Happy Waitangi Day everyone!!! Lol long weekend for us and we are just about to go to a 4 year olds birthday party. I'm pleased its a fasting day as I'm better at not eating party food at all than just having a wee bit and stopping. The scales are finally complying and I'm back down to 234 this morning!

Just a quick check in to say hi and that I'm still on track!

Hey everyone, it's FRIDAY!! I'm soooo looking forward to the weekend! Anyway, I got up today (late) but I still went for my run. I think I'm a little tired because the last two runs have been more difficult than the first two earlier this week. Or maybe I'm just running faster now that I've gauged the easy-difficult ratio. I don't know. Anyway run done and then I did a yoga dvd afterwards because I'm super sore from yesterday's bootcamp/kettlebell workout. I got on the scale and got no joy today- maybe partly soreness or just general the "scale is a 'beech'"-ness but ah well... I feel like I'm beasting being on plan moore than I've been in 2 years and I'm not getting scale reinforcement... yet. It will come though, I know this, so I'm not quite swimming in the depths of despair (who else LOVED Anne of Green Gables??) yet or contemplating throwing myself into the offplan land of bonbons and pizza. It's going to be okay. Eventually. And if it doesn't there's always those inches I think I'm losing. I'm going to bust out the tape measure this weekend and see if there's progress in that dimension.

Diane: Peppermint tea IS good for the soul. I feel a lot better since drinking it. I'm glad you've found a safer running zone. Safety is the most important thing for sure!

Underwater: I had braces for years as a child but my compliance was terrible and now I fantasize about Invisalign. I'm want to do it someday particularly if it helps with restricting eating... How's spin going? Do you like it? Here's to being a smaller size!!!

Kelly: I had to google what Waitangi day was! Happy Waitangi day to you!! Yay long weekends!!

Alright everyone, I hope you guys have a wonderful and happy weekend.

Hi all. Kind of quiet on here this week. Hope everyone is doing well! I went to spin class this morning. It was a good workout, but this one woman next to me asked if I had ever had a "fitting" for the settings on the bike. I told her that it has been a long time, but I had an instructor help me with it. She then went on to tell me that she thought that my knees are a little too close to the handlebars. Ok....... wtf? I just turned away and ignored her. She is one who is not consistent in coming to class and I've never talked to her before, and THIS is what her first conversation is with me? Whatever. I think I'll listen to instructors over some random comments from a complete stranger. What a freak. How about... you do you and I'll do me????? Idiot.

I'll be changing after work and then heading to the park to do W3D3 of C25K. Looking forward to it. I went walking there yesterday and it was just a really nice time. The weather was good and it was fun.

Toasted: Sorry about the scale, but I do think that if you are sore, your body tends to hold onto water to help it heal. I may be wrong, but I would bet that's the case. Hang in there!

MissLoud: Happy Waitangi Day! Always good to have a long weekend!

Underwater: Nice! Gotta love it when clothes feel loose!

Just a quick check-in. I quickly skimmed. Gonna try to catch up this weekend.

First day at my new job. I broke my scale moratorium yesterday. I am back up over 200 - 202.8. Realized that I have been in the 189-206 range since August. Thinking about things. But one weigh-in is, of course, a terrible data point, especially because I did it after a carb binge. Again, just chilling for now. And grateful that I have not gained 40 pounds back, even if I'm just sort of doing long-term hovering, even after two weeks or so of beast mode.

Hey guys, I just wanted to do a quick check in because I'm struggling a little today to the extent that if I can just stay within maintenance calories, I'll call it a victory. I can't seem to stop eating and then because I haven't had any "real" food, I keep feeling like I haven't actually eaten. Add to that I'm currently workout-less for the day. I think I'm going to get out and go find something else to do other than eat like ride my bike or run.

Diane, I don't like know it all, gym police types either. Always with something to say about your diet or workout and it's like " I don't even know you, get away from me!" #Sigh Some people! I hope your run in the park went well!

Laurie: I'm sorry you're getting no scale love either in spite of beasting it. Maybe our bodies are in shock or something and we'll get major whooshes soon. How was the first day at the new job?

So my Fitbit died last weekend after less than 6 months and they'd replace it, but I don't live anywhere near a service center so basically I'm out of luck. I was going to live Fitbit-less but I've become somewhat obsessed with it. I like the reinforcement and the encouragement and the competition and now getting up and taking steps seems sooooo... pointless, even though obviously it isn't. Anyway I basically lasted 3 days before I ordered another one. #sigh It arrives on Monday. I'm at 1500ish calories for the day and it's about 5.30pm. If I can get a workout in and stay under 1800, I'll call today a win! I hope you guys are having a great on plan weekend and aren't struggling like I am. I need beast mode dust.

Hi all! Not great thoughts today for me either. It seems like a day of it. I went to the park last night for W3D3 of C25K. I had gotten off of work early (we do that on Fridays), and it was an incredibly nice day. So, I was looking forward to it. It went well up until the end. I had worn my tank top with a jacket. Well, I was way too hot and sweating like crazy. I just couldn't bring myself to taking off the jacket though with just the tank top. I'm sure it would have been fine, but I really think that with it being so much lighter than when I usually go, I was feeling really self-conscious. Then, on the last bit of running, I just didn't make it the entire time. I didn't walk long, but took about 15 seconds to walk. I felt really tired. So, now I'm not sure if I should move on to week 4. I don't know if I was just really tired, or if being so hot zapped my energy, or if I'm just not ready to move on. I think I'll try moving on to the next week, on Monday, and see how it goes. At least it will be slightly darker, without the full sun.

