July Feathers' Chat
 

Hey guys!

Can't believe it's July already! That means it's less than six months until Christmas and the days have started getting shorter again, boo! However, there's still plenty of summer time left, so let's make the most of it :)

I had a terrible weekend with a sinus infection and plenty of bad food. Miraculously I seem to have got away with only a 1lb gain (thought it'd be more like 6lbs!) so I'm feeling okay with that. Back on plan today and feeling much better- going off really makes me feel yucky :(

How are all you beautiful chicks doing this month?



ETA: I guess it's not summer for everyone, in which case, woo your summer is on the way!

Hello ladies! Hard to believe it's July already, wow!

Well I decided to start the month off well (there's always a nice psychological boost as thinking of this month as a "fresh start") – I am eating on plan today AND I managed to try out the new Jillian Michael’s kickboxing DVD. I know it’s been like a month off since I’ve exercised so I didn’t think I was *that* out of shape… well 10 minutes in, I seriously thought I was going to pass out, I was dizzy and everything. I had to stop the DVD 2 times to just do a few laps around and get my heart rate down. I don’t know if it’s because she does a lot of quick on the floor & pop back up moves and I’ve always found the switch really difficult, even in my previous kickboxing classes… or I’m truly really out of shape. Either way, afterwards I felt accomplished even though it was only 20 minutes… so perhaps the motivation will continue.

Tomorrow is weigh in day – hoping for about a 2 lb loss, basing it upon my daily weigh-ins this past week, BUT I did kind of "carb overload" yesterday and went WAY over my points (but not weekly allowance) and I was up a bit today. We'll see if I go back down. I have a “going away” type potluck gathering in the evening, so I’m making a yummy tea cake, but I will not be eating any, LOL.

Hope July has begun well for you all!

Leaves: Sorry about your sinus infection. I hope you are feeling much better now.

Chahma: Good for you getting in a great start to July. Scary that you got dizzy with the JM DVD. I bet by the end of the month you will kick butt with the DVD.

I really can not believe it's July already. My son turns 15 next month. Can not believe it, coming up way too fast. My month started out well with a weight loss, 153.6 to 152.4, but also started with my dad having a stroke yesterday evening. We are blessed that it did not affect his brain. I had to give myself a talking to and came to the conclusion that I can not control what is happening to him or what will happen but that I am in control of myself. I am going to remain pushing myself with exercise and eating healthy. I can see the 140s getting very close and so ready to dive in...then ready to see them go bye bye just as fast as the 150s (I hope).

Here's to all of us having a really good July!

Shortest day of the year already gone past here and spring is on it's way!! Actually I love winter here as it's normally sunny and temps in 70's.

Right. July is the month where I need to get into the 120's and that's my aim. The major spanner on the horizon for this one is 2 weeks holiday in UK starting on Sunday. My plan is to have 3 alcohol days when I'm there.... one the first Wednesday when it's my Dad's birthday, the second on Friday when we're staying at some friends house, the third whenever I want it!

The major discipline with this will be on the journey there and back since we're flying first class and normally I'd have a couple of champagnes in the lounge, some wine with my meals etc, especially when celebrating the start of a holiday, but my diet is more important on this occasion so I just need to remember that, and make sure the decision is made in advance so that I'm not tempting myself with making decisions on the fly ( bad pun ).

Anyway I'm going ok just now but feeling like I could do with a carb fix, which is bad. We're off out to a fancy 'celebrity chef' restaurant tomorrow so I've allowed myself a couple of drinks then too, having had only 2 beers in the last three weeks. Getting my hair done tomorrow afternoon, and bought a dress on Saturday - pretty unusual for me as I spend all my time in jeans or gym gear normally, and mining gear with steel toed boots for work!

aspen - sorry to hear about your father! I hope he has a full recovery. And that is a great conclusion, you are only in control of yourself, so true!

ange - sounds like a wonderful trip and some good motivation :) also, good to have a plan in place.

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Well today I'm up even more! My official weigh in is 157.8 (+.2 from yesterday and +.8 overall). I think my body is holding on to some extra water because my muscles are a bit sore from beginning the workout yesterday. Otherwise, I have been eating on plan, so really I shouldn't be gaining in theory. We'll see what happens the next few days.

Tonight is my going away potluck, so I really need to control myself. I'll have a few bites here and there, but I don't want to blow my week's points on the first day!

Hi everyone,

Been eating a LOT lately so no wonder I'm a couple lbs heavier than ideal. Exercise has taken a bit of a reduction too since I can't run outside due to rain/oppressive humidity and I can't bring myself to log more than 2.5 miles on a treadmill. :\ I've gotten some hiking in, weightlifting is going well, overall not bad all things considered.

