Todays question I'm not sure that I really had an ah ha moment but I do remember sitting at work one day and looking down at my belly and seeing it starting to rest on my lap. I knew something had to change because if not my weight was going to slowly creep up and who know's where or when I would have stopped. So, I decided that my new years resolution would be to lose the weight and get to my pre-preg. weight. Failure was not an option and thankfully I'm here 40lbs lighter and so much healthier!

Kim - I think everyone is getting the flu! I was sooo bummed when a few weeks ago I got sick and didn't work out! But now I am happy I got it over and out of the way!

Try Cold-Eeze, it definitely helps, but don't overdose on it! Just four a day!

as for today's question: Tuesday Question~ Everyone trying to lose weight has an "ah-ha" moment when they realize that their weight has become a problem. When was yours? What brought it about?

Two years ago I realized I was overweight and because I was covering the DNC and RNC and knew I was probably going to meet Obama (I DID!) I wanted to lose weight quickly lol so I lost 30lbs in 2 months and umm, it wasn't very healthy, after meeting him I put it all back on, but dang did I think I was cute!

Two years later, I realized wow...I've gained those 30lbs back plus another 10...what the ****. THIS was my AHA moment. I don't want to die. I sat there and thought about how much I love my family and my boyfriend and how my dad died from diabetes and then I saw an ad for a boot camp in my area. I joined, albeit reluctantly, and the rest is history. Started looking at healthy things to eat, I'm still learning, I think we will learn for the rest of our lives...I have yet to drop 30lbs but I'm doing it the HEALTHY way and I feel really good about it. =)

Hey everyone, sorry to hear about the flu going round for some. Stay healthy team Phoenix!!!

stacylambert: hope you're feeling better! My a-ha story is very similar to yours so I 100% relate. And TOM IS evil!!!

KimL1214: I was reading something about "all or nothing" syndrome in the 100-lb club and I think it's so easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed by one single decision an I think it's so great and inspirational that ur attitude is the opposite of that! Plus, I think I love ur workplace, pple always ready to be work out buddies. Hope u have a great work out with your boss!!

Jelbelle: I actually don't think it's hideous. I can see how it could be styled to be kinda "goth ballerina." I kind of am digging it too in a weird way.

JennieLovesKisses: have an awesome awesome time in Cali!!!! And a 27" waist ... <sighs dreamily> always inspirational!!!

Peanut: I'm supposed to be starting the big push to 400mins by this weekend today and let me not lie, I'm not feeling it. I should go to the gym after work but I don't want to. I WILL go though. I'm supposed to jog 40mins at least, that was my goal. But right now I'm telling myself I don't have to jog today, I can just walk, and it's helping a bit. We'll see how it goes. I'll post later to let you know what went on after work. <dun dun dun!>


Today's question: My a-ha moment actually came last January when I stepped on the scale and saw I was 275 lbs. I mean prior to that my highest had been maybe 260 and at that weight it turned out I'd had a 15-lb tumor misdiagnosed as PCOS, removed (so in my mind I was in the 240s-250s maybe) so it was a real shock to me to realize I was close to 300 lbs. Because I was camera shy, there were very few pics of me so i didn't have that trigger and in spite of being mostly sedentary, I didn't really have problems with stairs yet or walking to class or whatever at the time so there were no overt physical/health triggers yet other than a borderline high BP which runs in my family anyway. So my trigger basically was seeing that I had gotten to te point that I had an over 40 bmi and was over 100 lbs overweight. I cried my eyes out and then decided to make a change. And it's been start-stop since then but even during the stop periods I've always at least maintained the weightloss achieved to that point.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...ness/tgr-1.jpg

^^My progress pics from a 90-day FIT Challenge (Jan-Apr 2010) at a dance studio. I took various pole dance fitness and zumba classes. There were 10-15 women in the challenge and I think it helped us all: having a place to workout with other women; we made friends and encouraged each other (a sisterly positive feeling). (Too bad I live over an hour from that studio, or I'd still be going).

