Accountability?Planning/Menus: Sep 17-23
 

Good morning, 3FC Friends. Please join us in becoming accountable with each other on a daily basis. What are you doing to stay on-plan today? What goals do you have for yourself with your menu, your exercise, your food choice, etc? Let's keep each other accountable and encouraged on our journey to better health and slender bodies.

Today was weigh-in for me....down 2 pounds! I'm doing great with staying on-plan with food, but I need to start exercising. My goal is 420 minutes of cardio this week...that would be 60 minutes a day.:^: It is an ambitious goal, but I'm going for it!

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

Good morning all,
Rhonda Congrats on the weight loss!!!
I am hoping to post a loss Wednesday, only time will tell.
I stayed on plan This weekend, ate alot of fresh mango,but I don't think that is so bad :D. I didn't get to go walking yesterday, so I mowed the lawn for 40 minutes( push mower), and that worked up a good sweat.
I did my exercises today, and ate a good breakfast. I am making a veggie soup for dinner, I bought lots of veggies this weekend( even some new ones), so this should be interesting, usually I add noodles and cheese, but I will just be adding them for the rest of the family and I will just be eating plain veggie soup. The weather is finally cooler, and it is great. I am planning on going hiking next Sunday, it is too nice outside to stay inside.
Have a great day. cheryl

Well yesterday for the first time I made a menu for the week for dinner. I have been wanting to do it for a while but I just didnt "get around to it". Whenever I thought about it I didint feel like it. So I made myself do it last night. So I could schedule what I was going to eat for breakfast and lunch and snacks around dinner. AND I GOT MY TREDMILL!!!! YAY

Last week was hard since I was out of town at a seminar for most of it. So, it appears that I "maintained" for that week. At least I didn't gain, so that's good.

It's kind of rainy here today, but my friend and I are planning to get back to our lunchtime walking. It had been so hot all summer here, we put it off until we could do it without completely melting. That helped me a lot before, so I'm looking forward to doing it again. She walks faster than I do, so it helps push me.

Hi everyone! It is gorgeous here today....sunny and warmish, but will a really cool breeze--perfect day, if you ask me!

Rhonda--Congrats on the loss!!! (And thanks for starting our new week!)

Cheryl--I am loving this cooler weather! Mmmm soup sound good!

Dek--Congrats on planning your meals and getting a tredmill!

Diane--Hope you were able to get your walk in today.


Yesterday food choices were ok, I just ate way too much. TOM is here, so I am chalking it up to that. Today so far food choices could have been better, but certainly could have been worse. I have a healthy dinner planned.

As soon as I leave work I am heading to the gym--legs and back (weights) and cardio. As soon as I get home I am taking the dogs for a walk--they will be SO excited!

Wednesday after work I have a hair appt....not sure what I am going to do, but we'll come up w/ a plan!

I hope everyone is having a great day!

mj ;)

Morning ladies!

Well, I'm pleased to get yesterday out of the way - it was a very difficult day with having to go live with the new system. My first call took me 45 minutes to lodge the most basic claim that we do. Thankfully after that it only got better. There have been major issues with the new system and it's going to be a difficult few months. I've got a debrief today, so there's definitely a few things I'm going to bring up.

Weight-wise, I'm down a pound on last week. Not quite the 2 1/2 pounds that the scales showed yesterday morning, but I drank lots of water yesterday, so...

Rhonda, well done! That's awesome!

Dek, fantastic that you've got a treadmill. I'd love to get one, but I just don't have the space here - very small 1 bedroom flat and I literally can't get another large item in here.

Diane, maintaining given that you were away from home and it was difficult to exercise and make good food choices is wonderful - well done!

MJ, hope you have a good workout! Are you planning on doing something different with your hair or keeping it the same?

Have a good day, ladies :hug:

This is only my second week (and TOM) but I did well with my food and lost 5.6 lbs. This week I really need to exercise more. I'm going to try to keep on plan with my food and exercise at least 4 days this week.

Hi everyone!

I ate well yesterday and took my walk. Yay! Didn't go to sleep early, but I was reading a good book and couldn't put it down, so that's a little different from my usual issues. ;) Today I've got some leftover work to do for some old clients, so I've got to run...

Have a great day!

Not a good weekend at all. Saturday was the worst in a long time, after managing to get back on plan on Friday. Sunday was better. Not great, but I feel like I'm moving back in the right direction. Today, so far, has been good.

I need to do a lot of thinking and planning today so that my downward slide (and upward scale reading) doesn't continue. I've gotten more comfortable with my ability to stay on plan, so I have not said anything when my husband and older children have started re-introducing chips, cookies, and other junk into my house, which they bought in abundance on Saturday. So, I've asked them to stop bringing any of it near me for at least two weeks until I can regain some control. I don't buy these foods, but I haven't been able to resist them lately. So, one day at a time, one choice at a time. And I will spend a lot of my day thinking and planning so that it's all right there in my mind, and I will not be able to lie to myself that, "Just one won't hurt."