Also TOM came!!!! My roomie and I both PMSed hard for like 2 weeks. We are tying up loose ends before we move (to the downstairs apt in the same building) at the end of this month. Lots going on, I just booked a trip to Chattanooga TN with Delta miles (cost me $7.50!) and will soon be reserving campsites in Cape Cod and hopefully Maine. Seeing an old friend from college this weekend too.

chahma Good luck with the move and the potluck. Weight spike is almost certainly bloat from water retention!

ange82much I gotta say I envy all the moving around you are doing - have fun at celebrity chef dinner, getting dressed up and the like! I never get my hair done professionally or anything, so it's always a treat.

aspen13 Sending good thoughts to your dad for a quick recovery. Sorry to hear of his stroke.

Leaves UGH sinus infection, get well soon! Being sick for me is either (A) EAT EVERYTHING TO FEEL BETTER or (B) eat nothing and regain it all as soon as I'm well again, hah.

chahma- boo at the water weight. Hope you see a loss soon, and good luck with the potluck, those things can be deadly for diets!

aspen- I'm sorry to hear about your dad, I hope he makes a full recovery. Hope you see the 140s soon!

ange- ooh, where are you going in the UK? Celebrity restaurant and first class flights too, wow! Lucky girl :)

krampus- haha, yeah I know what you mean. I was super hungry this time round and ate so much, but it seems to have come off again very quickly thank goodness!

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Thanks for all the get well wishes guys, I'm feeling much better now. I started doing the 30DS after all the hype I've heard about it, but I guess I must be fitter than I thought as I actually found the level 1 routine pretty easy! I am having some shoulder issues though which is making the pushups bit really difficult and not really safe for me to do. Not sure what I could substitute with though, anyone have any shoulder friendly ideas? I might just jog on the spot or something!

Thank you all! My dad is doing a lot better. The doctors and nurses are very impressed. He was even able to take a couple walks yesterday, one without a walker. He's not going to be happy if he needs to use a walker. He is 84 though and is in great shape for a man his age. The doctors think he will be able to go right back to the things he was doing. My mom, amazingly, has been holding up very well. She is scared though and told me that he can not die before her because she can not take care of herself. I keep reassuring her and letting her know that my son (14) and I are here for them. I forced them to move in with us about a year-in-a-half ago. They were not happy but I felt it was a must. I am so glad I did.

I weighed in at 151.8 this morning! :cb: I think I just might get into the 140s by next week. I can see lots of changes in my arms and shoulders this week. It's funny seeing what part of the body will lose when. Of course my hips, thighs, butt, and gut are being very stubborn. I can see lots of change in them but not as much change as the rest of my body. Well I got news for them. It's happening.

Have a great day, everyone!

Happy Independence day for Americans here. Otherwise, happy Thursday!

Well, I'm chugging along, but I have not been super good on plan the last few days at all, and today is a holiday, so I don't expect to be highly on plan. Tomorrow is my fresh start and I am planning to be as much on plan as possible for the whole month of July.

@aspen - glad your dad is doing better! Go you on the good weigh-in!

@Krampus - ugh, long PMS = no fun at all! You've been having some great weigh-ins, what is your exercise routine right now?

@chahma - sounds like things are getting super exciting for you! I'm so happy for you that all the visa stuff has worked out and that the contract thing is going to be able to be resolved in a non-drama way! Ugh, potlucks are SO HARD.

@ange - good luck getting to the 120s!!!! I need to get back in the 130s right now, UGH, I haven't been there for a year and a half now and it's scary! After today (a holiday), I'm buckling down big time. I have to. I haven't lost ANY weight this summer, and that's because I've just been enjoying summer too much!

@Leaves - hope you're feeling a lot better now!

Good evening feathers,

Just a quick check-in. Hope all is well with everyone! I'm doing just fine. I've been on track for a couple of days now, trying to get in 30 min of cardio every day plus weight training every other day. I'm doing this 20-day-challenge that is really helping me to stay committed.

Personals later!

@krampus I love reading your posts because you always have something exciting going on, that is great!

@leaves How are you liking 30DS so far? I thought that some of the workouts in her Shed & Shred video were pretty easy too, so I went to the next level. I’m not sure about any shoulder exercises, sorry!

@aspen Glad to hear your father is doing better. I hope you make it into the 140s by next week too. From your daily weigh in, I think you can do it!

@oleh how is your fresh start going so far? are you hanging in there?

@Hoopty sounds like you have a good focus. What is the 20 day challenge you’re doing?

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Where are you feathers??? July must be a busy month for everyone. Maybe you’re all out enjoying the beautiful weather! Usually we would be in like the 3rd page of chat by now, haha!

Not too much happening on my side. I’ve been sticking to my eating plan and trying to get in some exercise at the same time. This week my body has been stubborn bouncing around in the 157s and then suddenly today I had a drop to 155.8, so I really hope that is not a fluke and it stays around there. I've been feeling a bit hungry at night, so I've decided to re-arrange my points, and eat equal amounts at breakfast, lunch, dinner, then use my "free" points (fruits/veggies) as snacks in between. Also, I found that drinking a tea a few hours after dinner when I get the urge to snack has helped too. By curiosity, I put in my food on myfitnesspal and I manage about 1200-1400 a day, so I'm in the right range for calories.

