Diane - I love that you are a hard-core athlete now! And I know what you mean. If you are what you are, be that. Don't put on a show for me. (Referring to your Body Pump comrade)

Jenni - It's the hard days that require the most effort just to eke by. But then, when you start putting what feels like minimal results for maximum effort together, and you have made progress. And AARRGGHH!! on the military just not getting it straight. Again. You and your family deserve better.

Frustrated, sad, discouraged today. Marriage issues again. And kids are going through some challenges, and I feel like I need to be 100% to support them, and I am not. Taking deep breaths. Moving through each task. Things will get better. Going to make good food choices today. And I feel like I really need to hit some weights hard.

Well, first time in a very long time... I overslept this morning and missed my spin class. I typically would be very upset about it, but I'm not feeling too bad about it. I think I must have just needed the extra zzz's. I'll go running after work, so I'll get something in today! I had a good day yesterday with staying on plan with food, so that was good. I hope to keep it up today, too. So far, I've been good. With missing the gym, and just going in to work, I wanted to swing by Burger King for a sausage croissanwich. That was what I had done in the past. But I didn't give in.

Laurie: I'm so sorry that you're having such a rough time. Marriage and kid issues are so tough to deal with. It makes it hard to concentrate on the things you want to do for yourself. I hope you have a better day today.

Diane - I stopped by Burger King on my way to work this morning because I have a child with me, and he asked me to buy him breakfast. Really wanted to get one for myself, but decided not to. Yay for Burger King resistance! And good on you for getting sleep. It's an essential component to this weight loss thing. In my mind, and for me, the food is the most important, sleep probably second, and exercise probably third. But it's not that simple, really. When I'm exercising, I tend to do better on both food and sleep. And now I'm babbling. What I'm really saying is - yay for taking care of yourself! And appreciate the sympathy.

Feeling better today. I took kids swimming yesterday. I swam a few laps. I told the kids that I was ditching them for about 20 minutes so I could go swim laps, and they wanted to come with me. Slowed me down some, but I felt really good about inspiring these kids (who only recently discovered that exertion can result in breathing faster, which is normal and healthy and not a symptom of asthma) to get a touch of real cardiovascular conditioning. I am ignoring the husband for now. Not out of spite, but to get myself to a point where I am mentally and emotionally strong enough to deal with it. Also, I was riding bikes with my husband and stepkids on Saturday, and the husband said something about how I never seem to need to stop for breaks. I said, "Yeah, I'm tough." He said, "You're a lumbering brute." Not the most flattering description for an attribute that I worked hard to gain and I am proud of having. =/

I feel really good about starting out strong with the Burger King denial. Today is going to be an exceptionally good day for taking care of myself! So . . .

1 - Eating within calories today. Choosing only foods that enhance my nutritional goals.
2 - Going to do some strength training at the gym today. Period.
3 - Going to do something active with one or all of the kids today. I am going to be a better example and a better influence on their lifestyle choices, because a few of them have or are developing weight-related issues.

Have a great day everyone!

Diane....you are so right it is just a number. I have been suprisingly realizing that lately. This is a life change because even qhen I get to goal weight I cannot eat how I want. And you are a rock star. Working out is a huge challenge for me.

Laurie....I am so sorry your having a hard time still. I am there with you. Life can sure be difficult at times. I have regained so many times that is one thing I am not allowing myself to do in this difficult time. I am glad you are posting for support and hope it gets easier.

Hey guys, so this post is days in the making. I promise I have a half-written post from yesterday and Tuesday open on my laptop and I even wrote some today but I kept getting distracted. So now, I'm on my commute (waheyyy!!!) and I'm not allowed to read or speak or sing along (in my head because I'm kind to other people's hearing) to the radio until I check in with my peoplez!!!

