Good Afternoon Weight Loss Buddies Over 60:

Hope you are having a great week. My official weighin day is on Thursday, but I had to sneak a peak today . I lost a pound. My goal is to get to the single digits of the 200's this month, which will put me 10 pounds closer to the hundreds. This is huge for me. I started at 250 pounds and I've lost 36 pounds so far since December 20th, 2007. I'm ready to be in the 100's instead of the 200's for the first time in years. Thank you JC.

Betty Jo

Good Morning Ladies!!

I started with Jenny last September at 288# and I really love this program!! I had a really bad week last week and gained 3# and I was really frustrated with myself. This week I stuck to the program 100% and happy to say that I lost 5.2# this morning at WI. Just goes to show that if you stick to the program it works!! With what I lost this week I hit another milestone - I made it to my halfway goal!! I now weigh less than I have in probably 30 years!! I have a way to go yet and I don't know how long it will take to get there, but that doesn't matter as long as I get there. To me this is no longer a diet but a lifestyle change and something I will be following forever. I know I will probably have more bad weeks in the future but hopefully I will get better at making my choices when I am stressed out or having other problems.

Betty Jo and Arlonne - thank you so much for all of your support! There were times where I think I would have given up without your encouragement!

Have a great day everyone!!!

Kathy

hello my friends,
well, I am going in this afternoon for the 1st time in 3 weeks...I know I am up, as I have shared with you. BUT I am going in! Even up a few pounds, I am lower than I've been in 8 years. I am happy to be able to say that!

JC is the best program for me also...I want to lose around 10-15 (now!) pounds before summer, and our 40th anniversary, which is June 15th.

Kathy Jo,
you will make it! You are so determined!

Betty,
Hooray on the huge weight loss! You sure took off the gain, plus even several more pounds!


I'll let you know the gain when I get back....

thanks for helping me through this rough spot!

okay, ladies,
I really did it this time....I'm up 5 pounds....

but I am totally back on track. Donna helped me to understand that when we are operating in a high stress low sleep time, like I've been, to do 5 minutes of stretching and deep breathing each hour we are awake.

I think it's good advice, don't you? Next time I am at such a big place in my life, I'll have this to lean back on....

Kathy:

Good for You. Half Way . That's Awesome!!! I am so proud of you and how well you are doing. I admire you for your strenghth and tenacity. This week just repeat what you did last week and you will be rewarded again. Guaranteed.

You are inspiring me to get to half way too. Just another 5 pounds. Together we are going to get to goal for the very first time in our lives. And your right, there is no hurry. Just as long as the scale goes down or stays the same each week, we will be successful.

See you here tomorrow.

Betty Jo

No biggie, Lalonne. Just get back up on the horse and ride. That's just soft weight or what they call water weight. It will come right back off next week just like Kathy's did.

Something else you could do to alleviate stress is put on soft music or take a hot bath. Both of those calm me down when I'm stressed out.

Good Luck this week. We are pulling for you.

Betty Jo

Thanks Betty Jo,
good ideas; I'll file them away as a good relief idea...

I am doing real well staying on these 2 days...nothing like a good scare to get a person motivated, right?

Today is just lovely, it's about 68, and the sun is shining. My roses are blooming so beautiful, I wish you could see them! The yellow ones are as big as my fist, and there are at least 2 dozen blooms today. I have a gorgeous red one called Dolly Parton; guess why? Yep, they are just giant blooms! It has about 5 today, and they are the size of a normal coffee cup! So the rains this spring did a lot of good!

When are you heading back to Alaska?

Have a good evening!

Good Morning Ladies,
I went shopping yesterday as my treat for reaching half-way. I bought myself a pair of jeans. Something I haven't worn in all my life. I didn't try them on and wasn't sure if they would fit, but I figured if they were a little too tight it would motivate me to lose more to be able to get into them. They are a stretch material and when I got home I tried them on and they actually fit me!! They felt so comfortable that I am going to buy me another pair. It really felt good to fit into something stylish!!

Arlonne, great to see you back on program - 5# isn't that bad and like Betty Jo said, lot of it is probably fluids and will hopefully come off easy. I'd dare to bet if you stay on program all week most of it will be off by your next WI. Your roses sound beautiful!! I love roses but have never had any luck with them. I don't have the greatest soil around here - lots of stones and rocks in the dirt and we have lots of pine trees around so the yard is pretty full of pine needles all year long.

Betty Jo - Did you get hit with any of the severe weather? Not exactly sure where you are but I know there was a lot of nasty stuff going thru that area. Hope it missed you! We got about 8" of snow last Monday but the temperatures have been in the upper 40's the last couple of days so it is melting fast.

Hope everyone has a great day and will check in on everyone again tomorrow.

Kathy

Good Morning Everyone:

This weekend I'm having a garage sale. I'm selling of all my bigger clothes. It was so satisfying to see all of them going out the door. I had three brand new blazers that had never been worn (I sold them for $15.00 a piece), 5 used blazers, and four combination tunic and lace toppers. They were all sizes 1X and 2X. Now all I have left in my closet are the extra large and large clothes. Those will be sold at next year's garage sale. I've got them in my sights. Ready, Aim Fire!!!!!
Got to get out there again at 8 a.m. so I guess better go get breakfast.

Talk with you tomorrow.

Betty Jo

Good Morning Ladies!!

The weather here was great yesterday - actually got into the 50's. I actually got out and went for a walk now that all the snow and ice is melted off of the road. My back was a little sore after doing the uphill walk back but nothing that was real bad and it felt so good to be outdoors. I didn't walk real far but it was a start and I hope to do it every day when I am not working and gradually making the walk a litter longer. I am going to the Mall of America the end of this month with a friend and need to get into a little better shape to be able to walk thru that place so this is my new motivation for the month.

Isn't it a great feeling to be able to get rid of those bib clothes!! Are any of you leary about getting rid of them because deep down you are afraid you will need them again? I have gotten rid of the really big items but am hesitant on getting rid of the ones that are just a little too big. I know I don't ever want to have to wear them again but I still hesitate to get rid of them. Any suggestions? Should I just toss them for motivation?

Hope everyone has a great day and I will check in again tomorrow.
Kathy

Hi Kathy,
I actually have gotten rid of everything...I am wearing my last "big" skirt (size 18) right now, it's a denim straight skirt, and is so big that it keeps turning around on me! I need to let it go also. I actually don't know why I kept it! I have a darling size 14 denim skirt for when I need something warmer...and I don't need this one!

I suggest you get rid of yours, they really make you look sloppy if you wear them, and if you don't, it just takes up space in your closet!

Betty Jo, Kathy, and anyone just reading this,
Have a great weekend, you all! Jack and I rode up the coast yesterday on his day off, the wildflowers were incredible! Lupine over entire hills, some poppies, and many brilliant yellow daisies everywhere! We walked at the beach this morning after we went to the farmer's market...it was cool, but nice. We live in the area considered the strawberry capital of the world and the berries are wonderful this year. Just the right amount of rain and sunshine! Until we lived here, I didn't know how many varieties of strawberries there are! Today I got the Albion ones, giant and so sweet!

talk to you soon! btw, my diet is going perfect! Hooray!

Hello Everyone:

Well, the garage sale is done. Yeah!!!! We did very well but it was so cold on Sunday. That wind went right through me. My hands were so chapped last night they were burning after I put hand lotion on them. Now we have to deal with new challanges starting tomorrow. We need to get a couch from down stairs up stairs to our livingroom. I was looking at them today. They are very big and heavy. It's one of those Lazy Boy sofas with Lazy Boy chairs on each end. They whole this is huge. I don't think my husband and I can move them by ourselves. I don't remember furniture being that large when I was a kid. Has furniture gotten larger over the years, or is it just me?

