Happy Halloween...Oct. 31, 2009....Saturday

Good Morning, Sister W.W.F.F.,

We had some missing this morning. Angie, Jennie, Edi, (but I did see Edi's car when I was leaving, hum?), Louis, (and I found out Louis is returning from Africa), Denise, Michelle, our Becky, Jana...where were you????? Rhonda, but we know where Rhonda is. Just know you all were missed, and if I missed some names, like Kathy F. & Amy. So if you were not there and I missed your name, just know you were missed.

Big news today....Jennifer is a full-fledged not paying Weight Watcher member...Congrats Jennifer, you done good!!!!!

Lisa B. was back, with that beautiful smile she has, and she got her "Mommy fix" in last week, by going and seeing her daughter in California. It was great to have you back Lisa.

I call Sally every Saturday morning after Weight Watchers, as she does the same with me on Tuesday's. Well, Sally had a great N.S.V. that happened. Ted (Sally's husband) made some chocolate chip cookies, and Sally ate just one, and has not been tempted by the rest of them at all, and the plate was sitting on the counter. WAY TO GO WISCONSIN SALLY!!!!!!!!!!

The first wealth is Health.

Last week we talked of Good health guideline, so this week its part 2.

Liquids? Any liquid counts, some have to be done in moderation, water is also the best for us, but drink those liquids.

Healthy Oil? Sunflower, Olive, Canola, Saffron. All these oils are healthy oils. We need out oils to have healthy skin, hair and nails. Sauté with oil is great, and you can add a teaspoon to your soups, and never know its in there.

Vitamin Supplements? If your eating the healthy guidelines/food pyramid, then you may not need to supplement with vitamins. That is a personal choice.

Activity? Come on, we have to have activity. Even parking further away from the doors of the store. Read something interesting on e-tools and that was walk around the entire store before you begin your grocery shopping. But, if you don't have time for that, then just go up and down each isle, and the no no isles, walk really fast.

Sugar & Alcohol? Lordy, Lordy, me and Sugar.....not a pretty site. Hello, my name is Joan and I'm a sugarholic. Moderation, and I am so envious of people that can moderate themselves when it comes to sugar. That is my goal for this week, getting off the sugar.

So what are you going to do this week to begin making better choices?

Next weeks topic. MOTIVATION!!!!!!!!!!!! We are really going to need that with the time of year that is upon us.

Everyone it was great to see you all, and wishing everyone a wonderful week.

10-29-09..Thursday,

"I didn't get here by dreaming about it or thinking about it-I got here by doing it."

Estee Lauder

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

How many times have we had some event coming up, or we have to go somewhere that there will be people that have not seen us in awhile, and some of our thoughts are, ''wish I could be 20 pounds lighter." For some of you it may have never happened, but for me that thought crossed my mind more than I care to remember. Funny thing is, just thinking about losing weight just does not seem to work, unless of course you put your shoulder to the wheel and do a bit of pushing.

I just about bet if not today, by tomorrow and for sure by Saturday there will be some of us saying, ''if only I had stopped at my 35 bonus points on Sunday." I've said it before and I will repeat myself, ''indulgences are fine, if you can get back in control." I can never seem to get back in control after letting myself go for the weekend. Even while I was away I let myself go, and it has been a struggle to get myself back in control, but I have gotten myself back on track. However, this is not to say that I have not hit a few bumps in the road this week, but I do feel good about the choices I am making.

Yesterday I was at Target and the lady in front of me, was buying all these bags of candy. She was a large woman, and she was talking to the person in front of her, and I still think it was only cause that person was looking at the candy woman with eyes of, ''you don't need that." The candy buyer for whatever reason felt the need to explain why she was buying all this candy. It was for ''the office". I stood there waiting for my turn at the check out and my thought went right back to myself not long ago, when I was buying things that I did not need and felt the need to explain it to someone that gave me a discerning look. As I got to the van, the candy lady was in the row ahead of me, and I saw her opening a bag of the candy, and she was eating from it right then and there, and my thought was, ''if not for the Grace of God, and the support I get from my Weight Watcher Sister's and Friends that would be me." I felt sad for this woman cause I knew exactly how she had to be feeling. We struggle, and we do need to take it one day at a time, sometimes it's one minute at a time. The good news is we have each other to lean on. When we feel we can no longer continue this journey, we have our Sister Weight Watcher Friends to circle the wagons and help us fend off those negative thoughts and feelings. I'm not sure why I felt the need to share this story this morning, but I have wondered about that woman that bought the candy several times, and I know it was cause I could see myself in her.

10-28-09...Wednesday

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

Yesterday I was reading an article about looking back on how far you have come on your weight loss journey. Ever once in a while I look back to where I was this time last year to where I am today, and even though I at times still don't think I've done ''good enough'' (and that thinking depends on my frame of mind at the moment) I do know if I had just maintained for the year, I've done something amazing. In this article there were something like 13 ways to get your motivation back if you have lost it. Some of those ways were actually pretty good, some I felt as if the writer was just filling in space. So I wanted to share a few of those ideas with you this morning.