I'm so sorry you're struggling, Laurie! :hug: I think you're right to get your family to help you by avoiding keeping junk in the house. Heck, it's better for them too, regardless of their weight! You've done so well so far. In the 190's for goodness sake! That's awesome. If you catch it now, you will hardly remember these last few weeks at the end.

It does get tedious though, doesn't it? It's easier to not think about losing weight, to eat junk requiring no preparation, etc. It sucks to be different from many skinny people in that they seemingly can eat crap and not gain from it. :mad: I think we all get weary at some point and give into temptation. But you absolutely have the power to turn it around. Your motto, One day at a time, one choice at a time, is what I need to stick to. Some days it's one hour at a time. Sometimes I can't make it an hour, but there is always another hour and another chance right after.

Keep going today. It all starts with one day of being in control. It gives you something to build on. I believe in you!

good morning all,
Welcome Southern sweetheart,
Laurie How are you doing? My kids complain all the time that I don't have junk in the house, I buy them one thing for the week( a bag of doritos, or ice cream cones),and when it is gone, it is gone, and they go back to healthy snacks... Granola bars, trail mix, fruit, yogurt, pretzels ect...( they don't like it,but I think my health is more important than them eating junk), now hubby is another story , I have posted that he brings junk in the house, but for the most part, he brings single serving stuff in the house, and he takes days to eat it at times. He doesn't understand how hard this is, because he has never had this problem, so I try and deal with it. It is a struggle, if I see something that he left behind, I literally talk to myself, and say things " do I really need this?, I am going to gain weight again if I eat this", so far it works, but I do fear the day it doesn't . Just know I am thinking and pulling for you!! :hug:
I am suffering from sinus issues, I don't know if they are cold related, or allergy related, but I feel yelk, then one of my cats has gotten into the habbit of jumping ontop of my bed and wanting a massage at 3 in the morning, and if I dont' wake up she will wake me up, so I am really tired.
I am going to exercise today, and do it, no matter I feel like garbage, after i might just crawl into bed and sleep. Depends I have some leftover veggie soup and will eat this for lunch breakfast will be some oatmeal and grapefruit juice, and dinner may be smoked salmon .
I will not use illness as the excuse to ruin my plan
cheryl

Good morning, Everyone. Cheryl, sorry to hear you're not feeling well today. Take some time to pamper yourself today....you deserve it!

Well, I also feel like crawling back into bed for a while, but its not an option. I have too much work to get done today. Last night wasnt a great night's sleep for me....I kept waking up througout the night and I had disturbing dreams. Feeling tired always makes me want to head to the kitchen for that starchy "energy" boost. I really have to be on my guard today. Unfortunately, I didnt get my exercise yesterday (hmmm...possible cause of not sleeping well?) I got busy and forgot! Great excuse, huh? I'll make it a point to get on that treadmill today.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

Hey everyone!

Gosh it's been a while....it's been so busy with the show opening and the event I had this weekend and the traveling I can hardly balance anymore! This week feels a bit more relaxed though....for starters I made it here! Fall has come to New England and I'm so excited cause it's my favorite time of year...if you've never experienced New England in the Fall I suggest you put it on your list of things to do! Anyway things have been ok....not great. I'm having days where I start on plan and then get busy then it all goes out the window...one day at a time i guess...I've got everything planned for today, I went to the gym last night and am planning to go again tonight so the work is done as far as planning goes...now is the easy part (ya, easy..) ... sticking to it. Well I've got some faith in today.
By the end of the week I'm going to start setting some new goals and get them down on paper. If the weather is cooperative I'm going to try to go do some hiking this Saturday....oh and if I can find someone to go with me... I like a partner for things that involve wandering off in the woods...it's safer. One day at a time....plowing through!

Good Morning! So far so good today, although it is only 9:50am! Yesterday I did go to the gym--I could have done better w/ the cardio portion (didn't really push myself), but I did go right home and took the dogs for a long walk. Same plan for today....gym right after work (arms/shoulders and cardio) then dogs for a walk. I won't have time to hit the gym tomorrow (hair appt) and not sure about Thursday either, although I will try.

Nicole--Before you know it, you will be an expert w/ the new system! Hey--a loss is a loss, right?! I want to do something different w/ my hair--it's light-med brown, pretty long and pretty curly. Will probably go a bit darker on the color/hilight, but not sure about the cut yet....I am always brave until I get in the chair! LOL!

Casey--That's great! What do you do for exercise?

CC--Great day yesterday! I had to laugh...I have to set a time to stop reading at night, or else I can't put it down!

Laurie--Good for you for taking control! That's something I struggle w/ too...

Cheryl--Hope you feel better!

Rhonda--Hope you can get your exercise in today and some rest!


Gotta run and get some work done.

Have a great day!
MJ ;)

Hi everyone,

OK, bad day yesterday which resulted in me calling for pizza. Not very smart, but nothing I can do about it now, except throw out the leftovers and I've just done that. I refuse to beat myself up about this sort of thing now, because it results in an even bigger binge and then things just go from bad to worse.

I'm going out for dinner with my sister tonight - not sure why because this isn't normal procedure. Normally we'd speak on the phone most nights and email constantly during the day and see each other every couple of weekends. Guess I'll find out more tonight.