My "ah-ha" moment would be when I weighed in at 150 lbs (and wasn't 8-9 months pregnant). This was maybe in 2008 (rough year, breakup and move, then having to move back)... this was some time after we'd moved back. Until that point (not counting when preggo), my highest weight had been 130 (battling that number since '06; kiddo born in '05). That was my weight when I found 3FC (150lbs), about 2 years ago. This forum has been a wonderful support system and has helped me a lot in losing over 20 lbs (challenges and journals, Q&A, encouragement). Photos are an eye-opener as well, because they don't lie..

I enjoy reading everyone's posts and hope everyone has a great week :D Good luck girlies :cheer2:

toastedsmoke: yeah, I think so too =) I bought to wear to Warped Tour, but I didn't fit in it XD but it was like $4 so I thought what the hey, right?

Kim: Yeah, I'm sick of being the biggest one in my group, or looking absolutely ENORMOUS next to my husband. I want to look at us and think we actually go together. I don't want people to assume I'm his sister or something because a girl like me would never get a guy like him :mad:

Glad you guys liked the pic =P I do love it! I just think it's hideously cute haha

Kim: It's good you're going irrespective of whether your boss can go or not. Sending you thoughts of motivation to go to the gym at the end of the day.

princessdi86: Congrats on your run and doing it at your goal speed! Excellent!!! And what a nice compliment! Kind of a NSV, no?

ferretgirl: You look amazing!!!! Wow, girl!!!!


Update on the gym: I ended up going to the gym. I got there and was in the changing room and had the worst headache and just didn't feel like and thought to myself: "this isn't going to happen." But I was too self-conscious to just walk in, change and then walk out. So I committed to walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill b4 leaving. By the time I did the 20mins, I felt much better and ended up doing a 40-minute jog and then walked for 10 minutes at the end. So total: 70minutes! Yay!!!! I was fine whilst exercising but kind of have a low grade headache now. I know it's lack of sleep related. So I'm going to eat dinner now and try really hard to go to bed early tonight.

oOPeanutOo: Not yet, unfortunately. This cough is still hanging on. I thought about going to the doctor but I read that antibiotics won't help since it's caused by a virus. Just have to tough it out.

ferretgirl: Wow! You're progress pictures are wonderful. You're very pretty and you look so happy in your "after."

toastedsmoke: AWESOME job at the gym. And yes, our a-ha moments are very similar, but I wasn't in as good of health as you. I was very sedentary at the time so I did get winded on stairs or even walking for any length of time. I also have high blood pressure. I've always had borderline hypertension (I'm a very high strung person) and my lifestyle pushed it way past the line.

I have a couple tiny little NSVs to share, both food related. First is that for the past week I've had oatmeal everyday for breakfast! I'm normally a no breakfast or maybe some Lucky Charms kind of person, so this is a pretty big step for me. The other is that for the last two nights I didn't eat anything after dinner. I'm very much a night person and usually I end up eating a ton of food late at night even though most of the time I'm not physically hungry. I'm very happy that I was able to go two nights without eating and hopefully a third tonight!

oOPeanutOo - I'm gonna be gone until November 7th. I'm planing on workout while I'm there, so we will see how that goes haha

KimL1214 - Its my gf's wedding and I'm visiting family while I'm down.

Kim - You can go anywhere from 3x-6x a week for an hour. I go 5x a week. I LOVE the trainer. He started it 2 years ago and it is for only women! I love the girls I've met and it's really a strong reason why I joined =) a great way to meet other women with similar goals in your city!

KimL: I know you felt sick after eating the dessert, but what a great friend you are! I hope that working out tomorrow goes well. Go for it!;)

I don't really have an answer for today's question because I really don't like Halloween very much. This year my boyfriend an I are going as "Hawaiian punch" : he's wearing a hula skirt and Hawaiian shirt (to be funny) and I'm dressing up as a boxer....haha get it? It would be nice though if I couldve been the Hawaiian one. But sadly I can't pull that look off yet.

On a side note, I had two small victories today. One, my scale read 169 this morning, which means I'm only 10 lbs overweight now. That was exciting. :) secondly, it's been really hot here lately so I've been wearing shorts, which have been big on me for a while now. I got cold in my dorm room so I pulled out my jeans and slipped them on. Yes, slipped, as opposed to doing the "tight jeans dance", wriggling and jumping to get them over my huge thighs and buttoned. Which means that next time I wear them in public I'll have to wear a belt because they get super loose when worn for a while. :carrot:

KimL1214 – The medical problems are a huge motivator. I don’t think any of them individually would have given me the kick in the butt I needed but it would be nice to get off some of the medications and feel semi “normal”.
That’s pretty cool that your school is running a competition. Hopefully that 3lb lost on their scale keeps you motivated for the week.
It was really nice of you to drop everything for your friend. By the sounds of it you had an extremely busy & stressful night looking after everyone else.

zephyr524 –Your 40lb loss is awesome. Well done!

Krizstyling – I love it when those extra motivators to lose weight come into play. I’m glad meeting Obama was a good experience for you. Sorry to read about your Dad though.

toastedsmoke – Whoa!! a 15lb tumour. I’m glad they caught that and you’re okay. Good work getting in your gym session too.

ferretgirl – Wow, you look amazing!

princessdi86 – 2miles non-stop is fantastic. Are you doing the half marathon by yourself or with friends?

stacylambert – Awesome job on those NSV’s. I’m going to guess that Lucky Charms are some kind of sugary cereal so switching that up is great work!

JennieLovesKisses – It’s great that you have a plan for your trip. Be sure to post a pic from the wedding when you get back.

katybelle – Congrats on the 169 & being able to slip on those jeans.

Today’s Question... We don’t celebrate Halloween over here so there hasn’t been a need for me to come up with a costume. I guess that takes away a lot of pressure! I can only imagine that the ‘less is more’ concept would be high on people’s lists for next year.

I hope everyone is having a good week!!

Today's Question: Every year the husband and I do our Rocky Horror thing =) it's our little tradition, and they perform it at a theater downtown and we are allowed to dress up. The first year we went, I did dress up, despite my size, but last year I just felt too self-conscious and enormous. So, my dream "Halloween costume" is to be able to pull off my Rocky ensemble once again and feel GOOD about myself, and not like everyone is staring at me thinking "Man, that big girl needs to not dress like that!" ugh D=

@Kim: It's a really terrible blow to the ego. I've convinced myself that I'm not attractive enough to be with him, and I want to be more confident in my relationship. Besides, I feel like if I'm thinner I won't hold back as much around him, and we could do more things together, I could act crazier, just be overall less self-conscious.

@katbelle: AWESOME achievement! That's great! You're so close, keep on chuggin! I wish I could say the same about myself =)

I thought today was pretty productive. I got through all three of my workouts. I do a combination of 30 Day Shred, Turbo Jam, and Bellydance. Also had bunches of homework for Play Writing, and I'm getting pretty stressed. Really looking forward to the weekend!

KimL1214: never mind you'll get your work out on today, I'm sure. And your reasons for missing yesterday are soooo sweet, that u definitely deserve the most good work out/weight loss karma the rest of this week!

katybelle: I ADORE you and your husband's costume. "Hawaiian Punch" I think that's soooo clever. I actually laughed out loud in the middle of my office and got a few stares and then had to explain an everyone loved it!!! Very cute!

Jelbelle: I definitely understand where you're coming from. There's this guy (a friend of a friend) who i've never met in person but we've talked online for 2years and I really really like him and I think he really likes me too. And I may have mentioned I'm chubby but I don't think he knows quite how chubby. And he's actually working in a nearby city in the same country now (randomly) and always wants to get together and I keep saying no because he's really fit and goodlooking and I feel like i could never be confident with him as I am now. And I'd never want that. I guess I'm thinking maybe if he saw how chubby i was he wouldn't want to be with me or even if he didn't mind, I would never feel confident. Very sad I know! I used to be such a confident person even being obese and a lot of my realization that I had to do something about my weight came because I no longer had that confidence in myself and if you don't have that, then life will really suck! So I totally understand this weight inhibiting you from like your full relationhip potential. I suppose this weightloss thing is not just an outward journey to hotness but also an internal journey to confidence and self-respect.

stacylambert: Congrats on ur NSVs!!! I can identify. I know how hard it is to stop post-dinner snacking and also to start eating breakfast. Right now I'm still on cornflakes but hopefully soon I'll work my tastebuds up to something healthier like oatmeal!

