Down 1 lb for the week.:woohoo:

Considering I had gained 2 lbs over the weekend, I'll take it !

Okay looking back at the posts I did get a little obsessed today didn't I? hehe I guess I just wanted to prove to myself my metabolism wasn't slowed down yet. I mean I know it will eventually by one pound difference (2 pound loss a week). So I got to accept it and be proud of all my losses :D

Yeaaaaaaaaaa!!!!Got weighted today and was down 1 lb. All toll, 39 pounds gone and 11 more to go. The end is closer every day.

Delphi- Thank you! :D I used to want a bodybugg so bad and I just totally forgot about them until now. I love that- earning points to donate to various charities! LOL @ the white ring on your arm. One day, I want to be a runner like you. :)

Sum38- You still did great even with the carb loading, that just means an even better number next week!

Thedollylala- Sucks to hear you're up but at least you know it isn't a real gain, just TOM water, boohiss. How was your run?

Zoesmom- Thanks! Yea, it's gotta be stress and possibly from exercise, ughh. Next week will bring a better number! Love it! Your lil' one is just too adorable! I'd be sleeping with one eye open, for sure, though!

Yay, Leaves!! Glad to hear your run went well!

Way to go, wolfgirl!!! Happy for you!

Tibbits2u- Way to go on those 2lbs! :carrot:

Emula- Zumba sounds like a lot of fun and I have heard it is pretty killer, heh! I may try it out once my sister moves back in June since we want to join a gym together. WTG on your WI!! So happy for you! :carrot:

irish51 A pound down is a pound gone forever! ;) Congrats!

Adlea- Wow, 37lbs is great and you're almost there to your 50! Congrats on your WI!! Whoo-hoo!

yippee!! 1lb down after 2 days! But that's what you get when you're starting off (either that or it's a 'fluctuation' and not really real). Anyway, i don't care, i'll take it, and record it, and hopefully have a meaninfully lower number this time next week.

Amandie - i changed the formula for my row so that it would calculate the weight loss for this weeks reading, as it was only reading last weeks. Is this something we should continue to do or were you thinking of changing the whole column for everyone each week?

1.8lbs down. Not great for me, but the gym is going mad with my water weight!

I stayed the same! ughhhh.... but on the plus side.. I just ran two miles without stopping! *dances*

Ange82much- Yea, I do it manually. If you know how to do it and want to do it, go ahead. Either way is fine. :) Good going on your WI!

Ian- I totally understand. Sometimes I hate working out when it comes to the scale but good things are happening with your body. 1.8 is still good nonetheless! Keep it up!

Sinderelly- Boooo @ the scale. :carrot: YAY on your NSV!! :carrot: That is seriously awesome.

I confess- I didn't start back on my exercise regimen today like I said I would! :( No real good excuses as to why I didn't. I will do it first thing tomorrow! Serious biz. I cannot let a week off derail me. :ebike: :exercise:

Just had a look at the spreadsheet again, and wow, good job on all your losses people! And Sinderella, good job on running two miles! I would say that is worth a lot more than any losses. :D

Amandie, you better get right back into that exercise guuurl! :D
__

I am starting to doubt my goal, for a much more pleasant reason than not losing. Lost 3.3 lbs this week, which leaves me with 4.8lbs left to my goal. I will probably keep it for now though, since my loss probably will slow down greatly now that my woosh is over.

NathalieMargareta ~ The weight does seem to take forever to come off when you don't have much to lose. I've heard so many stories about the last few pounds being the hardest to come off. Lets hope this is not the case for you.

amandie ~ No derailing going on around here girlfriend! Getting out of routine can be a slippery slope for some of us. You will do fine and I'm sure you will be kicking some butt today!

sinderelly ~ :congrat: on the 2 miles. I know how exhilarating and exciting that can be, so I know you are on cloud 9! If I have learned anything in the last 4 months is that running can cause the scale to act crazy. You body wants to hold on to and use every bit of water in your system which can cause the scale to be wonky. Perhaps now that you are distance running, a little more water intake will help the scale move the right way.

Ian ~ :bravo: on the 1.8 down.

angel82 ~ I'm with you on this. Any loss on the scale is good enough of me, fluctuation or not. Kudos on your loss. Keep up the amazing work.

adlea ~ Great job! :woohoo:

irish51 ~ Great job on the loss. :carrot:

emula ~ Oh my, kudos to you on the Zumba. I tried it through the Kinect and man my knees just couldn't get it. Perhaps I just didn't have rhythm, but it was very high impact and I'm sure you are burning boat loads of calories. Can't wait to hear more! Shake that thing girl!

leaves ~ A sore throat ..eh? Are you drinking enough water before you run? I always down at least 64 ounces before I go out in the morning for my run/walks. (Not all at once but at least get another 24 down right before I walk out the door.) Making sure you have enough hydration before the run may help and of course plenty during/after your run. I noticed a lot to that my hands will swell to if I'm not properly hydrated especially on hot days. I also carry chapstick as that is my biggest problem, my lips drying out on me even when hydrated but less so when I am hydrated. Listen to your body and experiment with different hydration routines and it may help. Sometimes I even carry a mint for dry mouth but like I said once I found a good hydration routine I no longer needed it.


Happy Friday folks! I'm off on Fridays so, I'm just taking it easy so far. I have a billion and one things to do today though. However, before I do anything else, I make exercise my priority. So I'll head out in a few in get some miles in and then I can come home and deal with all the cleaning, running errands and laundry (the bane of my existence)! Right now, my boyfriend is working on a job out of town but he is coming home on the 17th and I'm getting kinda worried about how that might hinder my progress since he has been gone. He left in February. He is the cook in the house and a good one at that. He is supportive and would make me healthy food but then again when we starting dating I was 175 and regained 37 pounds. I'm not saying he made me do it, but he likes to take me out and we ate out a lot even my exercise routine took a hit at times, so I'm kinda worried. Though now every since the race he has been saying that he wants to workout and stay healthy etc. So perhaps it will be a good thing. I just don't want to become complacent. He loves me so much he could careless really what I do. I need structure when it comes to my goals and I do not need anyone to enable bad behavior or habits. I guess I need to relay all this to him..eh? Especially these next few weeks before vacation. I am determined to get to the 170s before we leave June 29th! Determined and so I am making that a priority. I just want it to stay that way and I do not think in any way that I am being selfish. I have spent my entire life taking care of others and now, I do not think it is much to ask to be able to take care of myself. Too bad if people do not understand but that is just the way it is going to be!! Haha! Oh gosh, I've just rambled on and I need to get my butt in my workout gear. I need more pants. I'm anti-cotton, so its hard to find material that I can wear during my workouts. Shirts are easy but pants are hard to find. Most are blends of cotton/spandex/polys and I need at the least a 90 spandex, 10 poly to be half way happy. I digress again...okay, I'm getting off here now..Really, I am. :lol: You guys have an amazing day. Laugh, smile and have fun!!!

amandie you should definitely give a go! I thought it was great because everyone was at a different level so as long as you kept moving you didn't feel out of place! :-)

Delphi I should probably come clean and confess that I was trained in all sorts of dance as a child so I picked it up fairly easily But 11 years later I am reeeally out of practice!
Also, you poor thing! I would go nuts of my SO was away for that long, you have super strength! And there's nothing wrong with being a little selfish. Don't let anyone tell you that you're wrong.
Can I ask why you're anti-cotton? I've never heard that before.

Happy Friday everyone! Looking forward to this bank-holiday weekend :)

Thanks Everyone! My kid is a hoot! She is insanely bright (not just being a boastful parent here...she is 4 and can read, write, do math, knows two languages, and on and on and on) and isn't the most socialy inept child out there. Her vocabulary far exceeds that of her peers and she prefers company of adults because she "understands" them better. Whatever that means. But socially...well...I've been told bright kids tend to not do so good on that front, and I'd have to agree. I mean, socially, my two year old nephew is better at dealing with peers than she is. Because of that, her imagination is something that beyond cracks me up. I need to just record her one day for amusement. Some of the things she says and does just doesn't match that of a typical 4 year old. I hear the phrase "Actually, Mom, how about we do (blank) instead, because it helps me be smarter" more times than I can count and blank is usually homework. I mean, when kids come over, she asks if they want to play homework! :lol: She doesn't understand why they think that is so weird, because she really does think it is just about the funnest thing out there. I guess you could blame me...I used to make games out of story time and we played a lot of word associated games, but really, most of this interest is on her. I never forced the issue. In fact, it kinda annoys me when I have a book jammed in my face at 5 am and she is asking me to help her with her homework because she can't comprehend what the word "insidious" means and I can't understand why she is trying to read Stephen King. :lol: Kids.

Nathalie - I agree with Delphi. The more you weigh, the quicker it comes off. The closer to goal you are, the more it slows down. I actually just stumbled across this blog yesterday and found it an interesting read. That being said....3.3 pounds is quite impressive!

amandie - oh come on! If my fluffy and giggly butt can get out there and do it (albeit slowly) surely you can too! It takes 6 weeks to build a habit but only 72 hours to destroy it. Don't derail! Get back in there! Your body will thank you!

sinderelly - I am right there with ya...in fact, I actually went up! But, I've been working out more (daily oppossed to every other day) so I am starting to think water retention is my issue. But it is okay. I'd rather be fit than be a rail anyways. And I'll reach goal. Just might take a bit longer. :) You'll get there, have faith. And amazing on the two miles!

Ian - Kudos! Keep up the good work!

ange82 - I agree! One pound down is better than one pound up! Kepp it up!

irish - YEAH my buddy o' pal o' friend o' mine! Keep it up, you can do this! (Think of the grandbaby! :D)

adlea - rock this weight loss! So close to goal! So proud of you!

Emula - awesome! I keep meaning to try Zumba myself...but my fat rolls would probably knock everyone over but me. :lol:

Delphi - ohhhhhh....chapstick....why hadn't I thought of that! I've been pacing myself with my jogging/running. Having severe asthma and ARDS, I'm REALLY careful not to overdue it. No more near death and ICU stays for me please. No thank you. The soreness in my muscles was weird insomuch that it was my inner thighs. I am used to everything BUT that hurting, so it was odd tht it was the only thing hurting...but you are probably right. Hey, I'll take what I can get. :) And for what it is worth, I don't think it is selfish. I think ignoring your health is. I mean, I ignored mine for 10 years and my kid almost found me dead last year. All because I wanted one more cookie all the time, not taking into consideration that my health and my decisions effected more people than just me. THAT is selfish. Trying to get healthy so others around you can have you around longer? Nothing selfish about that. Nothing at all. I say, keep it up, keep your goals near by, and continue to rock this!

wolfgirl - obsessing every now and then is okay :lol: We all do it. :) My main concern is you were going to derail if you saw the scale move up or if it wasn't moving downward as quick as you'd like. Or...it could lead to an eating disorder. Here's an interesting read on scales and weighing that may help you out.

