<p>arabrab, I would be fine with the scale your D’s college has. At S2’s college an 89 is just a plain old B as he found out to his dismay. But in retrospect, I don’t think my college had pluses or minuses either. I’m not really sure about our older son’s college. He would tell us his GPA but I don’t remember him commenting on actual grades. I guess it all averages out.</p>
<p>At the WW meetings, you get a gold star for every five pounds. As silly as that sounds, you really do get excited about earning those stars. You also get a keychain and then little charms to put on that keychain for big milestones (each 25 pounds, goal). I think rewarding yourself is helpful. I’m a big eater as well. I am most successful when I keep low calorie, easy to grab food around to snack on like homemade veggie soup, or an apple sprinkled with cinnamon. I get into trouble if I grab cheese, peanut butter, crackers or really any bread so when losing weight I didn’t even keep those foods in the house except for a special occasion. That is one of the areas I eased up on recently and I need to get those things out of here. I hate to push myself when I exercise, so I have to use the heart rate monitor to make sure I keep my heart rate above 136+ bpm for at least 20 consecutive minutes. Once I’m there, I usually maintain the intensity for at least 30 minutes but give myself permission to ease up after the 20 minutes if I want. Easing up on the intensity of my exercise was another mistake I made. I’m glad to see I’m in good company needing to tackle this issue yet again. </p>
<p>Happy BDay, DTE – tis my own sister’s birthday too, and mine tomorrow! So cheers!</p>
<p>On the weight loss front (and I mean FRONT literally : ) I am from a short, muscular stock. When I first moved to the U.S. in 2003, I immediately gained 30 lbs (which I did not need, already being quite proportionately plump-ish but generally content at a petite med-lg range). (It’s the convenience foods, I swear. Additives to everything. Etc. Lots of sugar and salt. Swear the prepared formulas are different than Canada. Even American tomato paste is sweetened!) So the next year, I did South Beach, and lost 30 lbs in about 5 months, and kept it off for a year or so. Missed bread. Started to slide. Then it crept back up with late hours and convenience food again. This time I tried Shaklee’s Cinch protein shakes. Lowered cholesterol by 30 pts. and lost 30 lbs in about 7 weeks, and more importantly, felt really great. Then my god-daughter was killed in a car accident and I ate my way through the grief and 1.5 yrs. later, I am back up to JUMBO SHRIMP size again, JS being a difficult size for which to shop : (. So Jan 1, I get to start all over again. All I have to do is add the shake at lunch (I still use shake in a.m. with fruit b/c it is so easy and gives a boost to the day) religiously and continue my walking and I should average 4lbs a week…if I don’t run amok on the weekends.
Let’s help each other be accountable. My “freshman 15” McSon and I have a $50 bet for whoever is the first to lose 20/or the most in 6 weeks. That should help!</p>
<p>kmccrindle–I think we inhabit the same body type. </p>
<p>Yes, I could stand to lose about, a lot of pounds. It’s actually one of my goals. The last time I was near my goal weight was about 10 years ago for my high school reunion. Guess what is this year–high school reunion again. I’ve gained back all the weight I lost then. It was a pretty slow process. It started the summer I was taking D to swim practice at 5:00 every morning. Lack of sleep equaled poor eating choices for me. Throw in a couple of seasons of getting home from sports events at 9:00 and eating junk late, and approaching the magical 50, and it all adds up. Last year I think I gained at least 7 or 8 pounds and didn’t change a single thing. That I attribute to aging and impending “M” I keep telling myself it’s now or never because it’s not going to get any easier. Although the Christmas goodies are still around I did eat a healthy lunch and am making a low fat chicken noodle soup for dinner. It’s a start.</p>
<p>Happy happy Birthday dte!!! Wishing you a wonderful year ahead filled with better health and lots of love and fun!</p>
<p>Sorry I brought up the weight topic…D1 just had me sooooo upset! She has gained about 20 lbs, I suspect, and she usually wears a size 6…now wearing tight size 10s. She has always been athletic but quit her sport this past year and hasn’t modified her eating habits or kept up with her workouts. Told her the choice is hers. Will see what happens. I also know what the weight issue is like. Definitely have lots to lose too!</p>
<p>Missypie - when I ran a boarding school health center we kept parent’s CC info on file for pharmacy bills, dental bills, etc. You could try that. </p>
<p>eggmom- I thought I was the only one whose mother ( lifelong anorexic 80 year old) monitored her daughters’ weight. I am sorry for you (and the others who posted) that I am not but truly there is some company in numbers. I have never been heavy, ever, but you’d think I had. She even monitors the grandkids (my skinny nieces and nephew who got the skinny gene from their mother are sooo lucky in her esitmation) and asked my nephew, in front of everyone, when he planned to start his diet!!! And he is 29!!! Talk about tacky. No amount of discussion with her can change anything. However instead of biting our tongues we now call her on it, flat out.</p>
<p>Weight loss is too weighty a subject for me. A minefield, especially for females in our body-conscious and yet unhealthy food culture.</p>