Ok team Phoenix, I have a question I hope you all can help me with. I'm thinking this year for Christmas I should ask for workout videos and/or motivational weight loss stuff I would normally put off buying for myself. So what I was wondering was what are your favourite/ most effective / toughest workout DVDs??? What do you recommend as maybe your 3 workout DVD essentials??? And also has anyone tried the Beto Zumba DVD, how is it?


Today's Question: To be honest i've never really been big into Halloween. I think I've only ever dressed up twice. In sophomore year of college as a (fat) "madam" (pimp) and in 2nd year grad school as a (fat) beetlejuice. I don't know when if I'll ever dress up for Halloween again but if I do, I'd be glad to be anything really without the "(fat)" part in it.

Kim - Not sure where in Vermont you are but I found a boot camp in Burlington ! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermon...5349654?v=info

That is the facebook page =)

I LOVE Beto's Zumba dvds. My favorites are Zumba "Cardio Party" and Zumba "20-Minute Express".

Two more favorite workout dvds are Jeff Costa's "Cardio Striptease" and Keli Roberts' "10-Minute Solution Kickbox Bootcamp".

You'll work up a sweat with any of these dvds and the zumba and cardio striptease are very fun. The zumba workouts are part of a bundle on zumba's official website or you can try to buy them individually on ebay. On youtube, you can see lots of other people doing those same songs/dance routines (medium intensity cardio, but beginners can do it and build their way up). The cardio striptease are fun, cardio dance workouts. The box set includes 2 main workouts (beginner and intermediate, 25 and 35 mins), as well as 2 shorter workouts (abs and a "fantasy" routine), or you can look for Workout 1 and 2 individually on amazon. Cardio Striptease Workout 1 is easier than Zumba (for beginners) and you can do Workout 2 for more of a challenge. Both Zumba and Cardio Striptease have male instructors and backup dancers, but they explain very well and make you enjoy the workout (both I'd consider a 'cardio party'). ;)

The Kickbox Bootcamp has five 10-minute workouts: Basic Training (great place to start), Buns & Thighs, Arms & Shoulders, Abs, and Fat Burning Blast (fun, intense challenge). Keli Roberts is also a great instructor and you will sweat and work your muscles. This dvd is great, because any time you have 10 minutes, you can do a mini-workout.. then try to squeeze in 3+ segments a day. Start with Basic Training until you can do it all, then add another segment. I like the 10-Minute Solution dvds, because they'll let you build the workout (make a playlist of which segments you want to do). Oh, and you actually use small handweights in the Arms segment.

I'd list those dvds as my must-haves. Nice to switch them out to prevent plateaus and all of these dvds will make you sweat ;)

I'm also interested to see what everyone else lists as their fav dvd workouts :D

JelBelle: I think your dress looks very 80's and can be rocked out as such ;)

KimL: Congrats on your scale reading, also good your school does challenges- I bet that helps a lot of people, so no one has to do it alone :) You sure are a caring person, to care for your family and friends the way you do... glad they all have a good person like you in their lives. Hope you get some "YOU" time/workout time in today. haha.. I think my workout time IS my only "me" time :p

Krizstyling: Kudos to you for losing weight "the right way". Its the only way that's healthy and the only way we'll keep it off. You've come a long way... congrats and keep it up :D And I think its cute that you were cute for Obama ;) Good for you going to/sticking with the boot camp! Glad y'all have something like that (group setting with similar goals).

toastedsmoke: Really good and determined of you to stick with your workout plans, even if you don't feel like it. That strong determination to "get it done" will help you reach your goals. :lifter: A tangly situation with the guy you like.. I wrote at bottom of my post about our inner feelings, like how you mentioned. I know that's a big part of it. All I can say is follow your heart (it will usually steer you right) and maybe be honest with him or consider how long it will take before you're willing to meet him. Weigh the pros/cons both ways. Having been friends online for 2 years, I'd think that'd be more important than looks. We're here to listen if you need to think more on it. Good luck!

stacy: Good job on eating right and staying away from food at night. I also have that nighttime eating problem (eating cause I stay up late or even eating to try to stay awake). Food is a big part of it, so kudos and keep it up!

princessdi: I'm happy for your NSV :D Very sweet of your boyfriend to encourage you. Its harder for those who see us every day to notice gradual changes, so you know its noticeable since he picked up on it. yay! *hugs* Love positive comments.

