December Chat Thread
 

Hey ladies! Well its the 2nd I'm feeling good about making 199 by January 1. I'm up preping for the well while my Lo is still gone, he hates me to be in the kitchen. I'm making brocolli cheese soup and loaded potatoe soup. My lunches and breakfast have been planned for the week! My Fitbit daily reports are looking awesome....I'm proud to be on track.

Typed on my phone

Good luck making onederland, lisa. I know you can do it!

I ate horribly this weekend and I've been paying for it all night/day. My stomach is killing me. I had chinese buffet Friday night, pizza and chocolate and candy last night. Yuck!! I ate way too much. But now I am back on track and feeling better. I still managed to show a .8 loss this week though. I am down 13lbs now! I am starting to notice my pants are too big, which is both a nice feeling and annoying when they keep falling down!

Phae: I know how it feels... I have a pile up to here of barely worn clothes that I am going to try to sell on ebay.

Lisa: good job on the soup making!! How do you like your fit bit? I have been thinking about getting one. I almost did the other day, but my boyfriend was getting restless and I only had that one thing to buy so I didn't want to wait in line... He is harder to shop with than my 4 year old brother.

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So am I missing my brother. It stinks. He spent 20 of his 30 days for the year so he won't be able to come up again. So, who knows when I'll be able to go to see him.

I checked my weight on MY OWN wii fit. (no more using the stepmoms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) And I am down 3 pounds for just the weekend. I AM AMAZED!

I am horribly mad at my boobs. It seems like I am just going down band sizes. I am no longer able to wear Lane Bryant bras. Which stinks. They were the last of the decently priced bras that I could fit in. I had to return an order and while I was there they measured me at a 36 G which should mean a 38 f would fit but it is super uncomfortable.. So, I broke down and started looking at bra blogs and ordered a Panache Cleo Sasha. So heres to that actually fitting. HA.

And my finals start on Wedesday and don't end until 12/14. So I guess I will be stressed for the next 2 weeks? Ok. Hope all is good!!

Thanks for starting the December thread Lisa! You definitely sound like you're on a great plan for the upcoming week!

Phae I know how you feel. :(

beahawkins Hope things....change the way you want them to. :) It's so frustrating to buy new bras.

Things have been going well for me. Watching my calories, but partially because I've been spending so much time packing and moving that meals sometimes take a back seat. I still have a lot of stuff to move, but there is time. Still so excited about my new place!

$$ hurts a little this month though. Had to pay rent at my old and new place, plus Christmas is coming up....eek. I'll have to really watch my spending.

Hey guys...I'm back (like a bad penny...)!

Lisa: Those soups sound AMAZING. I was intending to do a bunch of cooking for the week this weekend, but then a sinus infection decided to try and kill me and I spent the better part of 4 days in bed wishing for death.

Phae: The clothes thing is getting rough on me...it's hard to find pants that are long enough for me in Japan, but the ones I brought from home are probably 8'' too wide in the waist now. I grabbed a pair by accident the other day and when I tried putting them on, they were back on the floor the second I let go of the waistband. I don't know what to do with all of my old clothes because they're too big to even try to salvage.

Bea: Good luck on finals! I know the feeling of missing someone and not quite knowing when you'll see them next...I miss everyone back at home and found out the other day that there's a decent chance my boyfriend might get deployed before my contract is up and I get to go back.

Ballerina: Good luck with the move! I had to move at the beginning of October and funds are still a bit tight because of that. It was a huge pain in the ***, but at least I'm in a safer area now.

On the topic of fitbits: I asked for a fitbit for Christmas...in my family everyone draws a name out of a hat and spends $100 on the person that they picked, and the new fitbit is conveniently priced at $99.95. I'm pretty sure that myfitnesspal lies through its teeth about how many calories I burn exercising in a day, so I'd really like to get a more accurate idea.

On the topic of me being really excited and bouncing off the walls even though it's not that big of a deal: The scale told me this morning that I now have a normal BMI for the first time in my adult life. Happyhappyhappy.

Good Morning Good Morning!

