought for me-had to drink it!
L: 8 boiled prawns & salad: heirloom tomatoes, moz cheese, olive oil
D: Boiled king crab, prawns, small sample of cheese, tomato & moz appetizer salad, 3 glasses of wine during sinner and afterward
Dessert: 3 slices of Honeycrisp apple w/ caramel dip

Dinner party w/ friends was SO much fun. We booked our tix for trip in February to S. America. It takes only 3 hours to get to Managua from Houston, so not a huge hop to get out of the country to someplace WARM in the middle of winter! Theyll be 7 of our family and 4 of their family traveling. TOUR GROUP!!!

Saturday:
B: leftover king crab, slice of GFÂs homemade banana bread (addicting)
L: Boiled prawns and cocktail sauce, 3 spears of fresh pineapple
S: Snickers bar
D: ApplebeeÂs Oriental Salad, shot glass dessert choc mousse
S: 1 T icing

I had a sweet tooth overload problem on SaturdayÂprobably because of the night before.

Sunday:
B: Eggs w/ shrimp, basil, and garlic soft white cheese
S: Freeze dried apples
L: Salad: avocado, red onion, lettuce, cucumber, olive oil, salt
S: 1 Payday bar
(My younger kids presented it to me as a gift-does that make it more excusable?-lol.)
D: Homemade butternut squash chili, 1 cup

Monday:
B: Coffee w/ cream, butternut squash chili
L: salad with lots of veggies and some steak on top, olive oil for dressing
S: wheat thins and garlic cheese spread
D: steak, cheese, and salad
S: another late night disaster of Junior Mints

This weekend was totally family-oriented, and we all had a great time. I am going to be "walking it off" in the next few days! Had a long drive to the capitol today and back. That pretty much blew my day.

NHSuzanne: My sympathies to the family of the man who passed away on the nature trail. His family is probably a little comforted that he looked peaceful. (((HUGS)))

Hi Lynn! Hey, a bike ride is a bike ride---any way you look at it---it's MOVING. Zig Ziglar (mem-bah him?) said when he started exercising he would walk a half a block--he worked up to a block the next week--and so on---and so on. He turned into a VERY fit guy! Keep it up!

John~ KEWL CAR! Love it! I wanna know about the 3rd shift guy---was he snoozing on the j-o-b? Do tell.

Patti~ I spoke w/ Tikanas today on the celly. She moved; that's why her phone was disconnected. She is doing really well, being successful, and is BUSY. She's been having some trouble logging on here, so she will try again when she gets settled in---but the fires were FAR AWAY from her and she is fine!

Man, oh, man, Besh---life really throws the loops, doesn't it? Here's to your DH healing quickly after his procedures and to you making it through too. ((((HUGGLES)))

Hi Milkdud--Good to see you posting again!

CindyLouHoo-Hey, You're just in time for our Christmas rush to lose weight! Stay tuned---it's a fun group.

We have a holiday exchange here, so let Maddie know if you want to participate. It's a riot around here on "opening day!"

Nighty night!

I have a lot of little emotional-charged fires burning this week, so I'm really going to have to watch my frustration-food-consumption and ramp up on the exercise.

Is is strange to think "Friday's Coming!" when it's only Monday?!?!?!?!

Good Tuesday morning! Thanks for the welcome back. Since we've moved, and I haven't met anyone, I knew where to come for moral support when I rededicated myself to taking better care of myself.

Besh, I hope your dh's knee problems resolve themselves quickly. What a shocker!

Hi, CindyLouHoo! I have 2 sons, too, as does Besh. Mine are grown though, 28 and 30, and as of 10 days ago, both are happily married!

I remember Tikanas well. What a relief to hear that she's safely away from where the fire area was.

BJ, loved reading your food diary for the last few days. When I started lurking last week, I was inspired by reading what everyone was eating. It actually simplified things for me and gave me ideas!

Monday's intake:

Breakfast: oatmeal made with skim milk, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 T. slivered almonds, 2 T. flax seed

Lunch: Light turkey BLT

Snack: Apple w/1 T. peanut butter

Dinner: naked turkey burgers with mayo, mustard, slice of cheddar cheese melted on top, salad with 2 T. Caesar dressing

Snack: WW yogurt

Not a very interesting dining day, but it satisfied me, so I went to bed happy.

Where's Patti? I noticed only a couple of posts from her last week.

Time to get busy around the house. Y'all have a good-eating day!

Good TUESDAY afternoon!

Welcome back Milkdud!
Welcome Cindy (I think I've seen you over at KT)

hectic, hectic week (been lots of those lately!)

