Sarah, I'm glad you liked it. I will probably pick up the 3 and 4 mile dvd before it is over. I almost bought it when I got the other but I wanted to try it first. I like walking around my parent's neighborhood because it is a nice place to walk, and it seems to make the time go faster. The problem I had is that the sides of the roads curve down and it really started bothering my back. I don't mind the treadmill. I have learned though that I do better if I cover the numbers up, instead of watching each tenth of a mile click by. On the treadmill I can do things to challenge myself. I try to walk a few seconds faster than the last time.

Deb, I'm glad to see you here. I loved the little monkey picture. Made me just want to pick him up and cuddle with him. Good luck with the new class.

k8memphis, I don't have any too small clothes. I did a few years ago, but I had decided that I didn't need them any more and when I lost weight I would reward myself with new fresh clothes. I do have some shirts now that are my favorites that I will miss though, so I can understand your tough cookie shirt.

Margie, I can so relate to stepping on the scale after the holidays. I have gained a good chunk of weight myself. I haven't talked myself into a weigh in day/time yet, so I'm not totally sure but it is somewhere between 9-12 pounds that I am up. Losing weight and eating better were the last things on my mind in Dec.

Monkess, I am with Deb, weighing yourself every day can often be more harmful than helpfull. Your weight no only goes up and down during the day but also doing the week. I'd really suggest you only weigh once a week and go with that. We really don't want to get totally fixated on the numbers on the scale or we are likely to get totally discouraged.

Don't give up. I've read it takes 3 weeks to form a new habit. We are working on not only adding in new habits but also phasing out bad. That will take time. Give yourself time to work in some new habits.

Something else I believe in is baby steps. If I tell myself I am going to do 10 things at once, maybe 1 or 2 of them will get done before I get frustrated and give up. Break down what you need to do to work on your weight lose and pick on a couple of them to focus on. When you feel you have them on track add in something new.

My eating is going okay. I did well yesterday, for the most part. I have a few things to work on but I felt good about the day. Today hasn't been as great. Not that I have eaten alot, but I haven't eaten enough. Slept later than planned and that screwed my whole eating schedule, or course weekends are the worst for me. That is one of my issues that is on my list of things to work on. That list just keeps getting longer.

I spent time cleaning today and doing laundry, and will be doing it again tomorrow. I'm ready to get my house in order. Hoping that everything else will fall in place too.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Thanks TS..
Water does help with weight loss. I also think if you are dehydrated, that you also retain more water than if you keep drinking a certain amount. I love drinking water with a bit of lemon in it. I retain up to 10 pounds of water weight and had discovered that when I am doing regular exercise, I do not retain it as much.
Way to go K8 on your program.
I have good feeling that we are all going to have some success this year. YAYYYYYYY
Have a great Subday.
Sarah

Hey, everyone! Haven't spent much time on CC in the last few weeks due to the holiday craziness and the fact that my employer has blocked us out of anything of any remote interest on the Internet. Logged in tonight and saw this new thread.

I'll share with you that I'm 41 years old, 5' 2", 185 pounds. I live with IBS-D and I am lactose intolerant. I LOVE food. I love savory food more than sweets and what makes it worse is my husband is an excellent cook. Lots of butter and heavy cream and pasta and other starchy stuff. He is 6' 2", 360+ pounds and he doesn't believe in "dieting". He buys lots of cokes and chips and all the stuff that I wish I didn't have to look at every time I open the pantry.

Last year I decided to join a weight loss competition at work (measured by percentage of weight lost). While at the doctor's office I discussed my decision with a nurse and she said, "Follow the South Beach plan. You'll kick everyone's ass!" It was the first time I ever tried following a formal diet plan and she was right. I won the competition, losing a total of 20 pounds. My IBS was practically non-existent and I no longer suffered from headaches. I also had more energy.

South Beach is a diet that was created initially for patients with heart disease and diabetes. It not only helps you stay heart healthy but it can help prevent the onset of diabetes. My father has both heart disease and diabetes so I really need to take care of myself.