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lisa34t - I made a loaded potato soup from cooking light that was delicious. DH asked me to add it to my rotation. I'm trying a summer squash and corn chowder this week too. I wish I could get DH to eat broccoli!

Phae -.8 is better than +.8! Today is a new day. The weekends are way harder for me, too.

Quiet Ballerina - The hustle of moving can be so hard. DH and I are house shopping but decided to put it on hold until after the Holidays.

Hotaruchan - Welcome back! Where in Japan are you? My SIL did study abroad and wants to go back and teach there, but now I'm scared after what happened to you! Kudos to fighting back though! Many people don't/can't. I cannot wait to see a normal BMI on my scale. Congrats!!!

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Another packed weekend full of eating crap and drinking. Jesus, when will I learn and get my life together? November - December are where I always struggle. I'm hoping to make it through the new year without a terrible gain at this point. I started the year at 235 and did ridiculously well until March and was down to 210, but then I dealt with some drama/stress/issues and gained it all back by September. Now with things being stable and better, I'm back down to 215'ish and to be honest, I'm just hoping to see Jan 1 at 215 where I can buckle back down. What I have learned is that when I'm aware of what I'm eating and keep working out - I am good at maintaining.

I'm in a catch 22 - I've stopped weighing daily to help with my compulsive nature and unhealthy habits; however, with the holidays here and it being my time of struggle - I'm wondering if I need that accountability if I'm hoping to to maintain. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

I'm in Gunma-ken and it's awful. My city manages to have the highest temperatures on Honshu in the summer and some of the lowest in the winter, coupled with absolutely horrible winds coming down from the mountains that are on 3 sides of the prefecture. Where I live seems to be nothing but convenience stores, failing ramen shops, and love hotels. If she gets any say in where she goes, I would very strongly recommend Kansai (down near Kobe or Osaka)...that's where I studied abroad and it was fantastic. Gunma-ken though? Don't bother...

Originally Posted by Hotaruchan:
If she gets any say in where she goes, I would very strongly recommend Kansai (down near Kobe or Osaka)...that's where I studied abroad and it was fantastic. Gunma-ken though? Don't bother...

I actually think her program was Kansai International School or something. She loved it there. Are you teaching?

Yeah, but my company is scummy and underhanded. I wanted to stay longer to improve my language skills, but I'll be back in America in April.

Originally Posted by Hotaruchan:
Yeah, but my company is scummy and underhanded.

What company? I'll tell her to steer clear!

Yes both soups where amazing. I have found that mason jar lunches have become extremely popular and they aren’t a bad idea either. So thats how I spent Sunday morning.


bea- I LOVE the fitbit, I don’t know if you remember but I was really searching for a pedometer/heart rate monitor, calorie burner counter..... Something of that nature. Well the Fitbit is awesome! I really keeps me moving and I have over 65 fitbit friends some who get 20k steps a day and it really inspires me not be at the bottom my friend board. It ranks you against your friends by number. Every week it gives me this cool weekly report, and it encourages mr to do better the next year. And the site is free to use unlike bodybugg and bodymedia.

Hotaruchan- As far as calories burned, I wont say my fitbit is the most accurate thing. It doesnt have a heart rate monitor or anybody sensors. To truly track calories burned I would suggest a heart rate monitor. BUT, the Fitbit is still awesome and I love it, I have the ultra, I dont have an Iphone so the fitbit one, isn’t beneficial for me.

phae- Thanks

Somuch- Was it you who gave me the breakfast burrito reciepe?

lisa34t Yes! :)

I Love Them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hotaruchan - I'm finding the same problem living abroad, except I am only in the UK. The pants here (or should I say trousers) do NOT fit me properly!! I tried a pair on the other day and thought they were fine and then i wore them to work today and they were awful! For some reason the crotch is way too low on all the pants I find here. I don't get it!!

Ballerina: I have a bra on the way so I hope it works... and hope that I go get to mainstream sizes once the weight comes off... sigh. Moving always seems to kick my weightloss in gear!! Hope it keeps up like that for you!