1. Lift the weight you have lost. My first thought was, ''I may be able to do that on the leg press machine, but lifting that much weight from the floor, do not think I am ready for that."

2. Make a promise to yourself. If we make a promise to someone else there is no way we will break that promise, but ever notice how we get up of the morning promising ourselves, ''today I am going to be the poster child for Weight Watchers, only by lunch time or even as early as mid morning we fall by the way side." We need to realize it is vital that we keep our promises to ourselves as well as to others we make promises to.

3. Dance. Who cares if you feel stupid dancing around the house by yourself. Think of the activity points you would be racking up as well as the calories your burning from not only moving, and the laughing you will be doing.

4. Get out your sexiest outfit. Have to tell you all, I do not own a ''sexie'' outfit, ha ha. But, that still does not mean you cannot find something you want to wear in your goal size, hang it up where you will see it daily, and visualize yourself wearing that outfit.

5. Look in the mirror. Looking in the mirror's had been something I avoided like the plague until I began to lose weight. Now there is not a mirror anywhere, that I do not stop and take a double take, still asking myself, ''who is that person?"

6. Chart your progress. Does not have to be scale related progress, even thought that is what we tend to measure our success with. Look for those N.S.V.'s that we talk about.

7. Attend your meeting. This one was not mentioned in the article I was reading, but to me, getting to our Weight Watchers meeting is very important where our success is concerned. I'm sure there are people out there who can walk this journey alone, but I am not one of those people. I need to know there are others out there with the same struggle. I took in the evening meeting at TJ on Monday, and a lady I chatted with before the meeting, said to me, ''I did not know you could go to other meetings." So if you are struggling, then maybe try taking in an extra meeting this week.

As you can see the things I have listed, are things we have heard over and over again. So pick one or more and give it a try. Work at getting motivated again.

10-27-09............Tuesday

"Have the dogged determination to follow through to achieve your goal; regardless of circumstances or whatever other people say, think, or do." Paul Meyer

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

I really hope each and everyone of you had a chance to get out and enjoy some of yesterday's beautiful day. I even took ''The Bob" for a drive yesterday. We drove through Cave Hill. Stayed longer than planned but we always do since we get lost in there and it takes me forever to find my way out, ha ha.

Determination. Do you have it? Do you know how to get it? Well, do you want it?

Many times we tell ourselves we are determined only to get side tracked by the least little thing. There are some people that I honestly believe came from the womb with determination and as they grew so did that determination. You know the old saying, ''some have it some don't." That can apply to many things, but we can all get the determination, but like everything else, ''it takes hard work." Some people have no problem with the hard work part, and you see them being successful. Then there are those of us, that had rather wait for that "magic cure." You know about the magic cure for weight loss, well it is a myth, but it goes something like this, "Magic cure for weight loss. You don't have to drink water, you can drink real coke all day if you want, you don't have to exercise and your heart, lungs and bones will get stronger. All that is required is you eat candy, ice cream, cookies and cakes, watch TV, while lounging on the couch, and the pounds mystically fall right off." Yes, that is bogus, but isn't that how so many of the weight loss ads make it sound. Here again you would have to have determination, just to sit on that couch.

Do you want that determination? Look deep inside yourself and you will find that answer. You will have to be honest with yourself, not all of us will find that determination, but it is in you.

10-26-09...........Monday

"If you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as another." Unknown

Good Monday Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

Welcome Home Lisa B. sounds as if your time in California was just what you needed.

Y'All have no idea how badly I just wanted NOT to get up and get ready for the gym this morning. I am such a creature of habit, and when I stop doing something it sure does not take me long to continue not to want to begin again. However, vacation is over, the gym is waiting for me, and I have no excuse at all for not going and getting in my exercise, and even though I know I am going to be huffing and puffing, and at times cursing that elliptical, when it's all over and done with I will be happy that I got up early and got my workout in.

Excuses, we can find a million and one of them for not doing something. Can't make it to Weight Watchers on Saturday morning it is just too early. Guess what, Saturday morning is not the only time there is a Weight Watchers meeting. Oh I know its not our meeting, but if you are really serious about your weight loss journey, then you will find a way. Never fear before too long our clocks will be turned back an hour so then Saturday morning won't seem so early, ha.

Here is the one of my all time favorite excuses. I have to cook two different meals, one that I can eat and one the family can eat. Yeah, I used to use that same logic, but then I got real and said, ''if you eat here, then you'll eat what I eat." So far no one has turned down a dinner invitation. The Weight Watcher friendly recipes that I use are great, and in this family we have one that I know the only time he eats anywhere near healthy is when he eats over here.

I think it has to do with we as women feel the need to ''serve" everyone else and their whims. Not so, we have to think of ourselves as well, and what will be best for us. Even now that I have downed my first cup of coffee, and by the way I make it extra strong, I am still searching for an excuse to go back to bed. I just bet that guy I have mentioned to you all before, the one with the one leg shows up at the gym this morning. I see him and I am ashamed that I have tried to wimp out on doing what I know is best for me. God's way of saying, ''Joan, off your butt and get moving."

