Made it to Thursday. This has been a tougher week in getting to the gym on time. I get up ok, most of the time, but then I just drag around until it is pushing the deadline. But, made it to Body Pump this morning and I ran last night.

Yesterday was one of those days that you remind yourself to keep your goals and weight loss efforts to yourself (except for coming here). Two coworkers and I were talking and the one was saying how good I look, blah blah blah, and then asked how much more I wanted to lose. Normally, I wouldn't say, but it must have been a weak moment and I said that my first goal was about 40 more pounds, and then we'd see how that looked/felt. The other one, who is very heavy, said that there was no way I should lose 40 more pounds, that I'd be too skinny, etc. UGH. 40 more pounds will only put me at 180. Not exactly skinny. I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but I really don't need that crap from her. Oh well, reminder not to share info!!

Paulitens: Way to go!! Staying on track is working well for you!

Laurie: Yep, daily goals is a smart thing to do. They are reasonable and I think that's a great way to go. Oh, and belated happy birthday! I think that using it as motivation to move forward is good. I think that all of us have to be careful with the all or nothing mentality. If we have a bad day, then we need to forgive ourselves and start back again the next day. When it gets to be more than just one bad day, you can feel like giving up. And that just can't be an option! (I'm talking to myself as much as anything with this!)

I am just doing an afternoon check-in to do a bit of bragging and to keep focus.

I FINALLY took off during the afternoon to do a work-out. I haven't really developed my "plan" yet, so not a gym work-out, but a walk (with some running -- it's hard not to, even though I'm really not "supposed" to) with some stair climbing. Usually, it's mid-afternoon where I am desperately searching for sugar. Even though I have given myself permission for an ice cream treat, I genuinely don't want one at this moment. It's a nice break from the compulsion I have been feeling at this time virtually every day.

Will do a full check-in in the morning. This place helps me be accountable, and right now, that's what I really, really need.

Right I finally have some time to check in properly! I've had a but of a dodgy week foodwise, TOM was evil. Was surprised to see no change on the scales so a real knuckle down this week might just get me to the 220s - surely! I had a try on with some of my 'almost fit' clothes and even though the scales haven't been moving I must be loosing inches because alot of them are fitting now so thats cool. Also another NSV I sat on the swing at our holiday home and it doesn't dig it to my butt anymore!!! I need to find time to take some progress pictures, I like to do it when I'm alone -- which is pretty much never lol. So all in all things are okay even if the scales have plateaued -- I should be happy about that right??!! Why can't I get into the groove then. I'm guessing I'm just feeling down at the moment, coming into winter and June is just a plain sad month for my family, its my brothers birthday and the anniversary of his death two weeks later, I feel like I want to cry all the time. Also have the worst UTI ever!!!! Off to the doctor shortly, haven't had one for 10 years! Eek.

Well aren't I just a Debbie Downer :)

So Laurie you asked the question is it worth it, well thats been spinning in my head too. I think it is, its so hard when you've lost weight and feel quite comfortable where you are - why keep trying? For me I would love to say its for my health blah blah bla but if I'm honest with myself its purely vanity, I want to wear nice clothes and I also don't want my sons to grown up with the fat mum who picks them up from school, I don't want them to be embarrassed by me. Sooo I'm no help am I lol

Diane I hear you on the, oh you don't need to loose that much front. My friend told me I was looking good (sorry I actually thought I looked good at it my start weight too but whatever) and when I said I want to loose another 30kg she thought I was joking, shes teeny tiny, I think from her perspective she just can't imagine that extra weight - but it does come off as a bit condescending.

Whats everyones thoughts on #effyourbeautystandards ? To me its kind of like a grey area for those of us striving to lose weight. I mean more power to you if you are happy at whatever weight you are. It just got me thinking when there was a article on it on the news the other night, and the announcer guy made the comment that to him it looked like people were trying to justify being overweight, it got me really annoyed and thinking why should I justify being over weight?? Its like my mum saying there is no way I was happy at my heavier weight -- well, I hate to tell you, I was, I had no health concerns and was active why should my thighs being bigger make me unhappy! Okay I've gone of on a tangent lol

Oh Paulitens soo close to the 180s yay, numbers on the scale are so encouraging!!!

Right off to get my groove on :)

Slashnl -- I hear ya! I don't tell people how much I'm trying to lose either, because at 5'4'', when I tell them I need to lose 70 lbs they look at me like "that would be too much for you." But the truth is, I do have a big frame, and I am naturally thick. No matter how low my weight goes, I am still thick. Losing 70 lbs would put me at 132, and even then I could use losing a few more because I know I would have a pooch around my tummy (just an educated guess, because the only time I was 132 I had not had babies yet and I didn't have a flat tummy). Our bodies are all different, and we're not doing this because we want to be and look anorexic. We are doing this because we want to be and look healthy.

LaurieDawn-- Bragging about good things is good! We're here for good things and inspiration, and sharing your good news helps others. You never know. Way to go on the walk/run!