I also took my measurements, which I haven’t done since like last year. I compared them to my measurements when I was most fit and really liked my body (about 5 years ago) and I am only about 1-2 inches off in most spots, so that makes me happy. Actually, I remember at that time I weighed around 155-160, wore a size 6, but I’ve never made it to 145 - it just goes to show that muscle weighs more than fat. I really don’t want to weigh 145 and have bigger measurements. I don’t want to end up being skinny fat (as I call it)! I know working out is the key- so I have been trying to include that. Once I get moved and settled in after these next few weeks, I am going to start my full on exercise routine.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend feathers!

Hi, Feathers!

Sorry I've been MIA, but life is SOoooo busy right now. I'm still taking this horrendous 4-hour class every morning that is sucking my day (and summer) away, my ex is still here visiting and so I'm doing a lot of stuff with him, and I'm just trying to catch up on various appointments, social stuff, etc.

So the holidays didn't do my weight any good, and it bumped right back up to the 150 realm, but I'm on it. I WILL be at 140 by the end of the summer.

What I really need is good advice from people who have lost a significant amount of weight on workouts. Running? I can do that, but it's so hot right now I don't really feel like it, even indoors. I've been going on long walks. I think I need to know -- what is it that helped mold your body as you lost? Hardcore lifting? something like Pilates? I'm being COMPLETELY indecisive when it comes to trying to plan my workout part of this! This week I'm focusing more on just getting my diet together. I'm basically doing Paleo at this point, not just for reasons of weight loss but because grains/wheat/dairy REALLY can cause me stomach pain at night. When I eat mostly meat/eggs/vegetables/fruit/nuts with a treat of one square dark chocolate and a glass of wine, my stomach feels just fine over night and I lose weight. So here's to Day 2 of being pretty strict with it.

@chahma - that's good news iwth the measurements! I feel like my measurements have basically stayed the same for the last 10 pounds upward D: (which I don't understand since I know it's not muscle development that caused my weight gain)

@Hoopty - glad you have found a great challenge!

yah, where IS everyone?

I'm here!

119.2 this AM. What. The. Heck. I forgot to eat dinner on Wednesday last week and had a light day yesterday because I went to the dentist and got a filling but that's it really. Been "going" a lot more too for some reason.

Very busy socially, overextended even. Same as usual for summer. Lots of swimsuit time! My 4th was awesome - went to a friend's farm and shot 20 and 12 gauge shotguns, a Mosin Nagant 9130, fireworks and jumped into a swimming hole. Went swimming at a friend's pool Friday, then partook in a short hike and visited a swimming hole on Saturday. I took a few days off from the gym and went back this AM and it feels goooooood.

In addition to my fun fun fun fillings, yesterday AM I had an appt with a sports doctor. No one told me he was going to be hot and bend my legs over my head in every which way - wooooo! ;) Said it's likely piriformis syndrome (I kinda suspected that anyway) and not a disc issue, prescribed me some stretches, said if no improvement in 4 weeks I should do PT. We'll see how that goes!

Roommate and I signed leases for 8/1 - we inherited a friend's HUGE and COMFY couch which RECLINES, and we have a month to gradually move our possessions downstairs. Band practice tonight. It's all I can do at this point to pretend I care...

olehcat Consistency is key with workouts. It's less complicated than you are making it. Lift twice a week, run twice a week, hike or walk other days. Put in like 20-30 min/day. Eat what makes you feel good. You got this!

chahma Measurements and shape are so key. It's really encouraging that you're so close to your "fittest" measurements! Hope moving goes well!

Hoopty What's the 20 day challenge?

aspen13 I am so relieved to hear good news about your dad. Your bottom half will catch up! ;)

Leaves Not sure about shoulder friendly ideas...what about dips instead of pushups?

Aspen- really glad to hear your dad is doing better :) have you made it to the 140s?

Olehcat-I bet you can see some massive changes in a whole month of being on plan! I've been doing some pilates/cardio type workouts from videos on youtube. There's a girl called Cassey who runs the Blogilates youtube channel and I find her videos really fun (if not really hard!) and she makes a monthly calendar plan with workouts for each day that I really like! I understand what you mean about the heat though, we're having a heatwave here and I hate working out in it, makes me so sticky :(

Hoopty- yes, what challenge? Sounds interesting!

Chahma- I think it is a busy month, or maybe we're all just out flaunting our fab bikini bodies! (I wish I was!) 'gratz on the measurements! With 30DS I've been trying to mix it up by doing alternate days of level 1 and 2 as I was finding level 1 quite easy. I'm yet to try level 3 though, we'll see!

