Good morning ladies, wow it is busy already this morning!!

Mrs. H, tried just the first trimester you will get a burst of energy back in the second!!! YOU will be a needle pro by the end of this journey!!!

Lekker: good luck with the thesis writing today!!!

good job on the veggies Bunna!!

B- Get well soon!!

Lori hope your boss free day goes fast!!

Trazzie have a great day!!!

As for me I am backt o the grindstone I am reining myself back in. I have been eating LC but alot of LC and not really paying attention to my portions and putting in little sneaks every once in awhile. So I gotta put the smack down on myself!!! I am back to the GYM, FOOD LOG, and 20 Carbs or less a day!! I gotta get a move on this since I am getting closer to vacation. Last time my friends in Calif saw me I was at my highest weight....I haven't told any of them that I have lost weight it is a SURPRISE!!!
heee heee heee

LOve Tg

Lekker - good idea on the lunch and great about your email. I always find it fun when I get an unexpected email from an old friend!

TG - Good girl! I find it easier to stay lower carb when have some rough days. But it's always great when you can go back to the 20g per day and get back "in the groove". I so hope your friends are amazed with the new you!!! That is sooooo much fun too.

Speaking of that...I'm going home (TN) this weekend to see some people i haven't see in over a year!!!! And I'm sure I was higher than my starting weight (183) the last time I was there. I'm excited and a bit scared? (not sure if that is the right word to use). I have found lately that i have to strengthen my resolve to attain my goal. I'm feeling great about myself and I KNOW my body is happy to stay where it is (or go up). But I am determined to reach my goal (most days).

So, my fear is...you get around family and friends and they begin to tell you how much different you look. Or that "you can stop now". That is the biggest one that irritates me! "You can stop now." HOw do they know? Ok, I will not get worked up about this again! I think these kind of things sabatoge my resolve. Help!! How do you go on when you are starting to get comfortable with your "new self"? Star...help! I have started exercising again this week. I was only doing that off and on for the last few weeks. I know that will help me lose, after the initial muscle adjustment. I'm trying to be great with my carbs, but it seems like I sabotage myself every weekend! And now we have a holiday weekend coming up with travel and family and friends!!! EeeeK! I think I'm just going to lock myself in my room with all low carb food.

Is anyone else having these panic attacks about their goals and this weekend??? Is it the summer that is doing this to me? Ok, enough of my rambling!!!

Talk to you later!

From yesterday...

Star: You definitely are a beautiful girl! It's hard sometimes to realize the changes in your own body because you live with it -- you see it every single day and might not notice the changes so much. Losing weight is definitely hard, but the hardest thing might be changing our mindsets. Sometimes it worries me that I'll never be satisfied.

Lisa: I read the "Home Improvement Diet," and I cracked up and felt bad for you at the same time! You are a very talented writer. Congrats on the weight loss!

From today:

MrsH: Hope the prenatal goes well!

Trazzie: Way to take advantage of that great weather!

Brenda: Glad your FIL is doing well. Now, you need to get to feeling better!

Lori: Hope your day at work goes faster than expected.

Jane: Size 10?!? You just got into a size 12 recently, didn't you? You are on a roll recently -- way to go! Congrats!

Leenie: Hugs to you, too!

Lekker: I feel the same way about writing. It just has to "hit" me. It seems like my most productive writing time is about 11 p.m. the night before the article is due!

Theosgirl: Can you put the smack down on me, too?

Tried the McDonald's adult happy meal last night. The salad was really tasty -- I think I got the chicken-bacon-ranch salad or something like that. The chicken was so good. We had to wait FOREVER for them to make it, though, so they gave us two pedometers. Those things are so fun -- I walked about a mile last night at the baseball game. I can't wait to try it out for a full day. The bad points about the meal: I was hungry about an hour after I ate the salad, and I'm with you, Jane, why does the dressing have to have 9 carbs in it!? I just didn't use any dressing, which is fine by me. I don't use dressing a lot.

The game was fun, but the Devil Rays lost. This afternoon: another game! Yay! We have the cutest mascot in MLB. I'll have to get my picture with him and post it. I need a new progress picture, anyway. Plus, I'll probably look really skinny next to a big, furry blue monster!

Hope everyone has a great Thursday!

Take care,
Jina

Good Morning Ladies!

Brenda - Glad to hear FIL is doing well

Lisa - TG is right. You'll get your energy back in a couple of months, and by the end, those needles just won't bother you anymore. I was the same way with my first daughter. They had to take blood everytime I went in due to toxemia. By the end, it was "okay, here you go, just do it" It'll all be worth it

Trazzie - I'll share the dry heat with you that we have here in Southern California

Lori - I hate days with nothing to do. Easy to tell when I'm slow, I'm on here alot!

Lekker - Good luck with the thesis

Jane - Size 10 isn't bad. I'm size 10 use to be size 16 to 18 at one point

Lennie - Same problem for me. I have to watch carbs and calories both

Bunna - Welcome

Okay, I'm sure I missed some one, this place is busy today! Well, TOM is finally over and down from 6 lbs that I put on due to the beast. Went out to Happy Hour last night and it turned into happy 5 hours. Head is wozzie this morning, but it'll go away in a little bit. Someday I'll learn, but when he's offering to drive for once, it's my turn to lose it. Our friends just kept showing up and it would have been rude to leave, yeah, that's my excuse!

Jina - you snuck in on me! Glad you enjoyed the ball game

Good morning, Darlings!

What a busy day on the forum!

Mrs. H - ah, baby fun! Please be sure to tell me all the awful stuff in great detail. It will be like additional birth control for me!

Bunna - You're doing great! Journaling your food and exercise is one of the most helpful things ever.

Trazzie - I think it's crazy weather everywhere. 2 days ago it as in the 80's, now it's in the 60's and raining. Blech!

Brenda - I hope you get feeling better. Are you being good about taking your vitamins? I know that when I'm not getting enough of the right stuff, I get sick pretty easily. Also, you know they make cough drops and syrups and all that SF, right?

Jane - You go, girl! And 1300 is plenty low.

Good morning Leenie!

Lekker - Happy Thesis writing!

Lori - Self-sabotage is a *****! I went through a phase of being bad on the weekends and good all week. I just had to find something to keep me focused. For me, that's the eternal quest to have a butt that looks great in a thong Also, I'm not done. I get that from people all the time 'don't lose any more weight, you're going to be too skinny'. Well guess what? It's not their choice! Besides, I've been too fat for so long, that being 'too skinny' might be a nice change! Really, though, people have been saying I don't need to lose more weight for the last 30 pounds, but they still say I look great so what do they know?

Jina - I know I'll never be satisfied. It's just not in me. Content? Sure. Satisfied? Never! Big, furry, blue monster, huh? I'm gonna have to find me one of those to walk around with me so I look all tiny and cute

Well, I actually got sleep last night, can you believe it? I went home from work, took a 2 hour nap, ate too much Oh **** Yeah (6 cloves of garlic, whew!), lounged about in my own glorious stinkiness, and went to bed by 11:00. Today, I'm bloated and my stomach hurts, but I know that happens when I eat alot of fresh garlic and I don't care.

So detox is working out well for me! I'm rested, awake, perky even. I'm even back on green tea instead of coffee. I told DH that I want to avoid drinking until the party we're going to on Sunday. It's all well and good for me if I'm at home, but it's hard to stick to water when I'm at the bar so we'll see.

Wish me luck!

Morti - Don't you just love it how you get sucked in? I can't tell you how many times DH and I will go in for 'just one quick drink' and end up leaving 5 hours and $40 later.

Bunna: I think I missed you in my attempt to catch everyone! Welcome!! Glad you're here!

Morti: Congrats on the big loss!!

Star: I'm a big fan of garlic, too! I got a huge container of garlic cloves at Sam's -- it's so handy and SO big. I won't have trouble working my way through it, though!

Now, now girls don't get too excited....I just said that I GOT THEM ON! I didn't say I could wear them But I feel the 10's comin my way.

Morti: You play you pay! Glad you had fun. What are your stats by the way if you don't mind me asking....if you are already into a 10!!!!

