Goooood morning, folks! Yeeeaaahh, I'm really not that excited and chipper in the morning.

It has been a very off-plan week for me and I don't want to post my weight on the challenge boards. I guess I'll go ahead and do my 3lb gain from Wednesday anyway...ugh! It's my own fault though. I have not been drinking my water or tracking my food. I'm going to stay on track today though.

Mande - I do love my Diet Dr. Pepper. I thought the sodium content would be more of a contributor than the artificial sweetener. I would be one upset customer if I didn't have my satellite channels. Will the company offer any deals because of the lost service?

HH4L - Way to go for staying on plan!!

Munster - Woohoo for getting to move the ticker down!! Hope your DS is ok!

Rie - AF regulation is a reason I take the pill too. Its so nice knowing when she will be here and also the lighter days are nice too.

Morning everyone!
on break right now. Only 2 more hours till my short vacation! Looking forward to the fair and the horse show in a few hours. I'm ssurei'll be on here lots as I try to keep motivated over my long weekend. I plan on long walks/jogs with CF and the dogs. Gotta get those steps in!

Hey hey!

Life is going good for me. Having a bit of a dilemma right now. Basically, my BF and I want to live and work in Japan for a year. I'm a UK resident, so technically I could get a work visa and just go there without a job and look while I'm there. However since the BF is a US resident he can't get this type of visa (because the UK and Japan have a special deal for working holiday visas) so he ideally needs a job offer to move to Japan.

I'm applying for places like Interac and JET and so is he, but I'm just in two minds because I literally could just cut out the middle man and do it on my own! You also don't get to chose where you live in Japan through Interac and JET, so the BF might get an offer for a job in the middle of nowhere and have to turn it down.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is should I make all this effort trying to apply for these jobs when I could potentially be offered a job I'd turn down? I want to be happy in Japan, and I don't think I'd be happy living in the middle of nowhere as bad as that sounds (BF feels the same). I don't necessarily want to live in a major city but at least in a place where I can visit a big city when I feel like it.

But as I said, the BF has to go through this process where as I don't have to...I could just get a work visa and leave and find a job while I'm out there. There's a risk in that, but there are A LOT of ALT jobs going (there's always a demand for ALT's over there, that's why programmes like JET are set up). It could turn out that he gets a job and an apartment, then I move over there and live with him and find a job while I'm there and contribute to rent. It's just a bit confuzzling =S

Sorry about the rant!

In terms of weight loss, I'm back to 171 lbs, and I've got a feeling it might stay that way tomorrow (official weigh in day) and I'll lose my shiny 170 lbs ;_;. I'm PRAYING it's because of the blob approaching and the weight will drop off eventually and I'll be in the 160s.

I got to Skype with the BF too, and I showed him my before picture then showed him what I look like now and he was super impressed and said I look amazing. I know I always promise myself I'll hide my progress but because it's exciting that I have lost weight I have to show my nearest and dearest! My sister came over today, and usually she's critical of me, but she said that I look really slim and that my jawline is really defined. So huzzah!

Insanity is going well, some days I really don't want to do it, but then once I get halfway through the warm up I'm pumped and want to do it well. Been trying to drink plenty of water too, but sometimes I'm just not thirsty and end up peeing it all out anyway, haha!

munster - Woohoo on 151 lbs!! You're so close to the 140s!! I hope your son is ok, you never did come back to finish your posts! =S

HH4L - I bet it feels amazing getting a new start in life. College is an exciting time, so really use it to your advantage. You've got the right mindset, you've just gotta follow through!

Mande - That's crazy about what happened at your work! Thanks for the advice, I'm hoping this pill works - I've had bad experiences in the past with the pill so I'm trying to just relax so I don't over think any symptoms.

sgregg - What sort of foods have you been eating? I've just started to track my calories on a website. Since I'm doing Insanity I should be eating 5 times a day and it's so hard to stick to that but I've seen amazing results when I do. Work gets in the way! Wish I was a full time weight loser =p. Don't worry about the gain, just pick yourself up and keep moving.

Riestrella - I think you should let him find a place first and then go over after he does. :) About my food...ugh...I've been eating really bad food. Haha! Full of sodium. Chinese, Mexican, just not paying attention to what goes in...junk. I can feel it too. Yesterday was a better day, but not as good as it should have been. But it's ok...I'm getting over this hump. :)

I've got my water by my side today...well, actually, it's not by my side at this moment, but it should be...hmm...where is that bottle of water??? Anyway, I have a little surprise birthday party to go to today. It should be fun. Nothing else planned. Just trying to get through the weekend without rummaging through the cabinets.

See, that's what I thought! But he doesn't want me to rely on him getting a place?! =S. He's a bit weird like though, he likes to feel very independent and like there's no pressure on him...he's a bit of a commitment-phobe even though he's actually really committed! But shhh, don't tell him that ;). I might just leave the Interac interview and go for JET if anything - I've just heard a lot of crap about them, some people get assigned like 10 different schools to work in o_O. Just seems like a lot more effort!! If I don't get into JET then I'll just go over there any way, so it's not like my life in Japan depends on these job offers.

Ugh, I had a week like that, it sucked by the end! But as long as you feel guilty, that's the important part. My period turns me into a food monster, and if I don't get food I feel really drained. Damn being a woman!

I posted here early last week and promised I would get on top of my life and didn't.... :( I want to I swear I do.

Back from the fair! :carrot:
It was fun that I needed. Hopefully when it comes back around next year I'll have dropped a good amount of weight and feel better about going on the rides. My BF loves the rides, but won't ride without me, I haven't gone on a ride in almost 6 years. i feel bad for that. next year will be different!

