staccie - I can't even believe that you seriously said you have your workouts to look forward to - wow! Any advice for someone who doesn't seem to love working out quite as much as you do? I like running but only when it's above 30 degrees (F not C ) and I totally can't get inspired about the weight training.

I'm up 1.5lbs today and didn't run after all yesterday so I'm feeling like a slug. Am planning on yogurt for breakfast, subway turkey for lunch, fish, veggies and a salad for dinner so am hoping to get back on track before we leave on Friday.

Ok - better go focus on work Hope you all are having a great day!

hey - forgot to mention - you low-carbers out there, have you tried the cocoa dusted almonds in the nut section at the grocery store? (NOT the dipped in chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder ones - those are definitely not on the healthy side) They have nutrasweet I think plus some cocoa powder. Very very yummy and not too awful for you as an after dinner treat. Plus almonds are supposed to be super good for you.

Wow, slow day today! Dance, just you and me it looks like!

Yeah I don't know why I am so excited about working out lately, maybe because it's the only time I feel in control of anything! And I love weight training. I know lots of people that don't though. Me, I hate cardio but I make myself do it - I usually break it up in half - half first thing before I'm allowed to weight train and then 1/2 after.

Those almonds sound really good!!!

Well today was a long day - and I'm super tired. I need to do something other than work, that much is for sure!! So on Saturday I am going to see The Lovely Bones, I read the book and excited to see the movie. But with no popcorn...ummm that is going to be tough. I am going to sneak in some nuts so I am a munchie and plug my nose when walking by the popcorn lol. I just don't trust myself enough to let myself eat it. That's how I always fall off the wagon, allowing myself something too soon until my habits change a bit. Maybe I can airpop some at home, much healthier

Anyway I hope everyone had a good day.

Just checking in... super busy week and I'm already completely exhausted!
Sounds like you gals are all doing well!

Howdy, girls!
Okay, I just updated my ticker to show that my old scale was off by *gasp* 10lbs - I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with it mentally. It is what it is, right? I'm seriously looking forward to actually being the weight that I thought I was

Staccie - I hope your love of weights turns out to be contagious - I can't even make myself do situps and pushups but I'm going to try to commit to it again when we get back from vacation.

Rocky - keep up the good work! Where in Colorado do you live? If you aren't too crazy far from Denver, maybe we can get together for a walk sometime.

So, we leave for vacation tomorrow and I'm pretty much ready. I'm going to do a spray tan on Friday to minimize the glaringly white thighs issue

Hope you all are doing well!

Dance: How do you know your scale is off? Maybe the new one is off, and you're really 160? Just curious. Have fun on your vacation!!! I am so jealous.

Staccie: Chica, you are doing AWESOME! I can't wait until I can say I like working out. Actually I like working out with my trainer, just don't like working out by myself. I dunno...I'm just strange that way. Good luck with the Olympics, I know you'll / they'll be great! Just make sure you save time for yourself.

I'm doing ok. Very nervous about tomorrow. Anything having to do with the spine makes me nervous. My appt is at 3:30, but the doctor talks to me at 3:00 to go over the procedure and scare the **** out of me. Then I have to stay there until the local wears off and I can walk. Fun fun fun! I'm just looking forward to not having any pain...I realized last night that I injured myself in early November, so it has been literally over 10 weeks that I have been in pain EVERYDAY. Ugh. But, between physical therapy and a personal trainer, I'll be working out a lot. I have to find a bright side to this so I don't go crazy.

Have a great afternoon!

Maddiesmom-keep us updated on your appt today.

Dance-I should have gone with a spray tan before vacation but i went with the beds and now I have stripes.

Ok only 2 more lbs and I am back at ticker weight, it cant come soon enough.

It has been a little over a month since I started my weight loss journey and for some reason this week I'm dealing with INSANE cravings! Don't know if it is stress, or what... But I'm going insane trying to have the willpower not to eat everything in my apartment! What do you guys do to stifle cravings?

Dance: I am just down in the Tech Center of Denver. So we definitely should do a walk sometime (maybe once it warms up just a bit, I'm a whimp outside in the snow)!

MaddiesMom: You're in our thoughts and prayers tomorrow! Let us know how it goes!

Hi everyone,
just spent the past several days in bed... food poisoning. Prettty bad, but for the couple lbs lost in the process! **DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

I am resuming eating 'real' food today.. guess the whole weight-loss routine won't start just yet.. i'm just happy to be OK now.

dancerindenver: Gasp. I hate that feeling. Even with the same scale, if it goes up 1lb, or only goes down 1lb, it affects my mood so drastically. Why do we let a simple number (even two-digit ones! ) have this much of an impact on our self-perception and self-love??? Funny how I can't seem to feel comfortable in my skin until I see a certain number on the scale. I really, really, want to change that mindset.

