UK Cathy

I meant your big heart, you might have shrunk but that hasn't.

I don't have a big sister, glad that you are happy to 'adopt' me. Love you Sis XX

Kathy, Happy Birthday. I love all your posts, they are always so positive. Thank you.

I don't think queen of crops is Kris, QOC is an American living in Europe.

I read the site everyday and want to join in and offer something whitty or deep, encouragement, condolences or insight and by the time I get round to composing a reply my thought(s) have already been voiced by someone else and the forum has moved on so I don't post ( time difference doesn't help at times). It may look like I'm not involved but I am and want to be, I just stand quietly at the back of the room. I do pray for you all and I hope no one is offended by that, my nan (grandmother) was a great woman of prayer and a big influence in my life she would say at all times (happiness, sadness, despair ...) pray. Two fast days this week, came in nearer 600 but certainly better than than what I have been eating over the holiday. I'm back in a work routine and the exercise routine is nearly there so life is not too bad. I have lost 3/4 of the extra I put on over the holiday so I am pleased with that. Hubby has started the process of looking for work, I'm still not used to having him home all the time yet, will be interesting next week as my son returns to university on Sunday so it is just the two of us. I reckon he will be like the cats- they are sat waiting at the door when I come home from work, he will be sat waiting wanting to chat. I on the other hand like to come in grab a coffee and sit quiet (my job is quite intense and I'm lucky if I get a 10 min break in the 8/9 hour shift), we will have to sort out some sort of compromise. MIL doing well, getting a bit more batty but that is just the disease. Off to sort laundry so that everything is ready for the great departure on Sunday. My son is only gone for 8 weeks at a time and he is extremely privileged to be studying at Oxford, yes the dreaming spires.., nice place to visit too. It is only an hour away- close enough to reach if he needs us but too far (no car) to drop home for tea. Hope everyone has a good day and weekend.

You need to get back to basics, Protein first, veg then carbs, also log everything you eat - better still plan it all out first and make sure you have everything in. Get rid of any 'rubbish' foods from the house. Exercise. The rush of losing and us feeling and looking so different can make us complacent and we just need to regroup and get back on the right path. Your journey is not over yet, you just had a pit stop.

My attempt at changing my picture did not work, will have to play around with it later. Any hints on how to do it properly - I took the original picture and cropped off some of the surrounding area to leave just me but when it has posted there is just a picture of my stomach - very appealing NOT.

You look so happy! Congratulations on your loss and thanks for sharing. You are right there are people looking at the procedure and others who have just had it and will be wondering is it all worth it. A look at your pictures will say a big YES.

Thank you ladies, my husband took the picture and immediately sent a copy to both my boys as he said he was so proud of me. The sad thing is there of very few pictures of me for the boys, I always made sure I took the pictures so that I did not have to be in front of the camera. I will consider changing my profile picture.

Just put these on the LBD thread and thought I would share them here, pictures taken just before Christmas.

Pictures taken just before a Christmas party for friends.

LV glad to se you back, we miss you lots when you are not here. Globe so brave of you to sing, it must of meant a lot to you to be able to do that. Coops, your part of the world still underwater? We haven't got it too bad here but the Severn has broken its banks in Gloucestershire. Don't take that little mini out in the rain. I have had a couple of good non fasting days, ate clean and the scales are down 2 this morning, hopefully it won't take too long to get the holiday excess off. Like Coops I am back to work Monday and I am looking forward to normal, the holidays are good and I need the rest when they come round but I do like the routine that working brings and I fast on work days which I find easy to do.

Georgia, Happy Birthday, enjoy your day and your family. You certainly don't look 60 in your pictures.

Well, I had a lovely new year with fab friends, too much to eat and drink and the scales have not been good today. I was 7lb away from my personal goal but now it is 11. I'm not too disappointed as I have had a full on eating/drinking period over the holidays. I have already done my exercise and I am meeting 2 friends for lunch, I have decided to have vegetable soup and not look at the rest of the menu. I need to detox all those bad carbs. I hope everyone is well and having a good day.

I want to reach my personal goal before my 2 yr anniversary (April), will do this by using mfp more consistently ie each day.

Not managed to fit in a fast yet over the holidays, though I have managed to exercise twice. Out tonight with friends which no doubt will involve alcohol and food. Tomorrow house it to be cleared of any cakes/sweets etc and all alcohol will be put in the garage for the month of January. I am also going to commit to using mfp every day. For everyone who is having difficulties this holiday, especially Globe, my commiserations and prayers. Tomorrow is a new start (everyday is a new start , it does not have to be New Year) and it is the year I am going to hit my personal goal, help hubby start his own fitness trail so he can reach good health, move house(?) and support hubby while he looks for a new job. I'm sure there will be many more ups and downs, hoping for the downs to be just in the weight department. Happy New Year everyone.

Don't know where that second posting came from, that is weird.

FYE, I'm only little though, 5' 3, but I'm real happy to be your sister.

