[toastedsmoke]

Hey guys, Happy Thanksgiving if you're in America. There's always something to be thankful for anyway so I'm celebrating too even if without turkey and dessert, especially with it being a fast day. Here's hoping everyone has an amazingly blessed day, however you're spending it. Enjoy it. There's enough time to get back on track tomorrow!

Yesterday went alright for me. I stayed well within the calories I wanted to, I worked out, it was a good day. It's a fast day today and for some reason (okay going to bed late), it was soooo difficult to get out of bed this morning even for work, not to talk of a work out. I don't know, I've been feeling a little tired, run down and lethargic, and even work outs this week I've felt like I'm dragging a bit even when I'm trying to put everything in. My office closes in like 3 weeks for the year and then I'm going away on vacation for a couple of weeks over New Year so there's a lot of relaxation to look forward to if I can just push through for the next few weeks.

Mandy: I think it sounds like the elliptical makes sense to your situation in every way so I think you should totally get it. I'm sorry you're feeling so ill. Definitely see someone if you don't feel better soon especially with the hurting to swallow and it feeling like an infection. I hope you feel better soon. Always better healthy than sick. I love BBT too!

Skinnygirl: That truly is an "attagirl" NSV. I'm a sucker for cake and I doubt I have the mental fortitude to sit for hours at work surrounded by temptation and eat only 1 M&M iso that truly is EPIC to me! Well done, you! Yay, I love cardio although I'm forcing myself to do strength as well on alternate days, but yeah we should be buddies and I'd love to do a challenge with you. Eating around this festive period can be a little fraught when trying to lose weight so I think stealing a page from your book, doing a fitness challenge is awesome. Maybe like a 21 days of Christmas Challenge or something. I commit to running outdoors AT LEAST twice a week in December (up until Christmas) and I commit to AT LEAST 3 workouts a week total (including the runs). Your turn.

Alright everyone, have an awesomely blessed day!

[Skinnygirldreams]

Toasted smoke. Ohhh vacation sounds wonderful! I wish I was going somewhere warm lol
I work 3 12 hour shifts a week with a 2 hour commute. On those days I don't really plan on working out buuuuut I wear a pedometer and am a secretary so I'm setting a goal of no less than 9000 steps those days. The other days I will commit to 3 work out days outside of that. I will be doing 30 min of cardio and 20 min of strength training on those days.
I'm a little nervous because I just realized I won't be able to step on a scale til Tuesday when I go back to work...

[LaurieDawn]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Just got back from the big family food feast. Literally, half the people in the living room were sleeping by the time we left. Maybe the tryptophan myth really does have something to it. =)

Skinnydreams - Work junk food! Absolutely the hardest for me. Can't throw it away because other people may want it, and it's entirely inappropriate for me to trash it. Can't just eat a bit and be okay. Eating a bit opens the floodgate for me. I find it very difficult to just ignore it. Yay for you on making it through with just one M&M. For me, no M&Ms would actually have been easier. So impressed with your fortitude.

Toasted - I am SO thrilled that you have some time off coming up. You work insanely insane hours. Yay for a good day with both exercise and calories yesterday. Hope that your fast day goes as smoothly as possible.

Mandy - I agree. The elliptical sounds like a good purchase, given your circumstances. Let us know when it gets there! Do you get the first work-out, or are you allowing your husband the privilege? So many unanswered, suspenseful questions.

Had a fairly decent day calories-wise, all things considered. Went and ran for a couple treadmill miles this morning, but I am just sort of getting back into the groove. It will happen, though. If you don't mind, I'd love to join your exercise challenge. Let me think about what I want to have for my personal commitment.

I'm actually pretty tired too. I am debating whether I want to grab an early bedtime or do a second work-out today. I'm going to sip some herbal tea, watch a netflix TV show, and decide on a plan of action.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As Toasted said, whether you celebrate the holiday today, in October, or not at all, there's always something to be thankful for. As always, I'm very thankful for this forum and you wonderful, supportive, perfect people.

[Skinnygirldreams]

LaurieDawn your a more than welcome to join our exercise challenge! This holiday weekend is so hard to calorie count for yesterday's dinner, this morning we are going to my husband's Aunt's house from r breakfast ( I just plan on small portioning it' and tomorrow we are going to his mom's for a thanksgiving dinner. Ughhhh lol but I'm glad we have so much family.

[MissLoud]

I hope everyone celebrating Thanks giving had a wonderful day with family and friends.