We celebrated a birthday here last night. Bob's youngest son Marc, his birthday was on Friday. So we had dinner here last night. I made lasagna, spinach salad, and I did not bake a cake. Marc got a store bought cake, and I had planned on having a piece of it last night, but by the time the cake was being served, I had talked myself out of eating it. So for me that was my N.S.V. So far, I am back on track with my eating, and today will begin getting back on track with my exercising.

No excuses will be accepted here today, so get out there and make it a good day.:) You/Me/We can do this and just think how much better we will feel.

10-25-09..........Sunday a new day.

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

Steve Prefontaine (1951-1975) American Olympic runner

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

I just want it to be known that being at yesterday's meeting and getting back on track was/is wonderful. Taking a break is fine, but getting back to ones normal routine....well, there is a lot to be said for that as well.

Something to think about today. This time last year where were you in your weight loss journey? Where are you in that same journey today. Are we giving it our best? Yesterday I began thinking back to this time last year. I was recovering from a knee replacement, in September of last year we got hit with the Hurricane. So many things have happened, and for some of us, some have been good, and some have been sad things. But, today we are going to focus on ''the gift'' we are giving ourselves. The gift of good health. It is wonderful to be a smaller size, not having my thighs rubbing together, I can actually wear cords now without sounding like my own ''one man band.'' Come on some of you know what I'm talking about. So I'm a smaller size, the scale has a smaller number, but the, and pardon the pun, icing on the cake is, my heart is getting much less of a workout, as well as my other internal organs, from not being surrounded by all that blubber. We all want to look better, but for me I have been amazed at how much better I actually feel. Less joint pain, I can go up and downs stairs without thinking, ''I may pass out". The steering wheel on the van does not rub my belly anymore, and at times I have to ask ''when did that happen? How did that happen?" The when it happened is not as important to me as the ''how''. This month will mark 4 or 5 years for me on Weight Watchers, and no I did not always give it my best. At times I tried to convince myself I was giving it my best, but deep down, I knew what was really the truth. Have I missed out on anything by not getting to my goal earlier? I don't think I have. As I have said before, I don't think I would have been ready for goal any earlier. We all have our own time table, we all have our own problems that seem to be standing in our way of doing the best we can. Maybe today is the day each of us need to take a stand and promise ourselves ''to give it our best."

We are into the time for comfort foods, so find ways of making that food you love more points friendly. This month's cooking light magazine has some great recipes, as well as the new Weight Watchers magazine. I would also like to encourage each of you if you do have a recipe that you like please share it with the rest of us.

We are works in progress. I'm never going to look like a movie star, why should I, there is no movie star that looks like me, ha. This week I am working hard to do the best I can to lose the weight I gained while I was gone. I can and will do it, no the five plus pounds won't be gone by next week, but they will be in the process of leaving. All that is required is that, ''I do my best."

10-24-09.........Saturday after the meeting.

Hey Sister W.W.F.F.,

Edi, Jenny, Lisa B., Louis, Michelle, Betty, Jana, Mary, Kathy F., Angie, Amy......you all were missed today. I know Lisa B. is in California, but where were the rest of you. Betty, are you still traveling??

What was the reason you joined Weight Watchers?

Feeling better

An upcoming event

Not wanting to buy that next larger size.

Whatever the reason maybe or may have been, we all joined for the same reason....to lose weight.

Weight Watchers teaches us the Good Health Guidelines, but it is up to us to put the action to those. So are you getting in those fruits and vegetables, your milk products, how about the lean protein, remember that will help to keep us from doing so much grazing, and last but not least our whole grains. All these together make up our healthy guidelines. So how can we make the Good Health Guidelines a habit? Well first off we have to be willing to change, and as we all know that can be really hard, but it can be done. Reading labels, making better choices, those would be my top two choices.

quote for the week: To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an act."

Today I weighted in as planned, and yes I was up, but no surprise, the amount was 5.6 pounds, and ever notice how fast we can put weight on, but how slow it comes off. Well, I had my indulgences, and I know for a fact that I am not nor will I ever be cured of the vicious cycle of poor eating. Yesterday was the first really good, on track, food tracking day I had in the past two weeks. As I told Toni, when I weighed in the Saturday before I left the following Friday that was when my head was telling me....go for it...and that was what I did. I went for everything that I could get my hands on. I have learned another lesson here, but to say I will NEVER fall victim to those bad habits, well, I would be just kidding myself. I can just hope it will be a really long time down the road before I fall as hard as I did the past two weeks.

So no need for me to beat myself up as of yesterday I am moving on, I will get back down to 168 and it will take time. I'm worth the work it will take.

I have returned.

I got home yesterday, and as usual my feet hit the ground running. Could not stand the floors here being as nasty as they were, so there was vacuuming being done, as well as moping all the floors that needed mopped. I will never understand people that spill stuff on the kitchen floor and instead of cleaning it up, walk through it and track it everywhere. I have finally had to ask myself this question, ''is it really worth getting away?"