I was super good food wise. There was apizza vendor with a wood brick oven. I am forever ruined on Pizza. It was SO GOOD. BF and I ordered a cheese pizza to split. It was just larger than a personal sized pizza so our three tiny slaces was like having one large slice. I loved it. I can never have pizza any other way than in a wood brick oven. Too bad no one here has one.
BF and I also split a small basket of fries and a water.
For our cheat Bf and I split a small basket of Mini dounuts. Cute tiny dounuts with chocolate sauce and powder sugar. It was our fried goody and it was worth it.

It was nice to go to the fair and stick to my vegitarian plan and stick to only one sweet (When there's so many yummies around) And I stayed away from sugary drinks. I'm proud of myself.
... . . .

Riestrella- A trip to Japan would be crazy awsome! it sounds like you already have a bit of a plan put together. What are you more comfortable with? Do you want to find a job? or would you rather wait until your BF knows what he's doing and where he's going? he might not want you to depend on him, but maybe he'll respect your comfort Zone? If he knows you just want to see where it is you have to go work and what kind of jobs you'll have there? I'm sure things will work themselves out. How soon is this all going down? or is that all still up in the air?

LawGirl88 - don't give up! there are lots of false starts.

Ladies, I feel you on the messed up periods. Actually mine is quite regular but the PMS...ugh... it lasts for a week at least. And I hate retaining water, my boobs feel so heavy and tender, as if I didn't have enough trouble with their size and my bras and sport bras already...back when I was at my lowest weight about 145lbs I had NO PMS at all...so there's motivation for all of us, menstrual cycles certainly get more comfortable with losing weight!

Munster congrats! And I'm sure you lost even more than that! Just eat right during TOM and you'll be in 140's very soon! And your persistence is amazing...few people will still workout and not make excuses after two disruptions!

Sgregg just get baby steps back on track :)

Rie ugh, those stupid complicated policies and regulations.... I hope you and your bf find a way that works the best!

Sakai oooh. I also LOVE pizza, but who doesn't? It is certainly one of the best foods in the world...hehe, I might be overenthusiastic about it, but I can't remember the last time I had pizza... Good for you for keeping control on your eating!

LawGirl88 as they say the surest way to succeed is to always try again, every time you fail,just try again! In fact, crossover that 'fail' word, the only way to really fail is to quit!

On to me... well I went totally overboard this weekend! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Anyways before this sudden fall of the wagon I was doing pretty well, and I've actually started getting my momentum and wanted to push harder next week, but considering this total fail weekend, I am still not going to going to take on new challenges.
This is the plan for next 10 days:
-really measure and write everything down (cause I plan to start calorie counting after these 10 days and I need to know where is my baseline!)
-drink 2 litres of water - it’s just 4 small bottles!
-exercise at least 7x20mins
-when you eat something you know you shouldn’t - limit it to 300kCal. 300 is plenty!
and eat that less healthy stuff every other day at most.
- go to bad at 10:30pm max! (waking up at 5:30 some days so I have to make sure I get enough sleep)
-and last, not least, do something every day to keep you motivated and on track (blog, post on 3fc, read others progress/success stories, read a good motivational book…)

Goal weight for Oct 20th: 173lbs
That would equal 4lbs loss in a month, which is low, but is the number I can live with

Have a good start of the week everyone!

Herro!

Man, PMS has been biting me in the arse these days. I don't think I've ever experienced it quite like this! I now know it's definitely PMS, because when my period is approaching I get a sharp pain in my womb region and I KNOW it's around the corner! It's ridiculous though, I'm actually looking forward to starting the pill, I literally stopped my last period about a week and a half ago! Having regulated periods will be bliss.

I MAINTAINED MY 170 LBS!! So happy about that!! I'd been weighing in all week at 171/172 lbs and finally on official weigh in day I got to the 170 lbs mark! I feel a bit bloated, and I think I'm maintaining a lot of water weight, so maintaining this week feels good. I'm hoping the weight will just drop off me once my body starts to settle down after this period so it's something to look forward to. In the meantime INSANITY TIME!

I had a bit of a fail weekend in terms of exercise. I can present to you my case of having awkward work hours, feeling drained and tired etc. But essentially it's all excuses! But I have been really good at keeping on track so I'm not too bugged. It's a new week and it's the last week of Phase 1 for Insanity. Next week is a recovery week and the following is Phase 2...NERVOUS!

Today I'm working then I have 2 days off! Bliss!! I can't wait for it! I seriously LOVE my days off now haha.

LawGirl - If you truly wanted to change, you just would. There's no way about it. If you're not ready to commit to this change then you'll fail. You need to really think about where you are now, how you got there and where you want to be and start planning on what you're going to do about it. It's all good and grand saying "Oh, I'll start tomorrow, I promise" but without the research, the method and ultimately without the heart to do it you will relapse.

Sakai - That's a wonderful goal - to be able to go on rides! Definitely lock that one away in your goal bank ;p. Darling...your entire day sounded like a cheat no offence! I'm glad you had a great time, but I think you need to re-evaluate what you consider good food, because pizza is definitely not one of them!
Thanks for responding to my post, you brought up some good points about this whole process. I decided I'm not going to go through with the Interac process, I think I'll stick to applying with JET and see where that takes me. You're right, he should respect my comfort zone. The plans to move to Japan are definitely set in stone, we're 100% going for it. The way we're getting there however is up in the air, but I think I've got things figured out better now. The earliest the BF will be leaving is March 2012, so I would be following him shortly after if that happened.