I'm going to have a busy couple of days - I'm looking at putting my flat on the market in about 18 months or so, so I can look at moving to the other side of town. It's all dependent on what happens with interest rates and the property market, but I know that the bathroom will need to be renovated. So, a friend of mines husband is coming over tomorrow night to have a look and see what needs to be done and how much it's going to cost. Being a bathroom, I don't think it's going to be cheap!

Welcome, southern_sweetheart! I'm looking forward to learning more about you!

Laurie, hope you had a better day yesterday and today. I've read your other post, but have got nothing to add that hasn't already been said so here's a :hug: for you.

Good for you, Cheryl! It sounds like you've got a very supportive husband which is fantastic. Sending the stay healthy/get well vibes!

Rhonda, what is it about us and sleep. I think all of us have had at least one bad night in the last couple of weeks - if not more!

Sunshine, stick with it! I don't know that it'll become easier, but it does become more natural if that makes sense

Curly hair, MJ? I am so jealous. My hair is sort of reddish-brown (reddish in summer, brown in winter) and straight as a board. I always wanted curly hair...

Have a great day everyone! :hug:

Thanks for all the welcome's!

mj5- I try to walk on the treadmill every day but I have been so lazy for so long and have a bad ankle so if I make a mile it's like 'wow, I can't believe I did that!' which I know is really bad but it's all I can manage right now.

I am havng super stressful days right now and really having to fight off binges, but I see a break-up looming in my future and if that happens it's gonn get ugly.

Good morning, everyone!

First of all, thanks to all of you for your incredible support. It feels so good to know that I am not alone in this. And, yes, CC, the crying was really good for me. I get to feeling so "tough" that it's really helpful to remember that it's okay for me to have weaknesses. Only when I acknowledge that is it possible to build strength.

Happy to report that I had a GREAT day yesterday. Calories were a little low - around 900 - but not horrendously low. Exercise was through the roof. I did about 35 minutes on the elliptical, 25 minutes on the stationary bike, and 6 minutes on the Stairmaster. I haven't tried the Stairmaster in five years - and when I did, I could never do even a minute. So, six minutes is kind of an accomplishment for me, especially because I started doing it when I was already tired. Then, last night, I ran four miles, which is my record. I was a little sore, but not too bad. And just as the icing, I rode my bike for all of my errands except the grocery store (for obvious reasons), so I probably rode for about ten miles. And to my great surprise this morning, I was four pounds lighter than yesterday morning. I know that it's getting rid of retained water from high sodium foods and getting rid of a lot of retained stool from my Saturday binge, but it felt amazingly good to be back to where I was before this started. I never imagined it would come off in one day, though. So, my challenge for the day is to stay every bit as focused as I was yesterday. It's too easy for me to become overconfident and screw everything up.

MJ - Thanks again for the words of support. Way to stay on track with the exercise. I know you'll be pushing that cardio hard today.

Rhonda - Sorry you're feeling so poorly, and even sorrier that you can't just skip work and recuperate. I know that this won't deter your newfound (and effective) determination, though. Let those starchy things call - you've got your phone turned off. And thanks as well for your encouragement. The ability to demand what I need from my family has actually been a wonderful side effect of my weight loss journey. It makes me feel better, which means I'm much more pleasant to be around, and it helps them learn responsibility and consideration, which will be important for the rest of their lives. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of that.

Cheryl - What a demanding cat you have! Hope you decided to catch up on some rest, and hope that it had a healing effect on your sinus issues. It is so tough to stay on task when you're not feeling well. I absolutely agree with you that my kids don't need the garbage any more than I do. And the ironic thing is that I can't keep any fruit stocked in my fridge except apples. Oranges, grapes, kiwi, pears, strawberries, raspberries, etc. all disappear the same day that I buy them, regardless of the quantity I purchase. So, my silly guilt feelings when they can't have everything they might want are ridiculous. Chances are good they will have weight issues when they grow up, so it's an investment in their future to help them eat better now. Thank you for helping me remember that.

CC - Hope this means that your sleeping issues are now somewhat resolved. And congrats for making a new commitment to your exercise program. Nothing makes me feel better than coming home after a good workout. You have been so supportive of me through all of this, and I can't tell you how much it's appreciated. I feel like a big whiny baby, so I appreciate your patience and your wisdom. And I have made it an official goal to make this only a setback. It really was threatening to turn into so much more. I still can't believe I almost gave up Onederland for food that I can't even type because it really makes me want to vomit to even think about it. Thank you for being so steadfastly in my corner. It makes such a difference.

Diane - Thank you, too, for your wonderful support. Great work on maintaining when your regular schedule was turned inside out. Those seem to be the toughest times for me.

Nicole - Congrats on the weight loss. I know it wasn't what it promised to be, but I suspect that only means that you'll have a really good weigh-in next week! Your job sounds really stressful, so it's admirable that you're able to maintain your weight loss commitment despite all of that stress. Incidentally, my 3YO daughter is now fixated on Australia (not sure why), and every time she talks about it or does a really bad Aussie accent, I think of you. :D I really do appreciate how supportive you've been during my little crisis as well. Thank you.

