Quick drive-by...My weight is down to 113.6 today. Not a big drop, but nice to see nonetheless.
I think this weight gain is completely related to the TOM symptoms of having. I am not suppose to start my period until March 20th...but I STILL have all of the symptoms. This is crazy and hopeffully just ovulating.

Hope everyone is having a great day...will check back later :)

Hi Feathers!

Weight is down to 123.6 but I felt bloated this morning and ate a bunch of ice cream and a cookie last night. TOM will likely arrive soon.

My lower back hurts - sprints this AM were probably not a brilliant idea since the back was tender yesterday. I feel like a complete idiot but I just have trouble keeping good form on deadlifts and squats. Hunnggfff.

My special shipment of sumo oranges (dekopon, hallabong in Japanese and Korean) arrived yesterday and they are GREAT. One of our friends went to the smoked meat/cheese speciality shop and brought back a gigantic block of incredible smoked bleu cheese - I'm going to have grape and smoked bleu cheese salad every single day this week.

Here are a couple photos from cabin weekend - looks very similar to TurboMammoth's!

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...00809204_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...64442340_n.jpg

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...47650577_n.jpg

Bayzee Ovulation makes my weight whack too. I forget are you on the pill or anything? My cycle is super irregular.

Turbo I'm still too scared to use the barbell for squats! That's awesome that you had such a good workout, and LOL that the guy trying to help you was too bulky to hold the bar properly...I can't imagine being in that situation. There are 34579539834 reasons your weight might be up - don't worry about it if you're eating well and getting stronger! :D Enjoy your run!

Alexistrophic OHHHHH orchestra drama. I do not miss that aspect of playing with a large ensemble. Are there tons of players interdating and taking sides and snarking about how so-and-so should be on the inside of the stand, too? Good news that a profitable gig is a possibility in your future - enjoy Britsoaps and sit on your hands! :P

MaddieB Nice whoosh!

Aidangm Hopefully the snowstorm doesn't ruin your plans for this evening.

JossFit Your workout sounds pretty darn thorough, I'm sure more than just a few calories were burned. Who knows wtf is up with your weight and the scale - perhaps it's a case of sitting pretty for a week and seeing a whoosh? I'm sorry that guy at the gym made you self-conscious - it is rare for very fit people to stay ultra-lean all year round though, isn't it? And from the photos you've posted recently you still look fantastic. Have you noticed your pullups etc improving after going downhill during the trainer weeks?

olehcat Glad you made it home safely in the snowstorm. I hate driving in snow/weather too - I'm especially wary of rainy night driving because I can't see sh!t. Nicely done on having a sensible dinner and not ODing on sweets and wine. To answer your questions I'm maintaining but I like seeing 123.something or lighter. If I magically lose more that's great but I am not focused on it aside from just paying attention.

LockitUp BUSTED you lurker!

http://www.facebook.com/v/654501408008
OH my god, you guys. Lol...... :carrot:
Here's a Harlem Shuffle from the gym I work at. I'm the one in front the black "Pinnacle" sweatshirt, the name of our gym.

*Edit* can anyone actually view this link? I'm not sure how to download FB videos and I don't know the privacy settings on this one!

Bayzee ~ No fun on those hormones... Hopefully it passes soon.

Krampus ~ The orch is mostly working or retired professionals, so I think there tends to be less drama, I just feel like this conducor leaves it in his wake. Sheesh! Great weekend pics, btw. I love how there are instruments in the cabin pic you posted. ;) Although, not gonna lie, that place looks either super relaxing... or like the setting for a good horror flick... Is that just my twisted impression?

Aidan ~ I watched the vid w.o sound (@work) Such a hottie you are! By the way you move, you just seem so comfortable in your body.

Originally Posted by JossFit:
Yep, we're in the same place! I just have to tell you the same thing you told me; you're doing it all the right way, so hang in there and it WILL pay off! At least in the meantime you can enjoy all the NSVs you're having at the gym!

Yeah... I know it's all about keeping pushing and everything, but I guess sometimes I feel a LITTLE BIT like this :

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/3039/pounds.jpg

(like, is this too much to ask!???!!) LOL

@Alex; I'm glad the vid works. I just love silly/fun things like that! Dancing is so much fun. :) At my gym, we try to make exercise fun and creative. Anything to get people smiling and enjoying their workouts!

