Merry Christmas, chickies! It's been 4 days of abandon with company, and I've actually done a lot of nothing- just sitting around, playing cards and board games, and relaxing, which hasn't been done since before we started to build this house. I feel like I'm not accomplishing much, but in a way, I'm getting control back over my time, and doing things for me. Tonight I went through magazines that came over the last 3 months, pulling out healthy recipes that I want to try (and share) and starting my grocery list of healthy staples for stocking the fridge and pantry. It's all positive.

MsRD< congrats on the additional 2 pounds. What an amazing finish to the year, with the holidays, and the traditional gain- you are amazing! :)

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday! Merry Christmas!

Morning everyone!

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, or, if any of you don't celebrate, a happy Monday!

Mine was lovely, and Santa was very good to me. :)

Today though, my mind and body are telling me that I have to get back into the weight loss game (even if I will be thrown off track at New Years dinner). So this evening I am plugging in my new mp3 player and getting on that elliptical. Period.

Food today won't be too bad. Not fabulous, as 98% of the food in my house right now is junk, but I'm NOT going to eat myself stuffed. I've been uncomfortably full for about 3 days now, and that's 3 days longer than I should have been. It stops NOW.

I'm sick of being fat. I'm sick of being lazy. I'm sick of everything that goes with it.

Why wait for the new year to start when I can make good choices today?

MsRD: WOOHOO on losing the 2 more pounds! You're doing so well! Bravo!

Everyone else, how are you doing? How did you hold up over the holiday? Who's with me for a new commitment?

Elisha

Is Christmas over yet?
 

I too, have been throwing caution to the wind these last few days and eating whatever and whenever I want! I looked in the mirror today and saw this huge stomach protruding and it wasn't pretty, let me tell you!!!

I think it MUST be my turn to set up the new challenge, so if you all don't mind, I am going to do the New Year's Challenge, so look for it toward the end of this week! It will be good, I promise!

I will join you tonight, Elisha (and apparently MsRD) for an exercise session, even if I don't want to! I HAVE to! UGH!!! Thanks for the inspiration!

And way to go, MsRD on the 2 lbs gone!!! I'm soooooooo proud of you!!! :bravo: :cp: :encore: :cheers:

Jennifer, can't wait to try a new recipe! I like chicken!

Angie...Hope you are well. WHERE ARE YOU??? Did Christmas take you away??? Please post! I miss you!

Gotta run! Hugs to all!

Morning ladies!

MsRD: Drink lots of water to flush all of that junk out of your system. Chances are you haven't gained as much as you think. I feel for you having to get up for work though--I did too... :cry:

Julie: I'm ready for a New Year's Challenge. I already have my goals in mind.

Well, our temp's grandfather died last night, so I am here at work all by myself for the time being, and only one of the graphics guys comes in, so it's going to be quiet today. I've got to pick up all of her stuff though, so I'll probably be busy.

Food was okay yesterday, or at least better. I didn't eat everything in sight, and I stopped myself from getting seconds at dinner, so that's good. I didn't manage to exercise though, as I ended up getting home late. If I could just get one good night of sleep, I'd start getting up early to exercise. That way it doesn't get pushed out by other things popping up, and I feel better and more energized all day. Hopefully I can start doing that next week. This week I just want to concentrate on paying attention to what I'm eating rather than just shovelling it in.

I have to make a quick stop at the grocery store tonight, but then it's home to some form of exercise.

Who's with me?

I've decided that I'm going to make myself over this year. I'm getting a haircut on Saturday (or maybe Friday evening), buying some new makeup, some new clothes, and possibly getting my nails done as well. I just feel like I haven't been thinking about how I look (I haven't even been wearing makeup--can you believe that?!?), and I'm ready to get back to it. Nothing helps me focus on how I look more than... well, focusing on how I look. :D

OK, things to do. I hope you're all having a great day!
Elisha

Weds night!
 

I'm so exhausted. I worked late tonight and it always makes the day seem so long! Had an evening activity and since I'm the whole department now, seems I get stuck with that too! :( Oh well! I did get my hours back since our new boss arrived! :D It's amazing how much more I can get done with just one more hour each day! It's a good thing! My old assistant offered to help me with some paperwork today (volunteered) and I let her! She's an angel and I owe her big time! I'm working on trying to get 2 calendars and a newsletter done by Friday and trying to get Christmas decorations taken down on top of all the other stuff I need to do! UGH! It's crazy! I will be glad when "normalcy" (whatever that is!) returns after the new year.

I did get in exercise yesterday (20 minutes on the bike...felt good) but today it just didn't happen. I probably could have done it this morning before work since I didn't go in til 10:30, but as always, other things took over! :?: And I'm not doing it tonight, sorry Elisha!

Food was crappy again today, but it's getting better. I'm drinking lots of water (mainly because the thirst factor has risen since the heat factor has gone up in the nursing home!) and can't seem to get enough of it every day! I woke up this morning with a little chest congestion and coughing but it seems to have subsided throughout the day. I hope whatever is in the air is going AWAY from me!!!

MsRD...Glad you had a great Christmas! Don't be too hard on yourself, chickie! You deserve to "let go" ....just a little! ;) :hug:

Jennifer...you must be having a great time since we haven't heard from you in a few days!

Elisha...Hopefully your day went by quickly! Did you get your exercise in? I like your idea of a makeover! I need to get my hair high lighted desperately! I have some $ left on a gift pack that DH got me for my bday in July and am thinking I might jsut have them highlight my hair and do a facial for me (never had one done) or wax my eyebrows...or something! I don't really get into the "back massage" thing...I dunno! That's what the package was for...that and a facial! I think I'd want to have one every week if I got started...seriously!

Oh well..I want to go veg for a while before I go to bed, so nighty night chickies!
Exercise in the morning for sure!!!:carrot:

Morning all!

Sorry I went MIA yesterday. Things just come up, you know how it goes.

I don't really have anything to report though. I haven't been doing much of anything, including exercising.

I did do some shopping, and I made myself a hair appointment for Sunday, so I'll start the new year with a new do. :D

I've decided that this weekend I'm going to install my Yourself!Fitness on my laptop, because I LOVE that program, and I remember how much fun it actually was and how inspiring and just plain awesome it was to see my progress.
Also, DietPower. It helps me so much just to track what I'm eating. I'll probably start posting my daily menus here once again so I've got some measure of accountability.

I signed up for the Discovery Health Body Challenge this morning. I'm committing to the 8 weeks of being healthy. I think that is long enough to get me seriously into the habit, but not so long that the end seems so far away that I just give up.

I've learned something about myself over the past months: if I want something enough, and if I set myself a deadline, I can actually do it. The trick is, my deadline has to be tough, but manageable. Like writing a novel in 30 days. Yeah it was work, but I did it. I CAN stay on track for 30 days. I CAN do just about anything for 30 days.

OK, I've got stuff to do. I hope you're all having a great day, and I wish you all a happy weekend and a Happy New Year!
Elisha

New Challenge posted
 

Hi everyone,
We are off this morning for 3 days with my family up north. I'm actually looking forward to it, but I woke up this morning with diarrhea! YUCK!

I just posted the new challenge on a new thread. There are lots of challenges out there for the year, but this one has a little different take on it. You can start it anytime you want and we can end it whenever we need a new challenge, but I do hope it will be helpful to those of us who have been struggling for so long!!

Happy New Year to all of you!