And another incredibly long post. I suspect once I start feeling more normal again, they'll shrink back down to manageable size. For now, though, I'm not apologizing. Long posts are a much less egregious sin than the other "diet sins" that I've engaged in recently.

Hi again! I was just starting to create 'reasons' not to go to the gym tonight, but came here instead! I AM going to the gym. I AM going to push myself doing cardio. I AM taking my dogs for a walk after.

Sunshine--Sounds like you have a great plan! Yea, the easy part...ha! I was just sitting here coming up w/ excuses not to go the gym tonight, BUT I came here instead and I am still going!

Nicole--You do sound busy! Have fun at dinner tonight! And I have always wanted straight hair! The last time I had a cut, my stylist did straighten it....it looked good, but weird too. It took me years to appreciate my curly hair!

Casey--That is great! Don't put yourself down, if that is what you can do right now, then that is what you can do! Keep up the good work!

Laurie--Great job!!! Wow, you took the words right out of my mouth...last year I became SO overconfident and did screw things up. That's ok, though, I am back at it now!

Time to go to the gym! Have a great night!

mj ;)

Hey everyone. Today is going very well, so far. I haven't had a completely successful day for a long time. Doing well on food... went walking at noon... and I should be able to get all of my water in today. I'm such a slacker sometimes and lately water is last on my list. My noon walking friend and I were talking about how mad we get ourselves when we get off track. Part of the reason we quit walking was because it was so hot, but I struggled finding any other time to get exercising in. We had to laugh because if you really think about how much better you feel when you are eating right, drinking lots of water, and exercising, why in the world do we let ourselves get off track? I think that with me, if I have too much going on, exercising and self control are the first things to go. Stupid!!

Anyway... back on track at least for today. One day at a time!

Laurie: Glad you are feeling better. As you can see from what I said above, it happens to everyone. It doesn't make sense when you look back at mistakes you've made, but you just have to look forward. Sounds like you are doing just that. Good for you!!!

MJ: Funny how we can convince ourselves that we don't NEED to go to the gym or work out or whatever! Just have to remember how good it feels to make sure we do the right things!

Sunshine: Good to "see" you again. Boy, life can get so darn busy. I know I'm struggling with that. Last night we ate at 9:00. I'm sure that was really good for weight loss......

Nicole: I'm with you, I only wish I had curly hair. Actually, I kind of wish I just had brown hair again!!! I have to keep it colored all the time. The grays are coming in so think now. Kind of goes along with the bi-focals in my glasses, I guess!

CC: I've been admiring how supportive you have been for everyone. I always look forward to reading your posts!

Casey: Sorry to hear about the stress. Nothing like relationship stress to make you go crazy. Been there! Stay strong and let us know how it is going. We're here for you.

Cheryl: Cats!!! I have plenty of my own, but now I have my MIL's cat because MIL had a stroke (long story). That cat enjoys meowing at 4:00 in the morning. My MIL was a very early riser, so I'm wondering if the cat is expecting us to get up at that time. Bad kitty!!!!

Rhonda: Hang in there, pal! Isn't it just terrible when you can't afford to get sick? And by saying "afford", I mean that you can't afford to take the time off to take care of yourself! How is everything else at your house???

C ya!

Laurie -- Thanks for your post, it was actually very inspiring to me. I've hit a few snags, yesterday I exercised but right about when I probably should have retired for the night, I got hungry, ate a tuna sandwich (granted, it wasn't BAD food, but it was still more food than I should have had right before bed) and now the scale is 290, instead of 289. Of course, it has been teetering between 289 and 290 for the past 2 days, but yesterday, my day that was supposed to get me back on track backfired. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself but I felt inspired by your post, and as soon as I get some more work done I'm going over to the exercise room and getting on that BIKE and see if I can't turn this around today!

Oh, Laurie, you made my day!!!:hug: We're so similar in this. I'm just at a different point in the cycle of highs and lows that make up weight loss. I don't doubt at all that at some point (or many points) in the future, I'm going hit a low and be here saying all the same things that have been pressing on you lately. So I'm gonna need to hear everything I've sent your way! ;) That's the wonderful thing about having all of you to do this with. Oh, and I'm a "big whiny baby" more times than I care show here. Why do you think I'm in therapy? :dizzy:

I am so happy you are feeling more in control today and that those pounds took a hike!

Diane, thank you! :hug: Even with all the different weight amounts to lose, and the different stages of life we're all in, I see myself in so many of the posts on the 100lb Club. I felt so alone in my pain and frustration before finding 3FC, that it's unbelieveably reassuring that others have shared the same thoughts and experiences as me. Sometimes when I'm answering a post, my inner voice is saying to me, "When are you going to take some of your own advice, missy?" :D

And Diane, Congrats on your in control day!!! It all starts with one. And your question about why we let ourselves get off track when we're feeling so much better is THE question, isn't it? Self-sabbotage is mind-boggling and yet we all do it, time and again...

