Hi everyone! Only four more days until vacation!!! I have been waiting for it for so long I can't believe it's almost here!!!!

Here are a few personals...not much, but all I have time for tonight....

Rhonda--How are you doing? You can do this!

Darkblue--Good for you!

Beverlyjoy--Great job!!!

bigtxmomma--So glad you had fun camping! Ok, back on track for you!! You can do it!

Schmoodle--Yikes, I'm tired just reading about your weekend! Congrats on the loss!!!

mathpuppy--welcome back!

Ginger--So glad to have you back!

Purple--Wow! Great plan!

Sara--How's the knee? Stay off it ;)

Rakel--How are you holding up? Hopefully wedding plans are stressing you out too much!

As for me, migraine and ickiness is finally gone! I hate feeling like that! Of course I feel better, just in time for my knee to start acting up again. Whatever. So, I am in 'take care of my knee' mode, but not totally giving up working out at this point--taking it easier, but not giving it up yet. I can't get into the ortho sooner--he's out of town. I could see someone else, but I choose not to.

Work is hectic, but ok.

I am down 1 lb, which is ok, I wish it was more, BUT I have noticed that I must be losing inches--this is going to sounds strange, but my underwear seem big! I know my legs (calves espcially) are smaller. So, it's working!!!!

This morning I was really tired still (migraines really wipe me out) so I didn't work out in the am and I could totally feel the difference and not in a good way! I did go to the gym tonight, but it just wasn't the same! I guess I have gotten so used to doing some cardio or yoga (or combo) in the morning that my body likes it. So, I'll be back at it tomorrow am! I think that once it gets warm enough I may try taking the dogs for a short walk in the am--they would LOVE that!

Have a great night everyone! Remember--we CAN do this!

Hi Chicks! I weighed myself today and I am so, so happy to say that I've lost three pounds. :) I could feel it, too - funny, I knew it. This past week, I've eating at the low end of my calorie range instead of the high end.

Still have a cold and laryingitis. :( I have programs to do this week. I can work when I am sick...but, not if I don't have a voice. I am hoping I don't have to reschedule my programs for tomorrow.

Plans for today -

ice and heat - for my pieces and parts
stretches
meditation
journal food
lots of water
PMA
No talking!

breakfast - ff cottage cheese with 1/2 banana cut up on it, npnb on ww toast
snack - brocolli
lunch - open face egg white salad with lite cheese sandwich, asparagus
snack - yogurt with flax, cracker
dinner - spaghetti with meat sauce, green bean salad
snack -cereal, fruit, skim milk

Mj5 - vacation time count down...love it! :D

txmamma - I hope you find the meditation as beneficial as I have. I agree - it does seem kind of hokey - but, effective. Great job on your exercise. :carrot:

Purple - It sounds like you are putting together a good plan. And...No more jammies at drop off... ;)
You CAN do this and make it thru...I just know it.

Ginger - jump back on your plan. I agree - the whole process of health and food is a huge learning process. :) It's so easy to go back to all the old habits. One thing I learned in my class about our relationship with food is that when you push thru to get past a stumbling block....it becomes easier the next time you are faced with a similar situation because you've already done it once. I hope that makes sense.

Rhonda - it's so, so easy to fall back on the food - it's our way of dealing. When you are feeling really stressed...try to remember to take three deep breathes and then let them out slowly...one at a time. :) It seems to help.

And, to the rest of the Accountability Gang - have a good day.

I hope you all have a great on plan day. Remember - treat yourself as well as you would treat a good friend.

Good morning, Accountability Friends!