So I got back from my travels okay and since then I've been doing so-so on diet and exercise. This is supposed to be the week I started strength training. It didn't happen yet. But it will! Tomorrow is a new day! Diet was going moderately on track till yesterday's 2500-calorie meltdown. I'm periodical and I just couldn't stop eating. Not good at all. But today, I've picked myself up from the cake crumbs and cookie dust and second helpings and I've done pretty okay. So that's a plus.

Laurie: you've been on my mind. I'm thinking of you and praying for you and sending positive thoughts and wishes your way. You're a rockstar sticking to this and doing what needs doing through what's a tough and stressful period. You may not be able to control how your hubs is dealing, but you are owning the things you can control and there's power in that. Yay defeating the BK craving AND getting the exercise in AND being a super mom showing awesome example to your kids AND doing all this whilst being a Wonder Woman on a bike (I believe that's the term that escaped the mind of the man when he said lumbering brute- he is after all but a man- sometimes appropriateness of description escapes #sigh). You're AMAZING!!!

Diane: I'm glad your office 3fc issues got sorted. If ever anyone deserved to sleep in and skip a workout, I think that person is you!!!! Yay day 2 (or 3???) on track with food! You're doing it!

Jenni: I'm so sorry about what your family is going through! I'm thinking of you and praying you guys find favor in the places you need to and everything gets sorted with minimum stress to you guys.

So my aunt is visiting from America but she's been traveling around and hasn't seen me since she first got here a month ago. Anyway when she saw me last month, she admonished me not to lose anymore weight. Yesterday, she returned to stay and when she saw me, she asked me if I had gained weight with judgement in her voice!!! FWIW, I haven't. But still!! Way to work the complex! I mean one of my coworkers is (apparently) 6 months pregnant and I didn't even have the guts to ask her, just in case she wasn't! She finally commented on her pregnancy in passing and that's when I was like "ohhhhh!" I guess spending most of my life obese has made me hyper sensitive to commenting on people's weight unless it's complimenting their weight loss. #doublestandard Anyway guys so I'm going to get this out before my procrastination bug catches up with me again or internet gremlins eat this. I hope everyone has a blessed and joyous Friday!

So, after oversleeping yesterday, I was doing just fine with being on plan. I went out to lunch, and had just too much food. It wasn't the worst thing I could have done, but I was feeling stuffed for a long time after. I went running after work and it was really great. I was watching some of the people working out and I just really enjoyed being there with others who are working hard to get/stay fit. I do love being there, most of the time. It was really humid in there and I was sweating so much. In a way, I like that, but it was pretty excessive. I drank a bunch of water, took a shower and went home. By the time I got home, I just wasn't hungry. I made dinner for my son, since he did the animal chores for me! But I didn't have anything. I recorded my run and all of the food from lunch and I was just under my calorie goal on MFP, by only 30. I just decided it was ok not to have dinner that night. I wasn't hungry, and it would have put me over for the day on calories. I don't plan on doing that everyday, but it worked for me last night.

Went to Body Pump this morning. It was a really good workout for some reason. I had a meeting at 10:00 here at work and I could really feel my muscles tensing while sitting there. I think I must have still had my "pump" on. Ha! Tonight I get to be home alone, so I need to be careful with food plan.

Jenni: So hard to look at it like that, though, isn't it? Our entire mood should not be determined by the number on a scale. I fight that constantly.

Laurie: How fun! I think it's great to see that the kids want to come with you. You're teaching them good lessons!! As for the "lumbering brute" comment... it isn't the best description, but on the other hand, it gives credence to your efforts! You've done so well with improving your fitness, stay proud!!

Toasted: You ninja'd me! Glad to see you posting!! Tell your aunt to mind her own business. You gotta love when people think they NEED to comment. Oh, and yes, day 3 for being on plan food wise. Barely made it yesterday, but I'll call it a win.

I love reading updates here! So many fantastic things happening, even (or especially?) amidst the challenges.

