Rennie...I know people say that we shouldnt be eating the frozen meals, but I'm sorry I like them! And I dont think having one ever so often is all that bad. I can think of other meals that we gotta cook that have just as much sodium. I think the portion control is biggest draw as well. So no feeling guilty about having something you enjoy!

Laura...running doesnt make up for eating "a ton" of brownies, but it certainly compensates having a treat. To me its all about getting out of that "dieting" mode of thought. I know I'm not going to go the rest of my life without having a brownie or a bacon cheeseburger, but I know now that I'm exercising and eating right so having that indulgence is okay. Its all about the attitude. Food is not the enemy...just the portions are!

Counting...I love my rice cooker, its one for the microwave. No more rice juice boiling over and making a mess of my microwave LOL! Great job on Valentines!

Andi...so glad that you are feeling better and getting back to normal. Way to go for getting out there and skating! I've yet to do that with the girls, I end up watching LOL!

Muse....it really is hard to get back on track when we let ourselves slide, but I have no doubt you'll do it! LOL, after awhile on the bike I think your butt just gets used to it, but my goodness it feels bruised for the first week or so doesnt it! Keep up the great work!

Melissa73....way to go on that loss!!! that is excellent news!! How exciting for 10%! I'm really looking forward to that, and I love that we get bobbles! You'll make that goal no problem!! Keep up the great work!!

:woohoo: I'm down 1.4 for this week, after a 2 lb. loss last week :)

It is too cold and windy to go skiing today, so I have a date with DH to do a Tae Bo workout :D I love these exercise "dates".

It looks like we survived Valentine's Day! We are already showing some great successes this week on the weigh-in thread. 7 of 8 red chickies have posted losses :cheer:

Here's wishing you a POP weekend! Stay strong! Get those workouts in! I know we can win week 5 :)

Okay so meeting this morning was VERY inspiring, so much so that I went out and got a weighted hula hoop! LOL! I'm gonna do another video for our MPMU site so you can check that out later! I was down 1.8!! Yay!

I was telling Danielle that the dieting mentality is slow to leave. I know this is a lifestyle now, this is just the way it is and I'm not on a diet. But those milestones and losing X amount of weight by X date still linger from time to time. I think about how I gained 19 lbs over the holidays and here we are half way through february and I'm still working at taking it off. The good news is I do feel healthier, and I do feel thinner, and for me that is what its all about. The weight is nothing but a number.

I went to the gym last night and did Week3Day2 for my repeat Week 3 week. I've decided that I still am not going to be able to move onto week 4 next week, there is just no way. I was wheezing alot last night when i got done with my run/walk, so not sure if I'm getting a tinge of a cold and thats why its so hard for me to breathe or if its the asthma acting up. So I'm going to finish out Week 3 repeat. Then try Day 1 of week 4 and if I cant do it I'm switching to the program that Muse uses. My lungs just need that recovery to build up stamina, jumping from 3 minutes to 5 minutes just isnt gonna happen. We'll see!

Okay off to work on some homework! Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Good afternoon buddies,

Mom and I went grocery shopping and now the house is FULL of healthy food and snacks. YIPEE!! I love when that happens. I really want to go to the gym today but i'm not sure that is going to happen.

Melissa: I'm with you...I will most likely do week 3 over again but I'm curious to try to run 5 minutes and see how I do first! I'm scared!!! :^: LOL But i'll let you know if I was able to do it or not! Woohoo on 1.8. YOu'll get to your 10% soon enough! I still have 2 weeks to go because there is no way i'm losing 4.2 in 1 week.

Danielle: Thanks for the kind words. It's been hard work, but it's the only option for me right now! I am going to do this in 2008...no excuses. I'm glad that you have gotten your postive attitude back and I know EXACTLY What you mean about always putting yourself on the bottom. It's really only me and my son and I always put him first and he's sooo used to it that now when I take me time and put myself first he totally can't handle it sometimes. WTH!?!?! He gets all upset and I tell him to deal with it, i'm going to the gym! LOL...he's almost 12 so he can deal with it...he's just a spoiled brat and things have defnitely changed in this house the past few months. He's starting to get it I think!


counting down: good job on the loss! Keep working it girl!

skinnyvibes: Glad you and DH were able to enjoy some alone time and yay on your loss! DBF and I really enjoyed our alone time on Valentines day and it always makes me want to put aside one night a week for a date. It's so important in a relationship to set aside some quality time, especially when lives get to busy!