Mon 11/5
B: rye toast w/ smart balance
S: ww bagel w/ crunchy garden veggie cream cheese
L: green salad w/ lite dressing and ~4 oz buffalo chicken chunks
S: handful no salt peanuts
D: 1 slice ww bread; pulled pork, green salad w/ evoo & balsamic vinegar
S: slice of pound cake (I need to throw that out..it was good and I almost went back for another piece)

QOD: Any suggestions for our holiday exchange this year? Are we going with items from where we live or winging it? Maddie, I await your voice of reason.

Speaking of holiday shopping, DH and I convinced most of our adult relatives that buying and giving is just too stressful. We agreed that holiday gifts are for the kids (and MIL!), so that should create a more festive dinner at my house. DH and I treat ourselves to a winter vacation in place of gifts. Makes us both very happy.

Need to step up exercise so I'm off to the fitness center if at all possible at 4pm today. Even 30 minutes on the bike should do it. It was pouring rain this morning and still extremely dark @6am, so my neighbor and I decided not to walk.

Make today count!
NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

Hi Ladies,

Been a busy week!

Eatting not so good.. i had some chips and dam halloween candy! but did get to the gym last night.

I didnt catch the guy on 3rd shift sleeping but close...

I left at 11 pm and then returned at 12:30 am to check on him. I first went and checked a couple areas he was rumored to be napping and he was not there. So I took the back stairs down to the 3 areas I asked him to complete. There was no sign of work anywhere nor any equipment. As I approached the last area I heard him laughing and the TV on. I stepped back and kept out of sight to see if he was just on break, checking the clock it was 12:45 am. He stayed watching TV until 1:15. He then moved to one of the work stations I asked him to clean, removed some equipment and laid down some linen to protect the computers and the hall edges. That took at best 10 mins. He then left, I assumed to go get his equipment. After waiting around another 20 mins he still wasnt back. So I left and looked downstairs in the equipment room and he wasnt there... Back to the work area and I smelt food. He didnt go get any equipment but got dinner and was back watching TV and eatting... So I went and got security and escorted him out of the building and out of my life! Whew glad that is over! Worst part is security told me they caught him sleeping a couple of times, but did they tell me about it, no! grrr that really ticked me off as we could of canned him a long time ago..

Anyhow with him gone I can get someone in here to do some actual work.

Oh well the stress never ends here and dealing with slackers and sick calls is par for the course. More gym and less snacking!

eat and be well!

John

Hi all!

Well, it's 4:30am, and I can't sleep. I've got major problems at work, and waking up at all hours of the night and stressing over them is not helping any.

I think I'm just tired. And I've got 3 more weeks of this, without a break, and just the thought makes me teary.

Enough of this--

OK--for the exchange, I have:

Dee

Suzanne

Patti

Beege

Donna

Lynn

Me

How about if Rog picks partners on Sunday, and I post them then? (That may be the first time I'm home to be able to do this--)

Dee & Raeanne--I'm sorry, but I didn't get to meet the mom this weekend--ran all this weekend, too, and didn't get to do one thing that *I* wanted to do--so, I'm calling her tonight when I get home, and see if I can come over and at least get flight/hotel info.

Gad--I sound so whiny--this old camel is covered in straw, and is thigh-deep in quicksand and sinking fast. I can get no help, no relief--everything is wrong b/c I've had no training after all of this time (this is insurance billing--nothing intuitive here, so I can't teach myself--I have nothing to teach me from), my boss just pats me on the head and goes to meetings, I'm getting audited by the state next week, and then internal auditors on next Friday, my billing audit was due yesterday, and the VP left early for some reason which means that it didn't get finished, and that puts me further behind--I **must** have all of this huge billing cycle done by Friday at noon, and I haven't even started it yet (I can't anyone to finished to mentioned billing audit), we have a 2 hour mandatory staff meeting tomorrow (mandatory), I know i'm going to get reamed by the internal auditors next week, but I have tried my best to do everything correctly, but with no training (federal gov't program for low-income housing--very strict guidelines), I'm sure this will be a mess, the bosses all want pretty, gussied up reports of this, that and the other--I've tried to send them the spreadsheets, but they want it in a pretty little report form--I don't have time for that--I wish I did, another manager blithly told me that we had a new patient with XX/XX insurance that i needed to bill, but she didn't have a signed contract--(WTF?), so I proceed to attempt to bill, which, unsurprising got rejected--several times. I finally get ahold of a live person at XX/XX, and she looks up the information, and golly gee--we're not a provider, and that will entail X&Y&Z and blah, blah, blah--so now, I'm stuck with a huge receivable that looks like h3ll on me, and I can not do anything about this as the manager in question is going on 3 week sick leave with her daughter this week, and I so don't even know how to start this provider certification stuff. All of this in addition to my normal day-to-day fires-putting-out routine. I am a one woman finance, accounting, payroll, insurance & housing department, with no support, no help, and **very** little training (in the insurance & housing dept which seem to take up most of my time, since everything I do is wrong, and must be done over).