Krampus- holy cow, 119!? sorry about the fillings, I hate getting them. I'm always paranoid that it's just going to hurt forever once it's been done, or fall out. gah.

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So, I graduated yesterday! That was fun, and I can actually look at the pictures without thinking that I looked like a pudding. That's always good! I'm really needing to ramp things up though, as I go on holiday in a few weeks, so not long left to get myself looking great!

Hope you're all enjoying your July feathers!

Waving a big hello to everyone!

No 140s yet. I started weight training on Sunday, Monday I weighed in at 151.4, the next morning I was back to my Sunday weigh-in weight, 150.6. Yesterday I enjoyed pizza at lunch, got flatbread for myself. The scale was kind, only gained .2 lbs, 150.8. Nice to see that I can have pizza once in awhile and not cause too much damage to the scale.

Have a GREAT day/evening everyone!

Hey ladies... a quick check in here. Things have been very hectic for me - I am moving next week so lots and lots of packing and last minute things to do and what have you. This weekend I'm taking a trip to visit my parents and I'll be back to finish packing and then I'm off! I'll be taking a temporary hiatus from 3FC so I can get settled in, but I shall return.

In the meantime, weight has been doing awesome, looks like maybe -2 to -2.5 loss for this week. I've been keeping busy and it helps!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of July!!!

Hi, ladies!

I gotta say that it's been a bit difficult the last few days. The last week was particularly stressful and busy (I was eating, drinking, breathing my class which finally finally finally ended on Friday). My ex husband is here still for the next two weeks and he is (and all summer he's been) a bad, bad, bad influence on me and eating. He LOVES eating and food, and he wants to go out for lunch every single day (because it's all food that's unavailable for him overseas). I've surprisingly and luckily not gained much weight (maybe 2 pounds) considering the total food party I've been having this summer, but I'm not at all making progress in losing weight as I promised myself I would do this summer. Not only that, even if I start today being pure, awesome, and mindful about food, I have a vacation coming up in mid August where I will be with someone who also struggles and gives in easily to the siren call of fun and exciting food (we're bad influences on each other when we see each other). Letting go a bit during vacation is something I want to include in overall lifetime lifestyle, but I feel like I'm soooo behind on this weight loss thing (I actually weigh 2 pounds more than I did last year, and that's a shame considering all the obsessive thoughts on weight loss and diet and half attempts and full attempts and everything in between that I've done this year)! It's sickening, actually, and I have nobody to blame but myself. Even if I really kick it into gear starting today, I won't make much progress between now and mid August (maybe a few pounds that could easily be gained back during a week's vacation of "letting go a bit." But I don't want to not be able to enjoy vacations or visitors or getting to try new restaurants, etc. That's no fun.

What I TRULY need is the ability to just KNOW how much food my individual body needs on a daily or weekly basis in order to be able to lose weight or even maintain. I need a lifestyle I can live with, considering how much I love tasty food (not necessarily unhealthy food) and going out and socializing.

@Krampus, you seem to have it covered. You socialize a lot, you eat fun foods when you go out, and you are losing weight or staying around the same! And you have a very healthy attitude toward eating and enjoying life. I admire the **** out of that. And thanks for your words of workout wisdom, I'm really thinking about that as a workout plan. I go on daily long walks anyway (although this past week the ex and I have gotten off track because it was so hot and I was so very busy with my class), but I could add in two days a week of 20 min HIIT running sessions and two days a week of strength training on top of that and that sounds like I might get it covered and to just stick with that for more than a week. I am going to try that. *NODS*

@Leaves - thank you for your encouragement. I think you're right about 1 month seeing significant progress. Congrats on your graduation!

@chahma - my fresh start started well ;) but as I said, my ex being here is SUCH a bad influence for me in addition to extreme stress from my class this past week, so it wasn't the best "fresh start" but today is a REAL fresh start. I am free from that class so I can fully concentrate on it and hopefully get a head start on it all before school starts again in August! Good luck moving! It's hard and stressful (I just went through that a few weeks ago), but hopefully you'll be feeling settled again soon! ;)

@aspen - glad to hear that your dad is doing better!

Hi, thought I'd pop in for an update. I'm doing well, feel like I've gone into maintenance mode here. I've been staying between 125 and 127 for almost a month! At first that kind of freaked me out to see the *number* stall, but I've managed to switch my focus to how my clothes fit, how I feel, and most importantly, to enjoying life! If my weight stays here, well, that's okay with me - my current lifestyle is sustainable in the long run. Overall, I feel pretty good; the difference between how I am today compared to last year is so huge in so many ways.