My eating was totally off the wall while I was gone. It is very hard to go somewhere else when they have all the good stuff around, (candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream), but you know no one tied me up and force fed me all the bad stuff, I did that freely, and am going to have to deal with the consequences of my choices. I knew exactly what I was doing, and I knew exactly what the end result would be. So just have to pull up the old big girl panties and move on. When I find out if I have to pay if I"m up tomorrow that will decide if I weigh in tomorrow or not.

Question here. What do you do when someone you love with all your heart is eating themselves into a lot of health problems or an early grave? Telling someone else they need to lose weight is very tricky, and being honest is even worse. However this person has not asked for my help, but it is a young person, one that I would give my life for, but this young person needs to lose well over a 100 pounds, but I can't see it happening, and even if I did say something all that would happen is, this person would get very upset. I guess the only thing I can do is pray for this person.

Hope everyone that drops by has a wonderful day.

Friday

I will be gone for a week. So won't be any blogging done on my part. I wish every one that stops by well, and just a reminder to hang in there.

Take care,
Joan

10-16-09........Friday

"Nobody ever did, or ever will escape the consequences of their choices."

Sometimes I think, free will and choices are not the best thing for us. Or maybe I should say its not the best thing for me. I think we all want to make the right choice do the right things, but there are times we are going to fall short. At the end of the day all we can do is look back and say, ''I have done the best I can." But then I think we have to also asked ourselves, ''Did I really do the best I could have?" There is always going to be something to throw us off track. We will find more reason's to beat ourselves up over a slip, that we will ever find reason's to pat ourselves on the back when we do good.

When we get up of the morning our choices determine how our day is going to progress. Now grant you, sometimes the choices we make are not of our own doing. For instance, what if you go out to get in the car to head for work or school, and you have a flat tire. Trust me, not a good way to begin the day. Not long ago, I got up ready to hit the gym at dark 30, only to get to the garage, and find my car battery was dead. Now that set my entire day off to a bad beginning.

There is no way we will ever be able to escape the occasional dead battery, flat tire, pint of B&J that we found hidden in the back of the freezer, nor will be ever be able to escape the consequences of the choices we make on how we are going to let these things control our day. All we can ever do is our best, and we all know when we have truly done our best.

10-15-09.........Thursday

" Remember to stop and smell the roses."

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

This weeks topic is about taking care of ourselves. So what are some of the things you do to take care of yourself? There are some that are just obvious, such as eating right, exercise, getting plenty of rest, which is very important this time of year due to flu season. But what do you do that is fun for you? I think doing something fun, is as beneficial to our good health as the exercise, and eating right.

Our lives are so busy, we care for everyone around us, and we get put on the back burner. It is hard to put ourselves first, but if we don't take care of ourselves, we can't expect to take care of those that depend on us.

Since my trip to Oregon back in May, I have replaced watching TV with reading. Found an author that I really enjoy, and where I would watch TV before going to sleep at night, I have replaced that with reading. As soon as I get Bob ready for bed, the next 30-45 minutes are all mine, and I spend it reading. Never was a person that read more than a magazine article, or the newspaper, but I have found reading a book to be such a treat, and since it is something I enjoy then I am taking care of myself.

Losing excess weight, eating right, exercising, etc. is only the tip of the iceberg. We can do all those things, but if we forget to take some time to just re-charge our batteries, then being at the right weight, but being stressed out, is not going to do us much good.

So how about today, each of us just.....do something for ourselves. We are worth the effort.

10-14-09..........Wednesday

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn't sit for a month." Unknown

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

We have made it to the half way point today. As some of you know I won't be at the meeting this Saturday. I am leaving for Ruthann's on Friday, for a week of ''getting away.'' Never fear I would not leave you all without asking someone to take over the daily e-mailing, and Rhonda has agreed to take on the task again. Thank you Rhonda.

Are any of us guilty of placing the blame on something or someone else when we fall short of our own expectations? I know I have. For such a long time I blamed my Mother for my weight problem, and she was partly to blame, but only the part that she was a good cook. Well, then guess I have to blame my Dad as well, due to he was always fortunate enough to have a good job, which allowed us to have food on our tables, and in the Summer there was always a garden planted. Oh and I have to blame my older brother's as well, since I wanted to act like them, so therefore I began at a very early age of eating like a logger. Of course playing with dolls did not burn off the calories as working in the fields did.

So are you ever guilty of blaming people, places and things for the times you fall off the plan? It is so easy to do. Much better than looking in the mirror and pointing at ourselves and saying, ''ok, you screwed up." This morning it would be very easy for me to stay home from the gym due to it's 52 degrees out there. When in all honesty the truth is, ''I just want to sit here and drink my coffee." I could have continued to blame everything and everybody for it taking me over 4 years on Weight Watchers to finally got to my goal, but I did finally put the responsibility/blame where it belonged, and that was at my own doorstep.

I have to take a daily inventory of myself. When I am doing things or eating things that I know are going to be destructive to me and my goals, I have to stop and look at the one person that is truly responsible for the choices that I make each and every day. That person is ME. So is it time we stop blaming and start fixing? We are the only ones that can truthfully answer this question.

10-13-09............Tuesday

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

Mother Theresa

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

So how was your Monday? I saw the above quote yesterday and immediately thought, ''Mother Theresa must of known some Weight Watchers members." :)

So many times when we have had a bad day of eating or not getting in our activity, it can spill over into the next day. That is normally what happens to me. It is human nature for us to try and fix where we messed up yesterday, even though we know we can't get yesterday back. So no real reason to begin working on tomorrow due to, well that is tomorrow. So all we have at this very moment is ''today."

If your eating and activity have been off, then look for some N.S.V.'s (Non Scale Victories). If you have not given away all your too big clothes, then maybe today get in that closet, and try on some of those items, and see how far you've come. Then, get rid of those items. As long as you have your closet full of bigger sizes, you still have a crutch, a way to say, ''well, if I do gain, at least I have something to wear."

I have two N.S.V.'S that I would like to share with you, one happened Saturday, the other just yesterday. On Saturday I was in a store, looking at some shirts, when a sales lady came up and offered to help. So we began chatting, and I asked her about the skirts I was looking at. She informed me, ''they are 100% cotton, so there will be some shrinkage when you wash them." So I asked for an XL in the shirt, she looks at me, and said, ''there will be some shrinkage, but not enough to make an XL fit you." I was a bit leery, but she told me, ''take the L ,and I think that will be too big when you wash and dry it, if it feels too small, bring it back and not only will I give you your money back, but I will give you the XL free of charge." So I'm in a win win situation. She was right, the Large is a bit big, but it is doable, and I did call her yesterday, and she even offered for me to bring it back and she would exchange it for a medium, I told her, ''no, this is fine, but I did want you to know how much I appreciated your talking me out of the XL." Getting into those smaller things are still a problem for my mind, but at least I just went for the XL and not the 1 or 2 X like I normally do.

Then yesterday when I was shopping at Whole Foods, one of the cashiers that I knew back when Wild Oats was still open, checked me out, and when I signed my check she said, ''I know you, but oh my you have lost a lot of weight." So we began to talk, (wasn't busy in there) and she said, ''I hate to ask, but have you been sick." I told her no. Her reply then was, ''I didn't think you had been due to you look so great, but you have lost so much weight." I walked out of the store walking just a little bit taller, and maybe a few inches off the ground.

We need our N.S.V.'s there are times that is all we have to get us through the day. So just remember, nothing you can do about yesterday, and its too early to begin working on tomorrow, today is the only thing we need to be focused on.....just getting through today.

10-12-09...Monday

"I never failed once. It just happened to be a 20001-step process."

Thomas A. Edison

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

To begin with Betty M. is leaving on a Cruise this week sometime or she may already have gone. Our Sister Girlfriend Randy left yesterday for Florida. Sister's have a safe wonderful trip.

When I saw the above quote this morning, I thought, ''divine intervention.'' Goes right alone with what Becky sent out last evening. Poor Thomas he seemed to have failed a lot before he ever got it right, so maybe this being a failure before you can be a success has truth to it after all.

I for one, when I am stuffing my face with all those things I know I should stay away from, I am telling myself, ''you are such a failure." Yeah, the negative thinking occurs every time I do something like that. But what we need and should do is just get it out of our systems, get up dust ourselves off, and move on.

Other than our feeling wretched about ourselves what really does happen when we fall off the wagon? The world continues to revolve, the sun comes up the next day. Those that love and care about us, still love and care about us. Toni does not lock the door to Weight Watchers on us, nor does she post a sign stating, ''you are welcomed, only if you have been good." Trust me, we don't love and care about ourselves after we have fallen off track. But here again, ''we are our own worst critic's". Just think if Thomas Edison had given up on step #19000, I may not have a light to see the keys on my computer, hey I may not even have a computer. So I say if Thomas could stick it out then we should be able to as well.

It's Monday, time to pull up those big girls panties and get back down to becoming a success.

I still believe we are never a failure until we completely stop trying.

10-1-09..............Sunday

"The food you eat today dictates the body you have tomorrow."

Anonymous

Good Sunday Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

Perfect quote for a weekend I think. Ever notice when we are eating healthier just how much better we really do feel? Then we decide to splurge a bit, and the next thing you know we have that bloated beached whale feeling. Do we do this because we think it is going to be different? For me, I do it cause I am thinking how good this or that is going to taste, but then as I said, I have to deal with the aftermath of what I have eaten. Being bloated, heart palpitations, breathing like I just ran five miles, not pretty.

I am so envious of anyone that can have the ice cream treats or whatever it is that you knew you would never, ever be able to give up. I struggle with this each and every weekend. As soon as we have our weigh in, I set there thinking, ''now, what is it I'd love to have today?" Many things come to my mind, but I have learned, that I cannot give into those urges cause when I do, it's last for the whole week. I hit that cycle, ''eat, beat myself up, eat some more, more self loathing, eat some more, etc." It is true, there is not anything we cannot have on this plan, but there are some of us, that know for ourselves there are something's we have to just stay away from, otherwise, we are going to fall off that wagon with a thud heard around the Weight Watchers world. But, you know what? That is okay, it's okay that some of us can't control some of our favorite foods, it's okay that we stumble and fall. I think if we make good healthy choices 80% of the time, then we are ahead of the game.