Diane - Such a great save last night! I am definitely opposed to being miserable and skipping dinner as "punishment" for bad choices at lunch, but that's not what you did. You listened to your body and made some great choices. There's a guy on here (Ian something) who skips dinner every day and just has a really big breakfast and lunch. So many different ways to make healthy choices, and your little food disco yesterday worked for you yesterday. And you're right. I need to OWN the 'lumbering brute' comment. If non-cis people can embrace 'queer," I can adopt 'lumbering brute' with pride, yes?

Toasted - WTH? Your aunt lives in America and missed the fat-shaming note? None of her business how small or how large you get. Hope the visit is not characterized by this nonsense. Even lovely people can have their cringe-worthy moments. And 2500 calories isn't a disaster day. Probably just a maintenance day. Glad you escaped the cookie dust and cake crumbs, though. Can't wait to hear about the strength training! And thank you for your description and your reminder about man-dumbness. Your words help so much.

Jenni - You are dealing with so much more than I am right now. I, too, am keeping you in my heart. I hope this all sorts itself out soon. And woot! for staying in control of one of the things you can control.

I am doing fairly well at integrating fitness. I invited the kids and husband for a bike ride. I got a little bit of pushback, but I reiterated that no one was required to go with me, but I was definitely going. (The husband actually said, "Why would I want to do that?" I replied, "I don't know." And he groaned and said, "Fine" as though I had an arrow pointed at his heart. Whatevs.) So, I let the kids plan and lead the bike ride. We didn't go very far -- just to a park by the house -- but I had packed a basketball and recruited the young woman just shooting baskets to play Knock Out with me. (It's a game that can be really tiring, but really fun, and I was clearly in much better shape than she was. Little things, right?)

I have the 11yo stepson at work with me today, and I was recruited to assist in the law school moot court competition this afternoon. (He begged to come. Who knows why?) We are going to take a break to check out the tunnel system at my work, so I'll get some minimal walking in.

1 - 10,000 steps
2 - Limit pizza night to two pieces of pizza.
3 - Eat very limited calories during the day.

Almost the weekend, and payday for me! Gonna be a great day!

Goals today -

1 - Re

Went to spin this morning and I'm planning to run after work today. On track with all of that. I wasn't great on eating plan last night, but it wasn't horrible either. I checked the scale this morning and I have a pretty big loss to record on Monday, if it sticks. Need to make good choices to make sure it sticks! I realized that next week is the week I'm taking off on Thursday and Friday to go see my parents and sister. I am really looking forward to that. I don't think I'll do any workouts or running while I'm there, but I'll take my stuff just in case I get an urge. I think a few days off will be fine, but I'll need to watch portions on my Mom's wonderful cooking. :)

Laurie: Nice job with the bike ride and the basketball yesterday! How fun! You are doing well to keep going, even if you meet resistance from the family. Inspiring!!

Hey guys, sorry for not checking in more frequently. My mind has been on work and getting that all set for next year while I have some down time (sort of).

I am making a cake tonight/tomorrow morning and that's always a bit problematic. Let's hope it's NOT problematic after all!!!! I WILL NOT EAT CAKE BATTER OR FROSTING!!!! But I will eat a slice of the finished cake while at the event. I'll just budget calories for it!

Now... of the computer I go. Time to read to my kiddo.

Surprise weekend check-in! Surprise for me cuz I was not planning to check in, but I am at work and opened a browser, and automatically typed in 3fatchicks. So I thought a check-in would be nice.

It's 7:00. I'm not hungry. I think being done eating is probably a good idea. Not feeling particularly tough today, which is when I might get in trouble. I am also going to either go for a walk, a bike ride, or lift weights after I get home. Easy. Sensible.

Hope everyone's weekend is going well.

And - back-to-back check-ins for me! No shame.

Diane - So glad you're getting some scale love! And nothing better than to have it right before you see family. If I recall, your family is pretty supportive, but it's always nice to get that confidence boost that the work you're doing is paying off. And you're right. Almost all the fitness/trainer kid of guys recommend rest days. And many actually recommend "re-feedings," so maybe enjoying some of your mother's cooking might not be so bad. =) (Not that I'm taking an official position on that, BTW. The science isn't there to support it, but the anecdotal evidence is not unconvincing.) Only a few more days to go before you get a few well-earned days off!