MissLoud-- Yay for clothes fitting! I can't wait to fit in my old skinny clothes from last year. I do but they're snug and mark my fat rolls. Haha! I need to take my progress picture too. I took one on April 20th, I guess I should take another next Monday. I'm sorry about this time of the year that makes you feel sad. :hug: We all have times like that and we need to give ourselves a bit of time to feel down, and then kick ourselves back into gear. Nobody can stay happy and positive 100% of the time.

About #effyourbeautystandards... ugh... I'm just so annoyed by the whole campaigning for skinny people, campaigning for fat people, "fat shaming," "skinny shaming," "real women have curves," #imnoangel, etc. Why do we have to justify ourselves and our life choices/lifestyles? Why don't we just say, "to each their own" and stop judging, and trying to validate and seek validation? If others feel happy with their bodies, even if they're obese, good for them! It's not my body. But I am obese and I don't like it. And I know I'm no angel with my DDD breasts, and I don't like it either. And my "curves" are fat and it is not okay. I don't want people to validate my poor eating and exercise habits saying that I'm all good. I'm not all good if I don't feel all good. I never liked being fat. Don't tell me it's okay. Ugh. Just... ugh. Seriously. This topic is something I'm passionate about and I could go on for hours on a rant against it.


Anyhow... today I was shown some love by the scale, putting me at 192.4 and I'm feeling fabulous. Too fabulous to even entertain trying the junk food my husband bought last night. :lol:

:broc: :broc: :broc:

Good morning!

Paulitens - The honeymoon phase! That's absolutely the best. When it's also accompanied by consistent scale results, it's hard to even imagine how difficult the journey can be. May your honeymoon phase last forever! And congrats on the new numbers.You are doing incredibly well.

Kelly - What a trifecta you are dealing with. Winter blues, mourning the death of your brother (which, I know from experience, has no expiration date), and a UTI. UTIs are the worst, and it's so hard to stay focused when you don't feel well. But I treasure your cheerfulness even in the fact of obstacles (though I would also treasure any other expression of emotion, including a rage-fueled rant, if you're feeling it).

On the whole #effyourbeautystandards movement, I whole-heartedly embrace it! Skinny. Fat. Pock-marked. Chicken legs. Tree trunk thighs. Lines. Scars. Completely symmetrical and ethereally beautiful. It's ridiculous to make people feel bad when they don't meet some (almost always genetically-unreachable) standard of beauty. It's also ridiculous to assume that those genetically-gifted people who also prioritize health (or, let's be honest, vanity) enough to maintain an "ideal" figure must be inferior in other ways. Instead, I believe fully in embracing our own beauty. My C-section scar that is now accompanied by an apron of skin and fat? I hate it. But when my husband rests his hand there, I will myself to recognize it as an act of love, and try to banish the thoughts of, "Doesn't he realize how gross that is?" from my mind. No need to try to transfer my own neurosis. And to the comedian who thinks he's funny when he makes the unoriginal observation about the DOT employee who has a "front butt?" You are not among the people whose opinions matter to me. To him, I say, #effyourbeautystandards Also, you're not very funny anyway, so try not to alienate a huge portion of your audience if you're really trying to make money doing this. Whew. Lots of words. Lots of feelings about this. And one more. People who "let themselves go" by not going to the gym regularly and eating poorly have genuine, real reasons for doing it. I have posted it before, but I will say it again. I grew to my highest weight in law school. I also finished my degree with highest honors and kept my five kids alive and relatively healthy after my then-husband left me (and them, for about a year). I know almost no one who would say, "Yes, you sacrificed a lot and accomplished a lot, but all I hear is excuses from someone who is too lazy to do what it takes to deal with her weight problem." Why would I say it to myself?

Diane - One of my biggest pet peeves - people who don't know what they're talking about, but decide that their evaluation of a situation where they know about 2% of what you know is more accurate than your evaluation of the situation. Oof. Really glad that you're still getting compliments, though. They are well-earned and well-deserved. You're an inspiration to countless people, and I'm definitely included in that.

I did a Toasted and have had this open for about four hours now. And I have also written a book. Gotta close, but need to add my daily goals.

Weight this morning - 221.2. But I remembered to weigh!

Day 1 was wholly successful. Day 1 is, in my mind, the hardest, except for perhaps Day 2. =) Today's goals:

1 - Eat my healthy food. I have yet to eat today, so I need to get on that.
2 - Get in my 10000 steps. May be difficult, but I am committed to doing at least 7000.
3 - Finish my weight lifting plan. Getting there, but not yet done.
4 - No fast food. Instead, I will stop at the grocery on the way home. Yesterday, my husband made tacos. Not only do I hate his taco recipe, but it was more calories than I wanted. Luckily, I had prepared a meal to eat instead. Just as I walked in the door, I watched my stepson pack it for his school lunch. So, I ate a quesadilla with the family, which was way too much nutrient-light, calorie-dense food, and quite unsatisfying (but still within calories, though I had to be much hungrier than I wanted). I will be better prepared.
5 - No sugar this afternoon. I don't need it, and I'm not really fighting cravings for it when I walk. So, gonna make sure to do that.

Have a great day, everyone, and a fantastic weekend!