Kathy:

Congratulations on making it to the half-way mark. I was wondering what to get myself when I got to the half-way mark and I'm thinking a new pair of jeans would be a good thing to purchase also. I've never been able to wear fashion jeans. They cut me in all the wrong places if you know what I mean. I might just give fashion jeans another chance. They have so many stretchy fabrics these days. You don't have to be unconfortable in fashionable clothing anymore.

I think Arlonne is right. Get rid of those bigger clothes. You are not going back to the way you were. Don't be afraid. Be bold and take that step. I did this weekend and I felt incrediably free again.

Arlonne

Good for you. I knew you could get back on program. Keep up the good work. You can do it.

I would love to see your roses. I love roses, but the soil here at my place does not support them. I tried a few bushes and they just weren't happy. I would love to see the Dolly Pardon variety. I used to grow roses in Alaska. They did pretty well. Up there you have to grow them in baskets and bring them into the garage for the winter. And if you don't forget to water them once a month , you will have roses again the next summer. Hanging baskets of fushia, pansies, labillia, just to name a few, also do really well in Alaska too. The baskets get huge. I would have the baskets cut back at the gardening center each fall and have them stored for the winter. The next spring, I just picked the baskets up at the gardening center and they were already blooming again. It cost about $25.00 per basket to winter them over. I loved those baskets and left them to a friend after I left. She didn't pick them up one year so the gardening center kept them. If you do tuberous flowers like tulips in Alaska, you have to dig them up each year and replant them. But everything grows beautifully because they have 22 hours of sunlight during the summer. Since I'm retired now, I will be able to spend a lot more time gardening when I get back there.


Well ladies, good luck this week with your weight loss. I want to lose another pound and that's all. I talked to my counselor about losing weight to fast Friday night. She said don't worry, it will slow down as you get closer to goal. I hope so. I don't want to look like a coat hanger with a bunch of skin hanging all over it. My next goal is to get half way, which is coming up here real soon. The next goal after that is to get under 200 pounds. After I get half way, I will be about 208 pounds. I'll have eight pounds to lose to get under 200. Then the next goal is to get below 190. I'll do 10 pounds at a time. I'm really not looking for fast weight loss at that point. I'm looking for a healthy life style with a slow weight loss.

Betty Jo

Hi Gang:

I couldn't contain myself today. I just had to write midway into the week. I always weigh on Mondays and Thursday. Thursday is the official weighin day, but I like to weigh midweek too. Anyway, I got on the scales this morning. I'm down another 3 pounds. I guess the energy I expended this weekend when I did the garage sale caused me to lose additional pounds again this week . Half way here I come!!!!!

Betty Jo

Hi Betty Jo!
good for you! terrific! 3 over the weekend!

I did a lot of walking, will walk more today...just got done cleaning house, and now am resting for a couple minutes. I had the cranberry cereal with plain yogurt and lots of strawberries cut up in it, it was yummy!

I am planning on painting today, the house is quiet, and I have a free afternoon; and that is a good thing!



Kathy,
how are you doing? how was your weekend?

have a great day!

Hello Arlonne:

You made that Cranberry Cereal sound so good. I've never tried it, but I think I will. Does it actually have cranberries in it? I thought it sounded like it might be a bit tart, so I never tried it. But the Strawberry would really be sweet in there.

I didn't know you painted. Are you talking about painting the inside or outside of your house or painting a picture. I love to watch the HG TV channel. I love the really soft colors decorators are using in homes these days, but I've never got up enough nerve to go with color. Maybe in my next house when I move to Alaska. If you are painting a room, you will definitely lose weight doing that. There is a lot of exercise involved in painting. You should have a really good weigh in this week. All I did was a garage sale and I lost weight like crazy. There's really not much work to garage sales. At least not as much work as painting, I mean.

Keep up the good work. Stay really close to program Arlonne. You will be rewarded with a fabulous weight loss.

Betty Jo

Good Morning Ladies,

I ended up working all weekend. The weather was beautiful and I got stuck working inside all day both days. I did sneak out to have a cigarette and walked around in front of the store a couple of times so I got to enjoy a little of the beautiful day. Yesterday was raining and nasty and they are predicting 4-8 inches of SNOW for tonite again so we're still not done with winter here!!! I say my first robin Saturday and the saying is they usually get snowed on 3 times before spring is here to stay.

I got my "half-way" book yesterday with the guidelines and exchanges for doing the meals on my own. I have been doing cereal and some of the snacks on my own the last couple of weeks but never the lunches or dinners unless we went out to eat. I think to start with I will do 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches a week on my own and stick with the Jenny dinners, unless we go out. That is one meal I am afraid I will get too carried away with if I eat them on my own!! A friend of mine made me a mint choclate sugar-free, low-fat cheesecake and it is delicious!!! She puts all ingredients in her computer and comes up with the calories and fat% so she cut it into slices that compare with the Jenny cheesecakes. When this one is gone I think I will have her make me an amaretto one.

Betty Jo - you are doing so great!! Keep up the good work!!! I WI tomorrow and am not expecting to lose much - I went out one nite and had a few drinks and pizza. I didn't eat a whole lot of it but we'll see what happens on the scale tomorrow!

Arlonne - good to see you posting again! What kind of painting are you doing? I used to love to paint in the house but the house we have now is mostly paneling which I am not crazy about. I would rather have color. We did paint over the paneling in one of the spare rooms and it turned out pretty good. Makes it much brighter. We put an addition onto our house a year ago and there is no paneling in the new rooms. We went with a bright yellow paint and rust carpeting in the bedroom and a bright terra cotta paint and the rust carpeting in the master bathroom. Everyone thought I was crazy but it turned out reallly great!

Hope everyone has a great week. Will be checking in again after my WI tomorrow.
Kathy

Hi Kathy:

I didn't know there was a half-way book. I guess I should order it. I purchased the JC's two cookbooks last night. I'm very anxious to get to the half way mark. I've got about 2 pounds to go. When I get there, I'm going to post under half way in the message boards and see what kind of issues they are having there.

That cheesecake sounds great. How many calories was there in a small piece? I would love to try a cheesecake on my own. The JC cookbooks might have a recipe in them. Not sure. But I still love the convenience of purchasing those type of things from JC. I love the fact that I have cheesecake in the freezer for when I want it. Which brings me to a realization. The realization that when you can't have things like cheesecake on a diet, you crave them. But on JC the cravings have ceased and I don't go looking for things like that. As a matter of fact sometimes I look at them and go "Cheesecake Again". No I don't think so. I'm tired of cheesecake. Who ever thought that I would ever think something like that. That's awesome. Don't you think?

Don't worry about going out and having some drinks and pizza. Just have enough to fill you up and then quit. The next day get right back on program and you will be fine. That's what I've been doing and I have not gained a pound due to going out and eating. Just get back on the horse and ride, girl.

Okay, half way here I come, ready or not.

Betty Jo

Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the encouragement! And I think that you'll do fine with just one meal out...even if you don't have a real big weight loss, going out for pizza is a normal part of life, and we do need to learn how to do normal without it totally derailing us!