MJ, good luck with the haircut! I never know what to do with mine, hence I've probably had about 3 hairstyles in my 35.75 years. One of these days I'm gonna shock everyone with hairstyle #4. hee hee. Good for you for going to the gym. I'll promise you that I will walk tonight. How's that for a deal?

Welcome Southern sweetheart! Sorry to hear about the potential break up. Be sure to lean on us if you need help sticking with your plan.

Nicole, you've got the right attitude about the pizza! Just move on! Here's an ignorant American question for you, are you having the same interest rate/mortage problems in New Zealand as we are here?

Glad you're back, Sunshine!! I love fall too (spring and winter also). Someday I hope to love summer once I'm wrapped in less "insulation". :D New goals are a great way to get back in the swing of things!

Rhonda, I hope the sleep thing wasn't contagious! Hang in there!

Cheryl, you poor thing. A selfish kitty who can't tell time and a sinus/cold illness? I'm inspired by your commitment to not let it stop you! I rarely have such a valid excuse not to exercise, but I can produce one out of thin air like Vegas magician. :wizard: Take care of yourself!

Rakel, try not to get too hung up on the day to day fluctuations of the scale (This is the pot calling the kettle black, mind you!). Think of the scale as a source of neutral information. How you use that information makes the difference between feeling like a failure (if what you see isn't what you expected) and learning about your body through the ups and downs we all experience. I write mine down everyday and try not to get worked up about it. I do my job (eating right, exercising - when I'm not making excuses) and I let the scale fall where it may. And despite up days and stay the same days (or weeks) I can look back and see that the general trend is DOWN. And that's all that matters to me. Looking back and seeing that two months ago I had a rough scale spell and it worked itself out eventually makes the same event this month or next month less frustrating and scary.

As for me, yesterday was fine. I ate well and went to the grocery store to refill the fridge. I didn't walk (she says with embarrassment), but I will tonight. No, really. :o

Hope you all have (or had) a really good day!

CC -- Oh yeah, I know, it's just I've been having a real hard time for the past 2 weeks -- WELL, here's what happens, I do pretty good then, then I steer from my plan and the scale jumps up a little, then I boil down and do better and it goes down. I haven't really lost any weight off my goal for awhile now, I'm just losing what I keep gaining... so yes, overall the scale is heading downward and I'm happy about that, but I think I could definitely be doing better and not stalling all of the time! I need to stay on plan every day!

update: I just did 30m on the exercise bike, burned 510 calories (I really pushed myself!) and only stopped once. My total miles were 8.1, my average heart rate was 143 (though I spent a good amount of time up in the 150s - 155). I'm pretty happy with that. I was going to go for a dip in the pool after I was done to cool off but it was closed. I could have actually gone swimming, b/c the weightroom has a door that leads to the pool, but there were signs that said "POOL CLOSED" so I figured I would obey :P

Good morning, Everyone!

Well, I'm dragging my butt around again this morning. I didnt get to bed early enough last night...I know, I shouldn't do this to myself, but I had great reasons to stay up late. I had to watch the finale of Big Brother and the next episode of Biggest Loser, which was 2 hours.:D Tonight, its time to get my priorities in order again and get to bed by 10:30. I know how important sleep is to my weight loss efforts and my sanity.

Nicolen, :drill: Stay away from the pizza!! (I'm trying to be like Jillian on the Biggest Loser...is it working?)

Casey - I'm sorry to hear that your relationship is going through some tough times. We are here for you.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

good morning everyone,
Thanks for all the well wishes, it is official I have a cold, I feel horrible, but did all my exercises yesterday, today I did my 39 minutes on the elliptical, but didn't do anything else, I just couldn't. Hubby is out of town on a job, so I am all alone to nurse myself, but I am not giving up. The scale is still moving downward, so I am happy with it, and am looking forward to being out of the 220's in the near future.
Hope everyone has a great on plan day.
cheryl

Just a quickie this morning.

Casey - So sorry to hear about your personal difficulties. During the highly emotional struggles, it's easy to turn to food. But I hope that you know that staying on plan will help you feel more in control of your life, will help you feel good about yourself at a time when it's easy to lose that, and the exercise is a much better stress reducer than all of the chocolate frosting in the world. Good luck with your decision.

Rhonda - Hope you're feeling less ill today, even if the tired is still there.

Cheryl - Sorry to hear that you're suffering from a cold, but congrats on tackling the exercise anyway. I've read that working out through a cold actually makes it go away faster. Hopefully, it will for you.

Rakel - Thank you for your sweet post. Hopefully, your on-plan days will start outnumbering your not-quite-on-plan days significantly. Congrats on pushing yourself on the bike, too.

CC - Hope that the walking will go well today. And thank you for making me feel less conspicuous about my cries for help. With luck, you won't face the same issues, but if you do, I have your responses safely tucked away in my brain, waiting to spew them back at you or anyone else needing them!