Today, I am proud to announce a very weird NSV....for the first time in a decade, I was able to snap my bra...BEHIND my back! Normally, I have to put it on flipped up, inside out, and snap from the front, then wiggle it around, and adjust, and all that jazz...just because I can't reach behind me (not sure if it is flexibility issues or fat issues). Anyways...today! EASY PEASY! I so am rocking this :)

Happy Friday!

Today is my weigh-in day, and wouldn't you know it, I have scale issues. We're all a little obsessed with the scale, right? I have a very nice scale made by Thinner. It requires no batteries, so I feel it is quite reliable. It weigh in .5 increments, which has been just fine for me. Well, when DD would come home from college, she'd get all upset at the scale as it didn't read the same as hers. So what did I get for Christmas last year? A new scale. Okay, being a bit obsessed with the scale, I refused to let go of the old one. They sat side by side in the bathroom. Every morning I'd weigh on BOTH scales. It wasn't until BOTH scales gave met the same reading for two days in a row that I finally let go of the old one (I moved it to another bathroom). Well, I'm still hedgy on the new one as it requires batteries. When does one know it needs new batteries? Well, this morning it weighed me 7 pounds less than yesterday. And I know I was less than stellar yesterday and one cannot lose 7 pounds in one day without total starvation AND a nasty bout of the flu. So I weighed myself at least a dozen times, then resorted to my old scale. While I don't like the number on the old scale, it is a better representation of where I am. But then I go back to the new scale and weigh another four times--getting a closer picture, but I'm still not convinced. I'm recording this new number BUT I don't think it is correct. I'll get new batteries and see what happens with next week's weigh-in.

Woohoo!! This week I am down 4.6 #'s! I attribute this to not eating my weekly weight watchers points mostly. I've also been varying my exercise routine (I normally just walk and I've been doing that, squats, push ups, and interval jogging). If only every week were like this! :D

tehshort1 ~ :carrot: Great job! Sounds like you had an amazing week. You are doing a fantastic job.

allinnel ~ Sounds like your method is working for you and hey, whatever works is what I would go with.

zoesmom ~ You know your 4 year old sounds a lot like my youngest. He is 6 now and he was the same way all the way around like yours. Socially he opened up once he started school though. The only thing was I had to go speak with the teacher as he was so far ahead that he was kinda of bored with all this stuff he already knew, so she was really excellent this year in finding all kinds of interesting ways to keep him engaged in class. So hopefully, your little sunflower will socially blossom once she is in a class around other kids on a regular basis. I completely agree with everything you said. That is how I look at it now. I think I was doing a disservice to myself as well as my boys living out of my refrigerator I was killing myself while my boys watched and learned. My middle son is a little heavy as well and that is ALL my fault. He will be 10 in a few weeks and lately I have been beating myself up over it. So now, its a requirement for him to exercise 30 minutes everyday before he watches TV or plays video games (which in this house no one watches TV, we are all video game junkies here). He is really doing better and I take him with me whenever I can. He even joined my dad in a 5k on Thanksgiving, so I am trying to reverse the damage I did but its been a very slow. He still is sneaking food after I go to sleep. I don't by junk or chips or cookies or any of that mess anymore so he isn't eating bad stuff, he just eats a lot and like I said since the weight isn't coming off, I suspect he is sneaking food. I just don't know what to do. OH and :bravo: on your NSV. That is fanfreakintastic! I am so excited for you. Must have been an amazing feeling and one that probably still has you smiling. You are doing such an amazing job!

emula ~ Yeah, it has been tough while he has been gone but probably more so on him. He would have never taken the job if the money would not have been so good. He is literally working 80 hours a week/7 days a week, so i feel for him. It will be good to have him home though. Okay so the anti-cotton thing is mainly from my dad. When I started training for the half, he warned me against anything cotton and he was right, as always. Cotton absorbs sweat. It can weigh you down and chafe you everywhere. Spandex and dri-fit materials are the best. There is never any chafing and it repels sweat keeping you dry and in hot and cold this is to your benefit. You do not want your clothes bogged down with sweat when you are trying to workout as it can be uncomfortable and cause lots of the aforementioned problems and in the colder temps the retained sweat will make you even colder. I do not even wear cotton socks...thats the biggest no-no, as I said, cotton retains water so that just makes your feet a breeding ground for blisters etc. I wear swiftwick socks to workout in, walk, run...and I swear by them. Best socks ever!!!

As for me, just finished my 5 miles at the gym this morning. Just in time to, because they locked down the track as they are getting the gym ready for the highschool prom. Felt great this morning as I finished in record time. I have a new PR of doing my 5 in 57 minutes. BUT I always have good time at the track. I just feel it is so much easier then being outside but whatever, I'll take that PR any day. Well I gotta get off the internet and get my butt in the shower and take care of all the errands and whatnot!

I lost my very first 10 pounds today! :carrot: :D :D :D To bad it wasn't yesterday xD

Delphi- Thanks for the advice! Maybe that is where I was going wrong, I always avoided drinking much water before a run thinking that it'd just jiggle around inside me :dizzy: I'll give it a go!

alinnel- argh, how annoying for you! Hope you can get it sorted out! I'm pretty sure my cheap-o scales over read, but I always go with that higher reading so that I get a pleasant surprise if I ever use a different set!

tehshort1- Congratulations! Sounds like you're on a good plan :)

zoesmom- aww! Your girl reminds me of me when I was that age, I remember getting to school and being given my first 'reading' book which was just pictures. I was wholly unimpressed! And okay I may not have been the most popular kid at school, much preferring to be with the grown-ups too, but I look my old classmates up on facebook now and compare myself to them- I'm just about to graduate from a Russell group uni and will be training to be a teacher next year. I wouldn't swap my future for popularity in my past! If you get what I mean, that was a bit rambly, sorry xD You must be so proud of her :)

Well done wolfgirl, here's to the next 10!

