So today, I decided to try on pants that I haven't worn since the beginning of my freshman year (about two years ago). It's a size 4, and earlier in the year I couldn't even pull them over my thighs...but now I can! They're a tight squeeze and can hardly button but I reckon that by goal I'll be able to fit into them again. They're my favorite jeans so I'm SO excited.

I'm headed to the gym for a quick cardio session, adding to my morning workout routine.


Chooks We all have slip up days! I had more than one just this past week (not too thrilled about it, either). Don't worry about it, though, just pick up the plan tomorrow and stay on the plan! I am the SAME way with fruit. My mom always leaves it out and it's so tempting and SO easy to eat a lot of it.

Well....the scale read 129 this morning. I haven't seen the scale bounce around this much my entire journey. I saw 129 for two days about three weeks ago, and since then it has been 130 to 132. Normally my weight is VERY steady, to the tenth of a pound, but my "normal" since January has been 95% of on plan days. Lately, its been about a 70/30 split. I think my real weight is about 129ish right now, but with additional food, waste, and fluid from my off plan days is causing the weight variance.

July Goals/Plan of Attack
1) drink water throughout the day (1 liter minimum)
2) limit unhealthy foods & watch portion sizes
3) workout 4x/week

"Weigh-Ins"
SW on July 1st: 116.5 lbs
GW by Aug 1st: 113 lbs

(just purchased a 1-month zumba membership, so I plan on going Mon-Thur evenings through July)

Week 1 (7/1-7/7)
7/1: 25 min intermediate zumba (xbox kinect)
7/2: 10 min abs workout (dvd) + 3 mile "shopping walk"
7/5: 55 min zumba (group class)
7/6: 50 min zumba (group class)
7/7: 50 min zumba (group class)
Week 1 SW: 116.5 lbs
Week 1 EW: 115 lbs

to everyone!!

Chooks - oh yikes, that would lead to some serious digestive discomfort for me, I hope you're feeling ok today! Just move on and don't beat yourself up too much.

I appreciate the concern about my calorie levels, ladies... but somewhere around 1400-1600 seems to be maintenance for me when I'm doing about half that much exercise, so I figure 1000 cals and more exercise will get me some fast but not unreasonable results.

I was hoping the weight from my crazy weekend would drop right off but then I had cake and ice cream and a little bit of chinese food (ugh, sodium) and somehow I'm even higher today. GRR.

I've spent my free time at work today planning what to next: I think I'm gonna try out the "Rapid Fat Loss" plan from Lyle McDonald (despite its awful name) starting on Saturday.

Okay, I'm new so this is a bit scary. But I'll name a July Goal! hihi.
The 29th is my birthday and I just started on a new 'plan' - so weight loss will go quickly at first. Which is why 10lbs in 3 weeks is not as ambitious as it might seem.

July Goals:
- 4/5 days per week excercise
- Stick to 1500 calories intake
- Don't hide inside so much!
- Be at 145lbs when I turn 26 and wear that supernice pair of linen pants

"Weigh-ins"
- SW on July 7th: 154lbs
- GW on July 29th: 145lbs

Alright the past 2 days have not been so great. I had to take a rest day on wednesday from running which always seems to set me up for a bad day and yesterday we had heavy rain and thunderstorms (Summer in Scotland apparently doesn't exist) and so I was stuck inside all day! I tried to be good with my food and succeeded until around 7-8 when my father made Kleftiko (greek lamb, very fatty, can reach up to 800-1000 calories per serving) and homemade fruit cake and I utter the dreaded words, the words that have ruined my healthy eating plan time after time again and again: Life is short. And so I pigged out something awful and afterwards I had so much self loathing that I just ate bowl after bowl of cereal until I went to bed. Not a good night. I thought I had gotten past the whole "omg I had a slice of cake now I hate myself" thing but I had been feeling pretty miserable all day so it was bound to happen sooner or later. So this morning I woke up at 6:30 and made a massive calender for this month to hang beside my bed and I wrote out my entire workout plan for the month so as I am never forced to go without exercise again. I then went out for a quick run and discovered that I cut my time down for a 3K from 20 minutes to 16! HOW AMAZING IS THAT? Alright so I know it's not that impressive but still I feel as though I have purpose and can achieve anything (or at least that's what I'm telling myself).

Thanks for the concern and support guys, it's really helped and I have fully recovered form my fruit binge :P

Chooks you probably cut your running time because you ate more the days before, or your body needed a few rest days! Well done

I just bought the Tracy Anderson 30 Days workout book. I'm going to ignore the cardio and the quite frankly ridiculous nutrition advice (700-1,000 calories a day and 1 1/2 hr workouts, no thanks) but the strength training section looks really good! I'll do that plus Pilates and a bit of walking for cardio. Good luck everyone

Hope you don't mind if I join in.

I've only just joined so this is my first challenge.

I plan to try and lose 5lbs by the beginning of August.

Going to try some yoga for the first time ever this evening, hoping I enjoy it, hopefully it will increase my flexibility as I miss being able to do the splits.

Also looking forward to my early morning swim training tomorrow. Though I took up swimming again in February and been loving it. Making me wonder why I ever quit in the first place.

Just got to try avoiding binging now :/

claire: what?! 700-1000 calories a day? Wow, I would be a grumpy grumpy person on that one.

Blah, I ended up going out last night and had more to drink than I should have. Then, adding to that, we went to breakfast this morning and I seriously ate way too much, mostly because I figured I ruined my diet anyways.

I'll be at the gym all night...

Ahhhh I've pigged out all week long. I got back from my beach vacation on Wednesday (where I ate everything in sight) and haven't been able to get back on the healthy eating bandwagon. I need a kick in the ***. I'm up FIVE pounds (It was up 9 yesterday morning!) WTF??

I'm hitting the gym first thing tomorrow morning and hopfully that sets me up for a good eating day.

Today is the start of my new diet plan, and I kinda went crazy over the past 2 days because I knew it was coming. Ugh, hate that I do that!

Weighed 143 this morning. Gonna take nausea-inducing bikini pictures, and do measurements today.

Hi everyone! I've been busy with summer fun, but I want to catch up.

Seems like there are a few set backs. Hang in there ladies! Take a deep breath and remember to take it day by day. Yesterday is over Concentrate on today. We're only 9 days into this challenge. You can make anything happen!

And there are a few great updates too! Good work!! I'm super impressed

I've been exercising less, but staying really active and keeping my calories in lower than my calories out. I still manage to get some form of exercise in every day.

Today, we spent about 3 hours at the pool (swimming leisurely and chasing the kids), and then did a 30 min intermediate yoga DVD that kicked my butt (thanks to my hubby fixing the DVD player yesterday, yippeeeeee).

Yesterday I only got in 30 min on the elliptical. I just couldn't do it. My mind said yes, but my body gave out. What is that??? I wasn't sleepy.

Today's Weigh In:
122.2 Wahoooooooo! 15.2 lbs GONE baby! Gone.

I got to make a ticker Just testing it out. And I upped my chickie!