katybelle: Congrats on your clothing NSVs :D You should reward yourself with something new and better-fitting soon (at what goal weight?) ;)

Thanks everyone, for the progress pic comments. I wish everyone had the opportunity to workout in a supportive group setting like that.. I guess there's the misconception that pole/exotic dance classes are targetted towards pleasing men... but its NOT. The classes (at this studio anyway) are targetted towards women and they encourage and discuss loving yourself and your body.. their motto is "feel internally transformed" (F.I.T.) and I think that's the goal when we work out. It true though, after really sticking with a workout (3+ times a week) and seeing some results (lbs or inches lost, clothes fitting better) leads to the inner transformation (feeling better/self-confident).

And for today's question: ah, Halloween... I love it. I would love to be dressed as a sexy kitty, vampire, World of Warcraft Night Elf or Succubus, Bettie Page, or Rogue ('90s X-Men cartoon) or Harley Quinn ('90s Batman cartoon; Joker's cute accomplice) :D I have the night elf ears, but would love to wear a slinky (skin-baring) outfit :o

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...cat/jenelf.jpg
(Spooky Fest at Kiddo's school last Saturday- you can see my ears! LOL)

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...t/nightelf.jpg
(A more accurate outfit for a Night Elf / One I'd like to be able to wear and feel/look good in) ;)

Hope everyone's staying on track. Keep us posted :)

Thanks ferret =) I love your costume! My boyfriend used to be addicted to WOW, it took me 2 years, but he is FINALLY over it! lol

katybelle: Nice job on the NSVs. There's nothing better than loose jeans!

KimL1214: Did you make it out for some exercise today or is the weather too bad? We're finally having some nice weather here. It rained on and off for weeks!

toastedsmoke: The videos I was most successful with were the Firm videos. A lot of people really like the old ones and really hate the new ones (like the Wave system) and I was somewhere in between. I used the TransFIRMer system plus others as add-ons. Turbo Jam is also really good for cardio, but I never stuck with it long. I have two left feet and never felt very graceful following the choreography.

Thanks everyone for NSV comments! I had another food free night last night and it's been reflecting on the scale. I'm down two pounds from my Sunday weigh-in!

Today's Question: I like Halloween, but my husband and I never really do anything for it. A costume to me means Comic-Con! I'd love to go one year and dress up. I never would now for fear of ending up in one of those "cosplay gone wrong" slideshows you always see. I'd probably do someone from Street Fighter like Ibuki or Chun Li or one of the characters from Harvest Moon. The latter is definitely less revealing. Those Street Fighter girlies don't where a whole lot!

Krizstyling: What is your secret!!! Lol! My husband refuses to stop playing WoW, he's living under the delusion that he can't live without it, and it's getting REALLY irritating.

toastedsmoke: Firstly, I would recommend Turbo Jam, it is an AWESOME workout, and it's really, really, REALLY fun! It feels like dancing/martial arts/self defense. You burn a ton of calories and you build up arm muscles very quickly, and also learn a lot of moves that could be applied to any emergency situation (not that that would happen). And yeah, it's not so much my physical appearance as it in my mental state. If I believe I'm unattractive, I will be more reserved. I feel like my personality is getting hidden under all this weight, and it's stopping me from having confident relationships.

Kriz: thank you! I've been playing WoW off-and-on for years..

stacy: I'd love to see a Chun Li costume/cosplay :D You could probably find a skin-tone liner/catsuit (pantyhose-type/thin material?) to cover up underneath if too revealing. Another good one would be Felicia from Darkstalkers (old arcade game).
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_78uANekbFa...Q/s1600/j1.jpg

Definitely dream costumes... but still within our powers to make wearable by next Halloween ;) We're smart to wait until we'd look good in them...

ferretgirl: We actually have two or three of the old Darkstalkers games for the original Playstation plus the compilation one for the PSP. I would never be brave enough to attempt Felicia! She is one of my favorites though. Morrigan is awesome too, but again, I'd never be brave enough to pull that off. At least Chun Li is kind of covered!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I'm noting them all down to look up so please keep 'em coming!!! A lot of people on 3fc seem to love Turbo Jam, I'll definitely check that out and thanks ferretgirl for the Beto Zumba review, there aren't any zumba classes around here and I've heard lots of good things about it so I wanted to give it a go. I've been "shredded" (30DS) and also have NMTZ and BFBM and was actually thinking of doing a Jillian 30-day slim down month for November as suggested here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/20-s...slim-down.html (does anyone want to do it with me starting Nov. 1?? <said in pathetically hopeful voice>). I guess I'm looking for variety and new workout DVDs so like I said, keep the suggestions coming.

I haven't worked out yet today. <Shakes head at self> I'm lying down with my computer, procrastinating (i.e. hoping if I put off exercising long enough, it will soon get late enough for me to decide it's no longer worthwhile to do it tonight). It's just gone 1.12a.m. and technically I should go to sleep, but I'm going to get up and still work out a bit after I post this. No excuses! <but a degree of whining to self allowed>

A little late!
 

Sorry for getting on her a few days late everyone! Our home network has been on the fritz and I'm finally able to access the internet. It's been a long few days without it! :D

Age: 23
Location: Novi, MI
Most Recent NSV: Running an 11 minute mile
Weight Lose Goal for the Challenge: I want to lose at least 15 lbs
Battle Plan for Reaching BL Challenge Goal: Continue my calorie counting and my half marathon training!
Particular Challenges/Upcoming Temptations that You are Working to/or Planning to Overcome: Ugh... Thanksgiving. But I'm running a 5K in Detroit that morning to help me stick with my plans. :D
Anything Else You Would Like to Share About Yourself: I'm an accountant who is busy wedding planning in any spare time that I have. Jay and I are getting married next September and that has been all the motivation I needed to get my health, weight, and eating habits back in order. Have been counting calories and living a healthier lifestyle since June 21st, 2010 and have lost a total of 27 lbs. Cannot wait to lose more! I'm super excited for this challenge!

KimL1214 – I can’t believe that they actually published an article like that. How pathetic was the apology tacked on the end, it almost seemed like a long winded justification for her position rather than really being sorry.

princessdi86 – That’s awesome that you can get involved in the Marathon with your Dad! I got a chuckle out of your Mr Clean comment.

ferretgirl – that’s a cute outfit from last Halloween!

toastedsmoke – how did the exercising effort go today? Did you manage to fit any in?

excitedtolose – Welcome aboard. It’s always nice to see new team members jumping in. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!

I’ve had a really busy day with work and am absolutely drained. I can’t really be bothered cooking anything for dinner tonight so am trying to convince myself that I still have the energy to make something healthy rather than resorting to chocolate. At the moment the idea of chocolate seems to be winning out.

Welcome excitedtolose! Nice to have another Michigan girl ^_^ Grats on your upcoming wedding and your NSV! Running a mile is also one of my goals, I'd like to be able to do some 5ks in Detroit someday =)

KimL1214: I finally read the article and the EIC Joanna Cole's (whom I usually love) response you posted on the other thread. I'm so disappointed. Marie Claire is the ONLY non-fashion specific "womens" magazine I read so it was awful to see them associated in that article. I'm more sad than upset by what was said in the article, it's everything that I try to convince myself daily that people aren't looking at me and thinking, but apparently they are! Ah well... To be honest though, I too feel somewhat uncomfortable (but also admiration in a way) watching obese people PDA not because I think it's "disgusting" or they should "get a room," but because I'm just uncomfortable imagining what all the skinny people around probably have snarky things to say. (The admiration part is from seeing to people who by society's standards should be uber-self-conscious and trying to be inconspicuous, not giving a hoot what anyone thinks and being themselves within their relationship, even in public).

excitedtolose: Hello and welcome!!! Congrats on your NSV! I can run a mile but certainly not in 11 minutes, that would be amazing, so I understand what an achievement that is!!! Well done, you!!! I'm also super inspired that you're training for a half-marathon. I'd like to do that someday. What programme if any are you using? Also congrats on your wedding!

oOPeanutOo: I ended up working out for like a little over an hour between 2 & 3am ish (idiocy, I know ) and then was a bit wired afterwards and so didn't sleep till about 4am (setting up my iPod playlist for the gym today of all things!!!). Then got up early for work etc. So once again, another gym day, another headachy day. But I'm still determined to go. I'm at 1212 minutes so far for the month and determined to hit 1500 by Sunday! How about you? What did you end up having for dinner? Chocolate or non-chocolate (the two main food groups- jk)? I know the feeling on Sunday I had cookies for brunch and ice cream for dinner (totalling about 1200 calories) and that was all I ate. It was good though, but I felt quite ill/sugared-out afterwards- not good!


Today was a good weigh in day. I was back down to pre-TOM low of 220.5 , however now I'm nervous that it may be a fluke (even though I weighed 2ce) and am nervous about Saturday's weigh in (that's the official one/ ticker change day)! I think I'm extra worried bcos dinner this evening is going to be pretty high calorie (its the local cuisine and I kind of have to eat it and I think the 1 meal might be like 1200cals eek! And goodness knows how many carbs and fats, although to be fair it will have lots of green leafy veggies in it, just sauces up with all the bad stuff)! However I've tried to plan for it, first I thought I would just not eat anything till dinner time- maybe have a glass of juice or something, but because I'm going to the gym after work, that's no good, I need the energy. So I've decided to have a couple of lean beef sausages (100cal/ea.) so as to avoid carbs (getting a goodly amt tonight) but still have a little energy for the workout. Ah well... This is life, can't stress too much about single meals. It's done and I've tried to plan for it and so I should move on and get over it. Ok team, I'll update later.

Thanks for such a kind welcome everyone!! Also, thanks for the congrats about the wedding!

toastedsmoke I started using the C25K program, but it was just too slow for me. Was just really hard to get into it when I was only run/walking. I'm sure it's great for some people, but it wasn't my style. A co-worker's sister was recently diagnosed with lymphoma, and they joined a program called "Team in Training". Without too much of a soap box schpeel (sp?), its running program/fundraiser for leukemia and lymphoma research. They map out a five month program calendar that will have you running a half marathon (or a marathon for the truly adventurous) at the end. They raced out in San Francisco just last weekend, but I decided to finally get involved. I haven't fully enrolled with T.I.T. yet, but am using their training program until I get the packet back from them in the mail. I can send you a link to the calendar if you'd like. If everything goe according to plan, I'll be running my half marathon on June 5, 2011 in San Diego. :D

jelbelle I'm always excited when I see someone from Michigan on here!! :) Whereabouts in the area are you at? Let me tell you, the best motivation to run was to sign up for the Turkey Trot! Figured since I have already paid to do it, I have to do it. Plus I'm telling EVERYONE and their brother that I am doing it; if I miss a run I feel guilty. Kind of a backwards way to get motivation, but it helps me get through my runs!

Congrats on the upcoming wedding excitedtolose!! What a great motivation and it seems as though you are on to a great start!!

This has been an awesome week for me! I started really exercising again Monday. I walking Monday and went "wunning" (run/walk) last night and will wun again Friday night. It's been a few months since I've been able to run cuz of a busy busy schedule with the kids. I would love to be up to running 2 miles straight by thanksgiving..that's my goal!

Here's a question for you all about goals..how do you chose your goal weight? Now that I've gotten so close to mine I'm not sure I want to stop there but wondering if I should just keep going or drop another 10 and then re-evaluate again. I feel like my butt/hips/belly could stand to get smaller yet...

princessdi86 Yay for accounting! I have finished my 150 hours of coursework and graduated with my Bachelor's in Professional Accountancy this past May. I've been working at a small firm that specializes in condominium association audits and personal/corporate tax returns since January. Best job ever! I love it so much! The only thing that stinks for me is that I had to put my CPA exam and exam preparation on hold until after the wedding. Have to make sure the wedding gets paid for first! Hopefully you get that sparkle soon!

zephyr524 Thanks for the congrats! I'm very excited, and it has been all the motivation I needed to turn my life around that's for sure.

KimL1214 Everything with the program seems to be great so far! I just hate the acronym lol. I'm going to continue just doing my mile runs until November 1st. Once I hit that date I'm starting the program for the half-marathon. If anyone else is interested in doing the running program with me (not the fundraising or T.I.T.) I'd love to send you the calendar schedule.