My calories are starting to come back to where they need to be, though it's still hard for me to be happy about the increasing number, even when I'm working intentionally to increase it. Yesterday, I consumed 1136 calories. I am going to aim for 1200 and try to keep it there. My exercise was pretty good. I did 12 minutes on the Stairstepper (and way proud of it!), 32 on the elliptical (and continuing to increase the resistance), and 20 on the stationary bike. Instead of walking/running, though, I did an hour of water aerobics and about 15 minutes of lap swimming. Not an even exchange, but it does help to shake things up. I also had trouble with my VCR, so I short-changed the strength training, although I did do abs. Not bad. I do wish, sometimes, that those exercise machine read-outs were accurate. My elliptical always tells me I burn 550-600 calories in the half-hour I use it. Wouldn't it be great if I could really burn 2 candy bars in a single half-hour? **SIGH** I have to admit I love to see the number, even if I know it isn't accurate.

So, another on-plan day, and the scale is continuing its downward movement. There's a small chance I'll see the next decade before next weigh-in. I would love to say goodbye to these troublesome 190s!

Rhonda - Unbelievable. I missed the finale of BB8. I didn't even think about it, but we were busy last night again, so that's my excuse. Sheesh!

Rakel - Hang in there, it sounds like you've done well with your exercise. But, to let a silly "Pool Closed" sign stop you???? (Just kidding!)

I'm having a good day so far. I didn't get all my water in yesterday, but it was close. I'm looking for a better effort today!

Gotta run.

Hello world.
Gosh my world is all so dramatic these days! So far so good today. Had a bit of a snack attack last night but nothing too terrible...better than it has been. Watched most of the new Biggest Loser....love it, so motivating. Anyway no gym last night but I'm going tonight. Just trying to get to that place of control again. I'm most of the way there!

Sorry I don't have time for anymore right now....the drama is calling!

Morning everyone!

Stressful day at work yesterday. I'm not really prepared to post all the details on a public forum in case my company decide to go looking for things, so yeah. In a nutshell, we're majorly behind, and management have decided we're going to have a "workathon" today. Seriously, what do they think we do every day? Sit around doing nothing? The new system is also causing issues in that policies are auto-cancelling for non payment before the client gets all the paperwork, and sales are basically taking an attitude of "That's the client's fault. Not reinstating!". Given that there are acknowledged issues that we all know about, I'm finding their service appalling. I'm insured with my company, and I'm going to see what happens when my policies renew in February and see whether it's worth keeping them as my insurers...

Laurie, fantastic stuff on yesterday! Go you! :carrot:

Diane, the excuses are easy to find and then when you think it through, you realise how self-defeating they can be, don't you?

CC, our interest rates are very high at the moment. Looking at my bank's website, the floating rate is currently 10.5% with the fixed rate being about 1% lower than that. My mortgage is on a fixed rate below that because my father told me about a year ago to change it to a fixed rate - he was an accountant, so at times like this he's very handy! I'm just thinking about starting a thread comparing prices between countries of the things we all have to buy like insurance, electricity etc. That could be quite interesting...

Rakel, keep it up! You're doing well!

Rhonda, the pizza is in the rubbish. I chucked it out yesterday morning and I have no intention of going hunting for it!

Cheryl, is there anything worse than a cold? You feel miserable, even though you know it's only for a couple of days. Get well soon!

OK,I'm going to have a positive, on-plan day today. Yes.

Take care, everyone :hug:

Hey all!

Glad the overall trend is for a good day for all of you today!

For me:
Food: :D
Exercise: :D
Sleep: :D

Yay!

Nicole, re the rates... OUCH! Good for you for getting a fixed rate. We're having all sorts of problems here with people getting into to-good-to-be-true mortages last year and defaulting on their loans like crazy now and being foreclosed upon. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Laurie, way to go getting back on plan!!

Have a great day everyone :)

Rhonda, apparently there are a lot of us insomniacs here :P At least we can all relate to each other! I'm too afraid to not get enough sleep than to try and pull my schedule around. I'm not sure which is better at this point!

Cheryl, WOW! congrats on the loss! Wasn't it just 224 yesterday? :carrot: Keep it up and feel better!

Laurie, you do a lot of different exercises! By the time I am done on the bike I seriously lack any motivation to do much anything else. Monday I was going to do the stair stepper for 15 minutes, and I think I lasted about 30 seconds before I opted to just go home and take a shower :P I'll get there!!!

Nicolen, it seems like service everywhere is taking a nosedive. It's a shame, really!

CC, YAY! :D

AND, for me, Wednesday is my day off exercising, but I'm going to try meet my calorie goal 100%!

Good morning all,
I hope you have a great on plan day. My cold is getting better :carrot:, but the st*pid scale went up 2 lbs . I have not gone off plan, I have been doing exercises, the only difference is I have been taking medicine. Does medicine make you gain weight??? :mad:. Today nothing should mess up my routine, going to take my dd to school( hubby is away and I have the car :) ), and come back to exercise, and eat bkfst. I don't forsee any off plan moments.
Have a great day!!!!!

cheryl

Good morning.

It's been a while since I've posted but I have been reading and keeping up with you all.

I'm so sorry so many of us have sleeping problems. This is not something from which I suffer but I can feel your pain. I know how I am when my kids (or myself) are sick and I can't get any sleep. I can't even imagine just laying there with no reason not to sleep and STILL not sleeping! I hope you all find some relief, somewhere.

