Laurie: I hate when people make a judgement about the way I'm eating. Especially when, in many ways, it is hypocritical. I don't know why he would feel that your egg whites are in some way less healthy than the fast food he's fed the kids. I can understand if they are unappetizing to him. That's a personal preference thing, but they aren't unhealthy. I feel bad for eggs.... they can have a really bad rap. In reality, they are some of the healthiest quick and easy breakfasts (or meals) you can have. Especially if you decide to do an omelet or scramble and start throwing in every vegetable you have.
Personally, 95% of my breakfasts are two eggs, usually scrambled with whatever veggies we happen to have on hand.
Diane: You are so close to hitting such a major achievement. Take pride in it. You might not be able to hit exactly 50 lbs down by this weekend, but, as Mandy pointed out, you can say about or almost 50 lbs and it will still have the same huge impact. While you won't be able to make it to your usual workouts, maybe you'll be able to squeeze in a walk or something to help off-set your workout withdrawal.
Uber: Yeah, it was an expense I struggled to justify but I finally told myself that a $1 tape measure was not going to break my budget and that it would go a very long way to reassuring me of my progress on this journey. My scale has a habit of fluctuating all the time. It's also pretty sensitive. When I do my official weigh-ins, I always end up taking it out into the garage so that I'm sure it's reading as accurately as possible.
Also, are you a fellow writer!? I'm currently working on writing the second draft to a manuscript I did during National Novel Writing Month in 2012. It's been a long process. I had to step away from the novel for over a year and it wasn't until March of this year - around the time I told him I wanted a divorce - that all the changes that needed to occur finally started to make sense. I have to admit the 2nd draft of The Becoming is a completely different animal than the original manuscript was but it is one I am utterly in love with. I was making some pretty regular progress on it there for a while but life has sort of taken over. I'm still doing a little about once a week or so, but I've also hit a part in the plot where the characters have veered from what my outline expected them to do. So, trying to readjust and figure out what needs to happen next.
Arctic Mama: Congrats on the baby and sometimes, it can be hard to make the right choices but it will always be worth it in the end. Keep up the hard work.
Mandy: I know, I know. That's why I come here and share because I know that you all understand the crazy that's going on in my head. And I know that with as big as I am - and was - it isn't unheard of for there to be weeks of large losses. Mentally, I think I'm just trying to keep myself expecting the worst and hoping for the best. But when you get the best, it just feels wrong. LOL. Tomorrow is my official weigh-in and, I'll be honest, I'm excited to see what everything looks like.
You are doing such an incredible job! I can't wait to see when you break into that 299 lbs threshold. Even if you do hit it by Friday you still might end up crying but it'll be tears of job from all of your hard work paying off. Keep it up, we're all rooting for you!
There's been this situation at work where, going into winter, hours are getting cut here and there. I've noticed a pattern - I seem to always be on the list of those getting cut down to 16 hours. This wouldn't be a problem if I lived in town, but I have a 30 mile drive, one way, to get to work. The girl I spoke of before keeps saying I should just work closer to my home - if I could, I would but you go where the jobs are. Anyway, I mentioned that I was going to have to talk to a manager because it's not fair that I'm always shorted the hours and we got into a huff because 1) she doesn't want it to effect her 20 hours, when she lives literally 2 minutes from work and 2) I indicated that if we do the same job, started the same time, and accomplish the same amount of work it is, strictly a fairness issue. Neither of us deserves the hours more if we are on equal footing.
I didn't say I was going to ask for more hours, I said I was going to see if on the weeks where I work 16 hours I can do it over 3 days instead of 4 so I can make up the money I lose by saving a little bit extra in gas. She ended up going home and posting something on her facebook about not caring about anyone outside of her family and I've since unfollowed her feed. The fact is that I don't need the negativity of someone like her in my life. It's just not worth it to me.
In happier news related to the hours, I did talk to a manager and explained my situation. The manager, who can sympathize because she also has quite a commute has stated that she'll talk to the store manager and see if she can't actually get me bumped back up to 20 hours per week if nothing else. Either way, here's to hoping my financial situation doesn't stay as terrifying as having to try and make $250 a paycheck cover both my gas and the amount of bills I have while trying to rebuild my life.
Laurie, again: That's it precisely. I know that's what it is. I've often said that I've gotten so used to things going wrong in my life that I feel like I'm always waiting for things to finally fall into place or completely fall apart. And even when things do look like they're going to fall into place, I still end up looking over my shoulder and around every corner expecting life to sucker-punch me in the gut and the other shoe to drop.
The honeymoon period is the best. It can also be the point that makes or breaks it for some people. I, like you, prefer to enjoy it while also embracing the realism that it isn't always going to be this easy. That's one of the reasons I like to have a variety of goals that I'm working toward. This month, I set a goal of trying to hit 55 total miles walked I'm already at 40.5 miles! Given that I bumped my daily walk with Luna up by .375 miles, it's not that surprising, really. I can't wait to see how many total miles I manage to eek out between now and August 1st.
I also decided to start adding modified side planks into my July Fitness Challenge. After two days of having really good results with the modified plank, I got curious and attempted the full side planks. I was able to hold it for five seconds on each side. It felt like such a huge accomplishment. I first did side planks in about 2011 and for the longest time, I wasn't able to hold myself up for more than, literally, a second or two. To have managed a full 5 seconds so soon was a great feeling.