Crank It Up Challenge

[miss_elisha]

I'll admit to you all that Monday wasn't the greatest day for me, and yesterday was even worse.

But today, that's all over. The holiday has passed, and there are no other holidays in the near future to give us an excuse to overeat and slack on the exercise. Let's take advantage of that to kick ourselves back into gear and start forming some good habits!

Experts say that to make a new habit stick, you've got to practice it for at least 3 weeks. I'm cranking that up a bit, and challenging you all to 4 weeks!

The challenge this month is to stick with your good habits for 28 days (the last day being August 1st). Pick 2-3 goals that you want to focus on in particular this month, and set guidelines for regularity/frequency, then keep track of how many days you actually achieve your goals.

Are YOU up for the challenge?

[miss_elisha]

My goals for this month are as follows:

1. Drink 100 oz. of water every single day
2. Aerobic exercise 5 days/week, weights 3-4 days/week
3. Eat less than 1400 calories 25 days (because I know I'm not going to be perfect)

I'm already on track this morning, having had a healthy breakfast, packed a healthy lunch and snacks, and 12 oz. of water and 30 minutes on the bike this morning!

Today WILL be a good day!

~Elisha

[**Jennifer**]

Thank you, Elisha, for the new challenge. I TOTALLY need to crank it up! The month didn't start off on the best note, but I am committing to the challenge, and going to bust my tushie to get back in gear, get my habits back to being habits, and not just "I shoulds."

For the next 28 days, I will:

~ Drink 4 of my glasses of water each day while at work (72oz)
~ Only 1 soda per workday, as part of the Breakfast Caffeination
~ Plan healthy meals in advance for all 5 workdays & bring breakfast & lunch to work
~ Move more. Start reincorporating exercise, and log steps on my pedometer that has been sitting here on my computer monitor.

[**Jennifer**]

Ok, now that the goals are posted...sigh! I am really beginning to wonder if I stepped on Budda in another life, or something. I have the reverse Midas touch- everything I touch turns to crap. :( We finally had a chance and a little extra money so that we could order my desk- well, now they no longer make the companion pieces, so no file cabinets or drawers for me. Ok, not the worst thing. While working in the yard on Sunday, I managed to get bit by not only mosquitos, but also red fire ants, all over my legs. When it started to rain, hubby helped me gather up the piles of weeds and vines to stuff into garbage bags, and managed to rub up against poison sumac. His right forearm is now all blistered and scaly from it. Then, the final straw- I took Monday off to make a long weekend, and have a nice day off where neither of us had to do anything, or go anywhere- just a nice lazy day at home. My day started shortly after 6am when hubby screams into the bedroom to get up because the kitchen is flooded. One of the water lines to the faucet split- either late Sunday night, or early that morning, and the sink cabinet, and the adjoining cabinets, were soaking wet. The water had spread UNDER the tile around the cabinet bases, and was spreading out into the family room and living room, under the kitchen wall. So, turn off the water to the kitchen, soak everything up, take pics of all the damage, call the plumber who did our water filter system- he doesn't get there until 2pm- call a water mitigation guy to bring in industrial size/speed fans and a dehumidifier- he gets there around 5:30. They drilled HOLES- big 3" wide openings in the kick plates on the cabinets. And they ripped off all of the floor molding in the family room and the living room. It sounds like an airplane hangar in my house right now with all these large fans going. We've been in the house since late April....what the heck, you know???

Sorry to be whining- I have to cover the front for the receptionist, so I'll be back later to add & elaborate.

[tye]

Thank God for this thread.. just what i was looking for.. my challenge for the next 28 days...
1. Up early at least 3 days a week to do the gazelle (dont want to set myself up for failure so 3 out of 5 days is good enough)
2. weights every other day
3. portion control, no seconds!!!!

i could make a list as long as my arm but i know i wouldnt keep on track.. these are the basics...

[DewCan]

OK!!! I need to get back at it. Actually I started to get back at it on July 1st. It was just really time. :p

My goals are:

~track points (and stay within allowed) everyday
~drink 6 cups of fluid daily
~exercise at least 4 days a week

I've had 4 good days in a row now, but it started raining last night at that always puts a damper (pun definitely intended:p ) on the walking. I'll have to try and go when DH is home with the children and I can go in the rain.

I am trying so hard today to not be disappointed. Monday morning I was down to 199 and today I'm at 202 again.:?: I was totally OP so I don't get it. It shouldn't be water weight as I'm not a salty things eater. I'm soooo bummed. :mad: I have WW tonight and I may be up, I hope not. Tomorrow morning is my 'official' weigh in at home so I hope it's not really at 202.

We were told we'd get our sod tomorrow, but now that's it's raining it will be put off again for a while, I'm so depressed about that too :(

Okay so my poor sod situation is nothing like Jennifer's situation. OMG you must be so stressed :stress: Poor thing. I can't imagine the mess. :rain: You have New Home Buyers Warrenty right? That should cover the expense. Or did you build the house yourself? Oh how awful!!!!!:bomb: You must be ready to blow with all the bad luck happening around you these days. Is this making you eat out in restaurants now? Don't need to gain backj hard earned pounds lost.

Elisha, thanks for the challenge, sounds like you need a bit of motivation after your weekend. :coach: Is it okay if I count my days that I have already done? I want to count my 4 good days as they are hard to come by for me. I can't beieve that I have actually tracked for 4 days now! :woohoo:

Well, I should do some other stuff as :bb: is sleeping. :cloud9:

Diana :coffee:

[lauren2pink]

I'm in! I am going to be super-ambitious because I KNOW that since I don't go back to work until August 10th, I can stick with this if I keep motivated! My goals are:
1. 30 minutes of cardio 6 days/week + weight rotation 3 days/week :ebike:
2. 1100-1200 calories (all but the 3 days I'll be on vacation) :hun:
3. 75 oz. of water EVERY day :rain:
4. No more than 1 diet soda (no regulars) each day :no:

Sounds like several of you (especially Jennifer :yikes:) have gotten off to a rough start this month. Hopefully things will calm down and we can all have a great "cranked up" July! :cheer:

:dust:

-Lauren

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi ladies,

I typed out a big post yesterday, and then lost it!!! How frustrating.

Goals-
exercise 3000 minutes
walk/run 80 miles
minimum water 64 oz.

I missed my minute goal last month, so I have to "crank it up" for July.

I'll be back later with comments

[**Jennifer**]

Good Morning. Good thing I asked Mom for a wake-up call this morning. 5am & the phone was barely audible over the sound of the blowers. Never even heard the alarm over all the noise. There is one bright side to all of the fans and dehumidifiers- my hair dried in about 4 minutes today. :) Of course, it started to rain on my way to work, so there goes everything. :)

On the drive in, once the rain started, and I was more than halfway to work, there was a full arc rainbow, and then a fainter rainbow just outside that arc. I'm going to take that as a sign that brighter days are ahead, if we can just weather the storm for now with the house.