So, went to Spin this morning, but I just realized I might not be able to go running tonight. I was going to go, but today is my son’s birthday. We are going out to lunch together, and he’s going out tonight, but I didn’t get his cake made last night. I totally forgot to do it. So, might need to run home after work to get that done. We’ll see what his plans are. I can always go tomorrow, I guess. I was pleasantly surprised at the gym today, though. It is fairly cold here today, so I couldn’t wear my capris like I wanted to, and brought my jeans instead. I was a little worried because these jeans were really tight last time I wore them. They were ones that I bought smaller, so that I could still wear them as I continued to lose weight. Well, they fit way better than the last time I wore them, so I’m really tickled about that. Little victories!!

Laurie: Hey, that's great that you had a victory like that! So cool! You definitely need to let us know about the good stuff too! Sometimes it is really hard to break those cravings at certain times of the day. I had trouble with having little desserts while I was doing the dinner dishes. It took a lot of effort to break that nasty little habit, but I know it was hurting my efforts. Oh, and nice job on getting the exercise!

MissLoud: I'm sorry you have a tough month coming up. I'm sure that it is hard to have those memories. And then, heading into colder weather never is a good thing to me. I am glad that we are getting into warm weather here, although it seems to be taking forever to get here. Good news on the clothes fitting! It's always fun to be able to wear what you haven't worn for a while. As for the #effyourbeautystandards campaign, I hadn't heard about it, so I looked it up. I agree that it is good to feel good about yourself, but I don't like it when either group judges the other body types. It is kind of like that song "All about the bass", which seems to be a positive message, but my niece who has been very thin her whole life pointed out to me that it criticizes those who are "stick figures" and puts down those who are trying to improve their body/health. Everyone needs to live and let live!! It is the same thing when the person here at work told me I would be too skinny if I lost 40 more pounds. Why is it ok for her to judge my goal? Anyway....

Paulitens: Yep, you said it better. I am with you on not being ok with the amount of fat on my body. That's why I am working hard to change it. If anyone else is ok with being obese or overweight, that's cool too. But for me, it isn't ok.

LaurieDawn -- I have very long honeymoon phases when I finally decide to tie the knot :lol:. I don't think of this as a diet, and as the means to reach a desired weight; this is a lifestyle that requires consistent right choices, patience with the process of building healthy habits, and patience with myself if I make a poor choice in the process. I think I would be at my desired weight now if I had not gotten pregnant last year because I was building a lifestyle, and over 5 months I slowly but surely lost 40 lbs. It is hard for me to get into the mindset of making healthy choices and building healthy habits but once I'm in that zone, that's it. It becomes my life. I just get very moody while pregnant and... eh, the heck with everything! :rofl: Literally. So I wouldn't say there is a honeymoon phase, or if there is one, it's very long lasting. In any case... it's all good. Whatever leads us to eat healthy, right?

:broc:

I like your perspective on#effyourbeautystandards because you have the same view as me, only I don't care for the need for a movement itself. I agree -- there should be no "standards" to beauty. We are all different and what some consider beautiful may not necessarily be beautiful to others. And what other people think is gross about my body... really, what's it to them? They can look some other way instead of trying to shame me. That's why I don't think a movement is necessary. We just need to drop it all together and keep these hurtful opinions to ourselves. It's like (and I hope I don't ignite a racial discussion; it's just my opinion as an outsider living in the US) talking about "diversity" in the US. It's like the more we talk about it and the more we try to encourage diversity, the more we end up pointing at our differences and what colors we are, and what cultural baggage we have. Let's just drop it. The more we talk about these things as a society just seems to achieve the exact opposite of what we're trying to do: talking about differences, and thus allowing bigots to make those differences matter. And we know how it goes--idiots seem to have big mouths. I have realized that I feel the happiest when I focus on my own inner beauty showing through my smile and through my attitudes, than when I focus on how my inner beauty is different from other people's. I don't know if that makes sense. Anyhow... I agree with your approach, I just think a movement is kind of unnecessary. :hug:

Slashnl -- Yay for non scale victories! I am noticing that my clothes are fitting better as well.

:carrot:

OMG. All about that bass. HOW I HATE THAT SONG. :lol: From the singer's annoying voice to the fact that it puts down girls with big boobs (ahem, me), that it puts all human value on having a big booty, etc. I have a friend who's also struggling with her weight who loves the song because she says that it's positive about loving yourself the way you are. Um, really? It's about loving yourself fat by comparing yourself and putting down others, putting an emphasis on who you are on the outside, while completely ignoring the fact that it's the inside what makes us valuable. Anyway. My friend and I went back and forth about that song so much! I just decided to drop it. To each their own.

********

Okay, so last night being Friday night I indulged in a little bit of yummy treats but I still managed not to go over my budget. It felt SO good to realize that at the end of the day! But I needed to use the restroom really bad and that didn't happen until after my weight in and after I had some food in my tummy this morning. So my weight today was the same as yesterday, 192.4. Maybe tomorrow it will be down a bit thanks to my visit to the loo post-weigh in.

:broc: :broc: :broc:

191.2 this morning!

:broc:

Hi Everyone!