But then I got lazy and now I'm up 25 pounds. So now, I need to lose a total of 55 pounds to be at the ideal weight for my height and build. I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow and I'm climbing back in the saddle starting Monday morning.

k8memphis: I can relate to a lot of what you have said in your posts.

TexasSugar: my strategy is very similar to yours. I am going to take a full length picture of myself on day 1. Then I'm going to take a picture every two weeks. Each new picture will get combined with the original picture in a side by side comparison so I can see my progress. I'm also going to track my body measurements, which I didn't do last year.

I'm very motivated because my brother is getting married in March. Since I received a new camera for Christmas they've asked me to take pictures. I want to be able to move freely to get the best pictures I can, instead of feeling like I'm wearing a straight jacket.

Also, several high school classmates want to get together this summer. I haven't seen many of them since graduation, when I weighed a measly 98 pounds. Most of them still look like they did in high school. I want to look and feel spectacular when I see them.

I'm glad this thread was started. I'll try to visit often.

Good luck everyone and don't forget...CC is always here for us!

Hi Kim...Glad you found us. The ladies here are great.
I hope you all have a great day. I have already done my walk and now I have housework to do.
Looking forward to hearing more of what works for you in the baggage compartment and I love hearing of any progress.
Sarah

Had a great start with the water this morning...yes the lemon helps me too..especially during the day, it is almost like drinking a soda or some drink but with zero calories. It is important also I have read to not drink the water chilled, but best when warm(yuck) so atleast not cold....it takes getting used to but I am okay with room temp. water now; the logic being the chilled water puts a stop on the digestive process but the warm one helps the process along...whatever works I guess!!
Kim-welcome! you have a great inspiration...reunions are a big thing arent they?

Hi k8...My hubby was reading something the other day and the article was explaining why one should drink a hot drink, especially after a meal. It had something about digestion and sounded sensible to me. I thought I would try that especially after a meal..Oh UGH, I am not to the point of warm water yet. I think I need to study up on it a bit more. I know there have been suggestions of even eating foods at room temp.
One change at a time..keep pluigging along.
Sarah

Hey Kim. Welcome to the Chunky Monkeys. I look forward to chatting with you.
Oh my, warm or room temp water? Hmmm, I'm just now able to drink it cold. Water and I have never gotten along very well. My hubby drinks it straight from the tap. Can't do that yet. Here is a recipe that I found that might help with some who simply don't like water. I have to say that I have NOT tried it yet so I don't know what it tastes like but I thought I would throw it out here.

Refreshing Water

Ingredients

3 Litres (12 cups) of water (bottled or tap, depending on what you drink)
1 Orange
1 Lemon
2 sprigs of mint

Directions

In a large jug or bottle, put 3 litres of water... this can be boiled, bottled or tap depending on preference.
Cut the lemon into small segments, then cut each segment (including the peel) into pieces roughly an inch square. Do the same to the orange.
Remove the mint leaves from the sprigs, rinse.
Combine all ingredients.
Chill in a refrigerator and enjoy. You can use a strainer to make sure that you keep bits of fruit and mint out of your drink.

Hello everyone! I was one of the original chunky monkeys and have finally gotten my ample rear in gear to start posting with you guys again--I've missed you and thanks ETC for the nudge! Let me introduce myself. I'm 46, married with 3 kids, (2 in college and one fifth grader still at home). I work full time and "cake" in my spare time. I'm in the process of putting in a commercial kitchen in a separate bldg. at my home and though the progress is slow, it's coming along! I sort of put the eating right thing on the back burner due to holidays, numerous wedding cakes, kids home from college, visiting relatives, kid activities, blah,blah,blah, etc.....but I'm getting back on track and look forward to your encouragement and to helping encourage you all too! Happy 2009 and good luck to all!

YAY Diane is back among the monkeys. Love you girl! Welcome back.