Hang in there!

aj - love your new pic! and i so understand the 'dual-personality' attitude..haha! and totally understand needing a break. see you when you're back.

staccie - i am still enthralled by the amount of energy you have. with everything you do for your job, the long hours, meal planning and all that exercise. wow! loose pants... ah, i remember that feeling. soon, very soon....

rocky - great job hitting your numbers last week. that will catch up with you and your number will go down. cravings=TOM? or maybe you just need a break in the routine. hope you can figure out how to get through it. each time i come across an obstacle, i learn 'the hard way' how to deal with it, but i learn and fix it the next time. sometimes just paying attention to my breathing will distract me - slow, deep yogic breathing (hence, my 'handle' ) oh! and sometime just guzzling water will do it. i don't realize how thirsty/dehydrated i am when i'm 'cruising' for food in the kitchen.

popcorn - down 1.5-yay!

dancer - if i had a beach to exercise on, i bet exercise would not be an issue for me. hope you have a wonderful time on vacation-at the very least, you will be warm! and those almonds sound good no matter what plan you are on... mmmm!! i would definitely get that scale checked or compare it to another. or you could toss it in the ocean as you run!

rayne - you are so close to kicking that 200 in the butt. hang in there, it will come.

maddiesmom - oh my! so sorry to hear what you've been going through. sounds like you have a great trainer that will take care of your specific needs in this situation. fantastic! good luck today. you are a strong woman to have that much pain for that long. i'll be thinking of you today. and no matter what, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! just remember we have warm wishes for you here.

neesy - how long was the challenge? 8 lbs is sweet!

pushing daisies - oh no! i've seen food poisoning in my friend, not fun. i've never had it (knocking on wood) but i don't think i'd ever want to eat again after that.
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i want to know what the gift card challenge is, how does it work and and when does the next one start? might be something to inspire me!

i did good this week. until yesterday. i don't know if it's because i knew i was weighing this morning or if TOM is sneaking up on me. (i really should keep track of that) i weigh once or twice during the week to keep on track for my friday weigh in and on wednesday i was down 1 lb.

here is the problem-one of the girls at work won 100 chick-fil-a sandwiches to share with her co-workers. fine, i looked up the numbers and planned my thursday for it. but for some reason, when she came around with left over sandwiches i said yes to a second. ugh! the fat and sodium are through the roof for that thing. i can work one into me meal plan for the day, but not two. but i ate it. it was delicious, but so not worth the added salt and fat. nothing is worth that and i wasn't thinking about how i would feel after i ate it and i should have (bad! bad! bad brain!) and on top of that, i had dinner to think about. no way i can go through the evening without eating. i did ok with dinner, but i did kinda eat this, and that, and this. the numbers on what i ate are fine, but combined with the 2nd sandwich, it was a complete bust for the day.

when i weighed in this morning, it kept going between 227 and 228 and stopped at 228. so i'm making a deal with myself.... i'm giving myself that 1 lb loss and if i do good with food today, i can keep it (cause it's all from yesterday's sodium). but if i do bad, i add the lb back on.

do you all have a certain day you weigh on? mine has been friday because Jan 1 was friday and that's my weekly now. also, i've learned that if i weigh in on sat, sun or mon. it's too much 'pressure' for me and i screw up every time. so i'm working with what seems to work with me.

hope to hear from you all today and how everyone is doing. where is lindy? was she going somewhere or is she just mia this week? hope all is well for her.

oh, thought i'd share this too. my morning oatmeal recipe. i don't like the packaged instant oatmeal cause it turns to glue..ick! i found and tweaked a recipe for raisin spice oatmeal and eat it every weekday morning at work. they fit perfectly in the ziplock snack size bags!

4Tbs instant oats
1 1/2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs raisins
2 walnut halves, chopped/broken apart
1 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves (careful, not a heavy dash)

add 1/2 c boiling water and let sit for 1 minute OR add 1/2 c water and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and stir.

numbers:
cal-246, fat-4.6, sodium-7.8, carb-47.4, fiber-4.7, protein-5.8
(if worried bout the fat, cut the walnuts: cal-22, fat-2.2, carb-2.2, protein-.5)

Hi all,
Just a quick check in cause I'm super busy!
But all is going well, down 10 now woo hoo
Be back this weekend!

Rocky-try drinking more water if you arent drinking much. Sometimes when your body tells you you are hungry you are really thirsty.

Daisies-fodd poisoning sucks. Dont try to eat too much today.

takeadeepbreath-we did a challenge from Nov 1-Jan 11, winner with highest percentage of weight loss won but not many ppl have given their ending weights so no winner yet. Not sure if we will do another here. I weigh every Sunday. BUT I step on that darn scale every morning, bad habit. Your oatmeal recipe sounds yummy, will have to try that sometime.

staccie-woohoo for 10 lbs, you ROCK!!!

Had a great workout today, gonna go to dinner with the inlaws. Gotta make good decisions so the workout wont be for nothing. Have good day everyone.

staccie - happy dance for 10lbs!!!

maddiesmom - hope everything went well in your procedure - keep us posted when you can!

Just a quick note to say I'll be away for a week but will check in when I get back. Hope you all have crazy skinny days in the meantime!

Staccie- YAY double digits!!!!

Rayne- You are sooooooo close! I'm so excited for you!

Takeadeepbreath- Chiklfila....mmmmmm... that is my weakness. my favorite food. I feel your pain.