Hotchuran: I hope if he is deployed that it you get to see him first. What branch of the military is he in. My brother is in the Navy. Thanks for the luck of finals... I haven't started stressing but I have a feeling I will soon.

Lisa: I might have to look into a FitBit.

Phae: That is so weird.. I thought that Britain had the same mainsteam shops for the most part.
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I talked with a physical therapist today, cause it was FREE and I love free things. I was in a car accident a few years ago. I was in the passenger seat and I was sitting funny and it has hurt since. The last time I spoke to a dr. about it she told me to lose weight. yeah, thanks lady. And you would think losing 30 something pounds it would feel a little better but it's been hurting more... She actually gave me tips and helped me figure out why it hurts so bad... She said no crunches. I have been doing 500 or so a week... so anyways lol.

And she was watching me stand and made me do some of my weird double jointed thing and apparently I have hyper mobility syndrome. She told me no stretching at all.. I love stretching and yoga and all that.. sad. ok well I am procrastinating. off to study!

lisa34t - I know! I make them in batches of 20 and freeze them for breakfast! I've eaten one almost every morning for 3 or 4 months. They've yet to get old.

Bea: My guy's in the Navy too...if he gets deployed in the next 4 months, there's no chance I'll get to see him until he gets back (8 months to another year) since my contract doesn't end until the first week of April. I keep telling him that he should keep his fingers crossed to stay in place because we'll both look a little crazy if I try swimming after an aircraft carrier...(I haven't gotten laid in 9 months at this point...that might actually happen ;) ) As for the hyper mobility thingy...did the therapist say that there was anything that you could do other than not stretching? That sounds awful...

Everyone talking about soups: Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend... (too bad it's only Tuesday night for me now...)

Hotaruchan: Lol. That would suck. But you might be awarded some kind of world record if you could keep up with the carrier. Is there a way he could take leave to Japan for a week or two? What does he do in the Navy. My brother is a lab tech. He is pretty much useless on a ship/sub unless he were to go to school all over again.

As for the hyper mobile thing. I always thought I was just double jointed, no one ever said I shouldn't be doing this. (Well, the one doctor that I told didn't seem to care, but then again when I was gaining 20lbs a year all he did was put me on diets at 13 years old freaking dr.) I can bend my fingers so that most of them touch the back on my hand. And bring my arms from behind my back and over my head without letting go. She seemed more worried about my knees though. I was standing straight and she said both were pointing backwards? But she said I just need to watch the way I stand and walk. It hasn't always been painful but she said if I keep it up arthritis will start. I think I have had it for years though. My knuckles pretty much have hurt consistently since 9th grade. It is nice though. It explains why I have always had so many issues with keeping still in chairs. I change positions every 5 mins or I start to stiffen up. She said if I have more trouble that I can come down to the office and they'll see what they can do. I have a friend who is also hyper mobile but hers is kind of scary. She has 0 cartiledge in her ankles after having like 6? surgeries total. I hope mine doesn't get to that point. The last time she broke it she was just standing there and her ankle just couldn't take it and down she went. But I think she has a worse form of it than I do.

Hotaruchan!!! I'm so glad you're back. I was thinking about you recently. Love my fitbit. Congrats on the normal BMI! Fantastic. And yes, the move is exciting. Though I'm sure y'all are tired of hearing me yammer about it. :-D

SoMuch Ooooo house hunting!? Very fun. In theory. :) I love looking at house designs online. I can't decide if I love farm style houses because of the house in general...or because of the walking dead. Hmm...
Not sure about the scale. I know I fluctuate daily and it gets frustrating for me. Do you keep a food journal? that might be able to help with accountability.

lisa what are some of your go-to mason jar lunches? I'm tempted to try some of those out.

beahawkins No stretching at all?? I'm not much of a yoga fan, but I love a good stretch. that would make me so sad. :(

mmm....soup....maybe I'll have some tonight for dinner....
Week is creeping along for me. It's only Tuesday????
Oh! More good news for me. For those that remember, I'm studying to be a court reporter. Right now I'm in a 60-80 words per minute (wpm) speed class. The term (each term is 10 weeks) is almost ending, but in order to move into the next speed class, I have to pass an 80 wpm test at 99% accuracy. And I passed one Sunday night! :carrot: So next week I will start my 80-100 wpm class.

Quiet- Yes the week is moving slowly!!!!!!!!!!!! I have only done salads and soups first. I just wanted to see how it went. Im thinking about making some spaghetti and some turkey chili beans topped with cornbread
....something a lil more hearty.

All is well, feeling bumish today gonna have a sandwich and soup for dinner. Gonna have to do some more walking to eat that. I dont have enough calories left.....i snacked because my lunch fell short......

Bea: Ugh...arthritis is not good. My mom has had hers since she was 19, so they were pretty worried about me when they realized that I had double jointed ankles, but so far so good...

Ballerina: Yay typing! I've never taken a class, but every speed test I've taken has put me in the 70 wpm range with high accuracy. Good luck with your test. When I went in to interview for an order entry job, I finished in about half the time all the other applicants did with 100% accuracy, then I just kinda sat alone in my testing room going "Hello? I finished..." for 5 minutes before someone noticed.

Hey everyone! So I really fell off the wagon when I moved over to Japan. I made a thread a while ago, but I even dropped off then. I'm such a failure waaaah! Just kidding. I do feel guilt that I stopped working hard once I came here, but luckily I've stayed within a 5 lb range which isn't too bad. It's not like I'm coming back at 200 lbs.

I've joined a gym and I've been doing Zumba which I LOVE. I also run on the treadmill which is no where near as good as running outside but with my job I just don't have the energy when I get home to go outside and run around a city. I like my country running route back in England too much!

My problem is EATING. Argh! It seems like every week there's something at work to munch on. I work with kids so I'm constantly running around so that in itself is like a workout, but then I find myself porking on bad foods because I'm starving. I've started to say no to the candy and the crackers, but boy I start to run low on energy by the end of the day.
So I'm trying to figure out my diet. I'm in Japan, so the food is completely different than what I'm used to having in England. I also have a pathetic excuse for a kitchen, which makes it difficult to cook. I stumbled across a book that's in English called "The Japan Diet" written by a Japanese woman. She live in America and gained 25 lbs then when she returned to Japan she found she lost weight really fast, so wrote a diet plan based on healthy Japanese food. I figure I might need something like a food plan to keep me focused and motivated, but it's also handy because I have access to all kinds of Japanese food!

I also really regret not posting here as often as I should. Once I get in a groove this place really motivates me. So I'm hoping to get back and join the community again.

Thanks for listening!!

QB - Nice to still see you here! Congrats on your typing test! I think I can type 70wpm but I'm sure my accuracy rating is pretty terrible hah!
Hotaru - Yaay, I'm so glad you're back here too! And I saw on your Facebook page you were back on the bike and going to the gym, you rock.

Riestrella- welcome back

Not much going on...at the Dr. with my Lo, he has a,bad cough and a lot of congestion. Hopefully we aren't here forever as walk-ins. Brought a sandwich and grapes just in case. Scale was down some more this morning. I'm really looking foward to Sunday.

Rie: I definitely hear you on the tiny kitchen making all of those lovely katsu- and -tempura options at the conbini seem so attractive. Luckily food aside from the school lunches aren't allowed in the classrooms and no one really spends enough time in the staff room to bother with junk food there. I occasionally come in to senbei or little on my desk because someone went on a trip, but that doesn't happen especially often.

Lisa: Congrats on the scale going down!

...as for me, it'll probably be a while before I update my weight. I don't know if we had a little earthquake while I was at work or what, but I came home to realize that a can of hairspray had fallen off a shelf and shattered the glass on top of my scale. Funfunfun. Go figure...it holds my fat a** without complaint, but it can't deal with a can that maybe weighs a pound and a half >.< I kinda wanted to be on top of things for the last month of the year, but I won't be able to replace it until next month with needing to budget for Christmas. *Sigh*

I'm going to try to figure out how to work the crazy robot scale at my gym, but I'm not 100% convinced that I'd be able to get it to work if the menus were in English...which they most definitely aren't.

Fun story for the day: I stopped to get some fresh produce and decided to treat myself to a stick of yakitori (grilled chicken on a skewer...and in this case also leeks) from the stand in the grocery store parking lot. I've stopped there like twice before in the 8 months I've lived here. The guy that works the stand was very nice and chatted with me in Japanese then tried out a few phrases of broken English he'd picked up over the years after he asked what I did for work and I said I was an English teacher at the local elementary schools. When he handed me my skewer, he smiled and told me that I'd stopped there once before when he was there and that I looked skinnier. I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I mumbled something about my jacket being cut well and he laughed and told me that I was very pretty. I've decided to take that as a sweet little compliment rather than be a little creeped out that he remembered the last time I stopped by (probably 3 months ago) and how much I weighed.

lisa Did I ever tell you I went to college in Natchitoches? Not too far from you!

Hotaruchan Thank you! I have 10 weeks to pass the 100wpm test, so I have time to prepare. Part of the difficulty is that I'm not on a normal keyboard. I type on one of these things:
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/STENOGRAPH-MA...YW!~~60_35.JPG

Oh no! That stinks about your scale! :(
Hahahaha oh man. Too funny about the guy in the grocery store lot. I might be inclined to be a little creeped out, but it's sweet too.

Rie Welcome back!! Yep yep, I'm still around. Good luck with the new eating plan. I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me and how I can stay on plan the easiest.

Things are going well for me. Been slowly but surely moving things into my new place (thank goodness the new roommate isn't home. I've just been dumping bags and boxes into the living room for now. I'll organize soon!)
Tomorrow I'll be moving more things. It's kind of a pain to cram it all into the weekend, especially cause it's just me moving my stuff, but it gets dark so early that I don't want to move much after being at work all day.

So, one of my teachers told me that I should have my machine cleaned/serviced once a year. Lucky me (sarcasm) there is only ONE place anywhere close to me, and it's almost an hour away. I emailed the guy to see how much it would cost to clean my machine. $125!!!
That's so annoying. I mean, really? Why is it so expensive? And the cost of gas to drive there and back two times?
I'm going to have to put that off for now. Money is tight with all the moving costs and I just don't have that kind of cash to spend.

Hope everyone's doing well!

Quiet- No, you didnt!? Northwestern? Very close!

Hotaruchan- I dont know maybe it me, but that was a compliment in my book! That mean he noticed your hard work!

Not to activate lately, my LO has been in the hospital with RSV. So I have been on the low, amazingly I have still been eating well!!! Went home to get more clothes and the scale was down a little more! Really hoping the LO feels better son, I hate seeing him uncomfortable.

Hey guys!

I have been gone for awhile, and I apologize. For whatever reason, I just didn't feel like coming in. Mostly because I've been busy with school and other things. But I'm back for now. :)

My boyfriend of 1.6 years is no longer my boyfriend. But that's okay, cause he's now my fiancé! Yup, he proposed a week ago today, on a carriage ride through a Christmas light display. It was uber-romantic and both of us were very excited! :) And the ring is a big'un, it is so pretty and I love it!

One thing I don't particularly like that's currently also big is my body. I have kind of a superficial reason for wanting to lose weight for the wedding, I don't want to pay the extra $100 you have spend for sizing to plus on a fancy gown. Besides, gowns just look better without fat folds, lol.

Besides, I worry that I will be in poor health as my fiancé and I get older and I want to be in his presence for as often as I can! I see my mom and my sister stuffing themselves into oblivion and I don't want that to be me! I want to be the happy wife that is active and doesn't sit in front of the computer spending money and feeling sorry for herself. I've got a lot of energy as it is, but I would love to have more and not feel so awkward. :)

Got finals this next week. Will be so glad when class is over for the semester! After that is my fiancé's birthday, and my side of the family's Christmas. Then we'll visit with my relatives in Arkansas for a few days, and then go from Arkansas back to St Louis to spend Christmas Eve and Day with my fiancé's mom and dad, his mom on Christmas Eve and his dad on Christmas day. So it will be a fun Christmas!

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Rie- Glad you're back too. Sounds like you're having fun in Japan. :)

Lisa- Aww. Hope your LO feels better soon. :)

QB- That keyboard is wicked awesome. Good luck on your tests, I've got finals next week too. :)

Bea- I've missed you girly! Hope your knees and joints get to feeling more comfortable. I've known a few folks who were double-jointed, I always thought that trick where a double-jointed person moves their hands from back to front is awesome. :)

Hotaru- Good to see you again! You wouldn't think a hairspray can would destroy a scale; I hope you can get a new one soon.

Well, I gotta get to bed. I hope all of you have a fantastic day/evening.

-S

lisa - Sorry your LO (loved one? little one?!) is sick! But huge congratulations on staying on plan and losing weight. Just make sure you're still eating - I respect anyone who can keep it together when in a stressful situation.

Hotaru - It's awful at the moment what with Christmas around the corner, so many of the parents are buying us sweets! There's also candy and chocolate that we keep for the kids since they get one at the end of each lesson, and the teachers eat them too so I had a bad habit of eating them. But we also have prunes for the younger kids, so I've tried to eat those instead if I ever feel like I need a snack.
My kitchen is abysmal! I have to prepare food on top of my fridge! Weird how your hairspray managed to smash your scales! Did you feel the earthquake on Friday? I'm on the fifth floor so we felt it for a while.

QB - That machine is weird looking! I've no idea how it would work. Oh man, moving costs fudging SUCK. I spent all my savings moving into a place in Japan. Deposits, cleaning fees (for when I move out - Japan is weird), furniture...it sucked.

namaste - CONGRATULATIONS ON THE ENGAGEMENT! Wow, you must be so excited!! The wedding itself is definitely a good incentive to lose weight, but your long term reasons are what's important too! It's all about living longer and being able to do more in life!

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So I got the book I mentioned in my last post - The Japan Diet by Naomi Moriyama. Unfortunately it wasn't quite as packed with recipes as I had hoped, but it is an interesting read. She basically tries to push the Japanese mentality to food - that vegetables should be the "star" of your meal with meat and grains as your side dishes. There's also a section on mindful eating - basically to slow down when you eat and not to sit in front of the TV as you're eating. Eating slower will give your body time to let you know when it's full, which makes a lot of sense. I'm going to try my best to follow these ideals, because they do make sense to me, but I've just never been a huge fan of vegetables but I know they can be delicious! I also fall guilty to shoving my face with food too quickly and eating in front of the TV, it will be a hard habit to break.

Last week I didn't go to the gym that often. I went to Zumba but that was it. So I told my work friends if I don't go to the gym 3 times this week then I have to buy them all ice cream. So unless I want to fork out money I shouldn't spend on ice cream then I have to get my bum into gear and GO!

Eating hasn't been great recently. Friday I went to an izakaya with my boyfriend and we ate quite a bit. Saturday I had a 3 course meal at our friends apartment and Sunday I had a bit too much to snack on. Today I also couldn't be bothered cooking...so I bought 3 items from the bakery and ate those =(. The bakery at my supermarket sells things with curry in them and meat, but I just ate too much! I'm sadly sipping on a coke too. Epic fail, but I need to stay accountable.

I neeeeed to start getting more fulfilling lunches. I'm more active in my day now, so I need to eat more healthy foods that will give me energy. Right now I'm having a sandwich, banana, small yogurt and some senbei (rice crackers) which was fine for me in England when I had a part time job but not now I'm working from 10-6! I have a website that gives lots of recipes for Japanese style lunches, so I should start trying to make them. I need a rice cooker to make life easier too!

Christmas is just around the corner! Next week I'll be flying back to England. It's going to be SO HARD to not gorge over Christmas. I've been missing British junk like chocolate and proper bread and huge sandwiches! My Mum will also push lots of food on me since she likes cooking and seeing people enjoy her food.

I need to also get in the habit of weighing daily again. I'm around the 153-154 lbs mark - which is 4-5 lbs heavier than my lightest weight recorded (149 lbs) so I want to get back into the 140s!! The last 20 or so lbs are going to be so hard to shift, so I need to be dedicated and focused in doing so.

lisa yup yup! Northwestern. How's your little one doing? This winter seems rough for kids; I know quite a few who have been battling colds.

namaste Welcome back! And congratulations! You know we all want to see that ring. Please post a picture! :) Thank you, and good luck on your finals! Agree with Rie -- your long term and short term goals are all great reasons for losing weight!

Rie Yes! The costs really suck. I had to pay rent for Dec for my current place because of my lease, and in order to get the new place I had to pay rent for Dec there too. I mean, it's nice to have the entire month to slowly move my stuff, but man....so much money. And the movers I hired for just my heavy things will cost more money. (That's why I want to move everything else myself; I didn't want to pay any extra! They are only moving the big things I cannot move by myself and/or fit into my car.)

Eating in front of the TV/computer is a bad habit of mine too.
Good luck with your trip home!
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Today started out so miserable for me. Just super stressed and anxious. I was trying to get things done and there seemed to be a roadblock or bump everywhere I turned.
But I think things are looking up and I'm feeling a little more sane. :)

Thankfully me and my LO ( little one) are home. He was discharged from the hospital on yesterday! He is still feeling better but Im taking extra precuation so he his gonna stay with my grandma for a few days, away from other babies and away from the morning and night air!

Namaste- COngrats! I cant want for the big question to be popped!
Quiet- I hope the day got better for you!

I want to start posting more on this thread as I'm trying to get through the holidays without stuffing my face. ;)

I teach preschool and OMG, the holiday food is everywhere! Not only are parents bringing in treats, but I cook/bake with my class once a week and it's really hard to resist. So I totally can relate.

Hotaruchan - I would definitely take that as a compliment! Sorry about your scale shattering.

Riestrella - Welcome back! Enjoy your time back in England.

Namaste - Congrats on the engagement! A wedding is definitely a huge motivator. My best friend is getting married next month and I'll be the MOH. It's definitely helping me to keep focused on eating well and exercising.

Lisa - I'm glad your little one is home and feeling better!

Ok, I am really going to try to stay on top of this thread. I'd love to see the 120's by the new year (for the first time ever!), so I'm trying to stay as OP as possible. I calorie count (1200-1400 a day) and have made it my goal to hit the gym 5 days a week for the month of December. :)

lisa Yes, it did. Thankfully! And today has been much, much better. That sounds like a good idea for a grandma visit. Bet they'll love getting some time together too!

OhThePlaces Good luck with your plans!

I need to push myself back into a good eating/exercise routine. :(

To everyone who said so: Thanks! We're very excited. Here's my ring:

Attachment 43626

And here's me with it. :)

Attachment 43627

And yes, that is my real hair. I got it dyed the day before I got engaged, but all the color has faded to a not-altogether-unpleasant blonde. I might get a little toner in it though so it's more white than yellow, or just redye it with a different dye. :)

QB- Thanks! :) Finals have gone great so far, all A's as far as I know. Should pull off another 4.0 this semester. :)

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It's interesting times in my household. As mentioned above, close to pulling off a second 4.0, getting ready for my fiancé's birthday and Christmas, and other things. Getting along relatively well with my parents, they still drive me batty but what can you do? Only a few years of it, until I graduate and get married. :) Then I'll probably miss them like crazy, lol.

Not much to report. I did have a slight weight loss today which I was excited about. :) Keep hoping for a big drop eventually.

Well, must dash, got to finish a study guide. Have a good evening all. :)

Had to pop in to brag: This is my BIG moving weekend (movers came today for my heavy stuff) and right now it's only just after 2pm....I've walked over 11,000 steps! I bet yesterday was a good day too, but I haven't synced so I don't know what it was.

Edit: Alright, I've been up since 5:30am today, but as of 10:30pm (as I crawl into bed, totally exhausted) I have walked just over 17,000 steps! Holy cow!

OhThePlaces - Oh my goose, I know EXACTLY what you mean. I teach kindergarten + and all the Mums are buying us food as a Christmas gift and it's so hard to say no when you've got a high energy job and you're feeling so LOW on energy!

namaste - Good luck with all the busy things happening in your life! Amazing ring, huge congratulations again.

QB - Good luck with the move! Hope everything goes ok and you settle in nicely. Amazing on how many steps you've taken! Maybe I'll invest in a pedometer to see how much I walk around in a day!

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Well I posted up a thread in the main forum which has described what I've experienced lately, but I'll repeat it here - I think I'm a comfort/binge eater. I never had these problems before but since getting a full time job (first one in my life) I've found my relationship with food becoming an overly dependent one.

I'm going to try and use my time off when I go back to England to re-evaluate my lifestyle, to try and come up with a plan that I can stick to once I return to Japan, and try and use that New Year spirit to get me going again.

I think I might set up another bikini ready challenge like I've done for the past 2 years. We'll see!

hiya guys!! i'm also making a big return to 3FC XD

trying to just eat clean, no/low carbs, work out 3x a week and a cheat day every once in a while to not make myself too crazy! so far i've lost 10lbs, most of that probably water-weight but still!!! i'm trying to be good this time around.

namaste: omg! congrats!!

I've been gone a few days and I thought Id missed a terrible lot, but looks like you gals have been kinda quiet!!!!!!

Hotaruchan SoMuch beahawkins Where are you ladies????

As for me , I think im doing great! I am down to 205!!!!!!! SO I would say that Onderland is very reachable for Jan 1!!!! :carrot::carrot::carrot: This fitbit is my extreme motivator and the other user who keep me motivated to out step them! Well as far as food , I plan to have a very lean week to compensate for whart may happen 24-26. I am going to ensure we have tons of vegetables at Christmas Dinner, this will make it easier on me! So this week, lots of tilapia and green beans, carrots and brocolli.

Quiet- What are you using to track your steps?

I'm using my fitbit Lisa! :) I'm so bummed though! In my rush out the door this morning I forgot to put it on. I've been moving like crazy today and I was really hoping to get to see that progress.

namaste He did a great job with that ring!! Wowza!

Rie At least you know what your eating habits are; right? I'm a boredom snacker. So difficult for me to break that habit.

lisa 205? That is awesome!! Congrats! Onederland is totally attainable.

Heyyy Everyone!! I have missed so much! I gave myself a break during finals week and then the weekend to recover, so Tuesday is going to be the start of this week! Although, today I baked all day with my grandma and we have plans for baking next weekend! ughhhhh so many cookies!

I was having milk earlier and tripped, nudged the table and milk flew everywhere. I thought I got it up but now my mom's living room smells like sour milk.. arg! She's so anal... Kinda nervous.

Namaste:It's great to see you too! The ring is gorgeous!! I love rings that look like that. Perfect size for your finger!! And I love love love your hair. I have never had the balls to go all color, well once but it damaged my hair really bad and it didn't get light enough to go below a cherry red. But I did have a big chunk for awhile....Anyways. If you go to Sally's they have a brand called Ion. They are always my go to and they recently brought out an intensive color line. And just use a 10 developer! Like once a week or so. The tube of color should last a long time like that!

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I haven't checked my weight in a while, but thats ok. I am starting everything from tomorrow morning. Why must exams be so stressful??!!

2 of my grades have come in. Both of my math classes and I passed!!!! I will never have to take math again, in undergraduate at least. And I think I passed my science class but won't know until Wednesday.. So if I don't pass it will suck major a$$ because Wednesday is my birthday!!!!! I think I have mentioned how much I hate mathes and sciences. I have zero analytic brain cells.

I sold my first thing on Ebay tonight. Which is awesome because I have a pile up my hips of old clothes to sell.

Ok, I need to decide between showering and watching the last rerun of Friends of the night... Sadly, I don't think hygiene is going to win.

night all. Good to be back.