Angie - hope your baby feels better soon. Thanks for being such a rock-solid supporter and example!

Enjoynlife - I do intervals when I do the treadmill, so an average of 4.0 means I walked way more than I ran, since I walk at 3.7. I also graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2009. And got married before 25. Way before. We could be twinners. Congratulations on your scale pledge! I think it's a good thing.

Day #3 successful! For a minute, I debated whether to call it that. I rejected tons of candy opportunities, and felt good about it. Informed my children that unless they hid their candy from me, I would be junking it. They don't need it either. But I did decide at the end of the day to have a Reese's. And when the first small bite didn't taste as good as I had imagined, I tossed it. I also ate a few handfuls of cereal. But I also ate enough healthy protein to support muscle recovery and kept my calories low. So, not as strict as days one or two, but successful nonetheless.

And I am jonesing for the scale. Weird, cuz I have been happy with weekly weigh-ins for about four months. But it is in the closet instead of on the bathroom floor, and in the closets it stays!

Day #4 - Bags of candy surround me already from last night's trunk or treat, and official trick or treating tonight. #sigh# Going to limit the number of houses they go to. I will allow myself two pieces of candy AFTER 9:00 pm. Going to do 3 miles on the treadmill. Going to transition back into more 'normal' on-plan eating.

LaurieDawn - that's awesome that you were able to toss that Reese's in the trash after realizing it wasn't what you expected. Gosh, I can remember countless times that I've eaten candy and junk food and although it wasn't good to me, I just kept eating it. See, you've got this! Oh, and when you say you've eaten enough protein to support muscle recovery, how many grams are you taking in? I've been wondering if I'm taking in enough myself. And stay away from that scale! LOL! The jonesing that you're experiencing is your scale-withdrawal symptoms LOL. They'll pass soon :D

Day#1 of no scale. Is it sad that I woke up thinking about it? I had my partner put mine away as well so I wouldn't be tempted to cheat. I have to admit though, it's slightly freeing to not have that number flashing over my head like neon vegas lights all day, like it usually does. Unfortunately I can still remember yesterday's number, before I started this challenge, but I'm trying to leave it in the dust.

I've been in a new position at my job since June, and with it came a new building. This building has food days EVERY DAY. It's ridiculous. There's rarely a day that I don't walk in to either amazing smells or a group of people gathered around talking about the various flavors of pies, puddings, dips, and cupcakes that they brought in. And it's really the way they all bond, so me not joining in is kind of like dissing the new group. I know technically I could bring in something healthy but really, I'd rather not even go within range of the 'Table of Dooooom'.

I am glad I don't have kids yet, at this moment. Having to resist their loads of candy would be pure torture, so I feel for all you Mom's out there having to resist. Stand firm! It's not worth it...mostly. :devil:

Day 3 of 365

I did my 3rd day of the 30 Day Shred today and can already start to tell a difference in that I am able to almost complete every repetition needed. I'm glad I am beginning to get stronger, and am hoping for a decent loss for my next weigh in. I'm highly considering only weighing in once a week and no more because daily weigh ins are beginning to drive me insane, even though I did get away from 229 again and weighed in at 226.6 this morning. Guessing my gain last week was from water weight.

Also thank you everyone for the kinds words and thoughts for my husband. He will be wearing one of the heart monitor devices for two weeks starting soon so they can hopefully get to the root of the problem and fix what is going on. It's been stressing me out but I'm staying positive. :)

Hi Ladies! I am so excited for you all! I started my "one year journey" last August 17th 2011. My goal was 100 lbs within a year. And thank the Lord, I made it (technically, it was the end of Aug ;) Now I am onto losing the last 25 lbs. Well, about 23 now. :-) And then onto a lifetime of healthy eating. I am so blessed because my Husband is on board with all of this and we made the changes together (he has lost about 80 so far). I was on a bit of a plateau for Sept and Oct, but since yesterday have been foscusing on making more of a concentrated effort. We never did go off our healthy eating plan though-like for example we do not eat sweets or fast foods. Anyways, looking forward to finishing strong and being as healthy as I can be! Wishing you all the best as well! :-)

Penny22 - that is AWESOME!! WOW! You are such an inspiration! I, too, want to lose 100 pounds in a year (well more like 126 pounds), and so far I'm off to a good start. I hope to be able to say the same thing in months to come. Thanks for sharing your experience :D

Enjoynlife & LaurieDawn - thanks for the well wishes for my baby. She has a stomach virus and has been running to the toilet all day long! The doctor said no school or trick-or-treating as she should be indoors because of her fever and loose bowels. Crap! On Halloween! I had purchased her a custome and everything. So I decided to do a halloween hunt inside of our house (I live with my parents and they have a pretty large house). So I had her and her sister (4years old) put on their customes and I hid piles of candy all around the house. They ran from room to room filling up their bags with candy..it was so cute! lol They told me "this was the best halloween ever!" LOL! Good thing it doesn't take much to please kids :D

I think my crazy hunger has leveled itself out. I haven't been getting as hungry this week like I did last week. I've been trying to stay out of the mirror because I was becoming obsessed with staring at myself in it LOL! Why is it so easy to move from one obsession to another? Geeeez. Anyways, the new pants that I've been wearing are starting to bag on my waist, butt, and thighs. Wow! Already? But the one thing I'm worried about is loose skin on my stomach. After two babies and being large for so long....it's jiggly and I have tons of stretch marks. I'm hoping I can make some decent progress on it when it's all said and done. I want to wear a bikini on the beach for once in my life!!!!