FYE, I'm only little though, 5' 3, but I'm real happy to be your sister.

Denise my mum was widowed young like you, she was only 36 and had 5 children age between 3 and 13, my youngest brother was born 2 months after my dad died and so she was left with 6 of us. My father was hit by a hit and run driver. Mum never bothered looking for new love as she said no one would want 6 kids, she did meet a nice companion, at church, in her 70s though and they used to go out for the occasional dinner and theatre treat, she used to get angry if we described him as her 'boyfriend, he was older than her and he died last year aged 93 (mum is now 82 1/2). I did want to fast today but it hasn't happened but I did exercise and that is the first workout I have done in 8 days. I am still within my 2lb bounce and for that I am grateful. I have a games night to go to tomorrow and a party on New Years Eve so I will have to fast around those 2. Sarsar enjoy your time with your family, your right they seem to grow up and move on too fast, we want them to do that to step out and start their own lives but at the same time we want to keep them local. Coops we will have to hope and pray that the EEC never brings in weight on the driving license, but I suppose we wouldn't mind it too much now.

You have to put your weight on your driving license!!! I would lie.

Coops, love the pulley and matching slippers too, you have got the look. Globe I'm so glad you had a good day, I was concerned about you being on your own. It's good that you were able to connect with family. I know what you mean when emotions surface and it can be anything that sets it off. We have a crib set that is put out each year ( had it about 25 years) and baby Jesus is only put out on Christmas night - usually the last job I do before bed. I get quite emotional as I put the baby in the manger as I am usually reflecting on the year and giving thanks for all the blessings in my life. As a side, on Christmas morning everyone must visit the crib and see the 'baby', it is usually our first greeting to each other "happy Christmas, have you seen the 'baby'"?when the boys were young we used to assemble around the crib and sing Happy Birthday to the 'baby'. At 20 and 26 I think they are a bit old for that. Georgia, I like the insight of your post I too can see my role changing, the boys don't have partners yet but as and when that happens I imagine that the mum role diminishes a bit (though we will always be mum) as their life evolves around their own circumstances. I suppose we just need to look forward and decide what other 'role' we want to invite into our lives be it artist, musician, friend, befriended etc. LV I know you have said this might not be your best/ happiest season, glad you survived. The only naughty things in the house now are alcohol and chocolates, the alcohol I can leave but the chocolates are shouting out to me. I will have to encourage those men here to eat up. Got a piece of gammon on, boiling away nicely for dinner tonight and we are all off to the cinema in a couple of hours. The vote was anchorman 2 which sounds really daft but I will enjoy us all being together. Enjoy your day everyone.

Chelenka. Amen.

Happy Christmas to one and all. Coops glad you survived the storms, some parts of Wales were deluged weren't they? I have had a nice quiet Christmas Eve, food shopping was complete yesterday, wrapped today but I will be busy tomorrow with the food. The meat does not take long though as my husband and boys have chateaubriand (cooked rare) and MIL and I have turkey breast. The males in the family decided about 3 years ago that they did not want turkey so opted for steak instead and as I do not really like steak stuck with the turkey. We eat our main meal at lunchtime so any turkey leftovers will be turned into sandwiches later. Even though they have steak they like to have all the accompaniments for the turkey - pigs in blankets etc. only 5 for lunch but no doubt enough food for 10. When do you do your presents? We do ours after lunch. When the children were small Santa presents were left at the end of the bed and tree presents were done after eating. We did this so that they realised Santa didn't bring everything. It's amazing how many extra things come into the house at the holiday time, I have brought all the things I normally do but in much smaller quantities. I have done this so that they disappear quickly and so the rest of the family don't feel that they have missed out. I hope you all have a nice day, wherever and with whomever you spend it and that the peace of the season enters all your lives.

Just after 12 noon here, the house smells amazing as I have a shoulder of pork cooking for a party tonight, it cooks slow for 24 hrs and it has been in for 20 now. I keep wanting to check that it is ok but the recipe says trust so that is what I am doing. I have sorted meat and cheese platters and sides (serving a buffet) but it is amazing that I don't want to pick at any just chugging the water and coffee! My weight is staying in a 2lb bounce range at the moment and if I can keep that up during the holiday I will be pleased. I need to keep my exercise up too otherwise the weight will bounce up. Congratulations on your granddaughter Daisy, what is her name? My niece has recently had a daughter and she has called her Madison - the first Madison in the family. My mum (82) has never heard the name and wants to know where it comes from. Dee hope the temporary accommodation is nice for the holiday, any news on when you will move back? Some of the people coming tonight I haven't seen in a while so no doubt there will be lots of comments on my weight ( hardly anyone knows about the op). I have treated myself to a new 'little black dress' and if I remember I will ask hubby to take a picture. Hope everyone has a good day, no doubt everyone is busy getting the last minute things for the holiday. I think I'm done but I bet I will be running out Monday for something I have forgotten.