[Martine]

A good Friday morning to everyone!

opheliaphoenix congratulations on reaching your monthly goal and I hope it sticks! What a scary thing about the bomb threat evacuation. We're in the midst of training all of our employees on how to react if an active shooter enters the premises. I never thought in my life that I would have to give training on such a subject matter. Very scary world we now live in.

Livi29 let me add to the welcomes. I've never heard of Chalean Extreme Burn before, but if you feel like it's all work and no fun, my advice is to look for something different that will challenge you AND make you happy while doing it. You're more likely to stick with it long term if you enjoy it.

RunningRedHead did I miss your birthday? If so, a happy belated one! What a perfect gift to yourself, re: gym membership. How have you enjoyed it thus far? And you mention not missing sweetness in your coffee; I believe sugar really is an addiction and once you break it, you don't crave it anymore.

gulfmagnolia how nice that your brother and his wife have come for a visit. A good excuse to enjoy more walking. And you mention you'll go for archery and a pole dancing lesson. Between you and opheliaphoenix doing belly dancing, you guys are living adventurous lives Me, I'm just a boring homebody. And no I never thought to take a picture after I got my hair cut and styled, maybe I should've.

MagicSusan a huge congratulations on reaching metric Onederland!

texscrapper thank you for adopting that dog, a wonderful gesture giving a pup a new home.

curvynotlumpy I'm sure writing that grant is a lot of work for your team but it will greatly benefit those student-parents who need support to make it work. Upcoming renos at your place of work bring their lot of headaches and extra work, but it will be worth it once it's done. Hope you won't have to pull another Sunday at work to get your own work done through all of this.

Don't you love it when your District Manager asks another store manager to look over the store 2-3 times per week while the current store manager is on sick leave, only for said District Manager to keep asking you to do a lot of the things the store manager should do? It seems that her go-to line is "see Martine about that" and that the store manager helping out is washing her hands of anything beyond the daily operations of the store and all-important meetings. You tell that store manager that some days throughout June the store will need help for a few shifts, being short 3 members of the management team, and her answer is "You will have to see the DM about that because this is not my district". And of course *I* wind up taking care of it. And the funny thing is I don't mind it because I'm used to it, I'm solutions-driven and I won't let the store down. It's just that I realized that it's convenient for the DM to have me take care of the store while I'm there, but at the same time she says that I should be letting go. I'm taking notes.

Other than that, I am still in a funk. I am relieved that I haven't gained back the weight that I had lost, but still I know I have to take better care of myself. I'm hoping that a 3-day weekend coming up will give me the energy and resolve I seek to get back on track.

[Livi29]

Martine Oh wow, do you work at a Walmart? Cause that sounds so dang familiar. Our district manager is showing up constantly to tell us what we are doing wrong and giving us more and more to do, but we literally don't have the people to get it all done and on top they cut our hours (and our store manager just got back from LOA too ha), but they expect us to magically do it anyway and act oblivious to the fact we are understaffed.

----

Just a quick check in, going into work early and its going to be a loooong day.

I'm doing good with logging and staying at my target, now lets see how I do with avoiding stress eating today.

Despite what I said about the workout yesterday, I am quite sore this morning so I guess it was more effective than I thought.

2 miles (12 mins) stationary bike and some yoga this morning.

Happy Friday!

[RunningRedHead]

Casey: How scary! I’m so glad to hear that your daughter and everyone was safe and it was just a false alarm, but it is definitely stressful. Way to go on hitting your goal for the month. You’ll balance back out by the end I think we chatted before about sleep seriously affecting our weight loss efforts; I think that’s what got me this week. The two days where I bumped up were both on days that I only slept for about 5 hours or so… I’m starting to think it had more to do with that and less to do with the Mexican food. Who knows… one way to test the theory though…more Mexican food!!!

Martine: I’m sorry to read that things are still giving you a hard time at work. Great work not gaining what you’ve lost though, I know that can’t be easy to maintain under that much stress. I hope the three day weekend helps you to de-stress and get back on track soon <3 It was on Tuesday; thanks so much for the wishes The gym so far is okay. I walk on the treadmill for a warm up and then I go do my strengthening exercises they gave me in PT. I think you hit the nail on the head about the sugar and addiction. I can’t believe I used to think I didn’t have a problem with it; in my head I didn’t use so much, but now that I’m paying attention to what I’m eating (to the point of tracking obsessively), I’m picking up on all of these sources of sugar I hadn’t realized I was consuming.