Tye- welcome to the group! :)

Diana- good luck on your weigh in. Hopefully things dry out for you & you can have your sod delivered. We had a builder who did our house, but they still haven't responded to us since the message was left on Monday. I think hubby might end up showing up at their office and camping out until someone wants to handle it. We called the insurance company when it happened, just to be on the safe side- with 2 hurricanes last year in our old house, and now this, I think our agent is tired of hearing from us! ;) We've been eating like kids- nuking lunchables, making macaroni & cheese in the microwave, etc. Not the healthiest choices, but with all the equipment in the way, there's no room to do anything in the kitchen, and using an electric stove when it's sitting in water- not a good idea. :) By this weekend, things should be close to reasonably normal- just with a lot of cleanup and crap to do. Sigh.

Lauren- Welcome! I love the "shockey face!" :)

Brandy- Grrr on losing the post. I think sometimes we have gremlins that lay in wait for us to hit the wrong thing and then- instantly- gone. Usually happens when I've got a well thought out post with lots of comments for everyone, and a lot to say. It never happens on an "I'm just popping in to say hello" post, right? You're still leading the way with the exercise, chickie- you kick butt!

Today's plan:
Breakfast
- 12oz diet pepsi vanilla
- apple & cinnamon cottage double
- 18oz water

Lunch
- more water
- 1.5 cups leftover baked ziti
- 1 fruit cup- diced mixed fruit, drained

Dinner
-Depends on when the water mitigation guy comes, and what he says. Most likely something easily microwaved, or worst case scenario will be cereal.

Hope everyone has a great day! :)

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

And :welcome: lauren2pink and tye!

Yesterday was a nearly perfect day for me in areas of diet, exercise, and water consumption. Exercise was 30 minutes on the bike in the morning, another 30 minutes after work, and a set of upper body weights. Calories came in at an even 1200, even with a few treats.

Steve bought me a pack of peanut butter M&Ms yesterday because he knows they're my favorite. After dinner, because I was still low on calories, I had a few. But less than half of them, and the rest are still sitting on the table. If I'm low on calories again tonight, I will probably have the rest.

The scale is at 212.0 this morning, which is down an entire pound from yesterday, but I know that's just flushing the crap out of my system from a long weekend of bad eating.

So anyway, yesterday went really well, and the thing is that I felt good all day. I didn't have wacky mood swings, I didn't feel hungry 20 minutes after I ate, and I didn't have my normal mid-afternoon crash. Next time I feel like going to Wendy's for lunch, someone please remind me of how good I felt yesterday.

Also, I got moved into my new office yesterday afternoon. As I sit here typing this morning, my computer is still not hooked up to the network/internet, so I have no idea what time this will actually get posted, as the IT guy just seems to come in whenever he feels like it. It kind of sucks, and I feel very disconnected right now. I can't post, I can't surf, I can't even check my email to get files I need to do the work I'm supposed to be doing.
Ah, well. It will be fixed sometime today, of that I am certain.

So anyway, today is Day 2, and it will be a good day.

Today's menu:
Breakfast: 2 c. coffee w/FF hazelnut creamer, 1 c. oatmeal (not the instant kind, either) w/1 c. skim milk, blueberries, 2 oz. lean ham
Snack: Nectarine
Lunch: Salad (lettuce, green pepper, carrots, celery, tuna, vinegar), cherries
Snack: FF yogurt
Dinner: Baked cubed steak, kale, tomato w/LF cottage cheese

OK, I guess that's it for me at the moment. I'm going to go track down something to do. Have a wonderful day, chicks!
~Elisha

[DewCan]

Good Morning Ladies, :coffee:

Hi Lauren, :welcome:
Your goals sound great! I'd be peeing all day if I drank that much :rain: :lol:

Brandy, it really sucks when posts get lost! Wow that's a big goal but you know you can do it, even if you have to "crank it up a little". :D

Tye, :welcome: I like your goals and thought your comment on the list as long as your arm thing, that is just soooo true. I once actually wrote down I list of what I had to lose by losing the weight, and what I had to gain by it, I swear it was that long. How depressing yet interesting it was what I could come up with.

Jennifer, I thought about you yesterday as I was in my dry kitchen, hopeing and praying the same never happens to me. And sending you vibes :goodvibes: of dryness and sunshine, must have worked as you got a rainbow ;)

Well, I'm officially down 2 pounds this week. I'm happy with that. I'm really impressed that I didn't get too depressed about my stupid scale and give up and eat everything in the house. That's my typical reaction, :o I think I am slowly changing my ways. Okay. now for my sad saga. It's raining today and it looks like it will rain all day. So the sad guy says he can't do it now until next Wednesday (I heard his wife in the background say Friday). I am soooo ticked off, as when we signed up for this he said 3rd week in May. Only 2 months late. grrrrr..... So I cried for a while and then came up with 3 reasons it won't be so bad. 1. now all the weeds in the topsoil can grow and I can spray them with roundup and there will be less weeds in my lawn, 2. I can make all my shrub beds this weekend and do all the planting 3. it will be in just before we go away on vacation so the temptation to walk on it will be gone. We can't walk on it for 2 weeks or so after it's in, that's why it's good to put my trees in now. Not that you guys really care....

Have a fantastic and OP day.

Diana :coffee:

[DewCan]

Elisha, seems we posted at the same time. I'm so glad you had a great day. i've had 5 in a row now and my confidence has shot up miles. Keep it up and ban Wendy's. Actually don't they have salads? I've only been in there like 3 times in my life, so I can't remember what they have.

Diana

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi ladies-

I finally have time to try to make some comments, so that's where I'll start.

dewcan-Congrats on the 2 lbs!!!!! Sorry that you're stuck in the rain cycle. Hope it clears out soon. I did enjoy that you actually thought of some good that will come out of you're delayed so delivery. Positive attitudes can change us.

elisha-great job staying on your plan yesterday. I hope today goes just as well for you. I cant stand it when my internet goes down. I feel so cut off. Hope your all hooked up now.

Jennifer-You poor thing. I sure hope things are drying out fast. I can't even imagine the stress you're under right now. Just keep trying to be as good as possible, and soon this will all be a bad memory. What a cool sighting of the rainbow. I really like how you interperted it to be a good omen. Again that positive attitude shining through.

lauren and tye-Welcome!!! Please tell us a little about yourselves.

My 5K was on the 4th of July. I did very well with a time of 28:27!!!! I was expecting to be closer to the 33:00 range so I'm very happy. It wasn't easy, but I'm going to try another one on Labor Day.

The Cedar Point trip was fun. I was not the brightest and went on a ride I really didn't think I wanted to. It scared the begeebers out of me, and I guess I was white for about an hour afterwards. Definetly don't need to go on that ever again.

Other than that, my brother and his family were up for a visit, so we had a nice family picnic with lots of food, trampoline bouncing and pool splashing. Overall a very nice long weekend.

