[jadedjane]

I hit lifetime on March 30th after losing 165 pounds. I did my weigh in for the month of April on the 6th and found myself down another 2.5 pounds. I'm terribly addicted to my weekly thursday weigh-in and love the thrill I get when I lose weight (though I shouldn't be losing any more weight right now).

Thats usually the case for me. I kept in mind that I had to face the scale every thursday, and that really helped me stay on track. This last week, and the next month ahead is going to be really hard. There's 3 birthdays, Easter dinner with my family, Passover Seder with my best friends family (Matzo ball soup is far from low fat), then mother's day comes soon too. That means our traditional mother's day brunch whith all the moms in my life.

Part of me says "go ahead - have a little fun. It's a special occasion". The other part of me says "don't you think were taking the whole "splurge on special occasions" a little too far with 6 events in one month? I already feel like I'm starting to slack off a little. After weigh in on thursday there was chinese buffet - not too bad considering I hate the really bad dishes anyway. Orange chicken, to me, tastes like candied chicken. I stick with the lemongrass steamed fish, mustard greens, garlic breen beans, and anything else I can find that is green and not soaked in oil. the next day there was mexican food - albeit really nothing but steamed veggies and grilled chicken over rice with a tiny bit of guacamole.

My splurges don't sound so bad really until...I factor in that I missed working out 4 days in a row. This is where I really need some guidance. I am usually very diligent in my cardio and strength training but late last week it all changed when I was sexually assaulted while working out. I usually get my excercise between 10pm and midnight. That was my favorite time - there's no waiting in line for a machine - there's no time limits just me on my own time doing my own thing. I really enjoyed it too. It was my "me" time. On Friday, march 30th it happened while I was on the elliptical machine. Some guy standing outside the glass door with his pants of....erm... well use your imagination.

I wasn't about to let some creepy guy with mental issues stand in the way of my health so I decided to go back - the next time with 2 friends (so I wouldnt be alone). He showed up again - we lost our minds and ran out chasing him all the way to the car taking pics with our cell phones and yelling obcenities while dialing 911. I don't think he's coming back any time soon.

I' not afraid to go back - but I'm getting sick having bodyguards - sick enough to make me just not want to go. It used to just be me and my mp3... now it's me and 3 other people which means I have to share and listen to their music and chit chat while I'm working out. I just need a gentle reminder of why I'm doing it in the first place and a few tips staying focused enough to keep the weight off and strong enough to not let fear usher in the weight gain.

[veggielover]

I can't possibly imagine how I would feel being assaulted. I think youre very strong to have continued on with your goal in mind...

[Seasaw]

First of all, congratulations on a magnificent achievement. 165 pounds gone - wow - you have so much to be proud of.

Your post seems to cover a few specific issues. You have several special occasions coming up and are a little worried about how you're going to deal with all of them. That's understandable. However, I suspect you've successfully dealt with this during your weight loss journey. Are there any that you don't feel strongly about taking part in - that you could get out of? Do all of them need to be full fledged eating extravaganzas or can you graze at one or two of them? You seem to lean heavily towards healthy eating so you're probably up to the challenge.

The workout issue - and skipping exercise - seems to be directly related to the sexual assault. Have you notified the staff at the gym? I can't believe that they would not have security on this in an instant. Not too good for their reputation/business. I don't believe it's your responsibility to provide your own personal bodyguards to get through a workout safely.

I say - turn the matter over to your fitness facility to deal with, or the police!

Susan

[jadedjane]

I live in an apartment complx that has a fitness center. I involved the police on both occasions and notified the complex management - as of now, nothing has been done