Hope you ladies are doing well! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :D

Riddle me this. Through most of this journey, I have weighed weekly. Even when I gave myself permission to weigh daily, I didn't always do it. Now that I am scale-free, I wake up looking for the scale like I did when I lost almost every 100 pounds four years ago. Weird.

Angie - what a great mom you are! This is a story your kids will tell for years. (And something I need to work harder to remember - they won't remember how much you weighed, just that you loved them and found a creative solution to make their holiday special.

Penny - Thanks for the inspiration. It is really helpful to hear stories like yours, especially with all of the doom and gloom stuff about obesity.

Enjoynlife - I graduated with my bachelor's in 2009, then went to law school and got my
JD last May. Lots of school! I am not a good source for nutrition information, but I absolutely will share what I do. I am, as you know, a bit OCD and am also prone to ED. I could easily get obsessive about numbers, and lose my job and lose track of my kids. So, instead, I have chosen a plan that I can do without triggering OCD. It is immeasurably better than my off-plan eating, so I try not to obsess about the fact it's not ideal. I eat very simply. I eat, primarily, pre-prepared chicken breasts, tuna and salmon packets, egg whites, protein bars, and Greek yogurt. I supplement with veggies and fruits. That's it. I will throw in an egg yolk every four eggs or so, maybe add some cheese. Otherwise, I supplement with a daily vitamin, drink tons of decaf green tea, and take fish oil supplements, glutamine, magnesium, and zinc. I am not recommending it necessarily. But it does keep me full and feeling good most of the time. Plus, I have pretty well-developed visible muscle (under layers of fat) and have been losing sizes pretty steadily.

Pink Hurricane - WTG on the Shred! Glad to hear you're getting more information about your hubby. Keep us updated, please. Hope it's all great info. Impressive way to manage stress, too!

Leben Alles - my scale challenge buddy! I know exactly what you mean about the neon light. Mine still flashes, but it's kind of broken, flashing all these numbers that it 'might' be. And the work food! It's the worst! Right now, the break room has cornbread, cupcakes, pumpkin cake bars, and some cool-looking Japanese snack cakes. And I have to continually there to make my decaf green tea! Still, somehow my head's in the right place, and I am having no problem resisting. Totally was NOT the case last week!

Day #3 a success, though not ideal. I ate four pieces of candy, and skipped dinner to give me the calorie room to do it. No guilt, though. Just gotta figure out how to get the candy out! And three of the pieces had peanut butter. Protein, right?

Day #4 - I will lift weights. I am at work until 10ish, and work is the safest place for me foodwise, usually. I promise I will be trashing some cupcakes if everyone is gone and they are still here, though!

I am a little concerned about the kidney thing. I had stones 18 months ago. But I don't have kidney disease, and I am drinking lots of water, and losing weight - all of which are good for my kidneys. And yes ED is a guy thing. :-P At least one version of it. (Could not think of an appropriate funny thing to say here.)

Day #5 a success. In fact, it was easy-peasy. Stayed away from breakroom treats. Not a single piece of Halloween candy. Had a great lifting session. Coulda used more sleep (didn't get to the gym until 10:15, and I get up at 5:15), but good day otherwise.

Day #6 - Back to normal on food. Rest day for exercise. Going to intentionally loosen up a little this evening. Not a splurge per se. I don't think I can yet handle a small serving of ice cream, for example. I will think of something awesome, though.

Hey Guys,
Day #3 for me on the no scale, and really, I'm still not missing it. I did gaze at the empty spot on the bathroom floor for a minute but then I had a little conversation with myself.
I was like "so what if you weigh next weekend and the number still hasnt changed? It would be disappointing, yes, but you're doing everything you need to be doing, so it's either possibly have a disappointing day that day, or have a disappointing day every day that the scale doesnt move. At least this way, there is hope!"
And then I moved on. Yes, I do talk to myself often. And yes, I most always answer myself as well. Definitely nuts.

Laurie: I'm glad I'm not the only one who has to suffer past the endless office food. What really gets me is when I see the same tiny girl loading up a plate day after day. I want to corner her and demand she tell me how many hours she spends in the gym burning all this off. Because thinking that she can eat all this and not have to burn it off at the gym is too depressing.

Enjoynlife: I completely understand your frustrations with the whole calorie in/calorie out, BMR business. I eventually had to stop reading about it all because I got so much differing information. I'm just sticking to MFP on my calories for now and doing what feels right. It's nerve racking, though, to think that my 'formula' could be wrong and I'm either not eating enough calories or eating too much or need to be altering it or less carbs or less sugar or more protein or... Ugh. Why can't it be simple? Some people say it's simple, but then they usually go into a deal about what -they- think is the right way, and it's usually different than half of what other people say. AGH!

Enjoynlife - did that pharmacist explain why your chances of kidney stones increase from eating healthier? And LaurieDawn - you had them in spite of the fact that you were eating healthy? That's crazy. I'd be interested to hear the theory behind that.