I broke down and bought a clearance sale gingerbread tree kit. Of course i I didn't want to build the tree, just ice the cookies and eat them.

My husband left this morning for 51 days of training. I ate the 5 smallest cookies today. =( I haven't had enough water and I'm dreading going to work tomorrow. I think I just don't like working for the Baskin Robbins guy. he's a little neurotic and won't supply me with the tools I have requested.

Anyway, I need to drink water and get moving this week. Wish me luck.

Interesting on the water. I have read that you should drink it ice cold because your body burns calories warming it up to room temp. Personally I don't think it really matters how you drink it. In all the 'diet' books they all suggest water, but none of them tell you what temp it should be. The important thing is that you are drinking it! I prefer ice cold water, but will drink it luke warm if I haven't finished a bottle of water before it gets warm. I haven't had any issues either way with digestion.

Water hooks up with fiber and that is what helps move things along. I guess if you want to make sure your disgestion is working better you may want to watch your fiber intake. We should have 20-35grams of fiber a day, most people don't get close to that.

Margie, the recipe looks good. I'm a big fan of the flavor packets when I need a little taste to my water. They do have calories in them, but usually like 10 calories per packet (though some can have more, so be sure to read.) They do add up so if you drink 5 bottles of water a day with them that is 50 calories, but that is better than the 140 calories a coke containes several times a day. It may help ease into the 'taste' of water.

I really don't like water from the tap. I know bottle water isn't the enviromental thing to do, but it tastes better than our tap water. Bottle water also makes it easy to take anywhere, and I keep up with how many bottles I drink. 4 bottles is 8 'glasses' or right over the minium of 64oz everyone suggests you get. I did get one of the Pur water pitchers and that water tasted like nothing, which is great, but then I couldn't find the filters for a while. I found them agian, so I may go back to using it more.

Welcome Kim! Don't you just love being in a short body? I'm only 5'. I have a good friend that is 5'11 and her and I weight around the same thing, only it looks alot better on her!

I'm lucky because I do live alone, and I am in charge of what foods come in the house. I do spend alot of time at my parents so I know what it is like to be hungry and open the cabinet and see all that icky bad for you things. Maybe you and hubby can compromise. Do you have room in the kitchen for a his and her cabinet? He can have his bad things, and put them somewhere where you don't have to see them and you can have your good for ya stuff? The best thing would be if you can get him to join you in the journey, but if he won't you still have to be in charge of how much you eat and trying to get more good for you things.

I was talking to my friend tonight, since I am to the '28 day food plan' in the book I am reading. This is my complaint about all 'diet' books and 'diet plans'. I don't want to eat the same things over and over every 4 weeks. Instead of someone telling me exactly what I should eat every day I want someone to tell you how to eat better on realistic foods.

My friend said: "I can eat egg white omelets every morning, a salad at lunch with some grilled chicken and some fish with streamed veggies at dinner. And I'll lose weight BUT I want real food. I want the whole egg and I want butter on my steamed veggies."

I totally understand and I bet we can all agree with that. How many of us really could just eat egg whites, and grilled chicken/fish for the rest of our lives? How many of us have tried a 'diet plan' and have lost weight? Now how many of us are redoing that plan again or trying something else because we didn't keep it off? Losing weight is the easy part (yeah I know everyone is rolling their eyes here, but isn't it true?), it is the work we have to do to keep it off.

What we do to lose weight has to be something we can do forever, from today on. It will be a long journey with ups and downs to find the right balance and figure out how to adjust our food loves into better for us foods. We can do it, and won't it be worth it in the end? To feel better, be slimmer and reach all those little (and big) goals we have set for ourselves?

Welcome back Diane! I think we all put eating better off the last month. That's okay. Remember it isn't about what happened yesterday it is all about today and tomorrow.

Good luck Deb with the water and motivation! Hopefully things get better at BR for you.