Livi29: I was definitely with you on the love of flavored creamer. Some weeks it felt like I was singlehandedly keeping CoffeeMate in business (yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds). Now if I want a treat but don’t want to drop $3 on a Starbucks coffee, I add some Torani sugar free syrup to my morning coffee with my heavy cream and call it a day. Who needs a barista anyway (*raises hand* JK, I totally do ). Congrats on sticking to half a donut and staying within your calorie goal; it’s all about balance, right?

Happy for a woosh back down today. I’m hoping for another one in the upcoming few days, as I’m cramping like it’s my job, which means shark week is just around the corner. I made it to 5L yesterday and got to enjoy a glass of red zinfandel with dinner, which was steak and salad. Today's plans include another nice walk with Loki and running some errands (grocery store, local farm, etc) to stock up on groceries for the next few days.

SW: 277.3
5/21: 267.6
GW: 269
Stretch goal: 262

Week 4:
5/22: 266.5 (-1.1)
5/23: 267.8 (+1.3)
5/24: 268.0 (+0.2)
5/25: 266.3 (-1.7)
5/26:
5/27:
5/28:

[RunningRedHead]

All the yo-yo-ing this week I think that wine, lack of sleep, and Chipotle are the most likely culprits, but I don’t regret it. I got to have dinner out with some good friends (one of whom is from out of town and crashed with me) and then we went to the drive-ins to see Deadpool 2 and the most recent Avengers movie. (I haven’t seen anything after the first Avengers movie, so I was a little in the dark, but it’s okay- it was still awesome.) Got to see my husband, Chris Evans

Water intake was 4.5L yesterday, carb count came in at 39g total, 27g net. I need to focus on hitting my protein goals and not so much the fat intake now that I’ve got a good grasp on how to keep my carb count where it should be.

Meal prep today will include two days worth of large taco salads with 85% ground beef, spinach, sour cream, shredded cheddar, peppers, scallions, and chipotle ranch dressing. It will also include making some of that keto-friendly cheesecake filling with strawberries *drool*, and some turkey with mustard wrapped around a pickle (I have the strangest cravings! No, I'm not expecting). I have to say, the one thing I love about keto is that it’s so easy to eat vegetables with every meal, which has been one of my (unwritten) goals since I started this adventure back in the beginning of the month. I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend so far!

SW: 277.3
5/21: 267.6
GW: 269
Stretch goal: 262

Week 4:
5/22: 266.5 (-1.1)
5/23: 267.8 (+1.3)
5/24: 268.0 (+0.2)
5/25: 266.3 (-1.7)
5/26: 267.0 (+0.7)
5/27:
5/28:

[Martine]

RunningRedHead how did you like Deadpool 2? We almost went to see it today but I went in to work on my day off and stayed longer than I had planned. That double feature at the drive-in is a perfect match. The last time I went to a drive-in I was 12 and The Karate Kid II was playing.

[opheliaphoenix]

Martine: It's definitely a crazy world out there right now...I hope you guys never need to use that particular training, but it's always good to be prepared! That being said, I hope all the other stuff at work calms down, too! They sound like they are taking advantage of you, and that's not right.


Livi29: Another good day...nice work!


Kayla: Thank you, I'm glad it was just a false alarm, too! And, I like your idea of testing your sleep theory with more Mexican food...lol. I'd be more than happy to help you test that theory, as well. And, we're going to see Deadpool 2 tomorrow night! (Though, I wish we had a a drive-in around here...I miss those!) How did you guys like it?


-----------------------------------------


Weigh-in was down a bit from Thursday to 175.6, but still not back down to where I was just yet. However, I snacked on the car ride back a little more than I usually would and I also only got in one bottle of water all day yesterday (only 2.2 liters), so I'm hoping that I will see some more movement downward tomorrow after being more on track today. We are going out for that dinner and movie tomorrow, though, so I'm really hoping I don't do too much damage right before the final weigh in of the week on Monday...I'm going to do my best to go light on the meals and get in my workout out of the way in the morning beforehand to help prepare for it.


Week Four
22: 176.6
23: 175.4
24: 176.0
25: NWI.
26: 175.6
27:
28:
----------------------------
End of Week Three: 176.4
Total Loss for Week Four:

[curvynotlumpy]

Good morning

I am so bummed! I wrote a long post on Friday and apparently only looked at it in preview mode and forgot to post it. Well, seeing that it's a holiday weekend and I don't have to work tomorrow, I'll try to recreate it. At the very least it will work out my memory muscles.

Thanks for all the good wishes regarding the grant proposal. It was submitted on Friday and it is a very good proposal. Last year there were two rounds that whittled the initial 100 proposals to 50. Those 50 did mini presentations. We didn't submit one last year but I'd like to think our proposal would at least make the cut. Thank goodness it's a campus proposal rather than one for the biggies i.e. NIH or NEA. I'm proud of my team and the work we all put into it.