My youngest DD woke me at 5:00 this morning…bad dream. I had trouble falling back to sleep as my brain decided that it was time to do some deep thinking! The main thing on my mind was the struggle I’ve been having lately with staying on-plan. Last week, I was struggling to get my project completed by Friday and I found myself constantly going into the kitchen and looking through the cabinets and the refrigerator…and sometimes grabbing something to eat when I wasn’t hungry and it wasn’t meal or snack time. Then, I crashed and burned over the weekend and went on a binge. Yesterday was another off-plan day. During my early morning think session, I realized that I’ve allowed myself to forget the main reasons why I’m doing this. Yes, I want to look better…who wouldn’t? But, I also want to be a healthy active person for the remainder of my life. No more sitting on the sidelines and allowing my weight to hold me back. I don’t want to let life pass me by. I want to travel, to enjoy life, to be independent for as long as possible. I want to be like my Dad! I had lost my focus, but, for the first time in a while, I’m feeling 100% optimistic and determined to get this weight off, to develop a daily exercise habit and to eat the foods that benefit my body the most! Today, I’m having a 1200 calorie day and will do 60 minutes of walk/run on the treadmill.

Ginger – Congratulations on your 2 ½ pound loss! :carrot: Its so good to see you back here and posting again!
MJ – Congrats on your pound loss and the loss in inches! :broc:

Purple – It’s funny how I always seem to follow your lead! :D Working from home has made me very lazy. I’ve been working in my pajamas everyday. When I take a bath after my workday, I usually just put on a clean pair of pajamas. Hubby has made a few comments, but I kind of just blew him off. Then, he told me that I look younger and slimmer when I wear a bra. I definitely want to look younger and slimmer,so I decided that I was going to start getting dressed each morning and have some pride in my appearance again. I’ve been getting up and getting dressed …and, even wearing perfume! Now, I don’t have to make a mad dash for upstairs if anyone drops by.:D
Momma – Hope the meditation works well for you.

Hi to all of my other Accountability partners. Hope everyone has a great on-plan day!

Good morning, ya'll! Slept well but it's nice and cold out and I could have slept all day.

Food:
Bfast -- eggs, Gimme Lean, coffee w/ almond milk
Lunch -- broccoli/garbanzo casserole
Snack -- asparagus soup
Dinner -- something with eggplant

Exercise:
Strength today!

Yay for vacation, mj! Are you staying home, mostly? I remember you were going to clean your attic.

Beverly, congratulations on your loss!!! That's wonderful!!

Yay Rhonda!! It's good to have you goals set out so clearly. =D I hope you have a wonderful on plan, bra-wearing day today. =D

Hi to everyone else!

Rhonda--It is nice to actually be dressed for the day, but I didn't quite make it today. I did change from PJs but into a hoodie and shorts, and well they kinda matched but didn't look real hot. :shrug: I have always been a laid back girl when it comes to make up and such, but I have just let it go too far. Slowly working back up to taking that morning time to make myself feel good. I don't wear perfume, but I do use bath & body works lotions, I lotion my entire body in the AM after my shower and I can smell it on my all day long, so nice and the skin is so smooth under the clothes...how could I possibly forget to do that for myself?

:carrot: 3 lb. is awesome, Beverly :carrot:

Congrats on the pound mj...and it is common to lose less pounds but knock off inches. My mom is in cardio rehab after her heart attack and she has only lost like 8 lbs I think, but has dropped from a size 18/20 into a 14! She looks amazingly different, yet she felt she wasn't making progress because the scale was barely going down...shows the scale is not the most important thing.

I am down a pound today, so it's looking good for WI friday. I am back on track, just tired today because I kept having strange dreams and waking up last night. DD also had a lot of trouble going to sleep, these new gymnastics classes get her so wired up she's like on a high when we come home, and she can't make herself rest. I know the excitement will die down, but she was never this excited about any of the other gyms she has gone to...but this place is different, it's more like one on one with a really good coach and she just loves it...which turns into a long night of me trying to get her to calm down and sleep. Then waking up myself....I'm just worn out and might take a nap before I get my son from preschool. We'll see.

Hi everyone! I have a hair appt tonight and I cannot wait! The works...hilights, eye brows waxed, cut, dh probably won't recognize me when I get home! Actually, the cut will probably just be a trim...not sure what to do. I may let it grow again (it's pretty long now)--2 years ago I cut 14" off and donated it to Locks of Love...I may do that again.

beverlyjoy--CONGRATS on the loss, weight loss, that is...I hope you get your voice back!!!!