Have a great day.

[tye]

Thanks for the welcoming arms... you guys rock!! i'm very inspired by each of your posts... i'm only on week 3 but i love this website.. just what i've been looking for..

dewcan- congrats on the loss!!
artsygirl- way to go on the 5k!! i wish i could do something like that.
miss elisha - good job on yesterday... and isnt it scary without the internet now.. it feels like youre on an island all alone..
jennifer - keeping my fingers crossed that you dry out soon!! and get a decent meal.. at least you'll be sick of mac&cheese..
lauren- nice to see a another newbee.. WE CAN DO THIS!!!

i worked out this morning like my goal stated... i had ONE serving of dinner last night, even though 2nds were calling my name.. but i know i wasnt hungry.. this morning i had Kashi cereal and skim milk.. but i had to go shopping on my lunch hour for my sons birthday.. so i had to hit a drive-threw.. and i'm not allowed to eat at my desk at work so i had to get something i could toss back while driving.. so i had a kids meal at Wendys... and why are we banning Wendys?? they do have salads (hard to eat that and drive).. but i was proud of myself of eating the tiny burger and a handful of fries instead of the jumbo, gianormous combo meal!!

[medic4life]

Hi all
I'd like to join your challenge. My goals are:
1. drink 2.5 litres of water everyday
2. get to the gym 4 days a week (I do weights and cardio same days)
3. cut back on portions ( my friend eats on a small plate and only eat one plate)

I don't think I'll have too much of a problem but then again I haven't done it so far so it will still be a challenge. Good luck to everyone. I love this forum.
Robin

[MsRD]

Hello All! :wave:

I'm baaccckkkkkkk! Sorry I was MIA for the past month......just had some things to sort out. My great lack of success at weight loss was beginning to gnaw at me....:(...even my patient DH commented on my 'negative attitude'. So, I just needed some time away......chucked the diet program, did some reading (and 3FC lurking!) and finally came to the conclusion that the number on the scale is not inversely proportional to my worth as a person. Yeah.

So....now I feel ready to try again. My past failures still haunt me....but if you don't play the game, you can't win. I feel this is so possible this time...:crossed:...and thank heavens I have my chickie support group!

Goals? Hmmm.....this will have to be a back to basics month for me.
1. Start exercising...:cb:....will begin at 15 minutes per day and increase to 30....maybe 45 by months end.

2. No candy! :nono: This is a trigger for me....once I have a piece of candy, the whole program starts to slide. I wish I could say 'no sugar', but maybe that will come in a later challenge.

3. No snacking after dinner! I have always been able to stay OP all day and then end up sabotaging the program by snacking in the evening! :rollpin:

I know this doesn't sound very earth-shattering, but if I am able to accomplish these small things, I know it will be a foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

It is getting late, so I will save comments until another day. Wow! It sure feels good to be here again! :)

[ArtsyGirl]

Happy Friday!!!

I've got a busy day. Hair appointment first thing, and then I'm teaching a glass class to some 4Hers. I think it'll be a fun day and I'm in an energetic mood!! My walk this morning was beautiful. I love it when its on the cooler side so early. Its so much more comfortable to be out.

MrsRD-Glad you're back. I think your goals seem right on track. If you can stick to that, you'll definetly be on the right track. Good luck.

tye-Good job on the exercise and eating. Its so hard when you have to go drive thru, but sometimes you have to compromise.

medic-I like the small plate idea. It seems so skimpy when you put a true portion size on a regular plate. On a smaller plate it just looks bigger. Trick our mental self into thinking its big.

Have a great one.

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

Brandy: It’s been nice and cool in the morning here too, and only around 80 for the past few days. I’m loving it! I’ve even got the windows in my new office open! Have fun with the 4Hers! And congrats on the 5K! That’s amazing!

MsRD: Welcome back! I missed you! I wondered where you’d gotten yourself off to! I understand where you’re coming from though. Some times you just feel like nothing ever does any good, so why bother even trying? Heck, I feel like that about 3 days per week! :lol: But you came back, and you are trying, and that really is the point, isn’t it? Your goals look great! They don’t have to be earth-shattering, they just need to be an improvement.

Robin: :welcome3: Your goals look great! You’ve incorporated diet, water, and exercise—all your bases! Best of luck to you!

Tye: You did a great job yesterday! Avoiding seconds is a big deal for me too. Even if I’m full I always feel like I could go back for more. And we’re not really banning Wendy’s, because you’re right, they do have some healthy options. (Though do you know there’s something like 500 calories in one of their chicken Caesar salads? Yeah, fast food salads are a bit outrageous.) My thing is, fast food makes me a bit nauseas and drains me of energy, and Wendy’s is the closest one to my office, so if I go out for lunch, that’s usually where I end up. Not only that, but I really don’t need to be spending the money on junk food right now. But you’re right—smaller meals = portion control!

Diana: Congratulations on the loss, and the 5 days in a row OP! You’re doing a great job! As for the sod… well, there’s nothing we can do about the weather, but at least you’re trying to see the positive side of the situation.

Jennifer: It never ends, does it? I hope thing clear up (and dry up) for you soon!

OK, well, I think it’s obvious that my internet is hooked up by now. Yay! It took all morning yesterday because they had their cable wired wrong or something. But I did have work to do, so I didn’t really have time to be bored. I was busy all day yesterday, and today looks like more of the same. I think they actually expect me to do work or something crazy like that. Eesh. Ah, well, at least it’s Friday.

Oh, and on a completely random note, just because I’m excited and have to share, I got my wedding invitations and so forth on Wednesday. They’re perfect! I’m very excited, and can’t wait to actually start stuffing envelopes and sending them out.

Diet-wise, yesterday was another good day. Calories came in at 1235, water was… wow, I just added it up… 144 oz (but I had a bit of alcohol, so that counteracts about half of that right there), exercise was only the 20 minutes on the bike I got in before work. Last night I started chatting with some friends and lost track of time. By the time I looked at the clock it was 10:30, so I just went to bed.

And I didn’t get up to exercise this morning, because I’m just plain beat. I do plan to workout this evening though, so it’ll be ok. I also have my follow-up doctor’s appointment this morning so she can see how well all the drugs she gave me last time are working. Just for the record, the anti-perspirant is working great (Kel, it’s call Drysol in case you were still wondering), even though it itches a little when I put it on; the skin cream isn’t doing much of anything, so I’m hoping she can give me something that actually works this time; and the other drug… well, it’s still too soon to tell. I mean, it was a preventative measure, and I haven’t gotten sick, so I guess that’s good, but I probably wouldn’t have gotten sick in this time period anyway, so who knows? Other things to go over: sleeping habits, diet, exercise, moodiness. I’ve got all of these things tracked for her to go over.