I have been pushing quite a bit all last week with this work challenge. I had pretty much been doing everything in the challenge anyway, but the 10,000 steps per day does require extra effort. I think it is really good to do, but I think it also wore me out. It might just be that way until I get used to it.

Anyway, fast forward to this morning's Body Flow class. Now, I know that this class is a challenge for me. The balance parts and some of the yoga moves are tough! I just wasn't in love with what I saw in the mirror. I tend to watch the mirror more in this class than any other, just trying to make sure I'm doing the right moves. I just wasn't thrilled. That carried over to going to the store to get some new sports bras and seeing myself partially naked in the mirror. Ugh.

I have to tell myself that I'm doing ok, and that the challenge is just another step in the process. I know that I'm better than where I was, but there is just soooooooo much left to do. Most of the time it is fine, a part of the process, but today it wasn't making me happy. I'll be fine, but just not today. :)

I will need to go walking later to get the steps in. That might help.

Toasted: Yep, I'm not a lot of help today!! Not a really positive post from me. I'm sorry about your fitbit, but I hope beast mode can find a way to get to you! It isn't with me today, so I can't share. Ha! Hang in there!!

Laurie: Hope the new job is going well. Don't be too unhappy with the scale. You have been focusing on exercise and getting fit. Sometimes it just doesn't translate well on the scale! Hope you hang in there too!

Had to check myself on binging on sweets again the other day. Like to the point that I bought an oreo milkshake, went to get gas, and forced myself to throw it away while I was pumping even though it was still 2/3rds full. I'm not a binger... not like this. I mean I binge on things like lettuce. Or those mini oranges. I think part of it might be the amount of fast food I've been eating recently. I need to switch back to organic tv dinners when don't have time to make a lunch for work. Even if their price has gone up.

But, honestly, I think it's a bit deeper than that. This time last year was really bad for me. The first few weeks of January 2014, I was crying myself to sleep because I knew that if my ex dropped me off at my dad's I'd never see him again. Which is a good thing, but at the time, it was still hard not because I wanted him but because I didn't want to be alone. Then there was supposed to be a huge party for my birthday and it seemed like everyone backed out. We still did something, but only because my dad said even if it was just him, my step-mother, and myself, we could still go bowling together. But that doesn't mean that I didn't feel insignificant and worthless. Not to mention after my birthday and the day before the party, I managed to see the messaging logs of my ex and between my birthday (the 12th) and through Valentine's day and the day of the party (the 16th) he was texting his now fiancee. Needless to say, not a particularly happy time.

I think with everything else I've got on my plate right now, the emotions from last year are fighting to the surface even though they're moot now. Because they are moot. I am happy. Not to say that I'm not stressed or that I don't worry - because I'm a worrier; it's pretty much what I do. But I'm content and happy. I have people who build me up, people who encourage me to be me and to do more, to do what I want to do. I don't know.

So, in other random news, getting quite a bit more back on my taxes than I was expecting. Especially since I wasn't expecting anything. I've got a lot to do still in regards to my bankruptcy, but it's moving forward - slow and steady. Lots of paperwork I have to dig up and put in order. Lots of confusing paperwork. Still waiting for a financial aid letter for Spring quarter from the school. I know that they have to evaluate it still and they only finished evaluating the transcripts recently, but still. Lots of anxiety there.

I was doing clothes, happened to be folding my brother and his fiancee's laundry and decided to try on a pair of her 13/14s. Learned that I need to go shopping and get a new pair of jeans. I got 14s for work but I'm still wearing size 16 jeans and... well... when I was in the 13/14s, all I could think was "Holy ****, when did my legs get so skinny!?"

So there's that.

Hey guys, so it seems like the weekend was kind of a bust for most of us! #LeSigh Thank God we made it through and have this week to pull ourselves together one day at a time. Today hasn't been the greatest plan-wise for me. First of all, my phone died and so my 3 get-up alarms didn't ring. Thank goodness for my emergency "get up now or face the consequences" secondary alarm which goes off at 7.50a.m. otherwise I might have slept right through work! As it was, I was late. And hungry. And it's a fast day. And I've binged on crackers so the fast day is kind of a bust. Not totally but not great because you know what? Crackers aren't filling so I'm still hungry- 357 out of 500 calories consumed. Green salad for me then! Anyway, enough whining. No one said this would be easy.

Diane: I'm sorry you had a rough weekend as well. We're always our own worst critics and I'm sure you look great and even more than that, you're fit and strong. It's funny how I can hear 700 compliments but the 1 bad one is the one that sticks. Or even more how the smaller I got, the more self-critical of my body I became. Our bodies are what they are right now but we're working on changing them and there's power in that and that's beautiful!

Jessica: Sorry about the tumultuous memories the weekend brought but you know what's awesome, other than getting tiny and getting a better than expected tax return (both pretty awesome btw!!!), you made it and you're better and happier than you were last year and that's a victory and an inspiration to anyone else who's crying themselves to sleep or struggling right now, that it it does get better. What a difference a year makes, girl!!!

