New You April 3

I wrote the check for us to join a swim and tennis club for the summer! YIKES! Major committment to serious bathing suit exposure! If that ain't motivating, nuthin' is! I officially have all of April and all of May to work with, but unofficially I probably have part of June, too, before the weather is consistantly at-or-above outdoor pool temperture. Swim team parctices start June 13th (DD10 wants to join) so I expect we'll be there daily after that. That's 10 weeks...I'm aiming for 15 pounds off by then. (I'd love to say 20, but realistically.....)

Now that the computer is out of the bedroom, I really need to drop the treadmill out of the corner and GET ON IT. Hmmmmmmmm. I am starting in the morning with some strength training on my flabby arms...I can lycra-in the middle, and swath the thighs in a stylish cover-up....but the arms are gonna be out there!

I'm doing a personal weigh-in in the morning and will start counting-down from there....(another reason to hate Mondays!!!!)

O-Kay, girls...summer's commin'. Who's getting on the scales with me in the morning?????????

Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

Well, according to my scale and this BMI Calculator I am "overweight" (and at the higher end of that, too.) I need to lose 21 pounds to put my BMI in the "healthy" range. Since I'm not an athlete (or even close to "muscular,") nor am I pregnant....the BMI should be a pretty accurate number for me. Sigh.

I've had some high fiber, stone-ground, 100% whole wheat toast this morning (yep, tastes like cardboard, ) and taken my vitamins/supplements...had a glass of water (though too much coffee)... I'm gonna go do my arm toning in just a minute.

What "healthy stuff" are you doing for yourself today?

Blessings,
Lenora

Oh, yeah! I've got a fresh base coat of polish on my nails this morning, too. The lavender that looked so great with my suit on Easter just wasn't "working" for me any more! I probably wont get any color on before school, but the base is a sheer, glossy beige, which is nice by itself, too.

Been trying to walk for exercise now that the weather is better. Out in the hills even a short walk is a killer. Thin air + steep hills = pain!

I confess I am not being too healthy on vaca, although for dinner last night we made roasted veggies to serve over toasted polenta, along with a salad. (But on vaca with mom that's just an excuse to have ice cream with home-canned peaches for dessert!)

I am motivated by summer but even more for my upcoming 10th anniversary, when we go to U2 and stay at our swank hotel. I'm already plotting with my hairdresser to get all dolled up, and I want a cute little outfit besides. Yeah, it's nice not to die of embarrassment in your swimsuit, but what I really want is to make DH's eyes grow wide and his mouth to hang open even after 10 years!! *That's* motivating!

Shaun
"Home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks."
   -- G. K. Chesterton

But I knew this. I am totally in my fat jeans!

Working on a plan!

Jana

Dh and I have our 15th anniversary this summer, and yes, I'd like to look great for him, too.

Jana, I picture you as a tall, willow-y, brunette....close?

Stayed on plan yesterday (love those flex points!) I suppose Hope will be sending Aunt Flo my way, soon, so I need to be proactive in keeping her from eating everything in sight.

Today I've had some cereal, my vitamins...no water yet but I'll fit some in. I can feel some muscle "aches" in my shoulders/back and triceps from yesterday...not enough to hurt, but enough to feel "good." KWIM?

That's all from me, now! Have a good day!

Blessings,
Lenora
<--who never needs an excuse for ice cream and peaches

But I cheated - I have a photo. I'm hopeless at picturing people, so I won't be mean enough to laugh.

I'm here and reading along, but I'm afraid it's hard enough work to get a half dozen hours of shut-eye, shower regularly and eat at least once a day. It shows of course... this kind of abuse can't kept up for long without there being outward signs. Still, it's all in a good cause, and I do solemnly promise that I will try harder with several things once I have a climate I can breathe in without developing gills!

need to go de-grease my hair (and no, I don't use hair products - this is all natural!)

Kerri.

Wow, i'm missing for 3 months and look what happens!! Becky, that is so cool, congrats to you and DH!! When's the due date? How are you feeling? I'll try to catch up on all the posts.

I'm doing pretty good. Started LA Weightloss 1/4/05 and i've lost 17lbs. and 15.5 inches so far. I really like the program, although i still have my challenges. Carb cravings are the worst for me. But i can still fit them in if i pay attention.

I'm dating a wonderful guy named Eric, it's really early but I have a good feeling about him. He lives close to me here in MN, but is originally from near New Orleans in Southern Louisiana, he's quite the character. He works in management 40+, he also is a golf pro teaching individual and group lessons AND he teaches Cajun cooking in community education. He may teach me to golf, which is probably the only way i'd learn. I'm hoping I can with my back. It is better, but i still have to baby it and i still need all this weight off and to continue exercising.

When did the site change? I know i said it b4 but i'm gonna try to post more regularly.

Talk soon.