This will be the last time I ever take a position where I knew the last person was so miserable that they up & quit. Now, I know why. I met her--she's still friends with some co-workers, and she wanted to meet me. She's lovely, and it was funny to hear her say the same things that I've said here. (Except for the insurance billing--this has just started in 1/07.)

I'm sorry--but I really needed to vent. I am so stressed out that my BP is way up (for me, at least), I don't eat, I don't sleep, when i come home at night, I usually have work with me, so there goes that evening. The weekends are spent with more work & catching up on chores. I'm usually to burnt out to post much here--I'm just drained, and there's just so much going on that it wears me out just thinking about it, much less rehashing it here. Make any sense? It's like I want to talk about it, but I'm too tired to--

And the kicker? I make less than a co-worker who spends her days making exotic teas in her office, and doing yoga poses. I've actually had several people in high positions in corporate ask me just what this person does, and I honestly have no clue. I'm not being snarky, but I really don't know. I do know that she's "responsible" for the front desk, but she's off every Friday, so breaks and lunch coverage fall on me, no matter what *I'm* doing (I'm not saying that I'm too good--I'm not--but with my schedule, an hour can make a huge difference in my day).

Thanks for letting me vent and whine--I can't do this anywhere else--

Hugs,

a teary Maddie

(((Maddie))) This is why I don't work in an office. Please don't let this job affect your health! We love you and want you to be happy, not teary. Here's hoping that the next few weeks get better.

(((NHSuzanne)) - So sorry to read about your friend. Life has a not so funny way of reminding us that we need to savor each and every day.

Maddie - Count me in on the exchange. I also think that Raeanne would want to be included, but she is away on her CA trip. Any way you could wait until she gets back? And I vote to send an ornament (I love all the ones I have received in the past) and something personal that will remind the recepient of the sender.

Milkdud - Welcome back! We missed you.

Cindylou - Welcome and please keep posting. It really does help to be accountable for every bite. It may make you think twice about putting something "funky" in your mouth. All those little "funky" things add up when you see them in print.

My kids surprised me last week. DS wasn't planning on coming home for Thanksgiving, but he will be working in PA the week before and he is going to drive to Pittsburgh and then just fly home to FL after the holidays. Can't wait to see him.

Then DD called and she is flying home this weekend for her 24th birthday and my niece's baby shower. I am beyond excited to see her. We are going to surprise my MIL with her visit. I have been working on some cute shower gifts, and I hope to get them done tonight. I will take a picture and post it in the album.

Have a great day!

Marci

11/5/07 143/125/125
B Vanilla yogurt, Kashi Go Lean Crunch, blueberries, 2 strawberries, sliced almonds, SF cappuccino (breakfast parfait)
L 2 Turkey-Swiss roll-ups, raw veggies and lite Ranch dip, black coffee (LCM)
S small banana, 5 whole-wheat pretzels
D Spinach Pizza (3 small slices, thin crust)
S small dish vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle of caramel sauce (Hey, I am on maintenance!)

11/6
B SF cappuccino, whole-wheat toast, peanut butter, SF jam, ½ banana
L - 2 Turkey-Swiss roll-ups, raw veggies and lite Ranch dip, black coffee (LCM)
S ½ banana, 5 whole-wheat pretzels, Chai tea with Splenda and skim milk
D Roast beef and new potatoes
S 2 pieces peanut butter candy

Marci, I want your weight! I think I was born bigger than 125 pounds. Seriously, bless mom! lol

[[[[[[[[[[[[MADDIE]]]]]]]]] I cannot wait for the opportunity to give you that hug in person. Let me give you best-case scenario from one who has been there. The findings of the auditors will most likely NOT point the finger at you. Their recommendations may be that you are given time to be properly trained and that you require an assistant. You have articulated the problems very well here. If asked....always be honest with the auditors, despite what you think your director might want you to say. Only answer the question; don't add anything. If they see problems, they will probe you for more information (including asking how much time you spend with XYZ project, etc.). If these auditors are any good, you will be seen as someone who is honestly doing the best she can. Remember, I have been where you are. De-stress this weekend and leave what is as it is after 40-50 hours. Enough is enough.