You ladies are doing awesome avoiding the scale! You make me proud :D

LebenAlles - You are NOT nuts! Girl, I talk to myself ALL the time! People don't talk to themselves enough....we could talk ourselves out of a lot of stuff we'd end up regretting if we only had that little conversation LOL!

Angie - High protein is supposed to be hard on the kidneys. Lots of different opinions about this, but my doctor said that unless your kidneys are damaged, it shouldn't be a problem. Kidney stones are not caused from damaged kidneys, so I'm not too worried. And Enjoynlife - I was thinking back to my eating habits at the time I got the kidney stone. I was actually vegan at the time, ironically enough. (I was vegan for about two years 14 years ago, and I went through a short phase of trying to return to the vegan lifestyle about at that time. Lasted about two months.)

Just wanted to report my "loose" day, intended to make me less crazy after my strict series of days. I spent the whole day trying to decide what was so good it was worth splurging on. Had a bite of a reportedly "amazing" cream horn. Not worth another bite. Did have a few mini-pumpkin sugar cookies. Quite good, but I threw the rest away. Then I went to the store, and found pomegranates for $.69 each. I LOVE pomegranates, but won't spend $3 or $4 for one, the usual price here. So, as I dedicate my Friday night to work (Yay?), I ate an entire half of one (and got delightfully sticky doing so), and feel like I had a GREAT splurge day, though calorie-wise, I'm probably still eating at a decent deficit. I may even go for a walk later. Nothing major, as I want to respect the rest day, but it would be fun. Maybe I'll plan splurges more often. I had a great time choosing what I would eat, and making choices about what wasn't worth it. And I am feeling quite full and satisfied right now. =)

And Leben Alles - I agree. Talking to yourself keeps you saner!

Thanks, Enjoynlife! It was only slightly worse than Halloween, a 'strict day.' Being on plan makes it so much easier for me to make choices that support my long term plan! P. S. I really like your long (and short!) posts.

Tomorrow would have been a great weigh-in. Post-TOM. Back on plan after being off for a week or so. All of the elements in place. But I am not doing it. #DeepBreath

When I started I had hoped to loose as much weight as I could as fast as I could. Now I realize this is a process and will take time. I will give it a year and maybe more. It has to be a life change rather than a quick fix. I would love to get this fat gone right now but I know that is not going to happen.

Like Lauriedawn I lift. Probably not as much as her but heavy for me. I was lifting for toning but decided to push it. I am amazed at how much I can lift. I still am using some machines and some dumbells. I just leg pressed 190lbs. When I started they were having me lift 40lbs. I knew I could do more.

Sorry to ramble. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Lifting is no joke. I sweat just as much heavy lifting as I do when I do Insanity. I be huffing and puffing lifting those weights! :)

Tomorrow is a rest day. I love my Sundays. I'm fighting a cold but I still got my exercise done today. I hope everyone has a great weekend! :D

Lost my post! Hate that! The brief version:

Lisha - Love that you posted here. I so enjoy keeping up with your amazing progress. You're so positive all of the time.

Angie - Woo hoo on both lifting and Insanity. Hope you conquer that cold quickly.

Did not weigh today. Really wanted to last night. This morning, I let it go without too many tears. Glad I did this challenge.

Yesterday - Stayed on track with food. Lifted in the morning. Sore today (woo hoo!)

Today - Fasting until 5 p.m. Going to get to the gym and do some steady-state cardio for the first time in forever. Going to try to go for at least 10 minutes at a very slow run (4.8 mph) rather than my usual intervals that have me running at a still pretty slow 6.4 mph for 1-2 minutes followed by walking at 3.7 mph for 2-3 minutes. Just want to be able to say I can run a mile. Hoping for good results, as I have been definitely been improving my fitness levels. Just haven't tested them in this particular way.

Last day of the weekend! Only seven days left before I get to see if I finally broke out of the 220s. (And, in my mind, I already have, so it will be interesting to see how delusional I am. =))

Lauriedawn- Thanks for the welcome. I try and keep postive. I was feeling a bit down a few weeks ago. Its seemed like I was never going to get out of the 230's. I spent almost the whole month of October trying to get out. I am trying to find the right balance for my calories. I ate 2000 yesterday and lost. I was shocked especially after lifting. I am trying to eat between 1700 and 2000/day. I get impatient and frustrated like everyone else. :)

I really want to pick your brain about New Rules. Are you still on that? I have been reading the book more and getting scared. Those exercises seem so hard. I am lifting using a different system and seeing success. I know New Rules works I just need to get the courage up to start. Part of my problem is I don't have a spotter.

I have been trying to increase my speed. This week I started jogging for a few min and have worked up to 5min. You are amazing to run. I am nervous about my knees and running.

I hope your kidney stones disolve on their own. That really sucks.

Why are you fasting? If you don't mind me asking?

I lifted yesterday and felt GREAT. . I guess the endorphins kicked in. I went as Rosie the Riveter for Halloween. I got a few comments on my guns. ;)

Angie good for you doing insanity. I have read that one is hard. I hear you about sweating while lifting. I wear a heart rate monitor to track my calories while lifting and walking. I get my HR up in the 130's at times lifting. Especially squats with a kettlebell. It feels good though. I read somewhere a quote a love "Sweat is fat crying".