Deb: Don't give up girl! .2 is a loss, it's not a maintain, it's not a gain...you went down in your weight and that's what's important. So keep on keeping on and eventually you will get where you want to be! :hug:

IDeal: Get back on the train girl. One mistake is okay, then get back on...don't let it consume 2 days. YOU CAN DO IT!!

Laurie, good job on your loss!!!! :woo: I hope you enjoy your exercise time with DH!

Melissa, YES, another loss for you!! I'm thrilled to know that you are having such a great time at your meetings. I think it's a true testament to your successes so far. The hula hooping thing has me wondering....can I still do it like I used to? LOL :carrot: The dieting mentality is what got so many of us in trouble to begin with, you know you're not alone. The big plus is that you have discovered that it no longer is what is going to work, and are working towards healthier goals and that is just to become healthy and move more. You are doing brilliantly and the weight will have no choice but to come off! Keep on keeping on your goal will only keep getting closer.

Okay I posted me hula hooping on Danielle and my MPMU site you can have your laugh for the day! LOL...yes I'm aware of what a dork I am!

I also redid pictures since I'm down 11 lbs, I'm gonna try to do em every 10 lbs, probably not much of a change but its still fun to do.

Well I still am feeling like death over here. Just popping in to say hi. I wish I could do personals, but to be honest my head feels like it's going to roll right off my shoulders. That would make for a nice weight loss though:)LOL! Have a great weekend ladies~

Melissa I dont blame you for doing new pics :) I did some new ones of myself today. I was going to post it on the picture thread. I hope to see yours there too each pound lost is a victory in my book.


Tina I hope you are feeling better soon I am sending well wishes your way!

Hi Red Teamers!

Just spent the last hour catching up. It is so wonderful that we have such an involved group here. Sounds like everyone is hanging in there and doing their best to eat well and exercise. My scale was down a bit today so that made me feel better. I went to my hour and a half body sculpting class this morning. I have had to miss it the past few weeks and I found myself having trouble keeping up with the class. I stayed the whole class but I had to take a break in the middle to walk to the water fountain even though I had a water bottle sitting right next to me! I felt stupid just standing there but I needed a minute to recover. The teacher never stands still to do anything. She does all the upper body stuff while doing squats and lunges! I felt like it was a low impact aerobic class with weights. I never thought I would be so glad to do ab work in my life, I finally got to lay down and just do crunches!

Melissa-It's great your still running even if you are repeating weeks. I believe the C25K is designed to lead up to 3 miles in 30 minutes which sounds fairly ambitious to me. ( I may be wrong about that). Just listen to what your body is telling you. The great thing is that it will get better as long as you keep working at it. I have had to modify my program lately because I think I was working above my ability but I know I will get back there soon enough.

CountingDown-Congratulations on the weight loss. Awesome!

jlbake-Walk away from the Valentines Candy. :) Good going getting on the treadmill.

Tina-So sorry you are sick. I miss your postings. Hope you feel better soon.

Skinnyvibes-Atta Girl for losing two pounds this week. Super!

Danielle-Hi! Did I miss something? Are you really going to see Bob & Jillian in April?

Terapet, I WISH I knew for sure if I was getting to see Bob & Jillian in April! LOL Melissa & I are doing the Million Pound Match-Up together (Andi is doing it too) and 5 teams will win tickets to the season finale of this seasons TBL. Just trying to keep positive vibes going is all. :D

Congrat's on your scale being down! Even bigger congrat's to you for sticking it out in your class even tho you felt tired. Have you ever done the Biggest Loser dvd's? The new one, Cardio Max one that Bob leads is like that too, upper body stuff while doing the lunges and squats and I feel like I will DIE! lol I keep telling myself that one day I will be able to get through it without clutching my chest and gasping for air. :dizzy:

Tina, I'm bummed you're still not feeling well! Get better soon hon!

Mel, you stinker. You didn't tell me you were doing new pics! Go you!

Awww Tina, I'm so sorry you are still sick! I tell ya its really nasty this year. My cousin called last night and she had to rush her little one to the ER yesterday come to find out she's got RSV and the baby is getting it too. I hope you are feeling better very soon!

Jasmine...I feel the same way, as long as the scale keeps going down we are winning!! I didnt post my pics on the picture thread, just because i've got the MPMU site that I update often. Cant wait to see your updates!

Terapet....I was thinking that too, 3 miles in 30 minutes is ALOT for a big girl like me who has breathing issues. But I'm not going to give up, and I will definetly just keep listening to my body like you said! Way to go on your losses!!! Thats fantastic news! And great job with those workouts, I think a body sculpting class would kill me! LOL!! You are doing GREAT!

Danielle...no we ARE going to see Bob and Jillian in April! I've already cleared my calendar for it so you better be ready! LOL!

Someone posted this to Danielle on our MPMU site and I found it really something to think about. I'm not a religious person and this comes from the bible, something about it just rings very true and thought I'd share it with you.

from Matthew chapter 6:

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Just a little something to think about!

Hello All!

I've tried posting a couple of times in the past few days and the computer keeps eating my posts. :mad: I weighed yesterday just to see where I was. I was up a pound. I've been eating healthfully and exercising so I'm not going to freak out about it. I am one of those people who usually lose little to no weight for a little while and then have a swoosh. My swoosh was last week so I'm trying to not worry about the scale this week.

I have noticed that most of my pants are getting droopy so I ran to the store to look at the clearance racks. I have been a size 14 for about 4 years now. When I gained all of my weight, I went from size 10 directly to size 14 so I don't have any 12's in my tubs of clothes. Well, I just bought 2 pairs of size 12 pants! :carrot: I don't want to buy too much in this size because I hope to not be here for long, but my new pants (and 1 medium shirt) are very cute. I'm actually tempted to buy one of the pants in a smaller size because I'm going to want to wear them for a long time. :D

I got the Denise Austin 10 Five Minute Target Toners DVD from NetFlix yesterday. It's set up that you can do all 10 segments, or a predetermined workout (i.e. upper body, lower body, etc) workout. Denise usually really annoys me but she wasn't that bad in this one. I just did the upper body workout and I am so weak! I really don't have any strength at all which I've known for quite some time. I'm going to keep with it and hopefully will be stronger in no time.

Take care and have a great weekend. I'll try to get to personals later. I hope everyone under the weather gets to feeling better very soon!

You know, I read that same thing and it doesn't surprise me. I was sick back in October or November, got put on the Z-Pack, then had the flu shot, got sick again after the flu shot and now I'm sick again. Go figure. Makes me glad I didn't pay for the flu shot. :devil:

I went drinking last night, and I feel absolutely horrible today. Not in the hungover sense, but in the sense that I really sabotaged any chance of loss this week. The drinking itself was fine - I budgeted some calories for it, and basically was exactly even for the day with the three beers I had. However, I got extremely drunk, and when the group stopped at this Mexican burrito place for late-night food after... I went nuts. I had one... fine. The group started all going their separate ways, and after we said our goodbyes, I ducked back into the burrito store. I am so embarrassed even typing this. I got another quesadilla and sat by myself eating that. I then went up and got some kind of dessert-y thing (it was like a tortilla with some really sugary apple cinnamon filling on top). The guy at the counter even made some joke, asking if I was going to eat the whole store - I was mortified.

I am hoping this will be some kind of epiphany where I now stay perfectly on plan all the time. I feel so guilty and so embarrassed today.

Happy Sunday, team!

I'm so sorry that I haven't been on. Last week was down right TERRIBLE for me. My husband and I stay with my mother right now, because we went through some financial trouble awhile back. Well, we were going to move out with tax refunds. So I filed and I was waiting on my money to come when BAM--we get a letter from the government saying that they are keeping the money because of some of my husbands old student loans. I thought he had them all on deferment, but it turns out one of them was in default.
Then...my bank started messing with me, and well...yes, it's been a bad, bad week.:?:

HOWEVER. Eating has been good, exercise has been good, and I'm expecting a loss come tomorrow.:carrot:

Good Sunday Morning Red team!! Apparently we are all going to go on a little hike in the woods so I need to get a move on, had to stop by and say hello.

Karen...Yay!! You are shrinking!!! smaller clothes are the surest sign of your success, no matter what that stinkin scale says!! So keep up the great work!!

Andi...I just read that this years flu shots only cover 40% of the flu types out there. I've never gotten a flu shot ever. I hope you are feeling even better today!

Laura...that alcohol will lead to binging everytime! I hope you feel better!

Cassie...aww I'm so sorry to hear about your issues right now! I swear I hate money! Hopefully you'll be getting another little check from uncle sam come this summer that will help out some. I've had to live with family and I know how stressful it can be. But you are sticking to your plan and doing what you need to do so Way to go!! I hope this week is much much better for you! Cant wait to hear the good news from the evil scale monster!

