Jessica - I definitely didn't expect him to do that! I wouldn't say we had a fight, but yeah, I was upset. I started getting teary eyed because I just felt unwanted. He doesn't seem to understand that it's not easy on me to take time from work, pay for air fare/parking/gas, drive my butt 90 minutes each way to the airport and back, travel on those tiny little planes and deal with layovers and all the crap we love so much about air travel these days... blah blah blah... and then to not feel WANTED there.

Anyway, we did discuss that and he and I both made a promise to try harder; he can try to plan more and appreciate me when I visit (especially considering this visit in May is the last time we'll see eachother for about 9-10 months) and I can try harder to be more spontaneous when I am there and not have to get to the gym and eat healthy.

Thats actually a huge reason I decided to switch to IF!

TheBunneh - You're so right, and he's not much of a talker most times. When he does open up and tell me how he feels about whatever the subject is, I ALWAYS listen and take note because I know its important if he's making an effort like that. It doesn't matter if it's a random comment about liking my hair a certain way or how he feels about an aspect of our relationship; those tidbits are few and far between so I pay attention.

You always pop in for the drive by... what is going on with YOU lately? :D Catch us up!

Maddie - LOL I'm sorry hitting your goal felt anti-climatic, but congratulations nonetheless!! I like the idea of an extra 'buffer' before a vacation but I sort of got myself into trouble that way; I'd always want to be back at whatever that new low weight was! I'd be at 118 and think that 116 would be perfect pre-vacation, and then when I got back and was 118 I'd think "I'm up 2 pounds still... need to get that off...". No bueno for me! :D

Oh, and super congrats on TOM resolving itself too!! I bet those two things off your mind have you feeling pretty great today.

Turbo - Thank you for the recipe! I think those look awesome, and the nutritionals aren't bad at all. Normally that would be almost a full meal's worth of calories for me, but now I can have that and a shake or some cottage cheese to balance out my protein and call it a snack! haha

Krampus - I'm glad the weight is coming down a bit! Good direction anyway, right?

You've never benched with the bar before?! Honey! LOL, yeah, you can lift more that way because you aren't using extra energy trying to stabilize two dumbbells. You can really anchor your body and push it with all you have... very satisfying! I definitely recommend doing both, and especially for us women doing them on an incline is great for the chesticles. :D

Joss ~ Welcome back from your trip!!! *big hugs* over the crossed wires with hubby. It sounds like a classic case of him not feeling good about the situation and you interpreting that as him not feeling good about you. He sounds like a romantic and a champion: he's not willing to let you leave without trying his best to make things right between you.
The TJ haul sounds nom-alicious. Look at the SIZE of those chicken burgers. Hoping for a smooth transition for you back in to the every day living part... What's the timeline for moving to be with the hubs? I know you mentioned it, but memory fails...

Krampus ~ Aww, thanks for the encouragement. It's a marathon, not a sprint. And even if you fall down, you don't go all the way back to the starting line-- you pick the eff up and keep going from where you are. *takes leaf out of your book* I made a beef stew with potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, and mushrooms. My only thought on the gain is that it could have been from the potatoes, but I really don't know. Did not put one lick of salt in it, so definitely not the sodium.
Good luck with those cold calls. They can certainly be nerve jangling. Just try to knock 'em out as quick as possible. (I do this for a living...) I had to call news stations, etc for another job (publicity for a theater show) and strangely found that news people are more receptive in the early hours. One editor told me to call her at 4AM when her shift started. I did, and we ended up being able to have a conversation. At 4AM. Go figure.

Turbo ~ Whatever, girl. Your banana muffins look delish. And as Joss says, we'll make room for you in the morning coffee club. I drink it steadily throughout the day, though, so not a morning only girl if I'm honest. I thought about you and your three cups in the evening. Sometimes i find that drinking hot water with lemon gets things moving. That and aerobic activity. Running will sometimes do it for me, too.