I had a doctors appointment yesterday and it was great to hear from my doctor how impressed he is with my weightloss, I didn't need to say anything! Hes my dads doctor to so I know he has heart disease in the back of his mind. But why do doctors scales weigh so heavy lol - I'm determined to be at goal when I go back in a years time so I can change that number on my file. Had a bit of a ladies day yesterday, my mum took the boys for the whole day! Luxury! Doctors in the morning bit of a look around the shops and then on a whim I got all my hair cut off! I now have a long bob then a big walk round the park with my favorite dog Hank. So lovely. I think I needed time to myself. 20 days in a row on plan ... whoop

Husband is working this weekend so hanging out with the boys in our pjs eating toast and peanutbutter (museli for me) and watching cartoons. I would get them dressed but its raining again

[LaurieDawn]

Kelly - You are totally, totally rocking this! Glad your doctor was impressed.

Skinnygirldreams - Social eating! It can make a person crazy! But it sounds like you're handling it sanely. Yay for you!

So - I had a ton of work to get done today, and then I planned on going thrifting for a new suit for an interview I have on Wednesday, then to the gym, then home to do some work on our basement. My husband and I have been fighting a bit about stupid stuff, and he sent me kind of a nasty text when I was at the thrift store. He was mad at me because I wasn't in the basement working. It made me want to skip the gym (since my work-outs have been so pathetic lately anyway) and head home to do basement stuff. But I didn't. I had told him my schedule, and I knew what needed to be done, and I knew it was important to my mental and physical health to get to the gym.

When I first got on the treadmill, I had a really hard time breathing. I have asthma issues anyway, but they were particularly bad. And I decided I would just walk two miles. But I didn't. As I got into it, I felt better and better, and my "best" stretch was probably 3 minutes at 5.6 mph. I even did 30 seconds at 7.8 mph. I ended up walking/running 3.5 miles. And I felt much, much better afterward, both physically and mentally.

When I got home, my husband was doing the work that I had committed to do in the basement. It wasn't a lot of work, but he was really angry about it. But I was able to almost completely blow off the negativity instead of reacting to it by being angry or (more likely) feeling hurt. He's stressed about the basement. It's making him kind of a jerk. It's his problem. Not mine. I just told him that I had intended to do the work, that I informed him of my schedule, that I had evaluated how long the work would take before I went to the thrift store, and that I had gotten home in plenty of time to do it. I also reiterated that I had not once committed to doing something in the basement and not follow through on it. I finished up the tasks, and that was that.

Very long story, but I totally nailed the gym! And that helps so much with the food part of it. I'm still a long way from "sailing along," but I am feeling much better about things. Sometimes, the key is to just do it, and the rewards and enthusiasm will follow the commitment. I am trying to remind myself of that.

I have not stepped on the scale in a week. I feel good about that decision, but it's time to get back on, see the damage, and move forward. Tomorrow morning, I will get on the scale. And I will brace myself for bad news. I just really hope I didn't do enough damage that I'm no longer in Onederland. But ignoring it won't make it go away, if that really did happen.

Hope everyone had a great day and is moving into a great weekend!

[FeraFilia]

Hi all.

I hope everyone (that celebrates) had a lovely Thanksgiving! Went to my aunt's place about 2 hours north east of here and enjoyed some family time with folks I haven't seen much over the last few years. I took scratch made yeast rolls. Apparently I make awesome bread.

I did it. Hopped online to see if Amazon or Walmart (the two places that had the lowest price + free shipping) had any deals going for the elliptical I wanted... And they both had dropped it down to $529 from $577... So, I ordered from Amazon (since with Amazon Smile they donate to a charity of your choice with your orders - I picked Wounded Warrior Project) and scheduled delivery for December 11th. Hopefully I'll have it put together before the end of the year, and can make using it multiple times a week my new years resolution.

Bonus - It has a 300lbs weight limit, so HOPEFULLY, I'll be able to continue to use it once I manage to get pregnant (with hubby's help, of course)... and keep myself from going back over 300 during pregnancy. Currently, that would limit me to a 25lb baby gain.

Still suffering from the sickness. And joy of joys, it's managed to migrate down into my chest, so I have a super sexy hacking phlegm-y cough going on. The good news is, most of the stuff seems to be gone from my sinuses, so I don't have the pressure in my face anymore. Still no fever, so I'll continue to let it run it's course, though I've gotten recommendations from local friends for a decent urgent care that I can visit on Monday if it's not clearing up... But from what I can tell, it seems to be heading out. (Faster, please!)

[MissLoud]

Oh husbands are funny when they get in a strop Laurie, its not like you didn't communicate what you were doing! Congrats at rocking the gym!