I have been missing several of our e-mail pals at the meeting's for quite sometime. No, I won't call you out here, but I always wonder, just how you are doing. Do you feel as if you have fallen so far from the wagon that its taken off and left you? Maybe its family stuff going on. No matter what is going on in our lives, we have to remember we need to take care of ourselves. As Jennifer stated yesterday, ''I feel my Saturday morning's here are for me, a time to get together with friends." That is exactly how I feel as well, that is my time. I even put a note on Mr. Bob's pills, reminding him, ''do not take these until 8:30." I know I will be home by 9 a.m. and we will be fine. My meeting and getting together with my Sister Weight Watcher Friends Forever, is the thing I do for myself. So if any of you....and you know who you are......have not been to our meeting in awhile, come on back, I want you to know you are missed.

10-09-09.....Friday

"Success comes in cans, not cant's" Author Unknown

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

Success comes in cans, not cant's. My oh my what powerful words those are for us today. I think most of us when we began this weight loss journey, we went in with the attitude of, ''I can do this"! As the weeks went on the honeymoon began to fade, then we slipped into the ''I can't do this!" Now for me I actually came through the doors of Weight Watchers with the second statement on my mind. I did not, NO, I knew I could not, would not do this. I had it in my mind, ''great way to kill an hour on Saturday morning." Now is it not amazing just how things turn out.

We can do anything we want to. Come on, most of you all have had children, something which I think is just amazing, however, never wanted any part of that, just looks way to painful to me, but that does not matter, you have given life, you can rally around the family and friends when there is a crisis. When it comes to your kids, friends, and family, "one minute we could kill them, the next we will kill for them." So why is it so hard for us to believe we can be successful with our weight loss? It is all about what we let roam around in our heads, it's our attitude, it's that coming home from vacation after indulging in un-healthy foods, to find out just how much better we do feel when we eat right.

Each Saturday morning, we cheer for our brother's and sister's weight loss, we cheer for the awards they receive, but you know what we should cheer just as loudly even if we didn't have a good week, so what if the scale was up. We still showed up for the meeting! There is power in numbers, there is support in numbers. Most of us only see or hear from one another on Saturday's, but guess what, we know each other is out there throughout the week if we need to vent, if we need to say, ''HELP, I'VE FALLEN INTO A VAT OF CHOCOLATE FUDGE AND I DON'T WANT TO GET OUT!!!" We can be a success, no WE ARE ALREADY SUCCESSFUL CAUSE WE HAVE NOT GIVEN UP!!!!!!!!!!!

10-08-09..........Thursday

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." Eric Hoffer

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

I hope everyone is having a good week, and you know even if your not, there still has to be something good you can find to celebrate. Even if it's, ''I ate a salad yesterday.'' I for one do fall short on counting my blessings, I tend to fuss and focus way too much on the negative side of things. Yes, you have read that correctly, ''Joan does fall into that negative trap just like everyone else." But, you know I have to do that at times, just to be able to slap myself back into reality and back to counting my blessings.

We go through life, getting caught up in "Life'', that we forget to enjoy the blessing's that we have each and everyday. The blessing's of a friend who just happens to call at the right time, the blessing's of someone that will say, ''thank you for just being you''. Instead we get all caught up in, ''oh my Lord, I ate 5 points more than I should." I have finally come to terms, with ''I am not always going to be perfect with my eating, and maintenance." But, I am counting those days that I am on the right track, and remembering I am blessed that I only hit that detour once in awhile, instead of being detoured most of the time.

Count your blessing's, sure they are going to be different than mine will be. It could be something as simple as, ''even though the laundry didn't get done, I still found clean undies in the back of the drawer." Our blessing's are out there, in fact, I am e-mailing 45 of those people that bless me each and every day.

10-07-09.........Wednesday

"The way to get started is to stop talking and start doing."

Walt Disney

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

The above quote packs a whollop for sure. How many times have we said, ''after this party, trip, whatever, I am going to really get down to some serious business with my weight loss journey?" I do not have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I have made myself that very promise, only to be in the middle of the next big event and I had still not gotten ''serious." Oh I could talk a good talk, I could even have myself believing I was going to do exactly what I had promised myself, and as a rule, got out of bed, and started the day off right, only to fall short by the time I got my teeth brusheds

Getting started is the hard, but staying there is even harder. Oh we may do quite well as long as the scale is showing up weekly lower numbers, but let the scale stop showing those lower numbers for whatever reason, and we soon become discouraged and here come the excuses to get off track again.

If last week you were not happy with what the scale showed you, then maybe it is time to ''stop talking and start doing." Make a plan, put that plan on paper, put your plan into action. Now I don't want to hear, ''I don't have time to do all of that." Sorry, if you have time to play a game on the computer, if you have time to read this, if you have time to go back for seconds, then you have time to ''plan''. Just think how good you are going to feel, not only about your eating, but about yourself, because you are taking the steps to take care of yourself.