Maddie ~ CONGRATS!!!! on GOAL!!!! Hoping you can definitely find a way to enjoy your loss. As you've mentioned before, it's more fun going out when you're > a size 6!!!

Olehcat ~ Oh, schedule woes. Having to eat when you're rushed and stressed awful. Is there any way you can just eat lighter during the day to make room for a more substantial meal in the evening? Or do you just not want to eat at night at all (I can understand this...) When does your class end? Any schedule changes on the horizon?

Jessica ~ I clicked through that site (weightwars) and it looks like fun... It's good you find the competition motivating rather than intimidating. Will be rooting for ya!

thebunneh ~ Hello, drive by!

~~~
Kinda just rollin' along out here. Weather is rainy and grey, had a slow morning getting started with work.

Made a killer stir-fry last night using those shiritaki noodles. Just sauteed some onions and spinach, then threw in the noodles with soy sauce, garlic and powdered ginger. Not a bad combo, although I wish I'd used some more spices.

Did 3 miles last night and knocked out an hour and a half of practice time. Hoping to squeeze in my 3 miles today before rehearsal. I always feel more bad-*** when I run on tight transition times.

Happy (what's left of) Tuesday, feather friends!

Joss : Aww I'm so glad you got the chance to clear things up with the hubby before you leave on your plane! That would have been a bad ending to a good trip :(

OMG thos chicken burgers looks HUGE (AND awesome). It feels great to do calories counting again. I always was a stat nerd, but the writing it down part got the best of me last time. Getting all this on the computer program is really easy, and they even have some kind of recipe analyzer that make thing even easier (well, most of the time. Last night when I logged a recipe, they were counting 2 cups of cooked basmati rice 1400 cal and 2 cups of chickpeas 1300 cals. Go home, caloriecount, you are DRUNK) (I also don't how they classified there thing in HIGH SUGAR/BAD, etc. For them, my cup of grape at lunchtime is : ''bad notes ; high in sugar''. I know it has sugar in that, but to the point of advertising this on the bad notes?). I think not having any visual way to know how much I was eating through the day was really the problem with my weight loss lately. It's all fix, for now at least! :)


Olehcat : Aww, sorry to hear about your struggles :( Dealing with a diet when you don't seem to find the time to deal with like, anything else! is an horrible feeling. I hope your week off will let you rest and clear your mind.

Maddie : it is so nice to see someone hitting goal! And yay for your TOM (if we can say something like that...!). I'm still waiting for mine, send some of your magic my way! ;

Jessica : god, it seems I was the only one not knowing this fact about coffee. I knew it was getting thing moving, but I thought it was working at any time of the day... Oh well, now I know!

krampus : I haaaate talking on the phone too. The father of my boyfriend looooves it though; a few weeks he hold me on the line for 45 minutes, I was freacking out.

Alexis : I used to drink coffee through the day too, but I had never made any link with the ''time to go in the morning'' process. I've tried to lower my cafeine intake lately, I get dehydrated and get pressure induces dizzy feeling.

Good job on the 3 milers! You'll reach your 15 miles goal in no time! For your stir fry, I love to throw in some 5 spices mix, it adds a little something :)

***

Weighed in at 137.6 this morning and I was thrilled. After not seeing a move of the scale for the last 3 days, this little woosh was welcome. I celebrated this by wearing skinny jeans that do not feel as tight as they were 4 weeks ago. F YEAH.

On the other hand, I'm still waiting for TOM, who is officially 1 day late today. I am getting nervous, and we had a little argument about this with the boyfriend last night. (okay tmi) the boyfriend was in a crappy mood for the past weeks, so the ''activities'' were kinda ''minimal'', which is why I am surprised being late. When I mentioned that I was nervous about this last night, he had a super brutal tone and was saying stuff ''Nop. Makes no sense. It does fit in. Unless you are cheating on me.'' (Where the H*LL is that coming from). I had to take the special BC pill 2 months ago though and had light TOM that time. What if this pill did not worked out? I'm nervous and making all those big stories in my head and I am starting to freak out, and thank to the boyfriend for his comfort in all of this!

BLAAAH. Sorry, rant over!

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Morning, all!

So I'm down 1.2 pounds this morning.

I don't know if it was just water weight releasing or what. Basically I fasted through the morning until about 11 a.m., at which time I had some protein, followed by a small kale salad and some Greek yogurt and berries. After that, I didn't eat until between work and my classes, at whcih time I had some fast food (D: - yes, I know, baaaaaad, but that was because of completely poor planning on my part, forgot some vital parts of food I wanted to eat then and realized that I did not want to cook when I got home from class but was starving). So then I just didn't eat the rest of the day and did not eat when I got home.

So now that I do not have classes the rest of the week to screw up my schedule, and not again until March 25, I'm going to try fasting until lunch, having a very light salad/yogurt for lunch, then eating my main meal when I get home from school, after a workout, around 4-5.

@Turbo - Me, too - am hoping for some mind-clearing over break! Congrats on your low number! That is awesome! :) But your boyfriend was being a jerk about the BC stuff. :(

