Cynthia: WOW! It is great to see you back. I wanna hear all about your trip.

Julie: Your parents certainly have my prayers hun. *hugs*

Sandy: I believe you are absolutely correct. We certainly wouldnt binge in front of family members or friends. So we definitely need something to do with our time. I try to stay busy...kinda schedule my day...where I am not rushed but I have something I can do.

Oh & yes Cynthia..you are definitely still on the team!

Hi all,

Welcome back Cynthia!

TO everyone, thank you for the prayers for my parents. Keep them coming! They have not found a solution to the problem yet, but they do have an appointment with a lawyer who is a friend of the family on friday. They are hoping that he can help the,figure a way out of the mess.

Tonight I am tired so I am going to go get some sleep. Talk to you all again tomorrow!

Thanks guys for the warm welcome Julie, glad to hear that a friend of the family is talking with your folks.

As for my Cameroon update we were able to work on a construction project, do a vacation Bible school for about 70 kids, and volunteer in a "clinic" and at a "hospital". I knew I would be blessed by the whole experience but it was so amazing to be surrounded by a whole community of people who loved the Lord with all their hearts and had nothing but Him to turn to. Awesome! Makes you so thankful for all the things we have in the great U.S.A.

Hi Cynthia.... it's so good to have you home! I look forward to hearing more about your adventures in Cameroon. Julie, you know I'm praying for you and your Mom and Dad every single day. Extra on Sunday. As for the solution to our lonely eating problem, I'm seriously thinking of volunteer work. I agree that keeping fairly busy and in touch with others, on buddyslim, in the community... exercising..., but we do have to learn to be with ourselves and still have some control. What to do about that? I'm not sure. Let's all brainstorm and see what we come up with.

Hi, hope everybody is well today. Been reading through the posts and people seem to thinking of something rewarding to do to curb lonliness. I would definetly recommend volunteer work, I did a few months with children in Thailand last year and I also volunteered here with a charity that works with homeless people. The work with the homeless agency has actually led to paid work and I am starting next week, yay!
But I always found volunteering to be incredibly worthwhile, you're giving something to others but you get even more back in return. There are so many options, befriending persons with disabilities, working soup run/shelter for homeless people, helping out at afterschool homework clubs for disadvantaged children etc etc etc! Possibilities are endless and these people would really love assistance! It's also a great way to make friends who you can relate to and who are interested in the same things as you.
I wish I had some time to volunteer at the moment but I am just so busy with work and have my sign language class once a week, maybe in the new year I'll try and get into something again.
So diet is going ok this week so hopefully saturday weigh in will show a loss, fingers crossed!

Thanks Maria, for your input. I have been invited to volunteer in several programs.... always decline because of thinking I won't be good enough? I don't know if you'd call it shyness or insecurity. I went through a period of depression after we lost our home and moved here..... couldn't find a job, and I just thought it was because they thought I was too old. I felt so useless, and now I still have a hard time talking to people I don't know. I just don't know what happened to me, I was never like that before. I had an important job and was very confident in my self, lots of friends. Now it's an effort to go to church and I forced myself to join the choir thinking it would help, but I am still really nervous about it, even after a year. One of the ladies at my water aerobics class keeps trying to get me to volunteer in the schools helping students with reading.... she loves it. But I just haven't been able to say yes. In fact just sitting here writing about it makes my heart race, and feel like crying. Sorry to spill all this out here, but maybe if I write about it, I don't know. Anyway, I was so on track yesterday, and I will be again today. I have choir practice tonight..........ahhhhhh. ((deep breath)) I am so confused. One thing I can say, since I've been losing weight I am more confident.... I just have to keep that in mind and focus on getting healthy. Talk to you all later.

Hello everyone, I really want to get back in the swing with everyone here. I work in my home and I also miss having friends like at work. I have a friend across the street but only talk to her also via email. I want to be here more for all of you. I also feel I need a buddy that will check on me to make sure I am on track. I have been walking daily but have not watched too much of what i eat. I don't eat a lot but I am not tracking my calories like I should. I also need to drink more water. I have only had about 3 glasses of water a day. I also am going to stop reading all the other challenges. I find I get caught up in reading and I don't take the time to post on my own challenges. I am going to be a better buddy for my online friend.
Have a good thursday everyone. I will talk to you later.

Originally Posted by 11482

Thanks Maria, for your input. I have been invited to volunteer in several programs.... always decline because of thinking I won't be good enough? I don't know if you'd call it shyness or insecurity. I went through a period of depression after we lost our home and moved here..... couldn't find a job, and I just thought it was because they thought I was too old. I felt so useless, and now I still have a hard time talking to people I don't know. I just don't know what happened to me, I was never like that before. I had an important job and was very confident in my self, lots of friends. Now it's an effort to go to church and I forced myself to join the choir thinking it would help, but I am still really nervous about it, even after a year. One of the ladies at my water aerobics class keeps trying to get me to volunteer in the schools helping students with reading.... she loves it. But I just haven't been able to say yes. In fact just sitting here writing about it makes my heart race, and feel like crying. Sorry to spill all this out here, but maybe if I write about it, I don't know. Anyway, I was so on track yesterday, and I will be again today. I have choir practice tonight..........ahhhhhh. ((deep breath)) I am so confused. One thing I can say, since I've been losing weight I am more confident.... I just have to keep that in mind and focus on getting healthy. Talk to you all later.

Wow Sandy, I feel I know you a little more. thanks for sharing. I am glad you are involved with the water aerobics and choir. You know what I would love to do, if possible, is watch 1 baby, under a yr, for a few hours a day, I think that would be so much fun. Anyway hang in there Sandy, you are a great help to us, I think of you as one of our main Heartbreakers and couldn't think of our group without you..

Originally Posted by 19248

Hello everyone, I really want to get back in the swing with everyone here. I work in my home and I also miss having friends like at work. I have a friend across the street but only talk to her also via email. I want to be here more for all of you. I also feel I need a buddy that will check on me to make sure I am on track. I have been walking daily but have not watched too much of what i eat. I don't eat a lot but I am not tracking my calories like I should. I also need to drink more water. I have only had about 3 glasses of water a day. I also am going to stop reading all the other challenges. I find I get caught up in reading and I don't take the time to post on my own challenges. I am going to be a better buddy for my online friend.
Have a good thursday everyone. I will talk to you later.

Good for you!! We all have to, from time to time, prioritize what needs to be focused on.