I've been continuing with C25K and now am up to Wk8D2 - that's 28 minutes of jogging, and I am still at about a 6 mph pace. Happily my feet are holding up to the exercise without increased pain, and even better, yesterday the jog felt...easier?...yes, somewhat easier than the jogs of a couple weeks ago. I'm looking forward to finishing C25K and actually jogging a whole 3+ miles, which is more than I've ever run at one time in my entire life! My question now is, after completing the program, what do I do to continue improving? I don't want to increase distance, but maintaining my current state and increasing speed some would be good. I'm trying to do some lifting 2x a week and I usually take a brisk walk (1 mile or so) once or twice most days.


olehcat - Sounds like a good plan you've got in mind and no doubt the next few weeks will be easier to manage now that your class is over. Enjoy your free time!

aspen - Sorry to hear about your dad though what a blessing that it wasn't worse. Glad he, and you, are doing well.

krampus - You have too much fun! Can I tag along with you sometime? Well, not to the dentist or doctor, but the other stuff. :D

Leaves - Grats on graduating, that's awesome! Regarding the 30DS, I developed shoulder issues doing it, unfortunately, so I do wall pushups instead of the regular ones when I use the routines.

Enjoy your summer, everyone!

Hello Featherweights! I've never thought of myself as a Featherweight before, but have always secretly hoped to feel like one someday. I'm still adjusting to my new body, but I'm starting to feel like I should jump in here. :carrot: I've been on 3FC through most of my weight loss journey, but have recently been feeling like I don't quite fit in on a lot of the threads. As an example, yesterday I went shopping with a friend and found myself in size 4's. I was so elated, but didn't think that would go over too well just putting that out there when so many people are struggling with much bigger issues. I'm in maintenance right now, but struggling to figure out the secret magical formula. I'm trying to eat more without gaining, but am still finding that I'm losing little bits. I'm down 5 pounds since I hit my goal. Sounds great in theory, but I'm finding that small losses now lead to changes in clothing size pretty quickly. I'm trying to rebuild my wardrobe and my hubby is tired of buying new clothes though he has been so patient. :dizzy: At any rate, I hope you all are fine with me jumping in here.

Lost one pound yesterday! Yesterday was a good day, as evidenced by no stomach pains overnight! I will not get super excited until I get my first minigoal, since I haven't been there in months (my weight has been hovering between 146-150 now for a LONG time. Wow, my body just loves 148 lately (and I remember when I used to COMPLAIN that my body loved 138 a lot as soon as 2 years ago but I won't think about how much that makes me want to cry))

@Moving Forward - I'd say you're definitely a feather. I'm the one who feels a bit like a fraud lately, with having let myself touch the 150s. Ugh. What's your weight loss story? What did you do as far as eating and working out?

@Cattails - as for your improving running question, my suggestion would be to keep doing what you're doing a few times a week. Then maybe once or twice a week do some high intensity intervals for less time (like for 15-20 min) and/or just make once or twice a week (depending on how many days a week you run) a shorter but much faster run. Then once a week do a slightly longer run than you're used to. Like if you only really want to run 30 minutes but you want your time and intensity to improve, maybe once a week do a longer run of 45 minutes to an hour. Anyway, that has helped me improve in the past :)

Hello Feathers,

Long time no see! I've been doing alright, staying in the high 130s - low 140s for a long, long, long, WAY TOO LONG time. I wanna move towards the 120s already, gahhh!!!

The challenge that I was doing really helped me to stay on track though I failed miserably towards the end, lol! Basically, everybody set up a few goals for themselves and all we had to do was stick to them for 20 days. My goals were to eat about 1500 calories daily, do 30 min of cardio daily and lift weights 7 out of those 20 days. Well, a few days ago I binged on chocolate, cookies and salty foods (2 social events, I just couldn't say no..). My weight was up by 1.4 lbs the next morning, I think. And I was OUT!

I've been feeling really constipated lately. I know I'm eating enough fiber and I am also drinking enough. So I'm thinking it's probably because I started to work out and lift weights more often. I've also been running again so that could be it, too? Anyways, me no likey.

A few co-workers of mine, even my BOSS which was definitely a "wtf?!"-moment, told me that I had gotten so skinny and that I had lost so much weight. Score! I was very happy about that because I did blow up like a house right before I moved to New York 2 years ago. So the last time they saw me I must have been about 22 pounds heavier than I am now.

DH and I are trying to get settled in but we're also starting to look for our own place. My boss and I were talking about a raise today - so happy about that!

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olehcat - Wow, he's still there? I totally understand why it's been so hard for you lately and I really don't know what else to say because I'd probably be in the same boat. Maybe try to plan out your meals?

Cattails - Sounds like you're in a good place right now! As long as the clothes fit nicely the numbers don't really mean that much anymore. I agree with Olehcat - try some HIIT running, I feel like it has improved my speed alot!

Moving Forward- Welcome! :wave: Wow, size 4, congrats! I hope to be there soon as well :) What do you do exercise-wise?

Thanks for the warm welcomes Olehcat and Hoopty! I always considered myself a pretty normal sized person and never really worried too much about my weight. Like a lot of people, I just did the slow gradual creep up through the years. I was pretty unphased as I went through sizes 10, and 12 then sat at size 14 for years. By size 14, I felt like I was on the heavy end of normal but I wasn't too unhappy. Looking back, I can see I was in denial. Kaiser even thought I was fat and sent me a letter inviting me to join their medically supervised weight management plan (Medifast). This letter shook me a little, but I brushed it off, especially after finding out the program cost thousands of dollars. Last summer, after tons of vacation food, I suddenly discovered that nothing fit anymore. Distressing! I'm a school psychologist so I had a few weeks of summer break left when I discovered this. I went to Macy's for some new work clothes and for the first time had to take the escalator upstairs to the plus size section. Gulp. Devastating. About a week later, I hosted a gathering for a group of friends but only one friend could come. She and I sat at my kitchen counter and talked for hours. She has some health issues and talked to me at length about how changing her diet (she's very into eating clean) had resolved her health issues and coincidentally made her lose a lot of weight. That was the kick in the rear I needed to start losing weight. My goal was just to get back into my size 14's and to return the fat lady clothes to Macy's. Another friend introduced me MyFitnessPal. The weight started coming off and before I knew it I realized I could do this weight loss thing so I set a more ambitious goal to reach a healthy BMI. I lost all of my weight by calorie counting. Since January, I've also been weight lifting 2-3 times per week. I am just finishing up the NROLW program and need to decide soon what to do next.

Hoopty-I've totally had the same experience of people saying I lost too much weight. You know you've made it then! A friend just reminded me "You're not somebody until they start talking about you.". Sorry about the constipation. Yuck-a-do.

Olehcat-Congrats on the loss. What's up with the stomach pains?

Hey - I don't know if any of you were here when I was here last - I remember krampus!

But anyway, I nudged myself up to 170 or so but now I'm back at about 146 I figure I belong back here in the featherweights.

Would like to get back to 140 or maybe less would be good.

@Robsia - I haven't been in Featherweights long enough to have known you, but welcome back and congratulations on getting back in the 140's.

@MovingForward - Welcome to the thread. Pretty awesome, isn't it, to have a new body to get used to? Size 4 is amazing - I have NEVER been a size 4, not even in my high school years when I was 107 lbs. Guess this body is just not built for tiny pants.

@olehcat - Do you think you might be gluten-sensitive or something? Stomach pains are not fun! I get pain as well but mine is from being too empty, first thing in the morning; getting something in my belly eases it after a while. Yay on your lb. lost, may more follow it!

@Hoopty - I think you've done a terrific job with your weight while going through some major adjustments. How great to hear those 'skinny' comments! Sorry for your intestinal disruptions; could be any or all of your recent changes and hopefully your body will get settled soon. Have you ever tried tea like Smooth Move? Couldn't hurt to give it a go (sorry, I can't resist the occasional pun.).

Speaking of going, who was talking last month about having the urge to use the bathroom while running? Seems like every time I jog lately, I get that certain feeling! Not cool, not cool at all...

Okey-dokey, HIIT intervals and a longer run once a week - I can do that! I appreciate the advice.

Happy Wednesday, all!

Oh yes, runners' leak! I discovered the existence of this at about week 3 of C25K first time round. Even when I went to the loo before every run, I would still leak - sometimes a lot!

Ended up having to buy incontinence pads - not fun!

Robsia: I absolutely remember you! You posted some pictures of you in a white bikini that I was like "wow...I want to be her." You were my inspiration when I was at 180+ pounds. Welcome back. :hug:

Wow - I don't think I've ever been anyone's inspiration before. Not that I know of anyway. Was it this one? I was about 138 there.

Uck, runners' leak?! Actually my issue is with having an undeniable need to go number 2. Very inconvenient. Fortunately I jog on my driveway so I'm never more than a 1/2 mile from the house, but that 1/2 mile looks really far when there's an imminent need. :o

I did week 9 of C25K today: 30 minutes of jogging/3 miles! Woo-hoo! I know that's pretty small potatoes compared to the real runners around here, but I feel pretty good that in a zombie situation, I can probably stay out of reach for a few miles. As long as the above problem doesn't occur to hold me up!

Hi Feathers,

I have been quiet all week but I'm doing fine, chugging along. My roommate bought an AC for our apartment so we came up with about 30 stupid puns involving the word "chill" - Chill, Chillary and Chillsea Clinton was by far the best.

Weight's been at a low, averaging 120.something all week. Workouts have suffered a little in that the heat has been unbearable, and I donated blood on Monday which put me in "woozy easily lightheaded" territory for the few days after. The minimum weight to donate is 110 which I highly doubt I'll ever dip under.

BF is hanging out with his friend in Rhode Island this weekend, and my roommate and all our friends are going to a bluegrass music festival. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my parents and hopefully doing some shopping for the new apartment. Just realizing I have no furniture and probably would do well to get a bed and dresser among many other things! A professional cleaner came this week and obliterated the dog smell. Landlord is painting my bedroom this weekend and then we need to get serious about moving our stuff downstairs.

I PROMISE I'll be back soon with personals!

I've been hesitant to take up running because of my plantar fascietous (almost healed). But the potty problems you ladies are describing pretty much seals the deal for me for now.

Krampus--Good luck with the furniture shopping! That should be fun. I hope the move is relatively easy too.

My family is going camping in OR on Saturday. It should be fun. We are camping with several other families on my hubby's side of the family. There will be tons of food and shared meal preparation. And no scales. I hope to enjoy myself, but not come back 10 pounds heavier. Wish me luck.

Thanks Moving Forward - we are moving downstairs in the same building so it will be pretty easy compared to those poor Boston residents who are all homeless between Aug 31 and Sep 1 (lease system there is weird. I have never experienced leakage from front or back running. I've also never had a baby or major surgery or anything down there.

Robsia Happy to see you back here! Have you run any more marathons?? I remember being super inspired and impressed by your completing the full years back.

Cattails YAAAAAAAY 3 miles nonstop is great! Have you found you are able to keep pace too?

Leaves Happy graduation, many congratulations are in order (I know that happened a while ago but I am playing catch up)!

aspen13 How's the weight training treating you so far? If you're anything like most people are starting out you should be soooooooooore but in a good way!

Hoopty Good luck on getting that raise! I am glad you and DH are handling the big move/immigration well and you are acclimating to being back in DE. It's always nice when people notice small subtle slimdowns - in case you aren't sure if they notice it confirms they do!

chahma Wishing you all the best with the move. Don't be a stranger!

olehcat OK so some people bulk and cut. Maybe you can think of it in terms of summer being bulking season and winter being cutting season? It sounds like having ex around and 245794859234 social engagements is really making you happy and enjoying your life in the summer - many people do the opposite but I hate seeing you so stressed out about your weight. It's OK to loosen the reins sometimes, for real. I know too well where you stand - I regained a bit from my lowest in 2011 and felt like 125 was IMPOSSIBLY PERFECT and stared at pictures of myself at a lower weight - that really got me nowhere until I found other things to distract myself with, then I found eating moderately and exercise were things I could enjoy, not penance for regaining!

hi, all,

It's been so hot! I'm sure many of you are feeling the same.

The good news for me is that I've started running again FINALLY after a bit of a hiatus. There's a treadmill in my apartment complex, which is way more likely for me to get to than the gym (which I quit because I don't need it anymore). It's pretty nice and there's wireless so I can watch stuff on netflix while I run! Pretty awesome.

The food stuff isn't going great (still eating too much), but I'm not worrying about it right this minute. Tomorrow is the birthday of my 2-year-old niece and you know, I'm going to have some cake. I'm trying to figure this out still. I think when I do, it's going to be awesome and I'm going to get to my ideal weight. :)

@krampus - thank you!! Just what I needed to hear. I just can't...I think I'm not able to buckle down right now as much as I want to look hot again by the time my next school year starts again. Too hard in summer with parties, going out every day, etc. I'm a little sad because I told people I worked with that over the summer I was going to lose about 10 pounds and now that won't really happen and they're going to see me unchanged, :-p. But then again, most people are so self-absorbed that they're just thinking about themselves anyway and probably won't even remember that I said that or notice, lol. Good luck moving! Eep, moving sucks, but it can be so worth it once it's done (I LOVE my new place so much)

@MovingForward - ooh, camping! I hope you have a lot of fun! As for the stomach pains, I think it's mostly lactose intolerance getting worse! Ah, well, I can actually easily do away with dairy. And I shouldn't be eating much as far as cheese pizzas anyway! As for your weight loss, thanks for sharing your story! Did you calorie count then?

@Cattails - good job on the running!! Oh, and as for the stomach stuff, I think it's more likely that it's my lactose intolerance getting worse as I get older! :-p Just as well. I need to stay away from the ice-cream anyway!

@Hoopty - really nice that people are noticing your weight loss! :)

krampus: The first day and second day I was very, very sore. Then on Wednesday I felt my muscles for a while after but then fine. I was a little worried about doing the squats, that was what caused the most soreness. Today was good. I am already seeing and feeling changes.

I was so happy to finally get into the 140s. I am hoping to lose my next 10 as fast as my first 10 went. Can I hope there are no more plateaus...at least I can have wishful thinking. ;-)

It is very hot and humid here also, FL. I have been mainly walking inside. Looking forward to autumn. Please everyone remember their water, especially extra now with this weather.

I have been having issues with the ball of one of my feet. I think it might be Morton's neuroma. Since June 4th I have been walking 8 to 15 miles per day. Does anyone have suggestions for a good walking shoe? I bought a pair of Nike Air Max but I think the shoes are causing more issues.

Have a wonderful evening/day, everyone!

Olehcat--I lost all of my weight by calorie counting. I love food so much and couldn't commit to cutting anything in particular out. So I just cut back. I still count calories on some days, but not consistently.

Aspen13--Good for you for starting weight lifting. I've noticed nice changes since I've started. What are you doing in terms of weight lifting? By the way, I love that sore feeling. It really makes me feel like I accomplished something.

Sorry to hear about the heat some of you are having. I'm worried about it being too cold on my camping trip next week. I've packed jeans, long sleeved shirts and sweatshirts. And that's for the daytime! I've just gotten some perspective though. I'll take my cool weather and be grateful about it.

Moving Forward: Yes, please enjoy your cooler temps. Though I hope it does not become too cool for camping. That would not be enjoyable. I am doing full body. This month I have been following these exercises http://weighttraining.about.com/od/w.../dumbbells.htm. I started with two times per week and just started my pattern of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I am currently doing 12 reps of each, 2 sets each. I will up it to 3 sets next month. I also have some full youtube fitness videos of full body workouts I will try in the near future.

@ krampus - I am keeping pace! My stopwatch messed up the other day (I know, I'm SO old school) so I don't know what I finished at, but this morning I went an entire 3.1 miles in 29:51!

@ Moving Forward - good luck, enjoy your camping.

@ olehcat - Awesome on the treadmill with netflix! I have to replay movies and stories in my head while I run. LOL Ugh, lactose intolerance - that's no fun.

@ aspen13 - Nice job with the strength training - are you taking pictures of yourself? It's great to have a physical record of those changes. Sorry to hear about the foot pain; I don't have any suggestions for you, just hope you can resolve that soon!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thank you, Cattails! I actually have not taken a picture. I must do that. I have not been a fan of my picture being taken for a long time now. I know I will regret it if I don't. I actually already regret not taking pictures before I started. I promise that I will take at least one picture every Sunday.

I woke to a complete shock...an AWESOME shock. When I got on the scale it read 147.4, yesterday I was 149.2. I blurted, quite loudly, "Holy Sh**ing Cow". My son (14) heard and chuckled and told me he never heard that phrase before. I told him me neither but that is what popped out of my mouth. lol I was in a plateau for 13 days, broke free from it and lost .2 lbs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And then this morning, almost 2 lbs. My water intake as been the same, my eating and exercise the same. I log everything. (I did up my calories near the end of my plateau to shock my system free from it but have kept them up, eating between 1500 and slightly over 2000 calories per day. Prior I would go from 1300 to around 1800. Hoping a raised my metabolism.) Now I am not so upset about the plateau. I'm sure the next one will act totally different.

Today will be a day of rest for me. This will be my first day of rest since June 4th. I am going to try to take one every Sunday. I must say I am a bit scared. It will be hard to see my calories in and out today. I am afraid to imagine what the scale will say tomorrow. I think it is going to be good for my body though. And I keep telling myself if the scale looks bad tomorrow, it will most likely work itself out through the week.

I also need to decide if I am ordering pizza today or wait until tomorrow. My son has had his mouth set on Pizza Hut pizza for days. I told him when I hit 147 point something. I will order their flatbread pizza for myself with lots of veggies and chicken. Not sure I could throw in a very high calorie lunch on a day that I will not burn that many calories. But I hit that 147 point something.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today!

Aspen--"Holy s**ing cow"! That's great! Plateaus totally suck and I'm glad to hear you busted yours. I do not get why upping calories can work to bust them, but I've had the same experience. I'm trying to maintain now, but obviously still watching it. Well, I went on a camping trip last month where I ate a bunch of junk and drank without regard to calories. I was terrified to weigh myself when I got back. As it turns out, I actually lost a pound on the trip! I think you need to get Pizza Hut today, enjoy every bite, and not worry about the scale. As long as you don't eat more than 3500 calories worth :D, you'll know any gains are just water fluctuations. Enjoy your rest too! Oh by the way, in addition to taking pictures, you might want to take measurements. That is often really telling.

Thanks Cattails! We are on our way to OR already. We will arrive today. I can taste the s'mores already. I also made some jello shots and brownies to share. Those are low-cal, right?

I'll see you all when I get back. Bye for now.

Moving Forward: Have a great and save trip! Woohoo on losing a pound while camping! I read it in so many places to up the calories. It frightened me but I decided to try, so glad I did. Who knows how long I would have been in a plateau. I ordered the pizza...I am now feeling like I am ready to blow up. I drank 24 oz of water along with mine. So full. I am sure I will have water weight gain for a couple days or longer. I actually bought enough pizza for everyone (my elderly parents, teenage son, and myself) to have enough for lunch tomorrow also. Being very, very bad. I am also actually really enjoying taking a break. So ready to get back going again tomorrow but can enjoy today. Plus I am keeping my bad foot up as much as possible and icing it often today.