@Alex - yeah, I do not want to eat a big meal at 7:30-8:00, which is when it would be on class days, since I really go to bed around 9:30-10:00. So basically class days are complicated. My other days are fine. I can eat around 5-6! So my plan for today is to eat super light at lunch and eat a bigger meal around 5! Sounds like you're doing great with your running and practicing! :)

@Krampus - eep, do you have to do the cold calls as part of your job? I hate that kind of thing myself!!! I will do anything to avoid phone calls, haha.

@Jessica - yep, plan is to get back on the saddle with my running training (eep, I have taken WAY too much time off), and just focus on that until the half marathon. Then cut down on the running and do more weight training more often. By then my classes will be done and I'll have more time and energy to spend on it! And I'm really hoping I'll be down at least 10 pounds by then, which will make everything easier. And yeah, motivation! I could use it about now, lol!

@TheBunneh - thank you!!! A little less down on it today...

@Maddie - WOW, congrats!!!! You rock!!!! It must feel so great to hit goal! Okay, I'm going to pick your brain again, lol. What do you eat in a typical day at 1250 calories? It seems like so little! Are you satisfied or do you feel hungry a lot?

@Jossfit - I see what you're saying about IF and eating the larger meal before you fast. I used to read up on fasting a LOT before, so I actually have read a lot, but I do need a review on it since it's been a while! So you have read off the leangains? I remember thinking that leangains allowed such a large eating window, though. I feel like I could stuff a LOT of calories in an 8-hour window. But I suppose if you regulated it so that it's just two meals, one of which is small, then you could still end up with a very satisfying meal for one of your meals! :) I think I do need to shift back to my main meal being in the evening, *nods* But those first few days when your body is getting used to it? Ugh, annoying! My stomach was growling really loudly yesterday morning when I was giving a make-up test to a few kids and that was embarrassing, lol! Also it's too dark and cold still in the morning to do my workout outside in the morning before work, so I do not get to workout fully fasted yet. But maybe this coming week when I'm on break I can experiment with that, too. Okay, onward to day 2 of this! Oh, and what are BCAAs?

There is no set number of meals or calories you are supposed to have on Leangains... so I still eat a calorie controlled diet and eat 3-4 slightly larger meals. It's not a huge departure from what I've been doing eating 6 meals a day, but it's a lot more satisfying and I like the idea of the increased fat oxidation from training in a fasted state and continuing the fast for 2 hours or so post-workout.

I'm not giving myself a free-for-all to eat for 8 hours a day, which is where some people mess up with IF. I'm still watching my calories, it just makes it easier to adhere to a low calorie diet for cutting purposes while still feeling satisfied.

I haven't had any issues adjusting at all. Its not for everyone, just like any other way of eating, and if it's too uncomfortable it shouldn't be forced. I could never do a super low carb diet so I would never force it (just as an example). I have had zero discomfort with IF so I know that at least for now, I made the right choice.

Branched Chain Amino Acids. They are basically what makes protein 'muscle building/sparing'. Taking them on an empty stomach before training helps to preserve muscle mass.

Turbo - I had to LOL at your "Go home, calorie count, you are DRUNK" - I use MFP but there is the same issue of it being inaccurate. I actually look items up that aren't from a package (like fruit, protein, veggies, etc.) on calorie count or another site just to look at the generic USDA values of things before I enter them in. One person had listed 1 cup of strawberries as 200 calories on MFP! Hahaha, THAT person was drunk.

Ugh, I'm sorry your BF is being a turd right now... I'm sure it's less to do with you and more just a general funk. We all tend to take things out on those closest to us just based on proximity. How are things going for him work-wise and things like that? Is he stressed?

Oh, super congrats on your weigh in too! Thats's definitely on the right side of 140, which I know you HATE to see!

Alexis - "He sounds like a romantic and a champion: he's not willing to let you leave without trying his best to make things right between you." - I really liked that description! He is a romantic, just in an unconventional way, which is part of why I love him so much. He's not a wine and dine kind of man, but when he makes a gesture it's so much more impressive the way he does it.

I am moving out there in JULY! Whoot! My hubby deploys in June so I'll be missing him and moving by myself, but I will see him in May for a week or so before he goes. Big big changes coming this summer!

Did you manage to get your workout done last night?

I am glad I'm not the only one who likes the miracle/shiritake noodles! :) I know they don't taste like 'pasta' but they aren't really supposed to! They're so versatile and filling. I don't use them much lately but that's because I fill up on tons of bigger veggie filled meals and have no room! LOL

Turbo ~ I feel that "too much pressure" thing in my chest if I drink too much caffeine, also. I lol'd too at the "go home, calorie count, you are DRUNK!" That will be my new dismissal: you are DRUNK! You've inspired me to start logging again, too.

Olehcat ~ Well done, you! Sounds like you got it sorted on the schedule stuff and it didn't look like the fast food hurt you at all.

Joss ~ Wowza, July!!! That's almost just around the corner. When does hubby get back after deploying? Sounds like lots of changes going on in your world. I didn't make the workout last night, but I'm not stressing. Was shattered after rehearsal, so I took a rest day and woke up feeling great, so totally worth it.

Krampus ~ How'd your cold calls go?

