Just a quick check in ~I enjoyed our Spring Like weather to much the last few days ~Then I had to stay in Bed to 7:30 P.m. today(other than to use the bathroom) My hubby took care of the kids & me Made all 3 meals & Got my snacks & eveything & brought them to the bed for me~He is so great. Anyways Had an earache in both ears~runny nose & Super sore throat ~UGH~~I hope I am better tomorrow. Sore throat is all right now...Who knows.
Anyways if I am missing in action here & there I Am playing like a Gradeschooler At recess outside during our Spring like days & Now sick....UGH~Thats proboly why the weight keeps falling off~(Happy Playing = Burning to many calories) Will defnetly be upping them more.)~I was 129.0 at 5a.m. this morning yep thats how early I woke up sick~But the running around in the lovely weather the few days before was so worth it!(I THINK)LOL
Hope Everyone has been having lovely days.~HUGS~

Edited to add:Today was my 3 years anniversary Of not smoking~Maybe being sick was a reminder to never smoke again cause thats how I got off them anyways~I got so sick I couldn't smoke 3 winters ago & so I took my chance & never started back after I got better & luckily I stayed off them~I am just 35 But I had smoked for 19 years Until 3 years ago & the last thing I wanna see is a cigarette!

Back on plan after 2 days off for my night away. I actually didn't eat as much as I expected, yet the scale is somehow up 3 lbs. Bizarre. We had 3 meals out and I enjoyed what I wanted, but didn't finish everything on my plate. Ended up skipping a few meals too, just because of schedules. Missed a day at the gym, but did a lot of walking in Manhattan. Anyway, I'll give it a few days to work itself out.

Plan for today - keep calories under 1500, spinning class, prep b'fasts and lunches for the week.

Lori, congrats on your 3rd anniversary! So great that you quit smoking and yet you've managed to keep off so much weight as well!

Welcome to all the new people on this challenge. My advice is to subscribe to this thread and check it daily. Lori had a V-Day chyallenge going also and I found it incredibly helpful, especially when I hit a snag.

Have a great day!

Today is feeling like a lazy day. Can't decide whether I want to barricade myself in the house and watch episodes of Buffy all day or get out and go do something. :dunno: It's pretty windy here which makes my walks around the lake slightly unpleasant. If I bundle up it's not too bad but not great. Don't know what I would do if I did go do something though.

Anyways, menu is planned regardless:

- Breakfast: 1 serving Rice Krispies (130), 3 oz sliced strawberries (27), 1/2 a medium banana (52-1/2) and 3/4 cup Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (30). 239-1/2 calories total.

- Lunch: 2 slices Sara Lee 45 calorie wheat bread, 1 slice Oscar Meyer roasted turkey (30), 1 wedge LC garlic Swiss (35), 1 slice of tomato (4), 1/4 cup baby arugula (5), 1/2 serving baby carrots (17-1/2), 1 package 100 calorie chocolate covered pretzels (100) and 1 container of light lemon chiffon yogurt (90). 371-1/2 calories total.

- Afternoon Snack: 1 medium navel orange (64). 64 calories total.

- Dinner: 4 oz country style boneless pork ribs (220), 1 tbsp BBQ sauce (30), 1 potato (110), 2 tbsp fat free half and half (20), 1 wedge LC garlic Swiss (35) and 1/2 cup edamame (120). 535 calories total.

- Evening Snack: 1 chocolate chip meringue (24). 24 calories total.

1236 calories total for the day

So maybe there's a walk in my future. Maybe I'll go bowling this afternoon. Thought about going to the Botanical Gardens and checking them out. What to do, what to do? :D I'm at my daily caloric allotment so if I don't do anything I'm good but I'd like to get some exercise in. I know it's going to be a busy week so having a super relaxing day to prepare sounds great. But my gym is closed again tomorrow so I feel like I should walk today and tomorrow. I wouldn't go until this afternoon though so we will see what the future holds! :)

Lori- Hope you feel better soon!

