Good morning ladies and happy Monday!

I'm currently fighting my uterus for my life (I heart TOM) but the good news is - after last week of eating out, exercising, and general water retention - I managed to maintain. This morning I was still at 179.8. (and I did dance like that carrot this morning).

I'm generally pretty friggin grumpy today, but that's because I'm in so much pain.

I've made the executive decision to re-join a gym, so now I'm just trying to find one around my apartment that's affordable and has spin classes that fit my schedule, which is harder than it seems. I was going to go to the local Bally's tonight just to try a test work out, but that's very dependent on how I feel. Its 9:20 and I'd already like to go to sleep and not wake up for 5 days. A trip to Costco may substitute for my cardio

Grrr, I had written a whole long post in the other thread and I didn't realize it was closed lol! Silly me...

Stella - Cheer up, girl! Go look at Icon's happy comic!

Icon - I LOVE THAT COMIC!

Feral - I think we should all print it out and carry it around with us lol! Congrats on 191!!!

I'm super happy today and I think it's probably because I slept awesome last night, things with Roy are official (we've been dating for like 2 weeks), it's March which means spring and my birthday are soon, and it's sunny and relatively warm out!

So you ladies have an awesome Monday, and stay positive!!! I'm off to eat, workout, shower, write a paper, and see my boy :3

Mary - I saw it, and it did make me laugh - especially since I had a fruit smoothie this morning for the exact reason that "good food makes you feel good." I'm just in PAAAAAIIIN.

I'm so exhausted and stressed. Having my God daughter here was difficult this weekend. The poor girl is in such a bad situation. Her mom was calling and threatening to sell the horses and everyday there was a frickin' screaming match between the two of them. I know my god daughter hasn't been an angle through all of this.....but her mom is loosing it. And her mom was definitely the instigator in all of it. Her mom can't leave well enough alone and had to call her every hour and say/do something. I'm not surprised that my god daughter is being mouthy and not coming home etc. I wouldn't want to be around a house where my mom is treating me like that. So I'm not surprised that a 16 year old girl is majorly acting out. It's not good, that family needs some serious help! But I told me god daughter she is welcome here at anytime, but she has to follow my rules and her mom does have to be informed of where she is. She seemed ok with that.

I'm getting frustrated weight wise. Since valentines, I have fluctuated the same 2lbs. I was down to 143 even the other day, then back up to 145.5, then down to 144 then up to 145, then down to 144.5 then down to 143.5 and today I'm 145. I'm just so sick of thinking I'm down then being back up 2lbs 2 days later. I just want to see a drop on the scale and know that I'm down, not know that tomorrow I'll be back up. I'm just so fed up. I've lost 7 lbs, but it's taken me almost 8 weeks. I thought I'd be so much further by now. I'm just sad and frustrated.

I know I'm not going to the gym, which I'm sure is part of the problem. I just don't know when to fit it all in. In the next three weeks I have 3 midterms, a class presentation and 3 papers due. I just don't know when I can find the time to fit in the gym. I have a friends bridal shower this coming weekend, I still have to do my volunteer work. I'm totally stressed about school. Add to it all that I won't get to see my bf until Monday (he's in Toronto til Thursday and leaves Friday for a bachelor party), and I didn't get to see him at all this weekend. I'm not in a very good mood, today....

Stella, congrats on maintaining. That's awesome!

Mary, I'm glad things are going well! And congrats on you and Roy, that's awesome!

Shan - I'm sorry about all that

Is it possible you can just set aside 30 minutes each day to just work out at the school gym? I know 30 minutes isn't a lot, but if you could do it before/after your midterms, or even as a study break, it might help relieve some of the stress.

Also, I just attacked the peanut M&M's. But I feel better Yay chocolate

Good morning! I was out skiing/snowboarding all weekend and didn't get a chance to check in, but I'm catching the thread early this time!

Stella- congrats on being below 180 and deciding to re-join a gym.

Mary- congrats on being official! Good luck to you guys.

Shan- that sounds like a tough situation but kudos to you for being there for your god daughter. i'm sure your support will help their family sort things out.