Martine: I feel like we're living parallel lives and should get together for coffee and commiseration. While we work in different fields the bureaucracy of upper management is all too familiar. It floors me how management either don't know, don't care or are completely out of touch with the processes and day-to-day aspects that enable their organization's success, YET earn more money than those doing the actual work will ever see. I hope you and David are able to do something fun this weekend to take your mind off and away from work things.

opheliaphoenix: making your May goal. With that and the return of your DH you have much to celebrate. I'm so relieved that the bomb scare was just that and that you, your children and everyone at the school are safe. We live in scary and uncertain times, don't we.

RunningRedHead: The turkey and mustard wrapped pickle makes sense to me. Protein, tart, crispy and briny all in one bite

Liv29: Congrats on getting in your and exercise. At times I can be a stress eater as well. From one to another, remember all the calories you burned when you get the urge to reach for food in stressful times. You got this!
************************
Today I think I'm going to see the Melissa McCarthy movie, "Life of the Party." It's exactly what I need right now; cool, dark theater and a movie with goofy laughs.

Happy Sunday!

[gulfmagnolia]

Hello darlings! Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. Happy Memorial Day and thank you to everyone who has served (or loves someone who has served.) Have been working on my water intake. My hat is off to all of you who do it consistently. Took my first pole dance class. I was so fortunate to be the only one in class!!! As I expected, it was WORK. I didn’t expect to LOVE IT! Going back

5/1: 224
5/6: 221
5/13: no weigh in
5/20: 218.2
5/27: 215.4
5/31:

[Martine]

Livi29 no I don't work at Walmart but isn't retail all more of the same? Your description of how things work over there mirrors exactly what conditions are like at our stores too. Great job on getting those miles in on the stationnary bike. That soreness after a workout is a good thing

gulfmagnolia I would never be able to take a pole dancing class, I'm too chicken, so hat's off to you. And you are showing a great new number on the scale, congratulations on your month so far!

curvynotlumpy yep, bureaucrats and technocrats telling people in the field what to do, while being disconnected from the reality of daily operations, is what a lot of companies are based on, unfortunately. Hope you went out to the movies as planned. A good comedy is great escapism and good for the soul.

opheliaphoenix did you wind up going to the movies as planned yesterday and did you enjoy whatever you chose to see? Hope you had a great evening out.

I'm trying to start this new week with a new outlook on things. All this negativity in the past few weeks has done nothing good for me and I need to focus on health and happiness again. It helped that last night we just on a whim decided to go for a drive and eat at a burger shack right by a mountain side which was recommended by one of my employees who knows the owner. It was a beautiful sunny evening, the place was about 30 minutes away only and the food was absolutely delicious, really one of the best veggie burgers I've had. And I got a strawberry slushie, which though full of sugar, made the kid in me happy. So this morning before the rain came in, I walked 4km at the park with Loki and I purchased a program from Fitness Blender focusing on strength training, which I enjoy the most out of all types of exercises. Combining walking/fresh air and strength training is a good recipe to get back into a healthy lifestyle. Hope everyone is enjoying a great Sunday!

27: 4km walk + 40 minutes lower body strength training

[opheliaphoenix]

Curvy: I hope the proposal goes through and is one of the ones chosen! And, thank you -- we were happy that it ended up being nothing, as well...scary times, indeed! Let us know what you think of the movie once you see it, by the way...Melissa McCarthy is usually hilarious, no matter what she is starring in, lol.


gulfmagnolia: I'm glad that you decided to try the pole class afterall and that it was fun!! I'd love to do one. And, nice loss!!


Martine: We did end up going yesterday instead of today -- we saw Deadpool 2! It was HILARIOUS, as expected...lol. Like I said below, it was the hardest I've laughed at a movie in a theater in a long time! Also, yesterday sounds like it was a wonderful day for you...I'm so glad!


-----------------------------------------


Weigh-in was down a bit more, back down to Thursday's low of 175.4. Considering that we ended up having a change of plans and doing the dinner and movie** last night instead of today, I'm just happy to see it come down - even just a tad - instead of bump up! However, yesterday was even lower on water, so I'm making that my main focus today since I'd been doing so well with it before my husband got home...lol. We will see what happens for the week's final weigh-in tomorrow.

(** In case you were wondering, we saw Deadpool 2, and it's been a long time since I have laughed that much or that loud in a theater...lol.)


Week Four
22: 176.6
23: 175.4
24: 176.0
25: NWI.
26: 175.6
27: 175.4
28:
----------------------------
End of Week Three: 176.4
Total Loss for Week Four:

[gulfmagnolia]

Originally Posted by Martine

[new week with a new outlook on things. All this negativity in the past few weeks has done nothing good for me and I need to focus on health and happiness again

Yes!!! Me too!


Curvy How was the movie? I love a good comedy that requires little thought and lots of laughs. Laughter is a great ab workout, I’m told.

Casey Nothing like a lovely date night Enjoy your beloved

[opheliaphoenix]

gulmagnolia: It's been nice having him back!


-----------------------------------------


Weight held steady at 175.4 again today, which means I only lost 1 lb overall this week. Still better than a gain, especially considering that my husband came back this week, we've been out to eat twice since he's been back (had Mexican last night, of all things, too...lol), and that I had a couple off-days with the water. The slower loss makes sense. However, I got my full gallon of water and all my steps in yesterday, and I'm planning to do the same today, so I'm hoping that means I can move down a little further over the last few days of the month. We shall see!


Week Four
22: 176.6
23: 175.4
24: 176.0
25: NWI.
26: 175.6
27: 175.4
28: 175.4
----------------------------
End of Week Three: 176.4
Total Loss for Week Four: 1.0 lb.

[RunningRedHead]

Martine: It was so funny! I was so happy it was two marvel movies. They were on different screens, but we switched screens to see both. Glad to hear you enjoyed treating yourself to a nice veggie burger and slushy. Also, way to go getting out walking and purchasing your next strength training endeavor I think your combo of walking/fresh air and strength training is the way to go!

Gulfmagnolia: Glad to hear you loved your class! Life is way too short to commit to an exercise program you don’t like. Congrats on your continued downward trend

Casey: Yay!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it, I thought it was hysterical. We’re definitely lucky to have drive-ins near us, it’s so much more fun than the theater to me Glad to hear your husband is back and that you didn’t have a gain after eating some Mexican food Way to go on your drops this week!

Curvy: I’m glad you get my weird food combos haha. I think I started thinking of it as odd because my family always teased me for using mustard on turkey; they always say that it’s supposed to be mayo (which I like on turkey just fine, but I didn’t want the extra calories lol). I hope you enjoyed your outing to the movies. Was it good? I love Melissa McCarthy! She’s hysterical!

Water intake was 5L Saturday and 4L yesterday. I bumped up because shark week finally showed up after threatening her presence for about a week. My measurements didn’t really change this Monday, but I plan to re-measure once the bloating goes away. Carb count Saturday was 24g total, 13g net. Yesterday it was 43g total, 26g net. Planning on getting out for a walk with Loki this evening after I finish my breakfast and we’re going for a hike tomorrow with a work friend. Hoping to surpass my water goal this evening to help combat the bloat.

SW: 277.3
5/21: 267.6
GW: 269
Stretch goal: 262

Week 4:
5/22: 266.5 (-1.1)
5/23: 267.8 (+1.3)
5/24: 268.0 (+0.2)
5/25: 266.3 (-1.7)
5/26: 267.0 (+0.7)
5/27: 270.3 (+3.3)
5/28: 269.2 (-1.1)
Total for Week 4: +1.6
Total for May: -8.1

[Martine]

opheliaphoenix and RunningRedHead everybody I know says that Deadpool 2 is a riot. We’ll definitely go see it soon.

RunningRedHead mustard goes with any meat, no? When my family tunred vegetarian when I was 12, mustard is the condiment I missed the most. Now with all the vegetarian options out there, I can enjoy mustard all I want. If you want to talk about weird food combos, try peanut butter toast with cheddar cheese. Yes, I have weird taste buds.

I spent all day today avoiding walking because it was cloudy and threatening rain, but in the end it did not rain at all. My legs are sore from yesterday’s workout, so maybe it’s for the best that I didn’t venture out. I did complete day two of the program I started, a nice long upper body workout. Tomorrow is an abs workout, aka the suffering.

27: 4km walk + 40 minutes lower body strength training
28: 41 minutes upper body strength training

[gulfmagnolia]

Redhead Your May loss is fantastic! Way to go

Livi I googled Chalean Extreme Burn. You’re a beast!! That looks intense


It’s a little after midnight and I really, really, really want a chocolate bar. Unfortunately for me, there’s an 8 pack sitting in my cupboard. A friend brought them for s’mores that never got made, so in the cupboard they stay until cookout weather resumes. I’m waiting for the craving to pass, but I’ve been known to crave them for days on end. I dare not open “just one” or even go out and get something else smaller, as I don’t want to interrupt the streak I’ve been on. It is so EASY to get off track and so difficult to get back on. I have to ride out this time of motivation for as long as I can. Hope everyone has a lovely week