Sorry it has been a couple weeks since I posted! As I think I mentioned in my last post, I traveled a couple weeks ago. I really tried to stay focused on my eating and not fall into my "I am on vacation!" eating habits. I think I did pretty well. For the most part I kept the food in check; the alcohol was a bit tougher, but not bad. When I came home, I had an appointment with a dental specialist. I was pretty certain that the ultimate prognosis would be that one of my teeth would need to be extracted and I was right. So, I had a tooth pulled last week. And, now I grading finals (I teach a law class on the side).

I am holding steady at 15 pounds lost, which has been okay, actually. Although I did pretty well on my vacation, when I returned, I was off plan for a few days, so holding steady has been fine. But, now I need to get back on plan and get back into the groove.

Laurie! I am so glad to see you here. When I first came back about a month ago, I was hoping to see you here.

Paulitens--you are doing great! So close to the 180s now!

I will try to catch up on the posts I missed when I was gone, but just wanted to let you all know that I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth and I will try to post more regularly.

Good morning, all!

LotusMama - It's so great to see you back here! My sympathies on having to grade law school finals. Regular finals are painful enough. But with an entire semester's grade riding on a single class. Well, that just has to be the worst. Besides tooth pain. Yay being down 15 pounds! And keeping it off through vacation!

Paulitens - You are cooking right through the numbers. Staying on plan with food (and maybe exercise?) is really hard with babies crawling all over. So impressed that you are doing it. I think we'll have to disagree about the need to organize, however, for either fat acceptance or racial equality. =) On just a practical level, fat women (and men, to a lesser degree) are offered fewer job opportunities, are paid less, and are promoted at a much slower rate. It's not just a matter of self-acceptance. And look at the statistics for percentage of people of color spending time in prison, for example. People of color in this county are pulled over at a much higher rate, are arrested at a much higher rate, are convicted at a much higher rate, and are given much harsher sentences. And I am talking about when everything else is constant, so the easy (and probably racist) answer that people of color are just committing more crimes is not accurate. These, and many other things involving people of color, have to change. (I also have a little rant about sexism, if you're interested. ;-) )

Diane - Oof. Baking a cake versus going for a run. Those are the really hard choices. I struggle with those choices all of the time. I know I need to prioritize my own health, but I also want to make sure that I am a whole person and not ignoring the other responsibilities in life. With you having a full-time job and all the household responsibilities, time just gets really tight and really precious. I admire you for having balanced it so consistently for so long. And you're a success tonight, whether you bake the cake or go for the run, because you did something that really mattered. (I say this largely because I would tend to allow myself to feel like a failure for either choice, and it's just not true.)

My scale read 218.0 this morning! The water weight is starting to come off. I have 4 days under my belt now, and I'm clicking into the "this is so easy, I don't understand why I don't always do this" mindset. Gonna ride it as long as I can! My husband also bought me a new bike for our anniversary, and I took it on its inaugural run Saturday with a fairly short 4.25 mile adventure with the family. Yesterday, though, I decided to ride the 8 miles to my work to see how long it would take me. It takes just under an hour each way. I am going to make it my goal to commute to work on my bike once a week until October. (And yes, after the 16-mile ride yesterday, my butt is really, really sore, despite the gel seat my husband so considerately installed.)

So nice to be checking in again with this community! Thank you to everyone for all the support.

Hi all! :)

Just checking in.

Haven't been down to the computer (in the basement) much in the last few weeks because something smelled funny. Turns out we had a little mold and got that taken care of, so I can be down here again!

Had my first glucose test, as well as a test to see if I'm a carrier for cystic fibrosis, and also a multi marker test to check for things like down's syndrome and spina bifida. No calls from the doctor and it's been almost 2 weeks, so I'm going to assume all those tests came back normal, or at least close enough to normal that the doctor felt she could wait until my next appointment to talk to me! (which is how they've handled all of my other lab work)

So, that means my glucose is doing what it should, and I'm not developing gestational diabetes (at least not yet), which was a worry to the OB because I've got PCOS and that can make insulin production wonky.

Anyway, on the weight front, I've gained a total of 8 pounds so far, and I'm at 18 weeks. And most of that has come in chunks, 3 pounds one week, 3 pounds another week... but not 2 weeks in a row. I'm starting to feel my little bump and I'm also starting to feel the baby move. SO AWESOME.

Thursday is mine and hubby's 4th anniversary, so we'll be going out to celebrate.... Then hubby's birthday is June 3, and we'll be finding out boy or girl on that date. That's just 2.5 weeks. I can't believe I'm almost halfway done!

Later in June we'll be heading out to Virginia for hubby's little brother's graduation and I'm kinda dreading the drive because it's SO LONG. But we're taking 2 days to make the 12 hour trip, so we shouldn't be too burnt out when we get there.

I hope everyone is doing well! :D

Just a quick post, I'm kind of busy at work so need to get back to it. Went to spin this morning and will go running tonight. Hoping for some good numbers tomorrow at my weigh in.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Hi all!

LotusMama so great to see you still here, awesome work on maintaining over a holiday, something I'm yet to master.

Laurie I can't help but feel your mood is lighter, this weightloss thing is so much more of a mind game than I ever thought. We all have the tools to lose weight having done it before, so its awesome you head is getting in the game, the rest will follow. Sorry that sounds condescending lol but you know what I mean, may your 'this is so easy' mode last the distance.