Menu for today:
Breakfast: 2 c. coffee w/FF hazelnut creamer, Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal (they’re surprisingly yummy!) w/skim milk, lean ham
Snack: Banana
Lunch: 2 sl. ww toast, tomato, LF mozzarella, cherries
Snack: LF yogurt
Dinner: TBD

OK, I’ve got a meeting to go to, then work, work, work! Have a wonderful day and weekend, chickies!
~Elisha

[lauren2pink]

Alright - I promise I will take time to read and reply to everyone later today (in a rush right now), but wanted to post my results from yesterday -

1. Didn't quite make water goal (about 8 oz. short)
2. Still having alot of Fibro. pain, so did light yoga/stretching for 30 min.
3. 1106 calories.

[MsRD]

Happy Friday!

My feet hit the floor at 5:30am ....off to work to a busy and ultimately unproductive day. Then, a fast food dinner (not as bad as it sounds, though I haven't added the calories up for the day yet), then off to visit MOm. It was such a perfect summer day that I took her out in the courtyard at her assisted living home. She insisted she could walk herself (with a walker) and was quite tuckered when she finally got back to her easy chair.....but she said she really enjoyed it, so that made it worthwhile. Then, off to the grocery store and then home.....unpacked groceries and then DS stopped by to borrow some tools for a project he is into. Can I sit down now? :faint:

Elisha.....TY for setting up this challenge! :thanks: It is just what I need to get kick started again!

Robin....You have some great goals there, chickie! :) And I know you can do them too!

TYE......Welcome! You are doing great and congrats for making a good choice at Wendys! Personally, I don't mind Wendys.....but at Arbys....hmmm.....can't seem to get thru the drive-thru without saying 'cherry turnover please' :tape:

Brandy....That was one awesome performance in the 5K there, chicklet! :encore: I cannot even imagine attempting such a feat.......maybe someday when there is less of me to haul around!

DewCan....Down two pounds! :D Your success inspires me!

Jennifer.....((Poor dear!)) Hope things are drying out in the kitchen.....what an awful mess that must have been! :hug: I think that rainbow was meant just for you too!

Lauren.....Good luck on cutting back on the diet soda. I did that a while back and it was much easier than I had imagined! Prior to that, I would have liked diet coke to come out of the faucet here! :lol: I can make it Monday-Friday without a diet coke now, but the weekends still need a little tweaking!

I feel like I have had a successful day......food not too bad, ate no candy (though the Reeses did beckon me at the grocery checkout....I held firm) and there has been no snacking tonight either (though I am holding onto the puter keyboard with both hands to avoid temptations). Now, all I have to do is find that WATP CD......:dancer:

Have a beautiful weekend all! :sunny:

[DewCan]

Brandy, I got a kick out of picturing you on and after the ride, very funny :lol: Great job on the 5k :encore: that is just amazing. And super that your time was that much faster than you expected!!! :D Hair appointment sounds like fun, and what's your glass class? Sounds interesting, tell me about it.

Tye, Elisha has problems with Wendy's. That's what's with the BAN :lol: The kids meals are much better than the full iszed ones, WTG.

Robin, you're going to be hanging out in the washroom :rain: :lol: with all the water. Soooo true that it sounds easy to follow the goals but why haven't we done it then till this point? Obviously it's a struggle or we wouldn't be here. That hit home with me, thanks. Oh and :welcome:

MsRD, welcome back, you were missed. It was getting quiet around here. Your goals might not sound earth shattering to you, but they would shatter my world. What,NO evening snack :lol: I always have my 1 point fudgsicle in the evening. WOW, you got up at 5:30? That is just crazy!!!!! Fantastic with not giving into the temptations.

Elisha, how is the moodiness going? When is your appointment?

Lauren, what is Fibro. pain? Good job with your goals!

Well, I had 44 points yesterday and am allowed 24, so I guess I had 20 of my flexpoints for the week. I try not to use them at all, so I'm not sure if I succeeded or not. I tracked!!! But used the points I'd rather not use....so not sure... Busy day today, and have a wedding to go to on top of it all, I really don't enjoy weddings...don't know why...Maybe that's why I had only immediate family at our wedding. Not even all of DH's came. Much less stress that way. You'll have to try it Elisha, ;)

Have a great day, Diana

[lauren2pink]

Okay - doing alright yesterday and today - still struggling a little with the water goal, but coming pretty close. Calories are right on track and I have been exercising to the best of my ability (pain levels slowly improving). Only one diet soda a day until today - I cracked when my mom picked me up one from Sonic without asking (I'd already had one already).

Elisha – sounds like you are doing well! Congrats – I could have never left those m&m’s!

Diana – way to look on the bright side of things! I’m sure the time will fly by. Fibro = Fibromyalgia. It’s a chronic syndrome that basically means I’m tired and hurt most of the time. The latest research suggests it’s caused by chemical imbalances (sort of like clinical depression) and so I take anti-depressants for it.

Brandy – not much to tell – I’m 22 and teach Theatre Arts at an intermediate school. I gained weight after I got married and started cooking all the time and then really got overweight due to a medicine I was on for my fibromyalgia. – Sounds like you are doing great btw – I’m especially impressed by your exercise goals.

Tye – I agree, the support here is awesome.

MsRD – We all need a break every once and a while. It sounds like you are doing a great job now, though! Welcome back!

Jennifer – hope things are going better for you!

Medic – good luck getting started!

:dust:

-Lauren

[**Jennifer**]

Morning, chicklettes. Today is the last day that I have to listen to the blowers and dehumidifiers in the house. When I get home, they may already be gone, which will be a wonderful thing. It'll be the first night in a week that I can fall asleep and possibly sleep through the night. The poor cats have been shell-shocked, and we're all a little zombified. But things are drying up, and now it is just a matter of having the builder come, and deal with the cleanup, and then repair. I'm trying to be positive about this, and believe that this will be problem free. :lol3: Yeah, ok, I'm delusional from the fans. :)

This weekend was a mixed bag- Saturday we built my desk, and I got "my room" (the den) partially set up. The computer is hooked up, by my wireless router is not working. Could be an Adelphia thing, could be a bigger issue. I tried my dialup, and found out my old PCI / Ethernet card is blown. I need to pick up a new one- so for under 20.00, I'll be able to at least crawl online to check in. Whatever works, right? Food was good on Saturday, since we were busy and otherwise occupied. PMS hit late in the day, and Sunday was a craving-filled day. Mostly carbs and bread cravings. I did have a small bowl of ice cream. We picked at things, and did some small snacks, but nothing positive.

Plan for the day:
Breakfast-
1 zone bar
2 cups earl gray tea w/ ff vanilla creamer & splenda
(the soda machine here wasn't taking dollars!!!)
18oz water

Lunch-
Chickarina soup
1 diced fruit cup, drained,
more water
(maybe the soda machine will take change, if I can get someone to break a dollar)

Dinner- depends on when the water mitigation guy collects his stuff.