Melissa - Oh! Baking is absolutely the worst for me. When I make cookies especially, I just concede that I will eat some of the cookie dough, cuz the dough always tastes way better than the cookies. Frankly, I just avoid baking, cuz I can't be trusted. Hopefully, you were more successful than I would have been.

229.8 again. Hovering on the brink of 230. And I had a fairly good weekend. I also hit the weights pretty hard yesterday, and am very sore. So just grateful that I didn't see the dreaded 230, and acknowledging that a little scale bump is well worth it to be reclaiming my weight lifting regimen.

Things are smoother on the home front. Still not fantastic.

Goals for the day -
1 - Restrict calories.
2 - Hit the gym and the treadmill today. Heat advisory today, so staying out of the heat.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Well, had a loss of 2.4 pounds. That's good and I'm happy.... but.... it should have been more. I was not good this weekend with food. It wasn't horrible, but I think I cost myself about 2 pounds or so. Oh well. Onward to this week. I went to spin this morning, and I'll go running tonight after work. I'll do my regular workouts through Thursday morning, and then I'll be done until next Monday. So looking forward to having some time off.

Being a numbers person, I try to keep track of how much I've lost each month. I looked at June today and it was a total loss of .2 pounds. Wow. Not even a full pound. Just a struggle last month. I hope that this month will be better. The good news is that since I'm going to the doctor tomorrow for an annual physical, I wanted to see how much I've lost since last year at this time. I am down 30 pounds, so she should be happy. It made me feel better that even though it hasn't been great lately, at least I'm progressing.

Laurie: Good for you for hitting the weights! It definitely can cause an increase, so I wouldn't worry about it either! Feels good!!

BerryBlonde: Good to see you posting. Hope you were able to stay strong with cake! I love cake, so it is tough.

Diane - You had a maintenance month! So much better than my 40-pound slide from February to now. It is frustrating, though, when you're actively working on it and just not going down very fast, regardless of the reason for the slow descent. July is already a lot better for you, though. Can't wait for the report on the doctor's visit!

I am feeling like I am getting back in the groove. In terms of habits, it seems I am sliding back in fairly easily. This is familiar ground. But my body is really sore and a little resistant. Nevertheless, I ran yesterday for the first time in months. I decided to do C25K Day 1. It's 1 minute running, 90 seconds walking. After the first minute of running, I thought I would switch it up and go 90 seconds running, 1 minute walking. Did not take me long to regret that decision. =) But I made it. And really hit a physical wall at about 9 p.m. last night, feeling slightly feverish and nauseated. And, of course, I was 230.2 this morning, so I did go backwards scalewise. Again. But my muscles are very sore, so I suspect some water weight. But the hardest part will soon be behind me, so I'm embracing this!

Today's Goals -

1 - Get to the gym after my scheduled 1:30 p.m. call. Don't start on the inevitable project until AFTER the gym.
2 - Restrict calories to a reasonable level.

Have a great day, everyone!

Went running last night, and almost died from the humidity. Then, went to Body Pump this morning, and that was good. I really did not do well last night with food. I was by myself, and I grazed more than anything. If I would have just fixed a meal, it would have been better. Oh well. Onward.

I had a great doctor's appointment. She came in and said "What did you do??" I looked at her funny and she said "... to lose so much weight?!" Ha ha! I told her that I was glad she said something because I would have been really mad if she didn't. So, everything is good and we talked about how it has been going. That was nice!

Laurie: Awesome! Look at you getting back into running and workouts. I am sure that if your muscles are sore, you are retaining water, so you are smart to not get worked up about it. Good goals planned for you!

I guess I better just have a goal to eat better today. I do have my son home tonight, so I'll actually make a meal for the two of us. My husband is out of town, so I get a little lazy.