Lyn: Yay checking in! I've been thinking about you and wondering how your move went. I think you're doing awesome finding the healthiest options for you given that you don't have access to your own food the next few weeks. I'm terrible at moving. Believe me, I'd be swimming in fast food making excuses right now, not finding the healthiest options at the hotel buffet. You're making the best of things you can and showing it can be done and I think that's great. It was a pretty bingey weekend (and Monday) for me too. Maybe we can get back on track together starting from the next food opportunity?

Okay guys, so I just wanted to rush to check in before I lost even more track of time. You guys help me stay accountable and my current mood is such that I NEED to be on here a lot or I could slip down a not-great food hole and not emerge for several pounds. I feel a little better and refreshed and a little more like I CAN do this, so let me round this off and get to living life. Or get back to work as the case may be. Have an awesome week my people!

Hi all! Doing better now. I don't know what happened on Friday afternoon into Saturday, but I moved on. I went to Spin this morning and did really well. It was a strength day, so low RPMs but that means higher resistance. It definitely was tough, but I think I did really well. Also had a good weigh in, and that always helps improve the mood! I was down 2 pounds this week. However, in the interest of full disclosure, that means I'm finally down to where I was before I took the break around Christmas. It seems to have taken forever to get that back off. I need to remember this for next Christmas, that I just can't let it go like that again.

I have decided to try to move on in C25K to W4D1. I think that Friday was more about being hot and tired than it was about not being able to finish. We'll see how it goes tonight after work. If it isn't good, then I'll re-evaluate.

Toasted: Oh boy, alarm issues are not a good way to start the day! Hope you just make it through today. Its too bad you can't ask for a restart!

Lyn77: Glad to see you post today! You are definitely going to have some challenges now. But, you'll make it!!

Hi all. Went to Body Pump this morning. It was a new release and boy it was a good one. My legs were all shaky after class. I have a feeling that tomorrow could be a little sore day. The upper body work was pretty intense.

I did W4D1 of C25K last night. It was such a nice evening and I really enjoyed it at the park. The sun was close to setting when I got there, but I had time to get in the workout before it was too dark. This one had a 3 minute run, then walk, then a 5 minute run. The program had you do it twice. I was really happy that I was able to make it. I don't remember the last time I could run/jog a full 5 minutes. I admit, I am sloooooow. But it felt really good last night.

Lyn77: Wow! Nice post! I think you hit all of your marks! It sounds like you have a pretty nice place to be. And good for you for getting in the 3+ miles of walking!

Hey guys, how's it going? I'm doing okay with staying on track food wise. I didn't get my first workout in of the week till today and you know what, it was awesome! I was starting a new week (Week 5) today and somewhat dreading it because my last couple of week 4 runs didn't go well and I actually debated repeating week 4 but I'm glad I tried week 5 out and it went great. I had so much energy for it so maybe I've just been a little overtired from working out 6 days a week all of a sudden. But that was this morning's victory.

Diane: Yay 2 lbs down!!! How did your W4D1 C25K go yesterday?

Lyn: I wish I was coming to Dallas! We would definitely do lunch! I have family and my college roommate in Dallas so it would have been triple awesome but no I'm in New York for like 5 days so it's really in an out and no time to travel and see my peeps this time. So unfortunate about Mr. Sexy-Voice's sexy voice being counterbalanced by his shady absent-mindedness (I think you're being charitable. I think he might be trying to be shady in a "likes-your-muffins" way. But then I'm a suspicious type when it comes to married people). It's such a pity that sexy voiced people usually have that "such a sexy voice BUT ...." tick/issue. The Lean Cuisine sounds disappointing but I'll try it when I'm in the states. I'm thinking I might mail my Fitbit in when I get to the States and then have them mail the replacement to a friend of mine. I've got the new one I ordered and it's like "AHHHHHHH!!! I'm RENEWED!!! Exercise has meaning again." What Fitbit did you end up getting. My brother has a birthday in the next couple of months and I'm thinking of getting him an upgrade but I'm not sure which of the new bells/whistles to get yet!


Alright guys, as always my day is more awesome for catching up with you guys and writing out my thoughts and sorting out how I'm feeling about this journey on here. In my mind, things are going horribly with plan but when I sit and write down my struggles and thoughts about how plan is actually going and read what you guys are up to, it never seems so bad or like I'm slogging away on my own. So thanks guys. I wish you guys an amazingly blessed day.

Hi all. Went to spin this morning and it was so packed. I didn't even find a bike available in the room. So, I was heading out to find something else to do, and I remembered they have some spin bikes that are in the regular part of the gym. They are right outside of the door of the spin room, so I got on one of those and just listened to what the instructor was saying. Evidently there were a couple of bikes that opened up after I left, so I should have been patient. But, I was able to get the workout in and I think I did pretty well, just with eavesdropping. Better get there earlier next time. Tonight I'll do W4D2 of C25K. I am pretty excited about the C25K program. It has really helped push me to do better on running. We'll see how it progresses and how I feel after running a 5K, but I have enjoyed it so far. I just might keep running on my list. I think it might be helping with weight loss, too. I think I've lost more this week. I certainly have received more comments.