Tues 11/6
B: 2 small slices of rye toast w/ ff cheese
S: apple
L: leftover buffalo chicken salad; small 3 Muskateers
S: ff cherry/van yogurt; small Nestle crunch bar
D: homemade lf split pea soup; slice of ww bread; salad
S: 2 slices of choc chip pound cake (then I poured dish detergent on the remaining cake and threw it away, ala BJ!)

Hope Raeanne is having fun and shares some of her famous vacation pictures with us! hehe

Marci, wish you were going to be around in the next few weeks. DH and I have been trying to sell 2 of our tix for the Jets/Steelers game on 18-Nov. You could have some fun watching Ben beat up on us!

BJ, I've not had the chance to take a picture of your gift to me so the coffee needs to wait. I'm hoping to get that picture off to Marci before the end of the week.

John, how great that you finally got rid of a deadbeat. We have a few who work in our department across the pond, and even when I present the resource allocation reports which shows some US staff members with up to 9 projects and the few UK members with less than 3 projects, I get no support. They drive me nuts! Well, I guess I'd better sign off here and get back to work myself, huh? LOL!

Hello to everyone!
Make today count and NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

Good Wednesday morning! It's cool here, 57, and sunny. Just a gorgeous Fall day for the Houston area. We moved here in late August for my H's new job.

I weighed in today, and have lost 8 lbs. This is the most I've lost in several years!

Maddie, I felt so awful for you when I read your post. Dee gave you great advice. It's a shame that they're taking advantage of you by not training you to do what you need to do. Good luck with things, and remember to breathe!

Marci, how wonderful that both your children will be coming to see you this month! My newly married son and DDIL will be coming down for the first time to see us and our new house for Thanksgiving. My younger son and his family will drive over (an hour away) to spend the day with us. Usually it's H's 3 kids and their SO's who come for Thanksgiving. They'll be here for Christmas instead.

Yesterday, I wasn't very hungry, but I'll post anyway:

B: scrambled eggs and 0-carb sausage patties

Snack: 1/2 cup blueberries and 2 T. WW yogurt

L: 2 turkey burger patties, 2 cups stir-fry veggies

Dinner: salad with a handful of FF shredded cheese and 2 T.Caesar dressing, and about 8 pork rinds

It wasn't the best eating day, but I wasn't hungry.

I'll pass this year on the Christmas exchange. Maybe next year!

Have a great day whatever you do!

BJ~Thanks for the great article. We both really appreciated it. Washington seems to have great representation all of the way around.

NH Suzanne~Sorry about your friend's DH. So unexpected...I cannot imagine...

Milkdud~I'm so glad that you have shown back up here. Congrats on the weight loss. I'm thrilled that you get to have your DSs, DILs, & DGC home for Thanksgiving. I know how much you have wanted this. E-mail me, I have some news to share with you.

Cindylouhoo~I'm so glad that you found this group. Several of us have been here for years & are quite comfortable. We have gone through about each of the diets that there are amoung us...LOL.

Besh~Sorry to hear about DH. Did he have an infection inside his knee to begin with? Dave had one when he was 8 & was in the hospital for at least 3 months. Now, he needs a knee replacement. The VA dr. told him that he didn't want to do it b/c there was a chance that the infection from when he was little was lying dormant & when his knee was opened it could reactivate it? The ortho dr. we saw in the beginning didn't mention it.

Dee~We started our Christmas early this year & have finished all but whomever I draw here. I even spent today making cards to hold gift cards that we bought for some on our list. (That is major for me!) Dave says that I am getting awfully crafty in my old age. ROFL I told him it was a mistake. We also are giving each other a trip & are quite excited about it. It could be the only trip we take in the next 2 to 3 years.

John~A job is always harder when someone isn't pulling their weight, isn't it? I'm glad that you were able to get that behind you & can move ahead now. Hopefully, that person will learn so that they won't have a life of losing jobs.

Maddie~Oh, Hon! [[[[ H U G S ]]]] You have gotten great advice here already. I'm glad that you felt comfortable enough to come here & talk it out. I always think of you fondly with the KY woman who won Miss America! You were both so beautiful.

Marci~I'm so excited about your kiddos. I was telling Dave a little bit about everyone here today & telling him where your DS & DD lived. I told him about your DGN & how you were as crazy for her as we are our DGD. You'll have wonderful holidays. How much time will you get off with them? It has been 16 years since I was 130 lbs. You were thin the last time that I saw you, I thought.