<p>On a different note, I’ve been watching my son slog through his first semester, having fun and working hard. At each stage, with a kid with learning disabilities, I have been a bit concerned as to whether he’ll be able to manage despite his prodigious gifts. He was exhausted when he completed his work for the semester. But, so far, so good. The first of his four courses posted a grade: A+. I’m relieved and proud. It is in what might be his major so that is a good start. And, he’s taking a more advanced course from the the same professor next semester. I congratulated him and he said, “Well, since it is all graded on a curve, how I do depends on the other kids, but this wasn’t a surprise.” I said, “There’s a big difference between knowing the subject and performing when you need to.” I know there’s another thread on the evils of bragging, so I hope I’m not doing so too badly but am proud as well as relieved. He thinks he did very well in all four of his classes, but the other three haven’t posted. And, he’s off to go play football in the rain now with his HS friends.</p>
<p>Telll your son Congratulations shawbridge! You must be so proud of him! He has overcome so much and is doing so well. I love to hear how all of the posters kids are doing! All of the stories help me figure things out with my girls! D2 was able to get a 4.0 this semester while playing her fall sport. We are proud of her for adjusting to the rigors of a DI sport and being unhappy about being so far from home. Now I worry about the upcoming transfer…wherever that may be!</p>
<p>Shawbridge and NorthMinnesota- Congrats to both of your kids for doing so well. You both should be proud. And it’s not bragging, it’s sharing good news.</p>
<p>NMN: Did your D asked to be released from her coach yet? I know you said she probs won’t play at transfer school but it would be nice to have options. </p>
<p>Shawbridge: congrats to son. Both your pride and concerns for your son has been obvious but that only proves your balance as a parent. What I admire most about your son is his lack of excuse and perserverence. You have every right to be very proud of him. I am as well. </p>
<p>I am determined to finish this stupid Christmas puzzle that has no corresponding picture. It’s what I’ll be doing at the same time Vikings play those bears on their home turf. ;)</p>
<p>I’m working on a memo to a client and listening via Youtube to Cat Stevens songs I used to listen to in college. Sweet, spiritual, and inspiring.</p>
<p>I’m getting started this week with college planning for my HS junior daughter. We’ve picked out a few schools, but we’re going to have to take a look at what might work best for her. She doesn’t have the fierce self-confidence/determination of my son and is a more detail-oriented thinker than a big picture type, so she probably doesn’t want to be at a school where everyone was in the top 5 in their class – the pressure level has to be a little lower. But it should be a place where she can pursue her interests and have good post-graduate opportunities if she wants to go on to grad school in a field like biology or to med school.</p>
<p>Happy Birthday to all you Christmas-time babies</p>
<p>I am ALWAYS on a diet.</p>
<p>Lost about 20 lbs over the course of several years and then no more budged. Have gained about 5 of it back since Thanksgiving. (But I always do, then take it off, but then still no more budges)</p>
<p>Expecting family through New Years to arrive tomorrow, so my new eating plan (or rather going back to sticking with what works for me) goes into effect when they all head home.</p>
<p>I want to lose about 30 more.</p>
<p>My weight came on when I had severe back troubles. I finally had spinal surgery after several years of going downhill and now it is a constant struggle to keep those fat cells skinny, they are never sated. Hoping for some snow so I can begin X-country skiing and snowshoeing. It is solid ice right now.</p>
<p>Wii was a family hit and should be fun when the cousins arrive tomorrow too.</p>
<p>All the geek T’s and the clock were successes as well.</p>
<p>I suppose because the year is coming to a close, I’ve been thinking a bit lately about this site and particularly this thread. I’ve been wondering what has happened to a few of the parents and their S/Ds in their first semester. I was thinking about the two with young children–jolynne? and maybe Harriet? There was also NJerseymom, I think. I do recall her D was the first to leave. There was also someone that had a D at Richmond maybe. I wonder how those people/kiddos are doing. I wish they would check in for an end of the year update. (I’m also wondering if it’s pathetic that I’m curious about people I’ve never met in real life)</p>
<p>Enjoy the game modadunn! Go Bears! I lived in Bears country growing up and for most of my life. My H and S are Colts guys though. I won either way when they played in the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>and Lindz . congrats on the great grades. still waiting. tomorrow is D1 birthday. she was my best BD present. Thanks for BD wishes. Pray for a good new Year!</p>
<p>I sure hope not. Or else I am pretty pathetic as well.</p>
<p>I stopped watching the game (and by extension doing my puzzle since the “Boys” are still down there). Seems the vikings are doing better with me NOT watching… so I will acquiesce.</p>
<p>meh…didn’t bother to watch game! D2 up here with bf watched game…H downstairs watched game…I had wine with gf in kitchen and didn’t watch game. Kind of liberating!!!</p>
<p>Brag away Shawbridge
A very worthy brag. If I had something to brag about I would do it too. This particular group of P’s will always be supportive of both brags and complaints.
No grades here yet so I cannot do either.</p>
Kind of liberating!!!</p>