Chicks up for a Challenge - November Weight Loss Challenge

Helloooooo Chickies!

I'll jump right into personals:

sweettooth Don't beat yourself up too much at your workout routine falling apart at the first sign of stress... it happens to all of us from time to time. Also... remember this is a journey and as a journey it's ok to commit to LEARN something along the way. Learning new ways to cope with stress is something I think a lot of us face. At least you recognize the problem!

Nella Yeah, I'm all grumbly about Curves right now, it irks me the heck off! I hope this week goes better for you than last week!

JasonsLea You know, sometimes I really love that sore muscle feeling and other times I just want it to be gone! Hope your thighs feel better soon!

Sandye OMG kitten!!! I adore kittens and you should have seen the look of shock on my face when you said you brought home a new baby! I was like "woah did I miss something???" And then I saw the kitten. Post a picture of the little cutie!!

InControl2Day WooHoo!! 3 lbs in one week is amazing!

LaurenA Hoo! So close to goal ANDDDDD onederland! You rock!

MsP You know, that same thing has happened to me before.. you plan and do the research for one restaurant and then when plans change it's almost like my mind went "woohoo! try to count THIS!" and then I ate until I couldn't eat anymore. Naturally I felt horrible afterwards. Nice job on the water.

mystical You make your own Christmas cards? Woah. It seems like everyone here is super talented!

Tummy You know, a lot of us keep saying how we're not sure we'll identify with being skinny but you know... I just got to thinking and I don't think many women ever really think of themselves as being skinny. Most of us always think we have some weight to lose... and if it isn't weight then we're upset about something else. You look fantastic and I would totally love to have your round face. See? The grass is always greener.


As for me, I saw 192.8 this morning. I had to hesitate to put the 193 into my ticker. I'm not sure I'm going to update that until Nov 30th. I'm unsure how much my 4 thanksgivings is going to influence my weight and I'd really hate to claim losing only to gain. I am sorta kinda maybe getting a bit hopeful I might pull off hitting 189 this month though. I mean... if I'm realllly super good I might see it and that might just be motivation enough.

I'm pretty proud of myself as well. I walked into the teacher's lounge during my planning period to make some copies and there sitting in front of me were tons of Panera Bread bagels in every flavor under the sun. After squealing with glee I went to look for my favorite, Asiago cheese... but they were all gone. There were gingerbread, but those seemed like something you'd want cream cheese with and I don't do cream cheese really... and so i started rooting around for one that sounded appealing and I realized I shouldn't be working this hard to find something I want to eat in a bag of treats. So I stopped. I didn't eat a bagel. I love bagels. I didn't eat one. I'm not even sorry.

SG-That's a huge bagel victory! Holy cow, way to think!! I love when I catch myself thinking BEFORE I put something in my mouth! Now, THAT is progress you can enjoy! :D Yay on the weight! Claim it! It's your loss and you surely deserve it. I bet you'll do better at Thanksgiving than you think. It's mostly in people's minds that the holidays cause a gain. People say the same thing about eating out, but it's all in your choices!

mystical-Thanks! You're so sweet. Sounds like you've got the ball rolling pretty good over there! That's wonderful! Have fun with those cards. I think I may do a Christmas letter to let people know what's going on in my family, but if time runs short, it'll just be store-bought cards. I'm not the creative type!

Tummy-"obesity survivor"...I like that! Oooh, that date night sounds perfect! Enjoy that and the next several days in general. I hear ya on becoming more patient. I think it's more in perspective for me now that I'm pretty darn close to where I want to be and this is a life long thing, so I'm taking the time to learn and figure things out (not always the right way! LOL) Soon, I'll be there and living maintenance. I hear it's not much different over there!

The day is going well and I spent some time online working out the last details of what my maitenance range will be. This is, of course, subject to change, but I researched and worked the numbers and so I'm super excited to reach 135 so I can update my ticker with my new and improved goal!! I really put some thought into where I wanted to be and STAY for life. I guess I'll know once I get there if I chose correctly. LOL Have a good one, girls!

I'M BACK...

Finally...

So other then some permanent hearing loss and still a bit of wooziness, I feel a million times better! It definitely did not waste any time taking over my body and I would not wish any of it on anyone. If you haven't got your swine flu vaccination, get it. Some people do get off lucky and are only sick for a few days and then others end up like me, sick for 2 weeks, with some crappy permanent down-siders ... English teacher making up words... I wish I had enough time to do personals, but I'm 2 weeks behind on paper work and super short on time, so I will be checking in tomorrow!

:wave: girls!

Today is a good day. I kind of helped a friend get a much needed job. All I did was tell her about the place and she swears I'm her hero. :o I'm looking to do a transfer. More money and more training. If things keep going this way, all my Texas friends will be working in the same call center as me. Things are looking up, I am hopeful.....:halffull:

Hiya ladies! I finally had a chance to actually get on here and do some real posting a few days ago and then the site was down. Argh! Of course as soon as life got busy again, the site seemed to work okay. Got on to post again this morning, and it was down again. What the heck? Of course now that I am running out the door it is working. I figured I'd at least check in while I had a chance though.
Anyways, finally in the 220s! Woohoo! Went shopping this weekend and I officially fit into XL. Not 1X or 2X....just normal XLs! My *** is still huge though, so I will require pus size clothing for awhile in the jean department, lol. I am a size 16/18 now. I went to Torrid and I bought all size 0 tops....it was so amazing. I used to need a size 4 sometimes, and could never fit into anything smaller than a 3. So now I am in their smallest size! And last to add to my post of bragging...I ran for 45 minutes the other night! I usually run for 30 minutes on the treadmill, but the other night I was at the old house with the ex and while he was hanging out with DD, I decided to go for a run since the house is right next to a bike trail. I'm not sure if it is because the air was nice and cool or what, but I ran the whole trail, ran back again, and then ran around the block to make it an even 45...I was winded, but I could have kept going. Wow. I could barely run a few minutes when I first started running. I have made a decision to run a marathon by the end of 2010 now. Posting it on here so you ladies can hold me accountable!

okay, well I really do have to run. Hope everyone is doing good. Miss you!

Well it's halfway thru the November Weight Loss Challenge. My goal I set in the beginning of the challenge was to lose 16 LBS. My SW is 226.2. My CW is 223.0. My Goal Weight was 210. But I'm changing my Goal Weight (GW) to
218. Since I haven't done very well in this challenge.

Well we just got back from the funeral/memorial, and it was really nice. After the memorial there was food and I was one of the last to go so I could really look at options rather than be rushed and pick up things I know are horrible. I realized there wasn't much there at all I could be okay eating so I took like 1/2 a cup of potato salad and a roll of turkey sandwich meat and then just a bunch of veggies - no ranch cause I had no idea on the amount of calories. I forgot to bring my notebook I write my food down in... so I took a picture of my plate! And now I can remember all that was on the plate and make an estimate for everything. I wasn't even tempted by the dessert table so that felt awesome. Hope everyone is having a good day.

I do NOT want to work out today. Somebody whack me, please.

LTTG - me too. I need a good whacking myself!

Well, I am not really losing weight. Today I was at 181.6 and my goal for November is 175. On Sunday I was 178.6 which made me smile, but I had drank the night before so I was probably dehydrated. I know I gotta cut out the drinking to get real results. But, the great news is tomorrow is 2 weeks without cigarettes. And I've been working out every day the past few days. I got My Fitness Coach for the Wii and it's pretty cool. The more consecutive days you workout, the more stuff is unlocked in the game so that's motivating. My weight usually fluctuates from 181 to 183, but I haven't weighed in at 183 since the 4th. I haven't seen 182 since the 9th. It's kind of weird because I'm not seeing alot of fluctuation like usual. I'm 181something every day pretty much.

Evening Ladies!

It seems like forever since I've posted here...either life is keeping me busy or trouble connecting to the site.

MsP and Tummy~ You ladies are looking hot! WoOt!!! You both are such an inspiration!

I had my WW weigh in on Saturday and I'm down another 2.2 lbs...so I was happy about that :) I really need to kick up my work outs, but I'm working on it.

Have a good night and a great tomorrow!

Huggies,
Giv

Ok....so, I survived the weekend better than my DH. He really did have a great time with his old college buddies!!! I was off plan and drank alot of wine this weekend. Like the most off plan I have ever been. :( But I did get 2 incredible elliptical workouts in. On Friday I weighed in at 240.4. Just a tiny bit away from a new decade right. If I played my cards right I would be in the 230's right now.
Instead I woke up this morning at 247.6. Oh My god. I didn't go on a true eating bender all weekend, but I did have my share of carbs. I think it was all the wine. I did stick with red as it has less carbs. Needless to say I am flushing with all the water I can stand and am down to 246.0 already tonight. Now, I know that it is almost all water. But the hard part is the weighin with the doctor tomorrow. But, oh well. I can fix it and be right back in it for my big November goal of 233.0

On the flip side, my size 18 pants fit. and rather nicely I must add. Not to tight and not falling down!!! So, there is a plus. Even better though I picked up a nice cold along the way. Happy!!! :)

So Here is to a learning experience. Next time it is either eat off plan or drink lots of wine. Not both.

Jen

I do NOT want to work out today. Somebody whack me, please.

:club: ;)

Managed to drink 8 glasses of water yesterday and today. I forgot my gym bag at home (even though my clothes and running shoes were in the car). I just didn't want to leave my purse, etc unlocked, so I headed home instead. I did pull out some cards from Jillian's Hot Bod in a Box and did some weight exercises at home. :cp:

Jello - glad you had a nice weekend, I'm sure it's just water gain. Flush it out!!!

Vickie - You can do it!! Glad you are changing goals instead of dropping out.

LTTG - I got up off my bum and did JM's BFBM video. I want to hear you got up too!!!

Giv - That's awesome!!! Congrats!!!

Gekster - glad to have you back. Avoiding the deserts is always the hardest.

Laurana - Maybe you need to lower or raise your calories. What sort of eating plan are you on right now?

Sandye - Kitten pics please!!!! Grats on the low 130's!

Gooooooooooooooooood morning ladies!!!!!! :D

Okay, Mom--:club::kickbutt:: You had better have gotten off your bum and got your workout in!!! Next time call me and I'll give you a good Thwacking over the phone!!! ;)

Gekster~ glad to hear the funeral was nice and that you did so well with the food. I did have to laugh a little at the vision of you taking a pic of your plate! Now that's accountability! :)

Lauranna~ first of all, CONGRATS on 2 weeks no smoking! That's AWESOME!! You might be seeing a stall out with your loss due to the quitting though. Don't fret though, things will even out eventually and you'll start to see the pounds drop again so keep up the great work!!!

VickiLou~ stick with it hun! You can do it!!!

Giv~ congrats on the loss hun! You're doing fantastic!!! :carrot:

Moon Fairy~ thanks for thwackin' my mom (yeah, LTTG is my Mommy! :D) and way to get your workout in girlie!!

Jello~ flush, flush, flush, flush!! Just keep on drinking that water hun and those pounds will be gone in no time! Trust me, I've been there! ;) For me though, it's food--not wine. When I overdo it, it's always with stuff that's either sweet or loaded with sodium! Blech! Just keep on drinking your water!!!

Nella~ I'll get kitty pics up soon, just so busy this week! Way to get that workout in hun!! :)

Okay! So, I did some personals...yeah, only for this one page, but it's a start right? :lol:

Tummy, MsP, SG, Mystical and all the rest of you lovely ladies :wave: you're doing awesome and I hope you're having a great morning!!! :)

Well, got most of the downstairs spic and span yesterday and my laundry room is looking fantabulous!! I got all of my mason jars set aside so that I can start assembling my Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar gifts (once I find the dang mint chocolate chips that is) and whatever other '________ Mix in a Jar' I end up making. ;) The play room is still a disaster and I'll be tackling that today after I head to the grocery store.

Up .4 this morning--might be retention, I dunno, I'm not sweatin' it. Got my Plyo in already :carrot: I love it when my workouts are kid free!!! :lol:

I feel like I've been running non-stop the past week and I think it's trying to catch up with me. I have a nice deep cough brewing and my chest is nice and icky. I will not let it turn into a full blown cold though--nope. I don't go for that. I don't have time for crap like that! I have quilts to sew, gifts to make and buy, wrapping to start...ya know, stuff!!

Well, better get going. I need to get the boys out the door and hit the shower so I can run to the store and get it out of the way. I wanted to make more progress on the quilt last night and it didn't happen so I will be working on it today after the playroom gets overhauled.

Have a great day and don't forget to smile!! :) And be sure to...

Drink Your Water!!!

Sandye-Take care of yourself, woman! You sound like the enegizer bunny, but it'll catch up with ya if ya don't get the down time you need. Yay on getting the downstairs cleaned up! I am catchnig up on laundry and planning today. I'm more relaxed when I'm caught up on those 2 things!

LTTG-:drill: Get to work on that exercise! :club: :coach: Get to it!! :kickbutt: ;)

moon fairy-Way to make it work for ya! :carrot: Don't ya just hate it when you forget stuff in the morning. It all worked out though.

jellofer-Yikes! That musta been a shock to see on the scale. :fr: Of course you know it's not fat, but still... Another lesson learned, right? Get your water and get back on plan and you're good to go. Yay on the pants, though!!

GivTLC-Thanks! :hug: And YAY on the 2.2 pounds! Keep up that good work!!

Lauranna-I'm with Sandye on this. CONGRATS on the smoke free 2 weeks!! That's AWESOME!! Your weight will come off. At least the fluctuations are less. Maybe it's salt in your food or whatever that has brought you back up a little. The point is, it'll happen, but enjoy the tremendous accomplishment of becoming smoke free!! That's part of the journey too!

Gekster-Glad the service was nice. And very smart way to account for your food! Look at you making such good choices and counting everything! NICE!

VickiLou-I always start the month out slow...maybe you'll have a really strong end of the month! Anyway, whatever your goal is...keep making those good choices and it'll happen!!

Jessicado-WOW!! Congrats on all those victories!! You're becoming and stronger healthier woman by the day!! :carrot:

Shari-I'm sure your friend appreciated it a lot! Good luck on the transfer!!

KimL-Ooooh, that sounds AWFUL! I'm so glad you're back and feeling better. Best wishes catching up on all your work and getting fully recovered! :hug:

Quick update: I am still up my 1 pound from Sunday. I was POP yesterday, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Might be from the ST'ing or something. No worries. It'll come off soon and take that extra little bit with it so I can move on toward maintenance range!

Thanks MsP and Nella and Idream. Yep it is just water. Already down another pound this morning. had a great workout with the PT today and now for more water before the doctor appointment. I am not bent out of shape over it as I understand the why. This is easier to take than the 3 weeks I fought with the same 2 pounds. So it goes.

The pants thing is great though. I so loved it. I am trying to catch a cold and feel sort of lousy today so I am just gonna curl up on the couch until time to see doctor then I gotta work the princess shift tonight. Just four hours so not to bad. Then I get 3 days to myself. So plan is to be back at 240. by Friday. Lots of water and perfect on plan.

Idream.....I too am a quilter. I just haven't had time to sew. But I think maybe I will this week. It is a nice thing to do when you are not feeling to well. Plus, it is hard to eat when you are sick. :)

Love and light to my peeps!!!

Jen

Ms_P - Oh I hate it when you're all prepared to go to a certain place and it changes suddenly! It def. can throw you off.

mystical - You're making your own Christmas cards?!?! That's cool :) I wish I were crafty, sounds fun!

Tummy - Eating before you go to a party, now that's commitment - I like your game face :) Have fun on your kid free shopping day :)

Nella - Yay for being OP! :carrot:

Shrinking - You'll get there - 189lbs will be here in no time. And well done on that NSV, bagels are always hard to resist, especially fresh ones!

Jasonslea - a Hero eh :) well I like the sound of that

Jessica - Wow! The 220's Congrats and well done with the running - I can't run for that long, maybe one day.

Gekster - Great idea - taking a photo of what you ate. Sounds like you made good food choices.

LTTG - :club: :rollpin:

Lauranna - Well done one 2 weeks without smoking :carrot:

GivTLC - 202lbs lost - well done :cp:

jellofer - at least you recognized you went off plan and got right back to it. You'll lose those pounds in no time.

moon - Good for you! I have often been in the same situation and just not worked out when I got home - damn I can be real lazy when it comes to things like that

iDream - It's hard to kick a cold to the curb when you are going non-stop, I know what that's like. I hope you are feeling better.

As for me, I stayed at 201.5 over the weekend. (which is good considering I had 2 birthday dinners this weekend) Trying to drink plenty of water today - I will weigh in again tomorrow, hopefully will see a drop.

Have a happy and OP day! :D

Morning!

Nella - Did you do your workout, hmmmm? Just checking in on you. And how's today's food, still Op? Have a great day!

