I also use tricks to make me feel full. . Now I use the smaller plates and bowls so when I look at them I "see" how full they are and it helps me feel full or done eating.

k15g15 ~ Yes, that definitely helps, too! Glad you mentioned it!

Breakfast: Whole wheat toast w/all-natural pb and fruit spread, plus extra tsp of pb (189)
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli and snap peas (380), 1/2 serving of baked cheetos (65)
Snacks: Chobani blueberry greek yogurt w/kashi (157), Gum (10), Popcorn & cheese stick (180), Saltwater taffy (46), Cheerios w/milk (150), Kashi pita crisps (55), Graham crackers w/pb (126), 2 jello pudding snacks (120)
Dinner: Ground turkey w/taco seasoning and cheese and salsa (365)

Calories: 1843
Exercise: 45 minutes of yoga

Another day of the heat index being between 105-110, so I'm taking it easy today with some yoga over my lunch hour. My body needs the stretching anyway, and it's such a great way to refocus your energy and feel refreshed. Granted, I still have to walk over there and it's about a 7 minute walk, so I'm just going to have to walk reeeeaaalllly slowly so I don't get too hot from the heat.

jigglefree brought up a great thing in another post: that we need to celebrate our NSVs and not just what the numbers say on the scale. So, my NSV (non-scale victory) from last night: I tried on a khaki skort that was too tight last summer and it almost fell off my hips because it was so big. There was no way I could even use a belt to keep it up. I was bummed that I couldn't wear it because it was too big, but I was sooo happy that it was too big because it showed how far I have come!

Man, oh man, I am sooooo hungry today! I remember that during one day of my ovulation cycle last month I was famished, and that could very well be today. Or, maybe it's the exercise I'm doing later in the evening. I've been jogging around 7:30 because that's pretty much the earliest I can start, and sometimes when I'm done I am super hungry while other times I am not. I woke up today pretty hungry, so maybe it's the exercise?

Oh, and this baked chicken I am eating every night? Yeah, it's gettin' old. I'm going to have some tonight and then I need to change it up!

Ugh the weather! The heat index will hit 115 today so.... yet another day of indoor exercise and I am beginning to feel a tad stir crazy. I may do a very short bike ride to the pool to get some fresh air and sunshine.

I'm going to do my best to salvage a respectable day after a very bad night's sleep last night. Was up past 2 and slept fitfully then until 7 or so. I feel queasy as a result. I really can see why good sleep is so important to weight loss!

I sure wish this weather would break!

H82Sweat ~ That stinks that you didn't get good sleep the night before! You are right...sleep is so, so important to weight loss. Not only because it rejuvenates your body, but because it helps certain people (like me) stay mindful and not let exhaustion get in the way of making good food decisions.

That happened to me last night. I was exhausted because I haven't been getting enough sleep and I just started munching. Granted, I actually was hungry and the hunger finally went away around 8:30 p.m., but still, I was just noshing away. I couldn't do the baked chicken anymore, so I ground some turkey and threw some taco seasoning, cheese, and salsa in it. Then I ate a jello sugar free dark chocolate mousse. And then I had another about 30 seconds later because the first one tasted so good. I was still hungry about 30 minutes later and Cheerios usually fill me up, so I grabbed a bowl of multi-grain cheerios and ate those. Oh, and I had some Kashi pita crisps somewhere in there. Then, around 8:15 when I was still freaking hungry, I pulled out the peanut butter and graham crackers. It was endless!! I was so glad to go to bed. I ate over 1800 calories which is more than I really wanted to eat for obvious reasons, but it is actually the calorie range I started with when I began calorie counting in January. Now that I look at all the food I ate, it's like, "Wow! I actually used to eat this calorie amount every day and lose weight!!" Can't wait to get into maintenance, that's for sure!

Breakfast: Whole wheat toast w/all-natural pb and fruit spread (156)
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes and snap peas (370)
Snacks: Chobani strawberry greek yogurt w/kashi (157), Gum (10), Popcorn (100), FiberOne bar (140)
Dinner: Chicken w/veggies (390), puddin' (60), graham crackers w/peanut butter (I need to stop eating these!!!) (100)

Calories: 1483
Exercise: 1.27 mile walk

I swear that post moved! I posted in in the Labor Day Challenge thread! Sorry I hijacked yours, Emme!

Sorry for your night. When I get those attacks of the hungries I learned to stay away from carbs (other than fresh berries which are low cal and if you sit and eat a box like candy, very satisfying) so I keep low fat string cheese around. 50 calories, I make myself peel off the strings, and they make me feel fuller than carbs would.

LOL!!! That made me laugh. I thought you were replying to mine because I was talking about the weather, so it works either way!!

Breakfast: Whole wheat toast w/all-natural pb and fruit spread, bowl of cinnamon cheerios (299)
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Chicken w/Basil Cream Sauce (250)
Snacks: Toasted coconut vanilla yogurt (80), FiberOne bar (140)
Dinner: Subway turkey sammich (560), pita crisps (120)

Calories: 1 mile jog, 1 mile walk
Exercise: 1449

So, I broke down and told my husband last night that I had found the scale. He laughed and said it's a good thing I found it without badgering and begging him because there was no way he was going to tell me where it was hidden. It's now back in the bathroom on the tile floor, and I don't know if I am going to start weighing before next Friday, but I might start on Monday morning just to have an indicator of where I am at. I am hopeful that I will see 165.8 on Friday morning, but if not I will just have to keep on keepin' on. I'm going to work my hardest to get there, but it's up to my body to decide what it is going to do. That's one thing that can be so hard about losing weight. We can count calories, exercise our butts off, and then WI two pounds heavier than we were the day before. I wish our bodies worked like "Ok, you ate 1500 calories today and burned 300, so tomorrow you are going to weigh xxx! Great job on going down!" But, I'm just happy my body works and that calorie counting works, too. It's just a matter of being patient and trusting your body. And I don't know if it is the jogging that is making me hungrier, but I'm going to up my calories a bit. I was trying to stay between 1300-1400, but lately I've been going between 1400-1500. I'm going to eat until I am satisfied without going crazy on calories. The past few days have made me feel like I am famished (even though I am obviously not) and the only thing different that I have changed is that I have added in jogging.

From the looks of your weight loss ticker, you're just about there. Congratulations!

Running makes me hungry too. I have a GNC lean shake or a bowl of oatmeal with PB on the days I focus on running in my exercise plan.

Thanks, jimmy!

H82Sweat ~ Thanks for the tip on the shake and oatmeal...I am going to have to try something. It make me ca-RAY-zee hungry to the point that I can't take it!!

Breakfast: Whole wheat french toast w/sugar free syrup and coffee (210)
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Turkey Tenderloins (250)
Snacks: 2 FiberOne bars (280), gum (10), popcorn (100), pudding (60)
Dinner: Lean Cuisine Meatloaf & Mashed potatoes, snap peas (370)

Calories: 1280
Exercise: painted bathroom and took dog for walk...it rained for hours today!

WI: 168.4

Breakfast: Whole wheat toast w/pb and fruit spread (156)
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Three Cheese Rigatoni & snap peas (370)
Snacks: Light&Fit yogurt w/kashi (97), Popcorn (100), Cheese stick (80), Gum (10), Almonds (100)
Dinner: Baked salsa chicken w/brussel sprouts (363)

Calories: 1276
Exercise: 1.8 mile walk

I decided to start weighing in daily this week. I WI at 167.0 on the 15th and this morning I WI at 168.4. Needless to say, whether this is water weight or whatever it may be, I don't believe I am going to hit 165.8 on Friday. I don't know how I'll lose 2.6 pounds in 4 days. Lots of thin thoughts would be appreciated! I'm going to just keep doing what I've been doing and drinking lots of water. I hardly drank any water this weekend and I'm feeling it today. I need to flush out my system with lots and lots of water this week.

Thinking thin thoughts for you!

In my opinion, you should shut the d*** thing away until Friday and just focus on your feeling healthy, active, and eating well. You are SO CLOSE! No need to stir up all that cortisol and make your process more difficult

Just keep thinking about how far you have come and that you are worth every good and healthy effort you make

LOL! I know. I wanted to see if I would hit 165 before Friday and that's why I pulled out my scale today, but that's not gonna happen!! I don't feel bad weighing every day this week, though. A few weeks ago the 168.4 would have traumatized me, but I know I'm doing what I need to do, so it really didn't phase me. It just prepped me for a possible non-165 day on Friday, and that's ok, too. I do know that I need to have a major push of water these next few days. I can tell that I'm really dehydrated from not having that much over the weekend.

You are so close, you will get there! It's literally around the corner. You have accomplished so much - definitely something to be proud of! Even if you don't hit that number on Friday, you will very soon.. Hang in there! You're an inspiration!

Thanks! Some days I want to say "eff it" and stop where I'm at, but I have this goal and I want to hit it so I can say I actually accomplished a goal I set in place for myself. And I keep telling myself, "The only way I will fail is if I give up"...one of my favorite quotes!