Diane good luck with your weigh in tomorrow! ! If its not the teens I'll eat my hat!

Paulitens geez you are blazing through this, how do you do it with 3 kidlets, I just have 2 lol

Right so I've given myself a little talking too, I going to give myself a bit of a break with things - I can't be everything for everyone. It means I've been avoiding my mum a little, the pressure she puts on me to lose weight and how I and what I should be doing regarding my sister inlaw is too much at the best of times, I'm just finding it hard when my heads not in a good space. Mope mope ... so I'm still on plan ish, I'm not as strict as normal but if I get though the next month with no gain and no emotional eating I'll be pleased :)

Weigh in tomorrow, I feel light but who knows!!!!

Yes in an ideal world people wouldn't judge others, I say focus on yourself even I as a big lass I look at Tess Holliday for example and I think shes stunning but I know how uncomfortable I was at a bigger size - its not that I'm judging her its putting my feelings about my weight on to her, if you know what I mean. Oh god and sexisim don't get me started, one of my best friends is a minister of Parliament and I thought it would be better at the top but I've never seen such misogynistic behavior.

Anywho .... off to music - things we do to get out of the house :carrot: :cb: :dancer: :eek:

I'll come back later to reply to all your posts, lovely ladies... Right now I just need to vent.

I'm having a sucky day, PMSing and all, with a crying baby, a grouchy toddler, assignments to grade, house's a mess, and cooking a dinner I am pretty sure none of my kids will like (taco soup) and that will be too high in sodium and will have me depressed at the scale tomorrow morning. Plus I haven't gone #2 since Saturday. Boo! And to top it all off I've been snacking all day (healthy stuff, and still haven't exceeded my calorie budget, but still).

Woe is me. Woe is me!

I'll do an angry workout when the kids are gone to bed tonight, and do an angry French learning while on the treadmill. Hahaha!

Good morning, everyone!

Late check-in this morning, and will probably be quick.

Paulitens - Oof. All of that piled up can be frustrating. And feeding kids can be the worst. Yay for sticking with the healthy snacking. Boo for feeling a bit out of control with it. Hope things get better quickly.

Kelly - Not condescending at all. As always, kind and gentle and so helpful. Yay for getting things prioritized. As you say, you can't be all things to all people all the time.

Diane - Every day, you're working it. And that's why you are continuing to have such great success even after all this time. Woot!

Mandy - It's so fantastic to see you popping in! Sounds like the baby is growing well, and that the pregnancy is progressing nicely. Can't wait to see pics of the little one (if you choose to share them).

Yesterday was not perfect, but also not bad. And today, I'm totally back on. Cuz I don't have to be perfect to make progress.

Have a fantastic day, everyone!

Well, barely made it, but I did get into the 2 teens. I'm a little concerned about the next weigh in because I'll be at a big baseball tournament starting on Saturday and then all through next week. We have the Junior College World Series here and it is such a good time. We spend a lot of time there on Memorial weekend, and then usually every night for the week after Memorial Day. I can usually stay somewhat disciplined for food, but exercise/running will be taking a back seat. I'll still work out in the mornings, unless I'm just dead tired, but running won't be happening. That's ok. I'll get back to it after the tournament is over.

Until Saturday, though, I need to be ON. I went to Body Pump this morning. I had to go to the gym to run last night because of the thunder. It's funny, I outlasted a couple of younger, slimmer ladies while running. Made me feel good. That 5:00 crowd is just odd. They seem to be way more interested in socializing than in an actual workout. Made me feel smug anyway.

Mandy: So glad to hear from you. I was missing the baby updates. It sounds like things are going very well for you!! I'm so glad.

Laurie: Good comment! You don't have to be perfect to make progress. Some days are better than others, and that's just the way it is. Good for you and your awesome attitude!

Paulitens: Oh boy, so sorry you are having a rough day. I hate it when I know I'm making a dinner that the kids won't like. Not that they have to like everything, but it still is irritating to have them turn up their noses at it. Of course, mine aren't little kids. Hope things improve for you!

MissLoud: Good to see you posting! You're so right about not being able to be everything to everybody. It can wear you down. Take some time to yourself and I hope you feel better!

Good day today, had my friends girls here so was busy this morning - although I had to stop myself putting the left overs in my mouth! They had healthy snacks but thats what ive been over indulging in lately. Filled myself up on vege soup at lunch and then did some yard work which kept my hands busy. Took the boys on a bike ride, now my youngest is getting good on his balance bike I might need to invest in a scooter to keep up! Feeling the munchies now but I've talked myself down -- well for now, might have to head to bed early!

Down another pound but I realised I had converted kg to pound wrong so now I really do weigh 232 ;) hoping for a decent number this week.

Diane yah the teens!!! Awesome work, hopefully your baseball tournament doesn't upset the apple cart!

Paulitens I hear you on the kids not liking dinner, both mine a quite different as to what thry like, I tend to make stuff three of us definitely will eat and the other just has too lump it lol.... googling taco soup!

