[QUOTE=Bernie2014]Hi Berns! Thanks! Yesterday was EASY! (wish every day was like that!) We leave for the Alaska wedding on July 7... so, two weeks? Wow! That is actually coming up fast! DD got her dress in the mail; it's pale blue with a ruffled-V down the front. Tank style... Pretty, but pricey! I will be wearing a dress from the back of my closet! (From my brother's wedding actually, about 14 yrs ago! Feels good to fit into those old clothes.

Hi Lauri! I hear you on the not eating late! I do not like the feeling... been pretty successful since my restart in April. Haven't eaten after dinner excpet maybe once or twice, and always meat.

I hear you on the "not eating together".. feels anti-social...DH always jokes that we "never eat together any more"... but, for now, I just need to eat when I need to eat. I will sit at the table with DH and DD while they eat... but I typiclally eat before them. Sometimes it's defensive eating, sometimes I'm just really hungry, and always, I like to eat as early as I can.

Did you ever watch Seinfeld? There's an episode where Jerry goes to Florida to visit his parents and they get ready to go to dinner in the late afternoon...

Mom: "Jerry, let's go. It's time for dinner!"
Jerry: "What? What time is it?"
Dad: "4:00. If we hurry, we can catch the Early Bird. But we gotta' get there before 4:30"
Jerry: "I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at 4:30 in the afternoon to save a couple of bucks!"
Mom: "Fine. We'll wait. But it's unheard of!"

To this day, whenever I fire up the BBQ in the late afternoon/early evening, to put on a steak for myself (and anyone else who wants!) my DH ALWAYS says:

I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at 4:30 in the afternoon!

[QUOTE=jmh6251]
I love grocery shopping. Went tonight!
Thanks Jmh! Yesterday was easy. Don't know exactly why so easy, but I'll take it!
SO EXACTLY RIGHT!!!

So many good things happening! I wish I had time to respond on my computer instead of just on my phone. Jo, for Me the 4 hour eating window means I might have a late lunch at 1 or 2, and then have dinner at 5. Or I might have my dinner at 4 or 5, and then have a light dessert an hour or two later. It's definitely not an open window of time to eat for 4 hours! LOL my biggest problem is snacking so it's important to me to limit the time that I can eat.

I had my annual exam yesterday, & I saw the physician's assistant instead of a doctor. We talked about low carb, and she does it too! That was great.

I was reading online about the national weight control registry. They are a group that is tracking people who have lost weight and kept it off for more than a year. In general most of the people are doing low-calorie and low-fat, eat breakfast, and exercise an hour a day usually by walking. I definitely don't fit the stereotype! But I was glad to hear it that people who have kept the weight off for 2 to 5 years find it much easier as time does on, and if you keep it off for that long you are more likely to keep it off forever. That is my goal. I just have to keep working this one day at a time. They also said that the people who are most successful do not deviate from their plan for holidays and vacations or special occasions. That is definitely my mindset. I have not been completely successful with that at Christmas time, that is my weak time. But I'm trying to work on my mindset for this Christmas already!

Hope you got a chance to enjoy your beautiful day, yesterday, Judy!

Our sun is shining too but I wish it wasn't so ding dang HOT! Low 100s predicted for today again so I got all my outdoor chores and grocery shopping completed early!That's the hardest part of this! Like Jams said:That's why it's always important to have a boat load of strategies to fight off the cravings!

My experience has shown me that the longer I do this the less often "cravings rear it's ugly head" but they do occur and I guess they always will!

IMHO, being a Carb addict is one of the hardest addictions b/c we have to EAT; we just have to make sure that every time we do, that it's 100% OP. Awesome! That's the way to be successful and see results! It doesn't get any better than that!

Hiya, Berni!Thanks, girlie! But that's what we're here for to help support, share our experiences and encourage each other along our journey to better HEALTH and skinny-dom!
My Wednesday was lovely, hope yours was the same!

Hiya, De!

Why are you going w/o caffeine?

I gave up caffeine years ago for Lent. Had a monster headache for like 4-5 days. Was caffeine-free for like seven years and finally started drinking it again, have no clue why I restarted? Bahahahahaha! Little ones are so easily entertained at times. Heck I would have been entertained too! And you call THAT diet food??? You go girl!

Thanks girlie! Appreciate that mucho!

That is so awesome that your DD wants to hang out with you for the summer! How old is your DD?

Sounds like you've got some really great summer plans to share together! What wonderful memories you will create for summer 2016! Oh okay! Yeah I remember you told me that you basically co-teach with 3 other people in their classrooms.

How come you don't get M's job? Wouldn't your life be easier being in just one classroom? Sorry if Imma asking too many questions... Woot! For not eating the carb-age crap and not eating too much!

When faced with "eating the carb-age crap" I always remind myself how far I've come...granted, I wouldn't re-gain everything I've lost over night. But to me, it's so NOT worth it. I remember this quote from a good while back that resonates with me at times of temptations/cravings:

“Nothing Tastes as Good as Being at my Personal Weight Goal Feels!”

We can switch it up to read:

“Nothing Tastes as Good as Getting to my Personal Weight Goal will Feel!”

