Merissa, your cake is amazing. I voted, good luck!
So Karen, will you be moving to Florida when your DH feels healed? I know you're looking forward to warmer weather...
Merissa, you asked me about a job after I move. I'm taking a year off (sort of). I wasn't sure where I wanted to move in the States; I thought I might have a bit of an adjustment. I had a few top choices for where I thought I wanted to live, but except for one, I'd never lived in any of them. I wanted to return to a pediatric hospital and was thinking about Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Austin (the only place I've lived before). I thought it might be a challenge to make contacts in those places from overseas and even more difficult to interview. So I decided to count my blessings for the amazing life I've been allowed to live and to take a one year full time volunteer job. Not only could I make a contribution, but I could commit for only 1 year, plenty of time to try and decide where I want to live long term and make contacts. So I chose to return to an agency where I'd worked and volunteered before, 25 years ago. It's in Houston, just 3 hrs from my family in San Antonio. It's a grass roots agency run by nuns that provides services for abandoned and abused children under the age of 6, and also services to their families. They provide room and board (food, essentials) and a $200/month stipend. That'll be a change! But I'm very much looking forward to it and I think it'll be a great year.
Susan, you are just an incredible woman! I really admire your dedication to your work, community and weight loss! You are so inspiring!
Karen, Glad to hear your DH is feeling better. I had my front tooth knocked out (well most of it) when I was 7. It was my brand new one! I ended up with an infection and root canal back then. Then the infection sprung up on me again in adulthood and I had to have them go back in twice to fix me up. It's a real pain..I know. At least it looks halfway decent now (with a veneer). I had to go around for about a month one summer (when I was about 20) with this half, brown tooth while they made me the veneer. PRETTY BAD! It was embarrassing.
Thanks for your nice comments about my cake! I was proud of it. I gave it to a woman how had given us a freezer a year back. She got it for a friend who had a daughter turning 10.
I might have gotten a smidge of talent from my mom who is an artist. Have I told you about her before? Here is her website, she is amazing!
www.catherinemcclung.com Now she was blessed with talent! but of course she is very hardworking as well. It have tried painting and drawing, but it was a no-go since I always compared to my mom.
Merissa, your mom's work is amazing! Wow, incredible, simply beautiful.
I forgot to ask, did you get your appliances? How are they working? Sounds like you got a great deal.
Not much going on here today...I may go with a friend to see Sex and the City (again) and I have to go grocery shopping, my cupboard is bare, but otherwise I'm hanging out at home, cleaning out my kitchen, doing laundry, and watching the Olympics. What's everyone up to?
Morning ladies - well I'm glad last week is over is was such along week for me. Friday my headache was BAD BAD BAD but I still ran some errands and took my son to get a hair cut b/c my mom offered to watch the kids for me on Saturday while dh was helping his dad w/ some stuff. SO I took the kids to my parents at 10am and went home took a LONG hot shower then slept for like 5 hours almost. Dh picked the kids up and went grocery shopping so they didn't get home until 10pm I put them to bed. Sunday I went to church but started feeling sick so didn't stay to teach Sunday school. Went to my mom's and took Maalox and ate some toast and started feeling a little better then got alot accomplished yesterday. This am I don't feel sick anymore but my head still hurts (of course). Tried to work out only made it 15 minutes before I just felt tooo dizzy. I am SICK and TIRED of this stupid headache I feel like all I do is complain about it (although I try not too) - I try not to let it effect my everyday schedule but that's getting harder and harder.
Susan you are just an amazing woman in all of the paths that you take you seem to always be helping someone some how kudos to you!
I have 2 pretty big cakes to make this week. I'm going to make some rkt today and attempt to make shoes out of them - never done that before so we'll see how that goes LOL
Today's challenge is to stay on track - what ever goals you had set for yourself - be it diet and/or exercise it is to maintain those today. Kinda like a no cheat day but also be more aware of why you've made those choices and try to do it w/o a moan *talking to self here*
Connie, I don't see how you do all of it with your headaches. Sounds like a pretty full schedule.
Susan, you are a very amazing person. I can't imagine all of what you do to help others.
Hubby is feeling much better but is frustrated. He needs to see the dentist again this afternoon because he is having some difficulties with his dental appliances. I am hoping that works out alright.
Well, guess I'd better get back to work now. Have a great day, all!