HH4L - Oh my goose, my PMS has lasted FOR DAYS! I think I'm just more aware of it because I've been at work and been a bit of a grouch to customers haha! I've not been rude, but I try my hardest to smile politely when I seriously just want to say nothing! 4 lbs weight loss is a huge number! Don't sell yourself short! You sound like you've got a great plan, so just STICK WITH IT! That's all I can say! We all fall, we all have those bad moments, but the important thing is is to KEEP GOING! Don't let it phase you!

Good morning, everyone! It's a new day and another fresh start for me! I'm going to get in the 210's this month. I love a fresh start. :)

Riestrella - Good job on staying at 170! It's so hard when you are PMSing. I'm so proud of you for sticking with Insanity! Keep up the hard work!! You will be seeing the 160's in no time! And yes, the food monster has definitely been in the house this past week. Ha!!

LawGirl - I agree with Riestrella. When truly want to change, then you will. You obviously know how by looking at your signature!...get in there, girl!!

HH4L - I like how you set yourself goals in days rather than a month or longer. I think I want to do that. Maybe start out smaller though and say drink my water for 5 days straight or something like that. I can really tell your attitude has changed since you really decided that you wanted to get healthy! Keep up the good work! Your body will thank you for it in the end. ;)

Sakai - Way to go on that fair food!! I know you were worried about that, but you did well! And you had fun on top of that! Since I've gotten older, I've always felt uncomfortable getting on those rides because I'm bigger. I never thought about maybe rewarding myself with something like that when I get smaller. I may have to write that down in my reward goals. Going to an amusement park and riding ALL the rides. Glad you had a good time!

Oh, I went ahead and decided to do the daily weigh-in for this month. I did well in August when I was weighing daily and then slowed down in September when I wasn't, so I thought getting back in the groove of weighing daily would help me stay more accountable. We shall see if it helps this time around.

Hey Girls!

Okay so I was MIA over the weekend because I was SICK AS A DOG!!!!!!!!!!! OMG soooooooooooo bad. I ended up switching around my Insanity workout so I did Core Cardio and Balance (a much easier workout than I was supposed to do lol) on Friday because I was feeling off. Then, Friday night and Saturday...let's just say I was stuck in the bathroom for hours lol! I don't know what happened, but I think I may have picked up a stomach bug from a friend I was hanging out with earlier in the week. It was BRUTAL. I didn't weigh because I didn't want to get excited and then be disappointed 3 days later lol! So, hence the non posting. I am back into it now, and I missed a day of Insanity :( so I am going to be done with Round 2 on Sunday instead of Saturday like I originally thought. Oh well, feeling better now, hit the gym with hubby this morning (he has the day off :D) and getting ready to rock out with Shuan T! I hope we are all doing well this week, and here's to coming off of the stomach flu lol!

Okay wow I am so far behind on personals I might take a few days to catch up lol!

sgregg-If daily weighing helps to keep you on track, I say go for it. Some weeks I get on every day but I only count the "challenge" day one lol! It does help though because I can tell if I am retaining water and then I drown myself until "real" weigh in day haha! Keep it up and don't stress too much about the eating thing, you just have to kick that and get back OP! You can do it!

Rie-OMG I can't believe you are almost to recovery week! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing, don't you feel so great!? I hope that you like recovery week, I did it was nice to have a break from the jumping and stuff, but I would recommend you do a little extra only because my body was a little on the sad side when I started the second month the first time lol! I hope that you figure out what you want to do with the whole job thing, that is a bit stressful. You will work it out and you and the BF will have an amazing time together :D. I have no clue how any of that works, I have never been outside of the US, so all of that sounds so interesting!

HH4L-Keep it up girl, falling off the wagon a little happens to everyone at least a couple times a year lol! You just have to do what you are doing-reaffirm your resolve to stay healthy, and not get too crazy with the goals. I think 4 lbs is a great number, and it's not low, it is HEALTHY. You are far more likely to keep that 4 lbs off than if you lost 10 in one month. So keep up the realistic goals and you will do great!

Mande-Thanks! He is okay lol! I love the sweating the butt of feeling lol! Isn't it great!? I think that you are doing such a great job, stay with it! OMG I had a total issue with my satellite also this weekend! I hate that lol! Keep with the 30DS and I think that Jillian will work you out girl!

Okay ladies, sorry for anyone that I missed, I will get you all later but I have to get baby girl up from nap :) Talk to you soon!

I was wondering about you, Munster!! Glad to hear you are over that tummy bug. Those things are awful!

Today has been successful. I still didn't get in as much water as I need to, but I drank more than what I have been lately. I'm hoping I'll be down in the morning. Planning to hit the gym before class tomorrow. Right now, I am so not feeling motivated, but I'm going to do it anyway. The last time I went was last Tuesday and I did Day 3 of Week 3 on C25K. I may do a day of week 2 since it's been a week since I've been to the gym. I don't know. I need to see what happens in week 4. Who knows? I may be able to go ahead and tackle that week.

Well, I better go. I gotta get stuff together for in the morning. Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

Retaining water!! I had a super salt heavy meal last night and i think that's what did it because I was super good food wise.
Egg drop soup ended up a little blah and added salt to it.
Spring rolls were yummy (But the veggies and noddles were cooked with soy and oyster sause.) I also used soy for dipping. It was low sodium soy but it was still more sodium than my body is used to.
Water jug is attached to my hip tonight. Was planing on Miso soup for dinner but now having second thoughts.