SG - I appreciate that, I've never thought of that before, I think I know one or two woman who think of themselves as skinny, and they are lifelong rail sorts that can't gain weight and have body like a teenage boys (their words, lol, not mine) and they wish they were curvy. And what I've learned about myself is that skinny to me isn't even an ideal anymore. I was waiting at the checkout in wal-mart the other day for about 15-20 minutes and was watching what people were buying in relation to how healthy they looked, weight and things. Oddly enough, I never noticed how many heavy people there are, which is funny since I was one and second, even a lot of "skinny" ppl were buying horrible food and they looked terrible, their skin was unhealthy, hair didn't look good and they just looked sick. It really brought home the fact that healthy and fit is so much more important than a size b/c anyway when we do this long enough, the size will come. Kudos on the bagels! I hated the kitchen at work, it was like walking through a mine field.

MsP - Darn maintenance being the same, lol, but I hope I have prepared myself mentally for it, I think so but we'll see, we are all a work in progress after all ;). My friend actually told me about the obesity thing, she's recovering anorexic (10 years now) but she considers herself an eating disorder survivor to keep it in perspective that she needs to work at it daily and give herself credit for how hard she worked. She suggested that it's probably the same idea on the opposite end of the scale too, and I would have to agree.

Kim - Omgoodess, I'm glad you're alright, that sounds absolutely terrible. They're rationing the vaccines up here to make sure there's enough for the high risk folks first. Take care of yourself :hug:

JasonLea - Congrats on helping out your friend, sometimes it is who you know, lol.

Jessicado - Yeah on the sizes, that's incredible, you're going to have to find yourself a new store soon! LOL on the huge ***, that just made me laugh. Brag away baby! That run is incredible and :woohoo:marathon woman, we will be making sure!

VickieLou - 9 lbs sounds fantastic anyway and you're still losing so don't forget to give yourself credit!

Gekster - lmao on the picture that's awesome and resourceful! I'll have to remember that. WTG on making good choices to take a picture of too.

LTTG, Nella - :frypan:I know it's a day late but better late than never.

Lauranna - :congrat:on two weeks, I was just looking back at your post from the beginning of the challenge and was hoping you were keeping it up. Honestly, as a former (2 years now) 10 year, pack a day smoker I can't even imagine trying to drink while quitting, that is the craziest resolve. I don't even drink a lot now and it's been two years, lol. The weight will come off, the quitting is so worth it, wtg!

GivTLC - Thanks so much, and you guys all inspire me! Woohoo on those pounds too, that's fantastic and you're almost into the 150's!

Jellofer - Congrats on the pants that's great and a true indication of the loses right? That's some water weight, my goodness. I have experienced that on low carb before, the water weight can be frightening but it'll be gone in no time, we are all a work in progress, lol.

Moonfairy - Loving the determination! I think that's great, when we want to do it, there are no excuses that stand in the way.

Sandye - You are like a tornado, lol, I envision the tazmainian devil spinning everywhere. I got bath salts in a jar one year that I really liked. Have fun but don't overdo it, remember no cardio with a chest cold! We need you healthy.

Lauren - It's the only way I can be totally sure that I'm op, especially at kids bday parties, its all cake and pizza and hotdogs and there's not even a small quantity of that that I want in my body at this point. Turned out there was some fruit and veggies though so I ate some of that. I'm sure some ppl think I have an eating disoder with my little plate of carrots and celery and strawberries but I no longer care :) :crossed: on a drop tomorrow, you and GiveTLC are so close!

Great evening last night, delightful adult conversation and the kids kept each other occupied nicely. Workouts done for the day although it's supposed to be 12 degrees today so I'm almost tempted to go for a little run this afternoon to enjoy the nice weather, I mean that's almost shorts weather up here!

Nice boring day today, menu planning, grocery list making, christmas shopping list and all the fun stuff to get ready for a kid free shopping day. Not to mention my textbooks came from my college so I can't wait to flip through those, my first course is human anatomy, can't wait, I took it first year university too and I loved it but it's a toughy.

My weight is still bouncing around 146.8, 147, 147.2, not the nicest but I'm sore like no tomorrow after killing my STing workout yesterday, so i'll be happy with that and go get busy with all my stuff.

Have a great day ladies!

WOW....Ms Perception and Tummy girl those are quite the pictures, you both look fantastic. What an accomplishment.

I stepped on the scale yesterday and it turned out I was only up .8lbs so the 6lbs went away overnight. Not sure what happened there but I'll take it. This month is going slower than planned on the weight loss journey but I haven't been exercising since I have been sick. The weight for the first 2 weeks seemed to melt off but now it has slowed. Hopefully I can get back at it soon. Stupid cough. Well I better get ready for work now. I hope all of you have a great day with many successes.

jessicado22~ You’re turning into a psycho runner!!! Great job!!!

Gekster~ Taking a pic of your plate was a great idea!

Late to the game, Nella~ :kickbutt::drill::kickbutt:

Lauranna~ Great job being smoke free! I quit March 3, 2008 and I feel you on how challenging it is to try and quit and lose weight at the same time!

GivTLC~ Congrats on being down another 2.2!!!

jellofer2~ Congrats on your size 18s!

iDream, Bigmid~ :wave:

LaurenA~ SO CLOSE to Onederland! You must be getting excited!!!

Ms Perception~ Thank you!

Tummy Girl~ Thank you! 12 degrees! Downright balmy! Haha, and to think I was complaining about seeing low 20s last night…


I’m slowly getting back into things but have unfortunately not quite got myself back to watching everything I eat and moving as much as I should be. My body is still exhausted and I’m still struggling to catch my breath after a flight of stairs, so I don’t think I am quite ready for the gym. My doctor thinks that I’m looking at another week to two weeks before I’ve recovered enough to start pushing my body again, so I’m going to be good and stay out of the gym for at least another day, although they want my to wait at least until next Wed., I just can’t handle it. I need to at least get in there and walk on a treadmill or something. I, of course, was just getting into the swing of going to the gym daily when the swine flu hit me. I really need to get that routine back and just move slower then I was before to prevent from weakening my body enough so I relapse. Happy Tuesday everyone…

Gekster and SG - My condolences. Congrats to both of you for continuing to take care of yourselves.

Ms. P and Tummy - Yall both look amazing!

Sandye - I love that you are making quilts for your girls. They will probably treasure them for their entire lives. I still have the blanket my mother crocheted for me when I was a little girl. Something that my friend did in her little girl’s room that you might consider - she also made her quilt and she sewed some extra squares and sewed a white panel in the middle with her daughter’s name cross stitched on it, she then used that as the front of a throw pillow and used one of the materials she had cut the squares from as the back.

Lauranna - Congrats on 2 weeks smoke free! Don’t worry so much about the weight loss. Concentrate on the not smoking and do the best you can with your food and exercise. The further you get from your last cigarette the easier the rest will become. Trust me. I actually quit smoking about 4 months before I started trying to do anything about my weight and nearly 8 months before I recommitted myself and got serious about it. However, I had tried the weight loss thing many time while I was still a smoker. This time has been my most successful and easiest and I definitely attribute a good deal of that to my not smoking. Congrats again, and stick with it.

Kim- I am soooo sorry that you had it for a couple weeks. I was only truly down with it for about 3 ½ days with a couple days of not quite right before it and am still in the not quite right of after it. I thought I was going to die, literally. I can’t imagine that for a couple weeks. I am glad you made it through.

I’m sorry that I can’t do more personals right now, blame it on the pig flu.

So, I figured out why I was having the small gains. It was apparently my body trying to fight off swine flu. In the end my immune system lost the battle, but thankfully I did not actually get sick until the wee hours of the morning the day after hubby’s birthday. I am so glad I was not sick on his birthday and was able to celebrate with him. I also got lucky in being one of those people Kim was talking about who is only sick for a few days. I was completely down Thursday-Saturday and part of Sunday. I’m still not all the way back, but I’m getting there. I am so thankful for my kick butt immune system (and my aleve which kept my fever minor). My husband and I had mono in ’06 - he was sick for over a month, I was sick for 5 days. Mono damages the immune system though and mine is still not back to full strength (for me a cold used to last a few hours, half a day max - last winter I had one for 2 weeks), the doc says it usually takes about 5 years. After swine flu only taking me completely out of commission for 3 ½ days, I’m thinking that part of my having such a strong immune system is that it will get back to normal after the mono faster than most. I know weight loss and a healthier diet also improves the immune system for most people, I’m wondering what mine will be like in the end - I might never be sick again, lol. Due to the sodium in all my chicken broth and the fact that the only solid foods I discovered an ability to keep down were hawaiin bread and, oddly enough, lasagna, I was up by 5.4 pounds at the end of it, including my small gains before I got sick. Since I wear a body bugg I know that my bmr went up by .2 calories per minute due to my fever, my weight would have probably shot up even more if not for that. I told my hubby that I wish I could have a minor fever all the time, but without actually feeling bad. I have been seriously chugging my water and crystal light and being a very good girl with my food since I got to where I could eat properly again, I was even able to exercise last night. I was not able to do what I usually do, but I did 30 min. on my elliptical on minimum resistance, even though I was a mess afterward. I have dropped 6 pounds in the last 2 days, so the flu weight is gone and it took .6 extra with it. WooHoo! Half of my exercise goals for the month are now impossible (6 days per week and not skipping on C25K), but I’m not gonna worry about it - I was sick, nothing I could do about it. I’m still going to try to get my minute and mile goals though. Hopefully I can still hit my weight goal (5.6 pounds to go), but if in a month where I got taken down by swine flu and also have Thanksgiving still to contend with I just manage not to gain for the month I will be happy.

I have a personal question for those of you who are down to small sizes (size 4s indeed - good job Tummy). Where on earth do you find panties? I am starting to get a bit worried about this. I can’t stand loose panties. I’m already in a 7 and some of them are already having to be tossed due to being too loose, and that’s at 190. What in the world size am I gonna need when I get to goal? The smallest thing I’ve ever seen in a store is a 4, and I’ve only seen those a few times. When I was at 245my 9s were getting too tight and I really should have gotten 10s I think. So if nearly 55 pounds causes a drop of 3ish sizes, what will 75 more pounds do? I really don’t want to get little girl panties, which is what my hubby jokingly suggested. Have you smaller girls had a problem in this area? Am I going to have to special order them? ACK!! Does the rate at which panty size drops slow down? The last time I was smaller than a 6 I was young enough for little girl panties, so I am clueless. On a slightly sideish note, I really miss England when it comes to buying panties - the UK sizes panties the same as outer clothes, so if you wear a size 18 jeans you wear a size 18 “knickers”. It was sooooo much easier.

FGG-I wear VS undies/panties. They have sizes according to S, M, L, XL. You would certainly find a fit there. I've gone from XL to M. The S is definitely small! I love their cotton undies. Just a thought. Feel better soon!

Bigmid-Congrats on the weight coming off! That extreme jump almost always comes right off...whatever it was.

FGG - I buy Victoria's Secret undies for my SD's. They are a size 1 (gag me I know, lol, but they are teenagers) they have size XS, S, M, L, XL . I am a M at VS right now, and I only had to get a few L when I was at my heaviest. And honestly they are cheaper there than the deptartment stores. At Belks they were 4 for $25 at VS, they were 5 for $25. And VS always has clearance ones on their website.

And I agree the US panty sizes are stupid! My guess is it was to make us feel better about it. I guess I would be in a 6 for panties in like Jocky brand or something.

NELLA ! A big THWACK! to you! I managed my first set of bench presses before I had to turn my attention to printer problems (my DH is clueless), but I made up for it today!

LAURANNA ~ Woo hoo on two weeks without cigs. Trust me, it gets easier ( I smoked 1 PPD off and on from 12-50). The fact that you had drinks without smoking is huge! WTG!

GIVETLC ~ WTG on the 2.2!

JELLO ~ Wow, that's quite a gain for a little wine! Woo hoo on the 18s though! Hope you feel better soon. "Princess shift," I love that!

MOONFAIRY ~Thanks for the rolling pin! I don't blame you for working out at home. My little gym has keys for lockers, but you leave your keys in a basket on the front counter which isn't always attended. Makes me nervous, so I go home and change and carry my keys with me.

SANDYE ~Will do. It's not often that I just don't feel like it. I did start, but had to play computer geek (who, me?) after five minutes. What's with this cough? You did not mention that in your email this morning! DON'T IGNORE THIS (Chicks, I am super paranoiod about this H1N1). ANY DIFFICULTY BREATHING, GET THEE TO THE ER!!! I WILL CALL DH ABOUT THIS, DON'T THINK I WON'T!!!!!! Sorry, I got a little carried away there, but so many young (25-40) healthy people are dying from this! You know I am not normally afraid of things like this. Promise me? TAKE YOUR VITAMINS AND GET LOTS OF REST!!!!

MSP ~Thanks for the kick in the rear! I predict that pound will be gone tomorrow!

LAUREN ~ Thanks for the rolling pin! Way to go not gaining weight after TWO birthday parties!

TUMMY Thanks for the frying pan. It's funny how aware I am of what people eat anymore! I was never one for sodas or fatty foods or supersized meals. My drug of choice was chocolate. When I see what some people eat, it amazes me! I would feel so wretched if I ate like some of my coworkers. It's a shame because some of them are so young. 12 degrees? I can not EVEN imagine!

Well, my DD needs to do some homework. Sorry I didn't get to everyone. My workout was cut short yesterday, but I had an awesome ST session today. I will be sore tomorrow! Thanks for all of the tough love. I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

Evening Ladies,

Bigmid - Why thanks and congrats on getting back down.

Kim - Glad you're slowly recovering, that's incredible how long it takes to get your energy back too, that's brutal, no wonder there's so much worry about the high risk folks. And I believe in the states it would be about 53 degrees, I'm in celcius and I forgot that you guys are different, lol.

FGG - OMG you too! This is nuts but yeah for your body fighting back and glad you didn't get it as bad as Kim. I'm with the other ladies, we don't have the VS here but we have La Senza and the like and if you go to any undy store you can get those other sizes. I didn't know they made them in sizes like here but it may be an American difference, we go s-xxxxl kinda thing. And the 4's don't fit yet, lol, they're muffiny to all get out.

Actually got a post in at night for once, doesn't happen much anymore.

Today I had one of the most marvelous moments, as I metioned this morning I thought I might go for a run this afternoon because it was so nice out today. Well, I did and when I was done it occured to me that I went for a run because it was nice outside, like for something to do, to enjoy the day more, not to lose weight or because I "had" to but because I couldn't think of a more enjoyable way to spend some time on an unseasonably warm day. I may have just met a whole new person inside this body of mine today. It was brilliant and I hope everyone can feel that someday, it was priceless.

Talk to ya'll tomorrow.

Hellooooo!

Jumping right into personals.....

MsP You know what, I've decided to take your advice and claim my loss. Thanks! And... if I gain, well I guess I'll be motivated to make sure I get it right back off!!

KimL Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry for the hearing loss, but I'm also so glad you're feeling better. Paperwork... ugh... that stuff piles up FAST, doesn't it? Good luck and don't hurt your neck looking over all those papers! It gets me every time I'm sick, I always end up with a stiff/sore neck.

jessicado Hoorayyyy! I know exactly how I felt when I hit the "just plain old XL" category. YAYYYYYYY!!!! You are rocking this stuff girl! Also... did you say marathon? HOLY COW! You are my hero. I was thinking of going for a half marathon by the end of 2010... but man, you go girl!!

LTTG You know, I think it was something about Monday and working out. I like... walked off the treadmill 1/3 of the way into my intervals Monday and just went upstairs.. just wasn't feeling it. I blamed it on my cycle.

jellofer How did the weigh in with the doctor go? Also, congrats on the 18's!!! Isn't it fantastic to get into a new size???

Sandye Man you're busy. I wish I had the time to do all of the fun stuff you're doing. I will be selfish here and say I MISS YOU!!! But I'm glad you're keeping busy and getting a bunch of stuff done!

FitGirlyGirl Ack! Not you with swine flu too! I'm glad your case was mild and that you feel better! You know, I've never understood why we have different sizes for panties than we do for pants. It has just never made sense to me. Is it so we can think we have a small butt? I don't get it!

Tummy Wow to you on just going for a run because you ENJOY it and it's something to do! That's got to feel amazing when you realize such a thing! I'm in awe of you girl!

Well, I'm down to 192.4 today which means I can update my ticker. Part of me thinks the weight loss must be a fluke since I've been eating so poorly but then I remember it's not that I've been eating a lot of calories, it's that I'm not eating as healthy as I usually do. It's getting better though and this week I've got salads for lunch which are fantastic!

I'm still waiting for the inevitable weight loss slow down where I start to lose a little under 2 lbs a week. I was reading a thread here some time ago about how much people eat and how much weight they lose per week and I'm up there on calories but also up there on weight loss and I'm not sure why. I'm not even counting all that carefully any more. My breakfast is always the same, my snack and lunch are pretty much the same all the time and dinners... I just make sure what I'm making isn't too calorie dense and eat what I want. The only time I really count is when I'm dealing with meat because it has a tendency to be more calorie dense than anything else I eat these days and it's easy to go over with it. But.. things seem to be moving along so I guess I'm doing ok, eh?

