Hi, guys. No personals since I'm on my phone. But checking in. All is well. I'm really amazed by the mental component. I'm the kind of person where I'm all in, or I'm not, and that's what I need to work on. When I set my mind to something, I do it, and have always been successful. Oh, but how to maintain the all in mindset? I can't, and then I stumble. I always need a new challenge or goal.

I bought an AWESOME dress to fly to Patagonia in. It fits perfectly, I'm excited to wear it, and now I'm determined to remain true to my plan until that trip so it fits perfectly when I get on that plane. I guess I just always need something concrete and near term to keep me going, which is precisely what makes maintenance difficult.

I've done these trips before - a trek to Macchu Picchu. A trip to Alaska. Both times I gained weight once I got back. Luckily I have enough data points to know this. So I need to find it within me to not allow this to happen upon my return from this trip. I'll be looking to you guys for support!

I haven't tracked my calories the last 2 days..going to estimate 1600 yesterday and 1400 today. No exercise yesterday, but just got back from 7.2 miles, 6.4 jogging and a .8 mi warmup walk.

I have to get back to journaling tomorrow. It's going to be a crazy day..have a 90 minute drive to a christening and then have to rush back for DS's basketball game in the late afternoon.

newleaf, I am so excited for you! You are going to have such an amazing time.

curley, how did the party go? Did you have it at your house? If so you are a brave woman!

KG, you're back now and that's what counts! The weather will start to change soon, and everything will get better.

Jennifer, YAY on the whoosh! you're doing great.

TOP OF THE MORNING TO YOU!!!

I'm back and in one piece....kids party was fairly hog wild!!

Natamars can't do the house thing anymore...I love just walking away at the end no mess no fuss....so it was the movies and food afterwards....12 boys and 6 girls, myself and DH. It's the start of party season in my house, one down two to gooo....

So I'm off out to exercise this morning, I'm going to start with a brisk walk.....my cough is just about gone so I don't want to reignite it with a run....

Happy Sunday everyone from the EMERALD ISLE
.....:luck2you::luck2you::luck2you::luck2you:

curley, I am SO with you on the party thing. We were actually at a movie party yesterday, and have 2 more in the next week! DS turns 10 on the 15th..he'll be having his party at a mini-golf/go-kart place the first week in April..praying that the weather gets better by then! It's been SO cold and we had snow again last night!

Scale was FINALLY down this morning - Woot! 1.4 to go for the challenge!

We had snow again this morning, in fact still snowing, disheartening, got to get that out of my head.
Took a great hike with the snowshoes yesterday, but was really hoping that was the end, I'll do another one today, maybe this will be it, it's supposed to get into the 40s and stay there this week, so we'll have a bit of a muddy mess, but hopefully will see something other than white stuff.

Had a great weigh-in, killed it at the movies with popcorn and then with dinner last night, but back on track today, getting into Sunday being the get back on track day rather than the continuation of weekend treating.

HOLY COW, St. Pat's is only 2 weeks away!

NewLeaf, I'm with you on the "all-in" mentality, I'm afraid of it going away and the "all-out" taking it's place, especially after I get to goal. That's why I added the Mark Twain quote, "everything in moderation, including moderation" I'm hoping I can remain sensible, I feel so good, I don't want to go back.

best to all :sunny:

Morning all! I'm back! I've gone back over all the posts but am not going to attempt to comment. Just know I celebrated with the good and commiserated with the frustrations. Hang in there! Keep it up! and speaking to myself get back to it!

Vegas was wonderful. I ate and ate and ate some more. We also walked and walked and walked. Yesterday we walked from Treasure Island almost to Caesar's Palace and back (including across the street). Plus walked around other casinos. Lol as DH said we spent far more on food than on gambling. He wasted a total of $66 and I donated to LV a total of $32.

I am back on track this morning (we got home about midnight). I do a candy bar left from Ethel M Chocolates I'm going to eat today but after that no more. Will find out Tuesday how bad a hit this was.

kelijpa Your and my tickers are eerily similar... We are both so close, and in the same mental space. We can do this!!! And the THIS is keeping it off for good... not the reaching of our goal number.

Hi all....I'm pretty frustrated...no swooshes for me. I can't say that I'm taking in a lot of calories, eating junk food or mega amounts of carbs. it's just so hard lately and I'm starting to wonder what I am going to have to do to make this happen.