And here's another one that keeps me 100% OP:

“At the end of the day, I will NOT regret what I DID NOT eat since I refuse to serve myself up a plate of GUILT!”

As you can probably surmise, I LOVE inspirational quotes and I save all of them! Always my pleasure, Jams!

Wow you type all of this on your phone?? You go girl! at not an open window to eat 4 hours straight!

I'm so glad you are finding a way to help you resolve your snacking!

That's what I LOVE about our incredible LC WOE. We can customize it to work for us. Dr. A really did encourage that in Diet Revolution 1972:Proof that when we say we're doing what works for us as individuals, we are hitting the nail squarely on the head. That's the only way we can be successful if and only if we continue to do what works for us!
No matter what the naysayers spout, if our chosen eating pattern is 1 or more meals a day, we are indeed following what Dr. A had envisioned for us b/c it's what is BEST suited for us as individuals! WOW that's awesome that your PA does LC too! Thanks for sharing all that great information. I loved the part I bolded b/c that's how I live my life too!

Now I have to go check out that registry too!

So why do you think Christmas is such a struggle for you?

Maybe we can help you come up with some great strategies so that you can be über successful this year and we have six months to do it!

I know you posted this to Lauri, but I had to put in my 2 cents worth!

I'm totally with you on "I just need to eat when I need to eat."

When I was in a relationship, that's what I did too! Even now when family comes over for a visit or I visit them (we're all in different states), I'll eat when I need to eat. Doesn't mean they have to eat too. And I always try to eat at least 2 hours before I go to bed...

Even now when I go out to "eat" with friends or family, I don't "eat" out. I'm paranoid about eating food I don't prepare myself ~ a topic for another time!

If it's a dinner affair, I eat before I go. If it's lunch, I just go for the companionship and become the designated dt. soda or ice tea drinker for either lunch or dinner. My friends and family know that about me and accept it!

OMG, I remember that Seinfeld episode!

Hi Warriors, today has been a lazy day. Been raining off and on all day.

Went shopping yesterday, then back out today to get carby stuff for the boys. I conveniently forgot their stuff yesterday. It must have been a deliberate slip of the mind. LOL

Fixing chicken and salad for dinner, DH has his potato's to go with it. He has ice cream and left over strawberry cake for dessert.

I don't think I need to have dessert tonight I'm not that hungry. It's odd his potato's are not that tempting today, not like the other night when everyone had KFC.

I admire you Delaney C for trying to give up caffeine. I've never been able to wean myself off. One time I had a couple of lady clients that didn't drink coffee and I almost weaned myself off, but ended up drinking it again.

When DH worked we ate separately because he came home too late at night to eat with him. I almost preferred it when he did work all day. I haven't had a free day for awhile. He doesn't mean to, but he gets on my nerves.

well I hope everyone has a great on plan rest of the day.

peace and Blessings;

Hi Lauri! What do you teach again? It's funny that we both scheduled our full physicals for right after school let out... I think most teachers do. Mine went well too. Doc knows I'm doing "no sugar, no grains" and he's cool with it.

It would be really really cool if the Awesome Warriors who have taken off the excess weight, and kept it off, could register and represent OUR way of doing things! Like you mentioned, MOST "weight-loss stories" that get publicity are about low cal, low fat "healthy" eating and punitive/unsustainable amounts of exercise. It would be really cool to get more and more alternatives in there! I think we all agree, this WOL is COMPLETELY sustainable. And, for me, it's getting easier each day- not harder. I thought, after gettting stone-cold serious on my restart April 23, that it might get harder the longer you "abstain" from certian foods...like missing someone the longer you don't get a chance to visit... but, it's really more like...well, a death. The missing gets a bit paler and a bit less painful as the days go by. As the days turn into weeks, and then years... some days, you don't even think about the person. You will ALWAYS love them. You would give anything for one more day with them, like old times... but you know, it's not possible. And, over time, the missing becomes less. ...I know it's not exactly like that, but kind of.

Well, went off on a bit of a tangent...

Happy almost Friday!

[QUOTE=jmh6251]Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE days like that??!! I know I do!

[QUOTE=Just Jo] We LOVE your 2 cents, jo!!!

yup. The earlier I eat in the afternoon/evening, the better things seem to be in the morning.

I hear you! I remember something about a Diet Coke not being diet...we still do eat out from time to time... but you are right...it's a mine field out there. Carbs lurking in EVERY corner- ready to POUNCE into our open mouths!!! Scary stuff!!

yup., yup yup. excellent strategy and IT WORKS!!! .. A great GF of mine I haven't seen in a long time texted to get together for happy hour...I countered with, "how 'bout we meet at Starbux, get coffee (black for me) and head to the park for a "walk n talk?" She agreed! So, Carb-laiden Happy hour and Alcohol averted!

love that show. we quote it almost daily.


Thanks as always, Jo, for taking time to make each one of us feel special. You are a shining example of what dedication and committment to this WOL can be. You are walking the walk and talking the talk... AND you are still here! AND you have kept the weight off!!! so awesome.