Lyn77: Hey, that's not too bad on the weigh in!! So now you know and you can move onward and downward! We really are close in our stats! I do agree wholeheartedly with you on exercising giving you such a feeling of power. I haven't felt this good in a very long time!

Toasted: Good for you for moving on to week 5. I think that sometimes it doesn't go as well if you are tired, or maybe something was just off on a couple of days. Love your posts! So glad you are active on here!

Missing a few people though!!!! Hope everyone is doing ok!

Hi all - still here just super busy! Managing to hold it together with TOM making me want to eat every carb in the house, luckily I didn't have to much in the house, although there was 2 chocolate hot cross buns that didn't stand a chance! I don't think the scales are being nice at all and I'm on holiday starting the middle of next week for 2 1/2 weeks so the scale stall is set to continue *sigh* I'm really ready to see some downward movement!!!

Good morning, everyone! Still trying to sort responsibilities. Picked up my kids at the airport Tuesday, so got a full house again. (Only 6 kids and 2 adults in a three-bedroom house this time!)

I skimmed through stuff. Can I just say - I love all y'all! I have been missing my fixes of Toasted hashtags and Diane exercise updates and Kelly enthusiasm and Lyn's excessive humbleness on her rockin' work-outs and Jessica's life updates. I will start doing full responses tomorrow.

For now, I will just say that the last week has been really unimpressive with food and exercise. But I am officially done with my previous job, and am starting to settle into a routine with the new job. My boss (who has also been my mentor since law school) still looks at me randomly, smiles, and says, "I'm so glad you are here." And as I dip into this backlog of files that were waiting for me, I am realizing that my predecessor may have been somewhat inefficient, so clearing out the backlog may not be as challenging as I had anticipated. Here's hoping.

Today has to be a white-knuckle day, though. I am back into "super hungry when I'm not seriously overeating" mode. I have my herbal tea, my water, my convenience low-cal foods, and, hopefully, my head back on straight. My goals for today -- address the "Can I leave for a bit each afternoon to hit the gym?" question, stay within a reasonable calorie amount, and get to the gym to do something.

Lifelong commitment, right?

Hi all! Back to Body Pump this morning. I was slower getting out of bed this morning, but made it to class on time. It was a good workout. We were doing "clean and press" for back strength. Probably went a little too high on the last set of weights, but made it. Last night was W4,D2 of C25K. It was challenging, but I felt pretty good about it. I really like this program! I'm seeing great results from it and it is really helping me. I went home last night and kind of crashed on my bed for a while. I didn't sleep, just laid there. Felt so good!! Then had to force myself up to do some laundry. My scale is back by the washer, so I stepped on for a peek. It looks good! I think the next weigh in should be pretty good.

I think the increase in exercise is having a pretty good impact. I do feel that running is a big help with weight loss, and with the increases in running time on C25K, I think that's been helping me a lot. Then, with the wellness challenge at work, I have added extra walking just to get the 10,000 steps per day. Maybe all of this was good to break through the little plateau I was on. Of course, it still comes back to food plan too. I asked for help from my husband to be more in control at night, and that has worked. He doesn't say too much, but since I know that he might be watching, I am doing better. Ha!

Oh, just to share, I saw a great motivational statement regarding going off plan sometimes. "You didn't get fit from one salad and one workout. You won't get fat from one burger and one rest day." I think that's good to keep in mind!

Laurie: Yay! So good to see you again. I'm sure you are just trying to find your way into a routine at the new job. How nice to hear how happy they are that you are there! Now get to the gym!!

Lyn77: Nice job on the bike! I totally agree with you regarding the bike workout helping out with the upper leg. I think it also helps with the backside, too. I still have fat to lose on my legs, but I'll tell you, the muscles underneath are pretty impressive! Good for you and your miles on the bike!

MissLoud: Good to see you too! So glad you took a minute to post! Hang in there with the TOM cravings. It is a tough thing to have to deal with!

Hey everyone, so... since I last posted there's been a lot going on, which is why I haven't been around (and have been suuuuper slacking in my food, ugh)

Lots of things going on with the church, lots of out and about, and lots of sitting around injured lol.

I managed to aggravate my ankle injury to the point I didn't want to try to navigate the stairs (which means no computer!) and ended up spending most of my time (when I was at home) in my recliner. But I'd also managed to hurt my wrist, too... so yeah. Life was great. Totally. The only moving around I was doing was from my recliner to the kitchen and back with occasional trips to the bathroom and then to bed to sleep. I know I've gained even more. My only hope is that I haven't gotten back up to 300 or past again. I'm too scared to check the scale.

But I need to, so I can keep track of progress.

Because according to the 3 sticks I peed on over the last couple days, I'm gonna be putting my weight loss on hold for a while. ;)

I hope you all are having a fabulous day, and since things have slowed down, finally, I should be able to get back here and post some more! I've missed you all!

Hey Ladies!
I've been gone for a while, but I'm back! Unfortunately so is some of my weight. I've been so unactive and eating out seriously every day due to the fact that my husband is not a huge cooker (all though he is a good cook) and because I fell and hurt my elbow. I'm back now and re-committed. I'm not going to look in the past and just move forward. I've missed all my chats with you ladies.

