Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

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I made some split pea soup with a hambone, which had a little ham left on it. It was so good! I am going to do that again, I saved some in little cup microwave bowls and it is not much calories so I can throw it in on top a sandwich or even a snack if I get hungry.

My garden is coming along things are growing except for two items. they did not want to play so maybe this week end I will replace them to have a full garden. I have to get out and weed this week end.

Glad to hear from everyone.

Unknown

Good afternoon everyone.

Happy National Nurses Day!

National Nurses Day, also known as National RN Recognition Day, is always celebrated on May 6th and opens National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, the birth date of Florence Nightingale.

National Nurses Week is one of the nation's largest health care events, recognizing the contributions and commitments nurses make and educating the public about the significant work they perform. The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports and encourages National Nurses Week through state and district nurses associations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions. The week-long celebration is designed to accommodate the variety of schedules nurses are required to work.
National Nurses Day


Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~Bill Meyer

Tom

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Happy 'Top of the week mountain" Wednesday to you all :-) I am happy happy today! So I went to my TOPS meeting and I lost 3.25 lbs!!!! Mentally doing cartwheels in my brain today! So I was the biggest loser (the featherweight of the week) and got my pic taken with the the basket of stuff the members put in. I think I got 5 apples, some Baby Bells, two granola bars, a yam, some oranges, and then about $7 dollars from people that put in 50 cents instead of contributing to the basket. Its a great incentive, and I was proud of myself. Then I also rec'd the "mini ho-ho" which I have not a clue why the contest is called that. Every week people put 10 cents in a container, and every week the games lady draws a members name. If they have lost weight that week, then they get what is in the container. If they gained then it is carried over to the next week. It had been carried over for a couple of weeks so when my name was drawn the total was about $9, (I took the handfuls to the bank to deposit it). All in all a fantastic day.
So my husband took me out to lunch. I was really good and had an appetizer. It was smoked salmon and caper crostini's. There were 6 on the plate so I had 3 for lunch...and I shall have 3 for dinner. I checked the numbers on them and they only were about 140 calories...so that was nice. I did break down and have a NW Red Ale, which came out to 208 calories, but I got my ticket stamped from the Chamber of Commerce. Once I have visited all the different local breweries I can turn it back in the the Chamber of Commerce for a beer stein. There are so many breweries here, its fun to play scientist and sample. I only partake a couple of times a month, so don't get worried ladies, hahaha.

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@melifornia I'm right there with you!! But probably worse So I decided to go buy some 'real food' which ended up being a loaf of bread and honey.

I feel so out of control right now... with everything. My car is going to need new struts and because I've put that off, the 2 rear wheel bearings as well ($2500). The car has 280,000km, still a young'n for me but I've put too much money into this car, so I'm going to trade/sell it. I absolutely HATE shopping for cars. I can't haggle, I feel stupid doing it, so I do a ton of research, find the best deal I can and just go buy it. Because of my job I now need a minivan and I am NOT ready to give up my SUV life. And because of my ADDish personality, I'm finding it difficult to decide on a price range (cash or finance), make-model, year range etc. I simply cannot make a decision.

I put on some summer clothes that fit me last summer, and they still fit now, but I think I look fatter than I did last year. (weight is the same). I thought I looked so much better in these clothes last year and now I can't stand how I look.

I've also taken some time off from physio... I need a break. Between the car, getting some repairs done on my front porch , decluttering a few rooms and having to get a ton of paperwork updated (license, plates, health card, passport) I just don't need an extra 2 appointments every week, and have to rush through work to get there on time.

I have had carpal tunnel syndrome for over 20 years... it comes and goes. But it has gotten much worse in my left hand lately. The brace I use at night to keep it from flexing (and becoming numb and tingly) does not help any more and I wake up for an hour or more each night with the type of pain in my hand that feels like it is going to explode. Hanging it over the edge of the bed, shaking it out does nothing and it is quite swollen in the morning, and tingles throughout the day. I have an EMT appointment in July, then most likely surgery after that. I'm not sure I can wait that long. I went to the doc with this in January, and only got booked 2 weeks ago. Not sure how I'm going to deal with this every night for another 2+ months.