I jogged yesterday!! I did two minutes of jogging and one minute fast walking for 15 minutes then did 47 minutes of the treadclimber. I plan on doing the same right now and try and sweat some of this water out.

MunsterMommy- ugh, sounds like you had a heck of a weekend. it's good to take a little rest when sick though so your body can recover. Glad to see that it's all gone and you're feeling like yourself again. ^.^

Good morning, everyone!
I had a good weigh-in this morning!! I was expecting it since all I did was pee yesterday and last night. I think I got up 3 times to pee. Anyway, I had a lower number on the scale, and that's what's important.

Sakai - Hopefully that water retention will be gone soon! I'm sure it will with you drinking your water.

I have a long day today, so I wanted to go ahead and get on this morning and add my weight to the daily thread. Anyway, gotta go get everyone ready. Have a great day, everyone!

Where is everyone??!!!

I had a very long day of classes today. To top it off, all the treadmills at the gym were taken this morning, so I had to do my c25k on the elliptical, which I do not like. I just feel like I get a better workout on the treadmill. And the elliptical makes my feet hurt. I worked out anyway, though. I only went over my calories today by about 50. I'm not worried about it though because I got my workout in this morning. Gosh, I'm exhausted. It's amazing how sitting in class can wear you out.

Well, I hope everyone had a good day. Miss y'all!!

Hi everyone! *waves at sgregg* I'm here still =)

Ok, I like to think I'm an emotionally stable person, I also like to think I don't let the scale get to me, but MAN, I am so FRUSTRATED! Haha!

This approaching period has taken it's toll on me, I've never in my life experience PMS combined with pre-period bloating to go on for so long. I will embrace the day I start taking the pill and hope that it keeps these pesky hormones that are controlling my life these days at bay. Did anyone else see the same success when taking the pill to help their period symptoms?

I know, I know, I should just be drowning myself in water which I haven't done - so I am partially to blame. It's quite funny actually, I dictate how much water I need by the colour of my pee >_>. This morning it was very dark, so I thought "oop, better get some wawa in me."

According to my countdown there are now 3 MONTHS TO GO until I see my boyfriend! 121 days to be exact! Maybe I'll make a ticker and put it in my signature...would that be sad?!

After having a few fail days at Insanity I got back on the horse and galloped towards the sunset so to speak. I always have this feeling of dread starting Insanity but then when I'm in it I'M IN IT!! The hardest part is getting ready I suppose!

I've been counting my calories and I've been doing well with staying on target, so I'm happy about that. Not much else to report!

sgregg - Woohoo! So glad to hear you're still on it with you c25k training! And I'm also glad that you're finding the daily weigh in useful. As long as you don't let it affect your mood too much, it's a great way to stay accountable.

munster - YAY YOU'RE BACK!! I was starting to worry!! Sorry you felt so ill =(. That sucks. This sounds gross, but did you lose any weight?! I'm sure throwing up loads might have helped you lose a pound or so, haha. I'm so crude. I know, recovery week is next week, crazy!! But I am READY for Phase 2!!

Sakai - I hope you managed to get rid of that water retention. Seems like a lot of us are feeling its wrath! And congrats on the exercise, it'll make the weight just fly off you!

Hello I'm new on here (this is my first post), and I've properly started dieting for the first time in a year (before I would over diet then cave in and eat more and gain weight and the cycle would go on) any tips for the first few weeks of weight loss? Thanks :)

Hey guys,
I have been reading through some of your posts and I would really like to join into you chat. You ladies are so supportive of each other and so open. I could really use a group of people to share successes and struggles with.

My situation right now is that I lost about 10 lbs in august/September and now I am stuck. I am 13 lbs away from my goal and I have been seeing the same number on the scale the past few weeks (ugh). I am also stuggling with TOM and my body swelling up like a balloon and I can't seem to kick off any water weight.

So a lot of you are into this insanity workout?? I have heard so much about it but can someone tell me more. Maybe it would pull me out of my rut.

I look forward to getting to chat with all of you throughout the coming months, that is if you will have me :)

Good luck with today all

Hello everyone!
I'm just getting back into the whole "losing"mentality and am trying for at least 5 posts a day. I feel like I avoid this (and other) places of support when I'm not doing well, so making myself post makes me want to do better. I echo Jamie1985 in saying that this looks like a great bunch of supportive gals.

I turn 29 on Sunday, so I may just be phasing out of the 20-somethings group, but might as well rock it while I can. I can relate to a lot of the issues discussed in here. I'm a single gal rooming with my momma after living abroad. Have been back in States for about a year and was working in Sales/marketing, but am about to give notice to start working as an "independent contractor" doing office support for a private company.

Rie~ So cool about you looking into going to Japan! I taught in South Korea for 2.5 years and it was one of the best things I've ever done. I was only supposed to be there for a year, then ended up extending for another year and 6 months. While I never would have planned it for myself, I'm so glad I took the leap.
Re: the 'You applying for jobs on your own vs. bf applying for jobs then you joining him' dilemma", I'd definitely keep applying on your own. Go ahead with the JET thing. Worst case, you'd have to turn it down. It might take some pressure off the BF, too, if he knows that you're also actively looking for somethih for yourself. Also, if location is a major factor for you, do you have a list of the 5 or so top cities/locations that you'd like to be in? I was in a city of about 2.5 million people and it was the perfect size: Big enough to have modern conveniences, but small enough that I didn't feel too overwhelmed.

What are you doing in the meantime?

3cats - Welcome! The biggest tip I'll give to you is find out HOW you want to lose the weight. You've tried dieting and that hasn't worked, so I would suggest exercise. If you take exercise seriously then eventually you won't want to over eat because you'll think "all that hard work I just did will be ruined!" Furthermore, you might get to the point where you want to eat healthy to fuel your body. You might scoff now but believe me, it happened to me!! But ultimately, this is a lifestyle change. You have to figure out WHY you overeat, and try and change that. The decisions you make regarding food need to be for life, so you need to really educate yourself on what is good for you and what's not. I don't agree with diets, because telling someone you can't eat something makes them want it twice as much! Just take it one step at a time.

Jamie - By all means, come on in!! I know how you feel about TOM blues and water weight, it's been kicking me in the metaphorical balls for the last week or so!! Ugh, hate it! Well done for losing 10 lbs! I think the closer you get to your goal the harder it becomes.
At the moment it's just munster and I that do Insanity. Insanity is basically circuit training/interval training. Normally you would do easy exercise and then do hard rigorous exercise for a short amount of time and then rest again. However, Shaun T has said "eff that" and created a 'max interval training' programme. So you're working your arse off to the LIMIT and then resting for 30 seconds. The programme comes with about 11 different workout videos and you get a calendar which tells you what workout you'll do each day. Which is why you'll hear us say Day __ of Insanity done!!
It also comes with a nutrition guide, which if I'm honest, is the best thing I've read on nutrition. It really educated me on when I should eat, how often I should eat and most importantly WHAT I should be eating. You work out your caloric needs by an equation that is based on your age, height, weight and also by how much exercise you do.
If you want a challenge and can dedicate yourself then GO FOR IT! You'll feel like you're torturing yourself but it's amazing =).

Alexis - Oh please, I know a few 30 somethings who post here! Age is not an issue! I think the college/student threads are quite 20 something specific but everything else is easy going =). That's amazing how you went to South Korea! Were you teaching there? Everyone has said they're glad they did take the leap so it puts my nerves at ease!
I basically want to live near a city/in a smaller city like you. I'm fine with the suburbs, good transport to major cities is always a plus for me. The transportation system is one of the best in the world in Japan, so again, a suburb or a small city would be ideal. I'm going ahead and applying to JET because what's the worse that could happen?
I'm working at a cinema at the moment, I graduated last year and am living with the parentals to save money (and because I had none to live on my own!) It's fine, I get on with them and I'm lucky to have them so I don't mind.

Rie: Excellent! I am excited! And this insanity sounds awesome, I could really use a challenge. I'll definately look into. Btw I had a friend who did the JET program were she went to teach kids in Japan and she got set to a really small town in Japan and she loved it. I am not sure the name of the place but it sounds like an amazing opportunity.

Hey Girls!

Okay, so today was another Insanity workout :dizzy:! Got it done and hit the gym for another hour of cardio/strength. I feel so much better than I did this weekend, so that is great! I have weigh in tomorrow, but with TOM around even the weekend sickness I don't think will bring that number down too much lol! I am just SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited that Round 2 of Insanity is almost over! Just 3 more workouts to go and I will have completed TWO CONSECUTIVE ROUND OF INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am really happy and proud of myself, and man do I have some muscles back I haven't seen in awhile lol! So, don't know if the ticker will move down with the weigh in tomorrow, but I am in dang good shape ladies haha! Hope we are all having a great mid week :D.

sgregg-Thanks :D! I know that it is hard to get the water in, I had trouble with it at first. Now, if I don't drink at least 100 oz a day I feel super dehydrated. My husband is floored by how much water I consume lol. He is very concerned about it sometimes, as if I might explode because of all the water I drink haha! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY for the scale going down! That is the best thing ever haha! Keep up the good work, you are doing so great!

Sakai-Thank you, taking the day off of working out and then having Sunday as my "off" day anyway was exactly what I needed. I haven't had two consecutive days off working out in about 5 months, so it was a good thing to do that time lol! AWESOME on the working out! I think that interval training is the way to go no matter what (unless you are training for an endurance event) for losing weight, inches, and fat. That is what I have been doing this whole time and seen great results. It is also how I train for racing (running) season anyway. Keep up the hard work, and I bet you see a nice number on the scale this week ;D.

Rie-LOL I cracked up at your pee comment :D. I do the exact same thing haha! I know if it is almost clear then I am good, otherwise I up the "wawa" intake lol! I am so excited for you that you will get to see BF that soon! Just think about it, if you did another round of Insanity after this one, you would have almost no time left to wait lol! OMG some mornings I feel the same way, I dread starting the workouts, but once I am doing them I feel great. I think it is just our mind's way of trying to make us not torture ourselves and stay on the couch haha! Keep up the good work, you can do it and DIG DEEPER :D.

Alex-WELCOME! All the ladies on this thread are super amazing and supportive, everyone always has good advice and sometimes a kick in the butt for you :) lol! I really feel like posting here and staying active really helps to keep you accountable and helps tremendously! Keep posting, and let us know how we can help you! Avoidance is sooooooooo understandable, if I don't think about it, it will go away! I know how you feel! Just stick with it, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE CHEERING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

3cats-WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would definitely say to start slow if you have tried before and had trouble sticking with it. I calorie count, and that allows me to have foods that I like while still keeping restraints on me. Find what works for you, and then stick with it! Let us know how else we can help!

Jaime-WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!Bummer on being stuck :hug:. I know how hard that is. I think that we all go through periods of time like that. I have about the same amount left to lose as you do, and man, it feels like it is coming off so much slower and is so much harder than at the beginning! I am currently in TOM right now too, and I retain a TON of water. I just basically drown myself all the time (AT LEAST 100 oz per day) because I work out A LOT. I do Insanity as well (I am 3 days away from finishing my second round), and I also workout out at the gym 6 days a week after I do that. I think that really having a fairly high water intake has counterbalanced the bloat for sure for me. I also keep the sodium to a very small amount and that has really helped. On your Insanity question, it is THE BEST WORKOUT EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL I will tell anyone and everyone that it is amazing, awesome, and completely rocks! I was a collegiate soccer player, have run multiple half marathons, and this workout is harder than almost anything I have ever done. It gives you results, and you are STRONGER. I think if you are interested you should try it! It is crazy :dizzy: but it is super fun too! It is cardio/interval/strength training that you do at home with a DVD player so it is convenient too (I have 2 small children and it is perfect). I hope you try it, we could use some more crazy women lol! Keep posting and let us know how everything is going!

Okay gals, phew, that was a lot lol! I am going to get baby girl up from nap, and then I am going to get dinner going for when hubby gets home. Okay I am also going to post pics tomorrow I think from BEFORE, AFTER ROUND 1, AND AFTER ROUND 2 of Insanity. EEk! LOL hope you all have a great day and let's get it girls! :carrot::carrot:

Rie ~ I taught in a private academy for ages 6-14. Absolutely loved it. I know Korea doesn't have the glamour appeal of Japan, but I just couldn't beat the salary/compensation package.

munstermommy~ Thanks for the welcome!!!! I could sure use a butt kicking every now and then... I know that when I'm not doing well, I tend to try and hide in the sand, but really, coming in here and getting support is the first step...


~~~~
Kept to my PM cut-off time. Have gotten into the ritual of just having a mug of SF hot chocolate, which is lovely with the weather turning colder. Love this time of year!

'night all!

Hello ladies :),
Munster: awesome job with your insanity! That is really exciting for you, I admire your drive. :)

Alexis: good job keeping your cutoff, I think that is one of the hardest things for me to do. How is your cutoff set up?

Sgregg: sitting in class is super exhausting. I am a student too and I feel exhausted after prepping and thinking and going to class. I especially struggle with getting school off my mind long enough to enjoy my workout. Ugh.

So for myself, the first part of the day I did really well. I have been avoiding refined sugars like the Plague, which is tough, but I made it three days. I weighed myself in and I was 1 lb down, which is encouraging, especially since I busted it at the gym, but then my husband and I went out to dinner. We had fatty foods and beer, and I knew we would so I had eaten very lightly today to make room for the calories. I still ended up going over but not by much... But I am sad because this is my routine. By the end of the week I am at my lightest then the weekend comes and I am a gonner. I go to bars and dinner with friends and ruin it all.... But this weekend I am going to try to stay on track! :) wish me luck.

Hope you are all doing well!!! :)

Jamie ~ I try to stop eating by 8PM on weekdays, 9PM on the weekends. Chances are if I'm eating after that point, it's not because I'm hungry. If I see something that I want after 8PM, I'll tell myself that if I really want it, I can have it in the morning. Sometimes I'll eat it, sometimes I won't, but either way, my heaviest meal ends up being before noon and that seems to work best with my body. Gives me energy for the whole day and time for the food weight to settle off. That being said, I've also tried Intermittent Fasting and only started eating after 7PM or so... and that has worked, too, but I do feel better eating more in the AM.

I've had your weekly patter at times too, btw... (light during the week, "social" during the weekends) I feel like awareness is key, though. You're aware of this pattern and are aiming to make healthy changes. For me, the key was gaining up enough momentum during the week that I didn't want to ruin my hard work over the weekend. Eventually the mindset kicks in and you realize that you are able to enjoy spending time with people without focusing on food and the healthy choices will begin to come more naturally.

What are you in school for?

~~~
Am heading up to Cape Cod over the weekend for my birthday! WoooHooo!!! (Super excited!) I've tried to plan out meals/restaurants and have taken a look at some menus, but the cut-off is portable and I find that I can eat pretty much whatever I like (within reason) and stay within a decent weight range. Looking forward to omelets in the AM. Also planning to do plenty of walking (bringing the pedometer) so hopefully that will help, too.

Bleeeehhhhh.

I've been really slacking on my exercise since Saturday. I've worked out ONCE this week after taking the weekend off. My weight hasn't been heavily affected by it, but it's not exactly going down either. It feels like weeks ago I reached 170 lbs, but it was only a week before Sunday...but now I'm coming up to 2 weeks at this weight and it's started to take it's toll.

I think it's because I've consistently lost at least a pound a week for a few months now, so having this stall has really bummed me out. Since starting insanity 3 weeks ago - I've only lost ONE pound. I push myself so hard and sweat my a$$ off but I was getting better results running yet I find Insanity so much harder. I love Insanity, I'm going to stick with it, but I guess I was just expecting more loss! I am getting stronger, I am fitter and my legs are rock solid now!

My measurements have been going down which is good, so I think I'm just being too sensitive to my weight since I'M SO EFFING CLOSE to the 160s.

The lack of exercise + lack of water + period symptoms = this. I KNOW what's wrong, I just need a kick up the arse. Anyone inclined on delivering it for me?

I'm going to re-evaluate my meal plans and really stick with it, drink water constantly in the day and work out. I'm going to finish this weeks exercise even if it leaks into recovery week. Sorry for the rant and the doom and gloom, but I've just tripped up a bit and need some support.

I really want to get to 150 lbs by February 11th...I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself but it's so hard not to. I know the BF will think I look amazing no matter what happens, because I'm the thinnest I've been in 2 years. But I just want that WOW factor you know? But 20 lbs in 17 weeks seems like such a challenge...considering I do tend to stall every so often. Meep =(

munster - I've got my fingers crossed you'll see a weight drop! CONGRATS ON ALMOST FINISHING ROUND 2!! Are you going for another round?! I've already worked out that once I finish round 1 and do round 2, if I start round 3 it'll take me into the holiday where I'll see him!

Alexis - How exciting! I'm AWFUL on holidays, I just get so lazy and eat myself into a stomach cramp. It's really bad =(. I've already planned on exercising twice in the day when I go to America. I want to maintain my weight at least!!

Jamie - Good luck! This is a lifestyle change, so you CAN make healthy choices while out at a restaurant. Clear alcohols are better for you (but still bad) so perhaps go for a mixer instead of beer? But if you're like me, I just indulge on a meal and a coke once in a while, and the next day I expect an increase but drown myself in water and work out extra to make up for it! So exercise that booze off!!

((((((Rie)))))) Hang in there!!!! *props you up with sticks* Once again, awareness is key. You can see that you're starting to slack and you're holding yourself accountable. You've come so far and to paraphrase what they say in recovery programs "Don't quit thirty seconds before the miracle happens." From what I've heard about Insanity, it sounds like the kind of program that might put extra strain on your muscles, causing them to retain water and thus cause a temporary gain. Maybe the reason for your stall? Reevaluating the meal plan might help, too.

It's almost the weekend, gang! Let's make it a good one!!!

Ughhhh!!!! Just went out for an impromptu "farewell lunch" and ate way too much to be comfortable. Had a salad w. blue cheese, 1 slice of bread w. butter, grilled swordfish w. veggies, and a giant glass of strawberries w. whipped cream. The strawberries were delicious, but I feel like I was just mindlessly throwing them down and it didn't dawn on me until AFTER I finished the entire glass that I could have just eaten a few and had only the whipped cream (the best part for me, really)

If this was a test, then I have more studying to do. Luckily I have the rest of the day to work it off.

Plan of Action for Eating:
1. Put my fork/spoon down in between bites.
2. Take sips of water in between every two bites.
3. Think about eating more delicately (really, I tend to just shove food in and it goes everywhere and if I stop to think about it, maybe I'll end up eating less...)

Whoooooo.... Just need to take a deep breath and focus.
I can do better than this.

(sorry for spam, but I just saw this in someone else's siggy and I wanted to keep it)
I choose:
To live by choice, not by chance;
to make changes, not excuses;
to be motivated, not manipulated;
to be useful, not used;
to excel, not compete.
I choose self-esteem, not self pity.
I choose to listen to my inner voice, not the random opinions of others.

Hey Ladies!

Sorry for the quick post, I will come back later and do personals. Today is DS BDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Been doing all kinds of stuff this morning, hit the workouts hard, ONE MORE DAY OF INSANITY TO GO AND THEN THAT'S IT FOR ROUND 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The scale was kind to me for weigh in, last week I was 151.5, and this week I am 152 BUT I was at the beginning of TOM so I am hoping for a good drop! Hope you ladies are doing well, I have party things to finish planning/buying/getting, but will come back tonight! Get it girls!

Happy Saturday to you all!

I've got a busy weekend planned. Going to a little fall festival thing tonight at my church. They are doing a Noah's ark themed festival and asked to have the kids dressed up as animals. Do you know how hard it is to find an animal costume for a 7 year old boy that is reasonably priced??!! It is actually impossible. So, I bought him a cheap tiger kit. There was a girl on the picture, but I think he'll be ok. He likes it and that's what counts. He's being Darth Vader for regular trick or treating, so he's pretty happy. However, I found DD a cute one piece zebra suit. It's made like a sleeper with a hood...it's very cute. I will have to try to remember to take a picture so I can show everyone by babies. :)

My weight is steady heading back up so I'm determined to get my water in today. Shame on me for not sticking to that. And yesterday I was the snack monster....ugh. I just felt like eating something all day long, but I fought it most of the day, thank goodness.

We are going to the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, AL tomorrow! I'm really excited about going. It should be lots of fun. Let's just pray that DD is good.

Munster - Happy Birthday to your DS! Hope he has/had a great party!

Alex - I like your eating plan. I tend to just shovel food in too.

Rie - Get moving on that exercise girl!!! You know the hardest part is getting started, but once you're in it it's all good! Go, go, go!!

Jamie - About your school and working out comment...I was actually studying for my midterm when working out Thursday. I think it helped with my workout because I wasn't paying attention to how tired I was or the burn in my calves. I eventually put the paper away towards the end though.

Ladies! You've been far too quiet for my liking. Where you all at? I miss you all <3.

Today is Monday 17th October - the day I whip my arse into gear. I've had one h3ll of a slacker week - exercised only ONCE and generally a sh!tty eating week too. But today marks the day I get focused. The plan:

• Get back into exercise action with Shaun T
• Drink water like there's no tomorrow
• Eat healthily as possible, stick to meal plan!
• Stay consistant and positive!

I'm also starting the pill today in the hope to regulate my periods. I've been getting signs that my period is coming for TWO FRIGGIN WEEKS. So I've got my fingers crossed that the pill will work and not turn me into a fat emotional wreck.

This IS the week I get into the 160s. No more 170s! Just me cruising forward to that healthy BMI like never before. Whoop whoop!

Rie - Everyone has an "off" week...you can do it! :) Now, you can have a fresh start and I'm sure that weight will just fall off since you had a week kind of off-plan. Good luck with the pill!

Rie~ TOM symptoms are the WORST!!! Hopefully you can find some relief. Give yourself the last week off, right, and hop right back on the turnip truck.

sgregg~ Hope you're doing OK, too.

~~~
So jazzed to only have a .8 gain over the weekend. And I didn't deprive myself, either. Had New England Clam Chowder and breakfast biscuits and everything... WooHoo!!!

Started a new temp job today. It's just a week long gig, but am trying to make the best of it. Involves just sitting on my rump answering phones, so I'm making an effort to get up and walk around on my breaks. Actually ended up getting in more steps than usual, which was a plus.

Taught a violin lesson, then came home and made soup and apple muffins (w. splenda). Soup was good, apple muffins not so much. Tasted like apple hockey pucks (too tough-- I think too much baking soda...) but they have a brown sugar topping on top. My mom's comment "I like these apple pucks." Well, it's always nice to have an appreciative audience.

Let's show this week who's boss!!!

~Alexis

I'm just not feeling it today...ugh. It was a long, tiring day and I have another long, tiring day tomorrow. I do plan on getting my run/walk in tomorrow morning though. Day 2 of Week 4 of c25k.
My weight has been fluctuating, but I know it's because I'm not getting my water in and I eat way too much sodium to be slacking on my water intake. It's just so hard to drink a lot of water when you are in a classroom most of the day. Besides, when I become a teacher and have my own classroom, I'm not going to be able to go pee all the time. So, really, I need to get back in the groove and get my body used to holding it in for longer periods of time.

Alexis - I've always wanted to play the violin. I was never lucky enough to have those opportunities. Glad you only had a small gain. Mmmm...biscuits!

My weekly weigh-in is Wednesday and I am NOT looking forward to it. I will do my measurements next Wednesday and I'm not expecting much of a loss in that area either. I have definitely slowed down since school started. As long as I'm not gaining a ton I guess I should be happy. I can work on losing during our breaks, I guess.

Okay, I'm about to fall asleep so I guess I better go. Goodnight everyone and I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

Shauna~ It's never too late!!! One of my biggest dreams is to bring music to the masses. Anyone with enough desire and determination can learn to play. Firmly believe this.

~~~
153.6 this morning and I've been eating a lot of crap (muffins + icing) and not exercising. I don't think I'll be able to lose and still eat crap for much longer, but will enjoy the sweet while I can. Brought a hummus and quinoa bread sandwich for lunch. Not sure if that'll be enough to hold me, but let's hope.

Hi ladies, it's late so I'm super tired and will reply to personals in the morning.

Today was a sad morning, because I found out my boyfriends dog had to be put to sleep. Sure, he wasn't my dog, but I've known him for years and I adored him so much.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...30976895_n.jpg
I'll miss him <3.

Yesterday I got seriously sick so I couldn't do my workout. After all that positive talk! I didn't throw up, but man did I feel like I needed to! I ended up napping then had to trundle into work =(. Today I felt much better and for the first time in over a week I did my Insanity workout. IT SUCKED. I was so drained, probably dehydrated from crying but oh welly, I did it! So I'm proud of that.

Kept on top of my water consumption today, and hoping tomorrow I'll kick *** again with Insanity. Hope you're all doing good! Halloween soon! Any one got any plans?

SO sad about your bf's dog, Rie. He looks like such a cuddle bear, too. Good for you just getting out there and doing your Insanity workout anyway. As a good friend once said "It's not the exercise itself so much as the will to do it that counts."

~~~
Am DONE with eating for the night. Having some Roastaroma tea w. almond milk and stevia to hold me over. I'm starting that slow march of doom toward TOM and I've been drinking more caffeine lately and boy can I feel it. Yurgh.
Ah, well... Numbers on the scale may appear larger than they are in real life. Remain calm and eat smart.

Hey, did y'all see the article on yahoo about the man who is going from fit to fat and back to fit??!! It sounds interesting...
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/healt...rpose-2583990/

Alexis, you are definitely right about learning at no matter what age! Maybe one day I will find the time to learn something like that. :) I should put that on my bucket list! Haha!

I'm supposed to be daily weighing in, but I have NOT been staying on plan...ugh! It's all my fault, but I wanted to keep coming here so I'm always thinking about it. I did somewhat of a workout in this morning. All the treadmills at the gym were full so I went to a park instead. It is TOTALLY different running outside than on a treadmill. I actually hated it. So, if the gym is going to be busy every time I go, then I'm probably going to join a different one. It's kinda useless being a member of a gym that I'm not going to use. Yes, I could use the different machines, but I can't do my C25K on the different machines. :( Oh well, I'll figure something out. I'm NOT giving up though.

Riestrella - So sorry to hear about your BF's dog. :( He does look big and comfy! When I get my own house with lots of land, I am getting a big dog...I love them! Glad you are feeling a little better and was able to get that workout in. Just keep it up and you will get back in the routine in no time!!

Shauna~ I firmly believe that coming in here is the first step... Even if you're not doing anything right now, eventually the enthusiasm will rub off on you. Awareness is the first step.

~~~
Grey and raining out today... I personally love the rain, but it does make me want to curl up with a good book rather than getting out there and working it. I wore flat shoes so hopefully I can walk around more. Plans to run to Costco and grab a salad, then have a skype convo w. my bff who just moved to Italy to study for a year.