SusanB: I'm always ecstatic when I'm hungry in the morning! If I'm not, I feel like it's a waste to eat, but I know I have to because breakfast is so important. So I end up drinking a spinach smoothie or something and completely crashing two hours later. Not fun.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm completely unreasonable. I stuck to 1600 calories yesterday (a low intake for me), so of course I thought I would magically drop a pound this morning. Naturally that didn't happen. Darn.

I've already had another feeding. Cottage cheese and celery. I'm going to have to be careful today. Planning, planning and no diving into crap food.

timetostart--chin up! just take it day by day... that's all u can do, right? i'm w you, come on spring!
susanb--seems like you're conscious of what's going in today, so hopefully you'll be able to stay on track!

Hope everyone is doing well :) i am just so lazy. i can't seems to get my butt in exercise gear! i have a bad low back (sciatica, bah!) that flares up almost daily. i'm constantly trying to heal it, but having that pain makes it easy to be lazy and stretch instead of exercise. also, the neighborhood i live in isn't the best, which scares me into just hanging out inside (even on nice days). videos bore me after a few weeks of doing them. I'm still doing my strength training 3x a week, and i can see significant changes in my bod's shape. but that elusive cardio... there are always a million reasons not to do something. i know, i know. haha ugh just venting.

tkm--i do that too! apparently that's not how it works... :( would be all too easy i suppose. keep at it though, and the pounds will come off, eventually. :hug:

Hey all.......

I started the Couch to 5K running program to train for a 5K in May. So far, so good. My fitness level is definitely a lot better than it was a year ago, so this training hasn't been too bad yet!

I've been staying on track with eating too. Overall, I'm doing well! Come on scale!!!!! I wanna hit my goal!!!!!!!!!

Good morning!

No decimals of any sort today and that's a good thing. But I feel thinner. Maybe I should measure today.

Ga! Gaaaaa! Evil scale. I was 131.5 this morning. How could I have eaten 1600 calories two days in a row and gained almost 2 pounds? It might be water rentention--TOM is due to start next Friday.

Well. At least I still had the heart to exercise. Only 2 miles this morning because I had to get to work--all walking because I didn't want to have to wash my hair :o

All you feathers must be having a good weekend :)

I was in kind of a slumpy mood today. I did some legs and jumped on the elliptical a few times for 10 or 15 minutes. It was really nice outside so I walked for errands twice too. But nothing as energetic as I should have done ... given that I was home alone all day.

And food? Again, good except for ... and it was popcorn again :(

Oh say ... I've been reading blogs. KAW from 3FC's weight lifters' threads is good. The link is in her signature.

And this one is good too.
http://www.skwigg.com/blog/
Try to read the January 23rd entry. Very informative.

This month has been tough as far as getting in the right mindset for healthy living. I'm going to take this last week of Feb. as a fresh start and hopefully it will make March more successful.
Today I'm starting a new food diary and I'm hanging my hopes on that making a big difference by itself. I haven't been logging food consistantly since the first couple weeks of January due to moving and all. It was a choice and I know I could've done better during and after the move, but I was feeling the stress and didn't want to add to it, so I chose to ease up on my food discipline. Probably not a good choice!

Ms P - Just my humble opinion, but sometimes a break is just what I need to get back on track - I get back that enthusiam, excitment and will to suceed that I get when I first start to see the scale move ----- except I'ave already lost weight so I'm not starting back at the beginning, beginning again! :dizzy:

Ms Perception--I actually think it was the right choice. I know if I'm stressed out by other things, if I add the stress of dieting to the pile I'll just end up really upset with a spoon in one hand and an empty jar of peanut butter in the other.

I'm kind of maintaining at the moment if truth be told. I'm eating well. I've given up all crap for Lent so I feel well but I'm just eating too much good stuff. Maybe little enough to lose a pound a month but that's a bit rubbish! Need something to re-ignite my enthusiasm :^:


Have you been on your beach break yet?

Yes I am back from the beach - lots of eating and drinking and I'm up 3 pounds just to prove I had my share of fun.

I'm back on track today with eating. Planning on getting back to the gym tomorrow.:strong:

Hi, Feathers!

Hope you're all doing well! Me? Not so well. I've been OK calorie-wise (except for one 2200-cal beer & fried fish & dessert extravaganza!) but not making what I consider good choices and letting the exercise slip.

Ms. Perception: We are also moving (cross-country!) and I've been off schedule, running about and going to too many going-away dinners. Soon I will be sitting for days on end in a truck. Oh well. I've done what I can about bringing healthy snacks/breakfasts/lunches for the ride. I will make every effort to eat well in the evenings and bring my yoga mat into the hotel room to exercise even a little bit. Once we get settled, I will have to get back in my routine.

Luckily, it looks like I haven't gained any weight back. YET. I'm still exactly 143.2. So I guess I've been maintaining/plateauing for a few weeks now.

I'll be back the first week of March, antsy to get started again. :)

By the way, Susan - I was reading the Swigg blog you posted. I really like her attitude! Thanks for posting that...

Good Morning,
The dear scale was down to 132 this morning. One pound to go so that I match the current weight under my name and one more pound to go before I hit 130 again (which I had just reached before the beach trip).

It's all about making choices and living with the consequences. The book I am reading this week talks about that. Since I am not on a diet again, but a making a change to a Healthy Lifestyle I will make choices and then I will work them into my plan for the day and then I will take the time to enjoy my choice instead of feeling guilty. But the most important thing I must learn to do is not let one choice to make me feel like a failure and then derail my whole program.
So instead of going hog wild because I make a choice to include one treat - enjoy your choice and then get right back OP. I wonder if that is possible?

I am not on a diet!! :devil: I am living a Healthy Life in the real world!:)

That's a good note Danni, thanks for that.

I had a bout of gastro yesterday. The only things I could get down were soda biscuits and ginger ale. Neither of these is on my list of good healthy things, but I had to have something. I didn't need a hypoglycemic migraine on top of everything else.
I'm not going to gain 30 lbs back because of them. I'll probably not eat much of them today ....

BTW ... on the topic of having junk in the house ... I had to wait for my son to come home from work to go buy me some gingerale and crackers. Luckily, I slept most of the day. ;)

Hi Feathers!!!!!!

I weighed in at 127 today, which is 2 pounds from my original goal of 125. I'm thinking I'm going to adjust my goal downward just a little to 119, but for now I'm just itchin' to meet the 125 goal. I just wanna do the victory dance of meeting that goal, LOL. Maybe in the next 2 weeks or so??? I'm hoping....fingers crossed!

I started week 2 of the Couch to 5K program today. Not too bad so far. I wouldn't exactly say I enjoy running, but I do feel good afterwards. My neighbor told me it took her 6 months before she actually started to "like" running. Hmmm..I hope I can stick with it long enough to experience that. I love walking, but running is a little harder to love, LOL.

I want to wish everyone the best!! Susan, hope you are feeling better. Emma, Danni, and Ms., hang in there......you can do it!!!!!!! This is such a great board to be able to post to!

Susan - hope you are soon bouncing back! :hug:
Also thank you so much for that blog link - I really enjoy her blog.
One quote she included really made me smile: It said, "Don't eat anything that does rot. Real food goes bad in a couple of days."
Think about it - makes sense. Skip the processed chemicals!!!

Kellost - I am so happy for you. :carrot: It must feel awesome to be so near your goal. I will be so excited to reach the 120's again.I may have to adjust my first goal (:^: once I reach it). I'm not ever getting off my "life plan" --- but I will continue to moniter my food and exercise closely untill those fat rolls are gone. Then I will work on maintaining.

I think maintaining will look alot like how I eat now with a few more calories some days. I am losing - but I am losing slower than ever before because this time my focus is on health - not just losing a certain number of pounds.

Hey, feathers!

Today I walked 2 miles (in heels! in the snow!) from my high school classroom observation... so are the trials of being an education major without a car. :rolleyes: My usual ride bailed on me. I had called a taxi in the morning, but missed it coming back, and so I just sucked it up and walked. I felt so good about myself afterward. Amazing what a self-esteem boost a little extra calorie burn in my day does for me. Just wanted to share!

Seventeen--yay!! That's fun, a little unexpected cardio!! :)

Bouncing back here! Walked uptown for errands this morning and that feels worlds better. I did not wear heels ;)

I'm still struggling to find something that sits well in my tummy. I'm trying a banana.

SusanB: I'm glad you're feeling better. Stomach bugs are the worst. When I'm sick I subsist on juice pops and white bread--definitely not "healthy" but easy to digest!

Soda biscuits and ginger ale .... ugh ... oh and black coffee :D

TKM ... Last year my husband and I had the distinct pleasure of being invited to go on a missions trip to an orphanage in Mexico. Love them loverly kiddies. This year, I could not go. DH just got back and brought me a note from some of my best buddies. TKM ... they say te kiero mucho -or- love ya lots. It makes me smile every time I see your username.

The lovely Featherweights Mod Ilene posted this on another thread and I love it!

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/health/top18.html

132.8 this morning. idk if its legit but im going to do everything in my power to keep it a 2 (until it goes to a 1 of course....then on downward)
so ya, im pretty ecstatic about that. maybe this is a sign that my body is ready to lose some more weight!

Good evening!

I am feeling sooo much better today. I worked and while I was draggin' late in the afternoon ... it was fine.

Today is also the first day I've had a reasonable amount of decent food (read here actual vegetables and some cheese).

In fact, I think I'll get on the elliptical for a while.

Susan - so glad that you are better. :D
I want to thank you for all the suggestions you
have made about different places to find good
information to help us on the journey.
I have enjoyed all of the suggestions - keep them coming. :cool:

Today I did a little experiment:

Right after waking up: 130.6
After breakfast (and using the bathroom): 130.0
After workout: 129.0

My sweetie thinks this is perfectly normal, but I think my scale is broken. He says I lost "water weight" while exercising, but I'm pretty sure I didn't sweat out an entire POUND by walking three miles =/

Tkm.....you just can't trust the scale, can you? I've been really making an effort to not get hung up on the numbers. Sometimes the number can literally make or break my day. When I remind myself that this is a lifestyle, and not so much a quest for a magical number, I seem to get a better attitude about it all. It's amazing how much our weight can vary within hours. Also, I did have a scale that was just WAY too inconsistent all the time, and I had to get rid of it, so that could be the problem also.

As for me.....I've been on plan perfectly with food for quite a while now! I've been exercizing my little heart out, especially with doing the Couch to 5K training. I must confess that I have desires to head to a favorite pizzeria this Saturday. I've done this once in awhile during my weight loss, and this weekend might be the weekend. BAD GIRL!!!!! But I'll just confess it here right now, LOL. My challenge for myself is to limit it to just the pizza. In other words, not to go on a crazy food binge that lasts the whole day. So my plan is to run in the morning, eat healthy for the other 2 meals, then go ahead and enjoy the pizza.

I'm Catholic and gave up candy for Lent. Wow....this was major! I didn't realize really how much candy I was eating. It seems my kids always bring home candy from parties, etc, and I dabble in it more often than I should. Well, since giving it up, my snacking has been reigned in majorly! I am not craving snacks like I was before. I think the sugar was really triggering snack cravings for me. It's been really interesting to take an honest look at it, and see how eliminating all that sugar really helps.

One problem I have with Lent is that I cannot have meat on Fridays. I do not eat seafood/fish of any kind. I've tried, but it's just not my thing. So I've been relying mainly on beans for protein. It's been tough. I had a reduced fat mac and cheese today, and while it tasted good, it didn't really sustain me like a grilled chicken breast or turkey sandwich does. I'm making black bean burritos tonight.

Wishing all you Feathers a great weekend!!!!!! Thanks for "listening"!

Water is very heavy! The basis of the metric system is that one liter weighs 1 kilogram. Your one pound tkm256, is only about 2 cups! You sweat some, you exhale moist breath, I always have to void after exercising.

Today has been OP and I'm hoping I can continue that way, but there's a box of girl scout cookies in the pantry calling my name. I'm shocked I've resisted this long. Also we're going to a BB game tonight where snacks are plentiful. I know I'm low on cals for the day, but I don't want to go nuts on less than wonderful foods! Agh!!

Happy friday night, feathers! :)

I had a horrible week trying to do phase 1 of Fat Smash. Crazy cravings all week long, and I finally gave in today (in a big way let me tell ya--piece of pizza, nutella, 3 buffalo wings). In fact, I'm enjoying a glass of wine as I type. So it's back to calorie counting for me. 1800 today. I suppose that's fine, since I was cycling calories before I started the Smash, but I was eating around 1100-1300 all week, and weighed in at 159 today. So I gained? Don't know, trying not to care. This is so frustrating sometimes! I'll weigh again tomorrow, see if maybe today was just a high day or something. I think TOM is on its way, too. bah :mad:

I'm buying an elliptical tomorrow.

http://chris.pirillo.com/50-weight-loss-tips/

i mean, i know them all, but it's helpful to have them reiterated. tonight it justifies my feelings of--"BUT I'M DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT!!"

shasha 12 - you hand in there girl. The hardest part
is to keep on keeping on. We have all been there -
we all know how you feel. Keep doing the right
thing. :hug:

This time around for me, I am losing slower than
ever before -- but I am going after a healthy life -
not just a number on the scale. That has made
all the different in the world for me.

I am not on any special plan. I am reading all
I can about healthy foods and figuring how to
eat as many of them in one day as I can. By
the time I eat a lot of fruit and veggies with
a little chicken and fish - I don't really have a
lot of cravings. My downfall is I still like to
sit and much with a good movie.

Exercise and strength training are key parts of the plan.
So get right back on your program and have a good day. :smug:

shasha 12 - Thank you for sharing the prillo website.

Everyday I try to read something about nutrition/weight loss/exercise.
That and this forum are what keep me going. It doesn't matter how
much we have read these tips - reading again always helps me! ;)

Good evening!

I've got nothing new. I was thinking that the first of March is just around the corner. Another new month.

Nothing new to say here either. I dropped 2.4lbs this week which I'm pleased about but I'm still 2 up on where I was pre-holiday-blowout. Sigh. Had a damn good time though.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. For me, March signifies the end of winter and it's been a horrible winter. I'm really looking forward to a bit of sunshine as my preferred exercise options are all outdoors and I avoid them when the weather's miserable.

hi all! feeling much better :D I weighed yesterday morning, even after my 1800 cal day of pizza and wine and I'm back to 157. Fri was a high day, indeed. Calorie counting the last 2 days, which feels much more natural to me than fat smash did. I don't know why I ever strayed: I eat right for the most part. so now I know what works best for me, and I'll stick to it.

I didn't get an elliptical, but I've read a ton of reviews online for the Gazelle Edge by Tony Little, they all give it 4.5 out of 5 stars, etc. and it's really cheap right now at Walmart... so I think I'm going to give that a try! All the cheap ellipticals I looked at had awful reviews. Hope to go pick my Gazelle up today, and get this gut moving!

Can't believe it's almost March! This year is flying!

Doughnut! Woohoo!! A drop is a drop, my friend :) Keep it up!

I had a different brand of a gazelle and loved it so hope you do. Had to just say that you weigh exactly the same as me - bet we look really different :)