@Turbo: Loool. Love the e-card.

oh, feathers, my weight is up to 145.8, which does not sound bad at all if you look at Monday's weight, but is .8 of a pound heavier than last Thursday. It could be water stuff, who knows. I had two big poops yesterday during the day, but then I couldn't go this morning again. Last night for dinner I had a VERY light dinner of one of those curry cubes and green beans, but those curry cubes are FILLED with sodium. Only 110 calories, but definitely not good on the sodium front. But I didn't have wine last night and while I baked some brownies for school today, I had like a half of one, that's it. So yesterday was a very good eating day. I did not run. I decided that in the few hours I actually had to myself yesterday that cleaning three days worth of dishes needed to be done. SO I was also hoping that all the workout retention from Sunday would be long gone by now.

Sometimes I get really freaked that I'm destined to stay at this thick weight forever, that my body has just finally betrayed me that this is the best it can do. And not just my body, my mind, that part of me that has way less willpower and discipline than so many of you here. Okay, yes I know I'm being ridiculous, but I'm going to think about what needs to change here in my attitude and exercise. I can't do as much as I want to because of lack of time for the next six weeks, such as work out more, but maybe I can change some major attitudes.

I wish I could figure out how to just eat what I want but in the exact right portions I'd need to lose weight. I have a friend who recently lost twenty pounds just by halving her portions. That is, she didn't live on chicken breasts and steamed vegetables or deprive herself of anything. Now she's really happy with her weight.

Oh, and speaking of chicken breasts, I HATE CHICKEN/TURKEY BREASTS right now. Im sick of them, I can't make them taste good. I have tried so many different ways to cook them, bake them, put them in the crockpot, saute them, etc. They just always end up tasting dry and bland to me unless marinated or cooked in something spectacularly caloric, which would ruin the point of eating chicken breasts, I guess. Ugh, just had to vent about that. I wish I could make them very tender and tasty like they do at restaurants when they have them on salads. I like them there.

@Turbo - that ecard is JUST how I feel right now. UGH. :) And I'm always trying to find logical reasons for the ups and downs in my weight. Maybe there just aren't any..:-p

@Aidanqm - I saw the video! You look very awesome in it! :D What fun that must have been.

@Krampus - I cannot wait until I can get to the point where I'm maintaining. I do realize that maintaining is difficult, sometimes even harder than losing, but da mnit, I want to get there and soon! That is an adorable pic of all of you. Everyone looks so happy.

@Bayzee - hormone related stuff is SO frustrating with weight loss.

@Alex - haha, orchestra drama, the best kind! :) I wonder if you could take up some sort of crafting for watching stuff, like knitting or embroidery. Sometimes knitting helps me because then it's impossible to snack. My downfall is while watching shows I want to sip on wine...;-p Hope you didn't get too much snow!

@Maddie - you're doing GREAT!!!

I'm sorry if I forgot anyone...am sort of flying by this morning! Two more days until the weekend!

Joss : How are you doing this morning? Did you put the scale away already? How was it?

Bayzee : Weird early TOM symptoms.. but I have the same thing right now. Not suppose to get there for a week and I'm already all puffy. Yay for your drop!

krampus : Is your lower back better? Aww, the cabin looks awesome and you seem like a fun group! :) ... and now because of you I am craving blue cheeeeese. I think I'll plan something with it for saturday!

Aidan : Your gym group looks so fun! :) Okay, thursday confession : I still don't get what is supposed to be the Harlem Shake LOL Is that only the song and you dance randomly to it?

Olehcat : Are you only eating chicken/turkey? I would get sick of it too! Pork tenderloin are cool too, without being to fatty or calorie loaded

***

Hi! Down to 139.4 this morning, and I have nooooo idea why. Still waiting for a first poop in days, even with all the coffee I had yesterday. My stomach is still so huge. I'm as lost in explaining this that I was to explain a gain for the last days... oh well.

I'm planning to head to the gym later today, I have a weight workout for arms planned but I'm kinda anxious, my arms are still a bit sore from stuff I did Tuesday. Gonna be painful :P

Have a good day ladies!

Olehcat - I don't recommend this for long term, but I did Lean Cuisines & Smart Ones & dropped 15lbs from mid-August to early November. People want to knock them, but I don't give a sh it. They are perfectly proportioned out, you know exactly what you're eating & how much, & you can't say that it doesn't work. I hit another wall when I hit 139, so I had to switch up my diet, but it clearly worked. I try & help some family members who are morbidly obese to make better choices & get a bulk of the weight off, & a huge portion of the time, they think they are eating less than they are. For me, calorie counting was essential. That way I knew EXACTLY how many calories I was consuming & not just guessing.

Turbo - At least you dropped, even if there's no explanation.

The pre-period bloat has shown it's face. I woke up feeling crampy & cranky. Then the scale bumped me up .4. Bi tch. I have been mad passionately craving Five Guys cheeseburger & fries, & I may just do it today. But then I think that if I stick it for like 3 or 4 more days, I'll have a big whoosh. That's the only good thing about TOM.

Bayzee - I forgot to add that since my 3rd miscarriage in August, my cycles eff me up like crazy. 25-26 day cycles & the scale bumps up with not only TOM but ovulation now too. I was stalled out in February when I was ovulating. Ridic. I don't know if hormones are wonky now, or if there is more of a change because I weigh so much less. No idea. Annoying though.

Olehcat ~ Don't get discouraged! I feel like as I've gotten older, I've also gotten to know my body better.

Turbo ~ Doesn't that weigh in just make you go... Huh? In a good way, though... I've said it before and I'll say it again: we don't control what we weigh. The only things we control are our food, exercise, and rest... Along those lines, well done on those workouts!

Maddie ~ Oh, hormones... Sometimes it's just peachy being a girl, eh? So sorry to hear about the miscarriage. Are you doing OK now?

~~~
Didn't make the best food choices last night, but managed to stop eating at a reasonable hour. (Give myself a 2.5/5 behavior score) Have been exhausted lately and using that as an excuse to eat more, but hellooooo self: eating more food only makes you MORE tired. :rolleyes:

Going over to a friend's house for movie night tonight. Looking forward to chilling with good people, but not really sure what I'm going to do about food. Meh. Will play it by ear and aim for 4-5/5 in good behavior.

Alex - I'm fine. I wasn't fine for a while, but time heals all pain. We're going to start trying for another baby next month, so hopefully we get our 2nd nugget here soon. :)

HAY GUYSSSSSSSSSS quick update today.

124.0 this AM - felt v bloated all day yesterday and this morning for sure. BF understands me and made me a steak dinner to get my iron up before TOM actually arrives. It was AMAZING through and through, sides were buttery green beans and "Hungarian" dill/paprika mushroom & caramelized onions and potatoes (I had half a small potato, not a potato fan). Skirt steak with smoked bleu cheese melted over the top.

Work is picking up, we're organizing press conferences all over the state from our hectic 2-person office and I'm starting to realize that my boss actually couldn't get anything done had he not hired me, so I'm not a bump on a log after all - it's just not always budget/advocacy season. I'm feeling pretty darn proud to contribute and participate in what my organization achieves (Tl;dr keeping poor old and disabled people with high needs out of nursing homes and institutions by educating them about their options).

Cardio this AM. Upper Body B this PM if I'm feeling ambitious - pullups, dips, lat raises, tricep pulldowns, cable curls. Playing an open mic with my roomie in the evening and going to karaoke if we still have voices. She's the girl with the banjo in the pic above.

Maddie I wish you all the best in the cultivation of nugget #2. Female bodies and uteruses and the like are whack but I'm glad you're doing OK. Five Guys sounds AMAZING right now!

TurboMammoth If it's too painful you can always stop, but it may not be! :D Are you doing the exact same lifts you did Tuesday? Sorry you haven't been able to poop recently and feel bloated. Have a good day!

olehcat Yeah maintaining is pretty much WAY easier than losing - it sounds like you're unhappy with your diet overall, what would you eat if you could eat WHATEVER YOU WANTED ALL THE TIME? Do you like chicken thighs? Dark meat and white meat are still both chicken. Do you even like poultry? I'd kill myself if I felt like I *HAD* to eat chicken and turkey breast all the time. You're totally not that limited in your options - seems like psychologically knowing you have a wide variety of options would do wonders for you!

Alex Had our space adventure gone badly (bad trip) it WOULD HAVE been a horror movie. "Everyone I once knew is now a scary monster and I'm stuck in the woods with no car or mobile reception, ARGAHRAGHRGAHARGHAHH." Glad your orchestra is mostly mature people and not overachieving brats.

Aidangm Sweet video. I didn't know the Harlem Shuffle required dumbbells.

:coffee2: A quick post to say I'm still around, just haven't had time to read much.

I walked to the library on Monday... which seems like a very simple thing to most people, but I have sever anxiety about being in public, especially walking outside (people can see me?? AHHH!), but I'm trying to force myself out of my comfort zone of hiding away in my house. The walk to the library is only about a mile and half round trip, but there is also a starbucks and a mall a little farther. I'm going to force myself to make the trip at least once a week (barring horrible weather, injury, or sickess). Exercise plus getting over illogical fear. Yay.

krampus Neat pictures!

Aidanqm You look adorable in that video. :D

Lunch!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BExm2AECMAAVf9s.jpg

This is probably like 800 calories but who cares - chicken, tons of avocado, quinoa/black bean/sweet potato mix, salad with red onions, grapes and gorgonzola with oil/balsamic dressing