Lynn~Isn't this weather wonderful? I feel so much happier now that it has cooled off a little. Hopefully, gas will slow down on its steady rise so that we can get together after the beginning of the year!

Hi to all I've missed & if you have posted lately, what's the "dill pickle"? Be good to yourselves, b/c you deserve it~Patti :)

((Maddie)) I also think that Dee gave you great advice. Hang in there darlin = I know it's hard.

Milkdud - welcome back!

Cindy - welcome! I hope you keep posting with us.

Besh - your poor DH - oh boy, when it rains it pours doesn't it??

Patti - welcome back to you too - we've missed you and Dave!

Marci - you are my hero woman!!! I am so glad your DS and DD will be coming home to see you this month.

John - glad you got your culprit!!

BJ - I'm glad you spoke to Tikanis - I have been thinking about her with those fires. I'm glad she was no where near them.

Dee - your menus always make me hungry!! Work is never easy though is it??

((Suzanne)) I am so very sorry about your friend. I will keep his family in my prayers.

I know Raeanne is having a wonderful time!!

I dropped the WW meetings and joined WW online, my first week. Of course today is only day #3 but so far so good and sooo easy to track.

Tuesday 11/6:

B: Cereal & coffee
S: Red seedless grapes - they are fantastic!
L: Small cream of broccoli soup & soft pretzel
S: 100 calorie pack cookies
D: PB Sandwich

Well, off to make tomorrow's lunch and get stuff together for another fun day...our computer system had a major glitch all day which made work difficult at best..hope they fixed it.

Take care - will check in tomorrow!

Beeje~I realized after I got off of the computer that I hadn't thanked you for checking up on Tikanis for me. Thanks so much for doing that. It makes me feel so much better that at least someone knows she is doing fine.

Donna__SNJ~I'm still "hit & miss" but I'm really trying to get on & post more. I'm trying to do more of everything. We'll see how this goes.

I've been getting outside, which in turn breaks down to more exercise every day. I think that I might have lost quite a bit of weight to begin with but now it might be getting firmer & maybe it weighs more...does that make sense? LOL Enough of me...Be good Goils...Patti :)

Good THURSDAY morning!

So sorry that I forgot to send out [[[[[[[[[HUGS]]]]]]]]]] to Suzanne and Besh. Believe that your friends and DH are in my thoughts, but my memory is in low drive lately. Suzanne, I agree that it would be comforting (at least in the future if not presently) to know my loved one passed peacefully. Besh, I can only imagine how hard it is to keep your DH down long enough to heal properly. Good luck with that!!

Maddie, I hope that you are having a better day. We are all here for you. Like Patti, I'm so happy that you felt comfortable to share with us. Hope you can feel our virtual hand-holding!

BJ, here's a trick I love with apples this time of year. Slice them up in a small pyrex-type bowl, sprinkle with a bit of splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc., cover and microwave for a minute or two. Smells and tastes like apple pie....sometimes I add a dollop of fatfree vanilla yogurt. Heavenly taste and a bonus inthat the house smells terrific!

Wed 11/7
E: 30-minute walk @ 6am
B: ww toast
S: ff cherry van yogurt w/ sprinkle of AllBran
L: leftover lf split pea soup; apple
S: banana @ 3pm (before 45-minute circuit class) kashi bar @ 4:30pm
D: over-the-top salty (IHOP) omellette w/ hash & cheese; 1 pancake with bit of butter
S: mini KitKat (I swear I'm throwing away that leftover candy!!!!!!!!!!!!)

We met friends at IHOP last night and her DH talked me into that dish. It was good, but my ankles are swollen thanks to the salt.

I've decided to add my exercise into my posting so that I'm not so bummed out when I make bad food choices. I'm trying hard to keep up with exercise and today I have a Noon meeting with the corporate fitness coach to address it.

OK, gotta get back to work.

TAKE CARE, EAT HEALTHFULLY, AND NEVER NEVER GIVE UP (even when you eat "hash" for dinner!) LOL
DeeMarie

Good Thursday all,

Dee, thanks for your kind thoughts. I found out yesterday that he died of internal injuries from a fall from the tree. That makes me kind of sadder than I already feel. Seems like he may have felt pain but they said he looked peaceful like he just sat down and died. Oh I am emotional today - the wake is tonight and I wish it were behind me. BTW, you were going to copy me on NY plans but I haven't received any. Can you update me?

Patti, good to see you posting. I am envious of my friends who have such a jump on Christmas stuff!! Where is your trip taking you?

Donna, I love WW online! I am really utilizing all the tools and it's great. Plus I enjoy reading the inspiring weight loss stories too. Personally, I never got very inspired by the walk in meetings - I am not sure why.

Good job sleuthing John. What a pain to have to go through this process with an adult! Hope you get some good help now. New car is HOT but be careful you know red cars get ticketed more often than any other color!

Marci, I am excited for you! I imagine you will be doing lots of great mom preparations, comfort food too.

Milk Dub, WTG on the 8# loss! Keep going girl.

Maddie, I can't believe you are in another crazy job! I am so sorry that you are driven to tears. Dee has given some really great advice! So has Milk Dud.....remember to breathe! Maybe some breathing exercises will help you not feel so stressed. (((((HUGS)))))

Dee, throw out the Halloween candy!!! It's calling to you a little to loudly LOL

I hope Raeanne is having a blast.

[[[[[[[[Suzanne]]]]]]]]] This too shall pass. Such a difficult time family AND their friends. Maddie does not have the details yet; she has to confer with her travel partners, so as soon as I hear from her I'll forward. Maddie, you can also copy Suzanne and Raeanne if you'd like or I can do it, as I know my mail gets through to them.

Good, but blah, Thursday morning! It's cool and gray here today. And did I mention that it's almost always humid down here? LOL

John, I forgot to address your post yesterday. Good for you for the detective work! It's such a pain and a drain to have slovenly co-workers. And, I love your new car!

Suzanne, I'm sending comforting thoughts your way for the wake this evening. Your friend will be so glad that you're there, even though it will be hard on you.

Dee, I like that you're including your exercise in with your menus. That's the kind of incentive I'm looking for here. Maybe it will make me more conscientious.

Yesterday's menu:

B: Oatmeal, blueberries, almonds, and a 1/4 cup of skim milk

Snack: Atkins Edge bar

Lunch: Stir-fry veggies with several slices of turkey bacon

Dinner: Omelet with veggies

Snack: Apple

No exercise yesterday, but I'll do some today!

Donna, I still get the WW newsletter daily even though I'm no longer a member. Today's had some good articles on dining at a buffet. Eating out right now is my greatest concern as I don't 100% trust myself yet.

Hope everyone has a successful day!

Wow, Milk Dub you are going to be a slim jim in no time with the healthy eating you are doing. Good for you.

I can't imagine what my friend is going through or how she is going to get through the next few days of having to see everyone. Ugh. My heart is breaking but it will be okay.

NH Suzanne~Your empathy really comes through for your friend's DH. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to lose my Dave & my "best friend". He is so much a part of my every day life. I know how I have felt the few times that I thought I was going to lose him & it didn't feel good at all! My travels are taking me back to TX. LOL I imagine that everyone gets tired of hearing about it but it is the only place that we have close family except for OK. We will be stopping there as well. With gas getting so high & us trying to get bills paid off & back in control, who knows if/when we will get back on the road? Our priorities have shifted some...

Milkdud~I'm so proud of you. I know that you are getting back in shape. It has been around 50% humidity here but the weather has cooled off so much that the humidity doesn't feel quite so bad as normal. Do you still have Lucky?

Dee~Isn't it funny to think about how much salt we used to like & that our tastes have changed so much? I don't know about you but mine sure have. I cannot use a salt shaker anymore but have to measure it in my hand & then sprinkle it on my food to make certain that I don't get too much on there. ROFL

B: 3/4 L biscuit w/sausage
L: 1/2 turkey sandwich on SF ww bread w/C of corn chips
S: 3 pieces of cheese/3 pieces of boiled sausage/5 crackers
D: that is anybody's guess at this point?

E: we went to a bazaar here & walked around this a.m./worked on 5 more homemade cards (probably doesn't seem much to anybody else but quite a bit for what I've been able to do in the past 2 to 3 months)

Be good to yourselves b/c you deserve it! Patti :)

((Suzanne))

Milkdud, you are doing great with your healthy eating.

Suzanne, I am loving the WW online too and am also making full use of all of the tools. Like you and Milkdud I find the success stories and informational stuff very helpful. I am so glad someone else besides me hasn't been inspired by walk in meetings.

Dee - sorry about all that salt overload, yuck. For years I put salt on everything. Maybe the last 5 I have used very little or none at all. Like Patti I'm really careful about how much I knowingly use. Like you I can really taste it when it's in stuff like the food at IHOP (which I do like).

Patti, did I miss something? Are you moving back to TX?

Wednesday's Menu:
B: Cereal & coffee (this never changes during the week)
S: Red grapes 1 cup
L: Ham & cheese sandwich with light cheese (not FF - yuck) on light bread
S: 100 calorie pack cookies
D: PB Sandwich
S: 2 cookies (still had 2 points I had to use up!)