I love the costume, and I love that you're showing your guns! I am still too focused on my excess flab to really show off my guns, but I LOVE them.

As for the kidney stones, I only had one once, and it was in July of 2011. I just commented on it because of the protein/kidney question someone asked. Thanks for the well-wishes, though. =) I am hoping to NEVER have a recurrence.

New Rules questions. Yes, I am still doing it, and actually just finished my last work-out of Phase 3 yesterday. Woot woot! I love it. Tony Horton (the P90X guy) just came out with a new series of 10-minutes work-outs (Stacking, I think he calls it) that seem based on the New Rules principles, another indication of the effectiveness of these principles, in my mind. I love New Rules because the moves really work multiple areas at once. I tend to get very, very sore after.

There are challenging exercises in there for sure. I know I don't always get them right. Even then, though, I feel like doing it 90% is yielding good results. When I go to a new phase, I often watch youtube videos with the exercises to learn them if the diagrams aren't sufficient. I have also asked people in the gym to help me with complicated exercises. But it really is pretty "bite-size." And that's one of my favorite parts of it. I learn two parts of each phase at the beginning of a phase, then learn them better as I work through the phase. Then, I learn new exercises for the next phase. As for a spotter, I don't use one. If I can just drop the weights if they are too heavy, I don't worry about not having a spotter. I don't bench, for example, because I don't want to break my chest. But I will squat and deadlift because I can just drop them if the weight is too heavy. Never had to drop weights, though.

The fasting is a religious thing. I do it once a month, first Sunday of the month. I have "adopted IF principles," but I don't really do IF. I may decide to do it at some point.

I love how I feel about my body after I lift. I am much more aware of the amount of excess fat I have on my frame, but I am also aware that I can move quickly and well (not athlete-level, but I can zoom through a grocery store when I need to get stuff done), have great balance, can move fifty-pound boxes without much difficulty, etc. Lifting is awesome. And I really like New Rules in particular.

I've always been a bit too muscular for my taste, at least in my legs, so I've not gotten into the lifting yet. I do, however, want to be a toned thinner version of myself, so once I lose another 30 lbs or so, I plan on starting. I definitely don't want to get rid of the fat and become a little weakling, that's for sure.

I've gotta say, the scale challenge has been hard this weekend. I almost weighed myself with my eyes closed and was going to have my partner look at the weight, just so someone would know...and maybe so she could tell me if I'm headed in the right direction. But I didn't. The scale remains in the laundry room.

I do feel like I've lost some lbs though. I went to the mall yesterday and tried on a size 16 pencil skirt at Sear's that zipped but didn't allow me to sit down without fear or hulking that thing to pieces. I also tried on some 16 jeans that went on but wouldn't button. The 18's fit pretty comfortably now, though, and the 18W's at target were actually too big. Clothes sizing is so annoying sometimes, but still, it was all encouraging.

Something else encouraging was when I found my size 24W pants in a storage bin and was able to fit both legs (though a bit snug) into one pant leg. Absolutely insane to have already lost that much, even though I still have a ways to go. I also found some pics of me and my partner from her sister's wedding last october and oh. my. goodness....we were both hefty ladies. Like, wow. She's lost almost 60lbs and I've lost at least 54 since then and man does it make a difference. I just can't believe we ever let ourselves get so large! Yeesh!
Laurie, hang in there with me on the scale challenge! This mess gets a bit tough after a few days. I still haven't decided if it's 'for me' since the anxiety of not weighing the last two days has been a lot like the anxiety of the scale not moving except I don't have any numbers to either calm myself down with or tell myself to get my butt in gear with. I dunno, the not knowing part is a little rough. We'll see though...I'm determined to stick it out since I made the commitment.
Hope everyone is well!

LebenAlles - I am right there with you on the scale challenge. I'm glad I am doing it, and I will also see it through, but I also feel like I'm white-knuckling it until I finally get to weigh on Sunday. I do think it will be good news, though, and since I didn't get to see my weight yesterday, I feel like I will be highly motivated to stay on plan and keep up with exercise so that I will get to actually see the work I did last week show up on the scale. So, maybe I will decide that all of this was worth it. I don't measure, and I don't do pictures, so the scale is my only real barometer of success, and I really miss it. We'll see. Sunday, baby. Onward.

Day #8 a success. I fasted until 5:00, had a fairly substantial meal, and was done for the night. I had to cut my cardio short due to a small family crisis, but I did get in about 1.5 miles. Only ran for 6 minutes at 5.0 miles per hour, but I'll take it. Next cardio day, I'll try to push it to 7 at 5.2.

Day #9. Back to being super strict. My van is having problems, so I took it in to the shop and am sitting at the McDonald's next to the mechanic's just trying to get some work done. Sad and discouraged about that. I'm missing WAY too much work for family problems. Did not need this on top of it. But also not going to eat McDonald's food, even their "healthier" choices. I purchased a lovely Dasani water instead. It is located in a Wal-Mart, though, so I will probably go buy some grilled chicken and fruit if my van's not fixed by 2:00 or so. I'm feeling okay about waiting to eat until then. (Love that I am convinced IF is a good thing so I don't sweat about missing a meal any more.) Not going to eat any candy/junk food today. Depending on my vehicle status, I will also lift. Phase 4 of New Rules starts today! (Or maybe tomorrow.)

Have an amazing week everyone! This full-year thing is really starting to sink in. Thinking about having to do it for the next fifty or sixty years is starting to be intimidating. But I can surely do a year. And then reevaluate.

LebenAlles - I used to have that scale anxiety from NOT weighing too. This isn't the first attempt for me at not weighing myself. The first times I tried it in the past (some journeys ago), I had anxiety from not weighing, just the same as I did from weighing all the time. What finally clicked for me was the mental adjustments/revelations I needed to come to about this whole weight loss journey. I had to realize, for one, it's not a race. For two, I had to LIVE the lifestyle. If I am to TRULY embrace a healthy lifestyle, then I have to just live it. Why am I watching the scale constantly like it's a clock? Like I'm pressed for time or something? I realized I had turned weight loss into some kind of a race/competition against........what really? What happens if I let go of all that and just live the healthy lifestyle? So now, during my periods of not weighing, I live the lifestyle and forget about the rest.....because I completely trust and believe in what I'm doing....that this lifestyle will lead to weight loss success. I know it may sound easier said than done, but once it clicks internally, it gets easier and easier. :)

Have a great week everyone! :D

Just caught up on everyone and I am dropping in real quick to update.

Day 8 of 365

Life has been nothing short of insane for the past week, and the coming weeks will be sure to remain the same. My husband and I are planning our ceremony and reception (we had a courthouse wedding at the end of the summer) for the beginning of December and it is getting hectic as it is getting closer trying to find the photographer and get the cake taken care of and pay for the reception hall and all the other crazy stuff going on. I'm still staying on plan though, and exercising almost everyday because I know regardless of all the stuff going on I can still make time for myself.

I think that is why 30 Day Shred is fitting in so well into my schedule since it only takes about 30 minutes to do the whole thing. I did Day 7 today and I feel great, I can tell it's almost time to level up for sure. My husband is wearing the device that monitors his heart this week and next week, and he has his appointment with his cardiologist on Thursday for an ECG. I just want them to figure out what is going on so we can fix the problem.

Other than that I'm just trying to do my best and forget the rest!

I guess this is day 101 of 365 and more if needed.

I went into the weight room and bench pressed a barbell for the first time. I have been only doing dumbells. Not much 45 and 55lbs but its a start. Lucky for me there was only 3 others there so I did not feel as intimidated. I am proud of myself. I was thinking of not doing it but forced myself. Another woohoo moment was when I leg pressed 220lbs. I was holding myself back with lifting lighter weights. I will say the DOMS I had yesterday was bad but good too if you know what I mean.

I was gobsmacked today to see I dropped another pound. I had a long plateau in October. I have been eating more and I think that is what is helping get over the plateau.

Ladies I need to stay off the scale but think I will have to work up to it. I have tried several times but I cant stay away. Its funny because I did not weight myself for years.

Pink Hurricane How exciting to plan your reception. I have read many good things about 30 day shred. I hope they find out what is wrong with your husband. I wore a halter monitor when I was pregnant. I kept having a fast heart rate. They never figured it out and it went away.

Enjoynlife- thank you for the welcome. Its nice to be able to chat with other lifters also.

angieand2girls I totally agree with what you wrote. This has to be a lifestyle change to stick. I started out with number loss goals. Its not a race its a journey. Stay on plan and the weight will come off.

Lauriedawn. congrats for getting so far in New Rules. Sorry your van is in the shop. Our Jeep is still in the shop. We took it in for service brought it home and it died on the way to work. It turned out the part they put in was falty and broke some parts of the engine. Now the supplier is fixing those parts. Lucky we have 3 cars. We are also getting more work done because the engine is apart and they can get to those areas for free.

Only have a second. Just wanted to say -

I may not be currently working through P90X, but I still love me some Tony Horton!

Angie - I just love your philosophy and your faith in your choices. I am struggling so much with the scale challenge, and I know it's because I still think of this as a race. But you are losing fast, and not making yourself crazy. It's awesome to see.

Pink Hurricane - Glad to hear you're getting stuff done even while stuck in limbo regarding your husband's health. Good luck with the wedding planning, and I trust everything will turn out well for your husband.

Lisha - I love to hear how you're rocking it in the weight room! I love to use a machine after a muscle-bound guy and leave it on the same setting. My van is fixed, but I think it's on its last legs.

Enjoynlife - So glad to hear you are feeling better. But you have never been a Debbie Downer. You are consistently upbeat and incredibly supportive, actually.

Went over calories yesterday. My teenage son made pumpkin pie and offered me some after I should have been done eating. I ate a piece. One of the few times when eating it seemed more important than staying on plan. And I didn't drink enough water. Still, I did lift weights, and I probably still ate at a deficit, so I am still feeling good.