Gah, my attitude has been so poor this week. I've not wanted to work, I've not wanted to get out of bed, I've not wanted to work on anything and I've not wanted to work out! I'm hoping I'll pull out of this funk SOOOOON! I hope everyone else is doing great and hope to hear from you soon!

FitGirlyGirl~ I feel you on not obsessing over not reaching certain goals this month as being sick really does throw a kink in things! I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better and that you still have a goal of getting out of November weighing less than what you started at.

Late to the game~ Any soreness today?

Tummy Girl~ Haha, okay, I was wondering why it was so much colder up there then where I am. We actually live in our own little climate as it is about 10 degrees F cooler where we are then down in the town below as we live up on a mountain next to a ski resort. We’re at the annoying temp where when you walk/run for longer then 5 min. your skin starts itching like crazy! That’s really awesome that your reason for running has changed for the better!

Shrinking Girl~ You have done so well! Keep your chin up and start kicking butt!!!

Sort post today… going to the doctor this afternoon to learn more about my lovely bacterial infection in my intestines. I’m so excited, can’t you tell? Then I’m hoping just to get a good walk in when I get home and crash early for bed tonight. Happy Hump Day everyone!!!

Quick morning rant because I am getting so darn frustrated at this point. Every time I get close to getting out of the 280s my weight jumps right back up. I weighed in 3 days ago at 281.3 sooo close, but then today back up to 282. I have been stuck in the 280s since before I went off plan and I have been back on for 3 months and still, I lose and then gain again and I'm being pretty constant. Ugh.

SG-Welcome to the winter sluggishness! I was SO there in October when we started getting SNOW and cold weather. I just wanted to be warm and cozy...no motivation to do anything. You just have to get your butt moving and eventually the attitude will catch up. I'm so glad you're working on improving food choices. It has to be workable for you, ya know? The rate at which I've lost weight has changed very little with the exception of the first month, so maybe we're the lucky ones that can keep a consistant loss throughout the process. :)

Tummy-Oh, a run in 50 degree weather sounds dreamy when it's been the 30's lately during my morning runs! I already can't wait for the spring and ENJOYING the weather while I'm running, not to mention having daylight! So glad you took the opportunity to enjoy that run. That's a fantastic way to spend your free time! :D

LTTG-Yay on the nice ST'ing session! There are days when it's hard to get the energy for any workout, but it always feels better once you've done it!

KimL-How did the doc apt go today? Here's to a healthy rest of the month!

Gekster-That is frustrating! Examine all your foods/water, exercise, etc. and see where you can make some changes. Maybe your doc set your cals just a tad high, see how your body reacts to a minor decrease. It's all about experimenting with what works for you. We're all gonna be different, but I know you'll figure it out and get to those 270's!!

Well, the majority of the Sunday weight has gone. I'm really hoping/expecting to pass goal in the next day or two. Today I'm doing my run when my MIL gets home from work. It's a "long hills" day for running and the best "long hills" around here are not safe to run on in the dark. They're on a county road about a mile away from the house. Anyway, it also makes it nice to not have to wake up an hour before everyone else to get it in. I think I'll be doing that for the remaining month of this training program I'm following. That way I only have 2 early mornings each week.
Have a happy healthy day, girls!

Just a quickie today, gotta hit the shower and then off to get my new bike :carrot:. And to add another great yahoo for the day, my body got rid of my 0.4lb bloat plus an extra 0.6lbs to boot. Sitting pretty at 146.2 this morning and feeling fine.


Have a great day ladies and I'll bike on over to say hi later, hahaha, I'm too funny.

Thanks everyone for advice on undies. I was worried I’d have to get friends to ship them to me from England.

Tummy - Doesn’t that feel great? I’m not to that point in my running career, but I went for a walk like that a few weeks back and I found it to be an interesting change for me as well. I had gone out to take care of the fish pond and while outside I noticed how gorgeous it was so when I was done tending fish I came through the house to grab my keys and I.D. tag and went for a long walk for fun on my walk I found myself looking forward to when my body is to the point that I can also jog and run for fun. I felt like you, that I had discovered an entirely new me. Congrats on the scale numbers too.

SG - I know, it’s silly - trust me, I know I’ve got a big booty, lol. I feel the same about brands that do the funky sizing for plus size clothing - Torrid and such. I think all women’s clothing should be sized like men’s - in inches, though rather than just waist and length for pants we would need to add a hip measurement and for shirts we would need not just shoulders but bust as well, but that’s doable. I can buy undies or pants for the hubby person no matter what brand or style, he’s a 32 and that doesn’t change, it’s not fair Also, yay for ticker movement! And I hope your funk is gone soon.

Kim - I hope the doc appointment went well.

Gekster - Have you been to the doc to get blood tests and all that good stuff? Is it possible you have a thyroid or other metabolic issue? I am sorry you are stuck and I hope you get it resolved soon.


I think I maybe pushed too hard by jumping on the elliptical so soon after being sick, I felt like crud again yesterday. All my house cleaning plans had to be set aside. I did manage to work out, but I decided on something a bit easier and did wii fit instead of more elliptical. My mind wants to get right back into the elliptical and running and things, but apparently my body says no. On top of recovering from piggy flu, TOM has also decided to come calling again - he better not stay 3 weeks again. We also have a new addition to the family as of last night. An amazingly sweet, gorgeous girl tabby cat. She is one of the strays we have been feeding in our yard for months now, but unlike the others she seems to have once had people, so we had been working on getting her in the house since she showed up 2ish months back. She is currently in a spare room since we have to keep her away from our other cats until she has been to the vet - that happens on Friday, but she doesn’t seem to mind it in there. I go visit her and she has toys and soft places to cuddle in, hubby even built her a little fort with a chair, one of his robes, and some throw pillows. This weekend we are planning to try and trap the kittens that are in the back yard too since they are still young enough to possibly tame. With the kittens though, if we can tame them we plan to rehome them. We will be doing the kitten trapping thing again in another few months since one of the strays is pregnant. We now have 5 kitties in the house and 3 adults and 2 kittens who are permanent in our yard (and who knows how many kittens on the way) as well as a couple cats who visit. The kitties outside are awesome though - they have formed a little pack, or a pride I suppose, they all, including the young adult male who calls this home and the adult male who visits, take care of each other and the kittens. A few minutes ago I was watching the most precious site, we have an arbor of ivy and the mommy and kittens were eating just on the far side of it from the house and the young adult male was standing under the arbor being their guard, and when one of the kittens toppled over while trying to move from the food dish to the water dish, he scurried to it to help. Male cats don’t generally tend to kittens and these aren’t even his kittens (he’s too young to have fathered them), we do think the mommy the same one who had him though. It made my eyes slightly leaky to see that. The non-mommy adults (including our new house guest) have been being fed in a different spot than the mommy and kittens since we didn’t want to change their feeding spot when we discovered she was under the shed with kittens, and other than to do what I assume is testing to make sure it is safe for them, they WILL NOT eat the mommy and kitten food. If they run out of theirs they will cry at the door for us to bring more, but refuse to take from mommy and babies. I’m sorry for the kitty ramblings, but I am feeling very touched by them today. I wish all strays could find a pack to live in and that we humans would learn from how such animals behave.

FGG- I am seeing a doc regularly. I don't have a thyroid issue, but I do have POCS, which she has had me on medication to regulate the insulin resistance associated with it for about 6 months now.

I am in a funk today after the results this morning. I am going to meet a friend at the gym in about an hour, but I'm just not feeling it. I'm trying to talk myself out of it even though I need to go today more than ever since I really don't want to go. They had the H1N1 vaccine on campus today and as I was walking by I noticed there was no waiting, so I signed the waiver and now I am vaccinated. Got to say, the nasal spritz thing is weird.

Good afternoon girls! I've been trying all day to get on here and post and everytime I do, it doesn't load the page! Not sure if it's just me or if the site is having issues again--?!?!

Anyway, super fast fly by post for now--I'm going to try my hardest to come back tonight and post some personals! I miss you girls a TON!

Down .2 today so I'm sitting at 132.6...not changing my ticker as I hope it's back down to 132.4 tomorrow and plus, I don't have time. :lol:

Hope everyone is having a great day and that everyone is Drinking Their Water!!!
:D

Gekster - I have PCOS too, and type 2 diabetic though I currently have non-diabetic numbers. Are you on metformin or something else? There is a pretty new drug called Januvia that they have me on now, there is also a form called Janumet that is Januvia and Metformin in one pill. I’m on straight Januvia and I LOVE it. Almost all my PCOS symptoms are gone and the weight loss has become sooo much easier. I’m still having crazy cycles, but I’ve only been on it since July. If you haven’t already read up on it, you should think about it and maybe ask your doc for it if you both think it might help you. - I've never had the nasal spritz, but my hubby gets it for regular flu vaccine every year. He gets a sniffly nose after it and sometimes his nose gets a tiny bit swollen, but he much prefers it to the needle. I hope it goes as well for you. I hope the gym went well too.

FGG- I am on met, have been since may and it has finally allowed me to lose some. It was so nice because I was doing everything I could and got no results. My doctor seems pretty happy wih keeping me on that for now, though Januvia does sound interesting.

Ugh, i had done personals and I hit post and it all went away :(

So I'll do a shortened version:
All those that are sick or recovering - feel better! Those who are down some - WAHOO!!! Those that are stuck - hang in there!! Those that are busy - take some time and sit for 5 minutes!

Down a bit more to 166.2 this morning. 6.2 to go before the end of the month, so not looking likely, but I'll keep pushing! TOM really took it's toll this month. The 160's have been a tough decade to push through for some reason. I think I need to reassess what I've been doing or not doing and change my plan up a bit.

Have a great day everyone!!

ARRRGGHHHHHH!!!!! I had a HUGE post, complete with personals and PICS and it vanished when I hit preview post!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!! #*(%#& $(*&%#(&%$!!!!!!!

Okay, I don't have time to rewrite it all right now, but I will be back later and I'll rewrite it, oh yes I will! In the meantime, here's the pics, because if I don't post them now--I never will!

Beware, they're scary! I'm fresh out of bed, pre-workout at 5:30 in the morning, no makeup, scary hair and they're uber crappy pics, but well...I promised Tummy...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/4115055412_6158eb9d0e.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2628/4114286033_5edcca1fce.jpg

...and because I couldn't let MsP and Tummy show off their guns without me...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/4114286097_cbd891eb2c.jpg

Hope I didn't scare anyone too bad! Here, let me make it up to you with some kitty cuteness~

Meet Ham~
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2491/4114279145_531e534154_o.jpg

Okay, posting this now and hoping I don't lose this one too. Have a great day and be sure to...

Drink Your Water!!!

:D

iDream!!!! Wow! You look fabulous!

:bravo: :hyper:

:goodscale:goodscale:goodscale:goodscale:goodscale :goodscale:goodscale

OMG This morning my darling scale gave me 189.2. I had to check it over and over again, got the same thing every time. That number means so many things to me. I'm in a new decade. I've lost 55 pounds. My I.D. card is no longer a lie. I weigh less than I have any conscious memory of ever weighing. I have 1 very vague memory of 120ish, but that doesn't exactly count since I was in elementary school at the time. Even when I was a teen and was trying really hard for a few years I only managed to keep my weight 190-195. Now years later I know that it was because of my undiagnosed PCOS and am actually quite proud of those years of being able to maintain under 200 with no meds. However, dropping below that 190 line feels absolutely amazing. :dance::flow2::cloud9: :dance: :flow2::cloud9::dance::flow2::cloud9::dance: :flow2: :cloud9::woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo::woohoo:

It's also kinda crazy and a bit terrifying, but in a fun way, lol. :crazy: :dunno: :crazy: :dunno: :crazy: :dunno:

I had set my goals and I was trying really hard to make myself believe that I really could get to them, but I don't think I actually felt that I could until this morning. Seeing that scale read below 190 makes me know that if I continue to want it to do so it will one day read 175 and 150 and 125 and 115. :dizzy: :D :dizzy: :D

I know I haven't been part of this group for very long, but you have helped me get here and I know you will help me keep going and I want to thank all of you. Those of you who are even newer than me and you are wondering if you can do this, if you have the strength - you can and you do. If I can get below 190 we can all do anything!

Sandye and Nella - It tried to do that to me too, but when I hit the back button it was all there. Try that next time. It has been doing that quite a bit lately and I have started putting any really long posts onto a temporary word doc until they are safely posted.

Sandye - You look awesome! I think I have that same t-shirt too, lol - mine is still in a much larger size, but not for long, haha! Ham is adorable - looks like a kitten version of our new stray who is no longer a stray. I'm gonna have to show hubby later - We are both definitely cat people, but he has an extra soft spot for tabby kitties.

Hi Girls (and guys ?!?!) :wave:

No time for personals today, just stopping by quickly - got a busy day :comp: :write:

SO I did some re-evaulating of my daily menu and realised I am am eating way too many calories - well some days - I was kinda shocked.

Yesterday I re-designed my 5 day menu plan to make sure I am staying within my daily calorie allowance.

This is what my plan will look like;

Mon, Weds and Fri - 1400 (give or take a few cals)
Tues and Thurs - 1000 (give or take a few cals)

I am hoping that this new calorie cycling plan will allow me to lose weight on a more consistent basis. Right now, I can lose 2.5lbs one week and then gain 0.5lbs the next week and frankly that just doesn't suit me, so it is time I did something about it.

I am 1.5lbs away from November goal with only a week and a bit to lose it. But I feel that if I make these changes I can finally make it to Onderland. Oh how nice that would be :yay:

Long weekend coming up for me (hence the busy day today). Got a A LOT planned this weekend, will be out the majority of the time which = not so good for my diet. HOWEVER I will do my best to make the best choices I can while I am out and stay OP.

Tonight, a little pamerping - a haircut, dinner out with the Fiance, then shopping for some christmas presents (shhh don't tell my SO but I am getting him the new PS3 and some games woot woot) and then heading to Chapters.Indigo to buy me some books :)

Friday, more Christmas shopping ... Saturday, going to catch up on some sleep before grocery shopping then birthday party that night (eeeep! another one!) And Sunday, we were planning on hiking up North all day with the dog (that is pending the weather).

I hope you all have fun, restful and OP weekends!

Ciao,

Sandye - You look great!!!! I wish I looked that good at 5:30 am, lol. And Ham is adorable! I'm such a sucker for kitties.

FGG - Congrats!!! That is a great accomplishment!!! You are doing so awesome!! Oh, and I tried the back button, it flashed up and then went away again. I'll just make sure I highlight and copy before hitting post from now on.

Morning,

FGG - My goodness that walk sounds devine. It's so nice to discover all these marvelous things that have always been there but that we were too oblivious to see before. It's like rebirth, very cool. That was just the sweetest story, I've seen a few stray cats in my day and that sure didn't happen with them so it must be alot to do with how they're taken care of too ;) That was suck a fantastic post to read, you almost made me cry there girl, and usually Sandye has a corner on that market. Those moments when you realize that you can do it, that the goal number isn't just a dream but is possible because we know we can is a gorgoeus thing and I'm just so happy for you, congrats a million times over!

Gekster - Long journey, things happen. Shaking it off it all part of the process. I hope you had a fantastic workout at the gym and that lifted your spirits.

Sandye - I was wondering where you had gotten too, lol, shrinking again. Awesome job, you're almost at goal, again! Those arms are brilliant! And you look pretty darn good at 5:30 in the morning. What an amazing difference, I mean not just thin but strong too, that lady from January didn't stand a chance! Congrats. And the kitty, omg, no wonder you're keeping, precious!

Nella - Great job hanging in there yourself. It's super hard to stay on track when things don't seem to be working but it may just be one of those things and you're doing great.

Lauren - Those calories do have a nasty way of climbing, lol, but glad you got things sorted out and have fun with the girly stuff, love that. Good luck with the ps3 shopping, I love love love mine, and I'm sure he will too!

Back from the big old city late last night and dd was great at our friends but it made for a more abreviated spleep than normal. Got some working out to get to shortly since I decided yesterday that more sleep was going to be the order of the day.

Got some Christmas shopping done, maybe two or three ppl left so we're doing great this year. Picked up the new bike and I'm still shocked what ppl will part with, I mean it's crazy to sell a 700 bike for 50 but heck, who am I to judge, lol. Going to try and break it in later today if I get a chance.

Other than that definitely need to do some tidying up, it looks like we just dumped everything and went to bed last night, what a mess! Have a great day ladies.

Idream- You look fan-freakin-tastic! The progress of you, Tummy, and Ms.P is just awesome. I love the muscle shot! So much definition!