I hope Maddie is doing better today and Raeanne is enjoying her vacation.

Got to run, will check in tomorrow.

Hi all--

I am partly ashamed by my last post--I was just sitting here, and was swearing not to post all of that cr@p, but the tears came, and the typing started. I feel like such a failure, I mean, honestly, no one else seems to have these problems (or maybe they do, but keep quiet about them). In hindsight, my past jobs have been taken from a sense of desperation, not because I greatly desired the position. In fairness, I was told in the first interview for this job that the last person in this position was miserable, and as soon as she got another job, she left. Well, being the eternal optistmist that I am, I figured that *I* could hang. Although I didn't say anything here (or elsewhere, for that matter), I knew 2 months into this that it was a royal mess. But, I hung in--thinking and believeing that it would get better, and I would be OK. (That, and I didn't want to admit (even to myself) that I had made a mistake--**again**.) Would anyone believe that I truly, actually like my job? No joke. But it is just too much for one person, and particularly when I have no training. I'm smart, reasonably easy-going, and will help anyone with anything, but I feel like there is absolutely *no* communication, and that things get dumped on me--well--because they can be. I *want* to learn this. I *want* to do well. Why on earth would I want to put myself in this state?? Makes no sense--

Gotta go--BRB--

Hugs,

Maddie

Maddie, I'm so sorry that you felt the need to feel ashamed for your rant. I've always gotten the impression that this board was for moral support of all kinds. I understand how you must be feeling right now, not with the job, but just feeling frustrated and overwhelmed in general when you went into it with such high hopes. You have enough to fret about without worrying about how you sounded here. ((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))

Maddie (((((HUGS))))) I heartily second what Milkdud said above! You should not feel ashamed of anything, especially a rant - lord knows we've all had them. You sound tired, frustrated, disappointed and discouraged. Nothing to be ashamed of. We love you and when it's time to get a new job I am sure you will know it! The willing horse gets the work!!
We love you!

Maddie [[[[[[[[[[[[[[Super Duper Squeezy Hugs]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] I still feel as though the auditors will recognize that the job is too big for one person and address it in their report. Let's see how the chips fall here. We're not going anywhere so come on over and rant all you want!

Maddie~ Forget about the rant...nhsuzaane is right..We ALL have had rants here. It helps just to type away and press "post"--very theraputic. Plus, let yourself enjoy the support.

And now, I'm going to have a little rant of my own...

Maddie,

On the job...I have no doubt you like (maybe even love) your job, but there is way too much "job" and not enough of you. Start looking for another position. Even if the auditors find you need more manpower, the company still has to find the funds and get the authorization for it; that could take a long, long time. Right now, it's not a priority for them to help you even learn your job...why would they be motivated to get help for any time soon? Start job hunting now.

And BTW, you don't have to find a job at what you went to school for---find something you LIKE---what happened to your auctioning dreams? Or real estate? When we toured that KY mansion together, you really impressed me with your vision on property renovation! You would be a gem in the customer service end of a high-end real estate biz! And you know so much about the history of KY!

And---you take on WAY too much in all of these jobs you've had. Take some time and find a job that fits YOU. Enough of this Super-Woman-Set-Me-Up-For-Failure-Cr@p. You are a very,very nice person, but you are taking on too much---because you're TOO nice! You do not have to save the company---just find a job, work as hard as you can, follow your job description, and save money for pleasure vacations and retirement, and BE YOURSELF!

Maddie, everyone enjoys being around you. I loved every single minute I spent with you. Your humor, your easy smile, your warmth, and your perky red-headed personality should land you whatever job you want.

Please ask yourself if what you're doing is really what you want to be doing...or is it just what you trained for and you don't want to "waste" that $ and education. Perhaps this is why you choose jobs that are so difficult. Do you really want to be doing what you're doig??? People change over time and maybe you should think about your OTHER talents and find a "fun" job to do for a while-one that take advantage of your PERKY personality, your persuasive manner, and natural good looks-instead of your brain! There is nothing wrong with *NOT* having a brainy job! Look at meeeeeeeeeeeeee! I CAN FLY! (and feel like Peter Pan half the time!)

Sorry this is so long, but I really think you deserve to be happier. It makes me sad to think your employer doesn't appreciate you or give you the type of working experience you deserve. If the last person was miserable and now you're miserable, buy a paper at lunch and start LOOKING for a new job...try looking in the customer service ads...or real estate!

