Posts by joanna_atl

Age 56, 5' 8"  (not so young)

Breakfast:

1/3 c bran buds, 1/3 cup Oatmeal Squares, 1/3 c 2% milk

Lunch:

Salad - home-made - chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, spring onions, radishes, bell pepper, and tomatoes with a red wine vinegar dressing

Bottle V8 Tomato Juice

1 Gala Apple

Cup Herbal Tea

Dinner:

Homemade Burger, Burger Bun, Boiled Potato, Green Beans

Cup tea with 2% milk (large)

Snacks/Extras:

Pretzels

Coffee with Mini Moo half & half (2 at work daily)

Total Calories: 1300

Thanks for missing me Bex

Try having a big bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I usually have something with lots of  texture and crunch to it as well as one that gives me a high percentage of my daily mineral requirements.  For instance half a cup of Quaker Oatmeal Squares (hint of brown sugar flavor or cinnamon), plus half a cup of Kellogs Bran Buds (or All Bran) plus maybe half a cup of Multigrain Cheerios with half a cup of 2% milk.  I usually have two of the three mentioned but given that  you’re a guy and have a higher daily allowances, three would be fine for you I’d think.  That should keep you going til lunch or nearly lunch.

For lunch take a HUGE salad.  I usually prepare 5 containers of salad on Sunday night for my lunches during the work week, and just add tomato, dressing, wine vinegar & salt & pepper each morning.  Mine are made up of half cup each of chopped celery, cucumber,  and carrots, plus about half a cup of chopped green onions and green peppers.   I just grab one of these containers each morning, add the tomato, dressing and S&P, and off I go.  I take a couple of apples for morning and afternoon snacks.  You could take along a serving of meat or cheese as well for added protein, but make sure you add up all the calories honestly.

Yes, my stomach does have a bit of a growl session on some days, especially if whatever I have for dinner the previous night wasn’t high in calories but the way I look at it, the growling means I’m doing something right!  

Everyone says that to get a 1 – 2 lb weight loss per week you need to have a calorie to burn deficit of 500 cals/day (not sure if that is different for guys or not – anyone know?).  You don’t want to loose more than that otherwise you won’t keep it off.

Oh and I quit smoking 3 years ago with Wellbutrin after smoking for 30+ years – that was my 20 lbs that I am trying to loose – 8.5 down, 11.5 to go.  Goal – by Christmas (or before).  I tried the patches some years ago and they drove me crazy – shortness of breath, couldn’t sleep, deer in the headlights look – not nice.

Hi Everyone

I've been MIA for a couple of weeks because work has been so very busy that my brain just didn't want to wrap itself around posting - I've been reading all your posts though so am pretty much up to date with what y'all are up to.

Despite being busy, I've maintained my calorie counting and exercise.  Whilst only losing one miserable pound in the past month, I at least haven't put any on - and that's through two birthdays (mine and my husbands). 

Hopefully I can get this downward trend moving a bit more quickly soon so that I have some leeway come Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Take care everyone,

Joanna

Original Post by robbie615:

Super busy teaching today. Can't write much. Had to tell Bex though that you made me laugh. I must be very politically incorrect. There's a woman in my class who clearly used to be a man. I was trying so hard not to notice, but when I played the witness and she examined me, I kept saying, "Yes, sir." Felt like crawling under the table. So awkward. I hope I didn't ruin her learning experience.

LOL Robbie, you and I are soooo similar.  Sometimes I think that I only open my mouth to change my feet!

Welcome Catie

You will find this group very supportive with lots of really good advice - well, lets be honest, we're a great bunch of ladies .  We all support one another in our quest to loose weight, get fit, find new recipes, you name it, we discuss it and help one another out.  It's like finding a bunch of long lost siblings.

With your walking (and repetitive arm swinging), perhaps you could do it in smaller doses - like walk several times a day (morning and evening) for shorter distances so as to not irritate your shoulders?   You could possibly ask your doctor what exercises he/she recommends for your condition.  Is there any support clothing or something similar that would give your shoulders some help whilst walking.  I use a treadmill and I must admit that I don't do a lot of arm swinging - I just hold onto the bar/handles - the darned thing rattles too much to be able to hear the TV if I swing my arms (it was a second hand treadmill).

This site is great for counting calories but you have to be consistent and not cheat (too much).  It also has some great recipes that are low cal that might help.  Our forum also shares recipes so just sing out if there is something particular that you want.

About your community pool - our Homeowners Association has a rule that teens have to be out of the pool by a certain hour and that leaves about an hour and a half before it is closed each evening when adults can do lengths or whatever.  You could possibly use your pool early in the mornings - it is a rare teenager that gets up early!

Anyway, welcome again.