Today - Wanted to start the day with another piece of pumpkin pie. Not gonna do it. Back to work. Back on plan. Lots of water / decaf green tea. Need to be stricter about calories. Have a tennis date tonight. Probably won't be great cardio, but should be fun. (It is our fourth date. Does that mean we are officially 'dating?') Election Day. My job is riding on one of the votes. Hope it goes in my favor. :-)

Lishar- First off that is great about you lifting the barbell! I work with free weights right now and struggle with 7 lbs so I cannot weight to start lifting bigger weight, and pressing. I'm glad to hear that nothing has happened like that with your heart since after your pregnancy, and as far as my husband, he has been having the racing heart along with palpatations, chest pain, and the last PT test he did he had a terrible time catching his breath (first time it has ever happened) along with chest pain and palpatations that occured later that night. Considering he's about to be 22 and has been in great physical condition for most of his life, they wanted to immediately get to the bottom of what is going on. I hope it's nothing big, his mother said she has had issues with high blood pressure and high cholestorol most of her life, so it could be a factor. But every time he has a symptom he records it, I'm just glad the doctors are being so proactive right now, and I hope we find it is nothing big.

Also, I love 30 Day Shred, it kicks my butt so good and I can't wait to level up!

Laurie- Yes I love Tony Horton and I can hear him yelling in the back of my head during my workouts, I cannot wait to have the time to add P90X back into my schedule, hoping to do that after completing the 30 Day Shred.

Yay for your tennis date!!!! That would be so much fun! I would be tempted to have that pumpkin pie too but good for you for being on top of things. And yes, as a fourth date I would call that dating for sure :wink: I hope you have a ton of fun tonight!


Day 9 of 365

This whole exercising almost everyday is becoming more of a habit. I did the 8th day of 30DS and felt really good throughout, I checked out a little bit of Level 2 today to see what I will be working with and I am nervous and excited because it's going to be harder, but I need it. Also, I am going to take my measurements again when I am halfway because I can already tell a bit of a difference in my arms! I had a grilled chicken and spinach salad with shredded cheese for lunch today to try to give myself some protein, not sure what I am making for dinner tonight though.

Today I found the cake I have always wanted to have for my wedding since I was a kid, and it's going to be a navy and pink cupcake cake! :D Well the cupcakes will be chocolate, the icing will be pink, and the ribbon and trim around the tiers will be navy (main color for the wedding). I'm so excited, and it's the one thing that can have a lot of pink besides the flowers (hubby and I agreed beforehand the whole wedding will not be pink). Everything else will be navy or white :lol: It's starting to come together, can't believe how close it is already!

Angie - I too admire your dedication and conviction in the choices you've made for your healthy lifestyle. I definitely say keep on keeping on and do what you do!

As for me, I might stretch out to three or four days in between weigh-in's, but I don't believe I'll go this long again. Or at least, not any time soon. I miss the perk of completing my day with My Fitness Pal and being told 'You will weigh XXX.X in 5 weeks if you keep this up'. Right now, it's not accurate (or at least I hope not) since I haven't weighed in and that is disappointing. I also miss the high's of seeing the tangible results of my progress. I totally understand that it shouldn't be a race, but I do have some date goals that correspond with some up coming events in my life, and knowing that I'm hitting those goals sure is a pick me up. It's definitely help put things in perspective for me though, and allowed me a chance to take a step back and see the positive things that aren't scale related. So thanks for that!

Laurie - Good on us for sticking with it! I don't know about you but I'm proud of myself for sticking with it despite the fact that we haven't completely wanted to. We've been good on our commitment, and that says a lot.

I've been loving my walks in the weather we've been having lately. It's been gorgeous (and chilly!) down here lately, and we're actually able to see a fall season for once. Leaves are actually changing! It's nice down here in the deep south :)

Hope everyone is having a lovely day!

LebenAlles- I am counting the seconds until I step on the scale again. I may have to push until Monday because I may be traveling this weekend. :-(. I am so glad I did this. I felt like it got me back on track. But I miss the neon number flashing. I look in the mirror, and I know I am fat. Though I also know I am making progress, I hate that I have no measure of it. This is AWESOME for Angie, but I need more reward more consistently. I think I will probably go back to once a week.

Pink Hurricane - your cupcakes sound incredible. I love pink. :-) And navy. I also love that I am in the habit of working out. Iove my body so much right now, even with its imperfections, because I am finally taking care of it.

Had a decent on plan day yesterday. My tennis date turned into a two-mile walk. Not adequate cardio, but good enough.

I started my food today with a donut. I work with a good, brilliant, honest judge who fought against a nasty opponent who lied and smeared him for months. The election came out as hoped, and the judge brought donuts in to celebrate. I proudly ate a 'justice donut!' I am slightly nauseous, as my stomach was completely empty, but it tasted like freedom and democracy. :-) I didn't plan well today, so I will have only sugar snap peas and protein bars until I leave work, but I will stay within my calories for the day and shop for work food tonight. Viva democracy!

Good Morning, ladies! :)

LebenAlles & LaurieDawn - at least you ladies gave it a full-faith try, ya know? In the end, we have to be happy with our choices. It'd be counter-productive if they made us miserable lol. :D

Is Thanksgiving really two weeks and a day away? That's just bananas to me. Where is the time going? Is anyone cooking for Thanksgiving? How are you going to handle the upcoming holidays?

TOM is due any day now...I can see it in my lower gut. Ugh. I bloat so much a day or two before it comes. And my energy levels plummet. But I persist. Have a great one everyone!

I'm coming in late but I wish you all the best!