Peace,
Michele

Welcome back! The site changed pretty recently, I don't remember exactly. I'm 8 weeks and 5 days along, according to today's ultrasound.

Those of you who've been there: will I be able to go into supermarkets without feeling sick once the first-trimester morning sickness is gone? Or will my heightened sense of smell continue to make supermarkets unbearable until the baby is born?

every pregnancy is different! Sorry Becky, no way of knowing for sure, though usually the first 3mths or so are the worst for the nausea and sensitivity, but there are some unlucky souls who suffer for much longer. Fingers crossed it will clear in a few more weeks - most likely it will. Some people don't even find out they're pregnant till they're about 8wks - though how that is I don't understand personally!

Hi Michele... always nice to see you! Wow... management, patience to teach golf and able to cook?? Sounds like a rare breed! Hope it works out well for you.

nothing has changed since my last post, so I'm outta here!

Kerri.

Becky, my sickness passed at 13 or 14 weeks. Throughout my whole pregnancy, though, I disliked the smell of chicken cooking. It didn't make me nauseous as such, I just couldn't bear the smell.

We're eating very 'conveniently' at the moment, because of the kitchen renos. DS13 is at my parents' place every day with the dog(best to keep her away while the work is going on) so he has lunch there. My lunches are tending to be whatever I can grab (mostly breakfast cereal) and dinners aren't much better. We're living on convenience food and I am so bored with it. I am SO looking forward to cooking a roast dinner! Maybe this weekend.

Healthy eating plan coming up soon, when these renos are over. I bought some salad at the supermarket so there's a start! I haven't eaten salad for months. Any interesting salad ideas, anyone?

In a couple of weeks DS is going on holiday with his friend's family. I have an unheard of five days to myself - whatever will I do with all that time? The trip is Monday to Friday, so not much chance of a night out - my friends have work the next day. Lots of lazing around and reading, then

It's good to hear you again Michele . Your new chap sounds real interesting. A golf pro no less!! We have a friend in Calgary who is a golf pro, and when he met his (now) wife she couldn't golf at all. She is a beautiful player now. Enjoy !!!

Becky, I guess you don't want to know that I was sick for 9 mnths. It was miserable at the time, but soon forgotten.

Oooohh, 5 days of lolli-gagging Honey . Just get your new garden table and chairs set up and enjoy the spring yard. Plant some sweet peas. Nap. Have a spa day. It will be so nice to have your space back and the working guys outa there.

Alls wrong then, my BMI=obese so no cute little outfit or bathing suit for me. Aunt Flo is being a big pest and I cannot wait for here to move on to Lenora's house....sorry Lenora .

I have nothing healthy to report really, just keeping very busy right now and looking forward to the day when I can focus more on self again.

Have a good one(day) all .

Sorry, I will add you to my list next time. I am 5'5, so not so willow-y, and weigh in at a strong 157 pounds. I was on the low end of overweight but I feel I need/could lose 25 pounds. I am blonde, with blue/green eyes. But I would love to try out the darker hair some day!!!

I gained 90 pounds with both of my boys! YES! I know but I ate so healthy!!!!! Anyway, I have never gotten back to my pre pregancy weight so I would like to try!

Jana

Can you believe it, posting twice in 2 days. I'd only like the sight better if it would email me when there is an update to our thread. I have another forum i go to and it does that and it helps me not to forget.

Will try to post more at lunch.

Peace,
Michele

Do add me to your list, Jana! I LOVE pictures!
Just for the record, I weighed 157 on Monday....and I am NOT 5'5". That's why I'm at the upper end of "overweight."

Hi, Michele! Good to see you back!

I'm on program...amd even "under" my points for today. (Haven't had any dinner yet, due to a meeting at church from 7:00-9:00.) Veggi pizza is baking as I type....and I still have points for popcorn!

I did my arm-toning again today...I could feel a couple of "aches" yesterday, which actually felt good!

We had a gorgeous, warm day today, so I painted my toenails and wore a skirt, bare-legged with slides, to school today. We're not expecting that to last through the night, though.

That's all from me, girls!

Good-night!

Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

you could suggest that to Lynn, probably over on the 'moving' thread which she's more likely to check. I'm sure it used to have that option at some point, or maybe it was some other sites. If you don't post often it's quite handy.

I'd probably try a rinse type hair colour if I were you Jana, and not too dark to start with, because your skin is very fair, and it would be one heck of a shock to start with! But I'd like to see photos of that too!! I've heard people say that changing their hair colour kind of makes them feel like a different person, gives them the freedom to behave differently than they normally do because they don't feel like the same person. Kind of like you have different behaviour depending on what type of clothing you're wearing - nobody behaves the same in a fancy evening dress as they would in their sloppy at-home clothes!