Everyone here will write you a reference, I'm sure. Love you and want you to look forward to going to work! -Beege

Maddie...........YEAH! What Beege said!!

Maddie~Can you stand another POV? LOL I whole-heartedly agree with everything that has been posted here. I was telling DH about this last night? & relating how happy you were when you were doing the auctioneering. The world is full of pleasers & it sounds like you have spent your time doing just that. But...there comes a time in our lives when (I think) we each figure out that we need something more substantial in our lives. Some people figure it out sooner than others. It has taken me a LONG time. My Mom is the one who really opened my eyes when she asked me a question, "What does it really matter?" I started thinking about things as "what does it really matter in the big picture of things? If these were my last moments on earth would I be satisfied with the way I had spent them?" Beege is right that you need something that is really satisfying to you & really makes you feel good & happy about yourself. It isn't selfish, it allows you to be at peace with yourself & share that peacefulness with those around you. (I hope this makes sense & doesn't sound preachy as that isn't my intent at all.)

Donna SNJ~We have wanted to go back to TX for a long time. It really became more important when we started having DGC & being involved in their lives & not wanting to miss out on all of their childhoods. We don't have to live on top of them but it takes us 3 days to get back to them right now. And, neither of us likes to fly much. :(

D: Spaghetti & meatballs/part of a slice of bread

B: 1 scrambled egg/1 sausage pattie
L: bar-b-q rib meat
D: (the plan is to have hot chicken wings w/bleu cheese)

Since I have been typing out my menus, I have noticed that we have more bread than I want or thought that we were having. I'm trying to cut that back now. We don't eat the veggies that we should, although we both really like them. We've found that here in FL, even in the frig, they don't keep as well as we would like & go bad too quickly. That's my story & I'm sticking to it. ROFL

Taking time out to be good to yourself is essential for your overall well-being & health. It will help you renew & be ready to take on each challenge as they come. You deserve it! Patti :)

thur 11/8
E: 35 minute walk @6am
B: ww toast; slice turkey
S: ff yogurt; 1/4 cup all-bran
L: turkey; ff cheese; lettuce; tomato on ww---pear
S: banana
E: brisk walk around the office & up stairs for 15-min
D: salad; (too many) cheese ravioli; marinara sauce
S: handful peanuts

((Maddie)) Vent any time you want!! You have gotten some excellent advice and are very much loved here.

Patti, I fully understand why you are going back to TX.

Today's menu:

B. Cereal & coffee
S: 1 cup grapes
L: PB & Jelly(SF) on light bread
S: 100 calorie pack cookies
D: 2 beers (Friday!), hamburger, green beans
S: 2 ginger snaps

Will check in tomorrow - have a wonderful night!
It got cooold here in the NE...brrrrr.

Where have all the flowers gone? LOL Everyone must have a beautiful day to be out & playing. We are supposed to go to a dance tonight to enjoy the music. Hopefully, we will both feel up to it.

B: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 sausage pattiej
L: 1/2 turkey sandwich on WW/SF slice of bread, 1 handful of potato chips
D: (not sure yet)

Last night I ended up eating 6 hot wing drummettes, then later we snacked on trail mix & some cashews.

Hope everyone is enjoying their day/weekend. Patti :)

Good Saturday evening! We've been gone all day over to where my youngest Dson and his family lives to watch my DGD play her last soccer game of the season. She's 8 and long-legged, so she really covered that field! I also got to spend quality-time with my 13-month old DGD. She has learned to lean over and hug my arm when we were sitting at the table for lunch and she was in her hight chair. It was so special for me!

My eating is still going well. Yesterday was pretty much a repeat of all the other days, so no need to repeat it. Today we had lunch at Jason's deli, and I opted for the salad bar. Except for a spoonful of bacon bits, I had a good veggie salad! Drank lots of water today because it was very hot out at the soccer field and in the stores where we shopped for Christmas gifts for the girls. H and I stopped off at Walmart here to get the oil changed when we returned, and I even had a bottle of Dasani from the machine in the little waiting room. According to my scales, I'm down another 2 pounds.

Hope everyone's having a nice evening. Patti, I hope you and Dave get up and dance a few tonight!

Milkdud~I'm so proud of your weight loss. I wasn't feeling up to getting out last p.m. I guess, b/c I had gotten out every day last week. Dave wasn't up to going to Vet Day rememberance today so we missed. The DC made the decision to get back. They will make the big move Christmas. I'm excited but there are mixed emotions from other family members.

Our eating remains about the same too except that we did have a veggie tray tonight. It was great to finally have some veggies.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Patti :)