Fit, you are such an inspiration!!! I love, love, love your positive attitude. I think I want you to succeed more than anyone - more than myself even. I love your personals!

Anyway, my bartender for Thursday night happy hour told me (so take it as you will) that women's bodies fluctuate by as much as 5 lbs. in a day. So, who really knows, right?? I think it's even more of a reason to just weigh in once a week and avoid the scale otherwise. But, anyway, going DOWN on the scale is a GOOD THING. So, way to go!! Happy for you!

You can call my slug....wow! Or maybe gravity has gotten stronger this last week
Northern- You can do it!

I have weighed myself over the course of a day, and seen as much as a 4lb gain from when I first got up. I absolutely believe this!

Great job on the loss, Fit!

I seem to have stayed up a couple of pounds since Saturday. Not sure what that is related to so I'm just staying with my calorie target and hopefully it'll go back down eventually. I really need to push the water, I've been terrible with that lately.

Going to zumba tonight, planning on pork chops for dinner along with a potato and a vegetable.

Have a great day, all!

So i dont have much to talk about today but i feel like i dont recognize people that respond to me enough! Did about 20 minutes of turbo fire last night before i just about fell over. Going to just have to take it one day at a time and hopefully get better and make progress as i go. I was just so thrilled with my calories yesterday at 1100!! I was supposed to go to the gym this morning but the friend i go with had to cancel last minute, so instead of turbo fire tonight ill be going to the gym to run. Turbo fire the rest of the week and possibly including sunday! And to the gym to run on friday and saturday as well! I want this week to be an awesome week so i'll just have to see what the scale says. Weird question here... I just noticed that i've been weighing in while fully clothed except shoes. So my weight loss will remain the same but im wondering if i should be weighing in without my heavy jeans on to count as my actual weight. Do you guys have an opinion about that? Because without jeans i'm actually at 212 instead of 213.4 and i kind of like that haha! i'm open to opinions!

I appreciate the feedback! i've decided ive been doing so well that im not going to stress it for the few times that i eat something where i can't calculate the calories! I didnt see a gain at all from sunday so i must've done just fine. (i'm actually down .2!) I also love how positive you are! But i can sense some frustration with your progress. All i can say is that something just clicked with me and i am just so pumped and determined to make this happen, so hopefully you feel the same because we can totally do this!


Hopefully i'll get to others later! But to everyone that responds to my posts, thank you so much for the feedback! Congrats to those that are losing weight and keep it up to those that are having a hard time!!

P.s.... i finally got a ticker!

@the bolded, yea take the clothes off!!! And what time do you weigh? Consensus is first thing in the morni g after a morning trip to the loo, so that may bump you a little closer to goal either way that fact that you are sooo pumped, gets me pumped...and thanks for noticing my (not so subtle) frustration, I just need to wrap my head around the fact that some months are going to be fir, with 10 lb losses and some will be 5 lbs, either way, a pound in the right direction is what really matters. AND THANK YOU!!! Motivation/Support is, I think, the number one weight loss "aide" just think of me as your "Alli"! LOL

THANK YOU!!!! LOL, but I want you to succeed too, there's enough weight for us all to lose some lol!!! And hey, I've gotten a ton of information from bartenders over the years, so I'll take it

Thank you and I'm jealous...for some reason Zumba hasn't caught on like it should around here and I really want to try it because I heard it is awesome!!! A few places offer it, but they charge too much, but I may have to bite the bullet and try it, how much do you lke it? And I wouldn't even sweat the few pounds, it will be off in a tick

I like slugs...their little eyes are funny, that is all LOL.

jdonato- Your doing great on Alli, congrads on the loss. I'm not sure about sweet potatos, I don't eat them cause I always thought they were a starchy vegetable with too many carbs, starch turns to sugar in the body. I'm not sure though, I could be wrong.

Went hiking and walking for 2 hrs. I'm tired! Had 1233 calories, 33 over my limit. All that exercise I guess. Already lost 7oz. in one day, can't wait to weight in tomorrow.

Hi all! Just a quick check in before I go for my last day of finals.

Sounds like everyone is doing great! I don't really have time to write to each one of you, but I'm offering my support!

Re: Sweet potatoes- they're very good for you. Packed with fiber, vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as beta carotene. If you have a sweet tooth, have a plain sweet potato! They're also studies on the benefits of sweet potatoes stabilizing blood sugar levels. Yes, they're starchy, but completely packed with nutrients.

So, today is apparently eat whatever you want day. Dangerous! And...I had a small slice of cheesecake for breakfast. Very naughty. But I plan to be on track the rest of the day- let's just say I'm eating my desert first.