Got texts from my daughter yesterday that went back and forth for about 3 hours. She is 23 and is starting to accumulate debt, not being able to pay her monthly bills. Long story short, her boyfriend does not have steady work (holds out for better paying jobs... sheesh) and she ends up paying his portion of rent, food etc. which puts her behind in her other payments. She won't tell him that she is struggling with the money, and says she'd rather pick up extra shifts, get another job and sell some of her things off. The only thing I can offer is to let her move back home (rent free) so she can pay her bills and start saving again, but she is more worried about her bf becoming depressed if he has to move back in with his parents. Oy...

On a good note, I got my kayak out of the basement (oh yeah, there was a leaky pipe that needed fixing and the basement floor cleaned up too) and had a nice day on the water this past Sunday. I am enjoying my weekends outside and have many plans for upcoming weekends... something to look forward to each work week.

I HAVE to start tracking every day... good, bad, ugly. Why are good eating habits so hard to maintain??

Sorry for the long rant, thanks for reading.

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@Annr - wow you had stellar day! weight loss, prizes of healthy food, cash, and moe cash, and then good salmon wow! Jackpot. I have a big envy going on! Sounds like you earned every penny and every morsel. Now your on your way to earning a beer stein. Oh the strange rewards in your town ~ all in honor of losing weight!

@Tom ~ Morgori - I love your posts - Now its time to Honor the Nurses - do we have any here? Kudos if we do - we did have some retired nurses, and I'm including ALL bedside care not just RN's ! Oooh, that's ME. I was an LPN in my day, well bless my heart - maybe I'll celebrate.
I also liked your Teachers Day announcement Tom. Of course it would have been my hero, Eleanor Roosevelt, who championed that day. She was quite the politician in her time.
Thus, Kudos to Laurie, Karen and Grandma Kaye's daughters who are teachers.

@Ushkii - were you BORN to tempt us?? Good lord man, your descriptions of food make me so hungry, and I never had the ingredients around. Darn, where can I find a hambone when I want one!
I'm only growing varieties of lettuces in my garden, varieties are mixed seeds that can grow in shade. But we are having rain DAY and NIGHT so little seeds seem to just be rotting on the wet soil - sigh =

@Melfonia - aren't some fast foods OK? I totally have myself convinced that a medium Schlotskies original is healthy. Don't break the illusion please?

@GrandmaKaye - I hope the podiatrist will have some solutions for you. I put that in plural so that if one doesn't work there will be a second option to try without seeing him again! But, I hope you get back to walking real soon.

@Skinny - I'm so glad Teachers Appreciation goes on for a week. A day just is not good enough. Glad too, that at least 1 day is not sweets. I wish 1 day was a glam day like pedi's or massages, wouldn't that be nice?

@Laurie - you're so sensible about learning to open water swim before tackling any marathons. Do you need to find a specific coach for that kind of swimming?
You know, I'm relieved it was not the aunt I had come to know that passed on. I'm glad it went well and you got to visit with long lost cousins. Thats always the plus side of funerals, the gift of keeping in touch with people.

@Boho Coast - well I had kinda disappeared like you did, not really on purpose or anything, my life just got real busy and I'm not able to handle a lot of things at one. But its calmed down quite a bit. I sure felt guilty coming back - just showing up out of the blue as it were - boy people were so nice to me. Make me realize how true these friendships are. I so want to meet people in person to put voices actions stuff to the names and all that.
As for your daughter - in college, it seems parties and finals happen at the same time. You are stuck in limbo too, as parents what can you do? just make sure she gets her sleep and a good breakfast if theres time. sigh sigh sigh -

@Kah - so sorry you crashed your bike. Better get that chain fixed. Refusing to recognixe that Sounds like a head injury. So -Stay in bed a full week. Eat anything you want. Buy junk magazines and read them til your eyes bleed.
Call old boyfriends at 4 am and cry. With that - You'll be back on that bike in no time.