Mandy how exciting babies in the near future! If its any consulation I lost weight during pregnancy - combination of healthy eating and my nose went into overdrive so alot of food made me gag, along with going to the supermarket! It was after that I struggled, tiredness and breastfeeding made me hungry also busy busy busy. And yay on the elliptical - sounds like a bargain.

Haven't been on the rower this week, have been walking the dog though so not completely hopeless, food is 100% on track. Its december tomorrow so will do another challenge on the rower for december - Goal 12km.

Social commitments start going into overdrive this week so hope I can keep it together - really want to get to 234 by Christmas, its way more that I could have wished for so super proud of myself. I took some more progress photos and can see the difference now - especially in my posture. Its funny because my mother always comments I look taller when I lose weight - that will be why. Sorry waffling bye

[Slashnl]

Just a quick check in today. Had a great thanksgiving, and just taking it easy this weekend... for the most part anyway. The laundry won't do itself. Ha!

[jenjenangel027]

Hey all still alive but guess what???? I am SICK again Severe chest cold! Hope everyone is well!

[MissLoud]

Oh Jenni sick again that sucks, get well soon

What is going on with my body!? Down 3.6 this week I mean I was on plan but seriously ... I'll take it though make hay while the sunshines so to speak. Have a busy week this week socially so not expecting to much on the scales this week also TOM should be lurking, hopefully I don't have to wait two weeks for it to arrive this time I did say to my doctor about it and he wasn't concerned, he just said its my body telling me its not a good time to have a baby right now because its not that natural for you to loose significant amounts of weight

First day of summer today and after three weeks of thunderstorms and hail, its actually sunny! Fingers crossed this is the end of the yuck weather. Right Christmas tree time!!

[FeraFilia]

Hello everyone!

Sickness update. There's some good and bad here.

The good: The sinus pressure and sore throat are both pretty much gone. The coughing isn't as frequent.

The bad: The congestion is as bad (or worse) than previous. The cough is now deep, dry, and painful. And I still have no voice. (Some might put that in the "good" :P)

I've finished off 2 boxes of tissues. My poor nose... all dried out and peeling even though I've been putting lotion on it regularly. But on the other hand, the mucus is thinner than it has been, so that's good right? (TMI? sorry)

I can't really tell if I'm getting better because some things are better and others are worse, though I did feel as though I had a bit more energy today than previous days. I managed to sleep half the night in bed (vs. in the recliner) and I even prepared dinner. I've also noticed I'm not going for the meds as much as I have been in previous days. I have been clock watching waiting for the 4 hours to pass because I could feel the meds wearing off. Not so much today.

I haven't been keeping track of food during this bout of illness, but I haven't eaten much in any case, so I'm not too worried about the calories. I did force myself to eat something at dinner time every day, and a fiber bar in the morning. Mostly it's been lots of tea with honey. I'll get back to tracking like usual tomorrow.

And, tomorrow, we're going to go shopping for our first Christmas tree! Super exciting stuff. I can't wait. Maybe the excitement and the fun of an excursion will help me feel better mentally, if not physically. We might even go get froyo first.

[jenjenangel027]

Mandy...that is how mine has been! I do not have a sore throat or runny nose but my chest huts and the cough hurts

So question what plan are you all following??? I am getting bored with mine so just want to get ideas how to change it up....oh and only lost 3.4 this month which I'm glad for a loss but that's half of normal!

[Slashnl]

Hi all. Sorry for all of you who are sick! I am done with mine, and I'm hoping that is it for the winter!

Went to Spin this morning. I am back on track with workouts, but still not being very dedicated on calorie counting. It's ok, but I want to try a little harder this week so that I feel better. It always seems like heavy, rich food will be so good, and it usually tastes pretty good, but then my body starts feeling not so great.

Hope everyone gets better soon!

[FeraFilia]

STILL sick. I guess I can't expect something this yucky to go away overnight. Feeling a little better, and would have been okay to go out shopping for Christmas stuff... Except mother nature said no dice, and started throwing sleet and freezing rain at us which makes for not-so-great driving conditions.

We will try again tomorrow.

On the weight loss front... I got 275.0 this morning, meaning I lost exactly 2 pounds in November. I am hoping to see 269 by the end of 2014. I had wanted to be much lower than that, but I'm realizing that was overly ambitious.

I will hope for 269, and be happy if I can keep it below 275 come December 31. It would be nice to start 2015 claiming a 60 pound loss for May through December, but simply not gaining for the month would be nice, too. (Edit to add: If I can get to or below 270, I will be starting 2015 as "obese" instead of "morbidly obese"... and that would be great)

Elliptical will be here December 11th.