I've got 2 exams this morning and then I'm having lunch with a friend. I have GOT to keep reminding myself that I WILL NOT use food as a "reward" for completing those exams! FAT IS NOT A TREAT!!!!!!!!!!!

I also think my hip is feeling better enough that I may hop on my elliptical this afternoon and take it for a spin and see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Have a great day, everyone!!

Tricia - Great to hear from you! Good luck on your exams - though knowing you, I'm sure you're way too prepared to need the luck. Good luck on the lunch with the friend, too. I have actually not been brave enough to try this yet. I'm sure you'll do great.

Cheryl - I don't know about the cold medicine causing weight per se, but I imagine there are some ingredients that could be troublesome. However, without knowing what meds you took, it's kind of hard to say. I do think, though, that the sleep is an important ingredient in the weight loss formula, and I know I sleep really badly when I have a cold, and I don't have any cats dancing on my face. Maybe that's the connection? I can't imagine that those two pounds will stick around, though.

Rakel - I was wondering about your name. At first, I was guessing it was Middle Eastern. Then, it occurred to me that it might be an alternate spelling for Raquel. How is it pronounced? You're right - I do a variety of exercises. I have read that it's important to mix it up so my body doesn't become efficient at the exercise, which will cause me to burn fewer calories when I do it. I really think that I can excel at this incompetence thing. :D Plus - it makes it more interesting to do a variety of things.

CC - Yippee on the exercise and the sleep! And the food! Even though the food hasn't seemed to be a struggle for you lately, I know from recent experience that this can go without warning, so you deserves a congrats on all of it!

Nicole - Argghh on the workplace stress. You seem to be handling it well, though. And it sounds like you're staying on plan and staying positive. I really believe that staying on my plan helps me deal with stress. Hopefully, it's helping you as well.

On plan all the way for me yesterday. My calories are still a little low (1092), but I'm slowly moving them up, which is a huge step for me. When I've tried to do that in the past, I've gotten really frustrated and made poor food choices for those "extra" calories, and then it kind of got out of control. So, the slow rise in calories as I try to add additional healthy foods is an accomplishment. I was pressed for time during the day yesterday, so the elliptical for 30 minutes was the only gym exercise I did. I also rode my bike for errands, so about ten miles there. But the big one - I ran FIVE MILES last night. I still can't believe it. My goal was to repeat Monday's four miles, and I even tried to talk myself out of going past the four miles, as I didn't want to keep setting new records that would be harder to break. But, I was just feeling it, and I kept going. I think on Friday, I will go back down to the four, but it's great to know that I can do five. And if the scale movement continues, I will be in a new decade on Monday. Hopefully...

Good morning, Everyone!

Tricia - so glad you checked in. Hope you do well on your exams. I'm sure you're super prepared and will fly through them with ease!

I so very happy to report that I slept soundly all night long and am feeling very well rested this morning!:carrot: Maybe it was my 60 minutes on the treadmill yesterday....yep, I finally got back on track with the exercise. Or, maybe it was going to church last night. I've been ignoring the spiritual part of good health lately and it felt great to have the family in church again.

Has anybody watched the 'How to Be Slim' episode of 'The Truth About Food' series on Discovery Health? The show was very interesting and its was nice to get verification that the 100lb club posters are some pretty savvy weight loss buddies.:D We already knew most of what they said...exercise, eat low fat dairy, eat protein and keep a food journal. Now, I havent been doing all of this...I eat low-fat dairy and protein, but I've not been keeping a food journal or exercising every day. My goal for today: Another hour on the treadmill and start tracking my calories again.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

Morning everybody!

I'm feeling a lot better this morning than yesterday, so a huge thanks to all of you for listening to my rants. Of course, the fact that it's Friday might have something to do with that!

I had the most horrible headache all day yesterday, and I really wanted to go home sick, but there was a meeting I had to go to. I don't feel like it achieved much at all - it was supposedly a look at why people think there's no opportunities for career advancement - and I get the feeling that the feedback we gave will be completely ignored. A pity really, because there was some good stuff there - such as people being told that they need to get their "brand" out there and recognised when they've been working with the company for several years and that person then finding out that the job they applied for has been offered to a person who's been with the company for less than a year. Nobody's quite sure what that means, but the reality is we're there to do a job, not go around saying "look at me - aren't I fantastic". Fun fun fun.

CC - go you with the sticking on plan! Well done! We haven't had issues with mortgage companies going bust - yet - but we have a real problem with finance companies going under. They tend to offer finance to people buying cars and there have been 7 go under in the last year, including 4 in the last 6 weeks or so, and there are rumours of another one going under. Unfortunately, credit is far too easy to get here.

Cheryl, ignore the scale. You'll be retaining water with the cold - presumably you've been keeping up your fluid intake while you haven't been well - and you'll be fine on weigh in.

Yay, Tricia's back! Good luck with the exams and here's hoping you get no pain from your hip.

Laurie, way to go on the running. That's brilliant! I want to start running - I should look at that C25K programme that everyone talks about. That might just have to be this weekend's job, I think. Can I ask how long you've been running, or is it something you've always done?