Hi all! I didn't post yesterday because when I came on, my other post was the last one. Didn't want to feel like I was talking to myself! Ha! Everything is going well. I went to spin yesterday morning, and then did W4D3 of C25K. The running was a little difficult, but I do think that by Friday, I'm starting to really wear down, so it happens. I went to Body Flow this morning and it was surprisingly good. Lots of stretching this time, and I think that helps. I am still involved with the challenge at my office, and I've done pretty well with it. I can tell I'll need to go to the park and walk yet today because I'm nowhere near the 10,000 steps. Oh, and I discovered Quest bars. Oh my gosh, are they good! But so expensive! They are a little better on calories than some of my other ones I've used, so I will probably indulge a little on them. Just can't go overboard!!

Looking forward to tomorrow's rest day!!!!!

Mandy! So good to hear from you and with such good news! I'm sorry you have had some injury issues, but hopefully that is behind you now. Looking forward to hearing more from you over the next 9 months or so! ;)

SkinnyGirlDreams: Good to hear from you too! Sorry to hear about your injury too. Glad you are putting things behind you and just moving forward. That's the best way to look at it!

Lyn77: How nice for you to have such a variety of parks! Good for you getting the walks in!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Hi yah right back Skinnygirl, always hard to get back on the wagon but sounds like you have the right mind set. You can do this! !!!

Mandy!!!!!!!!! Congratulations thats awesome news. Good luck for the next 9 months and beyond! Exciting

Diane your exercising is always so inspirational! I really need to get off my butt. Nice to see your ticker in the 20s you go girl

Laurie sounds like you have your hands well and truly full, don't forget to take care of yourself! Hard to do when you're a mum

Lyn sister in hormone madness!! Its chilled for me so feeling better and cravings have gone, it really is cruel we have to endure a week of cravings in a month - darn hormones! You're right sounds weird to have huge homes only to park on the street, space is something we don't lack in NZ there are only 5 million of us banging around in this country I have more garage than cars!

I don't think I'll get another chance to check in before we leave on our caravan trip, so i wish you all well and will be back early march sometime - hopefully not 10 pound heavier! I feel like I'm just getting somewhere again! We are going to be mostly at the top of the South island where its quite hot so lots of fresh fruit and produce at cheap prices - just need to stop myself from going nutso! It will be an up hill battle though, I'm not kidding myself. So see you all again soon!!!!!

Thanks y'all. :D

Estimated due date is October 21.

Trying not to get *too* excited until we go in to hear the heart beat on March 16... But it's tough! :crossed: Healthy little baby nugget! :crossed:

Mandy what awesome news! Congrats :) I can't wait to be able to share news like that if it ever happens to me.
Kelly I'm glad you are still around! Have fun on your trip. Can't wait to hear about it when you get back.
Diane I'm so inspired by your workouts. I've always wanted to do the C25K program. I haven't ever committed to it yet though. My hubby loves to do 5k's and we usually sign up for 1 or 2 a year, but I just walk them. I had a lot of issues with my feet and had surgery on them in 2009. It is my goal to be able to run one, though even in basic training for the Navy I don't know that I've ever run 3 miles. (maybe but our test was only for 1.5 miles.)

My goal for today is to eat healthier. We had a potluck yesterday :( Today my plan at work is to eat special k cereal for breakfast and for lunch my homemade chicken noodle soup and some cottage cheese.

Good morning, everyone!

Mandy! - I am so excited for you! I know that this has been planned for a long time. Can't wait to hear updates on your baby progress. As for the weight loss thing - I'm up, but without a good excuse. We will definitely get this together! (Incidentally, I lost weight with my first baby. Morning sickness isn't all bad, I suppose.)

Skinnygirldreams - That is a fantastic goal. Paired with action steps (which yours is), you've got the makings of a great step forward. Here's to recommitment!

Kelly - You and your jet-set lifestyle have me envious! Have a great, safe trip.

Diane - Yay for new healthy discoveries, even if they are at the pricey end. I am setting a committed exercise schedule, too, and I may do some body pump. One of my new co-workers teaches Body Pump, so she can get me into one for free. I will think of you. =)

Lyn - Look at you - always onward and upward. Glad the move is done. And you know what? If you're doing 4 miles despite injuries, I can certainly get my butt back in the gym.

Had a rough weekend. Things are not going smoothly. Going back to daily weighing as of this morning. Have a set gym schedule. Just restocked my work supply. I can do this. And I will. And I am back up to 212.8. Gonna finish February strong, though!

Have a great day everyone!

Hi all. I'm off for President's Day, so I'll need to be careful or I'll give in to grazing all day. So far, I'm doing ok. I went to spin this morning, and I'll go out later for W5D1 of C25K.

Was NOT thrilled with the weigh in today. No change. At all. I was hoping for something better, but for some reason, I remained the same. I'm not sure if I was not very careful this weekend, or if it might have just been some water retention. It's ok, I'll see how it goes by next weekend. Weight loss isn't linear, either.

Lyn77: Have fun on the trails! Glad the rain is gone now. On the quest bars, I really like the chocolate chip cookie dough and S'mores flavors.

Laurie: Sounds like you have a good plan going forward! You're still in this!!!!

Skinnygirldreams: Ouch. Potlucks are not good! I mean, they are good, but I am not disciplined on those at all.

Mandy: Share with us when you can! Looking forward to hearing about it all!

Good morning, everyone!