Hi rachellosesitall85! It's never too late to join. Just hop on in with your 1 year commitment. We all have different times where we started. Welcome! :)

This morning as I was walking by the mirror, I noticed that my waist is really starting to suck in. I used to have so much fat on my waist/stomach that I looked "straight". Now the curves are REALLY showing! My waist seems to be shrinking at a faster rate than my hips, which is really bringing out my shape. Gotta love the NSV's! :D

Happy Thursday!

Yep. What Angie said. Excited to have you join us.

Yay for your shrinking NSV, Angie :-) That is SO great. I actually have been feeling the opposite lately. I recognize I am smaller, but I am also shocked that I am so big still. After losing 50ish pounds,I should be skinny!

As I am closing in on the end of the scale challenge, I have become apprehensive about weighing. Interesting to me. I will do what I always do after I think I have gained and just do it, but I am surprised to be both reluctant to step on the scale and desperate to do so.

I am done with the daily updates, though. I appreciate everyone's patience with them. They fot me back on track and through Halloween, which is probably my toughest holiday for weight control.

I plan on playing basketball this evening with a bunch of young guys. So. Can't. Wait.

I know the feeling. When I look at my ticker, I realize that I still have more weight to lose than I've already lost. It would have been nice to have lost the 50 and been done! I haven't even hit the halfway mark yet. Sigh.

When is your scale challenge over? I hope you get the weight loss you desire. :)

I timed my scale challenge to coincide with my regular Sunday weigh-in, so it's over Sunday. But I am out of town this weekend. So I am tempted to jump on tomorrow morning. But I won't. So, Monday. Unless I decide to do something stupid like pack my scale. That would be really dumb. So, probably Monday. Probably.

Angie Congrats on your 50lb loss. You rock. I hear you about more to loose. I look at mine and think almost 40lbs but still another 60 to go. I plan on treating myself at my halfway mark. I just need to think of something nice.

Laurie Don't bring your scale. LOL. Monday will be here before you know it.

I ate out on Tuesday and retained a lot of water. Wednesday I drank a lot trying to flush it out. I think I ended up retaining more. Last night I woke up and felt a heavy feeling in my chest. Scared me but I knew it was just the extra water. I think a lot of it flushed out today. Hopefully I will see a decrease in the morning.

I ate to plan and had a nice cardio. I made a personal best with my walking. I walked/jogged 2miles in 32min. This is huge since when I started I walked 2.5MPH on the treadmill. This was my off lifting day. Back to the weights tomorrow.

Have a great Friday Ladies.

Laurie - I'm with you on all of this. In my mind I'm like, 'I absolutely must have lost weight' but then there's that nagging thought of what if I haven't since there have been times in the past when I thought I did and didn't or even worse, gained. But, like I've said before, I know I'm doing what I need to do, so that's what really matters. That is definitely a major thing that I'm taking with me from this. As long as I can tell myself that, then it's all good.
I gotta admit though, packing my scale seems like something I'd be tempted to do, haha!

And yes, there is so much left to go! But it's been an incredible journey and I'm super proud of myself already, so there are only good things to come, for sure.

Angie - That's awesome about your NSV! It's one thing to know you're making progress but seeing it in the mirror puts it on a whole new level. Congrats!

Lishar - 2 miles in 32 min is awesome! Congratulations!

Rachel - :welcome2: :D

Copying over what I posted on the 250's thread:
So I have to admit that I weighed in a day early. And the results, coupled with the fact that I interviewed for a higher position at my job and it doesn't look like I got it, spurned me into an all day tirade of bad decisions starting with an egg and cheese biscuit and ending with waaaay too much wine. Something I haven't done in at least six months. Pretty depressing.

So, yeah, yesterday I weighed in 248.8, which is only down 2.2 pounds in not only the twelve days I didn't weigh, but also since October 20th, which was 3 weeks ago. 2.2 lbs in three weeks. That really really sucks.

I'll go ahead and say that I'm not giving up, and I'll get through this, but I'm definitely never doing a scale challenge again. The gravity of the disappointment is so much worse when you've been building something up to be better than it really turns out to be. Especially when you've been insanely good and all science and logic points to the fact that you should have lost so much more. Ugh. Pity Party for One.

Enjoynlife! So good to hear from you. I had wondered where you had gone. How are you feeling about things? I know you were struggling the last time you posted, and you were supportive for everyone else in your last post (as always), but you didn't post anything about you. Not that you have to. But I do hope things are going well. Thanks for the congratulations on my judge. He's awesome. But I did cringe when you said "activity partners." I don't need an "activity partner." I don't spend enough time with my kids or my friends as it is. I was not really looking for another platonic friend! =)

LebenAlles - Thanks for the support and encouragement. You are right. I want to "get to goal," but I already feel so much of the benefits of this lifestyle. I may be fat, but I am much fitter than many of my thin friends. And that means a lot. Are you almost done with your scale challenge? I know we started around the same time. I just don't remember how close we were.

Lisha - Hope you were able to successfully flush the water weight. The chest thing sounds kinda scary, though. Hope you're feeling better as well.

Pink Hurricane - Hope you are getting some great news about your husband's health in the near future. I have been thinking about you.