Today I'm supposed to be getting a 2-day "fast" formula- basically you just drink the shake. I'm just hoping to detox/cleanse what have you a little. I'll let you know how that turns out!

Hope everyone has a great day!

CorinneIrene: Good Luck on your finals! I know how stressful those can be. Thanks for the sweet potato info, I normally make them without butter or salt, just plain. And good luck with the detox shake, hope it all goes well!

fruitlady: Thank you Nice job on the exercise and I know that you'll have a great weigh in today I agree with the starches for sweet potato, lately with Alli I have to consider fat and not carbs but it is something I still should be looking at.

Fit4Lyfe: Aloe vera juice is a natural laxative And I'm very proud of you for the weightloss.

DTerminedOne1219: I'm with Fit4Lyfe on this one, I weigh in the morning naked after I use the "loo". I find that I get a more accurate weight and can't blame anything but myself for the results, (clothes, jewerly, food i just ate..etc.) and it's a fresh start to my day.I hope this helps!

Spooky: I use Mio, it's a water flavor inhancer, no calories, no sugar. It helps get the water down since I was so used to drinking pop before. I'm sure you'll go back down soon Keep it up!

Amberelise: hope the ball game was fun, and the cooking class sound really fun! In Detroit they check our purses and bags, so we can't bring in food. There are places where I can make healthier choices in the ball park. I don't know what they have for the Cubs. and I think you said your bartender said woman can fluxuate within 5lbs in a day...yes that's true! I have done so myself.



Saw another .2 loss this morning. I seem to only lose .2 lbs a day, but I can't complain because it's still a loss, I just wish it was more. I'm figureing TOM is the issue...that's in 2 days. I know you are supposed to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week, but at my weight, calories and activity level figured i'd lose the first 10 lbs easy. I'm still going to do this one day at a time, I keep saying that but this is for the long hall, not just a quick fix. Plus too i'm not exercising, i'm active but not going to the gym and working out.

Dinner last night was great! I made turkey kabobs, with the salt-free seasoning, and green beans. I didn't take in alot of calories for dinner but was so full, and didn't even feel like having dessert. I have the skinny cow ice cream sandwiches and mini cups of ice cream. It's great when I really want something I know it's there and i can have it and not go over the edge with my calories, but haven't really felt like having it after dinner. I actually have been feeling satisfied. So we will see what my actual weight is come Monday. this weekend we don't have anything crazy planned so I don't plan on being unhealthy.

I'll check back in a little while, have a great day!

Thanks, Fit and K15. I guess sometimes I tend to be a perfectionist when I do things...if I'm not giving 100%, I feel like I'm not doing it "right", KWIM? I have to remind myself that this is, indeed a *lifestyle*change and it's OK not to be perfect all the time...the important thing is I have truly changed my lifesytle and am living a much healthier life. Whether I have 1750 instead of 1600 calories or work out 20 minutes instead of 45 some days really isn't going to make much of a difference in the scheme of things.

Had a good day yesterday...stuck (pretty much) to may calorie range and had a good 45 minute workout. I have to stay at work late this evening for an awards ceremony, so I may try to get a walk in this afternoon after my regular workday is over.

JD: .2 is .2! I wish I could lose that every day...I have some WEEKS where that's all I lose!

Fruit: I think you can "afford" the extra 33 calories after all that walking!

DTerminedone: congrats on the ticker! I still remember when I finally got mine

Everyone I missed: we're halfway through the week! Hope everyone is doing well.

Well, last night my husband brought home subway for supper. I did have a footlong (I was starving from more extreme cardio yardwork), but it was a veggie (all veggies except jalapeno), no cheese, with only honey mustard. I couldn't be bothered to figure out the calories, but I suspect that if I went over it was very marginally. I tracked for the rest of the day, just couldn't be bothered to track supper, and try and figure out how much what was in my sandwich.

Yesterday I spent a couple hours hauling decomposing straw bales. They have been there for 2 winters now, and I need to get rid of them. We live in a mobile, and they were initially used, by the previous owner, to insulate around the bottom of the mobile, and help keep pipes from freezing in the winter. I need to get them out soon because I need to put new straw bales along the edge of my yard (which is where these bales are sitting now), so I can garden in them. The ones that are there are too decomposed for that. So yesterday was spend hauling them, and probably some of today too. It sucks, because I have asked my husband to do it repeatedly, but oh well, whatcha gonna do?

Another busy day today, not sure if I will haul the bales today or not, but either way, I still have lots to do.