I ate good today, the one meal I ate. UGH. I'm currently trying to decide what I want for dinner tonight and as I try to decide it is getting later and later. My planning meals for the weekend went out the window yesterday when I planned then didn't stay on track. Tomorrow is another day and in my mind a new week. I really need to get in gear with the exercise too. I keep thinking about it and what I want to do, just haven't gotten up to do any of it. My water intake has been low this weekend too for some reason. Usually I have atleast three bottles of water before the afternoon has really kicked in gear. I just finished my 3rd a little while ago and am on my 4th. I've had a headache on and off since yesterday that I am blaming on the lack of water. I'm ready for it to go away for good.

Tomorrow I will be babysitting and will be up bright and early. Babysitting days are good for me because they give me a reason to get up early and because little one has a eating schedule. Tomorrow is her 2nd birthday, she's growing up on me. Of course it is hard to get in some exercise when I have her, but I don't have class tomorrow night so I'll make up for it then hopefully.

It is a new week everyone! Let's get our jiggles moving!

I know that everyone is here for their own reasons and from time to time we fade in and out of threads, but thought maybe we can start off each week thinking about all the Chunky Monkeys that have joined and hopefully everyone will have a moment to say hi and how things are going with them.

What do ya'll think about doing a Roll Call Monday? During the 'roll call' we can all set a personal goal or two for the week?

The wonderful Chunky Monkey members so far are:
EnjoyTheCake - Deb
Emrldsky - Jade
Monkess -
Jammjenks - April
Sweettreats36 -
Sarah1952 - Sarah
jbart - Karla
k8memphis -
butternut - Margie
nanikins - Stacy
Kim_in_CajunCountry - Kim
Mencked - Diane
TexasSugar - Tracy

I'm here, obviously. My personal goals for this week are to eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks through out the day and to plan my meals/snacks atleast a day in advance.

I also wanted to add... I weighted myself this morning and for now I'll use Monday mornings as my weigh in. I'm at 164.4. This is up 4 lbs since November, but down since the beginning of the year. The few times I stepped on the scale since the 5th weren't nice numbers. I saw numbers between 168 and 172. So while I am up, it is a happier number than the others I saw last week.

I love the idea of roll call Monday!! My goals this week are to make healthy food choices for myself and my family--emphasizing whole grains, veggies fruits and water and to really watch the sodium content of foods I eat. I was so excited because I just loved a whole grain tortilla I had found and had been eating, but today I looked at it's sodium content and it was 540!!!! Does anyone know what the recommended daily intake for sodium even is? I also want to incorporate more fish into our weekly diet. When I weighed this morning I was down 22 lbs from the beginning of my weight loss attempt! Go Chunky Monkeys!

I hate the idea but will try to do it anyway.

I blew off a dr. appt today and I'm running late for work. My goal is to stay focused and not become a hermit while my husband is away.

Because I cut so many carbs out of my diet, I kinda did it willy nilly. This week I'm focusing on cutting out the bad carbs and replacing them with good ones (whole grains, fruits and veggies).

I had my usual breakfast, but cut some of my coffee creamer down to save on carbs. For lunch I had herb and garlic chicken (just marinated chicken in the bottled stuff, but didn't save any of the "juices" to cut the carbs down) and some green beans.

Not sure what I'll eat for dinner, but I have plenty of chicken should I choose to eat it. lol I need to do more research on what kinds of fruits and veggies are OK for me to eat and go from there.

Diane, the numbers for sodium I am seeing is a min of 500 and a max of 2,000 - 2,400 per day.

Deb, if the idea doesn't work out we don't have to keep doing it. We all basically pop in at some point to tell how we are doing, I just thought that having a list would help us to see who is still with us. As for goals, each of us can make them or not, that is our choice.

Jade, I just read a book that you might find helpful. It is Eat Carbs, Lose Weight by Denice Austin. I have no plans of following her 28 day menu diet plan, but I did learn some interesting information on carbs.

Check out this website as well, http://www.glycemicindex.com/, it talks about how our bodies process the different carbs, and gives an idex on different foods to help you out on the good vs bad carbs.

