Hi Everyone

KFC, hope today is a better day!

mothermavis, that's great that you were able to work in a small piece of cake.

darby - hope you got that work out in!

enygirl - 125 by 5/26 - that's tremendous!!

i'm doing OK here. i worked out the last 4 days. today's was leslie's fast 3 mile walk. i'm really happy i got today's workout in since my body feels like i've restarted exercise - you know that sore muscle pain. so i'm patting myself on the back for doing something today too.

food has been good too even though DH has been travelling and that's my most difficult time.
water-check
5 fruits & veggies w/apple before lunch - check on the apples and check on the 5 daily
making good healthy choices and am staying present.

Not as much exercise today as I planned, did a video this am and that was about it, but eating was right on plan

I am definately in, this is just the kind of thing I need!!! You all are so motivating!!! Every year I promise myself I will look great in a bikini but I can never keep my goal. This year Im going to stick with it!!! I have 26lbs to go and hopefully I can lose them by the middle of march. What eating/exercising programs are all of you on?

Ok i'm obessed now. i know I have control issues - and watching what I consume is very important part of this whole losing weight process... BUT 3FC is taking over! LOL I'm literally on here about 9 hours a day (yes 8 of it I'm at work and should be accomplishing more then what I am!)

to all the newbies... and good luck!

I'm currently down #3.6 this week, but my official weigh in day is Friday. I know it sounds like a lot - but I'm eating very healthy, and working out everyday. I've become a religous calorie counter and keep them between 1100 - 1300 not to low, and not too fixed. 1200 is my daily goal. I'm working on mini-goal #2 - since I completely missed #1 - but I have a much better grasp of what I'm doing now. KISS THE #180's GOOD-BYE before the ball drops!!!

Enygirl - Great Job!! You go girl!

Beauty - Welcome, we can all do this together!!

How is everybody's week? Mine is good. I moved most of my exercise inside now (think elliptical) because it's too cold outside. That just motivates me more. Think beach and warm again come April!

Hi Girls,

How's everyone doing?

I realized today that I can't work out too early in the morning. I just can't do it. I was going to do my HIIT on the treadmill, but I had to leave for work at 8, so I would have had to work out at about 6 to get everything done. I know some people get up at crazy hours to get their workouts in, and more power to them, but I just CAN'T do it that early. I bump into things, I trip over things. I need about half an hour and a cup of coffee before I can even begin to function. Does anybody else have this problem?

Luckily I don't have to be at work until about noon tomorrow, so I'll be able to work out at a proper time!

Does anyone have any exciting weekend plans? I'm going to try to get in a workout tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. Not exciting, but necessary. My husband is leaving for a week of reserve duty early Sunday, so we'll hang out on Saturday. I hate when he's gone, but eating is easier when he's gone. He can be a bad influence sometimes.

Welcome Beauty! And to answer your question, I'm doing Weight Watchers at home and I try to work out 4-5 days a week (I'm trying for 6 this week). I do the Firm videos and high intensity interval training on the treadmill. I've lost 12 lbs in a month, so something is working!!

Good job Enygirl! Sounds like you're on the right track!

Angeline-you're doing great! Especially getting in those fruits and veggies. I have a problem with that! What are the Leslie Sansone videos like? Are they low impact?

Thanks for all the compliments. I need reassurance that I'm doing the right thing.. of course I'm doing this for me and my family so that I'm around for a LONG LONG time - but it's nice to get outside opinions.

Darby i'm totally with you on the early morning work outs. I can't do them either. I have a hard enough time getting out of bed by 6:30 to leave at 7! I'm very blessed that DD is a complete morning bird and generally wakes up by herself around 5:45 - and then makes sure I'm up whenmy alarm goes off 15 mins later. I know - pathetic.. but she's always been a morning child!
I do my workouts in the evenings usually after DD goes to bed around 7:30-8. It works well for me. and I sleep a lot better because I'm EXHAUSTED!

I also understand the bad influence that significant others have. My BF is an AMAZING cook! And generally he cooks things that are healthy - but our schedules are SO far off of eachother - he cooks at like 10 pm for his dinner... It's SO hard to say no to him when he offers some! BUT I'm doing a good job of not eating at least 3 hours before bed - and I have to get to sleep by 11!

B.B.E.B.- I have found that religious calorie counting works best for me. It's a control thing. We all know what we should and shouldn't eat - but I don't limit myself from anything. If I cut ot carbs, sugar white flour then I just have uncontrollable cravings for those things and blow everything in a huge binge. So I limit my calorie intake to between 1100-1300 a day, unless it's a "special occasion" (ie - holiday, birthdays etc.) then I up it to 1500 - 1800. What I mostly go by is the "calorie Deficit" theory - and so far it's working out to the T! Basically it's that if you consume less cals then you burn you will lose weight... - and I have a chart that gives a rough estimate of how much you lose per amount of deficit - example: my body requires approx. 2200 cals a day. If i eat 1200 cals then the deficit is 1000 cals - which is about #1/4 loss.

MOST IMPORTANT PART is you HAVE to eat Breakfast - and no eating within 3 hours of bed time. 8 glasses of water a day.

With this diet though I can still eat a snickers bar - but if I do that's about all I can eat that day - so it causes me to eat better so that I'm not starving.

As for exercise... I just finished week 4 of 6 of Slim in 6. I love this workout! Although I may hold off on weeks 5 & 6. I promised my friend that I would walk in her 5K that she's organizing in Jan (www.blueberryrace.com - I designed the logo. ) and the prep program I'm planning on using is 8 weeks long... so I have to start that on Saturday. But in general I'm 6 days on, 1 day off.

Ok I'm really long winded tonight

Thanx everyone for your welcoming thoughts and comments. Its great to see so many motivated people active on the forums.

Darby- Im glad weight watchers is working for you. Ive never really tried it, always been on Jenny Craig. I can definately understand with the early morning workouts. Whenever I say Ok im going to stick to this diet and kick it in the rear, I plan to get up really early the next day and go to the gym or get up earlier and run on my treadmil... It just doesn't work!!! Im half asleep in school till noon so how do I expect to get up EARLY?!?! Nope... not for me!!!

Envy- Im glad calorie counting works well for you. Im the complete opposite... I just can't seem to count them and stick to it... I end up freaking out by the end of the day and having sweets at 10 at night. How many lbs a week do you lose on average. It seems like that is a great way to decide how many cals you can have a day. 5K... what a challange!!!

Blue eye - my normal weeks when I do everything I'm supposed to and TOM isn't visiting I lost between #1.5 and #2. It's a healthy loss and It makes me happy. I know that it'll slow down though. I just really started pushing myself mid October, with a few slips here and there - most of my #8 pounds gone have been since Oct 26th.

Today is official weigh in day. I'm praying to see a #180's number! It'd be SO nice to kiss the #190's GOODBYE!!!

Morning workouts: I did them consistently for close to 6 months when I was training to run/walk a marathon to benefit the American Stroke Association. I was either outside or at the YMCA by 5:30am. It was tough BUT for those workouts I really didn't have to think much. (Just a side note: I tore my calf muscle training and never did the marathon. My longest training run/walk was 20-21 miles - crazy! I'll never do that again). I also ran one 10K and a number of 5Ks. Yep, I used to be a runner...er, uh, make that more like a plodder. Of course I wasn't at this weight then either.

So other than that time period I tried morning workouts on and off and hated them! Now my usual workout time is around 9am.

Leslie Sansone workouts are all low impact. If you like a lot of dancey choreography though, these workouts are not for you.

Cute logo, enygirl. Good luck on the 5K. I'd love to hear more about Slim in 6 I've been thinking about ordering them. I hope you're in the 180's too!! I can't wait until I'm in the 180's!!!!!

I've joined WW so MANY times I've lost count. I've always lost weight but also went back to my old ways of eating too. I've also tried cutting out white flour - extremely hard...especially in the beginning. But once I got past the withdrawals I was fine until I started to allow white flour back into my diet...on came the weight - again! Now I'm really focusing on 5 fruits and vegetables a day, water, workouts and healthy choices while staying focused and present.

I eat much better when DH is home. He's a normal eater - eats a moderate amount of food and stops when he's full (HUH????) Plus I cook when he's home. When he's travelling I don't want to cook so I'll just grab something that's not very nutritious and then want something else and something else...and so it goes. I'm glad he's back home from his business trip.

Well I'm off to workout. I will also get in workouts on Saturday and Sunday. Monday is my official weigh-in day.

Have a good weekend!

Went to the doc on Thursday. The scales had actually moved a pound... IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!! GRRRR.... I think it's muscle though, cause I can definitely tell a difference in the tone of my biceps and in the way my clothes fit. It's just so discouraging NOT seeing the numbers go down.

I also got a flu shot Thursday & I'm still having problems out of it! My arm is still swollen & hot and there is a knot where I got the shot. I called my sis & told her about it cause she works at doc's office & she said as long as I could still breathe, that I was alright! I have to take my daughter back to the doc on Wednesday so if it isn't better then, I'll have it looked at.

I've been on WW three times & couldn't manage to keep at it. My sis lost 85 lbs on it though so I know it works. I just couldn't stay with it for whatever reason.

Angeline.. I do a lot better when my hubby is OUT of town. He is very overweight as well and both of his parents are diabetic. We've talked about his weight, but he isn't ready to change. And as a result, he always is baking cookies and buying ice cream. Especially when I am trying to concentrate on my weight. It's like he is constantly sabotaging me. So.. I just don't tell him anymore. I just cut back and watch extra hard when he is around.

Girls - I DID IT!! Yesterday's weigh in I was at #188.7! I KISSED THE #190'S GOODBYE!!! I'm very happy. It makes my goal of #179 by the ball dropping even more doable!

Angeline - I LOVE almost ALL of the beach body workouts! My little sister had ordered the Thin Thighs, Great Abs, and Great Stretch years ago (on VHS) The Slim in 6 give a GREAT full body workout. And it starts out easier and gets more intense... it's nice to not have to jump into a high impact hour long workout and feel frustrated that you can't do it. The first 2 weeks is 25 mins a day 6-days a week, weeks 3&4 are 48 mins, and 5&6 are 60 mins.. however they say not to move onto the next video until you've mastered the previous one. If I was still continuing w/ them right now I'd probably stay w/ the 48 min one for at least another week. After I'm done w/ the 5K in Jan I'm going back to it - starting with week 3. Oh and it comes w/ an INCREDIBLE Ab workout, and a great stretch workout as bonuses.

As of right now - since Nov 17th I've lost 9.25 inches off my body - from all over (but mostly my waist) If you want anymore info let me know!

I also revamped my goals a little. I changed my ultimate goal from #125 to #130. I know it's only #5 - but I'm still in the healthy range. When I get there (still Memorial Day Goal) maybe I'll reasses... but this feels right.

Tomorrow I start training for a 5K walk race that's happening Jan 26th. I found a great training article online that is an 8 week course - exactly how long I have! I'm excited to even have 1/2 a thought to push myself this hard... although to morrow while I'm walking an hour in the 33 degree weather I may change my mind! Give me some to get me through this.. and pray that I don't look like when I get back!

I would love to join this challenge. My goal is to be maintaining my main goal weight of 115 by spring time. Hopefully this challenge will help get me there.

Butterfly Diva Welcome, I hope you post often, we are getting a great group here!

Enygirl FABULOUS, YOU ARE DOING SO WONDERFUL!!!

I like the Beach Body workouts I've tried too, althoug I've only tried TurboSculpt & Ab Jam (exercise tv)

KFC, If the inches are coming off, what you are doing is working, don't worry about the scale, it will show there too!

Everybody, when you get to your ideal weight, will you wear a bikini? If I can tone my tummy, I will, if not, I will wear a tankini . But my suits gonna have 2 pieces!!!!

mothermavis - funny that you asked that - i was just telling my mom that I don't want a "Mom Suit" for this summer! you know - the one piece w/ a skirt to hide your fat thighs and butt. However I'm not going bikini on anyone.. stretch marks are not attractive no matter what size you are.. and DD did a number on me 6 years ago.

KFC - The scale will catch up to your hard work. The first two weeks of me actually working out and watching what I was eating I gained #1/2 pound each week.. then the next week I had a drop of over #2. Keep up the good work!

butterfly 115 by spring is completely doable! Post often..we're good at encouragement and when needed