Cold weather here in Pa. In the 30's. I don't like the cold, so I will skip my walk today. Did ride the exercise bike for 30min. I have to go out & do a little shopping, so I'll get to walk a bit in the stores. Gained half a pound, not bad considering I was eating higher calories for days, it was healthy food though. Today I'm over again, 1400. I can't resist all that fruit I have from yesterday's shopping trip to the farmer's market. Had a huge breakfast( mostly fruit & yogurt), I think i'll skip lunch, I won't be hungry. Hate to skip meals though. My goal weight is only 2.5lbs away, yet it seems I'll never get there, I know it's my own fault.

Manders- You should go to the Butterfly
Pavillion. I used to live in Denver for several years and always enjoyed going there. I know it's icky today but hiking Castle Rock then on to Castlewood Canyon just south of Elizabeth would be fun on the next nice weekend. My family and I loved going to Castlewood Canyon.

Weight is down, so is mood. My boyfriend won't talk to me after Saturday night and it's now Monday morning.

Thanks y'all ~Weirdly & thankfully I feel completely fine today~THANK GOD!

TOM Is trying to start & my weight was still 129~Which is worrying me On how low It will be after the event ~LOL~Because I always gain bloat weight everytime...hmmmm....~I definetly need to up my calories!


Rainbow~hope the boyfriend starts talking to ya again~ HUGS TO YA!

Everyone else~Hugs off to FB ~then Bed Later on I aint really sick feeling anymore but I am a bit tired still.

I decided to stay in and I'm very glad I did. It has been a very relaxing day. Watched TV, painted my nails, made banana nut "cake" and just chilled out in general. Haven't done it in ages so it feels great! :)

Is it a serious (long-term) relationship? If so, he'll get over it. Meanwhile, enjoy the quiet and spend some time on yourself. :) If it's not that serious, or he won't get over it, then he's probably not worth the stress. Either way, I hope it all works out for the best.

Hi all, I'm back!! The weekend was ok. I didn't eat as well as I could of, and I didn't exercise as much as I wanted, but overall, it was ok. I am down a pound from last Monday. I think I'll start counting calories today. I did it years ago, and the trainer said do three days on, one day "off." For example, I should aim for 1600 calories 3 days in a row, and on the fourth day, 2000. (I.e., I still can't eat anything and everything I want.)

That being said, I'll aim for 1600 (plus or minus 50). Spinach, you're so good at it, even pre-planning your meals. I don't know that I'll ever get there. It's after 5 in the morning, and I barely know what I will eat for breakfast, let alone lunch or dinner. :)

Aside from that, I'll try going in to the school's gym a couple times this week. I need the exercise, and I think that made the difference while traveling. (I actually lost more while traveling and put it back on after getting home.) Meanwhile, I have some work I haven't done that is long overdue, so I need to get that done before anything.

Good luck this week, and I hope you're at least as successful as you were last week!

I'd like to join the challenge with a very modest goal of 3 lbs. I lose very slowly but I've learned the hard way not to let that discourage me.

I think I'm getting premenopausal or something. I shouldn't be having another cycle until the 5th of March but I feel one coming...HATE THAT!! UUGGHH!!

I've had a great weekend and I still haven't worked out. Thank you ladies for thinking about me and making suggestions. Shylah - I'm not pregnant. I would be so tore up!! I'm finally rested up and feeling refreshed. I figured out what the problem was...TMI MOMENT...I stayed up too late last Tuesday doing my bedroom acrobatics. My husband quit smoking a few weeks ago and his youth is springing forth. I know I married a younger man for this reason but MAN!!

Okay so I have said enough about that. I'm ready to make it an awesome week. I can wear the pants to my suit but the jacket isn't cooperating or maybe it's my arms. My arms are not my friend. Gotta go to the post office for lunch and grocery shopping after work. I also plan to pick up some kettle bells so I can have them at home and get these arms in that Jacket.

Hello ladies! Hope you all had a good week.

I had a very emotional/stressful week last week. And I am thankful to have it behind me. I didn't count a thing. In my head, I knew what I was eating, but let's just say it wasn't good. I am glad to be back into my normal routine effective today, and my TOM is almost over! (Thank goodness!!!) But I am pretty sure I will have a gain come tomorrow morning. That's okay - dust myself off and move forward! I did get in exercise last week, but about 1/4 of the time spent that I normally do. Again, back on the saddle with that too!!