~~~
Just kind of boppin' along out here. Am trying to scale back my carb intake, which is working out so far. My body responds well to low carb/high protein, but the challenge is keeping it going, so I'm just trying to find a routine that works. I feel like everything is better when I focus on protein: I think clearer, move crisper, and am just generally more alert. That being said, I'm really concerned that I won't be able to sustain this eating plan and will end up derailing. I'm going back to my journals from January and trying to figure out what went wrong. Trying to manage my expectations and just stay focused on my goal.

Happy hump day, feathers!

Hi guys! Feeling good today. I feasted on chocolate covered almonds last night but also had very sensible meals and ran 5K and lifted. I really felt like I had a thorough workout and I can't wait to go again - it's much easier to be active when you enjoy it.

Today I gotta run to the Capitol for a press conference - I didn't know I was going to be physically present so this morning I really had to dig for clean suitable attire. There is some DRAMA going on- we asked for an interpreter for a guy who is speaking who is difficult to understand (he has CP) and someone interpreted the event just about as wrongly as one could, including the wrong times, so this should be interesting. Maybe I'll end up interpreting, I am after all the go-to "EMERGENCY FILL-IN" person.

I'm gonna sign up for a 5K next month cause I should really do one for the experience. My time on the treadmill yesterday was 26:58 and I think I could have pushed myself a lot harder. I know it's harder on pavement - we'll see I guess.

Alex Keeping it going is easy until something comes up where someone else is feeding you. I hope you find it easy and that it works for you! Cold calls were meh, I think it was too late in the day and people were freaking out trying to make deadline and mentally checked out when I talked to them. Oh well, learning experience.

olehcat Nicely done on the scale drop. Cold calls are something I do occasionally need to do for my job and I HATE IT but thankfully they are not the bulk of what I do. Your fasting plan sounds promising but if you are going to work out after work you might want to include carbs in your midday meal. Timing is clutch - wimpy hungry workouts are the worst.