Last night I cooked whole wheat noodles and tossed in some broccoli and cauliflower at the end of the cooking time. I used a little fat free Italian dressing on it and cut up a cheese stick and tossed it in. I ate that with 1/2 a grilled chicken breast marinated in the same dressing and some sugar snap peas on the side. I recyled the left overs and had it for lunch today as well.

Friday night I had brown rice, sauted onion and bell pepper, and diced up grilled chicken that I used a fajita marinade on, then topped it all with a couple of tablespoons of salsa.

I think tonight I'm going for talipia. Have it on hand, and I've had a few days of chicken, time for something a little different. I realised this weekend I have an easier time getting veggies in than fruit, even though I love fruit. I just never think to eat it.

Tracy - Thanks for the info! I'll get a more in-depth look at the Web site a bit later. I'm going to see a movie with a girlfriend here in a bit. My doctor recommended (ok, he STRONGLY suggested, lol) the book Protein Power. That's how I've calculated my ideal weight based on my body shape, my body fat percentage (probably not as accurate as water-weighing), and such.

I like check in Mondays--I am doing good continuing on phase 1--I have just two days to go. I have lost about 8-10 pounds--clothes are fitting better and worser. The worser part is the waist is way too big and the rest fits better. I'm a curvey fit anyway and so the waist is the first to go--which really is good but annoying too.

It's nice that clothes manufacturers finally have addressed this curvey body type--I always felt odd man out--fagedabout pencil skirts which is all there were for many years. Now there's much more selection.

I need to pick up the ball on some toning. I think even though it's a bit late tonight I'm gonna go pick up the dumb bells right now and do some curls--I need to break out my ankle weights and put those on tomorrow before I go to work.

I love to do that, passive weight bearing exercise--I have wrist weights too--just one pound on each wrist but it's nice to exercise while you just move around the house. Have to be careful on phase one though--not much energy.

My big goal this week is to stay focused especially after all this effort put into the past two weeks--because Chef-boy, our 24 yr old son will be home this week. We're really excited--haven't seen him since the summer.

signed,
sugar addict

Since I'm using the Food Pyramid I'd like to get at least 2-4 servings of fruit a day. While they may have more carbs and more calories than veggies, they do also have things in them that our body needs.

I may be the odd one on here, but I'm not trying to cut back my carbs to a small number. Infact I'm trying to get them up to 50% of my calories, which I have read several places is the number you want. Our muscles (especially if you are working out) and brain use carbs and need them to function properly. I also read that the brain alone needs 140g of carbs a day to function properly.

The idea is you want to skip on the simple carbs (sugars) and go for the complex carbs. Same idea with fats, more of the good for you fats, less of the bad for you ones.

TS - Roll call Mondays are a terrific idea. Mark me tardy, but present. (Didn't get to the computer yesterday.)

Weighed in this morning and I'm down 2 pounds, which still doesn't get me down to my pre-holiday weight, but it's closer. Will measure today, too. From now on, Monday weigh-ins and 1x per month measurement.

My focus this week is on eating breakfast before lunchtime (heh,heh) and drinking more water.

I also started "spring cleaning" in the house this week, which is a bit of a workout. Bonus - the results are a major mood booster.

Love to all my fellow Chunky Monkeys!

The idea of roll call is terrific.
My goal this week is to continue to limit any of the white flour stuff and have been also cutting down the use of coffee creamer. I also am trying to get to the 1 mile walk this week and next week increase it.

