Posts by jboise

Hi Moochie -- well, as someone once said, "famous" and "poet" are contradictory terms...but thanks!

Pussikins, the picture is up now. Duncan said to tell you it was really a football accident.

Hi all,

Back from Chicago. I've been working really hard, with the consequences of not eating well at all (grabbing things here & there, skipping breakfast & being sorry later). I am home now & slowing down a bit, but the past week at school has been crazy. Basically, I'm where I was at the beginning of the year.

My book is out! It's at #333,809 in Amazon rank, so not exactly setting sales records. If you want to see it, it's at http://www.amazon.com/ms-m-y-kin-Janet-Holmes /dp/1848610351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books &qid=1235177068&sr=8-1 . We're having a book launch Sunday night here in Boise.

I'm going to add a photo of Duncan in hydrotherapy -- he tore his ACL (probably just jumping on and off the couch, but I like to say it's a skiing injury). He walks on an underwater treadmill to build his muscle back up. Poor pup.

Minx -- the only thing about leg weights is that you can risk injuring your knees and/or ankles. So don't use too much weight (2 lbs is good) & be careful!

Meems, Hydroxycut?!? Aren't there warnings about that? Don't listen to salesboys! They just want your money! Supplements like that scare me. Best to lose the old fashioned way...

which I hope to start doing again starting now.

Smoochies,

JHo

Wow, I was sleepy when I checked in tonight & now I'm exhausted! Y'all have been active on this board!

Congrats on the new job, PC, + the schooling. I've had a very busy week that's left me kinda depressed, but I'm headed to New York City for a big event with my best authors -- a poetry reading! Just 2-1/2 days; I leave early Monday & come back Wednesday a.m. (and I have a 3 pm meeting at school that day, so no downtime for me!).

Weight is still down. That's good, because I seem to magically put it back on when I'm on a plane. Pray that I don't end up in the Hudson River...

JHo

(P.S. Apparently one of the songs from the "Slumdog Millionaire" movie is called "Jai Ho"! So now I have a theme song.)

Happy Birthday, Queenie! Duncan & I would join the dancing but we just found out he has a torn ACL (old football injury, heh) and will have surgery this summer to correct it. He is sitting and giving the paw. I will sit and applaud!

Say, after complaining that menopause has not officially started for me, I got on the scale this a.m. and was down to 117.5! So perhaps I was retaining water for the past four months! 12.5 lbs to go!

PC, I was cycling on an unfamiliar path, coming from an errand downtown, so I didn't have to go back the same way. Luckily! I actually DO have a rear fender, but it is apparently smaller than I need.

Moochie -- cute haircut! cute photo!

xo, JHo

I couldn't figure out why y'all were talking about Groundhog Day until I saw that I'd posted twice! Our internet here keeps going out, and I'm sure I was banging away on the send key...sorry about that!

Hi everyone! I'm pleased to report at Monday weigh-in that I'm down to 119, a 1-lb loss for the week. So Mooch: I aim to exceed CC's expectations!

Minx, you're doing 750 cals in one workout? Wow! I would say my tops is about 400, though I do bicycle-commute quite a bit, which would set things a bit higher. You inspire me to try 2-a-day on the weekend when I get back to Boise.

Pussycat, I thought that if you had cable you DIDN'T need a converter box. I'd also be a bit PO'd if my cable company decided to start the conversion process early. . . but perhaps when you're a student you won't have time to watch TV! I know I don't when school's in session. BTW, I'm still in Minnesota, so I shouldn't speak of Boise conditions. All I know is that in 10 years of living there, there's only been one time that it snowed and didn't melt off the streets by the end of the day. The weather patterns remind me of Santa Fe -- the nearby mountains attract all the snowfall, so the town stays pretty moderate. DH & I leave the cabin on Wednesday, spend a couple more days with his daughter's family, and then get on the plane back to Boise on 1/10. Our classes don't start until after MLK day.

Meems, it sounds as if you've scientifically proven that the 500-calorie deficit (2500 minus 2000 or 1850) works. It may be that CC estimated your activity rate much lower than it is, and that you actually were in "starvation mode." Interesting! Hope MCHammer is listening in!

Queenie, hope the return to school goes well. I find it hard to track calories every day but it definitely helps when I do. Good luck!

xo, JHo

Hi Meghan --

I've heard about "starvation mode," but I don't think I've ever been there.

One thing that seems weird though is that I'd guess the amount (500 cals) is an average, or arbitrary. You definitely need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound, which is a 500 calorie deficit per day for a week, to lose a pound. Yes? Someone correct me if this is off. (Isn't there a nutritionist somewhere on CC?)