Karen
Hi Everyone,
I was BAD BAD BAD this weekend. 
Had our annual block party Sat. Hubby & I were co-hosting with another couple. Too much food and drink, lol. But it was only one day, and am being good again, trying to eat healthy. Did work out today. Granddaughters BDay Fri. Gotta to make the cake, so you know how that goes.
Susan sounds like you have a great plan in place. What a giving person you are.
Connie, hope your feeling better.
Karen, I hate dentists. Sorry for dh.
Connie, I have such sympathy for you, I don't know how you're living your life with that terrible headache (((hug))). You're a saint, I'd be complaining ALL the time! I sure hope someone figures out something for you soon, how much can a person tolerate?
Karen, any word yet on when you're moving? Hopefully you'll arrive in Florida after the hottest part of the summer. How's your husband?
Michelle, how's your toe? I hope you can find something to do so you're not frustrated about the exercise, any luck?
Alaina, it'll happen, your desire for a healthier lifestyle will kick in after you have a few practice weeks or months under your belt. You can see from my ticker how much I have to lose and I think if I can do it, anyone can because I've wrestled with this weight for years. And started diet after diet after diet. It wasn't until I was ready and had support (this group, sparkpeople) and made changes that it started to work. You'll know when it's time.
Well, thank you to everyone for your kind comments about my new job, I'm very excited about it. I'm not really very selfless, it just seemed a perfect plan for what I want to do and it'll be great to be only 3 hours away from my family. It's funny how your perspective changes...in college, 3 hours away was a very very far. Now? Piece of cake! I WISH I could only travel 3 hrs to see them, rather than the 21-24 it usually takes me with changing planes, etc. So this is a good decision.
I can't believe that I'm so busy at work, I thought it would slow down after reintegration, but nooooo. Which I shoulda known, this is my 3rd one and this was an awful one. When you take a tiny, self-contained little town and re-infuse 2000 people into it, it's bound to get busier. So now, I'm seeing soldiers with all their issues, plus my old patients, plus the spouses of the soldiers because the soldiers aren't adjusting so well. I think it will just be like this until I leave. But that's OK...
Thanks ladies, I sure don't feel like I'm handling it well and my tolerance is lessened it's really starting to break me down and well it can't happen this week!
haha Susan I still would think 3 hours is a long way away from family (they are 15 minutes from me now). My dh dreams of living in TN or Chicago and I laugh and he's like ok if we move your parents too (then I'll THINK about it LMAO).
Well, I made my 3 lil ninja guys last night AND mold a shoe out of rkt (that was fun actually LOL) BUT only got 1 shoe out of a batch of rkt so off to the store for more supplies. LOL... She shoe ended up being 10" long!!!!
Michelle how are you feeling?
Karen good luck w/ all of your dentist stuff for your dh. Ihope he's up to par really soon for his sake (and yours)
OK today's task:
REMOVE one 'bad' item from your house - whatever it is that tempts you get it out of the house! Mine will be the take 5 (my FAVORITE candy bar)dh was trying to be nice and buy me candy but it is NOT helping me. SOOO it will be GONE today no more battling myself all day long to not eat it.
GOOD LUCK TODAY everyone and DIE FAT CELLS DIE!
Hi guys
I didnt have a very good weekend. I ate alot and of course didnt work out.
No I dont have a plan yet, and I am finding that I am getting lazy. I am so tired after a day of sitting at my desk.......hhhhhmmmmmm could it be no workouts? Im thinking so, I have so much more energy when I work out. I have gained some weight back and not happy about that! It is so easy to put it on and soooo hard to get it off. If there was an Olympic event for puttin on weight I would win GOLD every time!!!
My toe feels better, I have not tried to put it in a shoe yet. Think I will wait until my follow up apt.
Connie, you are a saint, I would be in the Drs office already, this is not working do something!!
Susan, Seriously you are quite the human, my inspiration not only for weight loss but for your selflessness!!
Karen hope hubby is on the mend so you can make that move.
Hubby is at work this morn. He is not feeling 100%, but he is hanging in there. Another dentist appt. on Friday. He needs his dental appliances to fit and it just is not right now. Hope they will do something about it because the insurance won't pay for another (not that we didn't have to pay enough of it ourselves).
Moving day is set for September 12 for now. I don't know if this mess will affect it or not.
