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!