Friday I went into Manhattan for a dance event and danced my tushie off....I must have burned a ton of calories.....i figured with that and my two nights of cross fit there would be some kind of loss....grrrrrrrrrr.........

I'm thinking about this week and what I can do better..how I can do it better....I"m going to go food shopping now and try and buy the things I need to do the BFC fast track...hopefully I can make some strides this week..I"m so afraid that I may get to the pont of frustration and give up, and once that happens I'll be spiraling out of control and be overweight and unhealthy when I get to my mom's age. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of taking care of ourselves.

Zumba - had to pop in to say that I am right there with you! I feel myself giving up - fingers slipping off the ledge little by little. However, I am trying to remember how awful I felt when I was heavier, and am hoping that fear of getting back to that place will help me turn this around. ((hugs to you!))

zumba & guac I wish I had some words of wisdom to share with you... I wish I was one of those people that could write a really upbeat, encouraging, motivational post. But I'm not. What I will say is this, though: what ever you do, don't let go. You have accomplished so much. You know that your health is worth fighting for. You've attained great, healthy weights. Even if it takes fighting tooth and nail, you want to stay there!! Losing more is great, but don't lose sight of how far you've come. I have been where you are. And I did let go of the ledge. And it wasn't pretty. How I wish I had hung on... I hope I have the determination to hold on next time, if I find myself there again. Be my role models, okay?

newleaf - thanks for the encouraging words. I did go on a sunny 2 mile hike today through snow and ice on the trail. Felt good to get moving and outdoors again. I have 3 trays of veggies roasting in the oven right now. I'm not giving up...I've come too far to let go now. I've just got to get into a groove again - like the one you seem to be in! :)

Sunday: Had lunch out and didn't exercise yesterday. On the plus side I ate very healthy(they had a great cold buffet with roasted vegetables, beans, fruit, etc), then I had a portion of a salmon entree. One small soda, no bread, and we had to run out before dessert. Then I only had 200 calories in the evening. Scale was down slightly.

zumba, I hear you. I wonder if your muscles are retaining water from crossfit.

guac, I know it's been slow, but you are way down since you started posting your weights in 2011. The progress can be seen when you look at the long-term.

I was talking to someone yesterday, another woman in her 40's, who is struggling. She talked about what she eats on a typical day, and it doesn't sound like she should be putting on weight. She's had a ridiculoulsy stressful year so that doesn't help, of course.

Bottom line, this is HARD. I know what will happen to me if I stop tracking(I haven't written my food the last 3 days, back on it today). I'll be up 10 lbs before I know it, nothing will fit, I'll be depressed, and the cycle will start all over again. I am sick of this happening over and over. This is my life. If I want to be slim, it will require constant vigilance(tm Prof Moody).

Natamars: you are so right on with "if I want to be slim, it will require constant vigilance." I need to remind myself of this constantly.

The scale hasn't moved for a few days, but it's finally sunny today, so I can't be upset! DH and I took the dogs on a 2 mile walk, and I ran a little (about 4 blocks total). It wasn't pretty. I'm fat, severely out of shape, and my form is terrible. I can't imagine how ungainly I must have looked, but I did it! I think I am going to try to increase the running and do an almost interval training thing. I just wish I wasn't afraid of turning an ankle, so I could run in the dark! I'm sure I'll hear from someone who saw me (I live in a small town:) )

Hi everyone...just got back from crossfit.....I put in another pretty decent day with eating.....no sugar, low carb..but still nothing...I am starting to think it is a combination of cortisol from the stress in my life and also my body holding on to water from cross fit. I plan on getting a check up this month to see what else could be going on. thyroid problems run on my mom's side of the family so I'm wondering if something is up with that...doesn't hurt to check.

Newleaf thank you for your kind words .....Guac, girl we are in this boat together...we can do this. Something is holding us back..its so hard to understand, isn't it? How can I want something so badly but not be able to make any strides? Lets hang in there and get this show on the road!!!

185.2 this morning! Just a few more ounces and I'll be at my St. Paddy's goal (if the scale stays here; it's been going down then right back up!). I am just so tired of not looking how I would like to, not feeling positive about myself, and not being able to just grab cute clothes out of my closet! It is past time for me to lose this excess weight!