STOP TALKING AND START DOING. Powerful words this morning.

10-06-09....Tuesday

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.

Aldous Huxley

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

I saw this morning where Barbara has e-mailed about her husband having had emergency surgery. Barbara, know that you are in our thoughts and prayers, and we wish both you and your husband well. Remember to take care of yourself.

Cara, are you home yet??? Our Rhonda is off and running around for the next two weeks. Rhonda, be safe and have fun.

I for one am so glad yesterday is behind me. Have no clue if its, the weather, if its something eating at me that I just can't seem to put my finger on, it could be just the time of year, but yesterday Bob was being visualized with ''mayo, tomato and lettuce.'' I could not get enough food yesterday, and it was not due to being hungry. I got up went to the gym, and that could be part of it, due to we cannot use the pool at 5 a.m. like we had been able to. The pool will now open at 8 a.m., and as I voiced my discontent about that, letting them know in no uncertain terms, ''I get up at dark 30 due to that is the only time I can be at the gym.'' Of course that fell on deaf ears. I did go and get my cardio work in yesterday morning, came home did my daily stuff here before starting my real day. But, by 10 a.m., I began to graze, and never let up. To be quite honest, I just about bet I ate two weeks worth of bonus points yesterday.

Why do I tell you all this? Like the quote says, ''Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.'' I can ignore what happened yesterday all I want, but its not going to change anything. I had a bad day, and it lasted all day. I did go to the park and get in an extra walk yesterday, of course after the walk I came home and found something else to eat. I really hate days like this, and then while I am standing confessing my short comings to Bob he has the nerve to tell me, ''this is why your human. You are going to have times that your not good at this." Now that should have made me feel better, but you know what I was really looking for....right.....the negative. Did Bob miss the part where the next step was the need to feel even worse than I was? lol lol. Poor man, he just does not know how a compulsive person's brain works. lol lol.

So I have awaken this morning with renewed resolve and hope to try my best to made today a much better day than yesterday was, and oh yes today could very easily be worse than yesterday. It's a learning process, I am never going to be cured, I am going to have days or weeks, where I feel out of control, but this too shall pass.

10-05-06................Monday

"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Fall is here, no doubt about that, and alone with Fall comes the desire for all that comfort food. Trust me, I am so there. That is fine, due to I know of at least two Weight Watcher recipes that are wonderful Fall comfort foods. One is the chicken pot pie, using the canned biscuits, which when I make that again, I will use the low fat crescent rolls. The other is the White Chicken Chili. The chili is out of this world and freezes wonderfully, and packed with fiber. So there are a couple of things that can fall into line when you need comfort food. By the way, if any of you need either or both of those recipes, let me know.

How determined are we? I have to admit, there are times I do feel as if my determination is seeping out. It can be for different reason, things that I DO NOT have control over. We do the best we can and that is really all we can do. We try to hold one another up, but here again, there is only so much of that we can succeed at. We can hold one another up, and be supportive, but we cannot do the program, exercise or tracking for each other. That responsibility falls to no one but ourselves.

Sometime back our Sister Weight Watcher pal Julie Hood sent me a poem, and I just thought it was great. I want to add it today, due to I get the feeling we are in a critical time here. Some of us seem to be hanging on completely by the tips of our fingers. So hope you enjoy the poem.

Wishing Everyone a great Day,

Much Love,

Joan

Don't Quit - W.W. Version

When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down
And you feel like the biggest failure in town;
When you want to give up just because you gave in
And forget all about being healthy and thin;
So What! You went over your points a bit;
It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!

It's a moment of truth, It's an attitude change;
It's learning the skills to get back in your range;
It's telling yourself "You've done great up till now;
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow."
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal;
You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.

To stumble and fall is not a disgrace
If you summon the will to get back in the race;
But, often the struggler's when losing their grip
Just throw in the towel and continues to slip
And learn too late when the damage is done
That the race wasn't over and they still could of won.

Life-style change can be awkward and slow
But facing each challenge will help you to grow;
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint in the cloud of doubt.
When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit;
If you bite it you write it... But Don't you quit!

Author Unknown - Adapted by R.W. Brown

10-04-09....Sunday

"When we have done our best, we can await the results in peace." Unknown

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

I am still so excited for Lisa B. and getting to her goal yesterday, as did Judy, but I can't remember if Judy got to her goal or if she is now a full fledged lifetime member. Which ever all I can say was it was a very exciting meeting yesterday and one we got to have celebration's.

I have this little book someone gave me awhile back, the title, ''Charging the Human Battery" by Mac Anderson. It's a very small book, but many of the quotes and stories do pack a whollop, and I found one that I felt fit so perfectly with our Weight Watchers journey. I hope you get something out of reading it.