Sarah

Hey guys. OK, this week I need to: stop talking the talk until I consistently WALK the WALK! I thought I was on the right track and for almost a week I did great but then, temptation got the best of me and wham, off track again. Geeeez, I usually don't have this problem. Once I start something, I see it through but for some reason, I'm all over the place this time. Got lots of emotional issues going on but geeez, ya know, I'm so tired of using that as an excuse. Gotta get it together. I know I'm a strong person, and I can do this without a doubt. REally have to get myself in the right mindset. What started it all was when hubby looked into the cabinets and asked me if I wanted a 100 calorie cookie snack and I responded with: What I really want is baked peanut butter cookies. Of course I was just joking but I guess he didn't realize that for some reason. Well, I went to take a nice long bath and when I got out I could smell peanut butter cookies baking in the oven I asked, how could you do that and he said: I just wanted to make you happy. Geeeez, so of course I ate the cookies (couldn't hurt his feelings, right) and that's what started the downfall once again...... Whoa is me. Get it together Margie, get it together....... No weigh in for me this week......

(((Margie)))..you will do it.
I had a hard time yesterday Bound determined not to make the same mistake as yesterday.
As for what you said about the cookies, it gave me my morning chuckle and believe me, I bet a lot of us can identify with it
Have a good day all. I need to work on my card site today..

Sarah

Margie, please don't be so hard on yourself. We are with you and I am sending you big hugs right now. I can COMPLETELY understand the feelings you are having right now. I felt like that most of last year, especially toward the end of the year.

Sometimes I think we discount the emotional aspect of the weight issue. We get so busy beating ourselves up because we are well aware of the mechanics of weight loss, that we forget that there are emotional factors we need to address, too.

I've been overweight basically all of my life. There's a whole lifetime of habits and feelings there that aren't going away just because I know I need to eat more broccoli and lay off the ice cream. Food is a coping tool that I have turned to when I'm bored, nervous, sad, lonely, frustrated, etc., etc., etc. I have to learn to cope with those emotions without bringing hand to mouth.

May I suggest you take a little time to sit down and journal. Just find a quiet space and some undisturbed time to sit with a lot of paper or on the computer and write down whatever comes to mind. It doesn't have to be neat or coherent, just get it out. Sometimes you'll be surprised what comes to light. It's also amazing how freeing it is to get it out of your head. Then, when you feel you have gotten it all out, announce that you are acknowledging those feelings and releasing them and burn the pages or delete the file. That may sound a little hokey, but sometimes we need the physical action to help us acheive the mental release.

I believe in you. I believe in all of you. It is my fervent prayer that, this year, I will finally learn to believe in myself.

By the way, don't think of your cookie incident as a derailment. Think of it as an unscheduled stop. You haven't jumped the track - you've just pulled into a station at which you don't normally stop. When trains jump the track, it's a big ordeal and very messy and time-consuming to get it back on track and running again...they have to get a crane, the NTSB shows up, the news cameras are everywhere, etc... A station stop is an efficient and orderly process - you make the stop, take on some peanut butter cookies...I mean passengers, and you go chugging off again toward Station #(Goal Weight).

I so want to comment on what Margie and Stacy said, but I have a two year old dragging me off here to feed her and rock her (haven't decided which is happening first) but I just had to share this since I figured the momma's out there would understand.

How to lose weight with kids: Eat something they really like while they are sitting in your lap. They will help you eat it.

How to gain weight with kids: Nibble off their plates while you are feeding them and neglecting making your own lunch.

I was eating some graham crackers with a bowl of cottage cheese, and the little one I babysit was sitting with me. She didn't want to have anything to do with the cottage cheese, but she was matching me square for square with the graham crackers. I only got half the serving size. HeHe.

I also notice that since I make her plate first I tend to nibble on a piece of fruit here and have a bit of chicken or cheese there. Or I'll get her some chips and have a couple myself. As we know some of the little things we do can really add up.

HUGS everyone! I'll be back during nap time, unless I fall asleep myself.

Hey TS, You have pointed out some profound wisdom there. I, for one un derstand with a 3 yr old underfoot. She will be 4 the 30th of January. What I love though, is the fact that she loves to do the walking DVD with me, cause she loves to dance. makes ito so much more fun for me.
You are right about eating..with the two kids, I rarely get a full portion. Thanks for the thankful reflection..
Now, I need to work on my kitchen as someone is coming to do an estimate on a new kitchen floor. I love the slate look and do not whether to go with slate, laminate that looks like slate, or tile..decisions. decisions.
Sarah

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so pleased to know that there are others who share my pain! I have twin 2.5 year olds and nibbling has become a real problem for me. I think I can count on one hand (with fingers left over) the number of times per week I actually sit down and eat a meal. Do you burn more calories if you eat while standing?