Laurie it really does sound like your mindset has shifted - so pleased for you. I'm faking it til I make it, I really desperately want to be under 100kg, I think I'll feel like im getting somewhere then!

Good morning! Super quick check-in.

I am in a mood funk. I am susceptible to depression, and I need to fight it. No one monitors when I come in to work, so it can be really easy to decide to stay in bed all day every day.

But I didn't do it. I am in my office, working. I am presenting at a training this afternoon, and I am very much on board. I can do this. And I know if I am able to go out for a walk, my mental health will be much improved.

Went to spin this morning. It seemed difficult for some reason. Oh well. The weather seems to be pretty good today, so hoping I can run outside tonight. Otherwise, I'll go to the gym. It isn't horrible being there, just insanely loud. I'm going out to lunch with a friend, but should be fine with staying on plan today. We don't go all out when we're together, trying to keep each other on track. I am feeling like I could eat right now and lunch isn't for another 2 hours. Great.

Laurie: Sorry to hear you are feeling down. Just keep trying to ride it out. I do think a walk would help. The saying I always like is: You're only one workout from a good mood. Hang in there!

MissLoud: A scooter sounds like fun. It sounds like you're getting some good exercise in! That's great!

Thanks ladies for all the kind words. I weighed in Saturday 5lbs down I also weighed today and I am 283 woot woot put really my weigh day is Saturday

SW-290
5/16- 285

I am back.....I have had a really hard last couple months.....back in 220s but I am here could use your gals support....

Went running last night and then body pump this morning. I got on the scale and it wasn't a good number, so I guess I better be careful this weekend. I felt kind of tired last night from workouts and running, so maybe it is water retention. Who knows... Just have to keep my head in the game even though I'm going to the baseball games.

Jenni: Good to see you posting again! I'm sorry you have had a rough couple of months. Don't let it stop you, though. You're back here now and we'll support you through this all! You can get back to it, just be kind to yourself and move forward!

Ky30: Nice! Good losses!

4 years! :D

Today is mine and hubby's wedding anniversary and I can't believe it's gone by so fast. Going out to dinner tonight to celebrate and it's so nice to finally be able to afford a nice restaurant without a gift card. <3

Weight wise, I'm still hovering in the same place as my last doctor appointment, so that's good news. Though to help keep my weight stable and stave off the sweet cravings I've taken to drinking flavored water (crystal light), because it's sweet, but very low calorie and kills the cravings without all the sugary junk. I wonder which the doc would prefer... the artificially sweetened drinks, or the piles of candy/pastries I'd be stuffing in my face otherwise...

Baby-wise, s/he's still being a gymnast and surprising me with the feeling of movement sometimes. I'll be sitting watching TV with the hubs and I'll be like "ohh!" like I got goosed or something because it takes me by surprise. Still hoping I'll start feeling that more.

Also, because of baby, I'm grumpy and tired and headachey a lot because I can't get comfortable at night to get good sleep, and when I finally do fall asleep I wake up a little bit later having to pee. Lack of sleep, hormones, hydration needs, and changing dietary needs are all adding up to headaches almost every morning. Silver lining: They aren't migraines (which I'm prone to), and they tend to go away within an hour or so after I get some food and beverage in my system, without medication.

I hope you all are doing well! :D

OK, I'm going to post here. Honestly, I don't know if I can handle all the newbie questions and stuff. I was there. I was the same. I get it, but rehashing it for the bazillionth time is too much for me.

If I know, how come I can't keep it off? Oh darlings, if it were only so easy. I KNOW what my triggers are KNOW IT... but being able to keep "untriggered" is what I need to figure out now. For now... I'm in a good spot, so relose (again) is what I'm doing. Maybe this time I'll figure it out for good. One can hope.

But for now? I'm not throwing out my fat clothes like I did last time. I need to keep a small stash as reality is, this is going to be a lifelong battle for me. I just know it. Maybe I'll be more successful with more "good times" if I figure out the how to deal with avoiding or dealing better with triggers, but I have a lot of living left to do and a lot of time to eff it up.

Spin class this morning. It was awesome. I think I gave it extra effort because I'm not planning on going back to the gym until Tuesday. I'm way too excited about taking the next 3 days off. Hopefully I won't regret it! Ha!

Mandy: Glad to hear things are going well for you, for the most part! Congrats on the 4 years!

BerryBlonde: Welcome! I think you'll like this group. We totally get the frustrations of regains. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Diane thank you and still wonderful to hear your spinning!

So I have been doing DIY projects on my house. I started in the half bath and now I am laying wood flooring throughout the house and redoing my littliests room as frozen. This is not easy work I am gaining so much respect for contractors lol

Oh, boy... I guess I've been gone for too long, haven't I? Thank you all for the sympathy and the empathy, and for letting me sulk. We all have crappy days.