Max Anderson:

I don't know who said this, but I do know that they were right on target. Let's take goals, for example. We set goals to keep us focused on the important things in our life; personal goals, career goals, spiritual goals, family goals, health goals, and we could go on and on. Sometimes we set out with great enthusiasm to reach these goals, but occasionally there are circumstances that set us back. Some within our control...some not. But there is a wonderful feeling of peace when we know in our hearts that we have done our best. Because, win or lose, we know that we are prepared for the next battle in life.

Committing to excellence is not an act, it's an attitude, "and then some." ''And then some.....these three little words are the secret to success. They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies. The top people always do what is expected...and then some. They are thoughtful of other's they are considerate and kind....and then some. They meet their responsibilities fairly and squarely....and then some. They are good friends and helpful neighbors....and then some. They can be counted on in an emergency....and then some.

We who have met our Weight Watcher goal had to add....and then some. We had to be focused, and as Lisa B. said yesterday, ''it tends to hang over your head.'' ''And then some," three little words that speak volumes, and are packed with attitude.

10-03-09....Saturday afternoon.

Hey anyone and everyone that may drop by.
We had a wonderful W.W. meeting today, and one of our very best buddies, make goal today. So now she is on the six weeks maintenance journey. For me that came pretty easy due to I was too scared to eat, lol lol.

This is short today, I've been busy. Bob's two son's Marc and Kevin are going to come and take over for me with Bob. That won't happen for a couple of weeks, but I am so looking forward to a little time away. Will be heading to my sister's cause Coty will be on Fall Break, and I'll get to hang with the 17 year old, and trust me, when a 17 year old still wants to hang with you, you DO NOT discourage that.

So wishing everyone a great day. Make it a good one.

10-02-09 Friday

The difference is what takes a little time; the impossible is what takes a little longer.

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F.,

Hope everyone is having a good week, and will be ready to face that scale tomorrow. Just remember, it is a scale, it has no feeling or consideration for our feelings. As we are told so many time, ''we are so much more than a number on the scale.''

Did anyone put a time limit on when they wanted to get to their goal? I did several times, and guess what ''I never met any of those time limits." The difference I made with doing the Weight Watchers program was losing the first 50 pounds, the impossible was actually getting below my goal that I had. I have always said, "if I had gotten to goal in the first year, I don't think I would have been ready to maintain." I think I had to "grow" before I would ever be able to maintain where I am today. I have wondered if that is why so many people do put the weight back on, if they got to goal, especially if they had a lot of weight to loss, during the first year.

I have heard so many people that made it to Lifetime status, comment, ''I was so sure, I could do it on my own, and I did not need those weekly meetings." I know for a fact that I am just one bite away from putting all my weight back on, plus more. This is why I feel so confident that I am going to be successful, I know I have to have my meetings. I have done a lot of growing up these past five years I've been doing Weight Watchers. Yes, like most of you, I have hit bumps, detours, even brick walls, but I continued on working toward that ''impossible dream." A dream that I still stand in front of the mirror and wonder, ''how in the world did you do this?" I think I will always question the reality, but I also think that may be my saving grace, in being able to maintain, is always knowing it did take a long time, and I don't want to risk screwing my success up, and going backwards.

October 1, 2009.....Thursday

"Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure."Don Wilder

Good Morning Sister W.W.F.F., (Weight Watcher Friends Forever).

Believe it or not, we have another ''new friend'' to add to our morning list today. Teresa C. I met Teresa yesterday while having my " Bare Escentuals" make-over done , which by the way, I had the most fun time getting that done. Welcome Teresa and feel free to jump in at any time.

Have you ever known anyone or even said it yourself, ''I can't eat on plan during the weekend due to "you fill in the blank". I think we all have used that ''excuse'', and that is what it is an excuse. We are no longer 4 years old,( even though there are times, I like acting like a 4 year old) and have to have someone telling us what we have to do, or what is best for us. When we fall off the wagon, normally we begin the ''blame game'', it is nearly always someone else's fault. Seldom do we ever just stand up and say, ''I feel off the wagon, just because I wanted too."

Yes, I moaned and groaned after Bob's birthday party, about drinking too much, getting into the box of See's candy, but you know what, no one held a gun to my head. Not one person had me tied up with a funnel in my mouth pouring the drinks down my throat, just like no one....other than myself.....got that sacred box of candy out and began to consume it.

I realized this a long time ago, but just never wanted to admit it, but ''when my week is going bad with the food, I don't have to do anything but look in the mirror and find the person that is responsible." Eating, exercising, trying to be more healthy is a big job, when we hit goal the real work begins, and that is maintaining while trying our best not to become to overwhelmed.

So here we are creeping upon the beginning of the three most food filled months, have you already bought bags of Halloween candy thinking ''I"ll get it early so they don't run out", only to find you've already torn into a couple of bags of the stuff? What excuse did you give yourself, ''those damn little trick or treaters", :). That is who I would blame. We need to stop and look at the excuses we are using, but in reality it all comes right back to...."I am the master of my fate".

09-30-09 Make over day

Finished product.

That was so much fun having my make up done, and the most wonderful part was, ''it did not feel like I had anything on my face."

09-30-09 Make over day

Before Makeover.