Lyn - Lemon martinis sound great. But yeah - it's frustrating what some people consider "healthy." I get that almost any food can be part of a healthy diet, but things like muffins? Delicious, yes. Any different than donuts or cake? Nope. Hope the cramps let up and you get in a great work-out today! And that the food gets easier. High side of calorie range is still within the calorie range, though! You're doing this!

Diane - I now work at a government job, and still don't get President's Day off. Kinda jealous. Also impressed that you're still doing your two-a-days. And you're in Week 5 of C25K! So great!

I got back to the gym yesterday. It didn't feel like I did enough, but I was sore this morning. I benched 90 pounds with 6 reps yesterday, so that's still getting slowly better. I planned on running today, but my running shoes seem to have disappeared. I'll probably just do the elliptical.

Food went well until the end of the day. Then, it didn't go so well. But it's going well today. So far. ;-)

And my weight is down to 211.0. Down 1.8. Because I enjoy the double-edged sword of quick losses and gains. I was considering beating myself up for being so far above 200. And above the 206 I reached in September. But you know what? I have maintained a 40 pound loss for almost 2 years now. I have maintained another 20 pound loss since about August. And I'm doing way better right now than I would have if I had stopped and just accepted it. The starting/stopping thing is not ideal. But it is way better than the stopping/stay stopped thing.

A new day, ladies. T'will be a great one!

Hi all! Went to Body Pump today. It was a good workout and must have been my day for compliments. There was a lady there who hadn't been there for several weeks due to a knee injury. She told me that I'm looking so good. Aw! That was nice! But better than that... I had another lady tell me that when we were doing the tricep workout, she was impressed at how good my muscle looks. She said she hadn't noticed before today and thought it looked good. Yay! And... the instructor told me that the form for my lunges is looking better. I've been working on it, so that was nice to hear, too. Don't let this come across as bragging..... I just was happy to hear it.

Laurie: Hey, you are doing great! Sometimes things come up and will set us back a little bit, but you're still moving forward and getting back to it! Good for you! Oh, and week 5 of C25K is tough! I struggled yesterday, and I'm still going to move on to day 2 tomorrow, but I might have to stay on week 5 a little longer. It seemed so much harder.

Hi everyone!

So, I finally weighed. 295. Means I've gained 20 flippin pounds. Ugh.

However, nobody warned me that early pregnancy would result in insane bloating and feeling gassy. So I'm sure that accounts for a couple pounds of it. I can't even wear jeans right now. Even my way too big, fall off my butt jeans because of the lack of give when I bend or sit and it makes the bloaty gassy feeling in my tummy worse.

Joy. Bliss. Glad I invested in some oversized men's sweatshirts, leggins, skirts and dresses. I'm all about the stretchy right now.

Mandy - Pregnancy brings so many surprises! Sorry that this one was less than delightful for you. I never had that symptom, but I hope it goes away for you soon. There will be delightful surprises, though, if that helps. =) Yay for braving the scale. First step on this leg of the journey. Look at us go!

Diane - I can't remember where I struggled exactly, but I had to redo a week, and it was about that time. I think I finally decreased my pace in order to make it through. And I LOVE your stories about all the great compliments you're getting. If nothing else, keep posting to give us all something to aspire to. But my little feminist heart feels like you are reluctant to share your accomplishments because of the cultural pressure women feel to be everything wonderful but never to know that we are wonderful. (Just one example - What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction, where the woman is beautiful because she doesn't recognize her own beauty. Puke.) Yet, one of the explanations for the pay gap between men and women is the suggestion that women are not confident about their accomplishments. So, I would urge you to own your accomplishments! You earned those muscles. Yell it from the rooftops, baby! You are rocking this fitness thing.

I, however, am not. I did go to the gym, after trying to talk myself out of it 6 million times. And then, did not do well after that. I got home later than I planned, so my planned dinner of chicken breast became French toast so I could make my evening engagement, and things went downhill from there.

But today is a new day. And I will just have to tighten things up.

Have a fantastic day, all!

Hi all! Went to spin this morning. It was brutal! They had a new "release", meaning a new workout with new moves and new music. I enjoyed it a lot, but it was pretty hard. There were a lot of sprint tracks and that's kind of fun to me. The other spin class has been a lot more focused on strength, so slower speeds with higher resistance. I find that difficult and much more frustrating. Tonight is W5D2 of C25K, which includes two run/jog's of 8 minutes and 2 walks at 5 minutes. We'll see how that goes. I have struggled with 5 minute runs, so I hope I can make it 8.

Laurie: Yep, you nailed it. Guilty as charged. I am/was so tickled by the compliments, but sharing it makes me uncomfortable because I feel like it is bragging. And it is so true! Guys, in particular, will announce their accomplishments with absolutely no shame, but I feel like a jerk talking about it. That is one area that I am glad that I have not put on my daughter. She is a lot more confident that way. So, thank you for recognizing that and making me own it!! Hope you have a good day today!

Mandy: I agree with Laurie, that I'm glad you braved the scale. It is better to know now rather than getting a surprise at the doctor's office. I hope you have a great pregnancy. I honestly didn't enjoy it at all, struggling with "morning" sickness all day throughout the entire pregnancies. But the outcome is worth whatever irritations come along the way. Hang in there!!