Hi Betty Jo,
The cranberry cereal is one of my favorites. It's sweetened, and they are real dried cranberries, just like the Craisins kind. They'll give you a half way booklet...it's very helpful, it has a whole section on how each JC meal counts, which I found to be important for me. It also has some blank days to fill in and talk through with your counselor, I really benefitted by doing it. It's supposed to help us ease back into regular eating patterns which are proportional and healthy for us. I think it is one of the best tools they have, actually, outside of the little Jenny's grocery list that fits into your wallet. My last consultant said to think of that one as your main life tool, that it will help you maintain your weight by always referring to it.

And....I absolutely love color, and our house is painted in lots of rich color on the inside. Go for it, Betty Jo! It's only paint, and if you don't care for the color, you can always paint over it! Kathy, your colors sound so yummy...what a fun combination! Our bedroom is the sunniest yellow, and we have a deep forest green carpet in it. My bedspread and curtains are also a beautiful yellow, and they bring in the same green with some beautiful reddish cabbage roses also. I love it! My living room is a deep deep blue, with lots of white trim. And the kitchen-family room is a deep yellow... But I was actually making reference to doing some oil painting again. I have a nifty area set up in my office with my easal and paints and all. I do love to paint, and I'm doing a landscape currently. So thanks for asking...I sure didn't make myself very clear did I?

I'm going for another hour walk now! I am getting in over 10000 steps a day this week! Hooray! Thast's a new record for me!

Hi, you guys!

Wow, you are really communicating - I read through all your posts and really enjoyed hearing about how you are doing and what you've been up to. If you remember, I am the one that gained 2.6 pounds my first week - It's been about four weeks now, and I weigh in after work this afternoon. I've lost just under 3 pounds so far, not very much...but I am feeling much more energy and my clothes actually are fitting me better with that small weight loss. And I'm going in the right direction now!

You know what though? I was very exited when I walked over 4,000 steps one day, I am usually under 3,000 and that includes walking my dog, and if you are walking 10,000, now I see why I'm not losing faster. Obviously I need to exercise more!!! (I hate it, but I bought new walking shoes last week and have walked every day since. That made a BIG difference. I didn't realize how much my old shoes were hurting my feet.)

You are all doing so great! I CAN'T WAIT to get to the half-way mark. I want to look and feel better, but also after the mid-way point your food costs less, right? That will be an incentive, too. I'm going to try to walk more and use my exercise bike, too. I bought the stretchy rope things, too, but haven't tried them yet.

I'm very jealous about your snow. I lived in the foothills on the slope of the Sierras above Placerville for a while, on the snow line, and I loved it. When I retire I want to live in the snow again.

I just cut my first rose yesterday and brought it in the house (I had two on the bushes). Love it when the flowers are blooming - in San Diego they are all in bloom now. My irises are ready to burst!

Hope you're all having a good week. I'll let you know how my WI goes today. (Thank you for inviting me to join you.)

Barbara

I have been MIA for several weeks. I think since I first posted.

Betty Jo--You askied me when I first posted what Jenny Craig was like years ago. You had to go to the center twice a week. Once for your weigh in and the other for a short movie on varies food and eating habits to establish. The food has improved greatly. So far this time it seems easier to stay on the foods and when I do have to go out to eat I try to choose something close to what is on the menu for the day. For the 5 weeks I have been back I have lost 6 lbs, so I am happy. I do have a medium goal right now. My brother and sister in law will be driving through I Sept or Oct and I will be seeing him. I will nver be at the weight I was before I left home to go to college, that was 95 lbs and I weighed clost to that until 3 yrs after my third child was born and I was in my mid 30's. I would like to get down to what I weighed close to the last time I saw him 3 years ago of 161, after losing 20 lbs on a 12 week workout program sposered by a local TV station. We were on TV once a week for about 15 weeks and had a great time.

Any way I am losing and able to stick to the program. Exercising is coming slowly but it will bet better.

Judy

Hi Judy:

I thought you were lost there for a while. We missed you. Welcome back.

How tall are you Judy. Your weight of 93 pounds sounds so small, but you know after you get to a certain age (after 50 I think ), you can't expect to go back to the weight you were when you were younger. I used to weigh 135 pounds for years, but when I passed 40, I started packing on the pounds. And then I went into the yo-yo dieting phase of my life. I'll bet I've lost the same 10-15 pounds at least 50 times in my life. Now, I'm just hoping to be at the top of my range, which is 165 pounds. That may even be too low. I'm not sure because I haven't been there in a long time. You've done well in the past 5 weeks. I think that is actually a very healthy way to lose--one pound at a time. I've been averaging about 2-3 per week and I'm a little worried I'm going to end up looking like a prune. But my counselor assured me last week that I will start losing slower as I get closer to goal and not to worry. That slow down, she says, will allow my body to catch up.

That workout challange you did at the TV station sounds like a real challange. No way you could even cheat on that one. I don't think I could handle the strictness of that program.

You keep up the good work and you will lose weight gradually, which as I said earlier is better. Remember, we are on this program forever. Jenny Craig is going to teach us how to do this program forever so that we don't ever have to worry about gaining weight ever again. Or at least manage it. I'm looking forward to it.

Betty Jo

Hi Barbara:

Welcome. We do have a great group of very supportive ladies on this thread. I love them all and I credit them with being able to stay close to program.

One thing I noticed too was that the energy does kick in around the third or fourth week. I had to push myself to do things before Jenny Craig. Everything was a struggle. Even washing dishes. But Barbara, now that I've lost 39 pounds, I feel so good. I can go up and down stairs without worrying about falling. I can keep up with my dogs on my walk now. I can do aerobics. I couldn't do them at all when I started because I couldn't move very good. I did in-home walking for about the first 7 or 8 weeks. It worked well. Now I'm doing aerobics with Gilad on the Fit TV channel. I can see improvements every day. And you know whats funny. I really didn't realize I had lost all these capabilities until I started to get them back again.

Congratulations on the 4,000 steps. That's great. You will have a really good weighin this week if you keep that up. I only walked 20 minutes 3 times a week when I first started and the weight just fell off me. So 4,000 steps will really kick those pounds in the butt. I'm very excited to hear how you did this week.

Okay!!! Here's to staying close to program, eating those veggies, drinking your water, and doing your exercise. We do all that and we will be successful.

Betty Jo

Hi Barbara,
We're so glad you are here! For a bit now, it's been Betty Jo and Kathy and me! So welcome and welcome again! We do help each other a lot, and I really count on Betty Jo and Kathy's encouragement. They helped me through a rough spot a couple weeks ago....it's important to have friends who are on this journey!!!

I agree with Betty Jo, I started at much less walking, and have gradually built it up. I started at about 4000 steps also...and I'm so glad that I easily walk an hour now! My poor little maltese walked the whole time with me today, and then slept for 1 1/2 hours this afternoon! Jenny really has worked for me, it's much easier to know I'm either on or off my target!

I bet your clothes are fitting better...your walking helps so much along with the weight loss! I weigh in in the morning and am real interested to see what I've lost this week... I am a lifetime member from about 20 years ago, but this is my first time back in that whole time! I also bought the Rewards program last year and am at the 30% price reduction on the food, which really really helps! Halfway is fun and yet it kind of scared me too, to be responsible for everything I eat.

I'm a Californian, and lived in Colorado for 5 years and Iowa for 2. I have to admit, I got snow, and especially ice, out of my system while we were out of state! Placerville is such a beautiful area, though, will you return up that direction?

Hi Judy,
I wanted to welcome you also! Betty Jo has given you some great tips... and I'm glad that you have an intermediate goal...I too have done that. It helped me to deal with a more reachable goal at first. Now I am gaining in confidence, and am beginning to believe I can go lower than my first goal. Betty Jo and I are the same height, and we, as I see, were both 135ish for many years. I can't even imagine being at that weight again....but I am happy with this journey and the fact that I'm able to learn so much by looking at it as a lifetime journey!