Thank you so much Leaves I hope to be down the those next 10 by the the end of the month! :D :crossed:

Nathalie- Wow! 3.3lbs! :carrot: A niceeee whoosh for sure! Good idea on waiting a bit before you decide to change your goal for this challenge. Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it!

Delphi- Way to go on your PR with the 5 in 57 minutes! That is awesome! Thanks for the encouragement. :) I totally understand your concerns about the BF coming back and letting your exercise/eating slide back a bit. I really hope he is serious about working out and staying healthy. You are not selfish in the least, not one bit! You gotta do you! I'm sure you'll be able to convince him to do what you want, hahahaha. Great tip about the chapstick! That explains why I feel less "dehydrated" when I have chapstick on while working out, even though I just chugged down water.

Emula- Bank holiday weekend? You mean Cinco De Mayo? Ohhh, I totally forgot all about that! Ahh, mexican food- yum. Margaritas? Not so much, lol. Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Zoesmom- :lol: You are right, thanks so much!!! Gosh, if I ever have a kid, I hope s/he turns out to be like yours! Well, minus the cutting into mommy/daddy part, lmao! :D Whoo-hoo! Happy for you on your NSV!!! :carrot:

Alinnell- Hey, I'd take whatever I can! But that being said, I understand. I actually have 2 scales too. I usually stick with the old scale's reading since I think it is more accurate than the new (even though I calibrated and tested with a couple of free weights to see) since the new one weighs me a couple lbs less. Nice but I gotta be real, lol. Have a great weekend!

Tehshort1- Way to go!!! Almost 5lbs?! That is just awesome! :carrot:

Way to go, Wolfgirl on your 10lbs! You are doing great!! :crossed: for another 10lbs gone by June! :crossed:
_________________________________________

I got in 30 minutes this am! I definitely can tell I took a week off, haha. I am going to do 30DS in a little while after I have eaten. After that, I'm just gonna shower and focus on things to do around the house. (I swear, the to-do list feels like it is neverending! :lol:) Probably gonna make some sort of stew/soup since it is cold and rainy here, bleh.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Exactly Delphi, that's what I'm thinking. I hope that isn't the case for me, but with my luck I've had my one and only proper whoosh now. Oh well, what can you do, eh?
.......Also, the SO being away thing - I feel your pain, both in the missing them way and the 'oh dear my healthy lifestyle is going down the drain' way. I know that I certainly tend to overeat whenever I see my boyfriend. Good job on the new personal record!


Zoesmom, thank you for the link, was an interesting read! It's frustrating, because even though I know that a slow weight loss is preferable I still obsess over the numbers and want them to go down quicker. Silly mind not being rational. And thank you, I'm quite happy with it myself - despite the fact that it's probably almost entirely water loss. :P
......Haha, your daughter sounds great! Can't even imagine my younger brother who is the same age attempting to read Stephen King, bless him, so she must truly be a very bright child. Your NSV is also pretty darn impressive, bet that was such a great feeling!

Good job on your first 10lbs down wolfgirl69! You're doing great! It's nice to see a fellow 17 year-old on here by the way. :)

Thank you Amandie! :D And ugh, never ending to-do lists. Have a great weekend you too! And everyone else!

zoesmom awesome nsv! :)

alinnell oh noes! Damn scales, they really are an evil invention to rule our lives! I never really thought about the battery thing before, now I'm paranoid lol
I'll have to keep an eye on that!

tehshort1 wow! That is a phenomenal loss, well done!

wolfgirl69 Well done on the 10lbs! :) Congratulations.

Delphi Wow the poor guy! Glad he's coming home soon! :)
That cotton thing is really interesting, I never considered it but it makes perfect sense. I'll have to invest in some non-cotton work-out gear as I'm forever getting blisters. Thanks for the tip!
I am totally in awe of that 5miles in 57minutes! I can barely do 5k in that time.

amandie sorry, bank holidays are public holidays where I live, I honestly never knew they weren't called that everywhere because I'm idiotic. Also didn't realise May-Day wasn't a thing everywhere... I'm so ignorant! lol
Well done on getting back into the swing of things :) it can really be a challenge to get back into gear after a break.
I know what you mean about that never-ending list, I feel like sometimes I turn my back on the kitchen and all the dishes throw themselves back into the sink... or maybe it's just my bf that does that?!

Delphi- That is actually what I was wondering today...if I need to increase my water intake. I kind of stopped drinking as much water as I did before I started running, and now the scale really isn't moving.. I will try to drink more tomorrow..*fingers crossed*

delphi - totally understand your concern about routine change when BF comes back (i'm away a lot and have to switch routines a lot too). Only thing i can suggest is to plan what indulgences you're allowed in advance, then you can say 'no' to the rest and you're not decision-making along the way. Sounds like it'll work out for you though, since BF is interested in being healthy too. I'm also totally with you on the cotton thing! Compression leggings do the job (2xu, Skins etc).

zoesmom love your NSV!! I can never do that anyway, not because i can't reach but because i'm just uncoordinated!!

alinnell - our scales are battery, and i know the battery needs changing when it stops displaying a reading lol. How's the surface you've got them on? Could this be causing fluctuations? - i.e. some of them are really sensitive and must be on tiles or a hard surface and not on mat/carpet etc.

tehshort huge drop for you and great reasons for it too!

wolfgirl fantastic milestone - you should be very proud. Looking forward to reporting the same in a couple of months time!

..........

