I did it!!!! I rode my exercise bike for 35 min. I did 10 miles, which I know is not a lot for this amount of time, but I upped the resistance on the bike. My legs are screaming. It's going to take a while to get back in the swing of this!!

Feels great to be exercising again!! Just had to post real quick to update!!! I'm going to go investigate these resistance bands now....Jennifer, could you come up here and help me???

p.s. The tornadoes have gone past! Thank goodness!!! I hate those eerie sirens. There is one less than 1/2 mile from my house - and it literally blasts us!!!

Lisa, email me & I'll send you the cheat sheets I made for the resistance bands workouts, and the upper body stuff, too, if you have hand weights.

Thanks Jennifer!!!!

This will be quick because I'm tired and hungry and just posted over on the motivation page. I'm feeling pretty good about my LD challenge but I have to admit I'm afraid to get on the scale. I haven't been bad, I'm just afraid of being disappointed. I just started seriously working out again this week and you know how when you start back you're ready to start seeing results like, right now? So I'm going to try to hold off getting on the scale for a few days. I'll keep you all posted. Last time I looked I was still at 175 last weekend. I desperately want to see a little bit of progress before TOM comes rollling around again, when I know I'll gain a few for a few days!

Rysa - welcome! I think you'll love it here. I have gotten so much more motivated just since I've been coming here every day. I can totally identify with the late night eating. My hubby doesn't get home from work until 2am and I generally snack on something around that time just because I'm awake. That's what time he eats his dinner. Bad girl, I know! Confession is good for the soul. Up to now no one knew but my hubby, and he certainly doesn't see anything wrong with it to try to "correct" me

Nite all!

Michelle

Welcome, Rysa and hi to all of the rest of my new friends! You are right, in no time at all you have made me feel very welcome. I am also happy to report that today was an awesome exercise day and I owe you guys a lot of the credit. You do motivate me to not let a day go by (as I have been) without exercising and working it. After class (right now I am the student, not the teacher - ugh!)I went to the gym and walked/ran for 2 miles. - then I went home and rode my stationary bike for 8 miles. I am pretty pleased with myself because it has been quite a while since I have done anything except walk.

Lisa - take those storms seriously - we had one hit in May that completely destroyed our K-12 school (all of us lost everything) and they are rebuilding, hoping to get us going by Labor Day. It went on for about 40 miles at a level of F3 - F4 and did millions of dollars of damage and left so many homeless. Fortunately, this is a rural area or it could have been much worse. Anyway, be careful.

Jaymi - one comment on your weight loss - it is hard when people question why you are working at losing weight - we have to do it for our selves and our health. I don't have much to lose in the big scheme of things but a pound is a pound is a pound whether it is one of many or the last one. They all take work and you are working it great so keep on doing what you are doing. Actually that goes for all of you - I am so inspired everyday when I read about your struggles and accomplishments and know that you all have the same struggles that I am dealing with - it really does help. I know I had lots more that I wanted to say to so many of the rest of you but my brain is fried - I am taking two statistics/assessment classess and it is completely using all of my brain cells - maybe I can figure out a way to keep the brain cells and use the fat cells instead...hmmmm...

U never can tell how close U are
It may be near when is seems so far.
So stick to the fight when U’re hardest hit
Its when things seem worse that,

U CAN NOT QUIT!

(Love your quote, Jaymi.)
Pegi

Evening ladies!

Today was ok. Calories were at 1382, which is low for me. Water was good. No exercise, except running around the store, which doesn't really account for a whole lot with me.

Food was a little different than planned. Mom ate my lunch for breakfast, and I ate dinner for lunch, and ended up with something I didn't even know we had for dinner. It worked out like this:

Breakfast--coffee, scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, as planned
Lunch--turkey on whole grain bread with LF mayo, swiss cheese, and lettuce, and wheat thins, and diet dr. pepper
Dinner--lentil soup and more wheat thins

I'm completely out of energy today, and I have to work early tomorrow, so I'll check in tomorrow evening. Have a great day tomorrow everyone!
~Elisha

Morning, everyone. Well, my right ankle is a bit sore this morning- that's the one I messed up several months ago...well, I guess I need to go invest in one of those ACE bandage type ankle supports, because this is now twice this year, and I refuse to be sidelined by something like this. Dangit, I am going to hit my 50 pounds lost during this challenge, with or without that darned foot!

I went to bed early last night- seems by Wednesday I get tired earlier, and that helps me get up early on Thurs & Friday mornings to make sure I get that extra exercise in.

Got up & did the 1 mile WATP tape, and then did 4 miles on the bike, to make it a full half hour of cardio this morning. Tonight when I get home, I think it'll be a biking night, and some upper body, especially if the ankle is still sore. I don't think pounding on it for 3-4 miles will let it rest. Man, I think I'm falling apart. I thought that wouldn't happen until I was at least 40???

Breakfast today:
8 bite size mini wheats
1/3 cup soy smart start
1 apple & cinnamon cottage double

Lunch- defrosting:
3/4 cup rotelle pasta
3/4 cup meat sauce
sprinkle of parmesan

Afternoon exercise:
hit the bike with my music and see how long I can lose myself.

Dinner:
TBD- haven't planned that far ahead. possibly chicken breast & veggies.

Today is going to be another one of those days, where there's not much to get done, and all the time in the world to do it. Sigh. Oh- the highlight of my day will be going across the hall to make a bank deposit at some point this morning.

Michelle- sending good vibes your way that you see 174, or even 173 soon...you'll break this plateau for sure!

Pegi- way to go with the biking- kick butt! And when you do discover the way to burn fat cells for brain power, let me know...I'll re-take calculus, and maybe go back to school...study while on the bike & do double the damage

Elisha- hope you have an easy day at work!

Hey everybody! I'm doing a quick morning check-in, as I've a very busy day ahead of me! My parents finally got their house yesterday!! WOOHOO!! It's been over 5 months that they've been trying and it is FINALLY THEIRS! Yay! So that's awesome.

Tomorrow is the hubby's birthday, and we've got a pretty fun day planned for ourselves. Going bowling for sure, I might take him out for a nice birthday lunch if he wants it, not sure... and I think we're buying our new bikes tomorrow! YAY!

So today I need to get this house totally freakin' spotless, as tomorrow we won't be here hardly at all, and I'd like to at least get him a clean house for his birthday. PLUS tomorrow night is supposed to be girls' night here, which means I'd like for my place to at least feel clean for a few hours.

Anyhoo for me today it's kind of the same ol', same ol', but I need to steal my dad & his truck for a couple hours to run out to our old house while we still own it & get my snow tires and a bunch of other crap we need but won't fit in my car. Blech.

So food today -
B - leftover waffle w/ fruit on it
L - soup
D - fish & chips (we can get real food tomorrow!)

Workout -
20+ min ellipitical w/ weights
15+ min bike w/ weights
450 uber situps
50 squats w/ weights
20 butt squeezes
5 min upper body/arm workout

So I'm off!! Hope you guys all have an awesome day!

Wow! I feel very welcome!

Thanks Jaymi, for the welcome. If you are not happy with your weight, then you have just as much right as anyone to lose it! Don't let people discourage you - it sounds like you have already had much success!

Congratulations, Lucy on getting below 180! That sounds like a dream to me, right now! Great job!

Jennifer, FABU job on exercise! Four miles! Way to go!

Michelle, thanks for the welcome. Glad I'm not the only night owl! I sometimes think I get hungry just because I stay up so late. Hopefully we can both kick the habit! :-)

Pegi, thanks for the welcome. I used to have a hard time finding time to exercise when I was taking classes, so way to go. Good luck to you with your goals!

Lisa, I'll try the straw for water - especially with ice, that might be a good way to do it. Thanks for the welcome!!

I did exercise last night, although as out of shape as I am, I didn't put as much push into the bike as I like to. Better luck tonight, I hope.

I haven't eaten yet this morning, which I know is not a good idea, cause I'm gonna be HUNGRY later. But I was very excited to wake up and find that I had sold two $150 custom scrapbooks on E-bay, so I've been too busy and excited to bother with food! Still, I should probably go get some grapes or something.