One pound a week is actually terrific, think about it...if that is all you ever lost, in 6 months you'd be 26 pounds lighter, and at a year....you'd have lost 52 pounds!

Do post with us. We try to check in once a day, and it helps me to know that I have good friends who are looking out for me!

I'll look for you tomorrow! Have a great day!

Barbara and Judy - good to have you back!!! I really love this forum and all the support I have gotten from Betty Jo and Arlonne have really helped me thru a couple of rough times. With their help and encouragement I made it thru my rough week during Easter and am happy to say I am back on track. That is what we are all here for - we all seem to go thru a rough time sometime or other and it is so helpful to recieve the encouragement we need from others who have been there!!


I am happy to say I lost 2# this week. Better than I thought it would be after having my night out! We got snow again last nite but not too much this time. It is actually very pretty out there this morning. I didn't get my walk in yesterday - had lots of errands to run - but if the road is clear enough this afternoon I will get out there again.

I went thru my clothes last nite and got rid of 2 bags of things that are too big for me. It was a good feeling to be able to toss them - actually donating them to the local caring house - a place for women who are abused.

Hope everyone has a great day and looking forward to seeing you all here again tomorrow.
Kathy

Hi Everyone,

I am 5'2" and there is no way I will get back to my weight that I was in my teens, 20' and 30's My finale goal is 125 lbs which for my size sounds right. But if I feel I am where I want to be before that I will change it. I do let my body tell me where to stop. Even if I lose an ounce at weigh in I am happy.

I am also a member of eDiets and in the Life's Odyssy's compatiton teams. I am captain of the Sprited Spartans. So now with Jenny Craig support both in person and here on the board and my team on eDiets I know I will reach my goal.

Judy

Hello Everyone:

It's so great to hear from all of you today. You really encourage me to do more. I haven't done much exercise this week because I keep getting a little sick to the tummy. I don't know what it's all about. I'm following program. I think maybe I've caught a bug maybe. But anyway, I'm going to follow program no matter what because it's much healthier than what I would probably chose to eat off program.

Weigh in is tomorrow. I weighed mid-week and had lost three. It probably won't be any more than that this week, but I really think three pounds is more than enough for one week anyway.

Judy:

I was really amazed at your EDiet team competition. Do you do it over the internet? And how does it work? Sounds like great fun. How much more do you want to lose and how long have you been on Jenny Craig? Do you find that Jenny Craig and EDiets conflict at all? Just curious. How many is on your team. Tell us about it, please.

Kathy:

Congrats on the two pound loss. You are doing great. And congrats on getting rid of the bigger clothes. I knew you could do it and you helped someone else in the process. How do you like cooking some of your meals or have you done that yet? I ordered my cookbooks, but haven't received them yet. I'm so excited about cooking, I hope I'm not to disappointed.

Arlonne:

I'm so happy you are past the rough times and back on program. You are so sweet. I'm kind of selfish. I didn't want you to quit because I love talking to you. Do you think coming in each day the message boards is helping you to stay focused? It helps me. I'm just wondering if it helps others that way or if it just helps me in that way. If you keep the 10,000 steps per day up Arlonne, you will be at goal before you know it. Keep up the good work.

Barbara:

Oh, you mentioned shoes that don't fit and it triggered a big memory. I was really having a lot of pain last year and I was spending lots of money at the massage therapist. We talked extensively about what in the world could be causing my terrible back pain. And you know what? I finally figured out what it was. It was my shoes. They were old and worn out. You know run over in the heels and the like. Well, I replaced those shoes and guess what. No more back pain. It's amazing how something as simple as worn out shoes can make a difference in your health. I was absolutely miserable for months. Then I got the new shoes and the pain subsided almost instantly. I also wear Dr. Scholles inserts in all my shoes now too. They really help my feel from rolling when I walk. That's what ruins your shoes. It's the rolling motion of your feet when you walk. Walking is so much fun now. Just like you said.

Well, ladies. I guess I better go fix supper. It's that time again. Have a great day and I'll be back here tomorrow to see how everyone is doing.

Betty Jo

Hi everyone,
I am so excited....I lost 2.5 pounds last week! I actually think I'm losing inches right now even more...my pants and skirts are starting to feel looser...so good!!! I do believe it has to do with the increased walking I'm doing. When I was able to walk like this before my knee went out and the knee replacement, I was so much more toned and the "behind" was considerably smaller!

Hi Betty Jo,
Are you feeling any better? How did your weight loss go? You consistently lose more than I do, which tells me that you are doing everything they are telling you to do! (We had a real stomach flu come through here about a month ago, and most people were sick for over 2 days. I sure hope you don't have that! It's a tough way to lose weight!)

I was thinking back to your comments on the roses...google Dolly Parton rose, and a beautiful picture comes up. They are so big and full and a gorgeous brilliant deep red. I admire your tenacity in keeping your baskets and pots going when you are in Alaska, and sad that you can't do more with the roses in Kansas. They are such a day brightener for me!

Yes, coming to share every day is really helping me stay focused. It's funny, I didn't think it would matter that much, but I really look forward now to hearing how everyone is doing. You are important to me also...I look forward to each message from you, you are a tremendous encourager to me; I believe you are to all of us! How did your weight loss go? You are trying so hard, and are really sticking to the program...

And I agree about the shoes...they are critical. I found out the hard way with my tennis shoes...we are really not supposed to keep them for 3+ years like I was doing!

Hi Kathy,
Hooray for you! 2 more pounds!!! And I love your weight ticker!!! How fun!

You found a super place to donate your larger sizes to! I am sure they were thrilled to get them! And now they are gone, and you are free of that bigger stuff. After we emailed each other, I went through my clothes and pulled out 3 more skirts and a couple more tops, so you encouraged me to do it also.

Hi Judy,
I've heard of EDiet before, but never heard of the other things you mentioned...it does sound interesting! Thanks for clarifying your weight loss goals, it helps us to understand your way of thinking, and how we can help support you! I actually generally lose 1-1.5 pounds a week, and have since the second month I've done this. I am really hoping the extra walking and steps I'm able to do might speed it up slightly...I would be thrilled to be more at the 1.5-2 pound loss level from now til summer. We have a special anniversary coming up in June, and I'd love to be at a new lower weight then!

Hi Barbara,
How did your weigh in go? Please let us know...even if it's not what you wanted, we are here to encourage you not to give up, okay? There are weeks I've only lost a fraction of a pound, really being true to the program...sometimes I think our bodies just get "shook up" and decide enough! And hang on very tight to the weight for an extra week or two....

How are your iris plants doing? They look gorgeous all over town here....

Have a great day! I'm working in the back yard today, hence the sunglasses!

Hi Weight Loss Buddies:

I verified it today. Today is weighin. I lost 3 pounds this week, I'm thrilled to say. I'm 3.5 pounds from half way mark. Ya Hoo!!! I got my cookbooks today from JC and I'm ready to start learning how to cook Jenny Craig style. The recipes in there look pretty good. I'll keep you posted on that situation.

I want to tell all of you that I found a great place to get low-fat, low-calorie recipes on line. I saw an advertisement on TV the other day for Discovery Health channel. The recipes can be found at discoveryhealth.com. They have several chefs on there that teach you to cook healthy. Check it out.

