Awww, Zumba, so sorry that you are having a rough go of it... My heart goes out to you...

CatTails one fajita for the 2 of you -- that's awesome! Those plates are always so big...

Sum beautiful weather here too!

Rennie you are doing so great!! :carrot::carrot::carrot:

kelijpa :wave: :sunny:

Zumba :hug: I love hugs ... :)

Thanks Heidi :)

OMG ladies, spring has sprung! 60F outdoors and sunny. After this miserable winter; today felt amazing.

I was at the FCA and I am usually too tired to move once I get home, but not today; I HAD to go outdoors. So I went to my woods and took a nice walk with my fur-baby. -- I am hoping that this weather pattern remains with us :)

I had a fast day and I did really well. I have not decided what to have for dinner. I think I will have some leftover Jambalaya. I know it is a bit carby....

Zumba
:hug:

Sum, the boys are making Jambalaya for dinner tonight :) enjoy ... and I love the sound of your excitement. The weather here is great today, it's supposed to be in the 70's all week with rain on Friday :)

Rennie... I feel reborn when weather co-operates :)

I am outdoor girl, love everything about outdoors; rain or shine.

Sum, it does make the day happier since we have had such bad weather :)
Rain and bad drivers make me sad. Good resting weather though :)

Oh my goodness, if I don't check in regularly I end up with a lot of reading to do!!
I am up to 176 again :( but I am determined to have a good week. I have been fighting off a cold for a few weeks but it finally got the best of me and today I have a stuffed up head. Bleh. Won't be exercising too heavy for the next day or 2. I am trying not to eat bread this week, although I've discovered that bread can be interpreted many different ways. I count tortillas as bread but then I went ahead and ate tortilla chips. Dummy. I am also trying to exercise 60 min a day. We'll see how the week goes!

Apple Blossom I hope you feel better soon :hug:

Hi all....It was a lovely day today..finally Spring has sprung. :) I'm getting my bearings..I'm feeling VERY PMS which isn't helping matters....look forward to losing the bloat this weekend when AF comes to visit finally......

Taught my class today and took my pup for a walk down to the beach even though I carried her most of the way....it wasn't a power walk , it was more of a stroll but it was a walk no less...

Still don't have a handle on the eating thing.....Overfed Head isn't coming in the mail until Thursday. Tomorrow will be a fast day of sorts..Im stopping to regroup....determined to have some weight loss before this challenge is over...I would like to see 145 on the scale..(the scale the dog pee'd on twice)....

thanks for all your support ladies...

Zumba spring makes for a little happiness right? :) and the stroll on the beach would make me smile :). and the pup peeing on the scale (twice) not funny but makes you smile a little to think about ... just the small things to brighten the day :sunny: ... thanks for your support also (we're in this together) :hug:

love 2b...yes, I think she had the right idea about peeing on the scale..maybe she knows something that i don't...LOL....It made me laugh, I couldn't even be mad at her (the first time...the second time was a bit annoying..lol). I don't know if i'm all that happy about spring because that means no more hiding under big sweaters and heavy jackets....pressure is on to get into the spring clothes I put in my new closet...

Hi all,

Car drive on Sunday was a success, at least got my mind off of work for the day. Weather was perfect, mid-70s to low 80s. Drove with the roof down until after our late lunch. With wine & food, I was over on calories & definitely not OP. yesterday was though, however, today was more off than on.

Ah, well, the rest of this week should be OP, as long as I don't freak out too much with everything I need to get done. I'm off the 16th-20th, so if things don't get done, I'm not caring until 4/21...

Hope everyone is doing ok. Sorry for short posts, I do read up though...

Marlene, glad to hear you're keeping your sanity! Just two more weeks to go.

Don't worry, Zumba, you've got another 6 weeks to work at this. Loss or not, just putting in the effort to change is a success! Your puppy's attitude towards the scale makes me LOL, too. :D

Sum, when are we going to get to see that beautiful head of hair? :)

Apple, sorry that you're sick, hope you feel better soon. Sometimes exercise makes me feel less congested when I have a cold, sometimes exercise just isn't doable - take care of yourself, whatever you need.

