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.