Rhonda--Good for you using those early am hours for some serious thinking! I think that's one reason why I like getting up so early to do some cardio...it's quiet (except for the dogs squeaking) and me and whatever dvd I have on!

Ok, I must admit I am a little jealous of purple and Rhonda...I am sure I would feel differently if I didn't have to get ready to leave the house by 7:15am five days a week, but I live for Sat and Sun when I can stay in my pj's all day!!!!

momma--BIG yea for vacation! It's been MUCH too long! We are going to clean our attic and upstairs, then....not sure what...definitely some bargain shopping and some 'date nights'.

purple--Good for you for using nice smelling lotion!! And hey, the rest is a work in progress, right?! Thanks! I *know* the scale isn't as important, but well sometimes I still get hung up on the #'s...what was cool was I put on a pair of jeans this am and while I can't say they are too big, they are certainly looser! Congrats on being down a pound yourself! Are you walking on that track at gymnastics yet? ;)

K, gotta get some work done. Talk to you later!

Hi everyone!

A quick hello. I am on plan today and yesterday. I managed a nice walk yesterday with my "hills" workout at the end and I could certainly feel it last night. I'm off for another walk today :) and I feel good.

Bye for now!!!
Ginger

quick posting: I'm not too stressed out, but very busy. As far as weight goes, I can't seem to get over the 275 hump. I'll go down to 272 for a day or two and then nudge back up to 275. I start out well and then by the end of the day I eat more than I should and I don't get my exercise in. I think I am self-sabotaging by just giving in even though I KNOW I shouldn't and that it will keep me at the same spot.

I think I am afraid of failure, which is silly because if I keep doing this then I will fail. I need to find my motivation, and get through this really busy time so I can focus on ME and getting healthy. I should be able to do both but I'm afraid that I am not that coordinated/organized. I saw my reflection in my computer monitor today and thought, "You know, you may have lost around 30lbs, but you're still really big. You need to keep going." I have the knowledge, but I lack the willpower. I'm thinking about maybe joining weight watchers after the honeymoon. We'll find out by the end of the week whether John has a job or not. He has been doing some work here and there for a sign shop -- the owners go to our church -- they just landed a major client and will be signing the contracts on Thursday. So, providing that all goes as planned, John will probably start working next week.

I wish I could keep up with you all, but we're growing by leaps and bounds and I've been so out of touch lately. I'm still here and I haven't given up... but still trying to get back into the swing of things and make more progress.

BeverlyJoy - you just have such wonderful advice. I sure hope I learn to get through it easier...because there is a next time. I'm scrapbooking for an entire weekend at the end of April. Again, food included. However, MIL will be there with me, and that's motivation enough to show strength that I CAN resist temptation. There won't be much snacking around her.

Rakel- it's nice to see you around. I know you get past the 275 hump!

Rhonda- I don't want to sit by on the sidelines and watch life pass me by either! I'm so glad you are back on plan. I know what it's like to binge. It just seems so easy and worth it at the time, but it's truly NOT worth it at all.

Mj5 and Purple - both of you are down a pound! Awesome!

Anyhow, I gotta run. Thanks for all your support and encouragement!

Ginger

Oh and a quick note to txmamma:

Yes, what exactly is hubby doing offering me chips !!! Dang!

And yes I am very proud of my workouts lately. Today you ladies would have been proud. 45 minute walk ending with another 45 minutes of running up the hill on my street and walking down. I tell you running 255 pounds up a hill reminds me why life would be so much easier if I were lighter! It was a struggle.

I can run. I can lose weight. I can change. I can compete. I can win! - inspiration from the biggest loser Australia, season 1.