Rhonda, sounds like you had a great day yesterday and fantastic that you're sleeping again. That does make a difference, I think.

Have a great day, everyone!

Good morning everyone!

I'll get me out of the way since it's short and sweet. :)

Food: :D
Exercise: :D
Sleep: :D

I'm on a roll!

Cheryl, I'm glad you are starting to feel better. Don't sweat the scale. Mysterious gains can leave as quickly as they arrived.

Hi Tricia! Great that your hip is feeling better. Food as a reward has long been one of my issues, so I know that impulse well. You can resist it! Good luck on your exams!

Laurie, your exercise blows my mind! Good job bringing those calories up, keep going - you want to continue to have all that energy for those workouts! ;)

High five on the sleep, Rhonda! And the treadmill - WOO HOO!!! You are doing so great. I watched two of the Truth About Food shows, but I'm not sure which two. My cable desriptions are all messed up for that show, so I may have missed a few. I saw the one about people eating 11 pounds of fruits and veggies a day (makes me bloat just thinking about it) and the one about couples having trouble having babies. I'm just going to record them all (repeats too) and just delete the ones I've seen. Glad to know we're doing things right! I have to say I like that they are using Europeans in their segments - I know the US is a fat country, but we aren't the only ones that struggle.

Have a super day everybody!

Edit: I missed Nicole... We had the same struggles at my own company that you are having there. Funny how we're half a world away and struggle with the same things! Glad you're feeling better today. Your weekend is almost here - YAY!

Hi everyone! I have not been doing that great the last two days (food wise)....not terrible, but certainly room for improvement. No workout yesterday, not time for the gym today, although I may get a walk in later.

On a positive note, I LOVE my hair! My hilights are caramel (if I can't eat it, I might as well have hair that color ;)) and I am going to *try* growing out my bangs a bit....we'll see....I actually left it down and let the curls do their thing today. I have gotten SO many compliments!

I'll get caught up w/ everyone this weekend!

mj ;)

Actually, from high school on, I've always envied runners but never had the guts to try it. One of my best friends ran cross country, and I always wished that I could do it. I started out in the middle of May walking about two miles. I quickly expanded that until I was walking about six miles every day by the end of May. Slowly, I added in some running to these walks - just whenever I felt like it. I then posted a question about running on 3FC, and learned that Lisa and Tricia (and a few other 3FC'ers) both started running at weights that were as high or higher than mine at the time, and I was inspired. I started by just running a quarter mile, but once I found I could do that, I quickly increased my time to about 2.5 miles within a few weeks. I was already doing so much cardio that I transitioned much more easily than I ever would have anticipated. It's only been this week that I decided to get serious about it again, though. I had built up to about 3.5 miles through the summer, which I had done several times, but I went 4 miles on Monday and 5 on Wednesday. I am sure that my previous training schedule has not been the best one, so I would encourage you to check out the Couch to 5K program that you mentioned and that I've heard about, but not seen, or another, better-planned training program. I don't know that I love running per se, but I love the fact that I CAN run. Goddess Jessica has also inspired me to do a triathlon, which I will complete before another year has passed. It is amazing what we can do when we stop listening to the negative voices and allow ourselves to be inspired by what so many people here are doing. Good luck - and let me know if I can answer any questions. I'm probably not the best source of answers, but I'd love to try to help.

You're an inspiration, Laurie. I have been trying to get my running/jogging going. I just added a little bit here and there while walking. I have a really long way to go with it, but I figure I'll just keep trying to add it in. It does get my heart rate much higher than just walking. I was doing better when my son was with me in the mornings, before he started football practice. Then I told him he would be getting enough running in with that, so I would go at it alone. I'm not as disciplined by myself, but I'm trying to keep it going.

MJ - I love caramel color for highlights. I am sure it looks great. I have a few of those, too, along with the other colors. Now you need to go work out because you'll look great doing it!!!

CC - Good to hear you're on a roll! Good for you!

Nicole - Hang in there with the job. It gets tough to deal with it all sometimes, because we all spend so darn much time working! Do as I say, not as I do: Try to leave the stress at work when you walk away at the end of the day. It is tough to do that, but we all need a break from it!!

Rhonda - Sleep is good! (especially when you are our age!!) :) Glad you got some. You know, I have no trouble going to sleep at night. But if I get woken up early in the morning (like around 4 or later), I sometimes have a terrible time getting back to sleep. I start thinking about the things in my life that are bothering me or stressing me out. Then I'm out of luck in getting back to sleep.

Tricia - How'd the exams go???

Cheryl - Glad you're feeling better. Hang in there. The scale will have to cooperate soon! I'm sure it is just some water retention.

Rakel - How's it going??

As for me, I'm doing pretty good today. I got my walking in at lunch, but my shins are bothering me a bit (shin splints). I might need to get some new shoes. I'm getting there on drinking my water, but I have to focus or I'll run out of time again. My daughter has a volleyball game today, so I'm leaving work early. Sometimes I forget to get the rest of my water in when I'm at my kids activities.

Hope everyone is having a great day!