AFM - got the application going for Re-Fi on the condo to roll in the car loan. Should save a bit of money. DOn't anyone tell me "but your ending up paying for that car for 30 years.' Yes, I know that. Its what I gotta do. I have a roof assessment looming over my head that scares me - I need cash for that! And I still have to fix the bathroom floor.
Plus I seem to need some surgeries, bladder, hands, maybe feet, so those will happen later this year. Not thrilled of course, but am so used to it I have just given up on having a surgery-free year.

I have lost 2 more pounds. And I did sleep for 35 hours n the last 2 days. I was amazed but also extremely happy about it. I'm hoping that maybe it has shattered my late nite insomnia problem. We'll see tonight!

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Well hi this late Wednesday evening. I'll be gone most of the day on Thursday with appointments and such so decided to lot tonight instead of on Thursday Truth day.

Actually, I do have a Wednesday Wish ... that the dermatologist I'm seeing in the morning tells me that thing I'm seeing them for is nothing to worry about.

Today I had running around to do and stopped at Subway for my lunch food. It's not a place I normally eat from, but the past few times me son called me during his lunch break he was on the road to run errands and would pop into one to get his sandwich ... made me decide to give it a go. I got the 6" flatbread with roast beef, swiss cheese, lettuce, spinach, tomato, onion, cucumbers, no condiments. It was really very tasty. They have those loyalty cards that you can swipe for points to get something free somewhere down the line ... it gave me an idea for my sons birthday gift this year .... if they have gift cards, I could send him one of those worth a lot of lunches and a loyalty card. Do you all think that would be a nice present for him ... he turns 50 this August.

A lawn cutter was scheduled to stop by today to give me an estimate to cut my grass for the season but couldn't make it. We spoke on the phone and he agreed to put me on tomorrows cutting schedule and he'd be out on Friday to give me the contract deal and such ... then he asked if the grass was cut-ready. I didn't know what that meant ... turns out it meant were any sticks and litter cleaned up so the mower could cut. That reminded me there were a couple of things I needed to verify were ok ... and went out this evening to check. Ended up spending about 30 minutes snapping the tall stalks off from the tansy and other weedy tall things that grow in my yard that were tipping over into the cutting paths, which should have been cleaned up long ago, but weren't. That was a bonus because it had me physical for that long a time and I actually enjoyed it ... plus earned a few calories burned up, Happy day! I just hope after the grass cutter sees the wild nature of my back yard that he doesn't change his mind about cutting for me. The bunnies and woodchuck, birds and such all love it back there. I've even had deer come and spend the day ... and I live in a suburbanvillage that feels more city than suburb in recent years!

@Tanya949 .... I enjoyed your 'rant' ...
@RobinsEgg ... congrats on the pounds lost.

Follow-through: Niki

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Niki- Great job cleaning up the yard so it is cut ready.

Robin and Kinnurse- Happy nurse's day.
Robin- I don't think I will need a specific coach but I know a couple of good ones if I need it. Hope you will be able to sleep through the night again.

Tanya- The clothes may be too big even through they fit. If they don't fit correctly, they just don't look right. Regarding your daughter- give her the option to move back home or talk to her BF about finding a job to help with the bills. He needs to learn the consequences of not having a job and being self-reliant. It sounds like he is willing to live off of her hard work and determination. Hope the Carpel Tunnel Syndrome gets better.

Ann-Congrats on losing weight this week and winning those awesome rewards. Keep up the hard work.

Karen- Glad the meetings about the contract went well and good job on getting those papers graded for the seniors. Good luck with your race on Saturday and yes that is an early day.

Ushkil- the soup sounds yummy.

Today, I did take a rest day and went shopping. I must say that I have been on a shopping craze lately. It seems that shopping will make everything better plus I wanted some skinny clothes. Last Friday, I shopped for new pants and shirts. Today, I went for new shirts to liven up my closet. Then the highlight of my trip was going to the Loft and purchasing a size 12 in a pair of pants. This is the first time in ages that I have fit into a size 12 and felt comfortable enough to buy them. The upside is that I already have shoes to go with the outfit. The funny thing was that the Capri's I tried bought were size 14, because the 12 would not fit even though it was the same style as the pants. I like the Julie fit which is for curvy people.

Have a great day and a restful night.