I am officially at 5 weeks. According to the various things I'm reading, my little baby's heart is forming and will start to beat at the end of this week, and the baby is roughly the size of a sesame seed.

Learning all kinds of knew things and dealing with all kinds of new stresses. I have to keep telling myself that my body is designed to do this and I just need to relax, but it's tough.

How did you mommies do it?!

Good morning, everyone!

Mandy - Pregnancy is new and exciting and wonderful, especially when it's been anticipated for so long. But there will be a lot of changes along the way. Educate yourself on what to watch for (which I'm sure you've already done), take care of your body with good nutrition and moderate exercise, and just try to roll with the rest of it. I discovered what heartburn was, and I had a lot of first trimester nausea, but my first pregnancy was fairly uneventful otherwise. And when that baby starts moving - it's so incredible.

Diane - Pride in accomplishments is not only fun, it helps insulate you from the darker, more difficult moments. You have been so consistent for so long with the exercise. You are not only adding years to your life, you're adding great quality of life. Hunting trips will continue to be easier and much more enjoyable. And what an incredibly fun grandma you will be! So glad you're getting more comfortable owning your own awesomeness.

Lyn - Exercise. Eating right. Thanks for showing me it can be done! I'm still trying to reconvince myself of it. Nothing I love more than being outside exploring parks, etc. Here in the Midwest, we are facing sub-zero temperatures. Glad you're taking advantage of your weather.

Didn't get to the gym yesterday. Didn't eat well at all yesterday. And again, I will say it. Yesterday's struggles don't have to translate into today's struggles. I will get to the gym today. I will eat more in line with how I know my body functions best.

And I too, miss Toasted's humor. And I miss Uber, Jessica, Martini, Carter, LotusMama, and so many others. It's a struggle. I hope they rejoin us soon.

Hi all. Back to Body Pump this morning. It went well. The abs workout is kind of tough. We're doing leg extensions where you lay on your back and extend one leg and then the other. While I think it is good for the abs, it also uses your quad muscles and by the end of class, my quads are pretty much shot. I'll keep trying! I did W5D2 of C25K last night. It was pretty good. There were two sections of running for 8 minutes with a 5 minute walk between. The first one was fine. I struggled some on the second one. The next workout is 20 minutes without a break. Hmm. Not sure I can do that, but I thought that might be a good one to get stuck on for now. Just keep doing it until I can make the 20 minutes. I'm enjoying the progress though.

Lyn: Good job with staying on plan with food! That's always the toughest part for me. I also had to laugh because you mentioned the "What to Expect" books. I had those for my pregnancies, too! We're definitely in the same generation! They might be outdated, but I do think they were helpful.

Laurie: I have heard that the Midwest is frigid right now! I would be so sad. I am pretty much done with what little winter we have had, and I should not be complaining!! Hang in there and just start over today! It's a good thing to just let yesterday go and keep trying.

Mandy: It is definitely overwhelming to think about what is happening in your life right now, but don't worry!!! You can do this. It is a huge change in your life, but there are so many good things that come from it. You'll be fine! Just keep taking care of yourself.

Toasted: Where are you? We miss you!

Hey ladies! I'm jealous of all your dedication to working out. I just haven't gotten there yet. Hopefully soon. Right now I'm trying to concentrate on just staying within my calories. I'm down... 1.2 lbs this week.

I plan on doing something fun with my nephew, because I have him for the weekend. Maybe bowling?

I can not wait for the spring/summer! I just want to be outside, walking my dogs, bike riding, swimming. Ughhhhhhh hurry up and warm up! I'm getting cabin fever. lol

Hi all. I made it to Spin class today, which was a major achievement because I overslept by about 15 minutes. I was just about to forget about it, but then I knew I would regret that, so I hurried. Made it! It was a tough one as it was endurance day and there were no breaks at all. Happy to have made it through. I'll be trying to do the W5D3 of C25K tonight after work. I'll give it a good effort, but Fridays are tough. So worn out after a week of workouts!

I got on the scale this morning... not a great idea as I feel a little bloated for some reason. Sure enough, not looking great. I'll just have to be careful with eating this weekend.

Lyn: Well, another park exploration for you! Sounds like a good one! At least your jacket is fitting better than last year, that's a good thing!

Skinnygirl: I am with you on wanting the warmer weather! So ready for spring, at least, but even more so for summer! In particular, I'm just tired of long sleeves and pants. I want to be outside without having to wear a coat. Enough already!! Of course, we're supposed to be getting snow this weekend. oh joy.

Hey ladies. :)

Guess what? It's been warmer in norther Alaska than it has been here. SO COLD.

And we've got more snow coming, after getting several inches on Monday. Then several more inches on Wednesday... we're now listed to get 4-7 more overnight tonight. (Glad I don't have to shovel the drive!)

Stuck inside because of super frigid temps and snow all over, I've been playing around with photo announcements for making my pregnancy public knowledge. We're planning to do a big reveal on Easter.

Rest day today, taking full advantage of it, too! I tried to do W5D3 of C25K on Friday. I had to take some breaks though, and couldn't make the entire 20 minutes without stopping. So, I'm going to repeat Week 5 this week. I noticed that the Week 6 running is similar to week 5 in that the breakdown on total minutes is divided more for day 1, less for day 2 and then no breaks for day 3. Since I have some time before I'm ready for the race anyway, I'm just going to repeat week 5. Hope that helps. Went to Body Flow yesterday and it was pretty good. I do think I need to do more stretching throughout the week.