I've started the new regime and been OP for all of 5 days now and am all new and enthusiastic and naively optimistic, and have overly overhauled previous routine, so you'll all recognize this as newbie behaviour and be rolling your eyes.

I've not even felt tempted to deviate yet, so haven't been tested at all, and know it's not going to be long before my head thinks that my mouth is being deprived and really 'deserves' something naughty, and my decision making at that point is where this whole thing is really going to start (and NOT where it will finish, not at all, definitely not etc etc!!) I may need to find some motivational threads that i can revert to when the tough times come though to get me through the first month.

At what time period in to the start of your 'diet' do you normally fall over, or get tempted etc? And if you get past that bit - how long til the next time it happens?

It is on ONE tile--no overlapping (18" tiles). It is in the same spot as always (kind of anal, but I'm sure you understand!).

All of you guys make this so much easier. Always nice to know that there are others that care about you even though we have never met. You are all doing great, the ones that gained , just know that it will come off. What goes up must come down. Good luck to all this week and know that I am urging you on here in cyberspace.

in that case, hoping that it got stuck at the higher weight, and is now at 'proper' weight!! (but good that you're considering the opposite - that way you're not going to be disappointed whatever the outcome!) Good luck in getting it sorted. :dizzy:

Thanks guys for all the encouragement.

Food all the time everywhere!?
 

This is my first post lol been lurking for a while now. But anyway, do any of you guys work in the food service industry? I'm finding that my only real difficulty with controlling my diet comes when I'm at work. It's super stressful and fast paced so I never really have time to sit down and eat anything decent or even remotely close to healthy. I've tried packing lunches but they usually end up staying right in the fridge until close 8-12 hours after I start my shift. And then on top of that I'm literally knee deep in delicious salty and carb loaded (my ULIMATE vice!) ready to eat food all day. My willpower has serious limitations here lol. Any ideas?

:welcome2:¨1morechip! You'll like it here, that's for sure.

Unfortunately I have no advice to give when it comes to working within the food service industry, can only imagine what a horrible temeptation it must be all day. /: I've found that what works for me in other situations is to not even let myself be tempted. I simply avoid thinking about it as food, i.e. "Yes, it looks tasty, but it is not food. My body doesn't run on that." I'm afraid that's all I've got though.

HAPPY MAY THE 4TH EVERYONE! MAY THE 4TH BE WITH ALL OF YOU TODAY!!!!!

1morechip ~ :welcome: I do not work in the food service industry but I do have 3 boys and I have things in the house for them at all times that can ruin my diet. Its not the same but I do understand the constant temptation. I think it really comes down to sheer will. Losing weight isn't easy, heck that is why obesity has become an epidemic world wide. Try to drink lots of water while you are at work and perhaps focus more on your job. Perhaps even going above and beyond in your job duties. Perhaps the storage closet could use a cleaning or some odd job that needs to be done. Perhaps by staying busy you can keep the temptation at bay. Also perhaps you should go online and research the company you work for, especially the food. Those foods that look so tempting especially. Just look at the ingredient list for each item. Perhaps seeing that most of them are composed of mainly chemicals and only God knows what will help turn your stomach enough to help with the temptation. Thats all I got! Good luck! If you have internet access on your phone perhaps on breaks you can check in to 3fc and just browse. This place does wonders for me. Goal pictures etc.

adlea ~ I completely agree. When I signed up for this site in 09, I contribute my success at the time to my hard work but also to this site, mainly the challenge thread I was part of for a year. I was in the 260s and made it all the way to 167. Then on January 1, 2010 my son passed away and I fell off the map. Anyways, when I restarted my journey again January, 1 2013, I was struggling and I remembered this site and how the people I met and conversed with daily really helped my journey the last time, so here I am again and here I am losing weight...again..all determined and stuff. Its just great. A site like this is only as good as the people within it and again, I just happen to stumble upon a great group of ladies and that support for me is priceless!

angel82 ~ Thank you so much for the encouragement. I think you are right. I am strong enough now and determined that nothing will stand in the way of my goals now. There is no eye-rolling around these parts sister. We are here to listen and encourage, not judge. You go ahead with your awesome self and do your new routine. Of course nothing is every perfect. You may have to adjust things along the way but heck that is just part of it. My thing is I calorie count and I never deprive myself of anything as that just does not work for me. There is no way I could live on wheat grass or soy...I'd end up in a fetal position in a corner somewhere mumbling and crying to myself eventually if I did..:lol: I work things into my daily calories. I do not plan my meals though perhaps I should. I'm just so conscious of my goals right now I just do not deviate from my calories. My way is of going about this is with exercise. The more you exercise, the more calories I have to play with. Fridays, I always get take out pizza for the boys and there is no way I can sit in this house with steamy jets pizza eye-balling me and not eat a few slices, so I know that has to be my extra exercise day. Of course I always keep some low calories sweet something in the house as well. I have a weight watchers ice cream sandwich everyday (140 calories) and that curbs and satisfies my sweet tooth. I guess its about not feeling deprived and just remembering if you want to eat more then you have to move more. In any case, that is what works for me and everyone's plan is different. I guess you just have to find what works for you.

sinderelly ~ Yup, more hydration is needed, Google says so. :lol: Really, your body just needs more water the more active you are. And it needs rest as well. Just experiment with it and I'm sure you will find something that works for you. Also, I have been getting more accurate scale readings after my runs. I strip down when I get home and weigh before I shower. I have no clue why but its been working for me the past few weeks now that I'm not walking/running 10+ miles every other day. I've read that your body will retain more water the more active you are as prophylaxis. Its preparing your body for the next workout, storing water in your cells etc. so the only way to counter that is by making your body believe there is no shortage of water intake. Makes me think of Jurassic Park when the Raptor keeper tells that guy "They remember"...(sorry sci-fi geek here).