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@laurie-- congrats on the size 12 pants!! Loft is one of my favorite stores. I need to do some shopping before my Nashville trip.

@niki-- hope things go well at the dermatologist.

@robin-- there were massages for the teachers yesterday. Totally forgot about that b/c I don't like strangers touching me, so I don't take advantage. Congrats on the 2 lbs lost and the extra sleep. I'm jealous of both.

@tanya-- sorry you've had such a bad time of it lately. I'm the same way with car shopping. I go online and use the Consumer Reports car buying tools. Once you know the make and model you want, you can order a report (I think it's $12 US for 2 car models) that tells you about all, discounts, manufacturer rebates, etc. off the sticker price. It will then give you a the price you should pay to give the salesperson a 2, 4, or 6% commission--lower commission for less popular models; higher for more sought-after vehicles. Once I know my price range, I search area dealers for inventory and ask for online quotes. Then I just go get my car. The only sales tactics I have to navigate are the after market things like rust-proofing, extended warranties, etc. and I just say "no, thank you" over and over until they are done.

@ann-- congrats! Sounds like a great day!

@melissa-- don't beat yourself up, we all have bad days.

@ushkii-- the soup sounds yummy.

@kaye-- I had a similar experience when I went to NYC to meet laurie and susan for our 5k. All of my relatives were spreading rumors that I was running the NY Marathon. Um, just a few miles short. LOL As far as your foot, I hope the podiatrist can help. Mine sure did--my custom orthotics are what keep me running.

Thank you to robin and any other nurses on the thread!!

AFM--I finished my Lit Theory papers this morning and then kind of took the rest of the day off from grading. Instead, I caught up on planning and making copies I need for the rest of the week. After work, I walked gunner then went to the gym--ran a little over a mile and then did a short stint on the elliptical. I still can't do the full arm movements due to my shoulder, but it's better than it's been in quite awhile.

I also finally met my protein goal. I also passed on the cake for Teacher Appreciation week, but admittedly only b/c I forgot about it. Either way I dodged blowing those calories, so I'm calling it a win.

Tomorrow I plan to get back to grading--want to power through the AP in-class essays over the next couple of days. Plus I have a bunch of test corrections to enter--those don't take any real time to grade, I just have to record the points in the gradebook.

Wednesday Wish:
That everyone who's struggling or in pain sees improvement going forward.

May Challenge:
Nutrition = At or over 90 grams of protein 5/7 days a week
Week 1: At/over 90g of protein 1/7
Week 2: At/over 90g of protein x/7
Week 3: At/over 90g of protein x/7
Week 4: At/over 90g of protein x/7

Exercise = run 3 x/week:
Week 1: 1/3 runs
Week 2: x/3 runs
Week 3: x/3 runs
Week 4: x/3 runs

Next 8k is May 9th (Thanksgiving 8k = 56:49, NYE 8k = 57:47, 1/25 = 55:41; 2/28=55:15, 3/29 = 59:15)

Grading Goals:
1. 64/64 Lit theory papers DONE!
2. 10/64 AP essays
3. 8/60 JRPs
4. x/60 Hemingway analyses

Exercise Goals:
Sun--rest day
Mon--meeting
Tues--meeting
Wed--walk gunner DONE + gym DONE
Thurs-- walk gunner
Fri--rest day
Sat--8K

2015 Mantra = Just 15 minutes

Unknown

Late but, Thanks to all the Teacher from an nurse now working in IT.

Unknown

@ushkii ohhh split pea soup...sounds heavenly. I love making soup! Love layering the flavors and let each flavor marry others in the pot...oh went ZEN there for a moment! My garden is quite pathetic. My four spinach starts have been eaten all down. Something ate my zucchini plant, my cucumber plant...but my 4 tomato plants are still alive. I have a couple of rocks that I have sprayed chalkboard paint on...and I place them here and there. Sometimes they say, "I am Queen of this Place"....or "Grow Dammit"...or "DONT EAT THIS"....its probably comical to the other gardeners at the community garden to come upon my plot. I can see them shaking their heads and thinking....she is nuts. Last year I planted flowers in some open toed high heel shoes and placed them on the ledges of my plot...hahaha.

Unknown

Good morning all,
@bapcarrier - It is just a tough thing when our pets get old. I lost two cats in the last couple of years. I am so glad to see you still enjoying time on her terms.

@NK1112 - My trainer loves planks. The only way to get better is to do them.

@annasgyal - Woot on the weight loss, you are rockin this!

@RobinsEgg - We finally signed on our re-fi yesterday and do not get the money until Monday. It was supposed to take 3 - 4 weeks and ended up at 7. Good luck on yours.

@BohemianCoast - I do love hearing about your daughter, reminders of when my sons graduated high school.

@Lauriek70 - In this area it is common to do relay triathlons. When you sign up for the event you can put in a request to be part of a team. You can choose which part of the event you would like to do, others fill in the rest. Congrats on the size 12!!!!!!!

@skinnyjeanzbound - The light at the end of the school year tunnel is getting brighter. You have more self control than I, that cake would have been too tempting.

@grandmakaye - I lost track, did you see the Dr. about your feet? My inserts are the only way I can keep running.

@melifornia - The advertising people do such a good job with the junk food pictures, but it rarely lives up to the hype.

@ushkii - I make a large batch of soup every other weekend, but yours sounds devine.

@Annr - The TOPS meetings sound great and what motivation!

AFM - Went to see Woman in Gold last night. A very good movie. I highly recommend it. I even had the fortitude to skip the concessions.
The counselor is asking very tough questions, forcing me to look at my reactions instead of other's actions. She said "That is what you are paying me for." Still not sure where the "me" is that I am searching for but I am in here somewhere.
I had a flat tire yesterday and did not have time to wait for AAA so I changed it myself. Dropped it off at the garage to be repaired and had to help the technician put the spare back in the holder. He could not figure it out. A couple of years ago I would not have had the strength to do this. So glad that my body is stronger.

I missed out on Wednesday wish so here we go anyway.

My wish is that I find a way to be comfortable with my life. That looking at things in a different light will help me to make peace with the irritants.

Thursday Truth - I am a very judgemental person when it comes to my husband, I do judge him and often. I need to look at my part in our difficulties. I do not like this side of myself.

Love to all,
Lori

Unknown

Good morning everyone.

Happy National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day!
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf. ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Tom

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@Tanya~I’m sorry for the struggles you’re currently facing. It certainly sounds like your daughter needs to come back home for a while—hope she sees the importance of that and your offer. Oy, car shopping—I actually like car shopping (I love the test-drives ) but I do a TON of research including pricing out all of the options I want, www.edmunds.com is a great tool for that (as is Consumer Reports like Karen suggested). I go in to the dealership though with all of my research and am pretty good at haggling (learned a lot of tricks though my dad). Can you do a small SUV instead of a mini-van for work? My last two cars have been Toyota Rav4, very roomy and easy access to trunk/back seats, etc. My car has 100k miles so I’m looking at new cars right now too (Lexus, Acura and BMW SUVs this time tho). Tesla is also coming out with an affordable crossover in 2017 so I may wait just to see the price on it—decisions, decisions.

@Laurie~I think the chain slipped because the bike was laying down in my car (haven’t looked at bike racks yet), it was acting funky in low gears on Monday but no issues and sounded fine yesterday.

@Robin~LOL, actually I wear a helmet while riding and wasn't going very fast. Chains on bikes tend to slip when they have been laying down, I need to get a bike rack for my car but have been too busy to shop for one. You did a 30-year refi? I won’t lecture you but that is a long time (to pay off the car too), sometimes we have to do what makes sense for us financially though.

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@cblue315 congrats on walking by the popcorn! You know they pump the theaters with that scent....they are so sneaky!
Hum my Thursday Truth.... I do alot of blaming situations on other things, or people. I need to always remind myself that I got my own self into this weight situation. Not my husband, nor my family, or the fact that we have money issues sometimes. I put food (piece A) into my own mouth(slot . Its a self induced condition, and I need to honor myself enough to not just settle for anything, but to choose what I eat, and how I eat...to correct this condition. That is my truth.