Connie, if I were going through the same thing you are going through I would be in the dr office with my hands around his neck until he did something to help me.
congrats susan!
Hope everyone starts feeling better...the head, the toe, the mouth....! Nothing really exciting to post...but I just thought I would check in.
Morning Ladies
Well, I caved and called my neurologist yesterday and he called me in some pain meds. I took one yesterday and it didn't do much BUT since the headache was so intense I wasn't surprised. But I will be taking it in a few before my head gets really horrible.
OK today's challenge:
HAVE FUN~ Add a new exercise to your routine but a non traditional one, one that you'll have fun with. What made me think of this was yesterday while I was making my 4 batches of mmf I had a cd on and I was dancing around while sifting. Then I decided to tighten my abs while doing that. I realize not a hard core workout but it was something...
Also I do this one alot I lay on my back and my kids like to 'fly like an airplane' so I bring up my legs (knees bent) and they sit on my feet and I lift them up and down and I even hold my legs out a bit straighter to feel it in my lower abs.
SO do something FUN today go for a swim,bike ride, hike or just dance around the room for a little while.
I have TONS to do today so not sure how much I'll be on.... Have a good day everyone.
CRAP CRAP CRAP
You can SO tell I'm not 100% I have 4 pans in the oven baking and I over filled 2 of them and it spilled over onto my oven so they burnt on the bottom GAWD I hope I didn't just ruin the cakes!!!!! Just my luck I have to have these baked and decorated tonight to deliver in the am and now they are going taste burnt even though they aren't burnt ^&*&&(&*&%^^%&%%..... Guess I get to go to the store and buy more stuff UGH
there is almost nothing worse than a re-bake! Hope it turns out!
Morning, all!
Guess I am the cheerleader this week. One of these days I will get back to practicing what I preach. I have been so far off track for the last several months.
Your challenge for today is to concentrate on your meals and how you feel eating them. The entire goal is not to think of food as the enemy. Take time to savor your food and enjoy eating.
Once you can stop thinking of food as the enemy you can stop obsessing about it.
Thought for the day:
Whether its broccoli or pizza, you probably know that getting children to eat can sometimes be a struggle. They take a bite, squirm around as they chew, and, of course, play with their food. If youâre lucky, they do eat a nutritious meal â but they always stop when theyâve had enough, not necessarily when their plate is clean. Getting an adult to eat, on the other hand, is rarely a problem. In fact, itâs usually the opposite scenario â we canât stop ourselves! Is there something we can learn from how a child eats? You bet! Children listen to the instinctual cues that their bodies send, so they stop when theyâre full. You need to get in tune with these signals. If you pay close attention while you eat, youâll notice that the pleasure you get from food tends to diminish as you continue to eat. This is a sign that your body has had enough. Listen to your body and eat just until youâre satisfied, not stuffed, and weight management will be childâs play.
Have a great day, all!
Good thoughts and good challenges! Totally true.
Well I didnt weigh in. My neighbor and I were out with the kids last evening before dinner, she brings me wine and keeps refilling. I had a wee bit too much. So I couldnt even eat dinner last night becasue I needed to go to bed. So that probably didnt help either. I woke up feeling pretty embarrassed about it. I really don't like to drink too much. My dh said I was fine, so I hope I am just being too hard on myself. It just feels unbecoming.
Whohooooo. Measured today, since 7/11 lost 4" in waist, 3" in hips, 2 1/4" in thighs, and 1/2" in upper arms. Still don't know weight, scale gives 3 different readings in a row (10-20 lb. diff.) but the "'s must mean something. Down 2 sizes
Karen, so true. This what I am doing, along with a healthy eating, and lots of water. The word DIET stresses me out, and so my goal has been to eat a healthier variety of food, stop when I don't feel hungrey anymore, not when I'm full, and this seems to work for me.
I know we all have to find what works best for us, but if this helps someone else, 
.
Have a good day everyone!
Laina, congratulations! Even if your scales weigh differently (that's quite a difference between the 3), may I suggest you choose one and just go with that scale. Even if the number itself is not correct, a pound lost is a pound lost and you can measure that way.