We are getting just a little bit of flurries right now. We are not getting the big snows like over in Denver. Lyn, we're not near DIA, I live way over by the Utah border. The mountains have been hit pretty hard, which is good for the skiing, and the eastern side of the mountains, where Denver is, has also received a bunch. I actually noticed that my tulips are coming up, probably because we have had a really mild winter.

Hope everyone is ok. Missing lots of people!!!

Good morning, everyone!

I'm still struggling, but you know what? I'm still struggling. Which means I haven't given up.

I have a conference call in a few minutes, but I did read through quickly.

Lyn, I love that you grabbed the extra omelets. So important to do what you need to do to make it work!

Diane, I love that you're keeping on keeping on with both your regular work-outs and the C25K. Can't wait until you blow that Week 5 out of the water. Not too long ago, you were saying how you really wanted to be able to run. And now, you're totally doing it!

Mandy - Hope the pregnancy bloating is going away. Growing a human -- it's the coolest thing I have ever done.

Disastrous weekend food and exercise wise. And today is Monday. New strategy. New plans. And very tight clothes, so they're much needed!

Happy Monday, everyone! Let's rock this.

Hey ladies!

This weekend was EXHAUSTING! lol I had my awesome nephew over the weekend ( he is 6 and my pride and joy) howeeeeeever. He woke up at 6 and 630 both Saturday and Sunday. He's just always too excited to come over and so are we when he does. Yesterday, I threw my sister's bridal shower. It was super fun, and everyone had a great time. So happy :)

Laurie- All that is really important is that we don't give up! Keep on keeping on :)
Diane- I'm jealous that you're having a mild winter and see tulips popping up. I woke up this morning to go to work... and the temperature is -20 with the wind chill factor :( My car read -5. ughhhhhhhhhh

Hi all. We are getting a little bit of snow now, and the roads were pretty icy, but we really seem to have avoided the big stuff. I made it to Spin this morning, but was late getting there. I'm not big on taking chances on the ice, so I didn't care when I got there. I'm not sure what I'll do for running tonight. I think I might have to go to the gym instead of the park this time. I am not a fan of running on the treadmill, but I think that is probably better than running on snow/ice. :) I weighed myself today and was down .6 pound. Not great, but at least it was a loss. I only have lost 2 pounds for February. I might need to be a little more careful with calories. I think I might be missing something there. Probably not diligent enough with logging!

Laurie: Good to see you posting and I'm glad you haven't just disappeared because of struggling. Just take it a day at a time and you'll make it! Sometimes it is just really hard.

Skinnygirl: Boy is that cold! I had heard the Midwest was pretty frigid right now. Stay warm!! Glad you had a fun weekend!

Lyn: Good luck with your driving tomorrow. Hope the roads are good for you! Good job on the walking at the mall.

Hi everyone!

Laurie - yes, the bloating (at least the horrible bloated feeling) has gone down some but not all the way. I haven't worn pants that aren't leggins or sweats in almost 2 weeks :lol:

I did not realize how exhausting this would be! I'm told it gets easier a little later on after all the big stuff is built and just needs to grow, but geez... for something smaller than a pea, this baby sure is using a lot of energy.

But you know? I love having the symptoms. The uncomfortable bloating, the sore boobs, the nausea after I eat. It just reassures me that the little baby nugget is still in there and still growing and doing what it's supposed to. Because the lord knows I've been getting more paranoid that something is wrong the closer I get to my doctor's appointment.

And that's not for another 3 weeks!

Good morning!

Skinnygirldreams - Glad you had such a fun weekend with the fam. and totally relating to the cold. Just looked at our weather forecast. All temps sub-freezing, and some sub-zero for the next week. <sigh>

Lyn - It is inspiring to see you working your circumstances. Less than ideal, but you're making it happen. And you're probably right. Good you didn't pull as hard as you could on those car doors. Never can say what accidental damage you could do with those guns.

Diane - "Sometimes it is just really hard." That's really what I needed to hear. I have the negative self-talk happening, and it's telling me that "normal" people don't struggle with this like I do. Thank you for empathizing. I really can do this.

Mandy - That first trimester can be really draining. The second trimester is, in my opinion, the best. Baby starts moving. Some of the early pregnancy symptoms subside, and the baby is not yet huge. And this is one of those life things that demonstrate that our commitment to eating nutritiously and exercising is about increasing the functionality of our bodies, not just for vanity. It's so exciting that this is happening!

Dealing with the extreme hunger. Still not conquering it. I may do a sugar-free thing for a few days. Think I figured out a gym solution. Working on a food solution. I used to eat tuna / salmon / chicken, etc. at my desk, but I am temporarily sharing an office with four people, so I have become self-conscious about how smelly these foods are. I decided to go back to more processed food, like protein bars, temporarily. But that has backfired, as I find myself craving processed foods more and more. Maybe I will just resign myself to eating at more regular times and stepping away from my desk to do it. I am trying the protein shakes now, but I brought two, and someone stole one yesterday.

Gonna figure this out. And going running today for the first time in a couple of weeks. Should be good.