Comments from Friday, when I got busy & hadn't been able to get in here to update:

Elisha- good job on the M&M Control. Hope you are liking that office! :) Hope things went well with the Dr. and she was able to answer all your questions. When do we get to see the wedding invitation? ;)

Diana- Thank you for the rainbow you sent me! :) And you are sooo close to your first goal- you're kicking butt. The sod delay is a good thing- if the grass is just sitting there, getting the roots soaking wet, they'll start to rot & your grass will die. And you can work on your planters- good deal there. You'd also have liked our wedding- we had a total of 9 people there, including the two of us! LOL

Brandy- I have to make lemonade with all these lemons, otherwise I'd be overrun! Kick butt with your 5K- you soooo rock!

Tye- at Wendy's, another good choice is the grilled chicken sandwich, and a small salad. You can throw out the bun & put the chicken into the salad. Or, I just have the sandwich.

Robin- Welcome! My mom does the small dish thing- she uses her prettiest salad plate for lunch and dinner- and it makes her feel like even though she's dieting, she can enjoy her meal.

MsRD- I missed you! :hug: I'm so glad you are back! And small steps all add up- soon we'll be back on track, moving full steam ahead. What a day- I was tired just reading about it. You sure earned a break- I hope you took time to just sit & relax after your Saturday.

Lauren- You'll get the water eventually- the first few weeks are always the hardest, when you feel like you have to pee every 45 minutes, and that if you drink another drop, you'll just explode! :) I have an hour commute, and I have to stop with the water by 2:30pm, so that when I leave, I hit the ladies' room by 3:45 at the latest, leave by 4pm, and then don't have to worry about finding a tall bush on the turnpike to squat behind :)

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

[wendywoo1971]

i would love to join if there is room for one more
this is my first post as i am a total newbie :D

my three goals are
1) 2 litres of water everday
2) no snacking after 7:00pm (brooke is a night owl so after matthew and rachel have gone to bed i hit the cupboards for company...not pretty)
3) 4 half hour walks every week
i have really let myself go so i will start slowly and crank it up slowly :D

[**Jennifer**]

Welcome, Wendy! Of course, there is always room for a new chickie! :) Your goals look good, and attainable. Glad to have you with us, and welcome to 3FC, as well! :)

[wendywoo1971]

thanks jennifer
i hope to do well and a few more goals on the next challange (there will be a next one right??)
well i am goingt o go figure out how to add a ticker
thanks again for the welcome

[tye]

I promise to go back and read all the posts.. just wanted to say hello to everyone and say Happy Monday.. and CRANK IT UP!!
only down 1 pound this week but a loss is a loss.. had a horrible Friday.. (sons birthday).. but i'm bound and determined to be POP this week!!! i'm still keeping up with the excercise though!! i feel good... okay.. i feel better at least..
i'll be back to read....

[tye]

where'd my ticker go???

[tye]

grrr.. does anyone know why i cannot see anyones tickers??? my html is off.. does that make a difference.. and if so, how do i get it turned back on..

[tye]

okay.. i feel silly now.. it just showed up.. <nevermind>

[lauren2pink]

Well, I think I have finally mastered the water goal... the issue the past couple of days has been exercise. :( I am still not able to do much more than stretching and light yoga. However, my new medicine does seem to be slowly improving my pain level, so hopefully that will continue and I can slowly work up to a more normal routine. Diet is still going well as is soda (though I still need that one a day!!!)

Jennifer - so glad you will finally have a kitchen back! :cp:

Wendy - I'm with you on the slow and steady theory - especially when it comes to exercise. It can be frustrating, but we'll get there! :woops:

Tye - you said it exactly - "a loss is a loss" - take it for what it is and move on with a positive attitude! :flow1:

Keep it cranked up, chickies!

:dust:

-Lauren

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi ladies,

Had a lazy day Monday, and a busy day yesterday. It all evens out in the end right??

No walk/run this morning due to weather and other problems. It is SO humid here I'm not sure what I will end up doing. I've got a softball game tonight provided its not storming, but I want to do another workout before that.

Sounds like you all are doing well. Keep it up and I'll try to be back for comments later.

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

I only have a minute, so this will be a quick post.

I'm sorry I've been MIA for the past few days. Things just got a little crazy with my life in general, and really crazy (yeah, "crazy" is the polite way to put it) at work.

I haven't been doing to well diet wise. I over-worked myself this weekend and I've been sore and out of commission for the past few days as far as exercise is concerned, but I'm getting better and think I will attempt the bike this evening.

I've decided that I'm going to be back on track today, and that's all there is to it. I weighed and measured this morning, and it wasn't pretty. I know that most of it is just water, as I feel all swollen and bloatey, and it will go away in the next day or two, but I also know that I have to be more careful. I have to behave myself and do the things I know I need to do.

It's 12.5 weeks until my wedding, and I want to drop about 12 pounds by then, which is completely doable. If I just stick to it.

OK, gotta run. Have a lovely day, everyone!
~Elisha

[MsRD]

Happy Wednesday!

This week is my 9-to-5 week, so mornings are less rushed.....dare I say leisurely? Work went well......nothing of note there.....then errands and picked up some miscellaneous groceries and home. DH and I went for a swim (I think that starts my exercise officially) and then I made a big salad for dinner (to try and redeem my sinning at McDonalds at lunchtime). Even so, the calories came in just under 1700.

Wendy.....Welcome! We always love to see new faces here! I think you will find this group to be super supportive and motivated!

Tye....Down one pound! Good for you! I probably should sidle up to the scale to see how I am doing.......maybe in a day or two, hmmmm?

Lauren.....I really admire you for keeping up on the stretching and yoga, even though your fibro is acting up. How did you manage to master your water goal?

Elisha.....Hmmmm....12 pounds in 12 weeks.....that is soooo doable! Maybe even more! Maybe we should all join you in this mini challenge?

Jennifer.....Hope you have gotten things back to normal.....or do you even remember what 'normal' is? Have you been able to call the contractors and get them in gear?

Brandy......Your ticker said 8 pounds to go! You are doing so beautifully!

I have not had any candy, and it feels so good to have success in at least one area! Exercise has been started, reluctantly, but started. And then there is the 'no evening snacking' disaster.....just isn't working, folks. It doesn't seem to matter how much I eat during the day....something always seems to slip in after supper! Makes me think it would be easier just to budget a snack in and quit making myself crazy?

[miss_elisha]

Morning ladies!

Another quick one from me today.

But I have good news...
1) The scale is down this morning.
2) Food was decent yesterday, and will be even better today.
3) Steve got promoted to day shift (starting in about a month, after they've got someone trained to take his position)! Yay!

No exercise last night, and not enough water, but I'm getting there. There will be exercise as soon as I get home tonight!

OK, I've gotta run. This work thing is getting to be a real bother!

Have a lovely day, chicks!
~Elisha

[ChicCityChick]

Hi!

Back from the Hell Move and the start of the new job. Only managed to maintain at my start weight so my short term goal is to be under 140# by July 25, my birthday...

Started a 12 week challenge with Body for Life for Women. Today is Day 2. Did cardio and weights today and eating on track since yesterday. Gonna be a long haul, but I'm in for a try at it. It'll end right around my first anniversary, which will be my next goal point...

Wendy--I'm a night eater too and it's the biggest challenge for me. I'm starting to stock the fridge with less harmful stuff: last night I avoided a binge with a cup of diet cherry jello...Whew!

Hi to everybody!

Diana

[MsRD]

Hellooooooo!

My day was full of unsettling events. Got news that a friends' elderly mother died, then news that another friend has stage 3 colon cancer, then news that family has called in hospice for a third friend. Then.....I was on the commute home when DH called and said he was not feeling well (and this from a man who NEVER complains!)......and I zoom zoomed on home. (It was a reaction/side effect to a new drug, so he is ok) Enough already!

The good news is.......even with all these stresses, I am NOT bingeing! I took a long swim with DGS ....and I think that worked most of the kinks out of my day.....and I am allowing myself a diet coke as a reward!

Elisha......Good news on the scale going down! And congrats to Steve for getting to the day shift.....it will be so nice for both of you to be on the same shift!

Diana.....You went thru all that stress and still maintained! That takes a special kind of strength......so I know you will be able to make that short term goal!

Got to get going......this next week is going to be a busy one! On Saturday, we will be making breakfast for our car club......Sunday, the kids will be here for dinner......Monday, we have out of town houseguests coming until I think Wednesday or Thursday......Friday, we have friends coming for dinner. Yikes! I have stuff to do!

[medic4life]

I've been having a great week. My WI day is Monday and as much as I would love to peek, I can't. I have been drinking my water, well, Tuesday was bad, maybe 1.5 litre b/c I was travelling lots that day. However, for meals, everyday is getting better. No more treats at Tim Hortons, I'm comfortable now to sit and have just coffee, no chocolate danishes. they are my weakness. There's no surprise how I got to this wt, for a while I was there 3 times a day and eating 3 danishes with my coffee!!!!!!!:o Can you imagine that??? Well those days are over. I miss sugar......sometimes. Not today at all. I ate wonderful meals all day and I truly feel great!!
Thanks for listening to my babble. Good luck, hoping you are all doing great.

Robin:hug:

[ArtsyGirl]

Morning gals, computer problems the last day or two. I'm off on a mini vacation. See ya on Wednesday!

[**Jennifer**]

Sorry to be missing in action, but when it rains, it pours. On Thursday, an announcement was made about some reorganizing within the bank and in certain areas. Basically, as of Monday, my husband became unemployed. But, since he is a self-employed contractor, he doesn't get severance, or unemployment. And of course, we've just run through a lot of our savings dealing with this kitchen flood, and then there's the issue of still holding on to the other house that I can't sell because the association still hasn't dealt with the roof. I'm horrible company right now, and I don't know how often I'll be able to check in in the near future. Any positive vibes and prayers you can send my way would be appreciated. Thanks, chickies, for always being here for me to vent to, and unload thing. Right now, I can't come home and cry, so I'm doing a lot of sniffling in the office, and the bathroom, and the car. I've started to look for a part time job, but there's really nothing around. Sigh. Keep us in your thoughts, please. Love to all the chickies. :hug:

[MsRD]

hello all! :wave:

We have had houseguests the past couple of days, so haven't had the extra minutes to check in here. Our picnic breakfast went great.....I think we had about 50 people come and all had a good time. the food was.....well, breakfast food, and I tried to be careful......but I am sure I worked it off, when all is said and done!

I did get on the scale this weekend. I had put on some extrta poundage when I decided to 'take some time off' dieting.....but I have lost that now and am back to square one. Again. Sigh.

Medic......So glad you are having a great week! You sound so motivated! Isn't is amazing how the small successes make us feel so much better.....physically and psychologically?!

Brandy......Hope you are having a great mini vacation. Sometimes a little break is all you need to re-energize!

Jennifer.....:grouphug: Awww, chickie, I hate to hear of all your new worries. Please remember that it is especially important now to take care of yourself......DH is going to need you to lean on, pump up his ego and encourage him (yeah. this is the voice of experience BTDT)....and you have to be strong. Come in here and vent or whatever.....you know we are there for you!

We had some terrific thunderstorms here last night. We must have gotten 3" of rain, heavy winds, and numerous lightning strikes.....some folks are still without power and will be for the next few days! Our power is on, but the lightning took out our well, some lights in the barn.....and, well, we will find out whatever else when we start trying to turn things on!

[hikein2005]

but here I am back again!

Geesh...I just read all the bad news on this thread! Goodness! I'll keep all of you in my thoughts and Prayers (if you want).

Jennifer...:hug: :hug: Awwww, I'm so sorry about hubby's loss of his job. He'll find something soon. Men can't stand to just sit around and wait for something to come to them. Men's job=Men's life! I read about your kitchen disaster...OMG...I'm telling you...life just isn't fair somehow! My sister had a "black cloud" over her for many years...still does...related to water problems in their home! I think she inherited from my Mom!! We had water in our basement growing up all my life! Anyway...I'm here for ya if you need me! Sorry I've not been around!

MsRD...So sorry about all of your friends and I hope the hubster is ok and yo get those meds changed around! :hug:

Diana...Birthday Buddy...We can always shoot for next month for that mini goal! I'm going for 5# at a time! That's all I can forsee. When I get to the first five, I'll start working on the next 5#. Glad you are back!

Brandy, Elisha, and the rest of you...glad you are here. Summer's a horribly busy time, but we need each other!

Which brings me to MY life!!! First it was the State surveyors, then the Feds, then the State came back (and cleared all the citations that they gave us) and then the Feds did not accept our Plan of Correction...yesterday they called and said they accepted now, so we will wait for them to return to clear us of our citations! Then there's all the work I have been doing on my POC which makes me super busy (and grumpy) at work! Not to mention my life at home!!!

Camping for 10 days was great, but then it was back to reality! Yuck! I could live in a campground for the rest of my life and be totally happy! I swear I have "gypsy" blood in me!!! LOL!!! Since we have been back, we have gotten a new puppy. He was 6 weeks old when we got him and have had him a week & 1/2. He's a red and white Siberian Husky. His name is Max! He's as cute as can be, but a HUGE chewer!!! I'll post a few pictures! He's been keeping us all busy. We are crate training him and he's only had a few accidents in the house (our fault) and doesn't seem to mind his crate (yet)!

My sister is in town from out of state. She's the one I went to the Adirondacks with last year and the one we visited in Oregon this spring. She has just moved to North Carolina and two of my other sisters helped her drive the truck cross country. She is here visiting with one of my sisters who went with her (to bring her back) and will be in town for only a few days, so I am probably not going to be around much in the next few days, but will try to check in.

Oh...During my busy month I let WW lapse and so rejoined yesterday. I'm not as motivated as I would like to be, but will persevere and start recording points and drinking more water! I know that helps. I am only up 2# since last month (the 15th of June) when I last weighed in. I'm thankful for that!

I'll check in later!

[hikein2005]

Here are some pictures of the new puppy and some with DD. CUTE!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

I know I've been MIA, and this is going to be a short post as well, but I really don't want this thread to die, and I promise I will be back regularly soon! I've just been having a very stressful time at work, at home, with life in general. Most of it is good stress, but it's stress nonetheless. My diet isn't going too great, but every morning I'm making the resolve to get back on track. One of these days I just know it's going to stick.

I hope you're all doing well, and I will be back soon.
~Elisha

[ChicCityChick]

Morning to ya's!

MONDAY WEIGH IN: Down 2#

So far, still on the program I started, Day 6 out of 84. I finally found a way to get my dh to be more supportive....HE gets a special [censored] reward for every 5# I lose. Suddenly he's very interested in my progress---and has stopped offering me his snackies!!!

Whatever it takes, I guess!

Julie--I am going 5# goal to 5# goal too. We have about a week until our Birthdays and a lot can happen in 6 days!!!

Today is 30 min cardio and an upper body strength training session.

Onward!

Chic

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi ladies-

I had a wonderful mini vacation. The only bad thing was how "mini" it was. Alas, back to the real world, and back to dieting with a vengance. I've been to lax at the maintaining game and now am depressed with the resulting gain. I'm hopeful that my brain stays focused enough to help me get back on track.

I'm sorry to hear about everyones stress and bad troubles. I wish I had some great words of encouragement but I dont. Just know that we are all thinking about each other and we're here to listen if we're needed.

I'm just here for a quick post and to wish everyone a great day. Good luck sticking to your program today whatever it may be.

[MsRD]

[I]Hello All!

It sounds like all of us are dealing with stresses and frustrations at the same time! Life is like that.....good thing that we are all amazingly strong women!

Julie.....It is sooooo good to see you post again! Sounds like your job has been stretching you to the limit! The pics of Max are so adorable! We have a red & white siberian too......several years older, of course......with blue eyes!

Elisha.....Thanks for stopping by.....was beginning to get worried about your not posting! Do what you can to get thru the stress.....and remember eating healthy and exercising is the best stress antidote!

Chic......I am still LOL about your plan to make your DH more supportive. You go girl!

ArtsyGirl......Glad you had a good mini vacation! Maintaining your weight goal is as difficult (I have heard) as getting to the goal in the first place. We all have to realize that this isn't just a journey of a few months, but a lifelong commitment!

I worked all day and then DH called to say they had admitted my MIL to the hospital, so I detoured over to see her. She had taken a nasty fall......her blood pressure was quite high, she was confused, and there is a slight droop on one side of her mouth......yep, I am thinking she had a little stroke. I'm not sure how I feel about this......she is 90 years old and had a stroke 6 years ago. She lived 2 years with us and 4 now in assisted living.....all the while with declining health. She is so unhappy and not feeling well most of the time......hard to know what to pray for, other than 'thy will be done'.

[ArtsyGirl]

Mrs RD-You and your family are in my prayers. I know how hard such parts of life are (I have to play yet another funeral on Monday!) "Thy will be done"...isn't that one of the hardest things to accept in life. I struggle with that one daily. Good luck.

[MsRD]

Happy Saturday!

Artsy......TY for your kind words. MIL was kept overnight at the hospital, they did xrays, ran tests.....couldn't find anything wrong. (I still think mini stroke which they can't do anything about anyway) They transported her back to her assisted living.....where she is doing well, eating good, socializing.

We had friends over for dinner Friday.....haven't done that in a long time. I tried to keep the dinner healthy......grilled steaks, baked potaotes, salad w/fresh cukes & tomatoes, steamed string beans & carrots. We did indulge with some angelfood cake and fresh strawberries for dessert......mmmmm. Saturday was a picnic at my Mom's assisted living home......they had roast pig and 4 differrent salads, a veggie tray, baked beans and fresh melon, with root beer floats for dessert. Sheesh, I have eaten well this weekend!

I had to go for some groceries this afternoon.......and the candy in the checkout lane looked soooo yummy, and I had been soooo good recently, and, after spending 2 hours w/Mom I was overdue for a stress binge! Suddenly this little voice in my head said "What do you want? Do you want candy or do you want to see the scale go down?" Yikes! Is that what they call an epiphany? I never touched the candy and was thru the lane like a shot......I think I have a new mantra!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

This has to be short, but I am back to stay, so hopefully one day this week I'll get to write something more profound.

After two weeks of being disgusted with myself, I've finally had it. I've got less than 11 weeks until my wedding, and the scale has been going in the wrong direction. That stops right now!

This weekend was bad... I did get in some exercise, and water levels were pretty good, but food was horrendous. Today food, water, and exercise will all be OP!

Yes, I've been stressed, but you know what? Stress is part of life, and it's not going to go away. I can't wait until all my stress is gone before I get healthy, because that's never going to happen. This is exactly the type of thing that I need to learn to handle better.

And I can. I just have to set my mind to it and do it.

So here I go. Let's get healthy!
~Elisha

[ArtsyGirl]

Yes, I've been stressed, but you know what? Stress is part of life, and it's not going to go away. I can't wait until all my stress is gone before I get healthy, because that's never going to happen. This is exactly the type of thing that I need to learn to handle better.

~Elisha

Thank you!!!! I think I needed to read that more than anything else. I also have a terrible time with dealing things (especially my eating habits) on stressful occasions, and so often I let it slide, but I need to crack down and get rid of this. We can do this!!!!!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

So I've got a new mini-challenge idea. I've been seeing chicks all over the forum and the journals doing 21-day challenges.

21 days is a bit too long for me at this point. So I'm toning it down to 7 days.
That means 7 days completely on plan.
7 days of drinking 100 oz. of water
7 days of eating less than 1500 calories
7 days of cardio

My 7-Day Challenge is going to work the same way the 21-Day Challenges work: you must be on track for 7 consecutive days. If you miss a day, you have to start over, so this is, in a sense, a running challenge.

So here I go.

Who's with me?

~Elisha

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

Well, Day 1 of my 7-Day Challenge went well. I didn't really feel like doing much of anything last night, but I did anyway! I stayed on plan with food, and I got in 30 minutes on the bike. Yay!

Today promises to be another busy day for me, but I've got healthy food packed for my lunch and snacks, so I should be fine. I will exercise again tonight, most likely the bike as my knee has been a little touchy lately and I don't think it could handle the elliptical.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, we finally got my elliptical to our house. Haven't gotten the weight machine yet though, as we're waiting until we find the instructions so we'll have some chance of getting it back together again! :lol:

Anyway, busy busy, gotta jet.

Have a lovely day!
~Elisha

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks! Chicks? Hellooooo? Anybody out there?

As for me and my 7-Day Challenge, I've got 2 down and only 5 more to go. Day 3 is off too a good start. Of course, another 3-4 hours of sleep would have done me good, but ah, well, such is life.

You'll never guess what I found at the grocery store the other day: low-fat avocados. First off, they're still bright green, even though they're soft and ripe. And the sticker says that they contain something like 30% fewer calories and 50% less fat (or maybe I have that backwards). I just thought it was odd. The things they can do with genetics these days, huh?

So yesterday was decent. I spent another 30 minutes on the bike and water and food were both decent. Today's food will be even better. Now, if I could just get a nap I'd be all set.

Unfortunately, I have things due before noon, so I'd better get moving. Have a great day, chicks!

~Elisha

[tye]

hello ladies..
i havent had an ounce of extra time to jump on and see how everyone is doing... from what i've been able to read, life is getting pretty crazy for some of you... chin up chickies, hang in there!!... hope everyone has a fabulous week.. i'll pop in as much as i can.

[MsRD]

[I]Hello all!

I really have been bad about checking in.....I do come in and read the forums and honestly don't have anything to add. I think we are all suffering from the end of the month doldrums.....this month has not been terribly successful, so we think we can wait around until Aug 1 to start all over? (sigh) I thought eating healthy in the summer was going to be so much easier.....fresh fruits & veggies everywhere, fresh air, more opportunities for exercise. Living healthy seems to take as much effort - no matter what the season!

Tye.....Thanks for checking in! Good job on the 3 pounds lost.....I love success stories!

Elisha.....You nailed it this time, chickie: "I can't wait till my stress is gone before I get healthy". Wow! Talk about a wake up call! I am forever procrastinating when it comes to dieting......I will start Monday.....or the first of the month......or as soon as things settle down at work......or when I have less stress in my life! The best time to start living healthy is NOW!

Brandy.....We all need to hear some tough words to keep us motivated! I know we can do this.....isn't it great to know all our chickies are here for us when we need them?

Saturday is the Farmers Market in a nearby town......so I will go and try to load up on all the healthy veggies and fruits. I didn't put a veggie garden in this year, so I am really missing the convenience of walking out my door and gathering super fresh vegetables! Blueberries and raspberries should be ripe now too.....maybe I will get extra to put in the freezer!

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi gals-I've been super busy lately and seem not to have time or energy to post so much. I'm sure it'll pass because I need all of your support and kindness. Right now I am on a much needed break from working in the incredible heat and humidity of the garden. I keep getting more and more frustrated so I'm taking a short break to try and regain my control.

elisha-great job on your 7 day challenge. I'm glad you found some of that there "motivation" that i've been lacking lately.

Mrs. RD-I do hope you found lots of yummy healthy treats at the market.

tye-good to see a post from you. I hope all our lives settle down a little here soon.

Have a great day!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies! (For a few more minutes anyway!)

Life is getting in the way of my posting again, and will for the next few days. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving on another business trip, so I won't be able to check in again until at least Sunday or Monday.

Also, I got the chance to work with an editor *free of charge* so I've been working on my book pretty much every second I can.

AND (and this is the really exciting piece) I may actually have a real, honest-to-goodness freelance fiction editing job! And entire freaking NOVEL! I'm so excited!

So if you don't hear from me so much over the coming week or so, that's why. I'll try to pop in when I can, but I'm not making any promises.

I hope you're all doing wonderfully, and I will be back when I can!
~Elisha

[hikein2005]

another long lost soul!! Actually I have been so busy lately, that this has been the last place on my mind...sorry chickies! Life has gotten way out of hand, but the good news is...I am losing weight again, finally! I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm actually down 7 lbs since I joined WW in May. That may not seem like much to many, but to me (and 3 of them this week) it's HUGE!!!

I'm not sure what I'm doing differently, but I'm glad it's working. One thing is that I just don't eat as much in this heat! OMG...it is sooo HOT here! We Midwesterners aren't used to this kind of heat and it's scorching us! All my flowers and plants are dying! They aren't used to it either!

OK...so just wanted to say HI to everyone and hope that August is good to all of us!

Hugs

[miss_elisha]

OK, so it seems we've all fallen by the wayside.

Where is everyone?

[hikein2005]

I checked on here this morning and couldn't beleive my post of 8/1 was the last post! Elisha...I think all of us are so busy right now that we can't seem to find time! I have made a comittment to myself that next week, I will start exercising again! I haven't in so long that I think I've forgotten how! ;) It's so darned hot, but I have a plan...(always, huh?) I was thinking that DD could ride her bike and I could walk in the morning twice a week since I don't have to be to work til 10:30 2 days a week! So there's NO excuse, right?

I am job hunting, though and that MAY get in the way of my plan, but let's hope not! I need to start back up again...my legs have gotten so flabby...blech! And I gained a pound this week at weigh in, but I'm still down since May, so that makes me happy! Let's just not see another gain this next week, right?

How are the wedding plans going, Elisha? You have a few months left....what is your weight loss looking like? Have you tried on dresses? Will you get to your goal? I sure hope you do! We need each other! All of us!

Well, hope to hear from some of you soon! Miss you!

[miss_elisha]

Julie, dear, I've had my dress since January! :lol: I'm going in to get it bustled tomorrow. Yes, plans are coming along nicely. We've got almost everything worked out, which is good, since there's a mere 8 weeks left!
My weight loss is basically stalled, though I am still trying to focus on eating more of the good and less of the bad. I doubt I will get to goal before the wedding, but honestly at this point there is so much other stuff stressing me out that I can't worry about it too much or I will go crazy.

I know I would feel better if I was doing something about it, I just can't seem to do any more than I already am right now.

Sometimes life is just too much, you know?

~Elisha

[MsRD]

Hello all!

Just stopped by to check in.......we all know where to come for support, don't we? The scale is stalled here too.....my eating hasn't been too bad, but the conscious exercise has been nil. I have been doing a lot of outdoor gardening type stuff, but apparently it isn't enough.

Elisha......Only 8 weeks til the wedding? And so nice that things are falling into place.....no need to have extra stress in that area! Mucho congrats on the freelance editing job......how is it going?

Julie.....Glad to hear you have not melted in this hot weather! Well, maybe parts of you have......that scale has been going down! WW is good for you!

A friend of ours passed away last week......this one was hard, as she was my DD's age and I have known her mother forever. I think this is the first loss I have ever had of something younger than myself......so that gives one pause. I have always been such a procrastinator (not only in weight loss, but every other aspect of my life). Everything can be done.....tomorrow.....next month......after Christmas......when I retire......always 'later'. Suddenly, I realize that 'later' may not get here......and I better be attending to the more important things now, if I want them to be done at all. I have been doing a lot less sitting and a lot more getting things done.......something positive may have come out of this loss.

[miss_elisha]

Hey chickies! Anyone out there?

I've set us up a new Challenge thread. I know it's the middle of the month and fairly random timing, but I figured why wait?

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1378451&posted=1#post1378451

Come join me!