Merissa, I can relate to how you feel about drinking. I rarely drink and when I do, I feel bad, physically and emotionally, even if it's just a bit. I don't tolerate alcohol well and don't want to come across as out of control after 2 glasses of wine! A couple of anecdotes about Italy that I had no idea about until I moved here: first, wine is cheaper than water! Really. Italians would NEVER serve you water from the tap, whether at their home or in a restaurant. And while bottled water is very cheap, wine is even cheaper. Secondly...there's no drinking age. Can you imagine that in the States? And third...the way you can buy wine here is fascinating to me. You can buy it from one of millions of private vineyards along the roads and often it's very good. You can go to places and bottle your own. They're usually huge rooms with gas station-like hoses and nozzles attached to the wall and you fill either wine bottles you've brought or bottles you can buy there. And, you can taste it before you fill. But the shocker to me? You can buy it from the tap, like we would buy a soda in the States from a 7-11. You can bring your empty water bottle or whatever container you want, fill it with wine and voila...there's your lunch drink! It's about 1 euro to fill a 1.5 liter water bottle. So many cultural differences...I'm going to miss it here.
Wow, Susan! That is something. Of course, it is the culture. Maybe if it were such a cultural thing here there would not be so much drunk driving and drunkenness.
I will be checking back in just a bit to give you a weekend challenge. Still no internet at home so I won't be able to check in over the weekend again.
See you soon!
Wow, that's amazing Susan! My hubby would love to live there, with wine being cheaper than water!!!
Connie, I'm pleased you called your neurologist...is there anything else he's doing for you?? Are they doing more tests?
Well, I'm feeling pretty lousy, because last week I recommitted to this healthy lifestyle, but I'm still not putting in enough effort. I didn't even weigh myself yesterday.
The good news is, my hubby is feeling so much better, after 3 months with back problems, and walking like a hunchback. He's been seeing a chiropractor 3 x a week for the last 5 weeks, and this has made a huge difference. On Monday hubby said it was the first day since this started, that he hadn't had any pain at all!!
I have a break from cakes this weekend. I'm so pleased, because the last 2 weekends have been utter chaos, and made me start to wonder whether this was worth it!
Great news about your hubby, Sonia.
Hope everybody else's aches and pains get better soon, too.
Today, I am going to give you all a new exercise to add to your workouts this weekend.
Pump up your workout with a super-simple split squat move! No splits are required, though the wide leg movement may feel just as challenging as any gymnastâs split. The split squat will increase your flexibility and tone your hamstrings and inner thigh muscles, including the gracilis and adductor longus. Donât be surprised if your thighs are sore the next day; that means you flexed the hidden, underworked inner leg muscles! Be sure to stretch your legs and groin area for 5-10 minutes before beginning the split squat. Are you ready? Letâs begin:
Step 1: Stand about 3 feet in front of a bench (or flat-seated chair). Place your rear foot on the bench, with the top of your shoe lightly touching the bench.
Step 2: With your back straight, chest up and abs tight, feather your breathing as you bend your front knee, lowering yourself toward the floor through a count 10 seconds.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the maximum tension point. Then return to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat once more without resting.
Step 5: Switch legs and perform 2 more reps, for a total of 4.
Hope you all have a great weekend. I'll check in later today. I should have a bit of time. Everybody is out of the office.
Good morning all
Well I finally got on the scale and knew it would be ugly. Since I have not been able to work out I have gained all that I lost. I am back up to 215!!!! I knew this would happen, I can gain weight to fast, and it takes so long to get it off.
Susan, wow I would love to visit and see everything that you are talking about!! My brother lived in Germany and he was telling about the no age limit. But it is no big deal there, not like here!
Connie, how are those head aches? Did the new meds do any good?
Karen thanks for the challenges and the thought of the day. I like that and will try to keep in mind. I will try that new move, not sure the toe can handle that much pressure, but will give it a try.
Well guys, this has been quite the week for me. DBF and I have a renter for one of our rooms. She has been there for 3 years and we work together, love her like a sister. Well on Wednesday she wasnt feeling well and stayed home, she called me a few hours later to ask me to come home to take her to the doc, she was having severe pains in her side. So on Wednesday we were at the doc, the radiologist, the emergency room and she went into surgery for a burst appendix. She may get out today, but I think they will keep her until tomorrow, it was pretty bad.
Now I am 2 days behind on my homework and need to catch up, so I may be MIA until Monday trying to catch up on everything.
Have a great weekend and I will at least try to touch base.