Good morning ladies! Laura~ I'm sorry to hear about your attack of the munchies. But you made an awesome step in telling everyone about it and be accountable for your actions.
Cassie~ Sorry to hear about the financial trouble, I know it feels when you think you've got it all figured out, then BAM something slaps ya in the face and you have to refigure it all out.
No idea what we are gonna be doing today.... We did go pick up our Total Gym yesterday and I love it! My arms, chest and back are feeling it today. Didn't do a long work out, just tested it out. Little man was to interested in playing with it. :) Think I am going to do a workout on my legs today. Well I had better get moving.

Hello ladies!

Having a very lazy Sunday and am feeling very UNmotivated to do much. lol However, I did promise my girls I'd take them shopping so guess I gotta move my tush, huh? I had a great OP day again yesterday, I forgot to do my weigh in this morning so will have to make sure to get it done tomorrow as soon as I get up to post for the week. I hope I am down something, last week I stayed the same!

Karen, yay on the new clothes!!!! Size 12 is awesome, you have alot to be proud of right now. You and I are the opposite, I am SO weak in my lower body, lunges & squats just kill me after about 60 seconds. LOL Keep at it chicky, you'll be rockin & rollin before ya know it!

Andi, I hope you are feeling better this morning! My kids are fighting something that sorta resembles flu like symptoms but havent been laid up yet *knocks on wood*. Stay strong lady!

Carrie, oh boy can I relate to your dilemma! I'm sorry its a rough go for you right now, stay strong and this to shall pass. I love the fact that you have held strong to your healthy way tho and expecting a good loss on that scale, good for you!!!!

Laura, no one expects perfection from you that's for sure. What we want for you though is good healthy habits and for you to feel good about yourself! I hope you're feeling better this afternoon kiddo!

Mel, enjoy the hike with the family! I will cross my fingers you don't come across any bears or get lost, k? :D Don't forget, you have to hula today. heehee.... yes, and I am on my way to buy one as well. I think we need to challenge eachother to a hula-off. Whatcha say????

Alrighty, well I guess I better get myself moving and in "shopping mode". The weather here has been rainy & cloudy, so makes me want to curl up in bed and watch tv! My girls have other ideas though so i'm gonna be a good mommy and spend a good day with them! Be good everyone!

I'm up for a hula off!! LOL..especially when I get my new hoop! No bears..they are all hybernating still! I'm sure our mean ol cupcake of a dog will scare em off anyway!

Have a great day Red team!

Hi Everybody!

I am really feeling the effect of all those lunges and squats yesterday. I was moaning and growling each time I got up to refill for my coffee cup this morning! I posted my weight for the week today and I am down an entire pound and a half. Yeah! I am the slowwwwwest loser. I am sitting here debating with myself whether I am going to my Pilates class today or not. Part of me says I've had enough for this weekend and part of me says I should go because I actually have the time and that is not always the case.

Danielle-that match up is a good deal. I hope you get to go to the finale!

Andi18-the Atlanta paper actually showcased Omaha in the travel section today! I couldn't believe it. They talked about the Western Heritage Museum, the art musuem and the Zoo of course. They didn't even mention the pizza, but I know better!

Laura-Sorry to hear about your alcohol induced food mishap. Been there, done that. Since I gave up alcohol for Lent it is much easier to eat wisely. However, you should be having fun, so don't worry about it. You'll know to be careful next time. I also think that is crazy some counter guy made a comment on what you were eating and made you feel bad. What did he gain by doing that? That was not nice at all!

Cassie-Sorry about the tax refund. How awful. Education loans are a mixed blessing. Congratulations on staying the course food and exercise wise.

SkinnyVibes-Congratulations on getting the Total Gym. Happy exercising!

Just checking in to say happy Sunday :) The weather here is frightful - rain/freezing rain all day - yuck!

TERAPET - I am a really slow loser too. I'm a turtle. A little bit plus a little bit more. While I wish it was going faster, I have found that all those little bits really do add up.

danielle - good luck on the weigh-in!

Kari - congrats on finally getting your total gym! I love getting new workout stuff. I think the novelty really helps motivate me :)

Hun - enjoy your walk! I'm wishing for spring so we can do some hiking in the woods. The weather has been too nasty to ski the last 2 weekends :(
Thank you for posting the Matthew passage. It is very true and a wonderful reminder to all of us :)

Cassie - way to go - sticking to your plan while things around you aren't going great - that is really hard to do - for all of us! Good luck on your weigh-in tomorrow!