Joanna

Original Post by robbie615:

Are you a mediator? BTW, in reference to your comment in my journal, I haven't heard the term "spitting rain" since I lived in PNG. A neighbor who was from New Zealand introduced me to that term. Where did you learn it?

~ Beth

Yes, I work with a group of other retired (or, just tired) judges, and that's what we do full time.

I was raised in Texas, but lived in New Orleans, New York, and Miami, besides here. And, we have a great close friend from Australia, so who knows where I picked it up. Probably not New York.

Its definitely a New Zealand thing .... being as I'm  Kiwi, and grew up with spitting rain (probably originally British if the truth be known.

Robbie - thanks for good vibes .... worked!    Been super busy at work and had had to work closely with the one person I least like, and that person irritates the &*%$^& out of me.  Looks like this week is going to be more of the same but at least said person actually seems to be appreciating my abilities whereas in the past he has treated me like a waste of space!  It was not his choice to have to work with me so it has been a weird sort of pleasure rubbing his nose in it!

Sorry I can't stay to chat tonight.  I'll try to catch up with all your posts and post sometime tomorrow.

Oh and btw, I didn't loose any weight last week, remained the same, but ooooh how I love it when my jeans are noticeably looser !!

Take care,

Joanna

PS went to the new Batman movie on Sunday ... well worth it!

Original Post by robbie615:

Warning, this post is all about me.

For some reason, for the last few days (since I gained 1.5 pounds), all I've been obsessing about is how I've aged. I even went back and looked at pictures from 10 years ago, when I weighed 114, and I looked so amazing. At first, I thought, good, I can get back there. But then I realized from my journals that not only did I weigh less, but also I had a much lower body fat percentage (27 now, 23 then), fewer wrinkles, and only ONE chin. Unlike Beth, my recent loss has not rid me of my extra chin(s). Then, I started obsessing about how my current pictures will probably look good to me in 10 years, and why didn't I ever know and appreciate how good I looked 10 years ago. Instead, I always did what I'm doing now: focused on all the imperfections.

And now, instead of being happy about the 9 pounds I've lost (134.5 to 125.5), I'm depressed that I gained back a pound since last Thursday (124.5), and wanting it gone before tomorrow night's wedding. Really, I'm just throwing a massive self pity party. On the bright side, I have not used it as an excuse to overeat, so that's something, huh?

I need a mantra to help me disconnect how much I weigh from how I feel about myself. Anyone else ever wallow like this?

 I'm having a negative week too

Hmmm, all this talk of grandkids.  I married late - was 31 when I had Nick so I'm not expecting grandkids any time soon.  Nick is 23, Chris is 21 and Kat is 18.  Most likely one to give me my first grandchild would be Chris - he's always been the one to have long term deep relationships - right back to when he was in grade school.  I could count on the fingers of one hand, how many girls he's had a serious relationship with.  I think the young lady he's currently dating may very well be a keeper but both of them want to get settled in jobs before making those sorts of decisions.  She has already graduated with her masters in Social Work, he will graduate next year with a degree in Graphic Design/Multi Media. 

I think I already said that Nick graduated this year with Honors and a double degree and Masters in Architecture and he is too busy with work and travel to want to get into a serious relationship.  He has to work in Australia for two years to get into the Australian Architecture Assn (or whatever it is called) and then he plans to travel the world and try to get work either here in the US or in the UK.  He's already had an offer in Ireland.  He has visited me here a couple of times over the past 3 years and spent time in New York and absolutely loved it - wants to live there.  We'll see what happens.

Now Kat on the other hand hasn't had any serious boyfriends or otherwise.  Don't thinks she's had any boyfriends at all actually.  She lives either online or moves with a goth/punk "alternative" crowd in Perth and talks about girlfriends and being bisexual but I don't think she really knows what she's talking about.

Got an email from her father earlier this week expressing total exasperation with her not getting (or even trying to get) a job and her continued "borrowing" of any money that may be anywhere in the house (even hidden).   Whoever it was that was bewailing the fact that their son wasn't sticking to a job should consider themselves lucky that he even has a job.  My daughter is so lazy she just can't be bothered trying and is freeloading off her father (who enables her in this respect) and just hanging out until she gets an inheritance from my Mother which she'll get in about 20 months.  Hopefully she'll come right (eventually).  Oh, and I believe she's lost both her passport and her greencard! (and I'm not happy about that!)

Enough venting - I have to do some work.

Hope everyone else is having a great day.

Joanna

Good Morning Everyone

I feel so much better today.  Lots of sleep, back into the routine this morning.  Oh and we had more thunder and lightning last night only it was at a more civilized hour!

Beth - you seem to have been everywhere.  Why were you in PNG?  I had friends that lived there for a while but it was sort of scarey as they had to be in walled compounds to keep people out!

Bon - I love to exercise in the morning generally - when I was in Perth, I used to go to the gym before work but here the commute is to long and I'd have to get up way too early to do that.  That's one of the reasons I got the treadmill.  Means even if I don't go to the gym after work, I can still get a bunch of exercise in.

Carol - I am right there with you on earthquakes.  When I was in college in New Zealand, I lived in Wellington which had lots of earthquakes.  You really tend to get a bit blase about them don't you?   On a different note being blase  reminds me of living in London in the 70's when all the IRA bombings were happening on the underground and in the city streets.  Whilst you kept a very sharp eye out for any bags that might be lying around or left unattended, you did tend to be a bit fatalistic.  I remember they removed all of the on street trash bins   because they were a favourite place for the IRA to plant bombs (that, shop doorways and on the tube/underground).  Hmmm, how did I get from earthquake to bombs?

Snow - you'd love some of the recipes that I make (when I'm not calorie counting).  I make a lot of Indonesian/Malaysian/Indian dishes.  I have a recipe book that is my "bible" of asian cooking.  If any of you like to cook this way, the book is called Charmain Solomons Complete Asian Cookbook.  I purchased mine way back .... waaaaaaaaaaaay back ... and the sticker price is still on it $15.  I have purchased copies of it over the years in UK, Australia and the US for various people and in Oz it cost me over $60 but here at Barnes & Noble you can get it for about $30 - worth every cent!   Robbie - you'd like these recipes I think.

Everyone else, keep up the good work.

Joanna

Hello people .... I am sooooooo tired today.  Went to bed late-ish last night and read for a while and was just drifting off to sleep when you just about had to peel me off the ceiling with a clap of thunder and super loud crackle of lightning right over the house.  Now, don't get me wrong I just love thunder and lightning and we really need the rain but this just sat over our suburb (and it sure felt like it was right over my house) for over 2 hours!  It was a serious sound and light show with a bunch of heavy rain thrown in.  So consequently it was close to 3am before I drifted off and I wanted to smash my alarm clock when it went off at 5:45am. 

Needless to say I did not leap out of bed all full of enthusiasm and go down to the basement to walk on the treadmill.  In fact, we have more of the same weather scheduled for late afternoon/early evening so I might even pass on going to the gym after work.  I might just go home and get on the treadmill for 45 mins or so.  That way I don't have to drive with all those lunatics who don't know how to drive in the rain.  I mean really - lights on guys, slow down - "dead on time" isn't what I'm striving for! 

I was really good yesterday though - I did my 30 mins on the treadmill in the morning, went to the gym after work and pushed 19,645 lbs and then went home and did another 30 mins on the treadmill.   Had low cal beef and veg soup for supper, so all in all it was a good day.  I was tired after all that so the storm didn't help.

Bex - sorry to hear that Solo didn't work out.  He sounded like such a nice dog at first but its better to find out his negatives early before you fall for him.  I'm sure if you went to the Animal Shelter a dog would pick you right away.  That's how we've gotten our last couple of cats.  We have just let them choose us.

Talk to you later.

Joanna

Snow - congrats on your achievement .... have something decadent at the buffet for me please. 

Kayle - glad you did pretty well with all the temptations !

I've been pretty good this weekend but no exercise .  However, I'll be back into it on Monday - back on the treadmill at 5:45 am before work and to the gym after work.   Might even  see if I can be bothered throwing in an extra  half hour on the treadmill when I get home.

I spent a good part of yesterday cooking up a beef and vegetable soup that I've divided into 5 containers for diners for me this week - though I'll be nice and cook real food for Rog.  I made a really nice Jambalaya yesterday that was low cal and there are some left overs that he can have for Monday.  Today, I made up five containers of salad for my work lunches - I make them in advance and each morning I chop up a tomato into them and add 1 Tbsp of Lite Zesty Italian Dressing and 1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar.  My salads consist of chopped carrot, celery, cucumber, radishes and green onions - about half a cup of each.  Fills me up, takes a long time to digest and is super low cal. 

Now I need to go prepare dinner.  We're just having grilled chicken breasts with broccolli, cauliflower and mash but I like to use a rub on the chicken to give it a bit more interest, and add a little garlic to the mash.

Talk to you ladies tomorrow.  Keep up the good work all,

Joanna

Original Post by clharr:

Hi Alice!  Its been a while.  That job would destroy me.  Good luck.  It is hard to eat healthy when you are going out and everyone is eating sweets.  You are showing a lot of restraint so far.  Keep it up and you will be my hero! 

You know Carol, I just love that pic you have of the cat - I've always wanted a Siamese and I'm a serious cat person.  My current furball (Macs) is just a plain old tabby who chose us at the Cat Shelter in Perth Western Australia.  He is a very chatty soul, and loves to have his tummy scratched - like a dog.  He's an outside and inside cat and supplements his diet with squirrels, rabbits, birds and the odd chipmunk - and he eats them, just leaving the odd bit of fur, ears and claws.  Sometimes he even tries to give these trophies to us.  No thanks.  His air fare over here was more expensive than ours, but at least he didn't have to be in quarantine at all because Australia, being an island, doesn't have rabies.

Hi Moon/Alice - good to see you.  Have to ask, if there so much junk food around, is everyone in that office the size of a house?  If they're not, they should be!  Your restraint is impressive - we're all behind you - keep it up!

Its good being really busy though - although reporting to the state about Workforce Investment Act sounds just a tad dry.

Yes all of us do talk a lot don't we.  I started making notes as I read the posts each day so I know what to comment on.  And just when you think you've covered it all, you update the site and find there's half a dozen more posts.  Don't think I'll ever catch up properly, but at least trying.

Robbie - thanks for clarifying - I am happy to say that when I went to the hospital for a bone density scan they told me if I was any denser I'd be dangerous.  Not sure if that was a compliment or not!  Hope they were talking about my bones and not my brain!  We also have a Health Fair every year here at work where we have free flu shots, free mammographies for the over 40's, chloresterol testing, mini bone density tests (the thing you put your foot in), along with fat meters/calipers etc.  With those mini tests they always have to add onto their scale for me because my bones are really good.  Guess that's a plus.  Don't have any chloresterol issues either.

OK, back to work.

Joanna

Hello Everyone!

Bex - I love the hair too.  Hmmm, deer, venison on the hoof!  Nice.  I used to deer farm in New Zealand back in the 80’s.  Also loved your Alzheimers joke but what really cracked me up was the “Life should be a journey …..” quote ……….. that’s just toooooo appropriate!

Ohio – both you and Bon and your golf!  Guys here in the office are golf nuts too.  I just never got into it.  Not bad at crazy golf though!  Also don’t be discouraged with a little bit of weight gain when you have guests staying over or at vacation time.  These times always seem to take their toll but you’ll do fine.  Just jump back on the wagon and you’ll drop that weight again in no time.

Snow – Ahhh, a fellow wine lover!  Yes, I like my wine and I also make homebrew beer.  I think I should try to stay off the wine until I’ve hit 155 (currently 157.5) then I can have some at the weekend – reward!  Then I’ll select another goal weight – maybe 152, we’ll see.    I’m ultimately going for 140 but that seems such a long way off at the moment.

Robbie – looking forward to seeing you in that lovely dress and accessories and yes, going down a size is always such a wonderful psychological boost!  

Fortunately we rarely get snow in Atlanta so not that much of an issue for the Mustang – she just drinks too much gas being a 5 litre, V8 (but she’s beautiful!)  Pretty much I only drive her to and from work – anywhere else, and we go in Rog’s Altima.  I’d like a second hand Subaru Outback for my next car but that’ll be down the road a fair bit.  (Repairs for the Mustang came to $991.87 plus cost of battery – as I said yesterday, I’m gonna be working til I’m 100!)

Regarding Kat, the worst thing is I feel so helpless – nothing much I can do from 12,000 miles away.  I try to encourage her but I often feel she just pays lip service to my comments.  It’s even difficult to phone her because she routinely doesn’t answer the phone as, and I quote, “its probably only Dad calling from work to nag me”.   Rog and I went to Perth, Western Australia and Auckland, New Zealand back in mid March this year for Nick’s graduation ceremony – he graduated Masters with Honors with a double degree in Environmental Design and Architectural Design from University of Western Australia.  In the near month we were there, Kat could barely fit us into her schedule (of hanging out with friends).  We saw her only 5 times, and she was late for three of those!  Its very difficult trying to be patient and understanding when you want to rip her head off!  We made a side trip to New Zealand for a week to visit my Dad before coming back to the US.  We’re going to be paying for that trip for many months to come.  In fact, I cannot at this point foresee ever being able to make such a trip again.  Oh and another point, Kat managed to loose both her passport and her Green Card.  Grrrrrrrrrrrr

So, jumped on the scales this morning and they read 156 …. But them a little bit later, and I hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink at that point, they went back to 157.5.  I’d like to believe the 156, but ………..

Diannec – glad to have you onboard.  Jump right in and chat like the rest of us.  You’re very welcome.

Southern/Beth – I love storms too, but here they are invariably electrical so can’t go out walking in them (or at least Rog won’t allow me!)

Clharr – thanks for your thoughts about Kat.  It is difficult but we all know that we don’t get a manual with them, we just do the best we can.  Both Nick and Chris have turned into wonderful young adults so I hope that Kat will get there too.

Oh well, have a great weekend ladies.  

Joanna