mortonpixie: the bike is beautiful! I was surprised when you mentioned DVDs being a lifesaver for you, because it seems you get out and about to exercise quite a lot; it's impressive!

aimeebell: too funny about "growing"

krampus: you look pretty good even while eating!

claire: like you, I'm realizing that some weird foods can still end up in my food diary, as long as they fit into my calories, and I should really look more at the overall quality of what I'm eating.

kat: good luck getting back into running.

skinnyelle: Wow, that sounds like a great workout. I need a tennis partner. Or just a boyfriend to organize sprints on the tennis court. Or, heck, just a boyfriend.

Made some great progress on the painting today. Didn't drink quite enough water. I think it was hotter today, since it's still 86 at 7pm. Tomorrow's supposed to be cooler.

On my paint run today, I was also able to stop at the downtown farmer's market. I got some great looking cherries (I also got broccoli but the cherries will be more fun to eat.)

There's no way I will finish the painting this week, but I think I'm going to get further than it seemed a few days ago, so that's nice.

I have lost my frickin' mind and bought a tiny, glittery, TINY bikini for when my boyfriend and I go to the beach in August for his birthday.

Really tiny. Really really.

Here it is: http://fredericks.com/Double_Delight...html?cgid=sw55

I couldn't help it! I saw it in the magazine in the winter and dreamed of ordering it (even when each piece was $40, making it an $80 swimsuit) -- I just got an email from the site that it was on super duper clearance, so the whole suit was $13! So I bought it in silver.

There is no way that tiny little stringy thing is gonna hold up my boobs. Ugggh, I think I'm setting myself up to be depressed!!

/rant

Anyway, I ate well yesterday and got in a short little run. I think I'm burned out, I've been running every day since last Thursday, I'm taking today off and just stretching.

I found a meal I love yesterday, I bought some flatbread and light pizza sauce and cheese, turkey pepperoni and LOTS of veggies and made a pizza. It was delicious and low calorie. Probably not low sodium, but definitely delicious!

I also forgot to mention over the weekend that I made low calorie margaritas with the hungry girl recipe, which uses Sprite Zero, lime juice and lemonade Crystal Light with a shot of tequila. It was freakin' delicious.

Anyway, have an awesome day everyone!

Happy Friday Eve Feathers!

Going strong on my 1300 95% all clean calories a day! I havent started exercising regularly again but I do plan on throwing in yoga one day this week and biking another day. For now, I am concentrating on a strict 1300 calorie diet and throwing in exercise when I can. Ill worry about the exercise once I get a hold on that and lose the pounds I've gained. Feeling good though. Thats all that matters

Dorian Thank you for the comforting words but I really am a "thick girl". I have been called it my whole life. I truly believe in my heart of hearts that I appear thick (even though my stats are good), because I dont think I'm supposed to have this much fat on my bone structure. People are always amazing how different my hips look just with a few pounds. I go from looking more hour glass to more straight up and down! Its strange. Hard to explain. Anywhoo, getting back on track! You look like youve been doing great. I saw your pics over in the 20-somethings and they are awesome!!

I LOVE teh bikini you chose. I have a huge fetish with bathing suits and purses!! I buy those two things all year round. I have an obsession. Which is weird having such body image issues lol

skinnyelle Not sure if my pics are posted on here anymore. I still have a few from when I was around 130ish. I dont have any of the ones I used to have when I was at my lowest (128ish and 24in waist!). I can email them to you if you want. I saw your pics in the 20 somethings also and girl you have a tiny waist!! You look freaking awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeee. What is your waist measurement?

aimee You make me laugh. I love your posts. But I agree, never use such expressive words like "ton"

kat999 - I've heard Jari Love can really whip you into shape! Thanks for starting the thread!

Diane0420425 - yup, I eat a ton...I have a home daycare and chase 5-7 kids all day, in addition to training for a Half Marathon (my second this year)...so I'm probably burning upwards of 2500cal every day. So eating 1700 + 200-300 more if I'm super hungry makes it so that I loose slowly (.5lb/wk) but I loose 100% fat.

Dorian5 - I'm happy to hear that you're staying off the scale til Friday. I used to weigh every day, in fact my 2011 resolution was to stop doing that! My goal is once a month - but I usually can only last a week to 10 days. I also kicked those low cal treats to the curb. I normally have something really special every couple of weeks and do it up GOOD. Last night I had an ice cream cone with cookies and cream ice cream. So good and will help me stay out of the kids' ice cream for a while! And Woah on the itsy-bitsy bikini!

sumire - yea, that would be frustrating to have to pause the video to change the weights! Gee, IDK if I would call what I do actual technique - I learned all I know off of the Livestrong channel on YouTube - Whatever works!

skinnyelle - oh, tennis sounds fun! I'm glad you could workout with the BF.

aimeebell - I like your attitude about applying what you think of others to yourself. We could all stand to be less hard on ourselves!

ann71 - long about November, I will be a sad little girl here in Nebraska...relegated to my basement until March because of the snow and ice and wind. DVD's keep me sane in the winter...but I can't stand to look at them when the weather is so grand right now!! Thinking of you and your projects today - it's hot out there! I make my little kids drink regularly while we are playing outside...it helps me to remember to also!

-------------------------------------------------

Okay - I did all that typing and now my kids are chomping to get to reading some books and playing. We normally go outside at 9, but it's raining. Maybe we will clean up the toy-room...it helps if they can decide which things we don't play with anymore.

Today is Yoga Day! I may have to do it over nap time...I forgot that I signed up to help plan the church's Women's Retreat and there is a meeting tonight at 7pm. I s'pose I ought to pitch in...seems like everyone wants to come to the retreat, but it's the same 4 ladies that do all the planning. Not sure what I can do, but maybe I can help a little.

Have a GREAT day!

mortonpixie I'm glad to hear you're eating more for marathon training. I did my second 1/2 in April and didn't realise that I needed to eat so much more once my runs got to 15-18km, and was tired all the time. Once I added a protein shake in after, I felt much better! Good luck for it - what time are you aiming for? I think I can start running again in late September, and am going to focus on getting my 5k time down (ideally under 24mins, that'd be great!) and start half marathon training in January or so.

Dianne I think i am 'thick' too. I know it sounds like an excuse, but my bones really are quite wide! Good plan about getting the diet down before attempting a crazy exercise plan, you don't want to overwhelm yourself!

Dorian Ah cool bikini, I went bikini shopping today too. I didn't find anything, but you are brave - that is tiny! Good motivation

ann mmm cherries! I love summer and the fresh fruit around!

Everything is the same from my end. I am looking for a killer DVD that focuses on abs, arms and bum (maybe thighs too), but doesn't contain a cardio section (can't do it) and where it is mainly lying or sitting. I'm trying my best to get washboard abs before we go on holiday (a little under 4 weeks!). I don't want to look like a beached whale next to my v. toned boyfriend. Motivation!

lol I actually think opposite for me. I think I look thick becuase of the extra fat, not becuase of my bones. I think I have relatively small bones. Its hard to tell though wtih the fat. Thats why I pointed out the difference in my hip size with just 6 pounds. When I was 6 pounds lighter a few months ago they were over 2 inches smaller! Crazyyyyy

Regarding the dvd, do you like Yoga??

Dorian5: Thanks for the margarita recipie. I was just googling options. Know I have to give up my wine. But its summertime!

Dianne Unfortunately I don't have the patience to do yoga, I wish I did. There is a free yoga dvd coming with Shape this month, so maybe I'll try it and give it another go.

I've just put a strength routine together and posted it on exercise to see if I can get some tips. I've known for ages I need to do more strength training and not just do cardio all the time, shame I don't enjoy it more!!

Hi y'all!

Hope everyone's doing good so far this month

Dianne, I read your story and wanted to give *hugs*. I'm sorry- people can be cold sometimes.. I guess I'd consider those people social friends instead of real friends.. to laugh at your expense.. real friends wouldn't have said that or at least would've made a comment on your behalf, like your man did. I think he meant it in a good way. With your feelings upset at that moment, I could see how you'd take it the way you did too. I wouldn't call you "thick" either.. I had to battle 130 for years and I'm 3" shorter than you.. I'd put their mean comments to use.. use them for motivation when you're working out.. 'cause after 1-2 months, they won't be able to say them anymore.

aimee, congrats on your swimsuit nsv!! That's awesome to be comfortable in a swimsuit with no cover-up! Nice compliments too, even if they came out wrong (they probably haven't had weight problems, because 30lbs is certainly not a ton).

krampus, lol @ (& I love) your turkey leg pic. That's too cute!! The guys on my car forum would love to stick you in a bikini in front of their car For the record, I'd rather you pose with my car than some random Hooters girls- LOL! (Just compliments.. take them how you will).

Dorian, that bikini is SEXY!!! You still have a month to prepare, so you should be fine. Men LIKE boobies spilling out of tops, so yeah, I bet it'll look hot I want to see this low-cal margarita recipe, because that's my fav drink and I know they're usually loaded with sugar & calories.

claire, for toning with no cardio, I'd look into pilates. You'll be on a mat most of the time, holding poses to strengthen muscles.

Myself.. I joined a new zumba studio this week, so I'll be doing 1 hour, 4x/week. Its fun. Today will be my 3rd day in class. They wear coin scarf-skirts, so I wore mine yesterday.. Makes you want to shake your butt more to make the coins jingle, lol!! Definitely makes the workout even more fun We're going to Galveston in 2 weeks, so I'm just working out and trying to eat right.. The bikini I bought last year looks decent on me this year.. It would be really cool to take a (cute, not skanky) pic with my car on the beach and look good!

So. It's totally silly but I'm all hyped! I just got to this board, and that happened after I decided I'm finally ready to do something about how icky I feel about my body. So I went to the gym yesterday and today. And I signed up here, and spent the last 2 hours reading the boards. And I've not been this confident of success like.. EVER!

It's just all in the right place at the moment, so I know I can reach my goal weight before the end of the year and be super happy about my body. For the first time since 2007.

So. I'm rambling, and basically just saying HI. lol. It's 11pm here, so I should quit the hyper-active-positive feeling and go to sleep or something!!

Hey feathers!

Back from vacation, and feeling like a bit of a beached whale. Coupled with the post- holiday depression, and I am just feeling like poo. Back to calorie counting, and focusing on 1/2 marathon preparations. Must... get... lean.

Off to work for the weekend... ick.

Looks like you're all doing well. Personals soon!

xoxo
FPSJ

You're a sweetie, thank you! I started trying to lose a little over a year ago, after I saw some photos of myself from a friend's wedding. I was always used to being tiny, and somehow time kind of caught up with me when I wasn't looking. *heh* Whipped myself into college-era shape from last summer to this summer with a LOT of hard work, if I do say so myself.

I've got photos somewhere at my very highest. I may have even been in the 150s then. It was not of the good. I'll see what I can dig up that doesn't mortify me.

URGH scale's up about 2 lbs which is expected after the big eating, drinking, and not sleeping that happened last night. 100% worth it for a great night out with Japanese friends who I have very limited time with, but man I feel gross today. I came home at 2:30 am and had a PB&J sandwich and a few pretzels dunked in peanut butter - not my proudest moment.

But when they saw me, they commented that I had lost weight, which is always good to hear!

FPSJ Welcome back! You'll feel way better in a couple days. How was vacation?

philana Hoe gaat het? I'm glad you feel good about things, savor that "motivated" feeling!

ferretgirl HA, thank you, did you repost the photo on the car forum? I'd rather be submerged up to my head in a tub of chocolate pudding than on a car in a bikini if I may be honest... What kind of car(s) are you into?

claire Things you will not look like on the beach: beached whale. Pilates sounds like a good idea!

Dianne I 100% hear you on the thickness/small bones thing. At my lowest weight ever, 123.5, I still didn't have visible hipbones or ribs and had to lie on my back and suck in violently for them to be visible.

mortonpixie Hope you had a good yoga day!

Dorian5 WOW LOOK AT THAT BIKINI! Are you happy with your stomach these days? Who cares if your boobs fall out, people will be too busy drooling to tell you to put them back in...

Happy Friday!!

OK quick vent about dating and dieting lol Sorry I feel like I am always venting on here

Men just don't understand. They think, you eat healthy, you lose weight. They don't understand that not only for women, but people who are trying to lose the last 10ish pounds, you have to count calories. Like my bf this morning said, man with the way youve been eating youre going to be ripped in no time. Most people would like a comment like that. Instead, I feel more pressure because while yes Ive been eating healthy, Ive been eating a lot. So my calories still are not great. He doesnt understand that. So I feel like if I dont start losing fast, hes going to think somethings wrong with me or that I have a slow metabolism. I know thats pathetic and he doesn't care anyways, but its a personal annoyance. All men have to do is eat healthy and exercise. Women, if you are losing the last few, you really have no wiggle room. Its just annoying. Its also hard because he is like an alien. Will never gain weight, doesnt eat for pleasure, doesnt get anxiety, sleeps like a baby, nothing gets to him!!!!!! I dont wish anything bad on him but on the other end its hard for him to understand everything going on with me, because hes so even keeled. Argh! Ok im done. Thanks for listening lol

Claire Ive never done yoga but I am signing up for unlimited yoga classes for a month because of the hot yoga. I here it REALLY does burn 500-1200 calories a class! woooooo sign me up!!!!

Ferret Thanks for the hugs. I honestly have learned to not let comments like that get to me too much and use it for motivation. It used to eat at me but now I know I have great family, few close friends and God on my side. That's all that counts

Katt Where did you keep your calories at when you were losing? DId you go "off" on the weekends? Drink? What about exercise?

Id love to see before and afters!!!!

Krampus The thing is, when I got just under 130, I felt good and wasnt disgusted with my body. I actually felt comfortable in most outfits. For now, I just want to get back to feeling that way instead of feeling disgusting in every outfit. Then once I reach there, my ultimate goal is to lose another 10 pds. Then maybe the thickness will go away. I actually do remember someone saying to me (when i was about 128-129), "You lose any more weight I may even have to call you as "skinny". wtf does that mean lol

Date night tonight! Dinner and movie. Outback. eeeeekkkkk Wish me luck on staying away from the bread