Laura - oh, hon, don't despair! Get right back on plan. One big problem with eating less is that alcohol affects us even more quickly than it did in the past. It is something that is hard to remember. Going out with our friends is something we don't have to give up - but maybe have a beer, then a non-caloric drink, then one more beer. Drinking less AND slower (so that your body has time to metabolize the alcohol) really does help. OK - time to get off my "experienced Mom" :soap:

Andi - hope you are feeling better soon. It seems that the most common flu strains right now aren't ones that were predicted - and thus not covered by the shot :( It is hitting a lot of people really hard this year.

Karen - Congrats on your dropping sizes. That is WONDERFUL!

Tina - hope you are feeling better soon!

melissa73 - What wonderful snacks did you get - I love hearing what other folk are eating for snacks :)

I had to smile today. DH was looking for me at church this morning. He looked down the hall and didn't recognize me (I was walking the other direction). It finally dawned on him that it was me. He said, "wow - you looked so small and so graceful." :D

Good afternoon ladies! Well today I'm feeling a little better. I'm still really tired, and have been sleeping on and off during the day. My head doesn't feel so stuffy anymore though, and I'm not fevering. I hope by tomorrow I'm feeling good enough to do a light workout. I couldn't even think about working out though the last few days. Enjoy the rest of your weekend~

I forgot....thank you all for my get well wishes;)

Hi everyone -

I've been thinking about this for awhile now, but I'm going to be signing up for a Triathalon this summer. I still haven't decided which one(s) and I'm trying to determine how much I can handle.

I might go for a longer International Distance or just a Sprint or maybe one of each. The harder one will be more of a push to great ready for, but I'm up for the challenge I think as I'm pretty sure I'm not far off from being able to do a sprint one already. I think by Aug I will have lost at least another 25lbs so being around 180-190 I might just be able to pull it off.

I may be crazy, but there you go.

Good Evening! I've been having a good day. I've been on plan today. I stopped logging my calories last week, but I'm back to logging everything I eat on fitday.

Muse--Wow! A triathalon! That is amazing. I think that would be awesome.

Tina--I hope you continue to get better. I'm sorry you've been under the weather lately.

Counting--It's always wonderful to get a compliment! You are doing so great.

Terapet--Congrats on the loss and on the sore muscles. It's means you've been working out!

Melissa--Your hula hooping video is cute and brave! You're looking good girl!

I have to run to choir practice now. I'll try to get more personals in later tonight.

Aww Thank you Jen, that made my night!! Its so weird because I feel like I'm smaller even though its only been 10 lbs. I took pics and I dont see a difference but man do I feel it, and my pants are HUGE on me! So thanks so much for noticing!

Tina...I'm so glad to hear you are feeling better and I hope tomorrow is even better!

Muse...OMG a triathalon!! You know if you do it I'm gonna look into it myself!! LOL! I know you can do it!! I'm so excited and cant wait to hear how it goes!

Counting...thanks!! The girls and I took the dog on a good long walk in the woods, it was about an hour straight walking through alot of it was snowy and icy and I wished I had some cross country skiis!

I got a call today from someone who found the PTA bag that was stolen, of course all the cash was stolen, except for the canadian coin. Funny huh? In Montana being so close to the border we get alot of canadian coin, funny someone took all the american money and left that. Just makes me know its an adult and not one of our kids.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! Tomorrow is an off day for the girls and me, being Presidents day. But, I've got TONS of homework!! why do I do that to myself?

"see" you tomorrow!! Dont forget Weigh in is due tomorrow!

I forgot to tell you, Dh and I went out gambling which is something I NEVER do! I forwent watching BB to go out and I won $120!!

Also, I went to the hardware store and got some tubing and made myself a hula hoop that was more appropriate for my height! I still cant hula hoop for long but its better! Just gotta practice. My dd went for 20 minutes straight this afternoon! Brat! LOL!

Thank you everyone for the support! It is definitely much appreciated. And hopefully the reminder of how awful I felt afterward will keep me far, far away from binges in the future. However, aAll that beer andMexican food apparently was good for carb-loading - after posting, I dragged myself out of bed and went on a REALLY long run. I did 15.5 miles!!! That is the farthest I have EVER gone, and even though I ran a bit slower than usual, I'm so proud. I'm not too sore today even, and I'm thinking now that I'd like to train to run a marathon. I'll keep you ladies posted on which one I pick!