JHo

Welcome, Schmoosies! With a nickname like that, you'll fit right in! It seems like many folks are resetting their original goals--I looked at my original ones and I wanted to be 105 (I'm at the end of my losing streak, or so I think!), but I see I've reset mine to a more sensible 110! (I'm currently at 120, 5'0", not at all curvy, except in the sense of spherical!) I actually got down to 114, but -- alas -- the holidays came along.

Here's some helpful info to get you started:

1. We are Minx (aka yvarner), Moochie (aka moochew), Pussikins (aka Pussycat, PC, mommakitty, and Tonnie), Meemers (aka miaisneat, daughter of mommakitty), Queenie (aka cinfuldiva), and newcomer Meghan (unless we frightened her away). I'm JHo (aka jboise, aka Janet). So, seven usual suspects, seventeen monikers. Don't worry, we all get them mixed up sometimes. Or is it just me?

2. You also need to know about Norm (PC's terrible housemate), Larry (Moochie's pooch), BU (PC's cat), Duncan (my pooch).

3. At any moment, any of us might post TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

Dive right in, and happy new year!

I'm getting ready (well, DH is doing the cooking) for guests coming in a couple of hours. We will NOT be staying up til midnight! We hope to be comfy in bed. (BTW, this a.m. it was -13F outside with gusty winds--yikes!) I've planned out what I'll be eating (and thus haven't eaten more than a bowl of oatmeal & an apple so far) hoping to start the new year at slightly less weight than I'm leaving the old one.

All the best to everyone for 2009! May it bring health & success to us all.

JHo

Queenie! That was a very brave thing to do, sharing something so intimate. I hope that things are much better for you now than when you were at that low point. You are loved! (hug)

And I feel safe in saying that none of us thinks anything bad about you. We just tease you back, perhaps not so adeptly sometimes. If it weren't for you, none of us would be here, sharing the ups and downs of our various struggles.

I realized I haven't "friended" anyone or even had much of a profile on CC, so I uploaded a bunch of pix of me at all kinds of different weights -- the "haircut" one was at my lowest weight this past year, about 111 lbs. I now look more like the one of me singing karaoke.

I hope you're feeling better!

JHo

JHo is more like JHoHoHoHo right now, friends. More fluffy JHo goodness to love.

So I'm back, 4 lbs. up to where I was when I started this thang. It was fun visiting family, but there were lots of meals out, Christmas cookies everywhere, toasting, noshing, etc. I thought I could control things with "portion control" but I think what really killed me was NO WORKING OUT. We were snowed in much of the time (couldn't get out of our driveway to have fun skiing, even!).

Missed all of you!

First, Ms. Minx, what an amazing photo that "before" is! Kind of fuzzy, like the ones of the Loch Ness monster . . . are you sure it's really you? Un-rec-og-nizable. Congratulations on the discipline you've got to maintain such a losing record! You look gorgeous now!

Pusskins, congrats on the decision to go back to school -- and in the nutrition field, you'll be so focused on being a role model you won't get to backslide! And congrats too on getting rid of Norm for a while. His vacation is YOUR vacation! You should treat yourself to a new bathrobe--a nice comfy one.

Meemers! Good nickname! Welcome to the chaos. Congrats on the great DH & the swell present! I checked the bodybugg out, but my Mac OS is too old to use with it. Good thing; I don't have the bucks to spend! Let us know how things go!

Moochie dear, congrats to you for getting through the holidays with so little gain! I share the proclivities when it comes to a glass or two of vino so I'm sympathetic. But I read back in the thread & can assure you, you mixed-up Aussie, that Minnesota at this time of year has NO MOSQUITOS! They can't live in the negative temperatures (it was -17F (-27C) the other morning; now, a balmy +23F (-3C)).

Queenie, welcome back from Disney! Congrats for being so nice and encouraging to Pusskins--you must be on good behavior for the holidays! We both gained the big 4.0, so I feel especially close to you right now. Let's start the New Year with a big loss!

Meghan, great to have you here! You've been doing some major losing up 'til now, and you'll be rid of those Christmas pounds in no time. But we're going to have to do something about a nickname for you . . .

We are up at our snowed-in cabin but we DO have a case of wine here brought up from the Twin Cities (a wink to Moochie!). We're cooking a New Year's turkey for ourselves & two other up-north couples, but I'm determined to have some good sense. No Christmas cookies at least! We left those with my DH's daughter's family. My New Year's resolution (surprise!) is to get down to 110 lbs, which is where I was for quite some time (I'm 5'0"). That's a 10.5 lb loss from where I am now, and Meemers, when you're theeeees close to the end nothing comes off easily. (I'd love to lose a quick five pounds--I'd be halfway there!)