I have a cold right now too, been trying to fend my youngest DS's germs for the past week. It's not too bad; the worst thing is a nagging tickle/cough in my throat. Last night I squirted a bunch of sriracha sauce into a little V8 just before bed in an attempt to kill the tickle. Not sure it really helped, but my belly did get nice and toasty!

:wave: to Rennie and all others, hope your week is passing pleasantly.

hello all, i have officially ballooned up to 154 and i can honestly say that i haven't weighed that much ever...my whole life...not even when i was 9 months pregnant....now what???

Oh and to add to things me and boyfriend broke up officially today....I can't really tell you what happened...because I don't understand it myself.

Things could be worse....as a rational person I know that...but I feel like I've hit rockbottom....maybe focusing on losing weight for real will help me.

cattails..thanks for reminding me of all the time we have left in this challenge..all is not lost...I think I can make some progress in six weeks!! You made me laugh about the hot sauce, i love home remedies. Gargle with salt water before you go to bed, that helps me a little with that post nasal drip junk.

Marlene nothing like a nice car ride to soothe the soul.

Aw, Zumba...many :hug: I hope you can take some well-deserved time for yourself and just...be.

thanks Cattails..i tell ya, when it rains it pours...

Good morning y'all...Lost some bloat from yesterday... a little over a lb...popping a diurex helped...I am definitely PMS....Last night my son had his last high school evening concert and I teared up....on top of all the changes i'm going through have to say goodbye to my son as he goes off to college this summer...a bittersweet thing....

I am not following any specific plan per say this time....just eating less...atleast for now until i get some weight off.....There's so much talk about the healthy and unhealthy ways to take off weight....well I don't care at the moment, just need to fit into some of my clothes again...eat less lose weight.....thats all i'm telling myself.....over and over again. The Overfed Head book came in the mail yesterday , started reading it. So far i'm really not all that impressed. I hope it goes into more detail about how to make the line of thinking actually work. When you're an emotional eater you lose all sense of reasoning. Your eating isn't about hunger, so listening to hunger pains and fullness signals doesn't matter. That's like telling an alcoholic to only drink when they're thirsty.

Teaching my easier class today and then i'm getting my hairs did. :) Covering up the grays always makes me feel better, as does a professional blow out. Some salon time is a good diversion from my problems too....

i hope everyone has a good day.

Hi all,

Rennie, thanks for encouragement. I'll say happy birthday now, just in case I'm too crazy then.

Cattails, now basically a week & a half. You would have enjoyed the cars Sunday, we had one each of 240, 260 & 280, 2 300zx twin turbos, and 2 350 roadsters. Hope you are feeling better.

Zumba, I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. My oldest graduated HS last year, I know what you are going through there. I like the idea of just eating less. Not easy though. And yes, you are right about a nice car drive soothing the soul, but a salon visit does the same, doesn't it! I enjoy getting my nails done, that's a nice diversion, and I do like that my nails always look nice.

I hope no one minds, I'm going to try to get back to posting meals. I've been doing ok, but being publicly accountable during this stressful time will help me either avoid something I should or keep things in moderation.

B- balance bar, coffee with cream
L- salad with chicken,orange & animal crackers
S-orange, cheese stick, 3 Godiva choc pearls
D- one piece pepperoni pizza, salad with guacamole, mixed berries
S- no sugar added ice cream
W- 8+ cups, no exercise

Our firm admin brought the pizza in at lunch, and I had already started my lunch. There were 2 pieces left when everyone else was done, except our receptionist. I told her that I wanted one piece, she could have the other, but i was staying late & wanted the one for dinner. It was perfect, just enough. Oh, and I didn't eat any cookies that a vendor sent over for us! I did chew about 6 sticks of trident gum over the course of the day, but that's better than eating those cookies!

Good going, Marlene, avoiding those cookies! Please feel free to post any and all meals you like; I for one enjoy seeing what others are eating. The car event sounds fun; any pictures?

Zumba, your post made me think of DH's cardiologist, a little dried up twig of a man. He always tells my husband, "Just eat less, eat less." Well, that is the basic formula to lose weight, no matter what the plan, right? Hope you find some helpful nuggets in the book.

Ugh, my cold is really awful today. I spent most of the day in bed with a ton of tissues. Hope tomorrow is much better; it's DS#2's birthday.

Grr, my MIL did it again: yesterday she sent over most of a huge Costco cherry pie!! I'm going to have to tell her again that my guys are not human garbage disposals, don't buy or bring that junk to them! She is one of those that feels food equals love - and she's at an all time high weight-wise herself, after struggling with her weight the past 50 years.

TGIF, everyone. :)

Zumba, I'm sorry about your relationship. But some good, hard exercise will help. Followed by a bath and some wine, lol.

I'm the same as last week but TOM came yesterday so I'll count that as a victory, I've definitely got extra fluid on board.

School holidays here - busy! I'm on the couch now for the first time today and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able get up.

Hi all....as I sit here with a broken heart I am putting my focus on my weight. I managed to lose four lbs of bloat the past few days which puts me at an even 150. Not really celebrating that number, but so glad that the scale is going in the right direction. Hope to lose more when AF gets here which should be this weekend.

Teaching my aqua class this morning, then going to cancel my membership at the gym . I never make it down there to lift weights, I need to rethink the plan. Keeping the calories on the ultra low again today. I think I had lunch plans with a friend if I vaguely remember....if thats the case i'm having salad with grilled chicken...my usual favorite.

CHUBBY thanks...he was a good one...sorry to let him go especially for stupid reasons.....:( But sometimes in life timing is everything. Enjoy the school break...its nice not having schedule .

CATTAILS My mother is like your MIL...she comes from the old country where food is a really big deal and it is love....she means well but she doesn't understand that you can't stay slim while eating like that....she used to give my kids one big bag of chips each when we went to visit when they were little....their eyes would open up like saucers....;) Anyway don't be too hard on your MIL she means well. Take the pie, cut up a few small pieces and throw out the rest but don't tell her you did. Feel better and happy bday to your DS. And yes, eating less sounds simple, it is a simple solution..unfortunately it isn't working for a huge percentage of the population. So far that book isn't that impressive. but i'm goig to keep reading it ....

MARLENE the salon visit definitely kept me away from food for a while, even though they had cookies out by the coffee machine. i pretended they weren't there. I'm happy not to be gray anymore but definitely too many fly aways with my blow out, not sure what that is about..its going to get ruined now anyway because Im teaching at the pool and the pool room is so humid! Oh and gum is great to keep us from eating......

Cattails, no pics this time. I even had my camera, but we didn't have them lined up nicely... Big show at the end of the month, I'll get pics then for sure.

Hope everyone has a nice day!

Nothing to report, I have not been OP in days...well today I am :)

I don't like the direction my scale is heading.

I am fasting today until dinner and then I will have salmon, rice, asparagus and a salad. Yes, a little bit of rice, not too much though.

I just walked the pup for 3.3 miles in rain and I will do aerobics later on today.

Trying to get back OP :)

Zumba, I wish I could see you. You are so hard on yourself :hug: I'm sure you look great but we never see what others see we only see what we think they perceive and what we want to see. :hug: Sorry about the breakup and the scale (still reading from the 2nd so hope things are better as I read along) :hug: Congratulations to your son. I know you're sad Mom, but you raised him well and he is going :) Relaxation at the hairdressers feels/sounds good :) Zumba your post today sounds so sad, I'm sorry ... I pray things improve and you are smiling again soon :hug: Good job on the water weight, that's a plus :hug:

Marlene quick post who cares, you're posting/checking in :hug: we know you're busy and I can only imagine the stress :hug: Thanks for the early happy bday :hug:

Marlene I like when you all post your meals gives me ideas and great NSV with the cookies and the gum :yay: YOU :high:

Cattails hope you're feeling better and LOL on the hot sauce/tomato juice and your tummy warming. How did you sleep? Tickles in the throat and trying to sleep are the worse :( Yes thanks for reminding me also that we have 6 weeks left. I don't think I'm gonna make my birthday goal but maybe I can make this one :) Cattails I hope you feel better soon :hug: Happy Bday to your son :) and why do people that know you're trying to eat properly always do that (mainly family in my case also).

Chubby enjoy the break :) Ours is the week of my bday fun, fun, fun with no money ... oh joy the complaints I'm gonna hear :(

Sum sounds like getting OP is in progress, keep it going :hug:

ok all caught up ... now me

Well bad me did horribly yesterday, I was over in calories by 1193 and carbs by 244. MFP surely puts things into perspective for ya ;). I didn't do any exercise either. Just spent the better part of the day with my thin wanting to stop every where to eat daughter :) We had a good time but goodness I couldn't do that everyday. I drank a nice warm glass of prune juice before bed because my stomach was a mess. Thank goodness it does help me :) Weigh in today was 163.8 up .4 from yesterday which would have been way worse if not for that fiber :D. I did make it to the gym today burned 504 calories so feeling good.

was 123.5 this am.

B-egg, cheese stick, yogurt
L- salad, chicken, orange, animal crackers
S- coffee with creamer, but forgot the rest of my snack because busy
D - Turkey burger in lettuce wrap, fries, mixed berries
S - MRC chocolate pudding

I almost never have fries. Tonight was a special deal, my Rotary club met at a different place this evening for our annual raffle, and paid for dinner. I could have gotten a salad, but I'm tired of that. Since I completely forgot my afternoon snack, I had lots of calories left. and end the day at 1200 or so anyway, even with counting the fries at 320 cal. I'm not counting on keeping the 123.5 though. thinking after tax season I want to try to get to 120.

Zumba, I know my MIL isn't trying to sabotage, at least not consciously, and I believe that it helps her when she's trying not to buy junk for the grandkids - but it gets so frustrating! I let everyone go at the pie for the day and then threw the rest out. I don't want to be the food police here and tell anyone "you can't eat that!" So just not having stuff like that around is infinitely better. (I ate a little bit of the pie myself and regretted it: too sugary and make me sick to my stomach.)

Aqua class? Is it zumba in water? You must be so strong with all the classes you do!

Hi Rennie! I'm glad you had a good day with your daughter - ah well, one day of overdoing it is nothing in the scheme of things, just pick back up and carry on. And yay you for scorching all those calories at the gym!

:wave: to everyone!

This cold has settled into my chest and makes it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. Otherwise I'd probably be sleeping about 18 hours a day right now! I want to get out and exercise - I'll try a walk tomorrow and maybe some yoga or pilates. Must. Keep. Moving!

The trifle was really good, and there's still bunches left over. I'm glad it's a pretty light dessert so I don't feel like I'm killing my family with it! :D DS#2 splurged a bit food-wise today but did so consciously. And he was really pleased I think to get a smaller pair of jeans - he put them on immediately and they fit!

I fasted yesterday. Walked and did step aerobics. A good day.

I feel my motivation creeping back.

Today I will shoot for 1000-1200 calories. I know it is kinda low, but I want to jump start my weight loss again and I am hardy starving to death :lol:

Plan for today
B - None
L - Salad w/grilled chicken, feta, veggies (400)
D - Porkloin, roasted veggies (600)
S - ? (upto 200)

I will walk my pup, lift weights and swim.

I am so b-o-r-i-n-g. I eat the same stuff every day and I have my set exercise days :lol3:

Marlene you deserve those fries and the up is probably the sodium from them :hug:

Thanks Cattails :), sorry about the chest cold, hope it clears up soon :hug: Yay for your son, he is doing very well :)

Sum eating the same things day after day may be boring but it works. I think to myself if I could find 3 healthy meals and a snack that's satisfying that would be great ... less struggle. So keep up the good work :) That's what I say (think) about lower calorie days ... do I look like I'm starving? Clearly not :D

down .6 to 163.2 ... it would be less but I had to eat Takis/chips spicy late last evening ... today IS a NEW DAY :)

Rennie I rotate my dinners; salmon, chicken, pork, ground beef, and an occasional vegetarian day, so at least I get a little variety. But my dinners are pretty boring too because kiddoes are quite picky. I try to jazz them up with different veggies :) Nice that the 163's are sticking.

Cattails Did you get antibiotics? Don't be stubborn like how I was with my ear :lol3: I hope you'll feel better!

Marlene Mmmmm, french fries. Luckily I have avoided them since my last month's Burger King incident. 120 pounds sounds like a dreamy plan. You can do it once things settle down... only a few more days until you get your break!

Chubby How long of a school holiday do you get? Is it like how it was in England; a whole month? My DS just left for Florida with a friend's family. I wish I could go too...

Zumba BIG HUGS!

Sum, still you think your dinners are boring I think they are great. I wish I could find a site and type in all the things I like and it would prepare a week of menus for me. That would make things so much better. I have gotten to the point that I really don't like to cook. So if it's easy/simple then I am all for it. ... Thanks but I sooooo want to get out of the 160's oh my goodness to see 159 on that scale would excite the life out of me (I'm laughing) because I would probably faint (not funny I know) but I'd be in shock, LOL :)

You'll get there! I know the less you have to lose, more determination it takes. Hopefully you will be there in a week or two.

Thanks Sum :hug:



B ~ Atkins chocolate shake, ½ cup cream of chicken soup w/real chicken
S ~ whopper malted eggs, banana
L ~ Atkins chocolate peanut butter bar
S ~ ¼ of a pack of cheese/pb cracker so one cracker, (I forgot my almond butter/polaner s/f grape on a slice of s/f nature's own)
D ~ little pieces of orange chicken b4 the sauce was put on it, egg roll no duck sauce and 1.5 grapefruits

12+ water, 260 calorie burn on the treadmill

We had a sub for my step aerobic class, she was not a stepper, so we did a workout called body blast. She had us doing lunges around the track, yikes, I am feeling them now. She also had us do a LOT of core...I am going to be sore there as well.

I keep losing morebloat, which I am happy about. Hopefully by next Friday I'll be back at my 130's. The mojo is slowly finding me :D

I had a pretty nice day yesterday. Calories were about 200 higher than I intended to, but I did a lot of workouts, so I burned them all off.

Spring is here :sunny:, and I am looking forward to my walk outdoors with DH and pup. The paths are a mess though; ice, snow, and mud. I still wear my crampons, they have been a life (bone) savor all winter long. BUT I can not wait once the paths are nice and clear and I can walk a bit faster without them.

Plan for today;
B - None
L - Salad with grilled cheese, veggies and dressing.
D - Left over porkloin, veggies and a salad.
S - None
Total cals 1000

Exercise
Bodyblast 60 min
Pup walk 60 min

Weight 142.8

There's a new decade in sight for both of you, I know it! You've got this!

Sum, I haven't been to the doctor, but I am feeling better. Hate having things interfere with my workout desires though. How is your ear doing now? And I'm all for 'boring' meals; it's a great way to keep your intake where you want it, so long as you love the food. Rennie, a site like that would be great: Create-A-Menu! I wonder if anyone has put up something like that?

I didn't do any exercise yesterday after all. Maybe another day of rest is a good thing? I do love to eat, and exercise lets me eat that much more though! An overage of a couple hundred calories for one day won't do me in, I suppose. The scale's actually been showing 113-114 the past few days - dehydration from this cold? Delusion? Aiming to hold the line at 115 or 116 in any case. It's a beautiful sunny day out today, definitely want to go out and enjoy it! Happy Sunday all. :)