EDIT: forgot to mention, have any of you guys seen this? www.mybodygallery.com

Also, I can't remember if I posted this or not but I wanted to share that I cut my 10k time from 61:45 to 58:00...it was a goal of mine to do it in under and an hour; now maybe I'll get my act together to actually sign up for a race

Happy March everyone!! Spring is 21 days away!!!

shan- I'm so sorry! And I totally feel you about the midterms! I have a test in an hour and a half, and a HUGE midterm on thursday, and then another midterm after spring break (so close, but so far away!) It definitely is hard to fit in exercise when you need to study. Usually, I confine myself to my room to study and even contemplate if I have enough time to take a shower (of course I do!!). Take your notes with you, and hop onto the bike or the elliptical for 30 minutes. Being active helps you focus on your notes, and you're killing two birds with one stone!! Working out will definitely kick your weight loss into gear.

stella- congrats on maintaining!!! and peanut M&M's definitely make everything good!! hahaha

I am dead tired today, and I have no idea why! I have a test in an hour and a half which I was technically supposed to have on friday but my school ended up having a snow day so it was pushed back today. I'm going to read my notes one more time before the test, even though I have read them so much that I'm now dreaming about them.

I'm so happy that once this week is over, it'll be spring break!! I'm so ready to go home, I haven't been home since winter break..so it's been about 2 months. I'll get to see my mommy and the boy!

Once today's test is over, I'll be hitting up the gym and then catching up on my reading for my audiology class...that midterm is on thursday and is going to be a doozie.

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Shan - Sorry to hear about your weekend! I agree with Stella, working out really relieves stress, and 20-30 minutes is a great way to get started. Even if you can't make it to the gym, you can do ExerciseTV online.

Forest - I am jealous of your skiing/boarding lol. I want to go again but I don't think I have the time/money. Damn, why can't there be any mountains closer to me?! That gallery thing is awesome, I'm going to investigate it further!

Forest- That is awesome... I wanna be like you and run

Stella- I attacked wasabi and soy sauce almonds... omg my favorite...and I never buy them because I want to eat them all...and good job maintaining... I know you were worried

Icon- I loved the comic...you always make me smile

Shan- that really sucks...sometimes its hard to fit in the gym but it is important and will help you get down a few pounds... maybe try getting up an hour earlier or something...

to clear up zombieland comment...I call everything creepy... I didnt mean it
was bad lol

Also I do not feel like facebook defines a relationship and its not something I need to share with my 400 facebook friends

Shan - that's so difficult. Sounds like you're a really great godmother! As far as your weight... have you tried splurging on some calories? I don't want to call it a plateu but i had a week or 2 where my weight was going up and down but not budging... I ate chinese. Problem solved. LOL Seriously, I ate really bad one night and then went back on track and then some. Totally helped. I don't work out either... I mean, I haven't been at all this go round. I'm starting C25k tonight, but haven't been doing anything other than that.

Stella - LOOOOOOVEEEEE PB M&Ms. Almost as much as a Kit Kat.

Forest - you're a running MACHINE! And still my inspiration to become a runner!!!!! Congrats on shaving off that time!

New Samantha - Good luck with all of your tests.... I hate midterm week before Spring break!!!

I start C25K (again) tonight. Did I mention that in the old thread that I posted in this morning because I forgot it was Monday? LOL

Just dropping in to say howdy! and YAY for March. Maybe now it will stop snowing!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!!

well found out I didn't pass my certification test.. they put "no pass" instead of just putting big read FAILURE. Oh well... now to resist comfort eating. What a Monday!

Feral - I feel like I should "start" it again. I can run a lot faster now, so maybe if I start it over I can get up my endurance.

AND Rachel confirmed that my treadmill DOES run about 0.8 mph fast. She usually walks at 4.0 and got on my treadmill yesterday and almost flew off.

Kelli - that sucks, are you able to take the test again?

I'm feeling much better - I may not cancel on Bally's after all!

Stella - Yea I can. I am already a teacher, its just a certification for a different area. Kicked my butt though! I have been out of college for years so none of this stuff was fresh. I don't know if I want to endure that again though.. haha. I may just stick to teaching art.

p.s. I <3 p.b. M&Ms almost as much as Cadbury eggs.

stella- glad you are feeling better; hope the Ballys apt goes well.

Feral- thanks I only run once a week, too, so if you're doing c25k you can probably progress really fast. Maybe someday I'll get up the discipline to stick to a program like that. I keep saying I want to run a half marathon but then never do anything about it.

fluffy- that's too bad about the test. I got behind on last week's chat--what were you certifying for, and when can you take the test again?

haley- thanks! I'm definitely grateful that I've been injury-free for the past 4 years and can do it--there was a while when I was really worried about my knees and feet bco the weight and impact; I know some people who are runners who weigh a lot more than me, but for me it wasn't really the case either...I had to lose a little first to be comfortable doing it, but starting slow and taking it easy really helped. Easing back into it after my stress fracture, in the 170s, I was only allowed to run a mile at a time, and only increase very gradually. By the time I was 160 or so, though, the weight stopped being an issue.

Mary- I still have to teach skiing for the next four weekends--by the time April rolls around I will be so jealous that you have moved onto spring!