Cheers,
Ginger

hey guys. today was not good. :P
i stopped counting cals about halfway through the day. whats wrong with me? i think it might be the stress i have over my partner. she had a minor surgery and i have been taking care of her the past week. (yesterday was the actual surgery, but the emotional build up took a lot out of both of us)

everything is fine, everything is totaly fine, im just stuck in funk land. her chest pains were nothing to do with her heart so that was good (to answer your Q bigtxmomma im touched you asked :) )

i decided that i should check in even if im not doing good, that way at least im aware that im not doing good. you know, on that other level, the level that the rest of the world is in on. it will help keep me accountible and get me back on track faster.

oh somthing good that happened: when i was in line at the grocery store, i thought of all you guys, then i put the "im having a crappy day" cheese cake back
:)

so even if it wasnt that great of a day, i had one battle won! (thanks to you guys)

i feel a little better just checking in....

i think i even feel good enought to say that ill not skip out on sit ups tonight!
thankyou for reading.
promise i wont be a drainbow for long. the rainbow inside me will be back in no time. maybe tommorow?

(hopeful)

Hey guys!

I did well today. I ate a little more around dinner time than I had intended. I worked out well -- I did a good strength session, and then tonight DH watched DD and I went to the park and walked 2 miles. I did really well. I'm feeling very good. My xbox got fixed so I'm going to relax and play. =D

Purple, that's crazy about your mom losing only 8 pounds and yet several dress sizes! I hope the WI goes well on Friday. =D

mj, how'd your beauty night turn out? I love getting my eyebrows waxed. Well, not really. But better than plucking!

ginger... lol @ the 255 pound frame running up the hill. I was thinking of that today on my walk. I was thinking about how my legs are so muscular because I've been hauling a 330 pound frame around for a year, and how I'd like to just KEEP those strong muscles. Grats on being on plan! Keep up the good work!

Rakel, good luck to John! I hope he gets the job! Keep posting when you have time, don't worry about personals. It's overwhelming. Have you thought that maybe you're afraid of success, and not failure? Just a thought.

Hi...I did well with my food yesterday. I am grateful.

Yesterday was my birthday - and DH had to go out of town, plus too many aches and pain and a cold to boot. I started to have a "pitty party". But, I got so many phone calls from all over the country (even one from Australia), cards, emails and my three year old neighbor brought me flowers - How could I have anything but a lovely day.

work on taxes
water
meditation
stretches
journal food
PMA - I'll try - having a hard time lately

breakfast - grits with cheese, apple
lunch - HC clam chowder, spaghetti squash
snack - yogurt, flax
dinner - creamed tuna and peas, green beans
snack - cereal, fruit, milk

I'll check back later for personals.

Have a good day. Be kind to yourself.

Good morning, Accountability Friends!

Today is on-plan day 2....Yipee! I wish I could always remember how good this feels! I spent some time reading back through my blog last night. I am so very glad I started blogging last year as I am learning more and more about myself each week and it helps to remind myself of the reasons I'm doing this. If you've not started journaling or blogging, I encourage you to do so. I found a quote from 'You On A Diet' that I included in one of my earlier posts and it really spoke to me again "……your fat serves as a literal and metaphorical protective layer that keeps you from interacting with reality. You don’t have to play the game of life if you’re constantly making excuses for living on the bench. If only you could lose weight, if only you could fit into that bikini, if only you could take a hike with the family without breathing heavier than a prison escapee. While some people may say that fat is a failure, the truth is that fat - for many of us - is a way of avoiding failure, because it’s an excuse for never competing and engaging in life.” Wow! Do these doctors know me personally?:D

MJ - Hiya Gorgeous! How was the makeover? I bet you look great.
Purple - Congratulations on dropping another pound! BTW, I love Bath & Bodyworks, too. Getting a full set of bath gel, lotion and body spray is my favorite gift to myself. Today, I'm wearing Cherry Blossom.
Ginger - Congratulations on making it through on-plan day 2!
Math - Hope your rainbow comes out of hiding for you today. Great job of not buying that evil cheesecake!
Rakel - Hope that job comes through for John.
Momma - Hi there! Hope you're having a great day.

Today, I must make myself get on the treadmill! Yesterday, I bought two knee wraps from Wallyworld so I can try a few sprints during my walk. I'm hoping that I can be like other heavy runners and start the C25K program at my current weight. Even if I don't do any running, I will definitely be walking.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day!

Rhonda! I am SO glad you've had a couple good days on plan - hold on to that feeling, friend and build on it. You can do this.

LOVE the quote! Thanks so much - it's so very true.