Checking in, even though I am not officially signed up for the month, but love reading the chat and will definately be signing up next month. This month is not starting well, I have developed pleurisy and not feeling well at all. We are also trying to move and must be out of old house by january plus working 55 hrs a week and hubby gone 7 days a week for work, but will be home Tuesday night and can start moving more stuff that I have packed. Guess once I get into the new house I better find my old diet. Ten years ago I went from a size 22 slack to a 12 slack in one month and kept it off for 9 years until alot of stress reentered my life so turned to food (dumb me). So I must relearn my old life style and begin anew.
Donna

Hi!

Ok so I can't chew gum it totally makes my face hurt after a few minutes!

I had a thought that perhaps I could go to my local vet and request one of those elizabethian collars that they put on animals when they have surgery, then perhaps I couldn't reach my mouth so I would stop eating so much. I'm just saying, LOL.
Lisa

hmmmm, whatever works!!! LOL!!! I would need a very large one as I have long arms;)

Lisa my dad has one of those collars but doesn't have a dog anymore, I could mail it to ya lol!

I am one of those people that play facebook games, boy are they addicting. I used to join a game anytime someone I knew sent me an invite. I finally had to quit most of them, they were making me nuts. Now I just play FarmVille and Words with Friends. That is all I can handle.

MJ I like the traditions you posted, I told hubby and DS we need to find some new ways to celebrate since it is just the three of us. The one thing DS wants to do is bake cookies lol. He really misses all the plates of homemade cookies we used to get. Now that we are both on the gluten free diet he can't even eat the cookies at the few parties we do go to. So we will be baking our own. At the grocery the other day they had gluten free flour priced at less than half the usual price so I bought a bunch. I will do my best to behave, but I do love homemade cookies.

Pam any word on Ethan, how is he doing on his diet?

Xylie good to see you post, you have been missed. Nancia may be right about a bone bruise. Those are brutal and all you can do is wait for it to heal.

Meanmom what does the chiropracter do for plantar faciitis? I have to stretch in the morning or I can't even get out of bed.

It's nice to see some new "faces", the more the merrier! The more people we get to join, the more encouragement and tips for everyone. I have been playing the 12 Days of Christmas PIF game, and whenever a new one starts I see it mentioned on a couple other long going threads. Maybe we should do that when MJ starts the thread in January. A lot of people start diets in January, and we could all help each other. So, if we each mention it on another group thread it might help other people to find this thread.

After making a pig of myself the last week of November, I ended the month way up. So far I'm not making much progess at getting rid of it, but at least the number is not going any further up.

Good luck with your move, will it be local?

well, so far so good -- the weight I lost from being sick has stayed off. Of course missing a couple Christmas parties helped, too. The down side is that I strained my knee walking with DH earlier this week -- he walks fast -- so it is only going to the gym for exercise for a while. i do love to walk with Ed though. we hold hands and chat.

I have made cranberry nut bread and will make an apple pie tomorrow. Neither one tempts me to eat as I back so I am safe there. Now, if it was gingerbread cookies -- I love the raw dough -- but no one to give them to this yead. Maybe next year.
Mim

I have family in Edmond, is that close to you? Welcome to the board. I want to know the diet you used to get from a 22 to a 12. That sounds super good. I am thinking of the Fat Flush for after the holidays. My weakness right now is cookies and not just any - I love biscotti because it tastes so good with morning coffee. I will work on giving most of my cookies to others.

I hope your move is not too stressful. We moved 6 years ago to a new town after 23 years in the same house and 40+ in the same town. We did lots of purging, somehow we have collected stuff to replace what we purged. Maybe focusing on the move will take away from thinking or having time for food. See you in the new year.

Nancia,
I didn't think about adding the feet to the loo to my walk. And here I was discouraged that I haven't crossed the line into Alabama...I bet I have, now!

I haven't had my jaw wired shut but 4 years ago I had 17 teeth pulled so I could have dentures. It took a year for my mouth to heal as the latex gave me blisters. The bottom line was I GAINED weight because cold milkshakes tasted sooo good. I can manage to gain weight in all circumstances!!

In attempting to change your holiday habits, stop to think what the holiday is about for you. Do you want to be more spiritual? Or more shopping? More giving? More community activity? More singing? Find the place that brings your joy and move in that direction.

murphy-- what's a fat flush? sounds good to me!
mj--keep trucking! miami beach here you come!!

Well I think I'm doing better.And yes,I'm sure it was a bone bruse,cause that's where it smarts when I even tenderly bump it.You know how it is.I don't care where you hurt,your going to either bump it,or some one else is going to bump it for you.But it's a lot better today.I can't count how many times I bumped it getting on my scooter hitting the arm rest.Then about peeing down my leg and wondering why did I do that?When I did it 10 times before with the same results!It hurt!!!! Anyway I'm better. I'm watching what I eat now better to.I'll be glad when these holidays are over.They bumbard us with cakes,pies,cookies,candy,you name it.No wonder I can't get my 10 pounds off.But now,I'm on a NO TREAT eating routine.I'll freeze them,and parcel them out to hubby for desert and drink my shakes.That way we're both happy.And I can get back to losing weight.That's the only way I can do it.Ok,well I'm going to read a few back intries and see what you all been up to.