Salad ideas?? Not really, but add texture (nuts, seeds, crunchy veg), or fruit (citrus, mango (no, not yet), apple, raisins, cranberries), or meat or croutons... Oh yes, nearly forgot. My favourite style of salad, and even the kids will both eat some of this (DS quite a lot) is Jamie Oliver's "American 'chop' salad where everything is chopped into much smaller pieces. Instead of long strips of lettuce you have maybe 1cm squares of lettuce tomato and cucumber (Jamie adds a ton of other stuff too of course). Just those three ingredients and you don't even need a dressing or salt because the juices of the tomato cover everything anyway. It does take more time, and it's a bit more fiddly since none of us have his huge chopping surface - I do each veg separately.

according to Jamie's recent cookbook (my DDDDDH bought me for Christmas!) his 'chop' salad includes the following:

red pepper, red chilli, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, romaine/cos/little gem lettuce (anything with texture I think), radicchio, mixed fresh herbs (parsley, basil, chives, mint - your choice)

dressing made of English mustard (the hot type), white wine vinegar olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

So that's his way, but I take the method and simplify! The smaller pieces make it less tedious to chew on, and it stuffs into pita bread or tortillas much easier. I agree with feta though because it crumbles easily and it's nicely salty - perfect for salad.

And I'm not even a salad freak! I gotta learn to say less. Email and posting has been bad - I've turned into garrulous Miss Bates (Emma, Jane Austen).

Kerri.

If you chop with scissors it's quicker and requires less space. Not that I can really eat salad much.

Just drifting along here. I need to get to bed.

Why have I never thought of cutting lettuce with scissors? I always use scissors to cut bacon and chicken breasts, but never thought of using them for salad. What a good idea

Thanks for the salad info Kerri, come to think of it a friend of mine has given me salad cut small like that in pitta bread.....she must have been watching Jamie Oliver too. I have to confess to never actually seeing a programme with him in...I'm not sure why, I don't dislike him. His programmes must clash with something else I watch.

I like Nigella, though she's not been on tv for a while. I have three of her books but lack the courage to try her recipes! Love reading them though I did try her muffins once, which were a disaster. I don't even know why I tried it, because I don't really like muffins. I'm a fairy cake person!

Speaking food, I haven't had any yet today. Time for breakfast I think - mmm, Cocopops! (and I'm not joking)

I wonder whether chopping up the salad smaller breaks up some of the fibre so it's less troublesome to digest... or is that just too stupid??

Nigella's nice too, but her background's somewhat different, and it shows! Her books are nice though. Still one of my favourite writers is Nigel Slater, and I've never seen him on television either - he doesn't get exported. Not sure I'd be as keen on him in the flesh as I am in b&w! I looked at earlier Jamie books and wasn't keen on the writing, but this one (Jamie's Dinners) is quite natural and you can hear his voice coming through. Maybe you should write to Father Christmas and ask for a nice cookbook!

Cutting salad sounds good to me, it's kind of the rage now isn't it. All these chopped salads.

Got a pt job at a yarn cafe, start tomorrow. I'm gonna be so busy. This is an extra 19 hours a week. Working everyday now... Necessary evil.

Peace,
Michele

I posted about our fire on the flybaby thread -- bottom line our kitchen is nonfunctioning and we're in a hotel for the week. The stress has me eating nonstop, and the water here is awful! Tomorrow I'm going to try to stock up.

But I am sooooo frustrated! Seems like every time I am motivated something ridiculous happens and blows it for me. But I only give myself a couple more days of stress eating (which actually has not been that bad since we have very little food in the room) and then back to normal. Gotta start practicing that "extreme self care."

Michele, tell me about the yarn cafe!!!

Becky, I recovered after about 14 weeks from supermarket nausea, but it's true that if you have 10 kids you'll have 10 different pregnancies, let alone the difference between this one and those of other women. I mentioned before that DH used to send me in search of a vegetable I was willing to eat, and it was truly agonizing!

Shaun
"Home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks."
   -- G. K. Chesterton

I mostly meant, does the smell sensitivity go hand-in-hand with the nausea, or does it go away with the nausea if the nausea goes away? In general? See what I mean?

I've been less inclined to eat lately though still hungry. Too tired to deal with the resulting dishes.

My experience is that the smell sensitivity and the nausea go together. It was much worse with the 1st pregnancy however -- the smell of cooked broccoli was unbearable with the 2nd, but I didn't notice the raw.

Then again, during my 2nd pregnancy I started getting grocery delivery specifically because I couldn't stand shopping! And I doubt I brought much broccoli into the house.

Shaun
"Home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks."
   -- G. K. Chesterton

For me, the nausea passed at 13-14 weeks, but my aversion to the smell of chicken lasted all the way through the pregnancy.

Very interesting about pregnancy and smells. I've not experienced myself. But i know that my mom has not been able to eat scrambled eggs if they are not overcooked since she was pregnant with me. If they are shiny, or not cooked dry, she'll gag to do this day. OK, TMI i am sure.