Michelle
I'm checking in again.
Sorry to hear about the renter, Michelle. I hope all turns out ok.
Here is another challenge for the weekend. If the exercise doesn't work out, try this one instead.
Fast Track to Relaxation
If you've been doing the five-minute breather exercise (taking five minutes each day to simply slow down and be aware of your breathing), you may have noticed that focusing on your breath helps you relax. Today, we'll take that effect a step further and explore meditation.
Meditation quiets the internal chatter that you probably hear all day. Usually people meditate by sitting quietly and focusing on their breath, a word, or a phrase.
Meditation lowers your blood pressure and heart rate and reduces stress. It also reduces the amount of cortisol and other stress hormones your body produces, which may help prevent weight gain.
Today, choose one of the forms below and try meditating. At first, try setting a timer or stopwatch for ten minutes, ultimately working your way up to 20 minutes of meditation. Sit comfortably in a quiet place and choose one of the techniques below.
Breathing meditation. Breathe slowly, and count as you exhale: Inhale as you count to four; then exhale for a count of four. Repeat. If you lose track, or you find yourself thinking about other things, simply return your focus to your breathing.
Word meditation. Repeat a word or phrase over and over to keep your mind from wandering. You might use a word like relax, calm, peace, or still. If your mind strays, simply return to your word and concentrate on it.
Heartbeat meditation. Place your hand over your heart or fingers over your pulse. After you locate your heartbeat, sit and count for four beats each beat to 4 and repeat like you would with your breath. If you lose track, simply start over.
Meditation is surprisingly difficult for most people, but try not to let your emotions intrude. Remember, you're not being graded on your performance â you're simply exploring a new way to achieve greater serenity. The more you do it, the easier it becomes to slip into a deeply relaxed, meditative state
Have a great weekend!
Karen
going camping this weekend...did I mention that? Another one of my favorite vacations next to staying a whole week with the fam in one house...LOL. So much packing! I am sure it will be fun once we get there. have a good weekend!
Hi Marilyn, yes you are more than welcome!! We have a weekly pre-allocated cheerleader to give us encouragement and challenges for the week. We check in on Mondays (or more often) and weigh in on Thursdays. Our motto is "DIE FAT CELLS, DIE!" (Actually haven't heard it for a while!!)
Merissa, I hope your camping went well.....I'm about as enthusiastic as you when it comes to camping! 
Karen, I did the leg exercise.....it sure strains those leg muscles, doesn't it! I might keep at it, that was a good one!
Hope everyone had a good weekend, and ate well.
DIE FAT CELLS, DIE!!!!
Uh, Merissa, I think you need to come up with a new word because "vacation" just really doesn't say it! I feel the same as you about camping, I'm definitely a big-city-hotel girl!
Marilyn, welcome, glad you joined us. Any tips you have for weight loss, please share!
Sonia, I'm glad you had a free weekend, you were starting to freak me out with all those cakes! I don't think I could ever tolerate a business (and I'm not good enough to sustain one) because I somtimes get frustrated with doing one cake! Now...if I had a huge kitchen with tons of space to work, that would be another thing...
Michelle, I can commiserate with you about gaining. I haven't been on the scale since Friday, but I didn't do well with my eating over the weekend. I'm finding that after 7 months of eating right on target, I'm starting to slip, and that's not good. I've recommitted today because I really want to get out of the 200's just to feel a new accomplishment. A friend and I are taking another friend lunch today to celebrate her new job. I made sandwiches and lemon cupcakes for us. The sandwiches are going to be good (proscuitto, buffalo mozzarella, grilled eggplant, fresh basil leaves, spicy mozzarella, and salami on rosemary bread with the insides brushed with an olive oil, lemon juice and garlic mixture) but after I made 3, I decided to take my own lunch and give the 3rd sandwich to my friend to take to her husband. I know if I start down that path today, I'll just keep going and say "I'll be good tomorrow". I need to be good today!
Karen, thank you for the exercises, I need more meditation in my life. Are you getting excited about your move?
Well, not much new going on today, I think it's actually a bit cooler and I'm counting the days til September because for sure it should start to cool down. I'm planning a little weekend trip to Tuscany for next month, I have a friend in San Diego who's renting a big villa there with her family and her husband's family for 2 weeks, so it'll be great to see her and catch up.
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