I may have a bit of a problem later, though - I teach Vacation Bible School, and there is a picnic before VBS every Thursday. Everything is fattening. Fortunately, I'm the Games instructor, so at least I'll get some bonus exercise. I'll try to find a salad or something at the potluck, but the smell of the grill may do me in. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll be having chicken this week.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Rysa

My day just got a lot better. Talked to my dad this morning, and he got his remicade shot yesterday (for crohn's, not osteo) and so he's totally wiped out for energy today. BUT he said that if he could get any energy up today, he'd head out to our old place and get the tires for me. IF not, then we get to borrow the truck tonight and grab the stuff we want, and it's all good. PLUS, my tapes are hellishly long *two more days!*, so I have a ton of work to do and I'm not going to have 5 seconds to sit & relax all day!!

So now, I don't have to take a 3-hr detour to our old place to get icky spider covered tires for a car I don't even have and I get to clean my house up the right way, do my stupid tapes, take a shower, and actually make this place look nice!! WOOHOO!!

So anyway I did extra on the workout, today, and i'm proud of myself. My entire office looks like a freakin' war zone, and it's really just sad... so after I take my shower & do my tapes as fast as I can, I'm spending the rest of the afternoon doing a quick cleaning job of the main area, then seriously attacking this room, because it is needed!! YEA!!

Rysa - thanks! Even if you aren't down to 180 yet, you will be. Remember, if you have a lot of weight to lose, that first big loss is quick! At least it was for me, and a lot of people I know. I'm sure you'll be chugging along down that road at lightening speed in no time!! Good job on the bike, too! When I started, that's what I used. I found a calculator that told me if I did 12 minutes a day, 5 days a week, I'd lose about 50 lbs in 3 months... I did. It really helps get you into shape, or just condition you better if you're already halfway in shape. Good job! Keep pushing yourself, and you'll be there in no time flat!

Anyway dinner tonight is horrible because we have no real food left, so I'm stuck with deep frying, unless we can somehow afford to go grocery shopping up at walmart. Doubtful, all the same.

So now I'm drenched in sweat, and my only issue today was that my right ankle, which enjoys rolling and spraining itself often, is really sore, so I'm not moving as fast as I'd like. Went on a nice 1 mile walk last night in a light drizzle, which felt awesome since it was about 75 outside when we walked. Gonna go on a quick walk tonight, too, and tomorrow we might go on a nice hike together. Not sure what he wants to do!

Anyway, I hope you guys are all having as awesome a day as I am!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! I'm gonna go work my butt off.

hey- YOU made my right ankle hurt- LOL- I caught it from YOU, Lucy! LOL Yaaay for your parents, and Happy Birthday Lucy's Hubby!

And Rysa.... thank you...thank you! Wow- that's great with the scrapbooks. Hubby is totally addicted to ebay- and I dared to let him into the community area, so he's always on the computer now. At least he's easy to keep tabs on.

Just peeking in- my freaking 1:30 closing didn't bother to show up until 2:18. No call, no nothing. How dang rude!?!!?!

Hi chicks!! We JUST got our internet service up and running! We had terrible storms last night, and we have been without cable. Fortunately, we had no damage!

Today has been good for me. On the way home from driving my 2 oldest to church camp, I stopped by the Burger King. My youngest wanted some "bean browns" (hash browns!). OOOOH the smell of a fast food drive thru-- ya know what I mean??? I just had to have a sausage biscuit, just wanted it soooo badly!! So, I ordered a sausage biscuit value meal. When I got home, I gave baby the hash browns and then I cut the biscuit in half and immediately gave half to DH. I ended up eating 1/2 of the biscuit and my diet Coke. I was really satisfied with that! In the past, I would have eaten my biscuit, large hash browns, the rest of what my kids didn't eat, and who knows what else. Anyway, I counted the experience a victory!!

My food intake on the whole is good, but my water intake is not really. I have terrible cramps, and the idea of water makes me feel sick. But, I am gonna do the best I can, I promise. As for exercise, I'm going to do the bike again. I am so sore today!!! My legs are screaming! Actually, it kinda feels good to be sore- it's a reminder that I am working on improving myself!

Jennifer & Lucy - I know how you feel with the ankles! I fell down some steps outdoors a few years ago and broke my foot/twisted my ankle severely. I still have to watch it - it turns over easily.

Lucy - Snow tires?! Oh, I wish we occasionally had the need for those! But, alas, I am here in the freakin rainforest! LOL!