Shaun, the yarn cafe is in maple grove, i'll pm you a link to their website. It is the neatest, coolest, yarn store. Yarn mecca And they have a cafe with wine/beer, coffee, soda, etc. and some food. I'll let you know how it goes. I get a 25% discount on yarn (which scares me)! Oh, i'm so sorry to hear about your kitchen fire, what a bummer. But thankfully, you are all safe, that's what is important.

Peace,
Michele

Woke up with a cold today, which always makes me unhungry. So far it's 12:15 and I've eaten a bowl of cereal. Yesterday I was very tired (probably because of this cold!) and didn't eat too well (too much sugar in an effort to pep myself up), but I did manage a walk.

You had such a good weekend that you are all gone? Sheesh... I'm doing soso...Nothing to brag about. I'm tired.
Peace,
Michele

On Saturday. But I got a new one today!

it's not like I have anything positive to report, and I always come on here to confess my sins so it gets boring after a while. Particularly since I rarely manage any new and interesting sins... just the usual about not taking medication as often as I should, not eating as many fruits and veg as I should (nor as many as I buy!), not eating breakfast, sleeping too late, not enough passion... it's all very samey over this side. And with Aunt Flo hanging around you can hardly expect it to get any better. Nor with the moving.

actually just trying to keep a handle on my stress levels over the move will be an achievement, particularly since I gotta keep DH from freaking out over resigning from one job before he gets the next, and stepping out into the completely unknown. This would not be a good time for us both to lose it!

I realise all the healthy eating, exercise, good sleep patterns and stuff contribute to lower stress levels, but knowing it doesn't actually hep one to achieve it, unless one happens to have a cast-iron will, and I'm more of a bendable plastic at the moment!

so anyone else got new sins to confess??

Kerri.

It's a major temptation for me when the ice cream man starts coming around again each year. It's a problem money-wise as well as diet-wise. We don't have one every day, more like four times a week, but that's still £8 ($15). Eek, need to stop doing that.

I have been buying salad the last couple of weeks, if that counts as New Me. I have weighed myself too (don't normally bother, too depressing), so at least I know what I'm dealing with. The 14 lbs I lost this time last year is creeping back on so I should do something about it. I am still wanting to lose about 70lbs in total, but it seems I don't want to lose it enough to get really motivated! Maybe this year....

did I already post that here? Who knows. If I did just forgive me and say I am not getting enough food and my brain has shut down.

Seriously, this diet really is working well for me. You eat every 3 hrs. I weighed in yesterday at 158 pounds and I will weigh again at the end of the month. I am not a get on the scale everyday person and I don't even own one so I am using the one up here at the school.

I have signed up for an exercise class for the summer. Starts June 14th. It is a step and sculpt class that will met 2xs a week for six weeks. I am also going to buy me a....what's it called??? Step counter thingy??? Anyway getting one this weekend as we need to make a trip to the local sporting good store for a punching bag for DS4 so I will pick me up one.

Well, that is my plan and I am sticking to it!

Jana

And become more lean and fit. I was in an 8-10 in October and am now in 12-14 so I refuse to buy any clothes until I can fit into some of my old ones.

I am confessing all the gory details because I want it to be out in the open. No hiding. This is the deal! I am gonna do this!

Jana

Well, according to the scales, I lost 2.5 pounds last week! Yay!!! Must. Keep. It. Up! I actually rarely have problems the first week....it's all the weeks that follow where I lose motivation! Aunt Flo showed up at the end of last week which made the week-end a little iffy, eating-wise, but I seem to have done alright! All I have to do is keep losing 1-1.5 pounds each week to get 15 pounds off by the start of pool season (mid-June)! I'd like to lose another 15 after that....for 30 pounds off before I start teaching in the fall! I'd cerainly LOVE an excuse for a new wardrobe! The first 15 pounds will get me back in my "summer" stuff....so I won't have to buy anything for summer except a couple of new tank-tops.

I only did my strength-training exercises twice last week. I need to do three-times-a-week....I'm aiming for three times from this week, forward!

That's all from me!

Be healthy!
Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

My confession is that I went to McDonalds this a.m. for breakfast...geez, i hate that place. It's my own fault, i was running late, had to drop off my taxes, etc. and i didn't make time to eat so that's what i get.

Kerri, where are you moving to? Forgive me, i didn't see it in the posts.

Peace,
Michele

How can this be? I was the last one who posted? No activity? Where are you all?

Have to tell you my good tax news. Went to pickup today and good golly, i'm getting a refund of over $2000!!!! I almost soiled my drawers. I haven't had a decent refund in years. So now i don't have to feel guilty about my sock yarn purchase tonight!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Peace,
Michele

Lenora started a new thread yesterday. New You April 15.