Scale challenge officially over today! Yay! Now if only I could weigh. When I worked out in the hotel's fitness center yesterday. (Not perfect, had to modify some of my lifts, but grateful that I got to lift even on the road, especially after I broke one of my resistance bands yesterday, and those are usually my back-up plan.), I was super tempted to step on the scale in the fitness center. A strange scale. In the evening. After lifting weights. In the last few hours of my 12-day challenge. So strange. But I didn't. I was then tempted to go downstairs first thing in the morning and use the gym scale. And I would have, except I didn't want to weigh in clothes. I want to see the best number possible!

So, one more day. And I'm not really all that anxious about it, surprisingly, but am glad the scale will be back in my life. I also have decided to try Lyle McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss diet starting tomorrow. I have all the suggested supplements and the food. If it works, I will only do it for two or three weeks. Just enough to hopefully quell this stupid impatience. =/ So, it will be daily weighing while I give that a shot.

LebenAlles - I was typing my post and missed your post. I'm SO sorry that it didn't turn out like you wanted it. I'll also say the super obnoxious, but sometimes helpful, thing. 2.2 pounds in 12 days is actually a decent result. (I KNOW I will be disappointed if I get the same result, though, so I absolutely relate to how you feel.) Now, I am feeling anxious to step on the scale. Reading your post, though, is actually really helpful. I am now picturing a similar result, and hopefully, working through the potential disappointment.

Glad you're still here and still fighting. It's a super long battle to face. Glad we're facing it together.

Angie- Congrats on your shrinking waist!!!! That's one of the best NSV, keep up the amazing work!

Lishar- Your running time for two miles is awesome! When I first started running I was so slow it made me cry, but one of the coolest things about staying consistent with working out and lifting is seeing your body change and get stronger.

Enjoyn- Thank you, it's been really hard and things have been so busy so I am stressing but working out has become my quiet and peaceful time oddly enough lol. Now how have YOU been missy?

LebenAlles- I hear you on the scale and slow weight loss part. For the past almost six weeks, I have lost a total of 6 pounds, which included the scale bouncy between 3 lbs in between the 6 pounds I had lost. It is beyond frustrating but someone told me not to see weight loss as linear because there are SO MANY factors when it comes to weight loss and gain. They said to keep going like nothing else matters, because it will catch up with you. So as frustrating as it is, do just like you said, KEEP GOING! Easier said than done, yes, but it can and will be done. I cannot wait to finally see a whoosh but rather than being upset with myself and my body when there is no change or very little, I just workout again, I try my best to eat right and do something nice for myself. Keep your head up and keep going, you got this!

Laurie- Thank you for thinking about us! The only thing new that is going on is that he had an appointment for his ECG on Thursday and the woman that did the test said that after he is finished and sends in the heart monitor device Thursday, to make an appointment with his cardiologist and they will go over all the results from every test he has been under. So we might not know anything else until another week or two from now.
Glad to hear that you had a good trip and that you got in a good workout there too! I would be so tempted by that scale as well, so good for you for overcoming that. Hope you have a good weigh in tomorrow, can't wait to hear how it goes! As far as the rapid fat loss diet, what does that consist of?


Day 14 of 365

Well I did day 11 of the 30 Day Shred this morning, it was my first time with Level 2 and it KICKED my butt, baaaaad. I am already feeling sore but I have got to keep at it. On Friday I weighed in at 226.6 so I'm still around the same 3 pounds as usual. Super frustrating but honestly I cannot wait to take my measurements this coming Friday to see how much of a difference has been made already. It will be my halfway point with 30 Day Shred, and I can definitely see the difference in my arms and even my hips.

Things are starting to come together for our ceremony and reception, it's three weeks away but everyone keeps telling me to stop stressing, much easier said than done hahaha, especially with hubby's heart health. I'm watching the Patriots game and about to make some broccoli and cheese, I've been craving it for the past few days. I really hope to see a whoosh in my weight loss soon, so I just gotta stick with it.

Pink Hurricane - The not knowing is tough. Glad it has an end date.:-) Sounds like the wedding is coming together. Congratulations!!!

Enjoynlife -So sorry about your multiple frustrations. The 'lifting heavy' thing is challenging, especially at first.And the scale frustrations -ay yi yi. Great time to change up strategies, though. When things are not cooperating, I struggle to keep moving forward. I am so impressed that you keep doing so without hesitation.

219.4 this morning. A 2-pound loss since October 10. I feel ya,.LebenAlles. Also, a 6-pound loss since my last weigh-in. I feel frustrated by my lack of information. I love to crunch data, but i have so little. Is this the top of my current weight range? The bottom? The middle? So glad i did the scale challenge. So glad it's done.

Starting thr Rapid Fat Loss diet today. It's Lyle McDonald's crash diet. He warns again and again that it's better to lose the weight slowly. But I just want fast progress right now, and I think it will help. It's very low-cal, low-fat, low-carb. Almost exclusively lean proteins and specific veggies. Not all that different from my current plan, but more extreme. Going to commit to at least a week. Won't do it for more than four weeks. I am impatient, but not straight-up stupid.

Yes, I know it's not smart. But I had been on track to get to Onederland by New Year's, and I just want to make the push. Daily weighing. Crash dieting. I know it's wrong. But it feels so right.