Have a great day!

Sunday: 1285 calories. 45 minute spin class.

Down 1.4 of the 3 I was up from my 2 days off. TOM is also starting - 10 days EARLY - UGH!

me, great attitude - glad you're back!

jiggle, sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I'm usually pretty regular but a couple of time a year I get an extra little present :-( yay on your dh quitting smoking - you must be proud!

tiny, i'm losing slowly too, but at least we're going in the right direction.

rainbow, what's going on with your bf? Hope you guys are talking it out now.

I am off for the holiday, so I already got in a little cardio and an hour of body sculpting at the gym. Planning to take our son ice skating this afternoon. Anything to get away from the kitchen - all I want to do is eat!

Well, yesterday was successful until about 8:00 last night and then it all went downhill. :mad: I had made light banana nut "cake" earlier in the day so I rearranged my snack and changed my dinner veggie to still fit into my calorie allotment. I was really proud of myself for not only adjusting but being able to resist the temptation to eat half the cake. Ate my dinner and snack without issue. But then decided I was still hungry and gave myself permission to have a bag of 100 calorie popcorn should I not stop feeling hungry after popping some gum in to stave it off. I walked into the kitchen several times and even if I touched a snack, I was able to put it down and walk away. I knew I wasn't hungry, I was just craving he flavors of certain foods. I then had the brilliant idea that if I had to have a snack, I should make it fruit. I wouldn't have any guilt for fruit, right? So I grabbed my bag of red grapes and proceeded to knock a good portion of those down. And that's when it all came crashing down: bag of popcorn, 1 meringue, then 2, then the rest of the container (5 more), then a 100 calorie pack of cookies, then 2 granola thins, then a granola bar, then another 2 100 calorie packs, a bowl of Rice Krispies and topped it all off with pretzels. :cry:

I managed to talk myself out of any guilt last night as I was binging and don't necessarily feel much today because I know these things happen, I know I can overcome it and I know I get back on track. But it was 6 days since my last binge. I don't want this to become a regular thing. I thought after my last one I could avoid another one because of how crappy I literally felt. But despite the fact that it entered my mind, it made no difference. :( I don't know how to make these binges a thing of the past a not a thing of the future. :?: I just hope I didn't really screw up the progress I made last week. When I weighed myself at my friend's gym on Saturday, I was back up to 165 and I'm hoping that it was just their scale instead of pizza, Cake Bubbles and Chinese adding that on. I really want to be successful in this challenge and for myself.

Well regardless of my slip up last night, I must move on today and have a good menu to work with:

- Breakfast: 1 package lower sugar maple and brown sugar oatmeal (120), 3/4 cup Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (30) and 1/2 banana (52-1/2). 202-1/2 total calories.

- Lunch: 2 slices Sara Lee 45 calorie wheat bread (90), 1 slice Oscar Meyer roasted turkey (30), 1 wedge LC TB mozzarella (35), 1 slice of tomato (4), 1/4 cup baby arugula (5), 1/2 serving baby carrots (17-1/2), 3/4 serving honey mustard pretzels (82-1/2) and 1/2 container of light vanilla yogurt (40) and 1 medium apple (80). 384 calories total.

- Afternoon Snack: 1 medium orange (64). 64 calories total.

- Dinner: Homemade red beans and rice (313) and roasted brussel sprouts made with 1 tbsp olive oil (176). 489 calories total.

- Evening Snack: 100 calorie pack of cookies (100). 100 calories total.

1239-1/2 calories total for the day

My gym is closed again today for the holiday but no matter how cold or windy, I am getting my butt out to walk! :running: I'm going to walk at least 4 laps around the lake but want to try for 6 laps. Bundling up so I don't have to worry about stopping early due to being freezing. Just hope my hip doesn't start hurting because I have been having a problem when walking lately with that.

Above all, I must remember that while slip ups happen, making a regular habit of binges is going to detrimental to my happiness in the end. I know I don't want to go back to where I was. I know I don't want to get so far from where I am now that my clothes don't fit. I know they don't bring me anything more than short term fulfillment and are not worth it. Praying for strength in my weak times and looking to move my ticker in the right direction! :cheer2: