Keli Thanks for the well wishes. Have a happy day!

Carma You are doing awesome with that running program. I will be rooting for you that you can do the whole 20 minutes straight!

Mrs Snark What's wrong with your back? Do you need surgery for it at some point?

penguin You are making me crave for some gumbo...maybe I will make some. I just made some jambalaya, but since I made it for the family, they only accept it with chicken...

:wave: to Heidi and Rennie!

Sum - I have herniated discs that press on nerves cause me all sorts of pain in my legs. I also have a very painful bone spur in my right hip and arthritis there as well.

I'm hoping I won't need surgery (*fingers crossed*), part of taking a bunch of weight off and finding the balance between exercise and rest (too much bed rest is actually bad for my back) is an effort to avoid any sort of surgery there.

Congrats on your 5 days in a row (and 3 lbs, w00t!!!), you're on a roll!

Hello everyone.....

Sum I know the flu is making an early appearance this year..i hope that isn't what you have but whatever it is I hope you feel better soon. being sick is no fun, and as you know moms never get a day off...

Im reading everyones posts but don't have time to respond to everyone....life has been really weird for me since I signed the papers....I am planning on moving into my new little house around December. I have so much to get rid of and pack.....

My weight is staying steady..no losses for me despite the stress which is weird I usually lose when i'm under stress.......Im teaching six classes a week now...but my body just doesn't care.....its so strange...anyhow I am not going to put any more added pressure on myself.....iwould like to see a nice even 140 soon......that will be a major deal for me since I haven't been that low in over a year....139 would make me faint from happiness.....my eating has been weird also...I eat what I want, when I want, but i'm not taking down a lot of calories ..I think this is helping me stay steady...but i'm not losing weight this way either...time to cut out some carbs,...that's the only thing that works for me.

I'll catch up with y'all soon, no time for personals....off to food shop to make healthy meals for the kids this weekend!!!

Hi, everyone. I don't normally rant, but I'm ranting. I must have hit the age / weight distribution (I went into full menopause at 45, 3 years ago) where I'm not expected to wear pants anymore. NOTHING FITS, or if it does, it looks like GRANDMA pants! I've switched over to short skirts, colored tights, and boots for my fall wardrobe. I went to 5 stores and came home with no pants. Just 1 skirt (40% off everything today at LOFT, BTW). Love the skirt, but still. I really want a pair of jeans. Not gonna happen. I've got to decide -- do I want to push to lose 10 more pounds and see how that affects things??? Decisions decisions...

Vent away Heidi!! :hug: -- I was just thinking about the same issue (actually yesterday); I have noticed that I don't look good in jeans any longer, either. (Unless I wear a cardigan or a tunic top). So I wear loads of dresses and skirts, and they look great with funky pantyhose and tall boots. I was blaming my weight why I was not looking so hot in jeans, but come to think of it, it is how the weight is distributed now-a-days. -- I am still hoping that 25 pounds from now I could rock some jeans, tho :D But anycase, yesterday, I put on a pair from WHBM and I just looked like a barrel, so I switched and put on a dress with a thick belt and nice sandals, and I felt like million $$$.

Enjoy your new clothing!!

There has been Pizza and Brownies and kit kat. Really annoyed that I am sabotaging myself. Ugh. Not sure why cravings are out of control. I should be about do for my ovulation so not sure if that's it. I need to work out a ton this weekend. My In laws 50th wedding anniversary is tomorrow but the party is on Sunday. I believe I ordered stuffed chicken breast. I want to burn a lot of calories tomorrow so hoping to work out for at least 3 hrs. One hour in the morning a half an hour after lunch and 2 more work outs. If I can stay under calories and super hydrated I stand a chance of seeing below 200 by Monday.

Carma I get insane cravings during ovulation, as well. I am keeping my fingers crossed for onderland by Monday! :crossed:

Zumba When we downsized; it felt cleansing. Getting rid of junk just purified my soul. -- It will be a fresh start with loads of good memories to be created at you new house. :hug:

I think I am getting better! Yay! Today is my son's bday. Poor thing has to take his ACT, but then it is a fun day of golfing with dad and later on big family dinner.

I need to plan my day very carefully. DS wants to go to On The Border for his bday dinner. I looked at their fajita salad as an option. 710 calories without dressing (I would use salsa anyways), but 1800mg of sodium. So water, and more water it is for today.

My day was pretty good yesterday. Ended up exactly at 1200 calories. I did have a hotdog for dinner, but only one and no bun. I was just craving for junk food.

Meals
B - Green Tea
L - Big salad with loads of veggies and grilled shrimp, feta cheese, avocado and dressing
D - Hot dog with condiments
S - Apple with PB

Exercise
None (sick)

Weight
156.6
Up 0.2 lbs (TOM)

I have been sick here as well, with not much appetite, but still eating. I ignored yesteday's weigh-in at 156 (!!) assuming it was water, and today I was 153, so phew! No exercise for the last couple of days, either. Not sure I'll be meeting my goal for Hug A Vegan Day on Friday, but it's on my radar...

Glad to hear you're on the mend, sum! Sounds like a nice birthday for your son. :)

Good walk with my mom today, eating hasn't been the best, sounds like it's going around, raining like heck here now!!

Feeling good overall :sunny:

Hi Everyone,

I'm not doing well with my eating and the harder I try the worse it gets. I have decided to try a little of everything that will probably not be the healthiest way but if I can stick to plan for 2 to 3 days then maybe I can do a little something right.

My plan

a.m.
tea - pu'erh
shake - protein powder, Greek yogurt, coffee grounds - (because I like my coffee on the way to work)

mid-day
1.5 cups - cabbage soup
~cabbage, scallions, white onion (because it was in the fridge already sliced) tomato, green pepper, celery, vegatable and chicken broth

I may add a slice or two of whole wheat cinnamon bread/toast with tea

p.m.
Atkins shake
cucumbers with Greek dressing
tea

Ok ladies tell me what I'm lacking so I can add it. I do want to do this for at least 2 to 3 days though just for discipline. Please wish me well, thanks :)

Love: You have to do what's right for you and will work for you. I personally find that calorie counting works the best for me. Because I can have basically everything just in smaller portions. If the cabbage diet or the Atkins diet works for you then try them. But, ask yourself. What happens to you when you stop eating them and move back on to regular food. Will you have learned portion control or will you be back on the vicious cycle. (says the person desperately trying to break out of the lower 200's and can't figure out why she is not there)

Sum: I rocked the 20 minutes for you. Last 5 I just kept saying I can do it I can do it. I think the last time I went to on the border I had the enchilada and ate only half of that half of the black beans and rice and all of the salad with the mango dressing on the side and had about half. I also had exactly 7 chips with the salsa. It was on their take 2 combo. Happy birthday to your son. Glad that your starting to feel better.

Zumba: Glad the house is getting all settled. You will get through this. :hug:

Keli: Glad your feeling so good over all. It's nice when you can walk with someone and talk .

Heidi: Bummer on feeling sick. :hug:. Good that your weight it getting better to where your satisfied with it.

Mrs Snark: :crossed: no surgery.

As for me:
203.8 on the scale Saturday morning Ugh. Did the 20 minutes straight of running. Was 1 &2/3 mile which worked out to a slow 12minute mile. I then went home and walked another half an hour. But I didn't stop. Had labs yesterday and went out for breakfast where I ordered a veggie egg white omelet no cheese. Ate half and all my rye toast and some of the fruit salad that I ordered instead of hashbrowns. Did eat 1 slice of my son's French toast. 200 calories for that. Ugh. Wanted to get a second walk in but with all the shopping prep for my inlaws didn't happen. Realized that in order to have 600 calorie in the bank there would be no dinner for me due to some mindless trail mix I ate and an entire package of tic tacs. I did stop with my daughter and have some frozen yogurt at 4pm.
203.0lbs this am. Planned everything out today. Woke up to the evil smell of cookies baking. Ate a half a Luna Bar and watched a movie or two with my daughter. Then had to leave the house because it smelled too good. Went out and joined a neighbor for the start of my 1&1/2 hour walk/run. I figured it out. I walked 3 miles and ran 3miles. :carrot:
Came home and made my lunch/brunch. Feeling full and content and ready to face the food for tonight. I already added in the 400 calories for the piece of cake I am having. Small piece. 68 oz of water already consumed. I think I am motivated and ready enough.

Sum--I just wanted to mention I actually like your offhand suggestion you made a few posts ago, to look at yourself in or eat in front of a mirror. I think often times I totally forget what I look like when I start to mindlessly wander to the kitchen for a snack I don't need. Maybe a look in the mirror instead will motivate me to head out the door for a walk!

And I don't mean this in a oh I hate myself when I look in the mirror kind of way, but just as a sort of reality check.

Anyway, maybe you have come up with a new fantastic diet plan :)

Carma, great job on your walks/runs and good job on the .8. You're putting things into perspective and I believe that they accountability is key. I am hoping to keep accountable here without getting on everyones nerves.

I don't know what it will take for me to not go back on the vicious cycle, but I've got to start some where again :) I need to cut out carbs. They are my true weakness. When I typically pick up one carby thing it just leads to more and more and more. I am hoping that this is/will be a kick start. I know I can't eat this way for long but if I can actually be disciplined enough to do something that just may help for awhile, I may just be able to add something else and do ok/good with it. When I was a SAHM I didn't have a problem at all. I was an avid calorie counter. I kept the journal on the counter in the kitchen and meals were pre-recorded in my journal the night before, I prepared my meals in advance, ate them like I was supposed to, walked 3 miles or more 6 days a week, lost weight and didn't look back. When I started working it seemed the change in my life just threw me for a loop and I just can't seem to get a grip. I do prepare my lunch to take with me to work and I do eat it, though not always a totally healthy meal but not fast food either. Even my breakfast aren't bad but I come home and mess up my entire day. I tried straight Atkins before, and got really bad headaches. I'm type 2 diabetic so as many carbs as I can cut out will definitely help. My portions aren't bad when I prepare a plate, it's when they aren't prepared and I'm just grabbing that I overeat a great deal. I do have/get that sense of fullness finally :) So with me it's just about doing something and sticking with it like I did 3 years ago. Thanks for listening and giving your feedback :)

quoting Sum --> Why is it so hard to stay OP?? I want to lose weight, but my mouth seems to think otherwise this is me (my question and my mouth also) I stay OP for a week (me a few days) and then I slip (me). I am gaining and losing the same 5-10 pounds (3-5)over and over again. -- ... It just seems that I can not commit. -- .... One would think something like a great weigh in would be motivating enough to stay OP... I will stay OP here for a few days, probably get down a few pounds and then BAM! my orgy with food starts all over again. Do I have some sort of an eating disorder? Because I "binge" after a nice stretch of OP days. Or is it just laziness? -- I can not figure it out... Sum you put it all in a nutshell for me, thanks :) Sum what are the ingredients for your chicken, lemon, rice soup? Yum to your meals on the 20th :drool: Hope you're feeling better.

Mrs Snark, I never though about this ... thank you :) huh another good thing when I want to eat something put those jeans on that I can't sit down in, huh if that doesn't stop me (just seeing that huge muffin top should)


I was down .6 this morning ate regular spaghetti for dinner last night but it was an early dinner so that may be it (not after 7 like during the week) I have a terrible cold, stuffy nose, sneezing and coughing, driving me nuts. Drinking some tea with lemon and honey hoping it will help some.

I hope you all have a great remainder of the day and anyone that isn't feeling well I pray you are getting better :hug: