Staccie- Thank you so so much! That was SO nice to wake up to!!!!

Burgundy- You can do it!! I believe!

Well ladies... I did great yesterday. Going to do well today. I have a job interview. My husband starts school today so its a big day. I haven't "really" worked in a year so I am super nervous and we need it sooooooo bad!! Wish me luck. Here I go =)

Lindy - have a wonderful time and take lots of pictures! we'll miss you around here - but will look forward to a full report when you get back.

I ended up doing passably yesterday despite the major hunger attack. I went for a walk with a friend in the evening and on the way back stopped at a hole-in-the-wall chinese take-out place that I've never tried before and got a spicy chicken and veggies dish with brown rice. Yum! It's really close to my house and I have a feeling it's going to become a regular fallback when I don't feel like cooking.

Cleaning ladies came this morning and since they're fairly disruptive to getting any work work done, I decided to start my organizing kick and organized all of the shoes in my closet and the cabinets and two of the drawers in the bathroom while they were here. Still more to do there but it does seem to have an interesting effect on your outlook - things seem more manageable, I guess.

Am planning on a late morning run and have my second botox appointment this afternoon (still makes me a little nervous but the results were too good to stop doing it). And with all of that going on, still have to review a bunch of budgets by the end of the day - wish me luck!

My bf was moody this week but seems to have bounced back and we're having dinner tonight - maybe I'll convince him to go for an after dinner walk to burn a few more calories.

Staccie - good for you, you workout queen! And totally agree that AJ is gorgeous!

mygrits and burgundy - keeping my fingers crossed for you guys to make it to 210 this weekend!!!

AJ - just saw your post - sending ***giant waves of interview luck*** your direction!

Dancer- THANK YOU!!! They decided to keep me there for 2 hours to try the position. Its simple but what ever. I just need work for 8 months. They will call me Tuesday to let me know. OMG I NEED THIS! =)

Slow today! Where is every one? How is the day going for every one???

aj - that's great - keep us posted! With Lindy heading out and mygrits working at the healthfood store and Tifftiff MIA, it may be a little quiet this weekend.

You, me, Staccie, Maddiesmom and Burgundy will have to keep things rolling!

Okay, ladies - what are people doing this weekend to help get to their 11/1 goal? I'm going to sneak in that extra walk tonight on top of my usual run and tomorrow will run again and maybe add some rollerblading in the late afternoon. And hopefully a hike on Sunday will kick my butt (or at least shrink it a bit). 4 weeks left until our final weigh-in (of this challenge at least)! I'm hoping to lose 6lbs in that time. Girls - we can do this!

What challenge are you all doing together? I love that idea! The only thing like that i have been a part of onhere sort of fell apart. Another chick PM'd me about the C25K program and offered to support one another as we did it. Then she fell off the face of the earth (or at least off of this forum :( )

Tell me more :)

Someone earlier asked what I had been doing toloss the weight and I don't think I ever responded. I am a doula and I was at a birth two days and am still getting caught up :lol:

I am doing a program called Herbal Magic that involves gives me a food sort of plan to follow (kind of. It tells you serving allowances that you must eat everyday. Right now, for instance, I eat 2 servings of protein, 2 starches, 2 fruits, 3 veggies, 2 fats, 1 dairy, andone "Free"). Also minimum 8 cups of water a day.

I also started running. First I did the Couch to 5K program and now that I am finished that, I just run. I am still very slow but I try to run 10 miles a week in 3 or 4 runs.

I have five children (as my name implies) and one cat. That's about all from me! I JUST hit Onderland this week so I am super excited about that.

Thanks for the welcome chicks! I look forward to getting to know you all a bit more and maybe join in your next challenge :)

I am sooooo exhausted. Been doing good on my diet, but lacking in exercise. I have worked 14hrs each day I worked.. non-stop no breaks. So.. I did run around a lot and got my adrenaline going especially in critical situations.. so maybe that helps. who knows. going to bed now.. will catch up tomorrow. bye!

Hi Ladies, yep, I've been MIA again. This week has been so crazy. I'm in charge of 20 country managers coming to the US for 3 days of training, so I'm doing the logistics of it and had another training going on at the same time, so I had lots of running around to do.

I didn't work out Tues, Wed, or Thurs due to late work nights and just generally being exhausted. I really didn't want to go today either, but I got off of work early and went to the gym. Pushed myself to run 1.5 miles straight, which I don't think I've ever done, so go me! :carrot: I was only going to do a mile, but thought, "Wouldn't it be great to tell the girls I made it 1.5?" So, I did it, and now I'm telling you! :)

Dance: This weekend, I am working out with Hott trainer tomorrow morning and then I have a b-day party to go to. Luckily for me, they usually don't have a variety of food that I eat, and they are across the street so I can sneak home and eat lunch rather than eating the fatty food.

Mom0f5: We have a challenge going on from 8/1 - 11/1 and whomever loses the largest percent of body weight, gets a $10 amazon gift card from the other ladies in the challenge. IT keeps us motivated, so it's working!

Neesy: Sorry you've been so busy with work, I'm sure with all the running around you're doing, you are definitely getting a workout. Hope you are still finding time to sit down and eat.

AJ: Good luck with the job!! I think the fact that you were there so long shows that they are interested in you. The same thing happened to me at my current job. Day 1: 2 hour interview. A week later, I was there for over 2-1/2 hours. I got the job a week later, so I hope the same thing happens for you!

Burgundy: Thanks for the compliment. It's taken me a long time to get off my butt and work out. I'm not a fan of it, but I guess it's a necessary evil! :devil:

Sandy: Congrats on the 5 pounds. I know it's frustrating, but like you said, keep a journal of your food intake and your exercise and talk to your doc about it. Good luck!

So, I was talking to my boss the other day and she saw my id picture and said "wow, you have really lost weight!" She said that you could totally see a difference. Well, I guess later on she talked to a mutual friend of ours and asked her how much weight I've lost. Anitra told her and my boss was amazed and telling her how dedicated I was to losing weight, bringing my lunch, etc. etc. ANitra thinks my boss told her, so she would tell me, since it could be akward for her to bring it up. SO, people are starting to notice, which is getting me motivated again.

I have to say, my motivation was down this week, mostly due to lack of sleep and too much work. I had deep dish pizza on Tuesday (it was veggie and I had 2 pieces) and then had Jason's deli yesterday, I had a panini, but I looked it up and it was 800 calories! Holy cow! And it was listed as "healthy." Yea, sure it is. I did work out on Monday, pushed myself today and going tomorrow, so that's still 3 times in a week, so not too horrible I guess.

Anyways, this post is long, so I will shut up now! Talk to you chicks later!!

Hi ladies!

I had a rocking busy day...and finally home 12 hours later and going to watch a movie and get ready for a nice weekend. I didn't do great eating today - I had some chocolate, pasta for lunch and then an ok dinner. However, I didn't do as bad as I used to and I am still making better choices. Part of the reason is because I ran out of food and didn't get anything last night and that is bad! Today I am resting from the gym - very sore.

This weekend, not too much planned other than some good workouts, reading and that's about it. I had so much interaction at work this week I need some quiet time alone. I am going to start tracking my weight each day and although I have been eating well, I need to track it more - because maybe my estimate of calories is off and I am eating too much or not enough for the amount of time I am working out. I will exhaust those options first before heading to my doctor. I want to also measure myself this weekend as I am convinced I am loosing inches. My pants that I tried on two weeks ago actually go up and I can fit two fingers in the waistband, prior to that, I had to really suck and they were tight - so that is really positive.

Lindy is gone on her vacation...so lucky!!!

Dance - I wasn't a part of this challenge but my goal is to get down to 15 pounds lost by Halloween - it was 25 but it's obvious that wasn't a realistic goal. So that means I have to lose 10 pounds this month....I hope I can do it!!! Or at least fit into those pants comfortably! Your workout plans sound awesome this weekend...soon you will be in the 150's....woo hoo!

AJ - thanks for the add on FB!! I just noticed on my blackberry! And good luck with the call back for Tuesday!!! Fingers are crossed for you!!

mygrits...hope your first day back after resting your footsies is going good!!

Maddiesmom - I hear you on the crazy stuff!!! And I can relate and I don't have a family at home!!! Congrats on the mile.5 too!! That's awesome :woohoo: :celebrate: And I am glad you are getting noticed...that is awesome for motivation - it sure makes it feel worth it!!!

Neesy - get some good rest!!!!

Momof5: impressive loss and program!! And considering the size of your family - it's even more impressive that you are so dedicated to yourself and to them! Glad to have you on here and hope to get to know you better!

Well I am off to watch a movie...will check in tomorrow...and really hoping to see a loss on Sunday....please please!

Vicky- YAY!!! Congrats on your work out. That is awesome.

Neesy- I am so sorry things are so crazy busy. I am sure your heart rate has been high enough to classify it as cardio =)

Staccie- Yeah... adding you was back breaking work... lol. j/k. I am glad you have rationed your candy for the weekend =)

staccie - It was a real eye opener for me to track calories using thedailyplate website - are you using a real tracker or are you swagging it in a journal? You might find it interesting to use the online tracking tools if you haven't tried them. Since it does all the estimating for you, it's less work. Big woohoo on your pants fitting - isn't that the best?

maddiesmom - wow, you are a busy girl! Good plan on the b-day party - I like that approach!

neesy - all that running around must be burning calories like crazy - good for you!!

momof5k - If you'd like to keep us old-timers company on this challenge (even if you aren't an *official* participant), pick a weight goal for 11/1 and join us in tracking weekly progress, etc! I'm fairly sure we'll do another one of some kind after 11/1 so stick around ;) It's kind of unsettling when your online buddies just up and disappear, isn't it? I guess we shouldn't be surprised but it always worries me just the same.

So, did pretty well yesterday, getting in the extra walk and having fairly healthy chinese food for dinner but I did steal some of my bf's sweet-tarts which wasn't the best plan ever - oh well ;) Once it warms up a bit here I'm heading out for a run then am going to catch up on office stuff -such fun! Maybe a little jeans shopping later - I need some cute ones to take on our trip next weekend. What are you all up to today?

Staccie-you are doing great, even when you want to talk yourself out of exercise you still do it. It is probably like you think, you are losing more inches but not as many lbs. I am sure you will see a big drop soon if you reassess. Good luck

Lindy-have a great time(you probably already are). Remember 3 lbs, you have to win your challenge at work. Great job on the treadmill.

AJ-good luck with the interviews. Let us know how they go.

Dance-mmmmm, chinese. I love it. I too am trying to get organized. Almost finished with the kitchen, gonna do one room at a time until it is done. I am gonna do crunches with an ab lounger today. Hopefully I can get a walk in too.

momof5-I want to do the C25K but I never get started on it. I do add running into my walks now so I am basically doing it, I guess. It will too cold out in MI soon to be out there plus the dreaded snow.

Neesy-I am sure you burned major calories at work. Keeping your diet on point helps too.

maddiesmom-I love to think of all you girls too when I am working out and push myself just a little more. You are amazing. So proud of you. Thats amazing that your boss and I know others are noticing your weight loss. So exciting.

I have to work today, but its only one of the boys so it will be an easy day. Plus it will only be for 5 or 6 hours. I already did day 12 of 30ds/level 2 this morning. Got my hubbies dinner cooked, showered, now ready to go at 1. I am gonna use the boys moms ab lounger and run around the basement with him. I bought some more workout dvds. They are by George Foreman. Havent tried them yet, they are for walking. One is walk and box and the other is circuit walk. I am probably gonna try one tonight or tomorrow. I was hovering between 211 and 212 this morning and am claiming it as 211, but I really want to be at 210 tomorrow. Sandy may beat me there. I can do it though. Just gonna be strict with eating today and stay at 1200. I have only had a piece of toast today with weight watchers cream cheese, so that was only 140 calories. Having a healthy choice for lunch, a pear for snack, not sure on dinner yet. Have plenty of stuff in the freezer, I will decide before I leave.

I hope everyone is having an amazing Saturday. I will be back tonight to see how everyone is.

OH I almost forgot. I did a little shopping yesterday at Old navy and bought 2 shirts, both large(thats 5 shirts now that I bought that are L and not XL) Its still so exciting. Just had to share. Before at old navy I was buying XL and XXL

Burgundy - you are doing so great! Congrats on 211 and on the 'L' shirts - wooohooo!

Burgandy - :woohoo: on the large shirts - that's so amazing! I think I would fit a large shirt if it wasn't for my rather large 'girlfriends' that hang out on my chest. Even when I lose weight, they stay the size of an overgrown cantalope...lol. So button up shirts are never a good idea unless I wear the first three buttons open with a tank top underneath. Which ultimately...makes them look much bigger.

Dance - thanks for the suggestion about the on-line tracking - I am going to get on that tonight. Perhaps my 'estimates' are off and now that I have gone 21 days with changing some habits, I can integrate a bit more into this. What a relief it was last night to give myself options to choose something bad and all I did was a box of smarties. It's like those things, although they look good was rejected by my mind and body - which I have to admit was never an option before. The 'fight' with food or so I would call it, is becoming less of a fight and more of an annoyance. Good luck with finding a cute pair of jeans...I can't wait until that day when I can wear a pair and feel really confident in them. Make sure you check out your booty in the mirror and give yourself a big smile!

AJ - fingers and toes are crossed for your job hunt!! I bet that smile does you wonders :) How are things shaping up with your eating and working out, are you finding yourself a little more settled yet?

Well, I must admit - it is 1130am and I am still in my pj's in bed. I fell asleep a bit later and decided that I was going to relax this morning. I slept until about 10 - and then was reading and dozing. I have to learn not to feel guilty. I deserve this after a long and stressful week. But my tummy is grumbling and aching to get to the gym as I didn't go yesterday. I am aiming to run a full mile today without stopping on the treadmill....so I'm getting up right away and heading out to get that done, relax in the hottub for a bit, then make my way to pick up some groceries since I am lacking badly at the moment. Tonight I am going to check out those sites that Dance recommended and continue working on my job hunting guide. Because I have to start looking here in a few months. I'm not looking forward to that. But in a way I am a bit because I am ready to start the next chapter of my life which doesn't entail living downtown in a huge city and working 80 hours a week. I would consider the next chapter finding a stable job with opportunity for growth, moving into a quiet residential area, meeting some new people, maybe even a guy :) and less experiencing less adrenaline in my life. The thought of that makes me feel positive. I'm glad I did this career opportunity of a lifetime but it's not for me long-term - at least I don't think :) I think one of the hardest things will be to not focus on how amazing the event was and forget everything leading up to it...my sister has promised to remind me of that.

Anyway I am babbling and clearly procrastinating about working out, so off I go. Hope everyone is having a good Saturday...I will check in later...and fingers crossed that I see some movement on the scale tomorrow...