I'm really anxious to measure on the 20th of April. Have any of you measured lately and how have you done? I've lost 22 inches so far since I started and I know I've lost more inches because my size 40C bras fit me. I was wearing a 42C. MayBE this is too much information !!! Anyway, I'm excited about it. I'm also in my LARGES!!!! I'm lovin it too. I've lost three sizes since I started Jenny too. It doesn't get any better than that.

We had a bad storm this afternoon. 100 mile winds. It broke all three of our bird houses off. My poor little birdies were scrambling. We also lost our farm carport. We had our farm truck under there and it got damaged too . We've got hit here by storms three years in a row. In 2005, we got hit by an ice storm and it tore our trees up. Lots of work to clean those up. In 2006, we had a hail storm. The hail was as big as baseballs. Our roof had to be replaced. Thank goodness the wind wasn't blowing at the time or we would have lost lots of windows. Now this year, the 100 mile winds. I CANT WAIT TO GET OUT OF THIS STATE!!!!

Good morning, weight loss buddies,

I'm new to this thread so am just checking in. I've been wearing my new pedometer all week and am surprised at how many steps I accumulate just in the course of daily life. Yesterday, for example, I clocked a total of 7,681 steps. That included walking to the ATM machine in the little shopping center next to my apartment building and 20 minutes on my stationary bike (20 minutes x 150 steps per minute = 3000).

My challenge is sticking to my meal plan on my days on my own. The meals themselves are not a problem. This week I made Brunswick stew in my crockpot and have six portions now in my freezer for future dinners. Also, I'm buying JC desserts now to avoid being tempted by having sweets on hand, but I'm still "sneaking" extra foods. This week I ate 2 oz of salted peanuts from the vending machine in my building. I wanted to "reward" myself for completing a PT session. Also, I ate 2 oz of low fat cheddar on two different occasions, once in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. On none of the three occasions was I hungry. It could have been worse, of course, and I've been okay since. I tend to become more compliant as WI day approaches.

We're finally had some nice weather, but it's supposed to get cold again.

California Lady: I asked my orthopedist how much my new knee weighs. He thought for a minute and said about 12 oz. I had a total. Had the right one done in 2000.

All the best,
Mary in Baltimore

Good morning Ladies - good to hear from all of you! The weather has turned to crap around here. Got 4" of snow last nite and supposed to get around 6" more today into tomorrow. Needless to say I didn't get outside to get any walking in. Went shopping yesterday so got some walking in there. Bought myself a swimsuit for when we are on vacation the end of the month. First one I have owned in about 20 years. We'll be going to the Mall of America so I am trying to get ready for that by doing more walking but the weather sure hasn't be co-operating.

Arlonne - Great loss - glad to hear everything is going good and that you are back on program. Keep up the good work!!

Betty Jo - Congrats on another 3# gone -- half-way is knocking on your door!!! Thanks on the tip on Discovery health - I will check that out for some ideas for the MOMO's.

Judy - Sounds like you are a very active person!! Wish I could say the same, but I am getting there little by little! Keep up the good work!!

Barbara - How are you doing? Did you have a WI since your last post? Hope you are still with us.

Mary - Good to hear from you. How long have you been at half-way and doing the MOMO's? I just started doing them this week and so far so good. I do the Jenny meal for dinner right now cause I'm afraid that will be the meal that will give me the biggest problem as far as eating more that I should. I feel better with sticking with the controlled portions with that one.

I have to work this afternoon and tomorrow so I guess I'd better get going and get my meals together to take along with me. I am so glad they have a microwave there to use. Will be checking in with everyone again tomorrow. Have a great day!!!

Kathy

Hi Mary:

Do you chew gum. I always take gum with me (sugarless of course) so that if I get a craving, I can chew some gum instead of eating a snack. You might try that. Also, the other thing that might work is to get some of those singels packets of lemonade, etc made by Crystal Light. You can put that in a cold bottle of water from a vending machine. You may be thirsty instead of hungry.

Just a couple of tips. Hope they work for you. If you don't chew gum, take some fresh veggies with you so that you can have them after PT.

Betty Jo

Hi everyone!
Mary in Baltimore,
you've now had both knees done...whew! Was this one any easier than the first one? I certainly hope so! 12 oz...that's a lot smaller than the one my doc had me use...did you get to see yours first? I got to hold it and look it over; what an amazing piece of machinery they are...and helpful, very helpful. My left knee is fine, the right knee went out due to a serious injury.

You can have nuts and lowfat cheese, you are probably aware of that! The exchanges are on the JC grocery list that fits in your wallet. I have some nuts about 1/2 the time, they exchange for a fat. 4 large or 10 small ones. I do go with the natural ones most of the time. lowfat cheese exchanges for a meat serving. So the days you have a bowl of cereal you get an extra meat, and I save it for lunch and add it there.

You're getting in some amazing amounts of steps! Good for you!

Kathy,
A new swimsuit! How fun! It sounds like a really great trip...that mall looks so amazing from the pictures I've seen.

Betty Jo,
3 birdhouses and your carport? WOW. And something else the past 2 years....I'm surprized you haven't bailed out of there yet!

too much information? Well, at least you're keeping more "upstairs" than I am! I'm at 38C now...moving quickly to a B...

I haven't been measured in about 6 months at the center, but track them at home fairly regularly...my counselor wants to measure again at the end of the month...so I'll let you know. I've lost a lot of inches also, hence the many reductions in sizes...and I notice my feet don't swell so much any longer. The knee replacement tends to still swell, probably always will and that foot swells when it swells. But that is manageable...

Kathy, please don't hate me....it's 80 here today...

Do something you love to do this weekend everyone! Life is too short! I will too!

Hi Kathy:

So sorry to hear about your weather. It's been crazy here too. I got my cookbooks today and I've been reading. There is a lot to read and learn. I wish I had known all this years ago. I probably wouldn't have been heavy all these years. But one thing we definitely have in our favor these days is that the companies are getting much better about what they produce for us to eat.

Good for you on the swimsuit. You will have so much fun. It's been forever since I've purchased a swimsuit. I really won't need one in Alaska anyway. They don't do much swimming up there except at gyms.

What kind of foods are you eating now that you are half way? I made a big mistake last night. My husband got a chuck roast at the store and made BBQ beef. Well, I'm here to tell you that that cut of meat is terribly greasy. I never really realized it before I went on JC, but when he took that thing out of the pressure cooker, the bottom of it was full of grease. And guess how many calories chuck roast has in it. 295 calories for 3 ounces. I should have looked that up before I ate it, but I didn't. I could have had a JC meal instead. Dah!! Well I'm sure I have a ton to learn and I'll probably make more mistakes. But the one mistake I won't make again is that I will remember that chuck roast is very high in calories.

Betty Jo

Good morning all,

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement and great suggestionsl

Tippler Grannie - I just finished my second week of two days of MOMO, so I think I'm still adjusting. Right after the knee replacement surgery, I had no appetite. I ate regularly because I'm a type 2 diabetic, but I wasn't hungry. Than my appetite returned, and about the same time I began to get more exercise.

Betty Jo - It's been so long since I chewed gum that I can't get very excited about the idea. Veggies, however, are another story, and I usually keep a six pack of the little cans of low sodium V-8 juice in the fridge which I sometimes drink to supplement the evening veggie. Thank I'll get some carrots the next time I go to the grocery.

California Lady - This recent knee replacement has been much easier. The one in 2000 was complicated by a PE (pulmonary embolism) that developed about two weeks after the surgery. It landed me in the hospital again, for the better part of a week, after which I took Coumadin (a blood thinner) for several months. This time, I started on Coumadin right after the surgery, and the doctor has already stopped it because a veinous doppler test showed no signs of a clot. Right before the surgery, the orthopedic surgeon said he might give me a knee desiged for women, but he would have to assess the situation first hand. Turns out I got a "regular" one, like the other one, which appears to be holding up fine. That's probably more than you wanted to know! I love nuts but tend to be compulsive about them. Thank you for the info about low fat cheese - I had forgotten. I have been skipping the afternoon snack, and it occurs to me that I might eat a small apple on my MOMO days.
All the best,
Mary in Baltimore

Hi everybody. I'm new here and enjoyed reading a bit about you all. Your struggles, support, wins, and stories. It is great to hear about the 60 plus crowd that still cares who we are and what we want to look like.

But it is weird recieving the JC motivational pics that are all of 30-ish year old women. Still looking good and got a shooting chance of it and still meaning a lot to there lives. I guess that is the target age group. Sometimes I think these sags will only get saggier.

Let me tell you a little 'bout me to get started. I originally did JC 1993 & 1994. Back then it was a 'lighter weight' issue than it is now. But I had reached my goal then (and now) of 180 lbs. Started this current plan 2 weeks ago at 235 lb and I'm at 231 lbs today. But the goal is the same as back then: 180 lbs. At least that is my first goal... and then I'll set a little more goal.... We'll see. I just want to see 180 again. It is harder for me to get enough exercise (which made me gain this in the first place) since I'm a bit handicapped which limits the type and amount of exercise I can do. All of that -- who woulda' thunk when I was a hyper person who people use to ask to gain weight that life would come to the other side.

Ok, here goes to another great week to you ...... and I hope for me.
Jo

Welcome, Jo, it's great to have you with us. I, too, have noticed the JC marketing emphasis on the 30-40 year-olds, which is interesting because Jenny Craig herself is well over 60. (I borrowed her biography from my JC "centre.") In the "Touchstones for Success" DVD, there is an older woman and a woman in a wheelchair, but they are the only exceptions I can think of to the prevailing, much younger image.

I'm inclined to be a couch potato, but have become converted to the notion that, for me anyway, there will not be long-term weight loss, and, I suspect, maintenance without daily exercise. I really suggest that you talk to your PC doctor and JCC about how you might begin to become more active. DVD's have been helpful for me: walking/"walk aerobics," even a Richard Simmons DVD; seated resistance exercise DVD's using light hand weights; and Qi Gong (precusor to Tai Chi) exercise DVD's for seniors and for people with joint pain.

Following a knee replacement a couple of months ago, I've resumed riding my stationary bike, and I'm walking more. I also bought a $20 pedometer to keep track of my steps. It's getting easier the more weight I lose and more stamina I've built up. I sleep better too.

These are just thoughts. I wish you the very best, and keep us posted.
Mary in Baltimore

Hello Ladies:

I'm had a great weekend. I was outside most of the day. Yipee!! The grass is greening up and the trees are budding. My goldfinches are a deep yellow again, so I know summer is on the way. It's going to be 27 degrees tonight and then in the 70's tomorrow. This weather can't make up it's mind. Now next month I'll probably be complaining because I'm too hot !!

Jo

Welcome back to Jenny Craig. I come into the message boards a lot and from reading the posts on the JC site, I have learned that JC has really improved since the 1990's. Probably because there are so many new products on the market now. I think you will find that JC works really well. I feel like I'm eating all the time and I've never felt that way on any other program. JC definitely has researched it all out and has developed something that fits every age group even though they do seem to market to the 30-40 year olds. I also learned by reading on the message boards, that you don't even have to exercise in the early stages of your weight loss journey and you will still lose weight. About one pound a week. So I really think you will do well regardless of your handicap. And please do come back and let us know how you are doing. I find it very theraputic to come into the boards daily. It etches the program in my mind and helps me to focus. If you have any challanges, the ladies on this thread are always happy to help too.

Mary

I loved your advice to Jo. Good job.

Well, guess I better get in the tub. It's about my bedtime. See you all back here tomorrow.

Betty Jo

Hi Everyone,
What a weekend! I got to love up my grandbaby boy Fri-Sat, and we had so much fun having the whole family together here again! I made halibut on the barbeque, along with roasted veggies, and a big spinach salad with balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, fat free feta cheese from Trader Joes, and it was all good...everyone was very pleased! And a real win for my diet! It was HOT here all weekend, over 90, but tomorrow is supposed to moderate once again. We drank 6 quarts of iced tea Saturday! This close to the beach, we don't own air conditioning, so it really got warm.

Welcome Jo! You got a lot of good advice already, we're glad you are here! You'll get lots of support from everyone! By the way, you have a lovely smile! (I peeked at your profile!)

Hi Mary,
WOW! You really had a lot to deal with your first knee replacement! I'm so glad this one is going so much better for you! Mine was real tough, also, since it was from an injury and had already had extensive surgery in my late 30's on it. My doc said it was his most difficult one ever...he's done 1100+ knees! But I am doing very well now, and glad of it.

Hi Betty Jo,
You sound like you had so much fun this weekend! I bet your goldfinches are beautiful! We actually saw a golden eagle last week...he tends to come around for a day or so this time of year. I think he goes after the other birds' nests, because he sure had the crowd of birds harassing him and attacking him! He left pretty quickly!

Time to wrap it up here...in spite of the time it says I'm posting, it really is around 9:45 Sunday evening! Good night, all!

Thanks everybody for a great welcome!

Yesterday, I cheated and ate 'Poppycock'. Hubby had to go to Sam's which is 60+ miles away. And you know what happens when you walk into Sams.... I wanted to buy veggies and fruit to compliment my JC. And I did. But hubby isn't on this diet. Actually, he was never ever heavy and at the age of 63 (2 years ago), he inherited his family's diabetes. He went on the instant 'fear diet' and lost 40 lbs. It was hard to get under control. He had never had bad sugar counts until suddenly it just kicked in. For some reason, he has a 60lb weight loss now. Hubby is much much too thin now. The doctor is trying to figure out why. Hubby feels much better tho and thats why it's my time for JC. I got to catch 'down' with him. LOL. Anyway, he bought Reeses cups -- not to worry, I dont like them. He bought those peanust butter filled pretzels. We both love them.... I can hold myself back. But, the Poppycock just opened in front of me.

And I was having a bad life day Saturday. I had loss 4 lbs the first 2 weeks..... and Saturday was weigh-in day. Grief! All 4 lbs were there (before Poppycock). Today is Monday, and it's looking better........ not all gone tho. I think I need to drink more water. What have you guys found with drinking lots and lots of water? I know what the rules are and what the professionals say. But it really never seems to effect me. Do you add more water?

Ok - exercise. Today my goal was to get the spare bedroom converted to a workout room. I don't need a lot of room and the guest bed is a murphy bed. So, there is room. Do you all do exercise every day? I tried wearing the pedometer. haha! My whole day consisted of 1/2 mile. So, I took it off. Could you give me a hint what you all 'ped'? I'd love the stationary bike..... maybe someday.

Its nice meeting you all and receiving the encouragement.
All of the new knees. My. My. They told me one day that I might need mine replaced. But so far - no problem.
JO

Hi Jo,
My husband has diabetes also. He's been diagosed for 3 years now, is on medication only once a day now that he's dropped a few pounds. You have had a time of it haven't you? that Poppycock stuff is very good...but I can resist that easily. Aren't I the good one? Right! I, on the other hand, LOVE Reeses Peanut Butter Cups...I really really love them. I can't have them in the house...they sing to me, I swear!

I do drink a lot of water every day. I probably average 8-10 glasses a day. I just go for it first. (I weaned myself off diet Pepsi about 6 months ago, and that helped me a lot.) I also like Pelegrino mineral water, and I probably drink 16 oz of it in a day also. Plus my morning coffee with 1% milk in it.

Exercise...well, I personally walk a lot. I try to walk an hour 4-6 days a week, depending on the weather. I do wear my pedometer every day most of the time. I find it spurs me on to get a little more walking in when I really don't want to anymore! I only have 6000 steps in, I just now looked at it, so I'll get up after this and walk down to the mailbox...that'll help!

I do have JC balance ball, and I do really like it....

Just keep at it, and the weight will go down. Even if you just have to eat something "normal" once in awhile, go right back on the diet, and keep on keeping on! Everyone slips and that is okay. Actually my husband is on the diet, more on than off. And he does keep losing slowly irregardless of all the little breaks he gives himself!

Have a good day tomorrow; I go in on Wednesday again to weigh in.... tomorrow should be an easier day for me than today was, I am so tired! I had signed on to help 2 families with meals tonight, and I did get it done, but now I am tired! That was a lot of cooking! We did eat it for dinner also...chicken caccitore, made the way Giada makes it on the Food Network. It is yummy, and really pretty healthy....

Good Morning Ladies,

So good to hear from all of you. I've been away from the boards a couple of days. I worked all weekend and have had a nasty sinus infection the last couple of days. Been feeling like crap and having a hard time getting the food in. Been feeling really bloated and stuffed up so I jumped on the scale this morning and I'm up 2#. So, I made up my mind to try to get all my food in I'm supposed to eat today. I think it is really wierd how not eating everything can mess you up!! I also have to try to do better with getting the fluids in - been really slacking with the water.

We ended up getting about 10" of snow over the weekend - really getting sick of it. But it looks like we finally have some nice weather coming. Supposed to get in the 60's today and tomorrow so that should melt a lot of it. I have to start using my pedometer again, just to see where I am at with the steps. I haven't got much exercise in at all over the last few days, just laying around a feeling miserable so now that I am feeling a little better today I decided I am going to push myself to get something done.

Jo - I hear you - the poppycock would be hard for me to resist too!! I can leave the chocolates alone pretty good but I have real problems with the salty type snacks.

Arlonne - keep up the good work with the walking. I have a long way to go to catch up with you! Glad you get to see the new grandbaby often.

Betty Jo -- sounds like you had a great weekend!! The pot roast sounds so good----- to bad it has to have so many calories and the fat!! I guess there some things we will not be able have anymore or at least not very often. I am not a big fan of beef but I love pork and that is even worse! I had some chop suey last Sunday. I did watch my portion size but I know there was way more fat in it that what I should have had.

Well, I'm off to try to get some cleaning done and hopefully get my walk in this afternoon. Will check in with everyone again tomorrow. Have a great day!!
Kathy

Hello Ladies:

Well after those terrible storms last week, I think we may have some good weather coming. I'm so excited. The wind keeps blowing though. I hate the wind. Besides being distructive, it's cold.

Kathy
We can still have regular pot roast. Like round and butt. My husband just told me to get chuck and I didn't even think about it. I like pork too. You can have pork, Kathy. The loin cut. We have it all the time and it tastes just like pork chops or even better. I've just got to keep those old habits from creeping back now that I'm considering cooking at home. I should be at half way this week. Very excited.

Jo
Don't you just love it when the husbands bring these high calorie things home and they are just sitting around saying "Eat me, Eat me?". I finally told my husband that if he wanted those high calorie snacks, he had to hide them from me. He loves potato chips and Fritos. I'm not much on those, but he also love the little turtle chocolate candies. Now I can't resist those, so I told him to hide them from me. So he does. I want to change my eating habits and having that stuff sitting around all the time does not help. It doesn't mean I can't ever have them. It just means I have to limit the amount I eat.

Mary
I was at one time having trouble with my knee popping out. The doctor gave me some exercises to strenghen the muscles around the knee. They worked great. It doesn't do it anymore. How did you injure your knee?

Have a great day everyone.

Good Morning Ladies,

Well, I gained 1.2# this week - got the 1# off before WI anyhow. I'm feeling really frustrated with myself - been messing with the same 5# seems like forever. At least I didn't go over my halfway mark.

It was beautiful here yesterday - actually hit 60 degrees and I did get out for my little walk and got 2 rooms cleaned. This miserable cold I have still has me draggin a little but I think making myself do something yesterday helped with the blah way I was feeling.

I did something yesterday I haven't done in years!! My husband was outside working in the garage and there was this song playing at the end of a movie that was on TV and I actually DANCED thru the whole thing!! I haven't been able to dance without my knees or hip aching for a long long time and I couldn't believe I made it thru the whole song. If anyone had been watching they would have had a good laugh and probably think I was ready for the funny farm!

Betty Jo - I didn't realize we could have the pork. Thought that would be a no-no forever. Would a pork chop be allowed if it was either grilled or fried in the canola oil? The canola spray say no fat so is that o.k. to use? I've been using it to fry my egg in when I make my own egg muffin sandwich. Hope you have a great WI tomorrow!!!

Hope everyone has a great day and a good WI this week! I put my pedometer on today to see how many steps I get in. When I last used it I was very luck to get in 2000 steps so I am anxious to see if I am doing any better now days. I'll check in again with everyone tomorrow.
Kathy

Hi Everyone,
I lost 1.6 pounds, hooray! I'm still not totally recovered from my terrific gain a few weeks back, but am almost even now! I've been really doing the walking a lot, and I think it's helping. The warmer weather is helping also.

Kathy,
I don't know how you are doing it, I've really got to hand it to you! You live with really harsh weather, and are still doing so well. You should be very proud of yourself! And you know, adjusting to 2 half days is a big deal; your body is getting used to that now also. Plus you dealing with the portions on your own food...and a sinus infection. YUK.

betcha had fun dancing!

Betty Jo,
I love pot roast...it's been forever since I've had it. Yours did sound just so yummy!

It's just a normal day here, nothing much interesting happening.....did some gardening, trying to pull out the weeds before they get too settled and happy! We killed a gazillion snails over the weekend and now my new little annuals are blooming again. I hate snails. Kathy, at least you don't have those, do you?

You all have a good one, all right???

Hi Everyone:

My hubby and I spent the entire day in town shopping and doing errands. I'm tired. Got my walking in for the day. We are getting our house ready to put on the market. So we work from the time we get up until eveing just about every day. It's a real challenge trying to get a 3,500 sq. ft. house and 80 acres ready to sell. I'm ready for something a little smaller. After we sell, we want to purchase about 2 acres and a house (about 2,000 sq. ft.). We have found that it's a lot easier to upsize than it is to down size because your furniture won't fit into a smaller house, you have to sell out and start all over.