I am trying desperately to be better about eating breakfast this week. Made oatmeal and the kids - who already had breakfast - are hanging on me saying, "more bite, please", so I ate about half of my oatmeal and 1/2 of my 1/2 of a banana. Thank goodness I have convinced them that they are too young for coffee - otherwise I'd have nothing to myself!

They can be helpful with portion control in a way, but the nibbling is a lot harder to track than an actual meal or snack.

And someone please tell me why they have to make those Goldfish so darn tasty!?!?!?!

Sarah and Stacy, glad I'm not alone. I'm lucky though, because this one isn't mine (not that I don't want my own) but I get to send her home in the evening and there is atleast one meal I don't have to worry about. Olivia just turned two yesterday and loves all things fruit. One of my go to breakfasts is blueberries (or other fresh cut up fruit) and yogurt. So on those mornings I will give her a little bowl of blueberries, which is one of her favorites, and a spoon of yogurt just to coat them. By the time I sit down with her to eat mine she is done and wants mine. When I eat salad around her she wants all my tomatoes.

On mornings she eats faster than it takes me to fix what I am eating, I will clean her up and send her off to play so that I can eat mine. We have a child gate between the kitchen area and the den where she plays. So I can sit at the table and eat and I can still see her.

Stacy, maybe while you are eating you can have another treat for them to eat? So you get what they need and they get something too. Or just strap them in and give them their own bowls of it. While standing and eating might burn more calories it probably is better that we sit down to enjoy our food, so that we pay attention to exactly what we are eating.

And the Goldfish, well if they weren't so tasty the little one wouldn't want to eat them, and we wouldn't need them around. Goldfish and ma mays (M&Ms) have saved us many a time at the store when I needed more time to shop and she was done.

Sarah, I bet it is cute watching the little one doing the walk video. I've thought about doing it with Olivia. Even if she doesn't pay attention we will still be in the same room and I can keep an eye on her. The treadmill is in another room, and the least childproofed in the house. Plus I know that she'd try to walk on it with me, and I really don't want to have to call me friend and tell her I broke her daughter.

Good luck with the floor decision. I really have no idea what I would go with if I had the option.

Now moving back up. I'd just like to second everything Stacy said. There are several things she said that hit home with me and I bet alot of us. Great advice Stacy.

Margie, we will have to give your hubby an A for effort, poor guy really was trying. And remember we do need to treat ourselves now and then and peanut butter has good fats and protien in it. Of course even when our treats we do have to limit it to a smaller amount.

You can do it, I still believe in you, and I know you believe in yourself deep down. I think Christmas 'break' stills has us trying to fall into our good places. I've been keeping a detailed list of what I have been eating every day. Some days are better than others. Instead of trying to get them all perfect, I'm just trying to get to a point where when I average out the days at the end of the week, it comes out on the good side.

This list has helped me curb the nibbling more as well. Because I mark those down. Not so much in detail, but enough to know I had them, and I do tack on extra calories (a guessed number) at the end of the day for the nibbles, just to hold myself accountable for them.

I have clingy child right now. She hasn't left my lap/hip since she got up from nap. About to have to go pick up my nephew, and then try to get in the mind set for class tonight. It has been a long day, isn't even over yet and I didn't get near enough sleep last night!

An idea I've had before to help track food intake is simple. We all have cell phones I'm sure. Most cell phones come with a camera. It doesn't cost anything to take a picture, you don't have to send it anywhere. Just take a quick picture of everything you're eating. At the end of the day you can use your phone to job your memory whe you're doing your food journal. Then delete images and do it again.