Pegi - Thanks for being concerned for my storm safety!! Sure am glad that's over! Hope you are doing well today!

Jaymi - I have about 25 more pounds to lose. It's not a huge amount, really, but it used to be a huge amount! I've lost about 50 in the past couple of years. And, it is important for me to lose this last bit. I am only 5'4", and the extra weight sits heavy on me! I love coming here for the support I get, it really helps me. You have done a super job of losing weight! It inspires me!

I've got fresh green beans for supper tonight - right out of the garden!! Speaking of supper, better go and cook for my family - I'll check back in later!

I forgot:

Rysa - We will have to be motivators for one another on drinking that water! I am jealous - I would love to scrapbook!!!!! I know yours are beautiful!!

I think we should have, in addition to the mileage thing and pounds thing, a place to post our ounces of water we drink!! I just may do that! It would help me to see it .

Jennifer - haha! What a weird freak thing, eh? I swear, we share some genes or something... your family isn't Polish or from Wisconsin, are they? Vitamin E seems to help mine feel better.. I'm weird with those vitamins! Be careful!!

Lisa - Yeah, I used to be rad at baseball until about 4th grade when my ankles turned from bone into jello and decided to just roll whenever they feel like it. I've fallen flat on my face so many times from that! Also... we seriously hardly ever get snow here (Seattle-ish area, a little north of the city), but it gets icy on the back roads and bridges & stuff, and those snow tires are walnut studded, top of the line, and I've been saved from doing 360's on the freeway because of them!! Plus they've only got about 10,000 miles on 'em, and we're getting another Focus, so I see no reason to waste the $600 for those darn tires!! I live in the forest where it doesn't actually rain anymore, but it's so freaking WET all the time that I am drenched in the humidity and the heat! YUCK!! You have a beautiful state, tho!

Okay my hands are absolutely KILLING me, and I've only done 1 of my stupid tapes. Stupid flooding in Maryland anyway... stupid rain. I hate homeowner policy claims, man. They take forever, they ask the same questions over and over, and I don't think I've ever had a tape less than 25 minutes for one. *gaah!*

Anyway I've cleaned everything except this office up, so I think I'm gonna take a crack at it and let my poor fingers rest of an hour or two, then hit the keyboard again. I have a couple of aweosme recipes for yummy low-fat, low-cal (but not low carb) desserts that I was gonna share, but I'll type 'em later. Hope you guys all keep up the good moods!!

Meant to post this here, but ended up posting it on the other board! Oh well! Duplicates aren't all bad!

Hi Ladies!
Just a quick check in to let you all know that I am stil alive and doing well with the "plan"!!! I didn't get exercise in this morning. I was just too tired!!! It was a late night last night at VBS and when I got home, DD was in a "mood" so she went from not wanting to go to bed to an escalating "fit"! It took about an hour to calm her back down enough to go to sleep! What's up with all of that! So I went to bed last night at 11 without even so much as checking in here all day!!! I missed you all so much, but I am doing ok!

I weighed myself today (tsk, tsk!) and I'm down a pound from Tuesday! Yea! So I think by next week for sure I will be down to the 167 (.whatever) I was before I left for vacation! And maybe at that rate, I CAN be down in the 150's by the end of the month! I can hope like he** and work like he** to get there, for sure!!!

Food today was
I went out to the car this afternoon (I stopped by Walmart this morning on my way to work to get a few things, that has to count for exercise because I walked to the whole store just to get 10 items and I was IN A HURRY as I was already late for work!!!) to get a Zone bar and they were kinda melted! So I brought them in and put them in the fridge and forgot about them! My mid afternoon craving was gone and I didn't even eat the Zone bar! Yea me! Now, I guess what I need to do at 3pm every day is just walk out to my car!!! Its a short walk...I could walk around the building...that would be better!

So, with the paragraph I just wrote, Exercise was (that's smiley language for "just ok"!)
Water today: I drank 30 oz. at work and am working on another 30 tonight! Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get in 16 before I go to bed and that will give me almost 80!!! We shall see!

I can't be on long. Have to leave in a few minutes for VBS, but wanted you all to know that I appreciate the good vibes and the love you send my way!

Big hugs to everyone!!! You are all the best!!!