Jina: The salads aren't bad are they? Just need to lose the dressing like you said. I forgot my salad dressing today so I am going to have scrounge around in the fridge again today to find some.....I think there is an Italian in there somewhere.

Lori: I hope they all just keel over when they see you! I wish people would notice it in me. I don't understand how someone can lose 23 pounds and no one really says anything I saw my doctor yesterday and the last time she saw me was a month or so ago (when she didn't say anything) and last night AGAIN she didn't notice. Yet she asks how my diet is going
Sorry I don't have any good advise on how to handle those people back home ......

TG: I am in the same boat.....I am lowering my calories and really checking my portions. You sneak you! Wait till they see you!

Lekker: Have fun at the gym. How nice to get back in touch with an old friend.

Well I am hungry!!!!!!!!!!! This cutting my calories is difficult!

And another thing I have been meaning to ask......is anyone as thirsty as a horse lately? I am waking up downing 24 oz of water before I even get my hair dry. Then by 10:00am I have downed another 24 oz. I know that the water isn't going to kill me but this is weird. I am drinking more water now than ever. I have always gotten in at a minimum 8 8oz glasses a day.....then when I started Atkins I bumped that up....now I lose count how many times I fill my 24oz bottle.

Anyone else?

Looking back through the week's post and just wanted to give a big

CONGRATULATIONS!!! to KarenW on completing that running program!!! Now, just keep it up dear!

Star - It seems to be a way of life! But we do party less than we use to. Got suckered into doing Lobster this weekend with friends. My girlfriend wants to learn how to make it, so, it'll be a trip to Sam's to buy lobster on Saturday.

Jane - I just added a signature so it's at the bottom now. Didn't realize I hadn't done this yet. Dumb me!

Jina - It was all water retention from TOM

Jina - I'm willing to help you out there!

Morti - I'm your opposite. I'm playing way more than I ever did when I was younger. I was so sheltered and everything growing up. In high school, I wouldn't even say the word damn. What a change, huh?

Thanks for the well-wishing on the thesis. So far it appears to be a slow day, but I'm hoping for some inspiration to hit.

Theo - that's going to be such a great surprise for your Cali friends - I'd be so excited just to see their reactions, if it were me. Actually, I hope to someday have a moment like that!

Lori - same for you, it will be interesting to see the reactions. I guess you just have to brush off the comments that the others make about 'stopping'. I guess they mean well, meaning that they think you look great, but just don't realize that *you're* not yet where you want to be. And also I think that telling you to 'stop' makes them feel okay about not doing something about changing something about *themselves* that they aren't happy with. They don't want to be left behind!

Jina - you have no idea how many times this year I have told myself, "what's the rush? I have *all* night!" when it was already 11pm. I'm absolutely horrible for procrastination, and it's because I always get away with it, so I can't stop! (Oh and I'm cheering for Calgary now, and of course, I'm very sorry that Tampa Bay lost the other night... )

Morti - glad you got rid of the extra TOM weight.

Star - No drinking until Sunday, eh? Should we all start taking bets?

I just realized that I'm such a fake fan ... I just cheer for whatever team's convenient! Well, I suppose it boils down to the fact that I don't *have* an original team to remain loyal to. Actually, jumping from team to team makes for a much less stressful NHL playoffs, there's always someone new to cheer for.

LOL, Lekker, I know! I'll at least make it through tonight! One day at a time, right?

I forgot to tell you guys that when I was out on Tuesday night, I ran into an old friend that I haven't seen in a couple of years. He used to be one of my Nathan's roommates. Well, when he walked into the bar, he glanced at me and it was obvious that it didn't register who I was. So Nathan grabs him and says, "I want you to meet a friend of mine." He just smiled politely and said hi. I glared at him and asked him what the was wrong with him. He looked all confused and I put my hands on my hips and asked if he was going to be a ***** like that? That turned the light switch on and he just about died. He just kept hugging me and then holding me away from him and asking if it was really me.

It was so strange! I've gotten used to the double takes currently required for some people to recognize me, but this was a new one.

Oh, and I've stopped telling people how much weight I've lost. It's just too embarassing. When someone goes 'OMG you've lost so much weight!' I just smile and say 'Oh, I've lost a little'.