Hi all, checking in. Cooking class was really fun last night. I learned A LOT A LOT A LOT. So, it was worth it. The downside is that if you put food in front of me, I will eat it. So, when we sat down to eat what we cooked - I ATE it. Luckily we cooked fish. But the sides didn't help. And everything was made with so much oil!!!!

I ate:

Grilled Salmon with mint-pea coulis
Pan seared seabass with roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus
Mussels & clam stew (clam juice and tomato based) with crostinis (2)

I tried my best to factor in EVERYTHING I ate and the dinner was something like 1150 calories. Yes, just dinner. I had around 2000 calories yesterday all told. The good news is that I'm doing P90x and I took a walk during lunch yesterday. That will knock off at least 400 calories, but I try to never eat my calories back.

Then again, I have been fluctuating up and down on my calories anyway. I always aim for 1200 but usually have 3 days a week that are more like 1600 - 1800. The other days are around 1300. So, I am trying really, really hard to not let it bother me. I keep telling myself I needed more calories because I was feeling a little wiped in my workouts. The problem is, I just don't think I needed THAT many calories. I'm hoping it doesn't affect the scale on Friday! It would SUCK for ONE DAY to wipe out an entire week's worth of work. Very demoralizing.

Now, as far as tonight at the Cubs game - GOOD NEWS!! Wrigley DOES allow you to bring your own food. It's in the fine print when purchasing tickets!!! Isn't that awesome?!!!!! So, today is going to be very on plan. And cheap!!!! YAY!!!!!

Ladies!!! I missed you all!!! Life has been insane. We moved into our new house (although half my stuff is still sitting in my garage), and we don't have internet hooked up yet. I can use my phone but living in the country doesn't provide great service.

I start a new job on Monday!! YEAH! But unfortunately it won't be a job where I can get on here during the day! Again, I will have to use my phone, but that is a good incentive for me to get the internet hooked up at our house!!

Anyhow - the move has totally screwed with me! I weigh exactly the same at the beginning of the challenge! At least I have not gained. I have more control over my calorie counts this week, which is what I needed, and started keeping track of my exercise again!! I have been to the gym, just bad with my eating.

Found my wedding dress on Satuday - so need to work on my upper body some so my arms, shoulders & back are more toned!!!

Hope everyone is doing fabulous - and I will check back in daily now!

Yay for the dress!!! Wedding dresses make me happy, I hope you are going to show up chicks some pics and congrats on the job!!! Sounds like everything is going great for you!

Hey what you have as "fluctuating" a lot of people call "calorie cycling" and there's some studies that say that's excellent for weight loss becauase it keeps your metablism guessing and working extra hard!! So you're making that metabolism work w/o even knowing it!!! And that cooking class meal sounded heavenly, calories and all. Good on ya about Wrigley park, that's good to know...

You sound like a strong chick, the only hauling I do is shopping bags back to my car in the parking lot, LOL. All of that will give you envious arms, I'm already jealous

I wish I was more of a perfectionist...I'm just not. lol.

Yea iI heard Aloe Vera Juice helped with the digestive system (that's one of the reasons I started drinking it) but not an actual laxative, hmm...have to think about this, thanks!!! And I'm very proud of you for the 2 ounces, in the right direction, you're rocking it!!!

I loooove that you had cheesecake for breakfast, my au pair used to give us hot chocolate and croissant (of course, we lived in France at the time), breakfast varies in so many ways around the world, you may be on to something and I love a fast/detox it helps clear the body...and soul (lol, had to get all new age on ya!)

So my eating yesterday was wack, in that I ate less than 1,200 calories which is bad for me and my sodium was off the charts, wanna know what I had for dinner? A bag of BBQ Pop Chips! LOL, what is wrong with me?!?!?! And I'm depressed my poor little laptop crashed and none of the data could be saved, that was 5 years of my life on there, just gone but I am so happy that I will get it back I'll just look at this as starting over fresh! Anyway, down 2 ounces to 235.4 (the lowest I think I've been in years!!!) and no working out today, no particular reason why, I just am not feeling it today, so I have to be really careful with my eating, tomorrow it's the stairs and arm workout and I am sooo purchasing a jumprope this weekend, jumproping for 15 minutes at a moderate pace burns like 300 calories!!!! I'm all about it!! that's it, keep it awesome ladies, I know you will

I am so frustrated. My TOM is almost over and I am up 2lbs. I stay in my calorie range pretty well, although sometimes I eat unhealthy food. I have started exercising again so maybe it's muscle gain? All I know is that I DO NOT like the number I am seeing on the scale and I refuse to update my ticker.

Please someone tell me what I can do.