Also, looking at TOTAL calories eaten (not net), over the weekend I averaged ~1700. My plan is for 1400, but 1700 should have me maintain. So I feel a bit better about my slip up. And if I look at NET calories (which I realize may be inaccurate), I am WAY under. I realize I can't use running to make up for what I eat, but it did make me feel better to get that run in.

Idealmuse, that's so cool about the triathlon. A few summers ago, I was swimming frequently and running a little bit, and thinking I might do a triathlon. However, I never really got myself together to do it, though I read a lot on the subject and how to train and whatnot. Keep us posted on your decisions and training!

Are most people off for the holiday today? I didn't really know it was a holiday until I got to the airport, and the guy at ticketing told me that it was a holiday schedule. The next flight he could put me on is at 9:30, which means I won't get to the office in Boston until about 11. Eek! I'm trying to get as much work done at the airport now as I can, but there are some things I can't do without my team. Wish I had known the morning flights were cancelled - an extra couple hours of sleep would have been amazing. Oh well.

Good morning ladies~ Well I'm feeling just about back to my old self. I still have a little congestion, but nothing crazy. Yesterday I was really dizzy. It felt like I was drunk the whole day:) I think just not really wanting to eat anything had a lot to do with it. I felt better after I had a sandwich for dinner. I swear I slept almost the entire weekend. I would wake up for an hour or so and then go right back up to bed. It just hurt to much to have my eyes open. I did log my weight and I was only down 1 lb which surprised me since I haven't really ate anything in the last couple of days. I'm not ready for a cardio session today, but I am going to do some strength training at home. I did a nice stretch video last night. It felt good to just move my body and stretch out. I have a lot of catching up to do around the house today. My husband did a lot to help this weekend, but there is still a lot to pick up. Kev took the kids out for a few hours each day so I could have a quiet house...I tell ya what I didn't hear them even when they were here though. I was so drugged up on cold meds:)LOL! I'm glad to be feeling better though. I've missed you all. I tried to get on here at least once a day to say hi, but even looking at the computer screen killed my eyes. I'm not even going to attempt to go back and catch up...I'm so sorry. I just don't have the time, but I do want to thank you all for wishing me well. Hope you all have a fantastic day...if you have the day off, ENJOY!!!

Muse- A triathalon...that is a great goal to set. You can do it!

Jen- Good for you for getting back to logging those calories.

Melissa- Isn't it a great feeling when your pants are too big....sure as heck beats them being to small!LOL! I'm glad the stolen bag was found, just upset that the person who stole it wasn't caught:( You go girl....did you go winning $120. Maybe you could treat yourself to a new pair of pants;) I'm to worst hula hooper there is out there.

Laura- I can't even imagine running 15.5 miles...is that outside, or on a treadmill. I would die of boredom on a treadmill, and outside I'd probably just die on the trail and nobody would be able to fine me!LOL! Great job though...that is a great run:)

Howdy! How'd everyone's weekend go? I know for some of us the weekend is still going and probably wish it would stop! lol I know for me I'm ready to send my kids back to school and away from me for a few hours, they're driving me nuts. :dizzy:

Kari, I'm so jealous you have a total gym! I had one of those and absolutely LOVED it. That is, until my hulking huge big momma of a SIL got on it and broke it. You will see tons of results using it and not have to kill yourself doing it. I can't wait to hear about your awesome results!

Mel, glad there were no bears and yes, your doggie is fierce, scare anyone away! ;) So glad that the hula'ing is going well. I couldn't find one yesterday, can you believe it! They don't do hula-hooping here in the desert, or what? I was disappointed, I was looking forward to making a fool of myself in front of my kids! Yay on the mula! Gonna buy some new pants? hee!

Terapet, yay for sore legs!!! :D Hey, at least ya know it's working, right? Congrat's on your loss, that's fabulous! Yeah, have to agree, winning to go to the finale would be awesome! I dunno, something about the prospect of seeing Bob & Jillian in the flesh, puts stuff into perspective for me! Crossing all my fingers, toes & anything else that crosses! lol

Laurie, woo woo, dh has the hots for you!!!! :p You must be lookin' like one hot mama!! Go you!

Jen, so glad you're back into the swing of things lady! Good to see you!

Tina, aw hon, sooo glad you're feeling better!!! Very nice of dh to keep the kids busy so you could rest. Guess he's figured out the sooner you feel better the sooner everyone can get on with things, eh? Smart hubby! ;)

Muse, I am so excited for you! A triathalon! That is so awesome I cannot wait to hear all about it. You go girl! You most certainly can do it!!!!! :carrot:

Laura, I'm so glad to hear you in good spirits this morning. It sounds like you're refocused and ready to do what you need to do. Stay safe while traveling again!

I weighed in this morning finally. Down 2.5 pounds! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Took my girls shopping yesterday at Kohl's. I found some good deals for sure and I even bought myself a pair of pants! 1 size smaller even! And yes, they fit! :D My pants as of lately have just been ginormous on me, people at work are noticing big time too so figured I better start clothing myself better or I'm gonna end up leaving my pants somewhere in the aisles while I'm working! LOL I got those pants for 8.00, plus an additional 25% off they're doing a special on all clearnance, PLUS my discount! Can you say MAJA (said in my best Posh Spice accent!) bargain!!! I also got a $25 bathroom rug for $4, an $20 ipod case for $3 and a $35 wristlet for me to use at work since I never carry my purse into there, for $4. Bargains galore I tell ya! yup, it was a good trip, and worth having my kids drag me in there on a day off! ;)

Today we are headed out again. Dh is home so we are going out to lunch at SubMarina and then to the mall.....Macy's here I come!!!!! :D I smell new bedding in my future! New clothes, maybe? Hhhmmmmmmmmm

Ladies, have a beautiful day! Keep shining bright!

YAY Danielle...down 2.5 and more important down a pant size:) That is fantastic.....I'm so jealous...you work at Kohls?!? That is my all time favorite store:) Have a wonderful day and happy hunting for some new bedding~

Good Morning Red team!! Well I HAVE to do homework today, I cannot put it off any longer! LOL! So I'll be stuck to the computer and the books all day long. Blech! I also need to hit the groceries and the gym. Oh and I have a mountain of laundry that needs folding ...literally a mountain! I would like to do measurements today as well, its been so long since I've done them and considering how my pants are fitting there's gotta be a difference to take note of.

Danielle...WOOOHOOO!!!! I'm so excited to see such a HUGE number coming from you girl!! Ya busted out of the 230s and everything!!! I smell onederland coming soon!! I'm so jealous of your bargains!! Man, I wish we had a Kohls!

Tina...so glad you are getting better and better!! congrats on the loss!!! Someone posted that your body cant lose weight when you are sick because its too busy fighting off the bugs. So the fact that you had a loss is fantastic!! Just think whats gonna happen when you are all well again!! Have a wonderful day!

Laura...I'm glad to see that you are still on the healthy track despite the binge night. Way to go on that run!! That is amazing!! 15.5 miles...shoot I'm still aiming for 15 minutes and thats a loooong way off! LOL!! Great job!

Have a wonderful day Red team!!

Monday Madness Challenge!:

Did you stretch today? My challenge for you this monday morning is to stand up and reach for the ceiling with both arms, give a good long stretch to your entire body.

Then bend over and touch your toes, or comes as close as you can!

Now, stand up and stretch those sides by holding you right arm up and bending to the left. Now switch and hold your left arm up and bend to the right.

Okay back up over head with both arms again....STREEETCH!

Couple of neck rolls!

Now, doesnt that feel fantastic?

So who took the Monday Morning Madness Stretch Challenge?

Melissa- I hear ya on the laundry!!! I have a ton to do today also.

I just did something I should of done a long time ago. I called and found out about and OA meeting in my area, and I'm attending my first meeting this Wed!!! I'm really nervous, but looking forward to what I'm going to learn:) This is huge for me~

Jasmine – Hi! Thanks for checking in. It’s great that you’ve been doing well on your diet. I hope you can find some good new recipes in your new cookbook! I hope you can find some energy to get some exercise in. Do what you can. Every little bit helps. Even if you can do some spontaneous exercise like park a little farther from the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator (even if it’s only a flight or two to start). I’m so bad about getting motivated to exercise but find that once I get started on a routine, it gets easier. It seems to be helping me with the weight loss as well. I haven’t had a chance to check out your new pictures, but I’m going to go there next!

Melissa 73 – Way to go on staying within your points on Valentines Day! I hope you have a wonderful week off! It’s so exciting to be close to 10% weight loss!

Emily – I hope you had a good weekend. I’m sorry you have been struggling mentally. I hope you can conquer it this week!

Diva – that cracks me up about you singing out loud to your iPod. I don’t workout around other people, but I do wear my iPod at my night job. It’s a good thing that I work by myself most of the time there because I catch myself singing aloud also!

Ambie – Hang in there! Thanks for checking in with us!

Laurie – It’s nice that you could get a healthy Valentine’s present. Sounds like you’re really enjoying your rice cooker. I think it’s great that you can have exercise dates with DH. That sounds like some great encouragement. And how fun that your hubby didn’t recognize me. Feels great to hear you’re small and graceful, doesn’t it?

Andi – I’m glad you’re feeling better.

Muse – Congrats on deciding to do a Triathalon! That’s such a great goal to work toward.

Debalicious – Thanks for checking in! 0.2 lbs may not seem like a lot but it is a loss! I hope you will visit us more frequently.

Kari – I’m glad you could get some adult time! It sounds like you had a fun night! Congrats on the 2 pounds!

Danielle – it’s great to hear from you! I’m not sure that we’re total opposites because I don’t have lower body strength either. ;) I did lower body on Sunday, and it was pretty tough too. Congrats on the 2.5 pounds! You got some awesome bargains! I love having shopping days like that! And needing to buy a size smaller pant is a great feeling! Congrats!

Melissa (Hun) – I’ve considered a weighted hula hoop in the past and just haven’t gotten around to getting one. I hate to buy a bunch of new equipment when I don’t know how much I’ll use and have things at my house that I need to start using. The video was cute. You’ll be hooping it up soon! Isn’t it great when you start feeling thinner? I’m glad you had a good hike! I take my (four-legged) girls to a wilderness park here but it’s been too wet the last few weeks. We all miss it! Congrats on the winnings. You definitely need to treat yourself somehow. Sounds like new pants are in order!

Terapet – Your body sculpting class sounds intense. I’m just starting on body sculpting and can totally understand your need to recover. I am doing a DVD, but I have to modify or sit out on a couple of counts from time to time. Congrats on the 1 ½ pounds!

Cassie – I’m so sorry to hear that you had a bad week. How frustrating about the tax return. Hang in there and congrats on staying on plan!

Jen – I’m glad you are back to logging your calories. It’s great to get back on plan/routine after you’ve had a small break from it.

Laura – I’m glad your off plan eating wasn’t as bad calorie-wise as you had first feared. Way to go on the 15.5 miles! That’s amazing!

Tina – I’m glad you’re feeling better. It’s nice that Kev took the kids out to give you some quiet time.

Mom 23, Catsgetnhealthy, utahgirl, Cat, DK, and Rennie – Hello! Have a great on plan day!

As always I don't do as well with the water and eating (healthy but not enough) on the weekends. I guess I do better with the structure I have at work. Of course here on Monday morning I'm not where I need to be with my water. Oh well.... <takes big drink of water>

I did my lower body workout yesterday and then did the upper body workout again this morning. Wow, do my muscles feel it. Maybe this is why I haven't kept with the strength training in the past - I'm a wimp! ;) This time is going to be different!

I've got to go for now. I must not have put my mouse on the charger over the weekend. I'm going to have to do something else for a while to let it charge! :dizzy:

Take Care!

Good Morning! I took the stretch challenge this morning. It felt great. My kids think they should get school off for the holiday like all the kids in public school. I laughed and said we should study Presidents today instead.

Laura--More than 15 miles! That's great. Keep us updated about your marathon. My dh loves to run like that. He was training for a marathon until he had to have hernia surgery last year. His recovery has been slow, but I'm sure he'll get back into it eventually.

Tina--Glad you're feeling better today. Congrats on calling OA. That's a big step!

Danielle--Congrats on the weight loss and the smaller pants. What a great victory. Your shopping trip was uber-successful! It's always wonderful to find a good deal.

Melissa--I hear you on the laundry. I have a bunch of baskets that need to be folded! I hope all the homework is easy!

Karen--Yay for the smaller pants!

Cassie--So sorry to hear about the financial issues. How frustrating! It's awesome that you have kept up your good eating & exercise despite the stress.

Kari--Wow! A Total Gym! How wonderful!

Selina--Thanks for checking up on us! I miss seeing your inspiring posts. I guess I need to get over to the blue thread once in awhile to get a Selina fix!

:wave: Hi to Andi, Melissa73, Rennie, Counting, Muse, Jasmine, Emily, Cat, Cathy, Terapet, Mom23BC, Barbara, and Roni!

Hope everyone has a great day!