Good morning all. It's a beautiful day here and one where I could probably get some of the spring yard work done, but I have to take my BIL (also known as Bill to Ubee) to the doctor and me as well. I swear the weather gods only give us non-rain days when they know that I've got things scheduled that can't easily be unscheduled.

SilentArctic -- when you find balance, let me know where he's hiding. I've been looking for him for years and he keeps eluding my grasp!

Jane -- Good to see your post and your Lent choices. Hope you had a great trip.

Ubee -- Can't imagine you crabby, but some days we just need to have an off day because we've earned it. Good luck with lunch and dinner.

Edo -- Changing shifts is definitely an adjustment. And, yes thank you, I'm feeling a lot better.

Dean -- Enjoy your walk and I think your choice of music is wonderful. Of course, I'm 64, so......

Terra -- Your walking efforts make me want to do better -- keep up the great work.

Lori Ann -- Hope the hives have gone away and you figured out what caused them.

Still not real hungry yet -- which is a blessing -- so I was actually down another pound this morning. Plus coffee, which I basically lived on while working, isn't even appealing. Considering the a fib, giving up coffee wouldn't be the worse thing to happen. Hope everyone has a great day.

Ubee ~ Yeah your right last week I ate out 3 times instead of the usual 2 but thats because Scott's parent came to town. Im not sure if Im senstive to salt but if a sign of salt sensitivity is feet swelling then yes I am

silent ~ I sure hope my weigh does turn around

betsy ~ Thats awesome to hear Im glad my walking efforts make you want to do better

Im gonna walk after dinner tonight and I'll walk again before bed, I hope everyone has a great day.

Good Afternoon!
Terra yes! That is a big sign. Drink lots of water to flush it out and lay low on the salt. Good luck!
Betsy hope you and Bill got A+ at the docs today. WTG! on the pound down!!!
Silent what gives with feeling slimmer one day and then tubby the next? When I feel trimmer I do so much better.
Jane I am with you on buckling down. Good luck to all of us!
Was good now I am back to crabby... It is not my job to save the world!

What up everybody!?!?!?!?!?

I'm feeling a lot better now...the stress is gone and I'm back to feeling normal. I hate when I get emotional like that and things aren't going my way. It just was a hard thing for me to deal with and now that it was talked about and out the way I can move on. Thank you all for the love you gave to me.

This week has been even more busy than any other week recently at work. The commercial agent at my office quit to go to property management after doing insurance for 30 years. Guess she needed a change of pace or something. So now I'm doing personal insurance and helping out the manager with commercial when I can. The time has gone by uber fast because I haven't been staring at the clock so much lol...

I ate bread for the first time tonight in almost two months. My belly feels really heavy now so I probably won't do that again. Gluten overload I guess. I wasn't going to exercise but since it's Wednesday and I didn't do anything last week after having the flu or whatever it may have been, and haven't done anything yet this week, I finally blew up my balance ball and did some core training with Turbo Jam. It was hard and I was having trouble staying coordinated but I made it through the whole 45 minute high intensity work out so I would say I deserve a pat on the back LOL!!! I even got to wear one of my new sports bras so I guess that was cool. I haven't had a sports bra fit me so well in years lol...

I'm glad there are so many people in here that it really makes me feed off the high energy in here....We ARE going to do this guys!! Everyone is doing such a great job it makes me so happy to hear! Even if we have set backs, don't give up! I'm not giving up so I hope you don't either!!

I hope everyone is having a great night and stay HEALTHY and HAPPY!!! <3

Good Morning!

I've got the coffee brewing, and brought a bunch of music to help me get through the day... Some George Winston, Diana Krall, Johnny Cash, Dean Martin, Glen Campbell, Abba, and the "rowdier" stuff-Imelda May.

Had a crazy, unpleasant week so far, but I've been able to make it through and stay on track.

Everyone have a great day!

Dean

Good Morning!
Back to caffeine and I am buzzing!!!!
Dean I think it is great progress you have made having a stressfull week and handling it so well.
Sam glad the stress is gone and you got a whole Turbo Jam in. Way to go!
Well maybe I should take advantage of this energy and get something done.
ta ta!

Betsey how is the brother in law recovering? It's always easier to give up a vice when something drives you away from it. Hope you feel 100% soon!

Sam Glad to hear things are settling down. My MIL and my best friend are both insurance adjusters and another good friend sells policies. It's a tough job! You're braver than I.

Dean Sounds like some good tunes!

feeling a lot more motivated this week. Got 30 minutes in at the pool yesterday and again this morning, and I took the dog for a walk/fetch session last night. My left shoulder is bugging me today though, and I wonder if maybe I overdid it a little at the pool. If it's still sore tomorrow I'll either take a rest day or just do water leg sprints.

I fasted throughout the day and had an on plan supper, but I did indulge in some ice cream. My bf has a sore throat, and his "sick thing" is ice cream. I did only get a mini Blizzard, and I picked the lowest carb count one on the nutritional info. Doesn't make it any better, but since I managed to not swear, check Facebook or eat cheese (except for what was in the crab stuffing in my salmon, but they needed to be eaten before they spoiled and that's a far cry from 4 or 5 hunks of cheese a day. Listen to my rationalize! lol).

Work is slow, but there is more talk of an impending sale, so right now we're sort of sitting on our hands. Hope to have some news soon. Have a great day everyone!

betsy - have a net so I can trap it if I find it? *puts up balance wanted poster *

Terra -I'm joining on the wanting a turn around. I'm up around the same 5lbs.

Ubee _ I felt better after a SHORT workout but then was hungry and overindulged at supper. I find that when I workout my apetite is REALLY hard to battle with. Does anyone else find that? I mean by old standards I did not eat THAT much, I had 2 instead of 1 chicken breasts, and some corn and mushrooms. Honestly I was hungry enough to eat more but I cut myself off after the double portions (and went to a friends to watch a movie). I am ironically up like 5lbs this AM but I'm trying not to let it phase me. (Up from what I weighed yesterday not up from ticker weight,but still... annoying).

Sam: Glad you are starting to feel better. You are hardcore I need to ease back into workouts.

Dean- Good for you staying on track despite the stress. I need to master that.



So I'm trying not to stress over the 'gain' I know that I just need get back on track and cut back on salt, and maybe cut back on carbs and the numbers should slowly get back to where they were. I'm really only slightly above my ticker weight but earlier in the week I was seeing numbers that flirted seriously with the 300 borderline so its a bit of a let down that I let myself get back up.

I sort of feel pressure now that afew people have started to confirm that my weight loss is slightly noticeable. Only super observant people that notice that type of thing, but still. A friend last night said "no really you can see it, your doing good, you can see it in your back and arms" which is comforting because I guess I don't really notice how bulky they were? So I was starting to freak that maybe I WAS just losing all muscle mass. It's comforting but I feel slight external pressure now to keep the weight off and to continue loosing.

Good morning from a very, very wet Northwest. Yesterday I told you what a beautiful day it was. Well, that passed. By mid afternoon it was raining and today we've added blowing winds to the mix. The next few days it begins to taper off as the storm passes, but main I am beginning to realize that weather really impacts my mood.

SilentArctic -- We'll trap that balance thing, hog tie it, and never let it go. Do what Ubee says and drink lots of water. I always poo-pooed the idea that drinking water helps with weight loss. And it doesn't, but it helps us stay hydrated which keeps our bodies from wanting to hold on to every drop of water we ingest and keeps the water weight off. But any weight not appear -- either from water or fat -- is weight gone as far as I'm concerned. And I'm sure your friends can see a loss. You've lost a lot of weight from your high weight.

Jane -- BIL is doing great. Next week is his appt with the surgeon and hopefully he'll get the release to drive which translates into freedom for both of us. Loved your rationalization on the blizzard. Remember the scene from The Big Chill where one guy says "Have you ever gone a day without a rationalization?" Me neither! Hope the shoulder feels better.

Ubee -- No, you do not have to save the world although I imagine that you (we!) will keep trying. Still buzzing? Doctor's reports were good for both of us. What did you decide to do with your buzz.

Dean -- Love your music selections and the strength to stay on plan when having a bad week. That's a tremendous achievement.

Sam -- Glad you're feeling better and am in awe of doing 45 minutes of tough exercise. You sound super busy at work. Makes the time fly, but take some time to stand and walk around.

Terra -- You must love walking both for the exercise, but I imagine as much for being out and able to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells. Hope so anyway.

I've started making out my spring list which is always way too long. Things like getting the windows washed (and this year some of the siding on the house where a certain very large puppy has jumped up), getting the garden ready, repairs, etc. etc. etc. I'm also trying to get back into knitting, have agreed to develop a web site for the Lions Club Arts Festival and am still volunteering at the Coop. This is my latest approach -- if there's no time to snack on the bad stuff, I will lose weight. Have a great day!

Good Evening Everyone!

I hope everyone had an awesome day! It is wet, rainy, and cold as all get out here in South Carolina. I have the heat on and I don't even feel it right now lol...Work was good today, got a lot done and it was pretty smooth sailing...So glad tomorrow is Friday though, WHOOP WHOOP!! :-D

Tonight I made paleo orange chicken and had it with some mixed green veggies; broccoli, zucchini, snow peas and cabbage. I'm really not even missing the high carb foods like bread, rice, pasta, etc...Like I said last night, I did eat some bread and it made my stomach feel so bottom heavy that I really don't want to put it in my mouth again. I did buy some gluten free tortillas at the store today, but I really only have those maybe once a week or two weeks when I make some eggs on the weekend. I'm not saying I won't ever eat rice or potatoes again, but I am being very conscious about how much and when I eat it. It seems to be really working for me staying away from all processed foods, sugars and just anything artificial. I feel better, a lot of people are telling me they can really notice that I've lost weight, not only in my face but the rest of me too. I really think I'm losing more inches than what I'm seeing move on the scale. NSV's are good too so I'm not complaining!!

I think tonight I'm going to do some more work with my balance ball, if I can find a good work out for arms or legs to do with it. I haven't decided what muscles I want to work tonight. I know my abs are feeling it from core training last night...and it feels GOOD!!!

You know, it's funny how we all evolve as people. Not only physically, but mentally too. Over the past two years I have really taken a step back and looked at the things that make me unhappy. I've made a lot of mental changes to make sure what I do makes me happy, not dwell on the things I can't control, and learn to just be a happier person. That's not to say I don't have my days, but after I've gotten rid of all of the unnecessary drama in my life, things really seem to be brighter. I lost a lot of friends when I was making those changes, but those people weren't really my friends if they weren't there to love me for who I am and show me the same respect I would give them. Sometimes you have to just move on. Sometimes I miss those people, because at times, their personalities were good, but their intentions were bad...and it isn't worth it if you can't be happy with the friends you have and feel good about having that relationship, which I did not. I think my filtering out the bad in my life and focusing on the good, positive vibes and energies that I now choose to surround myself around, has prepared me for this journey I am now on to lose weight. It's like a fog has cleared and I can see it all now, for what it is. If I don't look out for me, what makes me happy and healthy and makes me feel good, no one else is either. Sometimes you have to grab life by the reins and kick major butt to get what you want. It will never come to you, and that realization when it comes to my weight loss has made me want to push even harder than ever in my life. I'm not going to lose all the weight I need to in a month, heck, maybe not even a year...But if I am persistent, and continue to do what I do now, I WILL lose this weight, feel happy, look great, and hopefully inspire others.

Ok, enough of my blabbing LOL!! I'm off to figure out my work out for the night. Take care my "fit family"...LOVE YOU ALL!!

Ubee ~ Thanks for the tip, I'll start drinking more water

silent ~ Im sorry your up 5 pounds, I definitely know how you feel though

betsy ~ Yeah I like walking but I only see the sights and hear the sounds when I walk outside though.

I'll be home all day tomorrow so Im gonna try my hardest is get all 3 walks in.

Hi everyone! What a long day here! Got up at 630 and made t through with no nap! Now hopefully I can fall a sleep before midnight. Made a new recipe today. Buffalo Cauliflower. Was really good. Feels good to be back cooking and trying new things again Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Hey gals, so didn't do so great on the eating. A friend invited me for sushi and I ate more than I should. But I did work out. I need to get the eating back under control. I'm not eating a ton but still .. I definitely need to start making better choices again.

Good morning!

Mmmm, sushi. Feels like I could eat my weight in good sushi-and that's a LOT, LOL.

Coffee brewing and its FRIDAY!

Hope everyone is geared up for an active, on-track weekend. Get out and enjoy the weather if its good, and if not, walk around the mall or some such?

Have a great day!

Dean

SamIam I know what you mean about positive changes. I've been thinking a lot about them lately. I've made a lot of unconscious ones over the last year or so, but lately I'm really trying to focus on inner peace. I struggle with that concept, because to me it seems rather vain. I mean I have time to make these changes. and resources. I have friends and family that are literally working themselves to death, and I'm sitting here rambling about peace and inner stability? I'd smack me. Still, I know that I need to make use of my blessings and be the best person that I can be.

Sorry for the ramble... (I'm not as crazy as I sound)

I definitely overdid it in the pool the last couple days. I'd been lazy too long and lost some of my strength! I think I'll take today off and maybe find some ab exercises to do instead.

Have a great weekend everyone!