Hi all. New here and new to posting in any forum at all. I am dedicated to myself and my family...I'm too young to feel this darn old!

Goals for July
4 workouts/week
CC every day
Range of 12-14 lbs

This forum looks incredibly supportive...so here I go!

Thanks all!

Walked 38min. & had 1279 calories. I'm going to add more variety to my diet, whole food only though. So we'll see were that takes me, not sure what it will do to my weight. Foods that were healthy, but were still taboo to me because of higher carbs or starch are returning to my life. I need more choices, it will be healthier & I think it will help with the cravings for sweets. If I go over my calorie range some days, I'm not gonna worry, my body will find a happy weight somewhere along the way.

I've been trying this out for the past 2 days, weight stayed the same. But I feel a loss coming, so if anything this change will benefit me. I'll be eating more veggies & healthy foods, less sweet stuff. The sweet stuff is only here 2 days a week( as soon as I buy it for hubby, he eats it in 2 days), so if I want it while it's here, I'll have it. Otherwise it's all whole food for me!

Good luck with the sweets fruitlady. What I found has really helped me lately is making sure I eat by the "healthy guidelines" of 2 servings milk, 5 servings fruits/vegetables, 8 cups water, 2 tbl good oil, lean protein, and whole wheat when able. By the time I fit everything in with my calories I only have a small amount left for sweets, and I feel really good about what I ate that day. Good luck :)

Good Morning Everyone!! Yesterday ended very well and below my calorie range. I bought a shirt last year that I knew was way too small but every couple of months I'd try it on. Well this morning it fit!!!:carrot::carrot: I was way too excited and started to dance around the house, but I got to work on time. I love it when clothes that have been too small and you try them on and they fit with room to move and can be worn out of the house. I'm down a pound today and that is really exciting to me. I'm actually starting to see the loss with my own eyes which is not always the easy part of this process especially when you started off very large like I did.

I would like to welcome those new to the challenge since yesterday. We are having a great time and the support you need is available so come here and get it. We also want you to give support as well. It's a fun group.

Today's Nugget: It's early in the challenge so this is a good time to get in your groove. The work gets more intense as the weeks go by. If it seems that things aren't working look at what you are doing and make adjustments. It's okay to make adjustments along the way.

jigglefree: Congratulations!! That is really awesome!! :carrot: :carrot: I'll do a few dances for you!

Yesterday I ended with around 1700 calories. I was high in fat and sat. fats. I've been adding a lot of cheese to my salads and then I had some butter. I need to pick one or the other. The last couple days I've been high in sat. fat.
I was able to exercise as well. I did a 25min pilates video on youtube and then 30ds. I'm feeling it a bit in my muscles today, which is cool!

Today I'm planning: eat healthy! Lots of fruits and veggies!! I will do 30ds and some zumba. I might do a pilates, but I will see how I feel after 30ds an zumba.
All in all, I'm having a good month. My only issue is that I feel my TOM coming on. I was even a little spotty, but nothing is started and I think I'm a bit bloated. This is unusual for me with TOM. Usually I get bloated and then the next day I start. It's kind of annoying me actually LOL.

Oh and yesterday I also started taking glucosamine since my joints have been killing me. I'm going to take that to see if that helps them a bit. One of my friends said he had the same problem and that the glucosamine fixed he. He said it took about a month though, which is fine.

Another thought is that I want to get a proper measuring tape so that I can take measurements. Lately, even though I haven't lost too many pounds I am fitting into some of my clothes better.

See you chickys later!! :carrot: keep it movin'!! :carrot:

Hello everyone ;)

All is going good for me too. I'm staying within my daily calorie range and I'm getting my workouts in. I won't be weighing myself until the end of the month so I'm not sure where my weight is right now.

I hope everyone has a great OP day!

P H A T - I am so happy for you that your new job is going so well!

Jigglefree - That is EXCITING and worth the celebratory dance.

I am so tired today...I need to work on getting more sleep at night.

jiggle- Yay! I'm so happy for you!
PHAT- Your doing great & liking your job is so important, you can do this!

Walked 32min & had 1285 calories. Ate on plan, made fresh sweet potatoes for the first time. I peeled them and cooked them til soft, then I mashed them like potatoes. I didn't add anything to them, put in a container for tomorrow. I did taste them, they are fine as is, won't need to add anything. I'm used to eating whole food with no seasoning, the natural flavor tastes so good to me. No added calories or sodium either! Tonight's dinner was simple cause I didn't have anything prepared. Skinless chicken w/ caraway seed & 1 serving of carrots. I need to buy everything I need tomorrow, so i can make some of these recipes I found, like slow cooker chicken chili!
This is the third day of adding more variety & I love it. I don't crave anything yet, so far I've been feeling full and don't even want anything other than natural food. Very satisfying & I lost .8lbs!

Hey everyone, I've nothing to report other than I'm sticking to my counting and exercising. Doing the same things that have gotten me to where I am. Hope all of you continue to do well. :)

TOM is here, and I usually skip weigh in on these days but I weighed to find a gain of 1 pound. BUT, it's water weight. I knew I shouldn't have weighed today!

I ended up having a maui wowy burger yesterday (teriyaki sauce, pineapple and bacon mmm) for dinner which I know put me a bit over calories but hey, have to indulge every now and then, right? Of course, this could have helped with the water weight this morning, hehe.

I didn't do traditional exercise yesterday, either. I did do a lot of outdoor work, though. The day before I did my weights and a 7 mile hike. Love hiking!

Today, I'm hoping to stay OP but won't freak out if I go a little over calories...I may just need some chocolate! :D I'm hoping to get in a work out, too.

Welcome to all!

Fruit- Sounds great! I love sweet potatoes- I too don't like to add seasonings to my food, I love the natural taste. Especially sweet potatoes! They're so sweet and I never understood people piling on the butter/brown sugar! I'm glad you're liking the variety!

Envelope- I hear you, I'm exhausted right now (though, as I mentioned, TOM haha). Hope you can catch up on some zzz's!

Gettinfit- I may switch to doing a monthly weigh in too! I find myself obsessing too much with the scale. Thanks for the idea!

TDI- Woo-hoo! I love when you feel clothes loosening up! I took glucosamine for a while and did eventually notice some improvement in how my joints felt. Hope it works for you too!

Phat- Those cookies sound good! I love OP indulgences! So happy you're enjoying the job!

Jiggle- :carrot::carrot::carrot: Awesome!! I'm so happy for you! You're kicking butt!

Ditto for me! :) I gave up weighing until July 29th, so I don't have a weight to report just yet. I hope everyone has a great Friday and a great weekend!

Good Morning Everyone.
Had another good day yesterday. Stayed on plan with my calories but didn't do any working out. I am feeling good about my progress.

Today's Nugget: Take a moment at some point today and look at yourself without clothes and embrace yourself where you are on the way to where you are going. Take some before pictures if you haven't already. There are days that you don't think you are making progress and if you look at pictures of yourself along the way, then you will see that your work is truly paying off. Having before and after pictures is great especially when you get to goal. It will also encourage someone else when they find themselves where you are and not sure if it will work.

Let's make it a great and fun day today. :high:

jigglefree-thank you for the nugget!!

Corrinne- Glad to hear it does make a difference. Why did you stop taking it? I'm hoping that as I lose weight and strengthen those muscles that I will be able to jog and not have joint pain.

Today is my intuitive eating day! What I do here is eat how I normally would but I don't weigh anything . For breakfast I had a cup of coffee and a bowl of fruit. I think I will have some cereal shortly since I'm a bit hungry now.
I like this day since it gives me a break from calorie counting. I don't find counting hard to do, but I get obsessive about it.
I'd like to eventually do it another day or 2 each week. For now, while I am trying to lose weight I'm doing it once a week.

I will also be exercising today and painting our fence!! So painting, 30ds, some tae bo I'm thinking and a little pilates! :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

Hello Everyone!
My CCing and exercising are going great and the scale is moving along nicely, but I am wondering if I am about to get a stall. If I do, I just have to keep reminding myself to keep on doing the right things and a woosh will follow.

I need to get myself motivated to get the laundry caught up. Would love to finish it all and have it put away by this evening.

Fruitlady - Slow cooker chicken chili sounds GREAT! I am going to have to make that next week.