My time at the gym yesterday was well spent. I decided to do something completely different from my normal routine just to see what I was capable of. On the treadmill I raised the elevation to 4.5 and fast walked at a 3.0 for an entire mile! Sure, it took me 20 minutes, but it felt so awesome to do that. I think it renewed my spirits a little bit. Before you put me on a treadmill at 2.0 on no incline and I am done after 1/4 of a mile. After that I did my normal stuff, and ended up feeling pretty good. My boyfriend was sensing my lack of enthusiasm and knew I'd been wanting a new nalgene (my fav brand of water bottle) that would work better for me at the gym because all the ones I have are wide mouth and pour all over me, bleh. I'd told myself when I get out of the 280s I would get myself one. Well he decided that after picking me up last night he was going to reward me even though I hadn't gotten to it. It was nice to see him taking interest and it really boosted my spirits.

In class this morning it was the professor's birthday and in her culture it is custom for the person with the birthday to bring treats for everyone else, so she passed a box of mini brownies around the class. I took the box and passed it on without any hesitation, I didn't even think about wanting them. I think I've got my flow back and it will be a good new start.

Hello ladies, don't have much time today, I am trying to get laundry, shopping, cleaning, and making some soup for dinner. It has been so crazy trying to get things in place for my step son and making sure he has everything he needs now that he is living with us. It has been so crazy around here. I have been pop plan for almost 2 weeks and I am so proud of myself not to mention I have been getting to the gym as well, I am feeling so much better. I was a little discourage today though, I set myself a goal to lose 2 lbs a week and last week I lost 3 and this week I have only managed to get down .3 so far and my official weigh in day will be Saturday I am do everything right why does the weight slow down so much and suggestions? Have a great day ladies I will check in later this afternoon. :)

Mystical - My thoughts would be to wait until Saturday and see. It's possible to do everything correctly and not lose weight for a few days. If your calories and activity are the way you want them then you're fine. I don't imagine that your body has adapted to the exercise you are doing yet either so it's not a needing to mix it up issue I don't think. Just hang in there, you're doing great.

Gekster - how awesome is that! What a fantastic idea to try something new at the gym, I just love finding out all we can do when we actually try! LOL, I had one of those big mouth bottles too and I soo know where you're coming from!

Good morning ladies. or should I say afternoon. I thought I would check in with my peeps before heading back to bed. This cold is a killer. The aches are awful. Not enough tylenol in the world to make them stop.

Anyway.....

242.0 today. yipee. 2 more pounds and then the weekend gain is gone. I am happy with that. I am splurging on soup and sugar free popsicles as my though is killing me. not necessarily raw and sore, but almost swollen. Hard to swallow. So, we shall see what tomorrow brings. Today though is lots of laying around. Thank god for my strength training to burn calories while I am loafing on the couch.

Idream.....those photos are awesome!!!

Sandye-Fantastic pics!! There is so much definition in your arms..nice gun show! ;)

Today was SO exciting, ladies! The construction on our house took a giant leap forward...we now have exterior walls and most of a roof on our house!!! I was pretty much giddy as we got to walk into the house for the first time this afternoon. I was ecstatic and it feels so much closer to completion now. We still have 2.5 months, but now there's so much more to look at. :D
Otherwsie all is well. POP and all, but I'm SO hungry...pre-TOM has hit and I could eat my weight in ANYTHING, I think! But I'm behaving so far....

Helloooo Chickies!

Well, I'm thinking this every other day thing is about as good as I can do aside from the weekend so here goes!

KimL Gosh you're having a rough time, medically speaking, I sure hope things clear up for you soon! Hang in there!

FitGirlyGirl Your outside kitty family sounds precious! You're right, humans could learn a lot from animals, but after studying animal behavior after a while... even they can't get away from the occasional bad apple who doesn't do their part... the difference, I think, is that the animals don't hold a grudge! Also... CONGRATS on the 55 lbs lost... wow is that a huge accomplishment! You rock!

Gekster I guess the funk is going around... perhaps we could turn it into a dance move?

Nella You never know... you could get a sudden and unexpected whoosh of weight loss! Maybe turkey will prove to be the miracle weight loss food for you!

Sandye Holy cow, look at those pics!! You are skinnnnnny! You look fantastic and that's a gun show anyone would be jealous of! You have accomplished sooo much! Way to go! And your baby is adorable. He makes the cat lover inside me squeal with delight and run off to look for some yarn.

LaurenAOooo a new PS3, your SO is gonna be in heaven! I hope you had fun with the pampering!

MsP Wow, that IS excitement with your house! And you're so close to goal, resist those pre-TOM cravings! You can do it!

Tummy Somehow I made it all the way through the last 2 pages without having a personal for you, odd. I'm making one up for you because it just wouldn't be right if I didn't! Have a great day!

Well girls.... yesterday I had my first fall off the wagon. I don't really know what happened. I showed up to work and one of my students came running into my room with New Moon cookies and gave me one. I took it thinking I really wouldn't eat it, but when I tried it... it was so good that I just decided I'd eat it and forgo my midmorning snack. Then at lunch my salad dressing had gone bad and I had nothing else to eat and so I went down to the cafeteria and got the mashed potatoes and turkey with gravy they were serving. I didn't get the pumpkin pie or the stuffing or the roll, but it still was quite a bit more than I'd normally have eaten. And then... oh man :( When I got home I tore through some chips we had laying around the house. It must be stress because yesterday was awful work-wise and I haven't done that in AGES. I made taco salads for dinner and that was fine but then I still ate ice cream afterwards (140 calories but still). It was like I couldn't stop eating. I haven't experienced this in so long it's completely taken me by surprise and made me so upset I don't even know how to move on. Obviously something triggered it, and it was likely stress but I'm one of those people who never recognizes stress and so I'm just wondering how the heck I'm going to stop this from happening in the future. Just awful. I'd come so far and done so well and then BLAMO. :(

Good morning ladies!

No time for personals today (again :rolleyes) but wanted to say good morning and have a great day! Thanks so much for all the kind comments--glad none of you were permanently scarred or anything from seeing my early morning self! ;)

SG~ hun, we've all been there! Don't beat yourself up for one second! I mean, you could have done muuuuuuuuuuuch worse, lemme tell ya! (remember my cheesecake incident? Hmm? ;)) Just move on, today's a new day and you're going to do great!!! I honestly believe that sometimes we fall off the wagon just to give ourselves a break ya know? And since you can't get a break at work, well, your brain told you to take a break elsewhere. But now, break's over and it's time to get back to work! :)

Another day filled with stuff...I haven't gotten any sewing done since Wednesday and I need to get on it! I bought the girls a bookcase, just put it together and filled it, so I'm off to a good start this morning as far as getting things done. However, I did skip my HIIT this morning--my chest is a bit more gunky and I spent a good hour coughing my head off last night, so I decided I didn't want to push it. I still feel perfectly fine, but if I start coughing--who knows when I'll stop. I'll be getting my ST'ing in later today and *if* I can get this gunk out of my chest, I might just to some HIIT later, but probably not.

No loss, no gain today so nothing new to report there.

Okay, well, off to get stuff done! Have a wonderful day ladies and be sure to...

Drink Your Water!!!
:D

SG-Sandye said it well. We ALL have those days...you just start over today. You didn't fail or make some irreversible mistake. You just ate some junk and now you won't. Simple as that. You've made it this long without doing that which means you CAN and so most likely it will be a LONG time before you do it again. It's good to figure out the "why's" but don't stress over it.

Sandye-Another productive day, huh? I thought I was doing pretty good yesterday since I got one more person checked off my "Still need a gift for..." list. Happy sewing today! Feel better...I HATE that chest junk!!

Back down to .2 away from goal...I think it's been a week playing around within a pound of this. It's like a cruel scale joke, but I'm okay with it. I've managed my cravings pretty well this month, so that makes me satisfied with the process even when Mr. Scale is not showing me love. Also, since I've been keeping track informally (about 1.5 weeks), my body fat has decreased by .5%. I like that change a lot! I better get to goal tomorrow morning so it will motivate me to behave myself at my parents' house Sat. We're going to celebrate DD's bday early since it falls on T-giving day this year. It's impossible to track cals there, so I always just watch portions which I've gotten much better at. Here's hoping she makes something very healthy so I can sneak in a small piece of cake! ;)

I am up another .9 this morning. TOM has arrived. Woke up with a sore throat. Feel like crap. And I forgot my phone at home. Does not look like it is going to be a good day. Its a good thing I have next week off, I don't care about the big dinner, in fact I probably won't even go because I don't trust food from the person cooking (very old and lacking in the hygiene department), I just need the rest. I think I may push my calories back down to 1600 because the scale just keeps rising. I don't know what to do.

Mystical - Scales are funny things, even when we are POP. I have weeks where I lose next to nothing and then I will have a week where I lose 4-6 pounds in one week. For me it ends up averaging to about 2 pounds per week, but I rarely have a week where my loss is actually 2 pounds. On the lower weeks I just try to remember not to let the scale be my only measure of success.

Ms. P - Congrats on having walls and almost having a roof. That is so exciting. And good for you having such a great attitude about the scale.

SG - I’m sorry that you had such a stressful day. One bad day does not ruin your progress, but you already know that. Nobody is perfect, we have all been there, brush it off and get back to it. I am sure that you are going to do much better today. One day at a time, today is a new day and it will be glorious.

Gekster - I am sorry the scale is not being your friend. Today’s .9 is probably just TOM though. Plus you say sore throat and not feeling well, I know that my body holds extra water when I’m ill or trying to not be ill, it may be a contributing factor in your scale woes. Just stick with it. I hope the scale makes you happy soon.


I’m down another .4 today. That puts me down 2.4 from where I was before I started gaining while trying to fight off and then dealing with the piggy flu. Including the weight, mostly water, that I put on for the flu, I have lost 7.8 since Sunday.:dizzy: I also spent a few hours at Goodwill yesterday, mostly looking for stuff for someone else, and found a couple cute pairs of 14s that I figured would fit properly in 2-3 weeks. I tried them on and they both fit fine, one is a normal 14 and the other is a 13/14 and neither are stretch. I then tried on the 14P that I had gotten to button a couple weeks back but were too tight for public and while they are still snug, I could wear them out now. That makes me officially a 14 :D and I have to get into my boxes of size 14 clothes and put them in the closet today and try a 12 to see how far away I am and take one pair of 12s out. I have been keeping boxes of the next 2 sizes down as I find them in thrift stores and such, but I keep one pair of pants in the next size down in my closet so that I can keep an eye on how far I have to go. I guess it is also time to start buying 10s for the boxes. YAY! I got into 14s for a month or two a few years ago, but other than that it has been since I was a teen. This on top of being under 190 is so exciting. :flow1: :flow2: :flow1: :flow2: :flow1: :flow2:

Morning!

Jellofer - Glad the weekend weight is almost gone, but even more so that you're taking care of yourself! lol, I agree with the STing totally, even tv time is more calorie burning time now, lol.

MsP - Oh how fun, that must be so nice to see it coming along like that, and knowing there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I would be over the moon too. Oh so glad you're back down, that's awesome, bouncing around the same numbers is not my favorite way to spend the week either but I can't wait to log on in the next few days and see that 135.0. It's the first thing I look for right now, lol.

SG - Since we are all a work in progress, love that quote. When I get something unplanned I spend a bit of time figuring out what the circumstances were, what I told myself to rationalize it (helps me identify negative self talk and sabotaging thoughts) and problem solve for a similar event in the future so that I have a better plan to deal with it. And the other important part, forgive and let go :hug:

Sandye - Coughing does not sound like a good night's sleep either, yuck. Glad you're taking it easy, well sort of, it's 7 am and you've assembled a book shelf, lol. Is the girls' room painting finished yet or is that this weekend's project?

Gekster - Oh that's right, you guys have turkey lurkey day coming up, maybe wait until TOM has gone before adjusting, it's hard to lose in the pre-tom, tom time and it may be that your calories are fine. Hate to see you cut back if you don't need to ;)

FGG - :cheer3::cheer2:14's baby! woohoo, that's awesome. You've been on a success roll this last little bit WTG! Crack into those 12's and you'll be there in no time.

Stayed up uber late last night chatting with a friend I don't get to talk to enough, so I switched my non-running day to today since midnight is too late to get up at 5am. It was so nice to catch up though. This mornimg too I felt so bloated it was nasty but that seems to have gone away now that I've been up a bit. Down another 0.2 today to hit 146.0 so that was nice.

I actually managed to get sore biceps today after STing yesterday, that almost never happens so I'm pretty impressed with the burn yesterday. Going to go grab the mail, maybe bike a little but otherwise a nice leisurely day around the house.

Catch ya later.

Quick hello from me today. Leaving right after work to go to a friend's party out of town.

But I jsut wanted to say Shrinking Girl - I am right there with you, I had double what I would normally eat for dinner last night followed by a large helping of ice cream. No sugar added ice cream, but still bad enough. I probably clocked in at 2000 cals for yesterday. Oy! I just couldn't stop myself. I'm a bit stressed, going to a Dr. appt on Tuesday for some issues I've been having that might be a lot more serious than I thought. I'm trying to not get negative about it, but sometimes I freak out, and this is one of them.

So, I am going to try to have an OP day (doing good so far) and only have 1 glass of wine tonight at the party.

Have a great one ladies!

Have a great OP weekend everyone!!!

Hiya ladies--again not much time. Am off for the weekend to visit the ex's gma at the coast for a few days. Just wanted to pop in and say hi though! Also, SG your post caught my eye--and don't beat yourself too hard! We all have days like that---it isn't really falling off the wagon in my eyes. You just had a splurge day! Just don't be like me and allow your splurge day to turn into a splurge weekend or week. ....
I am having horrible TOM. It has come with full force and is intent on making me miserable. Couldn't leave the house as I couldn't be gone longer than 15 minutes from the bathroom!!!!! Flow finally gave a little bit today which was nice as I had work and can't really disappear in the bathroom that often when you teach a class full of unruly teens. Cravings have been HORRIBLE, and I finally gave in yesterday as I was so feeling so crappy. Diet will probably continue to be a little overindulgent with going to the coast and then with Thanksgiving, so the scale will probably not be my friend for a bit, but oh well. Sometimes when your tummy feels as though you are about to birth an alien, you don't really care about your weight as much.

Anyways, hope everyone has a great weekend and is staying more focused than me!

Oh, and I finally got those 80 pound loss pics up! They are here is you want to check em out:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/mini-goal-photo-album/186622-80-pounds-lost-photos.html

hello everyone, well I have made it a complete two weeks on my new menu and things are awesome. I am finding now that I have a base menu plan and know what the main ingredient is for every dinner I can plan ahead much better and I think the rest of the family is loving it. I have been doing lots of research on new recipes and this week it has been looking up butternut squash and spaghettis squash I am so excited I can't tell you how things have just seem to click in my brain it took too long LOL.... Friday nights in the past have been ok where do you want to order out tonight... Since I cook every night of the week we have decided to make friday night a sandwich night and I think it went well, although I am just going to eat spaghetti squash with a little olive oil and garlic.

Well have to run for now I will check in tomorrow, hope you all have a great night. :) By the way tomorrow my son turns 19 so wish me luck with the birthday cake temptation YIKES!

Just checking in here quick before bed but I had to say something to Jessicado YOU LOOK FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! Also, I hate to burst your bubble but that butt of yours is SHRINKING and so it's not as huge as you seem to think it is! I can't get over how fantastic you look. Really and truly, you have changed so very much, it's amazing. Pat yourself on the back honey and feel darned proud!

Good morning ladies!

Jess~ I gotta second SG, you look AMAZING!!! You are absolutely adorable and your smile is just infectious!!! You're doing a fantastic job hun!!!

I don't have a lot of time, but I had to come and post my 'confession' of sorts...I didn't work out yesterday at all. I was more than able to, but I chose not to. Part of it was the chest gunk and the other part was the fact that I really want to get these quilts done and I was able to finally work on one for a while yesterday and honestly, I didn't want to spend an hour working out when I could spend an hour sewing ya know?

So there you have it, I've come clean. I plan on skipping today's workout too (unless I start to feel really guilty) so that more sewing can get done along with a long list of other things, such as Thanksgiving shopping and prep. I know I sound like a crazy woman with all the projects I've got going on and my priorities sound as if they're getting skewed, but trust me, when I get this 'productivity bug' I NEED to go with it! I get so much done it's not funny and that's not something that usually happens. ;) :lol:

Okay, well I guess I should end this by saying that I was down a bit this morning too--131.6 today :carrot: so I guess no harm was done by skipping a workout! :) I just need to be sure not to let my eating get wonky this weekend and I think I'll come out just fine. :)

Alrighty girls, my 'short' post has gotten really long and I need to get a move on!! I hope everyone has an uber fantastic day and don't forget to...

Drink Your Water!!!
:D

Morning Ladies,

Nella - I hope you had a great time at that party, showing off your new bad self and that you're holding strong with the food.

Kim - Hope you're slowly feeling better :)

Jessicado - OMG those photos are remarkable! What a difference and I must say my dear you have a wicked sense of style too, lol. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the alien baby gives you a break and enjoy your time away, sounds heavenly!

Mystical - That's sounding fantastic! It's so nice when a plan comes together, enjoy your weekend.

SG - Hope you have a great weekend to wind down from stress week at work and all the other craziness you've had going on.

Sandye - Ok we'll let it go, this time ;) But we're watching, lol. Congrats on the 131.6, that's great and almost there, again, you are a machine, my goodness. And a whole uninterrupted hour? Who knew that eve exsisted somewhere in this crazy universe, enjoy!

It's a blustery one out there today, more like a mini blizzare but not too cold so I managed to get in a shorter run than I wanted but the ice crystals were blowing into my eyes and it hurt pretty bad towards the end. Not to metion the half foot of snow was making running challenging so I'm going to chalk up a victory for making it out the door today and not worry about the slow pace or less time. I did manage to gt my run in yesterday too as dh worked at 6p and not noon so I may have had my last no snow run yesterday :( At least until spring that is.

Scale is still holding at 146 but I've lost an inch of both my hips and waist in 6 days since I last measured so it appears we've got some muslce building/fat loss cancelling each other out. Love that tape meausre!

Alrighty, gotta go get on with the day. Everyone have a wonderful OP weekend.

Good morning ladies. It has been awile since I have posted some personals here and I want to get better at that. There has been so much posted that I do hope that I don't leave anyone out. Congrats on all of the victories both scale and non scale.

Jess WOW!!! you really look great. Those pictures are incredible. You are looking like a whole different woman. One thing I did notice, as you have lost more weight you are holding your head up higher. You work it girl. Be proud of yourself, how far you've come and how strong you are!!!1 I am honored to say that I know you!!!

Tummy Running in the snow. WOw that takes guts. I wish I could just run right now. No running because of the knee, and cuz of this nasty cold I got. NOt even able to workout since Tuesday. But will try some light weights and stretching. I have to work tomorrow all day and don't want to push it.

Idream I get that way too sometimes. Where everything else is more important. So I give myself 2 workouts. If I have to miss more than that to accomplish the task, then the task is not worth it. It is not worth giving up on me. I do agree though. Sewing uninterrupted is a treat. Because of you I will dust off my machine today and try to accomplish something.

SG So you fell off for alittle bit. Look at what I did this past weekend. I fell off the wagon and then didn't even try to get back on and gained 7+ pounds. Think of it as a learning experience. We are not nuns in a convent who have sworn off foods that are calorie rich for ever. We can splurge. What makes us special is our ability to recognize, reorganize and regroup and march forward.


MsP Man, goal is tough. But you should be so proud of all of your accomplishments. I am excited to see it through with you and to have been able to share in all of your victories. Just think how much sweeter it will taste when you get there.

Gekster TOM sucks. Mine will be here soon. He is lurking around the corner. In the next few days he will call to confirm his reservation. Fun stuff.

Well, not much else to report today ladies. I look forward to seeing less of you tomorrow. (that was supposed to be funny, like cuz we are dropping pounds.) :) Laugh it burns calories.

Love and light to my peeps!!!

Jen

I was gone all day so I couldn't get on here, but I'm finally home and have to report...I REACHED GOAL this morning! I was 134.8 and what an amazing relief to reach that mark! I did have some bday cake today, but the rest of my food was POP and I drank loads of water, so I expect to be okay tomorrow. From there I'm clear 'til Thursday, but I have a plan for Turkey day, too. So, that's all for now, but I really wanted to share with you since you've all been so supportive on this long wait to get rid of that last bit!

Yipee! Msp I am so proud of you!!!!!

Yay Ms. P - :bravo: :woohoo: and :congrat:

Congrats Ms.P!!!!

Just wanted to say CONGRATS MS.P!!!! I'm so proud of you!!!

Also wanted to say thanks to everyone who provided support for me the other day, I really needed it.

I may be MIA for a bit, DH's grandfather passed away yesterday morning. No warning, total shock. He was out in the field all day Friday seemingly fit as could be and then Saturday morning he's just gone. We're all in shock and worse yet there is still corn to get in from the fields and such and so it's going to be pretty busy around here.... so if you don't see me, it's because I'm off driving a tractor. Take care everyone.

Morning ladies,

Jellofer - Hoenstly, it's easier than it sounds, so far anyway. With a little preparation and the right clothes it's actually really nice. When the wind gets crazy I'll stay in but otherwise it's character building! Glad to see you're still doing something exercise wise, it will make it easier to get back into that full swing in no time!

MsP - :woo::celebrate::balloons::cheer:Yeah!!! LOL, it was the first thing I say this morning when the page was loading, what a nice way to start a Sunday, and a marvelous way to start your Saturday! How absolutley incredible, cognrats a million times over!

Going to enjoy my rest day even more today, thanks MsP, but need to flush out some of this stifness soon, it's a good thing it's my recovery week this week, no weights! I'm feeling rickety, my goodness.

Off to spend some time with the fam, that to you all later.

Congratulations MsP!!! That is so awesome!

I know I have been whining and complaining a whole lot lately, thanks for putting up with it. I have some exciting news today though. I had a woosh yesterday and it is confirmed today. I am at 279.5!! I am out of the 280s! I was looking back at my wii fit and it is the exact weight I was the first time I wieghed in when I got it November 10 of last year. Incredible. So I now need to think of a reward for myself.

Ok ladies here is the run down of my weigh-ins. I am a little disappointed but I will take whatever I can get. I have worked so hard this week and the food has been on plan so I guess I was just expecting a little more but it is what it is and I am on the fight track and I am just going to keep it up becuase I am feeling so much better so something has to be going right.

Nov 1 218.0
Nov 7 217.8 -0.2
Nov 14 214.8 -3.0
Nov 21 214.4 -0.4

Total -3.6

I have only 8 day left of this month to reach my goal I wanted to get to 210 I don't think it is possible to loose that much in 8 days, I don't know why my weight loss is so very slow does anyone have any suggestions? Hope you all are having a great weekend... :)

MsP~ :woohoo: On the Panties girlie!!!! I am so freakin' proud of you!!! Woooooo Hoooooooooooooo!!!!! Yeah baby!!!!

SG~ I am so sorry to hear about your hubby's Grandfather :( Take care and give your hubby a big :hug: from all of us k?

Tummy~ Hee hee 'rickety' better grab your stool!! ;) :lol: I am enjoying my last day off and I'm not doing make up workouts, just going to start off Monday with my recovery week. :) Hope you're having a great Sunday!

Gekster~ :yay: Congrats hun! See? I knew you'd make it out of the 280's fast!! :) WTG hun, keep up the amazing work!

Mystical~ WTG on the loss hun! I know it's a bit slower than you'd like, but it's still a loss!! Not sure why some people lose slower than others, look at my mom, she's losing at an insanely slow rate (but she's a trooper for hangin' in there!!!) and then you've got other ladies who are shedding 2-4 lbs a week!! Everyone's different and your body goes through up and downs--the important thing is to stick to your plan and keep moving forward. :) You'll get there!

Well, taking a break has been worth it! I finished piecing one of the quilt tops last night!! Still need to frame it out with another fabric, but I'm not going to do that quite yet. I'll be starting the 2nd one tonight--I feel way more on top of things now. :) Down a pinch more today, but I'm thinking it's just because I slept in and weighed later than usual ya know? So I'm leaving my ticker alone so I don't have to change it tomorrow. ;)

Well, just wanted to pop in and say hello--I need to go figure out what we're having for dinner. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!!!

Hey all! Thanks for all the congrats! Another nice family today. I'm hanging out at goal...no additional loss, but that's fine since I did enjoy cake yesterday. Hope the weekend was kind to everyone. I'll be better about personals tomorrow.....

Evening Ladies!

Sorry I don't have time for personals atm...still have lots to do tonight to ready myself for a busy week ahead.

I just have to say MsP~ Yayyyy...Congrats...am so happy for you! You worked hard to achieve your goal :carrot::carrot::carrot:

I had my weigh in at my Saturday morning WW meeting and I lost another 3 lbs. I also got my treadmill all set up and managed 3 miles yesterday and today. This week is gonna be crazy busy cause I'll be working and getting ready for the holiday.

Have a wonderful evening and a super week ahead!

Huggies,
Giv

Helloooo Chickies!

Arrived at work extra early today so I've got a bit of time to check in.

MsP I just want to say congrats again on reaching goal. You rock!

Tummy I'm with Jellofer on this one, running in the snow seems like sheer bravery to me! Then again, perhaps some snow reflecting the light from the moon would have encouraged me to keep up with the outdoor running a bit more. As it is now, I'm kind of torn on our warmer days of running outside or staying in on the treadmill and, since I don't have any 3 mile routes mapped out, I usually end up on the treadmill. Must plan better!

Gekster Congrats on the loss! No need to feel bad for whining and complaining... that's what we're here for! Nothing like having a bunch of other people know exactly what you're going through! If I didn't have these girls, everyone in my life would be tired of me by now for always talking about my weight!

mystical Hang in there. Your weight is moving in the right direction and that is what matters the most! I have no idea why some people lose so fast and others so slowly and I've read so many threads where people talk about how much exercise, how many calories, what their BMR is, their calorie deficit and honestly, I couldn't make sense of why some were losing 2 lbs a week and others just 1 or even less.

Sandye WooHoo on finishing one of the quilt tops! You are on fire!

GiveTLC WooHoo on the 3 lb loss! Nice job! I hear ya on the crazy busy, remember to take some time for yourself!

Well, I weighed in at 191.0 today. This means a couple of things: First, I've hit my goal for the month. I'm not proclaiming goal though because I've got 3 Thanksgivings this week and the ability to eat 3500 more calories than I should will definitely be there. I am hoping to maintain through the 30th. My plan the whole month was to lose my normal amount each week and then hope to maintain the final week, which is why I only put in for 6 lbs. We shall see how I do! The other thing it means is....35 lbs lost and another dancing fattie! Again, looking at those things reminds me of just how much bulk I've gotten rid of and it's a great feeling.

I hope everyone has a great day!

goal for this challenge (page 2) - 169lbs by Dec. 1
start weight: 179
current weight: 168
lbs lost since challenge began - 11
lbs left to go until end of challenge -0

I reached my November Weight Loss Goal 1 week early! :D This feels so amazing. It's my first challenge ever!!! Thank you ladies for keeping me on track and motivating me to push through!!

Shrinking Girl - CONGRATS on reaching goal! I hope both of us control ourselves this week so we finish this month STRONG!! :hug:

GivTLC - 3lb loss is amazing :woohoo: congratulations!!!!

Ms Perception - congratulations on reaching goal!!!! :carrot:

Gekster - I love those whooshes!!!! Congrats

iDream - Good luck with all your projects and happy thanksgiving (early) hehe

Tummy Girl - Be safe when running in the cold/snow/wind! I'm going to nYC this weekend and going to run indoors ...I'm too scared to be running around the city if it's bad weather

Congratulations Incontrol2day. I am hoping with everything I got that I will make mine. Back to perfect plan again today and we shall see. This cold has really got me for a loop this time.

Jen

InControl-Awesome job reaching your monthly goal!! Now, you're with the rest of us who are going to AT LEAST maintain this week. ;) NYC will be a blast, I bet. Enjoy!

SG-Congrats on reaching goal for the month! We CAN maintain...We WILL maintain...Say it with me! ...We CAN maintain...We WILL maintain... (okay, maybe I've seen one too many Dora the Explorer episodes. LOL) Believe me, I know the calorie potential is there to do some real damage! For me, it's gonna be all about portion control and eating SLOOOOOOOWLY.

GivTLC-Great job losing those 3 pounds! Best wishes getting all the holiday stuff ready. I'm super lucky to still be the "younger" generation in my family (as well as DH's), so we just have to show up at someone's house with a food contribution and that's it.

Sandye-How's that second quilt top coming along? You are a machine! I'm SO jealous you can do all that stuff. I feel so weird being at my IL's through the holidays. I can't decorate or do anything very creative (no space). It's an odd feeling.

mystical-That actually a pretty typical month for me...the one you've had. I'm not a fast loser, but I can usually manage 5-6 pounds a month. Think about it long-term though and that's not bad. I suppose you could mess with your calories and all to see what suits your needs better. Ultimately it's up to you, but I think a modest loss is fine. It's a lifestyle you're learning, so it'll take time to develop good habits and all. That will happen as you're losing, so by the time you're in maintenance, you'll be a pro at doing the right things and it will be your new life (not feel like a diet), ya know? Long story short...You're doing great! Keep it up!!

Gekster-YAY on the new decade! I love those!! No worries on the whining...we ALL do it when we need to. Also, find yourself a good reward. You deserve it.

I'm still hanging out at exactly 134.8 but I'm fine with that. I'll be thrilled if I can come on here next Monday and say the same!! ;) I've done some mental rehearsing for turkey day, but it's the trip to my hometown that will add an element of challenge. I've also talked to DH about sort of keeping me in check...ya know, not letting me get seconds and splitting the couple treat items I plan to have with me. He seems totally on board, so the rest is up to me. I'm going to be SO happy to see family and celebrate DD's bday. I can't wait!!

Just a quickie today, have a few things on the go here, playing with some dietary stuff and doing some nutiritional research, fun fun! I'm think I need to get a bit more aquainted with high performance nutrition in relation my my whole foods, plant based diet. There's actually a lot out there the more I look, but it turns out that when you work out 10+ hours a week you probably need to eat a little different than the average bear so here's to figuring that out!

Still hanging out at my 146, I believe that's 5 days now, maybe 6 I can't remember but that's the way she goes some weeks.

Have a great monday ladies and I hope everyone has some pre-made healthy plans for turkey day!

Good afternoon ladies!!!!

Giv~ Congrats on the 3 lbs!!! :carrot: That's awesome! And it's great that you got your treadmill set up! Woo hoo on the 3 miles too!! Try not to go nuts this week! :dizzy:

SG~ :carrot: Congrats on making your goal!!!! Yeah, I know you're not callin' it just yet, but I'm congratulating you anyway and there's nothing you do to stop me :D My, my but aren't you BLAZING through the 190's!!! I told ya so, I told ya so!!!! ;)

InControl~ Awesome job on an awesome loss hun!!! You're doing awesome!!! Keep up the great work!

Jen~ sorry you're still sick girlie!!! Don't try to do too much too soon and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that you make your goal this month!! :)

MsP~ I got the first 3 blocks of the 2nd quilt pinned last night. I can't sew anything just yet though--my house is in dire need of attention. After that though, I'll start putting the blocks together. :) You're going to do just fine on Thanksgiving! I, on the other hand, don't really have any plan at all. I intend to eat what I want, but try my darnedest to practice moderation. I'm making my sweet potatoes with fat free half and half and might be cutting the sugar back as well, but that's about all I'm in control of. I know my fil will be using real butter and real sugar in all of his food, so I'll just have to do my best.

Tummy~ yeah, you'll have a giant swoosh this weekend while the rest of us are still in our turkey comas!!! :lol: How neat to be researching all the food options out there. I really should do more of that. I just feel like I have too much on my plate these days to even attempt researching anything like that--my head might explode!!! ;) Wanted to you to know, I got up bright and early and did my workout!! :D CardioX instead of yoga today! It felt fantastic!!!

Well, I'm back after a busy morning of running around and shopping! :D I've got nearly all of my Christmas shopping done--well, for the kiddos on my list anyway. The girls were really good--which isn't typical, as they really don't like shopping--and it is a beautiful day out so it was nice to be out running around. Plus, it meant I wasn't in my messy house! :lol3: But now I am...and what am I doing? Hiding here of course. ;)

Weighed in today at 131.6 so I'm glad I didn't update my ticker--see? I told ya! ;) Took my measurements yesterday and to my surprise, I dropped 3 more inches total!! I need to go back and look at my starting measurements and tally them all up!

Other than that, not much going on. I've got laundry to do, a house to clean, crafting/sewing items to tidy...it's crazy! Wanna hear another crazy thing? I bought a pair of pants from Goodwill this weekend, a pair of pants that I've been wearing all day today--comfortably I might add--and even though I should be over the moon happy about it, I'm finding myself a little puzzled and even a little worried/nervous. See, they're size 4--and they weren't the only pair of 4's I tried on either, I tried on a few and most of them fit me. So why am I puzzled/worried? Well, because I still can't wrap my head around it. I do not see a size 4 girl staring at me when I look in the mirror. And I want to know when I'll be able to look at myself and say 'Okay, I'm where I want to be, now it's time for maintenance'. I'm still trying to firm up and lose inches because my thighs are still jiggly and my butt is...well, it's just a pathetic saggy mess. :lol: So, at what point is my brain going to catch up?! Don't get me wrong, I'm not being critical of myself or insisting that I'm still fat and need to lose another 20 lbs--I guess I'm just more in shock. I thought if ever I got down to this size that I'd see a thin girl looking back at me in the mirror--and I just want my brain to catch up with what the scale and my jeans seem to know already.

Sheesh...sorry about that. I didn't mean to ramble like that. Okay, that's my cue to shut up I guess! Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!!! Be good to yourselves and don't forget to...

Drink Your Water!!!
:D

Just a quick pop in as we are back from vacation today. Splurged a ton this weekend and was totally willing to accept the damage when I stepped back on the scale this morning, yet the scale had stayed the same! Well, actually it was down 3 pounds since TOM weight gain had left. I am in shock that I didn't gain after my weekend of pizza, candy and ships, along with no exercise since last Wed, but I'll take it!

Thanks so much everyone about my new pics! It sometimes seems like I haven't really lost anything when I look at myself. I still have belly fat hanging down, fat legs, etc and it takes lookiung back at old photos to remember where I was at and yeah I have come a long way. So thanks!

And Sandy, I don't know how I missed those photos when I posted last--but you look awesome! That is so amazing. I can't believ e you used to weigh 200 pounds. Wow! You are awesome!

And MsP---WOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on reaching goal! That is so inspiring! :carrot:


Well, gotta run and go make toys. That is all I do anymore---even brought them to work on with me during vacation, lol. These Christmas orders are just killing me. Good news though is that I shut down my shop yuesterday until after New Years, so once I get these million orders done, then I can actually relax. I can't complain too much about all this work, as I have just officially made enough to buy a new car! (Well a new used car, lol.) I am driving up to a car lot next week and going to put down 3 grand in cash on an offer for a 2003 Dodge Neon with only 40K miles that they are asking $3400 for. Thought I was going to have to wait until taxes for a new car, but apparently not! So anyways all this work is worth it I guess, even if I don't have any spare time.

SG - I am sorry for your family’s loss. Congrats on the scale.

Gekster - Congrats!

Mystical - Congrats! Any movement down on the scale is progress, especially this time of year. Be proud.

InControl - Congrats!

Ms P - Congrats on maintaining so far and good for you planning ahead and enlisting hubby for help.

Sandye - I am not even close to goal yet and I am having some of those brain not catching up to my body issues. I grab pants that look to me like they should fit and when I look at the tag they are 2-3 sizes too big. A hoody that I thought should fit me could have probably been used to make one for me and another for you, lol. I can’t even imagine what it will be like when I get down to really small sizes like you are in now. I do hope our brains catch up eventually, if only to make shopping easier, lol.

Jessica - Yay for being able to get a car! I saw that you had shut down for the rest of the year when I went to show hubby some of the things I was wanting to order from you. Hopefully he will be placing an order for my birthday (March) some time after you have opened back up. I try not to make him guess at what I want since I'll be happier with my presents if he knows for sure.

It is taking me more time to get back to complete normal from being sick than the amount of time I was actually down with it. That is so unfair. I still can’t run and I am only up to 40 minutes with minimum resistance on the elliptical. So, the weight is coming off slower than it should, but that’s ok, at least it is still coming off. I am still 3.4 pounds away from November goal and I don’t think I’ll make it, but I’m going to get as close as I can dang it!

Just popping in to :wave:

:)

Down 1.3lbs today. Awesome. I actually might meet this months goal after all. My boyfriend got me a real scale today! I've been using the wii fit as a scale and it is iffy on accuracy. But I got a nice one that does a lot of functions along with just weighing. The difference between the two scales is almost 2lbs so not sure how that should relate to my tracker..

Hey girls! Busy busy week, so I will not be around much.

The scale and I are not friends again, but I guess I'm to blame for my bad eating choices this weekend. DH and I were out and about most of the weekend so we ate out a lot, and I gobbled up some salt in the process. So back up to 168.0 this morning. Nov. goal is pretty much not happening for me, well part of it isn't happeing. I will eb joining a gym next week, as my workouts have basically stopped now that it's dark out.

In all honesty, I've been kinda blah on everything diet related because I'm fitting in a lot of my old clothes, and some of them are too big, so I figure "hey why not eat that cookie, your pants fit again" But I need to get my head back in the game and keep on pushing toward goal. DH promised to buy me a whole new wardrobe if I get there :) So I'm not going to go overboard this week, but I'm going to re-start myself next Monday, maybe Saturday if the gym is open.

I had a little mini whoosh and am down 1.2 today to 187.2, that leaves 2.2 pounds to lose in 6 days. I still have a chance.

Morning!

Mystical - I think you're weight loss is great and heading in the right direction, congrats! I hope you're excited :)

Sandye - LOL I love his little sayings, they make me laugh and I totally know how he feels now, it just took 3 months to find out what rickety really felt like. You're burning through those quilts, my goodness and it's not even December! Good to hear, glad you got in your cardio, I was watching, lol. I'm definitely going to be enjoying my modified recovery week to regrow some muscles for sure, ouch, I'm still stiff and it's Tuesday. As for the size thing, I've been chatting about this a lot lately too since my venture into size 6. I think my idea of a size 6 and 4 when I was heavy was that they were all thin and boney and such. Now that I'm here I'm not boney at all so I don't identify with what I thought a size 6 was supposed to look like. That was the issue I had, I think I look great but I don't think I look like a size 6 either.

MsP- Had to laugh at Dora, oh I'm so there too.

GivTLC - Congrats on that lost how fantastic! And a treadmill ready to go just to ice the cake. Enjoy your busy week.

SG - It's not as hard as I thought it would be though, as long as they are tracks in snow from a few cars it's not too bad. And I think it's all in the gear, having the right mitts and hats and things to cover your face and all that. Otherwise you can't change direction too fast or try to sprint or you'll fall over. But other than that it's just like summe :) Congrats on goal chickie, now just that other part of the goal and four thanksgivings.

InControl - Congrats on the early goal, my gosh that's so great and in grand style too, you went right on past it! I don't know that I'd run in NYC either, bad weather or not, a nice quiet contry road is what I'm about , lol.

Jellofer - You can do it, we've got 6 days and perfect eating I bet you're golden.

Jessicado - Congrats on that car! No wonder you're working so hard, that's totally worth it to just go buy one with no loan, good for you!

FGG - Gosh that flu scares me the more I hear you ladies talk about it. At least you can exercise a little bit and I'd count it as a success that you got right back to where you left off. OMG, that's one great little whoosh, and here you were thinking it was hopeless, lol, the body sure is funny some days, great job!

JasonLea - :wave:Right back at you.

Gekster - Woohoo 1.3 down:carrot:fantastic! And a new scale that must be nice to have something a little more dependable.

Nella - Hang in there, we all have blah weeks but it's important to try and make as many healthy choices as we can even if there's some unhealthy ones mixed in there too. It is super hard when you feel "normal" again and you can wear your stuff but don't sell yourself short if you want that goal, you can do it!!

We've got some holiday decorating in the works today since dh is off work. We also have a very excited dd that the tree is coming, lol, it's super cute to watch her get more aware of things each holiday season. now she 's all about making a list for Santa and it's just priceless.

Going to head off to get some biking in before it gets too late into the morning. Down 0.4lbs today to 145.6, which is nice after 6 days of seeing 146's but I'm still averaging 2lbs a week so not a word of complaint, yet ;)

Have a great day.

Good morning all! Hope the day is treating you all well so far. I am cold but doing well. I've been cold alot lately. There must be something to the fat/insulation thing. I swear I wasn't cold all the time like this in the past. Or maybe my MIL just keeps her house cooler, but I digress. The day is going well so far. I got to see a tiny drop on the scale to 134.4 which made me happy. I was hoping to continue making progress as much as possible this month so I could hope to get very close to my new and improved goal by year's end. I've made MORE plans about how I'm going to weather this weekend and come out on top. The closer it gets the more confident I am that I don't have to turn this into a weight-gaining calorie-fest. I will make good choices and should at least maintain. If I gain a bit, I'll get it right back off and WILL NOT beat myself up about it since I've planned ahead to keep it all in check. I think for me I had to just decide it's my choice to do the right things. If I gain I won't be ashamed or feel bad, but it'd be super cool to maintain or even lose. (This is my pep talk to myself, so please excuse the fact that I'm having it every day this week! LOL)

Sandye-I was reading just the other day about how it sometimes takes awhile for people to reconcile their weight loss in their minds. They call it "phantom fat", a.k.a. you see more fat in the mirror than you may really have. You may consider having your body fat measured in a reliable way so you can get some perspective from that. Trust me, though. You are quite slender and look fantastic. Of course, it's ultimately important that you are satisfied. Maybe try maitaining around 130 for a while, as you continue building muscle, and try to let it sink in. I have gotten a lot better in the last month or 2 of seeing myself more realistically, but I lost the weight over the course of a year. Yours was a little faster, so maybe your mind has some catching up to do. Sorry to get all psycho-babbley on ya. I just care that you realize how amazing you are! :D Yay on those 4's! Good luck on the housework today. I have some laundry in need of folding myself. Well, there's a boatload of things actually...yikes!

jessicado-You must have some incredible metabloism going on there! That's great to maintain through some off-time. Isn't it great when we can't notice the day-to-day changes to go back at look at pictures to remind us of how far we've come! Good idea temporarily closing shop to catch up and enjoy some of this season and congrats on the car. That must feel great!

FGG-Sorry to hear the recovery is slow, but take it easy and get all the way better. It'll really help in the long run. Take good care, hon! Yay on the mini-woosh!!

Gekster-Maybe on Dec. 1, you could just switch to using the reading on the "real" scale as your official weight. That way it won't mess up your monthly goals or anything. My Wii fit is off by a pound or 2 also, but I don't sweat it. It's a secondary thing.

Nella-Believe me, we all go through those blah periods! Good idea joining the gym. I wish we had one around here because I function better in that kind of setting when it comes to STing or other non-running activities. Just keep in mind all those new clothes you could have if you keep up the good work!

Hey Ladies!

It's been TOO long! Things are very crazy for me today. I have a lot of school things due today and a lot I want to get done so I can just have reading h/w catch up over my mini Thanksgiving break.

I have officially lost 15.1 pounds since I've started on 3FC. :) Oddly enough, I started really loosing after I had gotten that stomach flu and then hit a plateau, then last Friday we had fast food for every meal (no food in the house and we're babysitting my cousin while we wait for his mother to give birth) and now it's coming off again! I am at 208.9. :)

Well! I have to run now!

<3 We Can Do It Ladies.

Tummy Girl Yes I am very excited about getting some weight down but I guess no matter how much I lose it will never be fast enough :D as long as i keep going in the right direction I am happy, thank you for your support and help... I am sure I will be needing some more help in the future thanks :hug:

Ms Perception Your doing a great job at those pep talks I make have to borrow them for me as well LOL... You are doing a fantastic job I always look forward to reading your posts they really help keep me inspired thank you so much for sharing. Hope things go well for you this weekend. :hug:

Miss Mallee :carrot: Great job 15.1 lbs down that is awesome. I am so proud of you :)

Today is a bit cooler and it is overcast so I really feel like sleeping but to much to do for that LOL, we have been getting out our Christmas decorations I am hoping that we will be able to get them up this weekend. Our first Christmas in the new house and we have almost all the family together. It will be hard this Christmas though since this will be my first year without my daughter, I am hoping that it will be fun for her since she now living in Hawaii with her husband and babies. I miss them so very much.

Today is going very well, got up late this morning but I have managed to get all my cabinets cleaned and re-organized, I think I will do closets tomorrow.

Hope you all have a wonderful day, I will check in later today :)

Ok.....so just having a nasty cold is not enough. NOw, I have to scratch my eye and get stuck with a little infection. Nice!!!! Still not able to really get a good workout in. Ate chicken soup for lunch. With noodles. Didn't eat them all though. And even better TOM is on his way. So, best of luck with making the 233 goal. But we knew that was a long shot. I am downto a new decade though. 230's and am happy with that. Goal for TOM is to maintain and hope for a little loss???? So, we shall see. Congrats to all the big losses and great job to all you maintainers. So far I will call this a good month. Much better than October. I have already plotted my December goal. and am ready for the new year. CLothes are too big, but that is ok. Got a lot more to lose then I will shop.

Happy day to all

Jen

jellofer-You're ahead of me. I haven't given December more than a moments thought. Now you've given more to think about...thanks a lot! LOL I've been so focused on succeeding at my plan for turkey day, I forgot life goes on after that! :lol3:

Seriously though, December is a mystery month for me. It was my first real month of losing last year. Now I just want to continue reducing body fat. It seems like a lame goal compared to a pounds goal, but it's where I'm at right now, ya know? It's actually a great place to be. Of course, I do expect the pounds to drop as the fat decreases.

NSV ALERT:-Tonight at WW meeting (I had to go tonight since my normal Thurs. mtg was cancelled for the holiday) the leader (different than my normal one) was handing out lifetime stickers (monthly reward for those maintaining goal weight). Anyway, she asked me if I was "lifetime". That means she thought I looked like I was at goal/maintenance! Yay! I'm so excited to be so close...plus then it's FREE! I set my goal there so I will reach it in 2.8 pounds (135 clothed, at the end of the day). SUPER Exciting!

Hi chickies, no time for personals, sorry. And so many of you are doing so well! Woo hoo to you!
I have been, well, maintaining is a good word I guess, alhough that wasn't the plan. I have been OP dietwise, but the exercise has taken a backseat to the Thanksgiving stress, planning, shopping, etc. My DD (Sandye) is halfway across the country, and DDIL ( and DS and grandkids) will not be here this year. Two of my brothers are not married (so no spouse to help), my one married brother's wife just lost her dad, so I would not dream of asking her to bring anything, so I pretty much have to do it all, which I don't mind, I just stress over having everything "perfect." I don't have dual ovens or a five burner cooktop, and my kitchen is "cozy." I feel the need for perfection ( homemade napkin rings anyone?) and realize that no one gives a fig about any of that, but I can't help but stress. That being said, I am happy to annouce that I spent all evening cooking! I made cranberry sauce, stuffing, and sweet potatoes! Tomorrow I will cook and mash potatoes to reheat Thursday, and I will bake pies and brine the turkey. If all goes according to plan, I will heat the sweet potatoes, stuffing, and mashed potatoes while the turkey rests, and cook the veggies, heat the rolls and make gravy and call it dinner! If only I didn't have to work tomorrow, life would be perfect, because I still need to clean the house, do laundry, do last minute shopping, rake leaves, decorate the house, lose 20 pounds, groom the dog, iron, pay the bills, ah heck, you get the idea. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (and give your mom or MIL a hand!).

I was down another partial pound today to sit at 133.8! Yay! I get another smilie on my ticker!! That's all from me for now. Gotta go help dad make pies for the big meal. He had surgery on his hand so he's a little dependent right now...can't even use the can opener. Poor guy!

Good morning girlies!!!

Brrrr!! It's chilly today!

Jess~ thanks hun!!! Man, you sound crazy busy! It's so great you have enough cash to buy yourself a new car!! That's awesome! Hey, could you pretty please give me your etsy name again so I can stalk your store? I know you'll be closing here soon for a bit, but I forgot to fave it. :)

Roxy~ sorry to hear you're still not back to 100%, you're doing the right thing though, not pushing yourself. You'll be back to normal sooner if you just take it easy. Congrats on the too large hoody!! That rocks! And I'm with ya hun, I hope the ol' brain catches up soon! Not that I'd ever become anorexic or anything--I love food way too much for that--but I would like to finally feel like I've made it, ya know? :woohoo: On the whoosh!! That's awesome!

Shari~ :wave: Hi right back at ya hun!! :)

Nella~ heya hun! Listen, that sodium weight will be off in no time, but you're right--you need to get your head back in the game! If getting into your old clothes was your goal then I wouldn't say anything, but I know you set your sights higher than that. So get back to it girlie!!! You know you can do it, I know you can do it, everyone here knows you can do it--so DO IT!!! :D

Tummy~ yeah, Tony makes me smile and he's not too shabby to look at either so that's always a bonus! ;) I think that's what got me through Kenpo this morning in fact (I was beyond tired this morning!). :lol: I'm with ya on the sizes. Size 6 didn't seem too outlandish to me, I mean once upon a time I was able to wear a 5 so a 6 wasn't all that far off. However, a 4?! Now that's weird and foreign territory for me. I'm still convinced that sizes have changed and that the 4s I'm wearing today are equivalent to a size 6 or 8 from when I was a kid--ya know? Oh well, whatever...I guess it's all just part of the journey huh? We'll figure it out. :D Have fun decorating for the holidays! We (I) put the tree up the second dawn breaks the day after Thanksgiving!! :D Well, maybe not that early, but it's up by the end of the day. We decorate it on Saturday night--that way everyone is home to help with it. :)

MsP~ you know I love your psycho babble! ;) I've also read that our brains don't see our new thinner selves as quickly as we're changing. Something about when we look in the mirror, our brains recall what we used to look like because it's what it's used to seeing. It isn't until we've been thin for a while or until we see pictures of ourselves that our brain finally plays catch up. That could be why so many people have those 'Enough is enough' moments when they see a picture of themselves at their biggest--our brains aren't seeing how big we really are, but rather some past us that it remembers. I really need to find that post and post it here because I know I didn't do the information justice! :lol: I hear ya on being cold! Man alive--I'm constantly cold! My hands especially! Brrrr! I'm not complaining though--not one bit. :) Congrats on the loss and have fun making pies today! And don't you worry one bit about getting through this weekend! You'll do fine, and like you said, if you gain, you gain. No biggie--you'll get back on track. Heck, it's not like one weekend of off plan eating is going to derail you!! After all, Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating food and it happens only once a year (or maybe more if you have multiple places to go) so it's special. Just have a great time and you'll be fine! :)

Molly~ Girl it's been too long! Glad to hear you're doing well and congrats on the loss hun! Don't burn yourself out too much and make sure to relax during your mini break from school!!!

Mystical~ awww, your post made me all weepy! I get all uber sentimental at Christmas and you talking about missing your daughter and grand babies made me want to give you a big ol' :hug:. Wait a sec...you're a Grandma?! How did I miss that? You don't look old enough to be a Grandma!! No way, no how!!! You sound like you're doing wonderful! And productive to boot!! I really need to re-organize my cabinets, but it's not happenin' anytime soon! :lol: Hope you have a great week hun!

Jellofer~ aww, I'm sorry you're having such a rough time! How'd you scratch your eye? I hope it heals ASAP!! Don't fret about the numbers on the scale, you're doing great! Once you're 100% you'll be knocking those pounds outta the park in no time!

Mom~ breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...--Wait, you don't need that! You're insanely on top of things this year!!! :woohoo: And if you need to--DELEGATE woman!!! You sound like you've got a great plan but you forgot one thing...enjoy yourself and relax!!! :)


*yawn* Aww man! I am beeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaat!!!!! I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've been staying up late lately. Used to be normal for me to go to bed at 2am, but since I started this journey, I've made it a point to go to be no later than 11:00 (but usually closer to 10-10:30). However, between sewing and just winding down from the usual mayhem, I've been staying up until midnight! And when the girls decide to have a rough night--like last night--it makes for a horrible night sleep! I might have gotten 3 hours of broken sleep last night. So when hubby woke me up I wanted to beat him. I had every intention of staying in bed, but I managed to haul myself up. Imagine how irked I was when the scale greeted me with a .2 lb gain. :mad: So, I headed downstairs for a bit of Kenpo to melt that .2 lbs off. Stupid scale.

Anyway, so that's been my morning. :D I was really hoping to hit 130.something today, but if I can manage it by tomorrow I'll be happy camper. It's just .6 teensy little pounds--I can do it right? Lots of water today, lots of veggies and NO processed anything! (I had frozen veggies AND a cup of soup last night--'healthy' soup, but soup nonetheless so lots of sodium :()

Got another 3 blocks sewn and attached to the first 3 blocks--only 3 more sets of blocks to go and then I can start the sashing! :carrot: I really want to have the sashing done by the end of the month. Wish me luck! Then comes the crazy scary part! I plan on machine quilting them! I've only ever hand tied quilts (the whole 2 other ones I've made--which were baby quilts so uber tiny!) so machine quilting scares the bejimminies outta me! Plus, these are large twin size quilts and I have no idea how to manipulate the quilt so that I can fit it in the machine and, and, and...ACK! I'm freaking myself out!!! :eek:

Okay, breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...

:lol:

Well ladies, not much else to report here. I may or may not have to make a batch of sweet potatoes for tomorrow. I made some for hubby to take to work yesterday and he came home with quite a bit so I may just put what's left into a smaller dish and bring it. Otherwise, it'll end up going to waste and I can't have that. So all that's left for me to do is rolls tomorrow morning. :) Our Saturday Thanksgiving plans have changed--turns out my bil & sil and their girls won't be here--the kids are so bummed! :( But that also means I don't have near as much cleaning as I would have otherwise. I mean, the adults aren't going to be going into the playroom now are they? And we don't need to clear out the basement so the kids can play down there or anything, so I'm kind of happy about that. Whew! That means I can spend that cleaning time on sewing instead! :D

Okay, well, enough :blah: from me! It's time for a shower and then kitchen clean up! Hope everyone has a wonderful day and don't forget to...

Drink Your Water!!!
:D

Today's playgroup day for me so I'm off and running, literally from the moment I get up, but run is done, breakfast, check, child is dressed and fed and lost 1.2lbs, check that off too because I'm down to 144.4 this morning, woohoo. My body likes to make me wait for my 2lb weekly loses, it's pretty consistent but it's some weeks it's same weight for 6 days then lose almost 2 lbs in one day, silly body. I'll try to catch up later but we have more decorating to do so maybe tomorrow am.

Congrats on the loses ladies, that's fantastic and Happy Thanksgiving, is it tomorrow?

Good morning ladies! Thanks for all the support and :rollpin: I WILL be back on my plan on Saturday, and my behind will be at the gym. No excuses!

Sandye - You are a machine! You amaze me every day with the amount of things you get done. I think you should bottle your energy and sell it! That 0.6 will be gone in no time!

Tummy - Goodness! Goal is so close for you!!! Have fun at playdate!!

Ms.P - Yay!!!!!!!!

LTTG - I know the stress of Turkey day! My MIL is a terrible cook, so I am preparing almost all the side dishes and deserts and bringing them with us. So needless to say, I'm pretty cranky this week staying up planning/ preparing stuff. But just think, it'll be all over soon and then it's Christmas and we get to do it all over again! :dizzy:

Mystical - Have fun decorating for Xmas. Blast some holiday tunes and dance while you decorate. Even though your daughter is far away this year, I'm sure you all will have a lovely holiday.

So, that's all I have time for right now. Gotta do some work at work :( If I don't get to check in later Everyone have a GREAT Turkey Day!!!!! :turkey::thanks1::happ3::thanks2:

Gekster - As Ms. P already said. I’d suggest switching over on 12/1. Congrats on the loss!

Nella - I am sorry about the blah and I hope the gym helps take it away. Just remember that the new clothes will be even more fun than the old ones

Tummy - That dang pig flu is a scary thing and no fun at all, do as much as you possibly can to avoid it. Thank you for the encouragement.

Ms. P - You do all the pep talking you need to do. Whatever get you through this time of year, besides your pep talks pep me too, so I like them. Phantom fat huh? I like that name for it. Congrats on the great NSV and on your new smiley.

Miss Mallee - Congrats on your loss and on getting things going again.

Mystical - You cleaned and reorganized all the cabinets in one day, I couldn’t do that, I’d get fed up and have to put off some for another day - good job! I am sorry that you will be missing your daughter, at least we have modern technology and you can maybe have a webcam chat with them or something.

Jellofer - I am sorry you have another health problem, I hope they are all gone soon. Congrats on the new decade!

LTTG - I’m sorry about your lack of assistance. I would be making some of the guys help if I were you. I hope you manage to get enough of it done for you to be happy about it.

Sandye - You know very well that the slight blip with the scale is just because of not sleeping well and sodium. I hope the quilting goes well, I’m sure they are going to be gorgeous.


I’m down again today to 186.6, 1.6 left to go for my November goal. I think I can! I think I can! Lots of Thanksgiving prep to do today and I’m also working on a major house cleaning. I’m not sure where I got the idea that it was a good plan to clean the house like this during Thanksgiving, but I’m getting tons done. I wish everyone good luck with staying whatever level of on plan you have chosen for yourselves tomorrow.

:thanks1::turkey::thanks2::happ3:

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving ladies!!!

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to post this, but I'll give it a go (I keep getting a 'server is too busy' message)!

Tummy~ love your checklist! :lol: Congrats on the loss hun! Hope you had a great day yesterday! :)

Nella~ ahhh, if only I were the machine you think I am! :lol: While I've been sewing, the house has been getting messier and messier...well, sort of--it's not horrible or anything, but I certainly have some cleaning to do before Saturday! ;) Speaking of Saturday--I'll be looking for your Back on Plan post that day!! We're going to hold you to it girlie so don't even think about slackin'!!!! :rollpin: :D

Roxy~ :lol: you must have gotten the cleaning idea from the same place I got the quilting idea! Crazy women we are huh? ;) Congrats on the loss!! Woo hoo! 1.6 lbs is easy peasy girlie, you can do it!!!

Well, here we are...it's the Big Food Day!!! Are we all ready? Just take it easy today and don't go bonkers on the food and we'll come out okay! I know I've said that all bets are off today as it is a holiday devoted strictly to food and all, but...I will be exercising as much self control as I can. Still going to eat my non-diet sweet potatoes, still going to indulge in some pie, but I'm not going to go bananas. Why? Well, 1. it would be wrong and 2. I hit 130.8 today!!! I'm tickled! I got my 130.something! :carrot:

So, I won't let that 130.8 get buried under Holiday weight! No way! I'll give myself a pound at most to gain today, but truthfully, I'd love to maintain this number! Wish me luck! ;)

In quilt news...

Both quilt tops are now finished being put together. One has the side borders on already too! Just need to finish up the borders and then I can assemble my quilt sandwich and start pin basting them! I'm not stressing about the machine quilting anymore--since these are far from perfect, I doubt that having less than perfect quilting is going to wreck them in anyway. Plus, I'm giving them to 3 year olds--like they're going to even care right? So, I'm now looking forward to trying the quilting! :) Still kind of wondering how I'm going to keep the whole quilt on the table in get through the machine, but I'm sure I'll figure it out--people do it all the time right? Right!

Okay, well, I need to get going. I have rolls to make! Hope everyone has a wonderful day and don't forget to...

Drink Your Water!!!!
:D

Yup, I keep getting that server busy whatnot as well. So I'll hope...

Sandye - I do like my to do lists, lol ;) Great playgroup, always nice talking to grown ups! Way to go finishing your quilts, almost and not even December! You're a holiday role model for the rest of us. And omg 130's that's awesome and goal number 2!:carrot: I'd say that probably came at a good time to make sure you mind you peas and carrots today, haha, I'm funny sometimes.

FGG - I hope your turkey plans work out and I find that too, we just like to take on ten thousand projects at once, just to see what we can do! Enjoy your family time.

Nella - You're right, it's right around the corner, I've never made it to a weight goal before so I'm pretty excited! I'm also really excited to concentrate on some fitness goals without worrying about having to balance my food intake with my exercise so much, I can just eat what I burn and be done with it, I'm looking forward to figuring that out. Have a marvelous thanksgiving and Saturday it is ;)

Well delightfully, I'm down another 0.8lb today, it's my recovery week weight slide when my body is not using every spare calorie to fuel exercise, it can let some go. So now at 143.6, only 3.6 left, but I made November goal so that's awesome all on it's own.

Hope everyone enjoys some wonderful and peaceful time with their friends and family and we'll catch up tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all you !!!.. I have not lost anything this week at all Grrrr.. It just drives me crazy but I will keep on doing what I am doing I will eventually get there right. Oh yeah I do have a question for all of you. If I haven't been getting enough water in will that slow down my weight loss? I have been so busy lately I keep forgetting to drink.

iDream Yes I am a mother of 3 plus a step son and I am a grandmother of 2 beautiful grandsons they are 2 1/2 and 7 mos. I just turned 40this year my daughter made me a young grandmother LOL

I am so excited about our Christmas this year in our new house things are going very well.. Thanks for all the great vibes.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day with friends and family my oldest son will be in a Christams parade this weekend can't wait to see him in it.

I'll check in later :)

Howdy Everyone!

Sorry I've been MIA but we've been busy. I'm having a bit of a sleepless night here so i'm up at 3am and typing a quick message to you girls to share a huge NSV I had today. While at my dad's house we were playing around with a pulse oximeter they had lying around (looong story there) and so we were comparing heart rates... My resting heart rate was 59-62 beats per minute! Everyone else was 88 or better and I so remember when my resting heart rate would be embarrassingly close to 100 bpm... so I just had a huge moment when everyone looked at me and said "woah, go you!" Hooray!

I hope everyone in the states had a Happy Thanksgiving and everyone else just had a fantastic day. I'm going to go log some time on the treadmill since my restless legs don't seem to want me to sleep... I'll tire these suckers out one way or the other!

Good morning ladies!!!

Tummy~ You are just so, so, so close to your goal! Isn't it an awesome feeling? I can tell ya, it'll take some time to wrap your head around it when you get there too! You'll be there in no time flat!!! You've done such an amazing job hun! So, are you going to revamp your goal and switch to fitness stuff then? I'm excited to hear all about your new goals and watch (and learn) from you when you start the maintenance part!

Mystical~ still can't believe you're a Grandma! Young one or not--you don't look 40!!! You sound amazing btw! It wasn't too long ago that you sounded down right gloomy and hopeless about your weight loss. What a difference now! You sound upbeat, chipper, optimistic--I love it!! :) As for the water--hun, you know what I'm going to say! ;) LOL I don't know the specifics, but drinking your water does help you lose weight. So not drinking it could definitely stall out your loss, at least it makes sense to me that it would. Do try to get that water in hun--you need it!

SG~ Ahhh, restless legs--I hate it when I get that!!! Haven't had it in a while (but watch, now that I've typed that I'll get it!) but when I do it drives me nutso!!! Congrats on the awesome NSV!!! That's fantastic!! Now I want to know what mine is! :lol: Hope you managed to tire out those legs hun and that you got some more rest!

Well ladies, I did the impossible (well, to me anyway)!!! I maintained the 130.8!!!!! :carrot: Woo hoo! I kept my portions small and didn't go back for more even though I really wanted to ;). I indulged in 2 good sized pieces of pie (pumpkin and some rockin' pecan with cool whip! Mmmmm!!) and then called it quits. It really helped that 'dinner' was at 1:30 so I didn't eat anything else until 8pm (apples and Kashi) and then I went to bed at 9:00--I was sooooooo tired!!

So I'm stoked! I didn't blow it!! I have one more Thanksgiving to go and then I'll be in the clear until the week before Christmas. That'll be tough--my dad & step mom will be here for a week and I've got all my holiday baking and stuff on top of holiday celebrations and general guest induced goodies and such. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. :D

On today's agenda--cleaning, sewing, workout and thawing. :lol: I need to get the house spic and span, get the quilt tops completely finished and thaw 2 turkeys so that they'll be ready for Saturday. Oh, and shopping!! I'm hitting some Black Friday sales online ;) Old Navy has their jeans on sale for $15!!! Can't beat that with a stick!

Well, I hear one of the girls rustling around--time to get going. Hope everyone has a fantastic day!!! And don't forget to...

Drink Your Water!!! (*ahem--Mystical, I'm talkin' to YOU!!!*;))
:D

Holy smokes, Batman! I just realized that I am halfway to goal! Just thought I'd share ;)

I hope everyone (in US) had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and everyone else had a nice Thursday too!

I managed to gain just .4 yesterday, so no regrets. I had one small piece of pie. I've come down with a nasty cough, and I'm all puffy, so that weight gain may just be water. I haven't exercised in over a week :fr:, what with the T'giving prep and feeling bad. I am going to attempt ST today, but no cardio.

My two youngest DDs did some sisterly bonding (they are seven years apart and as different as night and day) last night and hit the outlet mall at 11:00 pm. I am not venturing out (I don't care for crowds :no:), but will start my shopping via Amazon. I hope you all have a great weekend, and put down the pie!:rollpin:

Morning Ladies,

It's awfully quiet, kind of like a turkey coma or something. Anyway's hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving and I enjoyed watching that parade with the dd too, it is quite the spectical my goodness.

Mystical - Water consumption can totally slow you down, all that extra stuff that's burning off has to get out somehow, and sweat and all the metabolic functions and bathroom stuff are all fueled with water. It's like a fire without oxygen so drink up and 10 glasses a day is recommended for weight loss and active ppl.

SG - That is incredible, it funny too how some ppl think they are super fit and then you show them how it's done. I've been tracking mine since July as one of my monthly checks and I find it incredibly motivating, just think of all those extra heart beats we'll have that we won't before!

Sandye - Goal is such a crazy thing, I'm going to pick up a super scale on Monday in the city that does fat %, water % and some other fun stuff so that I can hopefully get a better read on things. If not 100% accurate at least I can see some trends over time. I just hate new scales, there's always the chance they will weight you higher, lol. Oh well that's why I waited so long to get one. I'm thinking there's somewhere around 7-10lbs of fat that I'd like to take off but I don't necessarily want nor need to get to 130lbs either. I'm going to aim for 21-24% BF and we'll see where that lands me weight wise and I'm not terribly opposed to building a bit more muscle but not too much or it will hamper my endurance efforts. I'm hoping for a daily caloric limit of about 2000 in the beginning but with the HRM I'll be able to alter that to ensure I'm eating up to my training levels. Starting on Monday, with my p90x being all done, yeah, I'm going to lower the STing to 2x a week, maintaining the weights/reps I've been doing to maintain and concentrate on steady state cardio to pull the last of this fat off. So blah blah blah, lol. That's the plan today, but it is subject to change without notice. And congrats on maintaining through one holiday. With that under your belt I bet it feels so nice and more empowering to take on the next one on Saturday. I'm proud of you :hug:

LTTG - Congrats to you as well, it's so nice to survive a holiday and not have to wish you had it back to do over. And half way to goal, my goodness, that's fantastic and must feel a whole lot better than previous months, kudos to you!

I need to go jump on my bike, dh didn't get home from work until 7am this morning so my run time wasn't available but that's how it goes some days so I'll swap for the bike today. Speaking of that I better get going if I plan to get that in before lunch.

Down another 0.6lbs today to hit 143 on the nose, holy crap that 80lbs, I just realized that typing it, lol. Sometimes those things escape me.

I had a marvelous NSV the other day and one I didn't realize was going to be so meaningful, it kind of snuck up on me. Every year we take our own family picture in front of the tree for family and us, just a cute little shot with a timer, nothing fancy. But once we'd finally got a good one and I was putting it on the computer, I realized that this is the first year I'm the same size, ie "normal" as my dh, I don't look like this huge bloated version of myself, that I always secretly thought people had no idea why he was with me. He had always dated thin, athletic girls before me and I wasn't his "type," chubby, geeky and bookish. What dh thought of me never bothered me because, well, we live together and love each other and all that jazz but I always hated how it "looked" as superficial as that is. So this year, we're all happy and healthy for the very first time and it shows in the pictures, even though a 3 year old can not sit still to save her life.

Alrighty, have a great day ladies!

Turkey day went well, now if I can control myself with the leftovers. Still have 2 lbs to go for my November goal, I'll try to get some walks in the next 3 days.

Good afternoon girls! Just thought I'd check in and give a progress report since it keeps me accountable and such. ;)

Mom~ I'm all done with my workout if you need to call and chat about Christmas stuff now. :) Still can't believe K & K bonded! Whoa! And congrats on being half way to goal! Slow and steady wins the race right? Right! I'm so very proud of you for doing so well!! And congrats on the teensy gain--it could have been a lot worse and it sounds like you handled Thanksgiving perfectly! :)

Tummy~ Turkey coma :lol: None here! I'm just going to come out and say it--as for the turkey...I can leave it. Not a huge fan of it. However, in recent years I've become quite a fan of sweet potato casserole--now that stuff is the bomb! And dangerous!! So I'm avoiding the fridge like the plague. ;) I was wondering what you'd be doing once you wrapped up the P90X--you're going to have to share your workout routine with us so I can figure out what I'm going to do. Only one month left! It's been fun and I'm super glad I got it! Congrats on the loss--inches! You've got nothing but inches to go hun! You can just about touch that red tape if you stretch far enough!! And 80 lbs!!! :woohoo: on the panties hun!!! Just so insanely amazing! Lastly, congrats on the pic too! My hubby's overweight and 6'2" so I never looked bigger than him per se, but I always felt gianormous so this year it was a treat to see our pics and not cringe looking at myself!

Krista~ good luck with those 2 lbs!! We're here cheering you on! :cheer: Stay away from the fridge and when you do partake of left overs--mind your portions!!!!! ;)

Okay, well, here's my progress report:

Kitchen is mostly clean--just need to clean the sink (can't right now since there's turkeys in there) and mop the floor. I'll mop tonight or tomorrow morning so that it doesn't have a chance to get trashed again before guests arrive. Downstairs bathroom is clean too as well as the living room.

No sewing yet as I've been busy cleaning all morning.

Got my workout in and just ate my lunch so that's out of the way. Just need to clean the dining room--or at least organize all the crafting/Christmas mayhem better so that it's not an eyesore.

Well, in leau of a snack, I think I'll have a second cup of coffee and some homemade gingerbread biscotti! Mmmmm!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!!! I'm off to refuel with some caffeine (the girls have been killin' me lately at night!) and perhaps work on the quilts a little. I really want these bad boys finished and on their beds ASAP!!!

Okay, really going now. Have a great afternoon all!!!

Sadly I am back up to 279.4, but that is much better than it was day after Thanksgiving. It was up around 5lbs! I think it is a lot of water retention due to salt and carbs from the dinner. I didn't feel like I over ate so it is nice to see it falling back off. In other news, I am getting a Body Bugg! Costco is having an awesome sale on them so my boyfriend ordered one for me. I cannot wait for it to get here. I think having a much better idea of how many calories I am using will allow me to see how much I should be eating and feel more comfortable with more calories in.

Ok ladies I had my weigh in this morning and there is no change at all, I am going to make sure I get all my water in this week and see how that will effect the weight loss I really do believe that just might be my problem thanks for all the support. I have made a spreadsheet to put on my fridge so I can mark every time I get a glass of water so I can make sure I am getting it all in every day. My goal is 10 glasses a day. Wish me luck :)

Afternoon Ladies,

Krista - I hear ya on those leftovers, I have a horrible nibbling disorder, lol. It seems we prepare so much for the event, soemtimes it's the aftermath that can sneak up on you. Hang in there and enjoy those walks!

Sandye - Oh sweet potatoes, I eat one almost everyday, lol, they are the second love of my life I must admit, but they are baked and plain with nothing on them, in fact I'm eating one right now, casserole sounds scary! I'm going to stick with two days of STing with the P90 videos and on those days do the abs as well and then the other days for cardio I'm going to be working through a triathlon training program w/o the swimming, so sort of a duathlon but I liked this program better so I picked it. It will also help cut down on the outside time a bit since it does get down to -40F with the windchill and running in -22F or below seems not to be a great idea, lol. Wow, dh is big, my goodness! I say it's always nice to look at a picture and see the whole picture and not just what you hate in it, so I count that as a success. So how many ppl are you hosting today? good thing you're so small now, all that work would have been doubly as exhausting before, have fun!

Gekster - Gosh, that must have been a shock, definitely hidden salt, lol, that would have been a bit scary but glad it's coming off as it should. Woohoo on that body bugg, that will definitely makes things easier for sure, congrats!

Mystical - Are you tracking your approximate deficit at all? We'll all help you figure it out, keep on keeping on.

Just a delightfully boring day around here, we went to the Santa parade yesterday and we were up pretty late around here so a bit tuckered out but a great day otherwise. Need to get some menu planning done before our trip to the city on Monday. Dh will be gone for a week long training course next week, so it'll be just us girls home, woohoo, parties everyday, lol. It will be rather easy planning a menu without the meat eater in the house I dare say :devil: But it does mean that whatever I want cheap I better know before we go. Also, that pesky workout routine is still waiting to be finished.

And on the incredible shrinking body front, down another 1.0lbs today to 142.0, only 2 big ones left, now that's a party!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Ugh...didn't make it through the 2nd Thanksgiving well at all...too much food, way too much pie...ugh...

Thankfully it's all put away now and I have zero desire to eat another bite. Unfortunately the sweet potatoes came out even better today--and I had two rather hefty portions of them.

Sigh...

Oh well, not going to beat myself up over it. I'm just going to focus on the positive. I've gotten all my water in and made sure to work out this morning. :) Nothing at all on the agenda for the rest of tonight or tomorrow, so I'll be finishing up the quilt tops (ran into a snag last night and to undo some of my work--then I had to bake so I haven't worked on it at all for a couple of days now) and hopefully I'll start quilting them soon too! :)

Okay, well, best get to it.

Tummy~ congrats on the loss hun!
Gekster~ congrats on the upcoming body bugg and don't sweat that little gain, it'll be gone in no time.
Mystical~ good idea on the spreadsheet!!! Hope it helps you get that water in!

Okay, going to head to the living room and start pinning! Hope everyone has a great night!!! :)

Morning!
So quiet, my goodness. Well hi Sandye :wave:I guess we'll be hard core then. I hope you're feeling alright this morning and the rings aren't all tight and such. Two is hard, so hats off to you on the first and next time well you'll know the second one is harder, lol, and life goes on. You're just so brave with Christmas baking, I'm not sure how much I could handle that in a severe quantity. I'm ok, with one batch of something but when we start getting into multiples, I get sketchy, kind of like Thansgiving, lol. HOw did the re-quilting go?

Another day of not being able to run, it's making me batty, that's three days this week that dh hasn't been home from his shift when I'm getting up to go :( and I miss my time. I'm going to try and sneak one in today sometime since he's off b/c he's gone all next week and there's going to be no chance at all.

Otherwise, same old same old around here, finally finished my December exercise schedule and some of January, we're leaving the first week of January to head to Manitoba and Ontario to visit family and friends again so that will need to be a recovery week. Had to fiddle with everything a little bit to work around that week but got it done. Today's the menu, which never got done yesterday and I need to research sprouting things. It's my next adventure in nutrition.

Down another 0.6lbs today, yup, it's alot now, I must hold some fierce amount of water in my muscles b/c these recovery weeks I've been dropping 5-6lbs each time. Oh well, I'm taking it, 141.4lbs is a nice place, only 1.4 to go, honestly, that's frickin brilliant.

TTFN ladies.

Tummy - I'm here...with my tail between my legs.

I've had a not so good month food wise.

I've gained 5lbs since November 1, and I'm worried that if I don't start showing up here more often & sticking 100% to my food plan - I'll re-gain everything I've lost (since May) by Christmas Day.
Believe me - that's one present I don't want to open! :D

My plan for today is to make up a "food diary", plan my food menu for this week, take a couple of pictures, haul my butt over to the "December" challenge & get outside and get some exercise.
***Looks like there's not a December challenge yet. Bet that's change by tomorrow***

It's good to be back. :)

Well, after one week of not being able to exercise post surgery I've put on 7 lbs! Though, I suspect most of it is water... darn Thanksgiving carbs!

It's time to buckle down. The holidays are so challenging!!

Hey Hey Chickies!


Well, after too many Thanksgivings in the past 3 days I'm pleased to say I've managed to maintain within .3 of what I weighed beforehand, which means I'm still at 191 and have still made my goal for November.
I really wasn't prepared for how I'd feel... all the old ways of eating came back to try to haunt me... you know, munching something just because it's there. I really had to make a conscious effort the entire time and boy was it hard! I still technically fell off the wagon I'd wanted to be on, but managed to still keep fairly under control. Not so bad... especially when you consider Curves has been closed since Thursday and I've been without one of my two major forms of exercise.

Looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow so I can get back to a normal eating schedule. I hope you're all doing well! See you in December thread!

Nothing good to report--had a completely off plan day today--but I decided on it yesterday so it wasn't like I started off the day good and then fell off the wagon.

I'm beginning to think that TOM is on his way because I've just had some crazy cravings!!! It's totally not like me to crave stuff pre-TOM or during TOM so I dunno what's going on!

Anyway, so yeah, I won't be making my Nov. goal unless I shed 10 lbs by tomorrow (I'm hoping I'm not up that much tomorrow, but you never know with me--I retain like an insane camel!! :lol:), but honestly--I'm not even the least bit angry or stressed about it. My whole reason for wanting to get to 130 is so that I can give myself a 5 lb maintenance buffer between 130-135. Frankly, for the first time in a long time--the numbers on the scale don't seem to matter much to me. So long as my clothes stay nice and comfy and I continue to eat right (this weekend aside ;)) and exercise--it's all good! Wow! What a weird place to be!!! :lol:

Got both of the quilt tops finished! :carrot: One is basted now and once the girls go to bed I'm basting the other one. Not sure when I'll start quilting them--I'm still a tad nervous. I want to practice on some scraps first.

So, I'm super stoked that I got the tops done by the end of Nov. like I wanted to! I'm super impatient so I'll probably be quilting in the next day or two--I hate to wait for anything and I have a TON of other sewing projects I want to start!!! I even want to try to sew something for me! I never, ever, ever do that! But I found a pattern for a "5 Minute Skirt" and heck, that sounds easy enough right? ;)

Okay, well, I'm going to get going. I need to the last quilt top and the bottom layer and start setting stuff up so I can get my basting groove on in a few! :) Hope everyone has a fantastic night!!

Hi everyone, I have been MIA again this week and haven't caught up on all the posts yet. Well I lost 1.4lbs this week but only about 3. something this month...no where near goal for November. I hope December is better. I have high hopes. Hope you all have a great night.

Hey ladies!

So, I'm not at 205, but I am about 5 pounds away. :)
Well, 4.9...but who's that specific? ;)
I'm doing good in school, but I'm too exhausted to go into more details. I will perhaps on the next month's thread?

<3 We Can Do It Ladies.

I didn't meet my goal this month, but now that school is back from a break I will get the gym again regularly. And still waiting on the Body Bugg. Nothing really to report, just popping in to say hello :)

Hello all hope you had a great weekend, my son was in a Christmas parade we had a great time but it was so cold. I don't know what came over me with the Christmas parade and all I went on a baking spree (made cookies all weekend) I ate a few to many but when I had my weigh in I was only up .4 lbs so I guess that am very fortunate on that one. Back to the schedule and I will be great.

Tummy How do you figure out your deficit? I am a little confused on that one.

Gotta run for now hope you all have a wonderful day!

Okay, I caught up on posts from the weekend. I was gone from Thursday until last night. Here's the skinny (pun intended) on how I did...
Thanksgiving #1: Excellent. One plate, one dessert, reasonable to small portions.
Friday in my hometown: Very Good. Ate out, but made good choices and/or watched portions. Did NOT stuff myself.
Thanksgiving #2: Very Good. One plate and one dessert per meal, almost no snacking at all.
Sunday trip home: Started very well (Subway 6" and water), then complete disaster (Buffet..AGH!!!!)!

I ALMOST made it through the weekend very pleased with my choices and portion control. I freaked out at the buffet (aka: ate what I used to eat, maybe less, sadly) and knew I was doing it, but it's done now and the discomfort I felt last night was punishment enough to remind me why I don't eat like that! LOL I didn't weigh myself this morning because I was VERY bloated (rings were WAY tight) and thought it would only serve to bring up negative feelings. I feel great this morning now that I've gotten my workout and a healthy breakfast in. THIS is living! Yay...another lesson learned. Seriously though, I am so glad I did well all weekend with the exception of last night. It was 3+ days FULL of temptations that I handled reasonably well. Go me! It really made me feel confident in my long term success, which I do worry about a little on rare occassions. So that's what I'm focusing on rather that the stupidity of one meal.
I'm so glad to be back with you all now. I have to get my December goals figured out today. OMG, it's tomorrow!! Where has the time gone?! Are you doing the thread Tummy? No sign of FSA since the first of Nov., so we should get this baby up and rolling for December!

Didn't quite make my goal this month, 3lbs away. But I'm still happy with the 7 lost!
Maybe december will be better *fingers crossed*

I'm gonna go ahead and start the December thread. Hope no one minds, but I just realized Tummy said she'd be gone today, I think. So, see ya'll over there!

Bad news...

I weighed in the this morning and I'm up 2 from my lowest November point...so 196 for ending weight...6 lbs off my goal.

Oh well...most Americans gain 10 over the holidays right? And I'm still down 2 overall for Nov.

Jen

Good morning ladies!

I meant to post this last night, but got caught up in Cyber Monday shopping! I'm happy to report I met my goals for November :) I had my WW meeting and weigh in on Sat. and I lost another 1.6 pds. For a total of 9 lbs for the month :carrot:
November challenge:
1. Lose 6 pounds
2. Learn 3 new healthy recipes
3. Add 1/2 mile to my walks
I also made some new recipes and added more to my walks ;) Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support :D

Huggies,
Giv

SW: 226.2 GW 218 CW:227

I lost some weight and regained some weight. I was hoping to show a loss at end of month. But still need to work on staying on plan, exercising more,
and drinking my water. Don't do well on Holidays or when out of town. Areas I need to plan for better. But normally I would have gained more this month and next month.

Well girls, I hope to see you all over in the December thread. Let's give this holiday time another go. We can make some changes and make this the Christmas of good health and happiness!

Good morning, chickies. Well, I didn't make goal once again :no:, but did manage to lose 5.2 for the month :carrot: I'll take it! Congrats to you losers! :congrat: :dust: to everyone else.

Well another month over and down some but didn't make goal. Here is to a new month starting.

7 out of 8 pounds. Didn't make my goal but since I was sick and on vacation most of the month I don't think I did too bad.

I totally forgot about this challenge!!! I lost 7 of the 8 pounds I was working towards. Not to bad considering Thanksgiving :d