LaurieDawn, I hear ya. I work from home and I struggle with depression; I get things done but seriously, working from home and having kids to take care of is harder than working outside the home as a mom. It's like... two worlds colliding in the worst way possible sometimes. I have my healthy routines in place to fend off depression and I seem to be getting by but sometimes it hits me like a freight train. Plus the weather here has been yucky, plus the hormones... you know how it goes. Hang in there. :hug:

I've been all over the place for the last two days, Tuesday had pizza for dinner and while at it, I totally went to town and had some Coke too. LOL. If I'm going to do something wrong, might as well do it right. ;) Next morning, on Wednesday, I was 193.6. I saw it coming, plus the fact that I have been having trouble with going to the loo since Saturday, things were literally starting to pile up. Sorry for the visual. Hahaha! Thursday was the same and I finally found some sweet relief to it all, and now I'm back to 191.8, and back to the saddle. It's been a couple of highly emotional, and exhausting days. My 5 month old baby got a cold and hasn't been giving me much of a break.

Anywho... it's all over now, thank goodness. Glad to see most of you are doing great! Happy belated anniversary, FeraFilia! Welcome back, jenjen! Congrats on the loss, Ky30!

:broc::broc::broc:

Quick check in. Haven't been exercising this weekend, but I planned to just take off until Tuesday. I lost .4 pounds at my weigh in this morning. Could have been better, I'm sure, but for now I'm just happy it didn't go up!!!

Back at it tomorrow.

It was my birthday yesterday on memerial day. I did so well and I am proud of myself. Back at it today. My treadmill broke so I need to find something to do. Im thinking about joining a gym they have a 3 month special for the summer and have spin class!!!!

Good morning!

So great to see some familiar faces here posting.

Jenni - Can't wait to hear more about your current life status. How's the job search going? The stepdaughter? The military life? So much to know!

Melissa - I love reading your comments other places on the board. It's so exciting that you have decided to join us!

Diane - I love seeing your ticker in the 2-teens. You have SO earned it. And I love watching your patterns. Taking time off is probably important for the consistency you have had for so long, I would think. Like Melissa noted, trying to figure out how to make things consistent is probably my biggest challege.

Paulitens - Yay on the continued downward trend of the scale! And I totally agree that staying at home with kids is incredibly difficult. I have done stay at home, work at home, and work at work, and all iterations have their challenges. Looks like you're figuring out how to make it work!

I am actually not feeling physically great today. I was incredibly thirsty this morning, so I drank my customary 40 ounces of water. Now it's just sitting in my stomach making me feel bloated and uncomfortable. I am hoping that I can just stay the course, and I'll start to feel better.

Daily goals:

1 - 10,000 steps, 15 flights of stairs
2 - No fast food.
3 - Eating the food I brought to work.
4 - 100 ounces of water.
5 - Leave my office by 1:30 p.m. to get in a walk. (I have an issue that relies on someone else, so this is subject to the demands of my job.)
6 - No afternoon sugar.

Summer is here, even though today is all about the rain! Have a great day, everyone!

194.2 this morning. Long weekends suck. :lol:

Back to the saddle.

:broc: :broc: :broc:

Hi all. Back to Body Pump this morning. I could tell that I haven't been working out for the past few days. It wasn't horrible, but it was a little more challenging than usual. I'm going to try to keep up with the morning workouts, but probably no running this week since I really want to go to the baseball games after work. It's only here this week, so I don't want to miss it. It was funny, my husband asked if I was going to run after work, and he said it would be ok to go to the game late. I love the support, but I told him that I'd get back to it, probably on Friday because I get off early, or at least on Saturday. The workouts in the morning should be ok, as long as the night games don't go too long!

Food was off plan all weekend, and that's ok. I'll stay on plan during the day, but if I have a hotdog at the game for dinner, I'm not going to worry about it. There are these monster ice cream cones that I've seen there that are tempting. Going to try to avoid those. :)

Paulitens: Long weekends.... yep.

Laurie: Sorry you're not feeling that great today. Maybe you were a little dehydrated and all the water quickly just shocked your body. Who knows? I like your goals though! You can do it!!!!

Jenni: That sounds like a good plan, joining the gym. I know you've said you like the spin classes!

Computer ate my post!!

So just a flying visit!! Really feel like I'm treading water at the moment and it could go either way :( I really need to shake it up a bit but I'm struggling still. So hard when you know what you need to be doing but just can't muster it. Managed to maintain which is a positive - also logged into My fitness pal and it made a whoopla about me loosing 10 kg since my last long in lol Also going to take progress pics today.

Right so ... I have a family weekend away planned in August includes shopping for wedding outfits!! It happens to be a nice 10 weeks away. Goal is to stay 90% on plan til then (I have a girls weekend planned in the middle) log my food and excercise 3 times a week plus my normal dog walks. I can do this right??!!

Good morning! I have a deadline today, so I am only going to spend a few minutes here.

Diane - You rock. I feel like I say it a lot, but never enough. YOU ROCK. You make this work, in spite of changes and challenges (both good and bad challenges). Ummm... did I mention that you rock?

Kelly - Of course you can do this. It's not easy, but you are both capable and determined. How can you miss?

Paulitens - The trend. It's all about the trend. And your ticker is trending in the right direction. Woot!

Didn't meet my goals yesterday, but feeling okay about it. Things started happening on a huge case of mine, and I got a tremendous career victory. I stayed pretty on point with eating, though I didn't get my exercise in.