Hi Kathy:

Don't worry about the slip up. It's no big deal. You have shown that you can handle it by losing to the half way mark. Okay about the pork. If you look at the Jenny's Grocery List on page 70 of Jenny's Success Made Simple booklet, it lists the lean meats that you can have on program. If you are eating beef, once ounce of round, sirloin, flank, tenderloin, chuck roast (too fatty for me), T-bone, porterhouse are considered lean meats (but remove visible fat). Acceptable pork cuts are tenderloin and chop. I don't fry anything anymore. I bake it, but if you want a pork chop, you can fry it, but you have to count the oil and breading. So a fried pork chop is not completely off limits. Personally, the pork loin baked in the oven with Shake and Bake on it works for me. Have you ever tried Shake and Bake. It's pretty close to the real thing? If you eat some of the Higher Fat Meats listed on page 71, you have to count them as a meat plus one fat. I hope you have the spiral book. I use it religiously when I eat out. It's a big help. I hope I didn't confuse you. One thing to remember so you don't gain weight. When I do meals on my own, I always count calories so I don't go over 1500. Just to be safe.

Keep on dancing and I'll see you here again tomorrow.

Hi Arlonne:

I didn't realize snails were a problem in California. Sounds gross. We have trouble with cut worms in Kansas and then the moles come into the yard and make a mess of the lawn because they eat the little critters. So we have to kill cut worms each year or your yard looks like a hilly race track for moles. Most of the flowers I have in my yeard are perennials and come back each year. I don't plant annual anymore, but when I go back to Alaska, I will have to do the annuals again.

I haven't eaten chuck roast in a long time. 15 weeks to be exact. I didn't realize it was so fatty until we had it last week. I don't even like it anymore. Yuk.

Sounds like you are back on track. Congrats on the loss. I have lost 1 pound this week. Another slow down. But I'm happy with anything. I got the pictures back today that I took of myself in the beginning when I started JC and then pictures of me the other day after losing 40 pounds. To me, I don't really see a lot of difference except around my middle. I didn't realize it but a lot of my weight was centered around my mid-section. I'm going to put them up on my blog soon and then I'll send everyone my blog address so you can go in and see my before an after pictures. Or I guess I should say my before and mid-way pictures. Have a great evening. I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Betty Jo

Hi Betty Jo,
moving is just so hard; I really feel for you. I've had to move a lot and it's hard. We've lived in this house now for 5 years and hope not to move for awhile yet. How are the prices holding up in your area? Here on the coast we've taken a big hit; prices have gone down around 30% from the high, my guess.

Snails are gross. They are slimy and disgusting and eat everything and reproduce like crazy. From what I understand, these were originally brought here from Europe for escargo, and here they have no natural enemies....so they are highly destructive and no critters go after them. Birds, moles gophers, anything at all won't touch them. But you can drown em in beer...really! put a pie pan out and a can of cheap beer, and they all crawl in and I assume die happy! Or you can put poison of one kind or another out. We are using the poison route, we get the same "safe for humans and animals" stuff they put on the strawberry fields here.

When we lived in Iowa they had cut worms...wow! they are really awful!

I have a dinner out with a girl friend tonight in about an hour. We're going to Olive Gardern, it's in the Dining Out guide so a real help for times like this.

You must have the more apple shape; correct? My sis in law has an apple shape, her arms and legs and face are thin, but her middle section is out of proportion. She just gets so discouraged, she's not a whole lot overweight, maybe 20-30 pounds, but every bit of it is in her mid section. And 54 years old. For me, it's pretty even, except heavier on the bottom and thighs. So my face in particular looks better than it did. And hence, I've been able to drop sizes quite a bit....

Try to do something enjoyable in the midst of all your hard work! Are you beginning any of your packing yet?

Kathy,
I hope you're starting to feel a little better.... I used to struggle with sinus infections every winter. The last one I had the doc said to start faithfully using a saline nose spray called Ocean...I haven't had one since. I don't know why it works for me, but it does!

talk to all of you again soon!

Good Morning Ladies,

Glad to say I've finally gotted rid of the sinus problems and doing much better. Arlonne, thanks for the tip on the ocean - I will look for it next time I am out shopping. Nothing else seems to work for me so it is worth a try!!

Helped the step-daughter move yesterday. I didn't do much in the line of carrying things but drove her back and forth - a 1 1/2 hour drive each way. She didn't have anything in the line of furniture to move - basically clothes and personal items so it wasn't too bad. Hopefully she will stay put for awhile now.


I didn't get my walk in yesterday with all the running around and now it is raining today - at least it isn't snow again. Lots of the snow has melted the last few days - pretty much just the big banks left from where the plowing builds them up and in the wooded areas yet.

Betty Jo - those snail sound really disgusting, and they do so much damage. Do you have a date set for when you are moving? Sounds like you will be keeping pretty busy with getting everything ready. I didn't know you could use shake and bake. Does it count as a starch?

Arlonne - How did your dinner out go? Hubby and I went to a local restaurand for lunch yesterday - I had a chef's salad and was stuffed when I was finished with it. I haven't been to Olive Garden for many years but I really love their food. We don't have many choices of where to eat around here - Just McDonalds and a couple of small family restaurants.

How are the rest of you ladies doing? Hope to hear from you all.

Well, I'm off to do some baking and cooking, which will probably keep me busy the rest of the day. We're going down to my daughters for another birthday party so I am making a couple of things to bring along that I can eat plus some goodies for them. She doesn't bake at all and I love to so that way I can bake and get rid of most of the stuff. Also, my friend with cancer is now terminal. She is just on pain meds now to try to keep her comfortable. I am going to bring a few goodies over there for her family. They are pretty busy now just tending to her.

Hope everyone has a great day!! I'll check in with everyone again tomorrow before we take off for the weekend.

Kathy

Hello Everyone:

I have been very busy getting the house ready to sell. We built it five years ago, so it's pretty new. Not many problems or things to do. Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. We plan to move as soon as the house sells. The prices of houses are holding pretty study here I think. We will know more after we talk to the appraiser and the realtor. If we don't get what we want out of it or if we have to take a loss, we will not move. My husband seems to think we will be okay, but I'm a little pessimistic to say the least. We may have to wait to sell it.

Kathy:

If Arlonne's solution doesn't work on your future sinus infections, I have another idea. They make a little pot that looks like a small teapot. It's plastic and you can get it at Walmart. There is a salt solution that comes with the pot. You pour it in there, add warm water and then tip the pot in the side of your nose. It will filter through your sinuses and clean them out leaving the salt solution in there to heal your sinuses. Same idea as the Ocean solution I think only I don't like squirting solutions in my nose. The warm water in the Netty Pot and the saline solution feels so gooooood, especially if you have an infection in there.


The Shake and Bake I think counts as a half a bread exchange, but I'm not sure. I always just count calories on the days I eat MOMO's so that I don't have to guess. The books JC provides don't always have all the exchanges for things.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I'll pray for her. My mom died with cancer and it was pitiful. I don't envy the family. It's hard.

Arlonne:

Good luck on your dinner out at Olive Garden. You will do fine. In answer to your question about my shape. Yes, the weight goes on all over, but mostly in the middle. It's very frustrating. I was comparing the pictures from when I weighed 250 pounds and then 210 pounds. I lost most of the weight in my middle and I really couldn't tell I'd lost weight anywhere else. That's very sad isn't it?

I have started to pack a little bit Arlonne. We sold one of our living room sets. So we don't have near the surfaces to put my pretty things on. We had three sofas and four recliners. We are only taking two sofas and four recliners because we want a house with a den and living room. Just a little smaller. Probably about 2,000 sq. ft. The house I'm in now is so hard to keep clean. It's 3700 sq. ft. plus a 600 sq. ft garage. It's an every day job to keep clean if I do it right. We also want a house that's all on one level because we are getting older and it's harder for us to go up and down the steps. My husband may have to have a hip replacement, so we really don't need steps to make it harder on him.

Well, ladies. Hope you have a great evening. I'll check in again tomorrow to see how you are doing.

Betty Jo