Emula ~ Well, when I am outside at the green way it takes me a lot longer to complete those 5 miles. I still do not understand it to save my life but heck, I'll take it. :lol: I can remember when I first started it took nearly 20 minutes to even do a mile...we sure have come a long way on our journeys and that is something to be proud of indeed..eh? On a side note, my boyfriend is half Irish and half Italian (odd mix I know) but we were talking about visiting Ireland in the near future. It is beautiful over there!

NathalieMargareta ~ You know, I think you will be just fine. Apparently what you are doing is working for you, so you go girl. You just keep at it. Thanks for the encouragement about the boyfriend situation. Its hard when you go out to dinner or just sitting at home playing call of duty :lol: Either or, it does help when they are supportive in our cause. Because, really, at the end of the day, if I'm thinner and have more stamina that only means greater and grander things in the bedroom..:lol: That right there should be enough for any man to try to be as supportive as possible. Sorry, but I crack myself up. I'm gonna use that one on him when he gets back..:lol:

amandie ~ I knew you would do it!!! I was coming in this morning just knowing you tackled it. So proud of you for sticking to your guns and just doing it. Did you feel better afterwards? I sure hope so. Now keep it up. I'm on the sidelines rooting for ya. Ah, and don't get me started on the neverending list of things to do. I don't know if any of you guys have boys but OH MY GOSH, at the rooms. Oh, and don't get me started on their bathroom. And laundry, I wish I could hire someone just to do laundry. Its neverending in this place and even more so with me working out everyday. Geez, its like I'm just here to do laundry. I should really just invest in Tide as they sure as heck get enough of my money. :lol:

leaves ~ Do let us know how it goes. You may have to experiment a little with it but I'm sure you will find what works best for you. Haha at jiggle around though. I swear I feel like that all the time!! :lol:

wolfgirl ~ :congrat: on the 10 pounds. Now, I want you to be proud of yourself and know that you are doing a great job.


Holy personals Batman! Lots to catch up on! Just an FYI to others in the thread. Just know, some of us do personals and some do not and that is fine. Time is a precious commodity and I do not want anyone feeling like they should or feel bad because they don't. I do personals because its part of my journey. I have the extra time to do them as well. I start my day everyday right here on this thread. I sit down with my diet coke (now 2 of them today) and my morning cigarette (yes I'm a smoker and a runner) and I do my personals. This is how I choose to start my day and it gets me off to an amazing start every morning. When I lost most of the weight the last time that is how I did it as well. For me, it worked. I love coming in and sharing my journey with you guys but even more so, being able to have insight into my fellow challenge goers journey. So please never feel bad about not posting personals, as you are doing an amazing job just showing up and holding yourself accountable by participating in this challenge.

In other news, I started TOM today but heres the kicker, I weighed in at 193 again today. Now I'm confused. I'm always up on TOM. Soooo, does that mean I've lost more weight or TOM just isn't making me retain? Is it possible to be on TOM and not be up on the scale. In all my 33 years this has never happened to me before. Any suggestions, advice or information? No symptoms this time around either (or at least not yet.) No back pain, no cramps (yet), no emotional crisis over a cookie stuffed in the air vent. I'm starting to think invasion of the body snatchers is totally real!! What in Yodas name is going on around here? :lol: No worries, I'm sure within a day or so I'll come grumbling along with a story of how I just bit off the head of some helpless, underpaid cashier who looked at me the wrong way and then all will be right with the world..:lol:

At any rate, I think my post is now a good novel, so I'm going to get off here and perhaps do something like watch Star Wars all day as today of course is May the 4th! So you cool cats have an amazing Saturday and don't forget your smiles!

1morechip I know exactly how you feel! I worked in a Chinese take-away for a year in college and put on 3 and a 1/2 stone in that time :( it can be really hard to resist, especially if your place is the same as mine and they give you free dinner every night you work. I didn't get off unit 12:30am and then have my dinner...wonder why I gain the weight? lol ;)
Packed lunches are a great idea, I would recommend that you keep on that idea but bring small, healthy quick eats e.g. fruit, rice cakes, yoghurts etc. that was the only way I could stop myself picking! And tell the kitchen staff that you're dieting if you can so they don't try to tempt you!

Delphi Definitely something to be super proud of!
Bring your raincoats! lol If you come to Dublin when you're over you should try go to Trinity College library, the Jedi Archives in episode II were based on it, they're pretty awesome. If you need any info while planning your trip I'd be more than happy to help.
We're having our annual Star Wars all night-er tonight, I'll be thinking of you! :)

Keep up the good work everyone :)

Emula ~ That is AWESOME! Enjoy your all-nighter, sounds like fun. I wanna come! Trinity College Library on the list definitely now. :lol:

On an unrelated note, I did get some of my pictures back but I have to order them online and it could be sometime before I get the actual copies. However, I used my cellphone to take a picture of a picture on their site, so its blurry and has all kind of proof crap all over it so its hard to see but this a picture of me and my dad just crossing the finish line. I'm crying of course! Haha!

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...dy/photo-2.jpg

Hey everyone :wave:

I feel like I've been MIA this week. May is a crazy time of year for me - I was out until at least 8:30 or 9:00 every night this week (I just realized how OLD that makes me sound!!! But it wasn't hanging with friends , fun stuff, mostly work or child activity related).

Anyhoo - I haven't had time to post this week, but I've been checking this thread daily and I'm so proud of all of you and the progress we're all making! I also want to say how impressed with our group as a whole I am. I feel like this thread is an incredible group of strong, empowered women (and men, Ian :)). I love how supportive we are of one another and we don't seem to have any whiney "victim" personalities hanging around. I mean we all have a bad day and need to whine now and then, but the fact that we are all taking action to take control of our lives is inspiring and a part of what keeps me on plan every day.

My good news of the day: Today was my week 5 weigh in at Medifast and I'm down a total of 20.3 pounds and have lost 9.75 inches total. I'm struggling a bit to get my exercise in (see schedule comment above), but I'm committed to making this work. I fit in two sessions last week and two the week before. My goal this week is to bump that up to three.

Have a terrific weekend everyone!

Nathalie Everything except the veggies gets shipped to the store - frozen of course - twice a week, so it really is the furthest thing from actual food. Ive never thought about it that way though

Delphi I recently got a raise because of all the crazy things I've been scrubbing with zeal and conviction, it has helped me come down this far but I know I can do better. A smoker and a runner? What is this witchcraft you speak of lol. The chrmical lists are pretty frightening. I know what's in all of the food but Id probably need a team of highly trained scientists to actually KNOW what's in the food. And I am LOVING this forum!!

Emula Lol all of the teamwork training videos I suffered through and now FINALLY some practical application. Creating some accountability at work seem foolproof, I can't believe I didn't think about it sooner

Thanks for all of the help everyone!! Where has this magical place been all my life

tehshort - amazing job on the weight loss!

Delphi - YEAH! A fellow gamer! Yeah, we don't do TV either. It is all games. I mean, my kid believes that Skyrim is all about saving the butterflies so the dragons don't eat them! So full of imagination. She recently just got Skylanders and plays it as if it was an interactive Barbie doll! It is very likely your kid is sneaking food...he's at that age where hormones are kicking in and he starts going through more calories as his body does weird adjustments. My sister used to sneak food. It is a hard habit to break. Good luck to you and :hug: Intrigued on the not gaining with TOM. What's your secret? ;)

Congrats on the 10 pounds down wolfgirl

amandie - thankie, she is a blast. Although I am confused why you wouldn't want a little psychopath running around threatening to cut you to make you feel "better" :lol: AND :five: PROUD OF YOU!!!!

Way to go tehshort! Keep up the hard work!

ange82 - How's your new regime coming along? I know for me, I don't really remember the temptations. When I slip up now, it is under full knowledge of what I am doing and based all on the numbers and if it can fit in my diet for the day. If I want cake, I know it is 400 calories and 46 carbs and I have to figure out if it is worth it or not. The answer is, not usually. It helps that I have formed the habit of counting, because now I pay attention to what goes in my mouth and if it is really worth it. Plus, it makes me feel like crap now if I eat crap. Like, I really get sick. And don't start me on the Cheeto I took one day....GOD that thing was HORRIBLE! PURE chemical taste!

:welcome: 1morechip - welcome to the greatest and bestest support forum on the face of the planet! :D As for distractions of swaying while at work, here's a thought...each day you are not tempted to munch mindlessly and stay on plan, put a dollar in a jar. At the end of a month, you have a nice little stash...and can reward yourself with a mani or pedi or something like that...something you REALLY want. But...if you sway, you remove a dollar. And that makes it where it will take longer for your reward. That's how I weened myself there in the beginning. And now, I get my mani/pedi once a month...WOOHOO! (Important to point out I NEVER had one prior to this year too!)

:carrot: ALRIGHT SuperHero - AMAZING LOSS!!!!

Hope I didn't miss anyone...if I did, so sorry! Crazy busy, as usual. But In a good way. Taking a day off from working out today since the weather SUCKS and I have a house FULL of people, but back on track tomorrow for sure! Finally dropped what I am now convinced was water weight...247 again...FINALLY! Feeling amazing and glamorous and awesome after perfect strangers called me beautiful last night (haven't heard that in YEARS!) and just feeling GREAT! Ready for the sun to come back up, but when it does, my days are going to be full of T-Ball and ballet and swim lessons for a wee one. Love summer...hate how I never have time!

And...as of today, I am lighter than the roommate, and only one pound heavier than hubby....so close to weighing less than him since I met him. EXCITING!

On an unrelated note...hubby is 6 days with out a cig...yeah him! Here's to a healthier family!

Well....time to go hit up group Rock Band and later some Cards Against Humanity. I love Family and Friends Night on Saturdays at my place. So much love, so much awesome!

I may have figured out the problem with my scale. The cover that holds the batteries in place had fallen off and the batteries were loose. I'll know more tomorrow.

When i said plan ahead as to what you're allowed i didn't know what you already do!! If you calorie count then nothing can go wrong when BF comes back?! Why are you worried? It can't go wrong if you stick to that. I just can't bring myself to do it personally, but i'm totally with you on the not depriving yourself (therefore when i'm in a similar situation i HAVE to have some plan eg i'm allowed 3 glassses of wine and two sweet treats in a week or whatever, as i don't have a calorie back-up plan).

Good luck re the TOM weight drop indicators! Let us know if it meant you've really lost.

......

One whole week of diet completed for me. All been easy in week 1 and currently enjoying my 2-glasses-of-wine-per-week allowance :hat:

It's amazing that last week i felt totally bloaty and unfit and tired and down, and really within 3 days of overhauling the diet and exercise i felt fitter and healthier and even convinced myself i looked slimmer lol. It's funny that when you put on a bit of weight you feel awful and when you lose a bit of weight you feel great - even though i felt awful at 56kg (when i'd moved up from 53kg) and now feel great at 61kg (when i've dropped back a massive 1kg)!!!!

I'm not interested in weighing in every day this time around though. I know i fluctuate and i know there's no logical reason for it, and i don't want the hassle of thinking about that. So twice a week (ish) weigh-in is enough, and for me it's how my clothes fit that really count as whether i'm making progress (which i'll probably review every couple of weeks).

Hope everyone had a fun weekend.

We went to the beach with the dog this morning and then for a coffee at a cafe nearby afterwards. Sunny. Blue skies, blue sea. Loved it. We then got home and changed the bedroom around so the bed is facing 90 degrees different to what it was before, and shuffled the other furniture to match (and found plenty of dustballs along the way). lol. And then went shopping for rugs, and picked out two that we want to buy but will call back and negotiate a deal by phone! The slow cooker's in action for a chicken casserole dinner and smelling good. I've had more exciting days, but overall, not bad!

Happy Sunday!

angel82 ~ Sounds like you had a very busy and active day. Envious of the beach run. I miss the beach. I think you have a system that works well for you and that is all that matters. I guess I'm worried because I slipped last time he was around. Its just so easy to go through the motions. I'm sure I'll be fine this time especially with my goals clearly outlined for vacation. Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

zoesmom ~ :bravo: on the loss. So happy for you. Must feel amazing and then getting the well deserved compliments is the icing on the cake. Kudos! Amazingly still have not played Skyrim. Although, I loved Oblivion, I just didn't have the time to put into Skyrim this time around. Still sitting wrapped in plastic along with a lot of titles in my backlog. Rockband is a favorite here, especially with me and the boyfriend. Though the older I get, the harder it is on me with my hands and the RA...I have to just play on hard and even that can still hurt my hands on some songs. Sadface! We have all the consoles here but we all mainly play on the xbox. Had to shell out so everyone had their own console here to. But a family that games together, stays together..eh? :lol: Our formula seems to work great for now. I just make sure I don't give out the password to the internet until chores, homework and exercise is done. :p Oh, and that is great about the hubby quitting smoking. That is something I am still struggling with. Tried everything and I just haven't not been able to conquer the beast yet, so kudos for him doing an amazing job with it.

1morechip ~ Haha..at needing a team to figure it out. Isn't that the truth. It really is scary what they put in our food these days, not to mention all the crap they do to it before they harvest it. Just makes me cringe thinking about it. Glad you joined us and very glad you found this place. It is a very supportive group of folks.

superheroteacher ~ :carrot: Way to go on your big accomplishment. Must feel amazing. You are coming right along and making all sorts of progress. That is great. I agree with you about the group, seems to be the right formula for success if you ask me. I hear you on the time constraints. It can be hard to fit in a shower much less exercise with such a busy schedule. We have to do it though and make it a priority. Our health and well being must be at the top of the to-do list as it will benefit our families much more in the long run as they get to put up with our butts a little longer. I'm confident you will find a way to squeeze another workout in this week. You can do it.


Well, the retaining is here with TOM today which surprisingly was okay with me this morning. Yesterday was my eat what I burn day so no deficit and I had some popcorn which was rich in all kinds of sodium but hey I watched my Star Wars, relaxed, let my muscles heal up and just had a very good day. One day is all I can handle of that though. Two consecutive lazy days spells disaster for me, so I hope the rain stops so I can get the boys out to the greenway today or perhaps riding our bikes..after work of course. 7-hour shift today, so maybe by the time I get off, we can get something done around here. Well you ladies have a very happy Sunday. I am going to get off here and get to work.

Delphi - That is AWESOME! :lol: We had all of them from Atari to current gen, until some little pipsqueak broke into the house and stole the 360 and all the games for it. Left everything else. I mean..WHAT?!? Anywho, that was 2 years ago and we just never looked into replacing it. Too much money invested to want to re-invest and insurance only wanted to give us $150 for the system, the external HD, and over 50 games. Nope. Not replacing. Oh well. Not like we didn't have tons more to choose from.

Girl is limited to an hour of game time on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the week, no gaming, at all. And she is okay with that. We game after she is in bed and...weekends. Heh. Sometimes only an hour. Sometimes the system never gets turned off until bedtime on Sunday. I know, horrible people we are. But, we have a constant revolving door on the weekends and all our friends kinda just crash out here and much like when we were kids, we tend to have gaming marathons...sometimes video, sometimes cards, sometimes board. (never D&D or Magic though...never got into that...but we DO play Munchkin!) And sometimes, we don't do anything but go to the park, run out and visit family, go to sporting events, and so forth. Just when we are home on the weekends....yeah, we are total gaming bums :lol: Probably a bad habit, but at least I know everyone is safe.

And I am so ready for the rain to stop too...I just want to get out and do something...but too ick today :(

OH! Anyone remember the movie "Princess Bride" and where the old lady is "Booooo"-ing Buttercup? Yeah. That was me this morning. COMPLETELY and UTTERLY excited as I stepped on the scale and saw it move down again. Rushed to get my hubby as I am approaching being less than him. Made him step on scale and...EXACT SAME WEIGHT! BOOOOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOOOOO! Here I am busting my arse for this mini goal and he eats everything in sight and steps on the scale and hasn't gained or lost an ounce in 3 years. BOOOOOOOO!

Of course...this is all in jest...because THIS WEEK....for the FIRST TIME SINCE I MET MY HUSBAND.....I WILL weigh less than him.

Happy Sunday. Hope everyone has an awesome day!

Well, shoot. I figured out the problem with my scale (the thingy that holds the batteries in had fallen off). So this morning when I weighed showed that what I posted on Friday as a loss was really a gain.

I'll have to work harder this week.