Today's goals:
1 - 10,000 steps. In order to make this happen, I need to be super focused and productive this morning so I can get it done this afternoon, as I will be driving 6 hours after work this evening.
2 - No sugar in the afternoon.
3 - No fast food.
4 - Eat my food.

Have a fantastic day, everyone!

Morning all! I'm feeling in the groove - that's good. Haven't really talked with my husband about it (restarting), but I think he's noticing I'm making different food choices (going lower carb). I know this yo-yoing I've been doing is reallllly hard on him as he worries about me.

Morning sunshines!!!!

Laurie.....my hubby is still in and it is making impossible for me to be serious about the job search. Hopefully he is retired by July 1st. After it is official I will begin that again. I had made a decision that I never wanted my kids in daycare. Stepdaughter moved out. She got worse and now is dating some guy that just got out of 4 years in jail. So I have to let go. I have redone our half bath and now am putting wood floors all over the house. This has been my output for stress lol
How is your new job????

Mandy: your preggo!!!!!! Yay####

Been doing okay eating thinking of getting up and start walking.

Back to spin this morning. My legs were feeling somewhat sore from yesterday's workout. Not sure why since we didn't do anything that much different than other workouts. Unless it is from walking up and down the stands at the baseball field. I would be surprised if it was that, but who knows. The weather has been awful for this tournament, and usually I just love spending time out there, but I'm so over being cold out there, I'm about ready to just stay home. I'll probably keep going, but it hasn't been as fun as in the past when it was nice outside. Rained like crazy last night. It will be good to get things back to normal, especially since my meals have been off plan.

Jenni: Lots going on for you! Hope you get a chance to do some walking.

BerryBlonde: Glad you're feeling in the groove! That's a plus!

Laurie: Thanks for the "you rock" comments. I feel pretty good about where I'm at with all of this. I don't know what is different this time, but I just don't want to stop. I am closer to goal than I've ever been before, and I just want to get there. I guess the other part is that I'm feeling so much stronger than I have for a very long time. I like the workouts, I like running, and it just works right now. Gotta ride this feeling for as long as I can! Congrats on your career victory!!!! That's important stuff too!!! Way to go on setting your new goals!

MissLoud: Of course you can do it!!! You've got the determination to make it happen!!!!

Little baby B is 19 weeks today. 21 weeks to go. Almost half way! :D

1 more week until we find out if little B is a boy or a girl!

I can't believe I've made it this far already. Time is flying right on by.

Good news, too. I finally have my energy back, for the most part, and can get things done. Today I did laundry, and swept the porches, and cleaned out hubby's car, as well as taking a walk outside because the weather is GORGEOUS.

Bonus to having been bigger than I currently am at this point in my pregnancy? A lot of my older "fat" clothes are working well as maternity clothes, though the pants are starting to get tight. I've taken to wearing summer dresses and maxi dresses... but my old t-shirts work well with the leggins I got to wear instead of pants (meaning they are long enough to cover my butt when I'm walking around).

Baby has gotten pretty active, especially when I lay down at night, and it is pretty much the most awesome thing I've ever felt.

That's it for the baby update. I hope you all are doing well! :)

Good morning!

Late night. Bad eating last night (though I did get my steps in) and started this morning by eating excessively because I woke up hungry. Didn't want to check in, but I am. It will be short, though. I also forgot to put on my Fitbit, which throws off everything.

Mandy - Sounds like things are progressing well. Yay for energy!

Diane - Thanks for the kudos on the career victory. The balance thing. I am not navigating it nearly as well as you. I am progressing, though. Hope the weather gets better so the games are more fun!

Jenni - Oof. Life drama. Glad the stepdaughter is out, though. Things are hard enough for you without having her daily presence. Hope her new guy is better in reality than he is on paper. New job is really going well. =)

Melissa - The yo-yo struggle is real! But you know what? I'd rather be bouncing up and down instead of just continuing to go up. I had a couple of years where I stopped yo-yoing and just started gaining. Not better. Glad you're recommitting. And, as I said before, really thrilled to have you here.

Daily goals:
1 - Stop eating until I feel hungry again, even though I feel exhausted, sore (from driving until 2 a.m.), and a bit out of sorts.
2 - Take stairs, walk around, even though I don't have my Fitbit to track it.
3 - Go on a short bike ride this evening.
4 - Make good food decisions. No fast food.

Good for you for getting the steps in. I started wearing my gizmo. I haven't really started "doing" anything about getting steps in. I'll get there, but... baby steps.

And on career - this year has been so huge in changing priorities - household wide. I now work 40 hours a week, commute 7 hours a week. Still do all the grocery shopping and cooking and main pots and pans cleaning. Still do most of the laundry (though DH has picked up some slack there), still do all the gardening, still do all the 4th grader's school stuff, etc.

Career is great. We are eating great and have clean clothes. Our house is a WRECK. DH says he'll do more, but he wants me to TELL him what to do and honest to peaches, I can't handle that. I "tell" people what to do in every aspect of my life - work and home. Why do I have to spearhead everything? It gets OLD!!!! Yes, I'm a natural leader. That doesn't mean I want to do that 24/7!!! Ok... rant over! :-)