Take good care, everyone! This long, long, long 2008 is almost at an end!

xo, JHo

Hiya Minx!  (And aren't all bridesmaid dresses supposed to make people look awful?)

I fully sympathize with both the bagel & wine decisions. It feels like "revenge" eating, but the revenge is on ourselves in the long run -- so I hope the need passes today. Doesn't sound like you went hugely over your calories anyway. (Well, maybe with the wine!)

Congratulations on the 1.6 lbs! I am .5 below my pre-Thanksgiving, so I guess I'm on the bunny slope again. But not for long, with Christmas parties this weekend. (Though of course I will try to be good!)

  Does this halo make me look fat?

JHo

No need to feel silly, Pussikins. The show is on DVD -- which actually is where I saw it, since I don't get much time to watch TV when the shows I like are actually scheduled (and I don't have cable). I'm now watching the first season of "Mad Men" since it won a bunch of Emmys. It's also quite good.

Man, don't you wish you had had a zinger to throw back at that momma & child? "Hmm, I guess bad manners run in your family!" or "I can lose weight, but you can't fix ugly!"Of course, one only thinks of such things AFTER the opportunity has passed!

When I visited England, they were all about warmed sliced tomatoes (usually for breakfast). They taste good that way, & might go well with some of the protein you're going to be eating today. Good luck. You're almost through cabbage week!

My DH & I are going through a vegetarian cookbook looking for recipes that fit with the Skinny Bitch book, & it's been kind of fun. He is now making a butternut squash soup for our dinner (it smells great! But those squashes are hard to handle 'til you chop them in smaller pieces). I sit in the kitchen and encourage him while he cooks--he doesn't want my, erm, help--and we've got the football games on. I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but he's 76 to my 52, and I basically got into college teaching so I'd have my summers & vacations to have more time with him. (After all, by the time I retire who knows whether we'll be able to travel or do fun stuff together, so we try to squeeze it in now.) So this weekend we'll be cooking...having friends from downstairs in our building up for dinner before we leave for Christmas at the end of next week. (And cinfuldiva, I hear you about Christmas break! I'm more than ready!) He's making Indian food for them, which is vegetarian & fits with my diet.

Since we saw his sons for Thanksgiving in Cincinnati, we're going to Minnesota to his daughter's family for Christmas. We still have a little cabin in Minnesota, & we go there for most of the time so we don't get underfoot, then come down for a few days over the holiday to be with the family. Who except us goes to MINNESOTA for the winter? Anyway, I'm hoping to be down a pound or so more by the time we leave.

Let's all help each other through the holidays, OK? I know my downfall will be drinking wine & being tempted with cookies...

JHo

Heh, this is so funny. I keep trying to write what Moochie wrote in her post. H followed by I followed by I followed by T. I don't know what it stands for but apparently I'm not allowed to post it!

Welcome back, skinybum! Your workout plan sounds good to me...but I'm no expert! In fact, I am really no expert on weight loss. I lost 25 pounds years ago but it was very unsafe (what they called a protein-sparing fast) and have spent the last twenty years about 10-15 lbs overweight with brief moments of getting down to my goal. I seem really stuck now at 8-10 lbs over goal, which frustrates me. It seems like so little to lose! But it sits on my belly (mostly) going bwa-hahahahaha... Right now I'm combining counting calories with the tips from the book "Skinny Bitch" (basically a vegan diet) and running 3x week, doing strength training 2x a week, and crosstraining once or twice a week (combining it with strength training if I do it twice).

Minx, you minx, I went right out and had a tall soy latte after I read your post. Heh.

Later, lovelies--

JHo

Hi all, just checking in--

Pussikins, I tried the cabbage soup diet eons ago. Only made it a couple of days--there just wasn't enough variety for me. But now I'm trying this vegan diet and I've noticed something: I'm not eating enough to stave off hunger. Usually I bring something for lunch, but I got hungry about an hour early yesterday & realized I need to bring snacks too. Still not going over my calories, but it takes a different kind of planning than I'm used to.

Also: I classify soy as a BEAN because of its, erm, effects.

Dawnmaureen, welcome! Don't believe the rumors: we're actually very nice over here.

Minx, good words re: the cabbage soup diet. I don't think a week of it will hurt, but any more than that could have some downsides. I empathize with anyone trying to break a plateau!

OK, long enough break. It's back to work for me.

JHo