I got up at 5:30 this morning and went running. Well, it was a walk/run, but I probably ran about half my two mile course. There was a time when I wouldn't have gotten out of bed at 5:30 even if the house was on fire, so to get up voluntarily and run by myself is a pretty big victory.

BarbPA - OMG I had a totally similar experience in Old Navy when I was home for Winter break! I've never been able to shop for myself at the "normal" stores either (:(), but I was out Christmas shopping for my sister/friends, and just for kicks I thought I'd try on some stuff... I ended up buying a really cute shirt and cardigan for myself, and nuthin' for anyone else! LOL. :lol: What a cool NSV.

My latest NSV is that I took in a pair of jeans with my sewing machine, so I now have at least one pair of pants that actually hugs my body instead of falling off of me, hehe. Though this was a reeeeally old pair that I'd taken in once already, and I don't think I'll be able to do it again--I've taken them in so far that the "new" side seam practically goes through the back pockets now!! :o Guess it's time to go jeans shopping again, muahaha... ;)

Way to go everyone. This may sound a little silly but it excited me: I got a new bra that has only 3 hooks and a narrower band and...... nothing spills over on the sides or back. Before I was afraid to wear one like that.

I work in downtown Knoxville, where parking is at a premium, and usually I have to walk a ways to get to my job. For this reason I never wear skirts to work, because of the whole inner thigh chafing issue, you know. But today it's a gorgeous spring day, it's in the 70s, and I wanted to wear a skirt. So I pulled it on (size 14, out of the 'normal size' section at JC Penney, yay!), and you know what? My inner thighs did not rub together during my walk! They still touch, but the rubbing/chafing action is gone.

I think I'm probably more excited about that than any other change that's happened to my body in the past two years.

Despite being stalled out on the scale for 3 weeks, I have continued to keep track of my food and exercise, and I have not let things go. Now, it's beginning to show on the scale. I'm relieved, but I'm also happy that I was able to simply maintain my good habits in the face of non-losses.

Today my husband and I had to run an errand early in the morning and I ate a banana and cup of yogurt before we left. He stopped at the store and bought a soda and honeybun, I got a big bottle of water, and suprisingly it didn't bother me AT ALL to watch him eat the honeybun.

Originally Posted by thistoo:
So I pulled it on (size 14, out of the 'normal size' section at JC Penney, yay!), and you know what? My inner thighs did not rub together during my walk! They still touch, but the rubbing/chafing action is gone.

I think I'm probably more excited about that than any other change that's happened to my body in the past two years.

That is fabulous! I can so relate to the chafing thighs. I love it when I walk in a skirt and there is no rubbing. I still marvel at it every time. I used to buy the huge bandages and tape them to my inner thighs when I had to wear dresses for more than a few hours at a time. My mom used to put handkerchiefs in her pantyhose to keep her thighs from getting chapped. It's just wonderful to not have to do those things.

My nsv is buying a size 10 dress yesterday. I haven't been able to wear anything in the single digits for almost 25 years. I might just make it back there.

Originally Posted by H8cake:
I used to buy the huge bandages and tape them to my inner thighs when I had to wear dresses for more than a few hours at a time.

Yes! I used to do that too. It is so nice to leave those days behind. :)

Congratulations on the size 10! You'll be in single digits in no time.

iheartsushi418 - Mmmmm, a honey bun sounds absolutely delectable right now... Props to you for exhibiting some SERIOUS willpower, woman! :cp:

I can kind of relate, too--one of my professors had us come early to class today because she showed a movie, and in exchange for us getting up early, she bribed us with coffee and Dunkin' Donuts. ARGH!! She's done this once before, and I emerged victoriously (hehe!) but it wasn't easy... I was pleased to note that it was just a BIT easier to resist them today. My eyes were still darting back and forth between the boxes of donuts and the movie screen every 10 seconds, and I'm pretty sure I noted it every single freakin' time someone else ate a donut, LOL, but the urge to have one didn't feel nearly as strong. I sat sipping my water bottle and munching on my usual morning snack of a Luna Bar instead. Yea! :angel:

The location of my house means I sometimes get people calling to ask for food and cups of tea. Although, to be fair, today's was my first caller in this job, since I moved here mid-dec.

Anyhoo, I often don't have much in, tend to only cook from raw, don't have family to cater for etc. At first I thought I'd have to give him a cup of tea and a couple of pounds - not good practice, I know.

Then I remembered in the freezer I had some bread (only on Sundays in Lent), and in the fridge some grated cheese and some garlic mayo (only on Sundays in Lent). So I toasted the bread, spread the mayo, put on great handfuls of cheese. Boy, did it smell g-o-o-d! Then I wrapped in paper napkins for the guy at the door, shook the plate of cheesy crumby gorgeousness onto the floor for the dogs to scarf, gave the guy his food - and stayed On Plan! woohoo! NSV!

Today's going to be a high calorie day, that's the plan anyway, after a lowcal day yesterday, so I had plenty space calorie wise to eat the odd bit of cheese; but I've promised to stick to this no dairy/meat/sugar/yeast for the weekdays in Lent, so it was a big self-control victory.

ps guy's just been back and said thanks for the food, have you got any money? - but alas, the answer was no.....

My NSV is that I started strength-training at the gym! Before, I've only stuck to cardio because I feel like I can get on the elliptical or treadmill and become invisible. I don't like the idea of the trainers/other weights people watching and judging me while I work the machines, lol. I know how to work the machines and I know proper form for free weights because my dad has shown me, but I was always afraid to use them when a whole lot of other people were there.

But, I know that in order to tone up, I have to start strength-training, so my new MWF routine is this: 10 min of cardio, 3 machines, 10 min of cardio, 3 machines, 10 min of cardio, 2 machines, 5 min cardio cooldown. (I read about it in Glamour! haha) And today, I think every trainer that works there was there just hanging out. Before, this would have made me nervous, but today I just went right on and did my work out!

Part 1

Every year I help with a conference we have in town. In 2007 and 2008, I went early to be able to park close to the convention center. Both years I was also exhausted by the end of the day. I helped with the convention today. I parked a couple of blocks away to let other people have the close parking. During a break I went for a walk to get more steps in. When it was over, I wasn't even tired. I went shopping! Big improvement from last year!

Part 2
They provided a box lunch for me. I gave away the bag of chips and macadamia nut cookie, ate the apple and half of the huge ham sanddwich. I also drank water instead of the Coke that was provided.

One of the things I do to raise my activity level is that I stand at my work desk for part of the day. I've been successful at habitually getting 3 to 4 hours a day of standing; but I'm working on raising it again, and today I did -5-. The most ever (yet)!

Today I added something new to my resume..."Motivational Speaker"! I was asked to speak to a local weight loss group this evening and I had a few "props", like my old size-52 work cargo pants (and my new size-36 ones) and a couple of pics, to go along with the speech I had (actually, I "winged" it). They hung on my every word and said I was an inspiration, and that I did a good job, which was a relief because I wasn't sure how it would go over.

^ YAY, OOKPIK! Congratulations on your successful stint as a motivational speaker! :cp: I remember you telling us that you had been asked, and I was wondering whether you had done the speech yet, and how it ended up going. Glad to hear that everything went well! It must feel awesome to know that you can be an inspiration to all of those people... And how cool that you got to bring along the "props," hehe! Nothing like a visual aid! ;)