Turbo Ew, what is wrong with your boyfriend?! Is HE cheating? Who just says that stuff? At least you're shrinking and being diligent about exercise. Do you think the TOM delay could be because you're exercising more or doing something differently or stressed out by your boyfriend? Pee on a stick (take a pregnancy test) just to be safe!

JossFit I know, I know, shame on me for being such a wimp. I'm still DLing with kettlebells because the logistics of DLing with a barbell are confusing (how to unload plates etc). But YAY for enjoying IF and having epic meal time every meal - it really is the greatest way of eating for me and requires the least amount of thought to pull off. I'm really sorry your husband didn't make you feel appreciated and wanted until the end of your trip at the airport - is he very stressed about work etc/experiencing PTSD from anything?

JessicaB Hi! I hope you win the challenge at work!

Bunneh I saw on the WI thread you dropped 2 lb overnight - awesome!

MaddieB GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL congrats!

Morning, girls! I'm just sitting here, sipping my chai tea latte, catching up on Pretty Little Liars : )

Olehcat: When I first dropped down from 1450 to 1250, it was tough the first few days, but then my appetite adjusted. It's just about eating things that fill me up. I usually have cereal with a banana, my tea, a Lean Cuisine, fruit or veggies for a snack, a sandwich & then oatmeal with apples. Oatmeal is sooo filling - sometimes I'll eat it twice a day just because it's so filling & good for you.

Alex: That's my issue with eating lower carbs - it's not sustainable. But I'm a huge fan of food journaling. I did it for most of this weight loss journey & it really kept me accountable & honest about what I was eating. Plus, I could go back & see patterns in my eating + my weight loss if I ever got derailed.

Krampus: I would love to sign up for a 5K! I really wanted to the Color Run...stupid knee injury!

I was finally able to do the entire Pilates DVD the other night. I went easy on my right knee, but I was able to do it! I started to do it last night, but the toddler was being needy, so I had to snuggle her instead...gee, darn ; ) Back up .3 today, but I had 2 giant Diet Dr Peppers at McD's yesterday at our play date, so I'm guessing it's a sodium thing. I'll slam the water today & see if that helps. It could also just be TOM bloat.

Happy Hump Day, girls!

olehcat : Getting fast food and dropping weight! Could have been a worst outcome ;) I'm curious, what did you have?

Joss : No, but I swear, CalorieCount does feel like it is manage by some drunk Internet people. Actually, not ALL cc. When you look up for food, it is pretty accurate. But they have this Recipe Analyzer thing where you type in a recipe and the number of portions it gets you, and it finds in their database every ingredient and do the math for you. Sadly, it messed up a bit. For exemple, if you write, chickpea, I think the software will put the highest calories chickpeas they have in their database, like, just to be sure you're not underguessing all this. It does give you hard to believe results in the end and you have to double check.

200 calories strawberries! (were they dip in chocolat? Only something like that would make sense! LOL)

Yes, the boyfriend is wacky these days. He is stressed, he is having a big pre-phd exam in 1.5 month, so I get it. He also trains a lot, he's tired, and is taking on more responsabilities (that he would NOT have to) at his lab, making his work charge bigger. He's having trouble saying no and I get it, but when it all falls back on me, that is becoming my problem too :(

And yeees, moving away from the dreadful 140! I'm back on my right side of the force ;)

How is your things doing? Still holding on the Leangain?

Alexis : bwhaha glad you guys like the GO HOME YOU'RE DRUNK. I thought you were a daily food logger, I don't know why! I remember back in January you were doing this monthly goals assessment thing over a year, are you still doing this?

krampus : you run so faaaaaaaaaaaaaast. For weird reasons it's harder for me to run on a threadmill than on pavement. Hope your press conference will be okay! For the boyfriend issue, I really don't know where this was coming from. I was about to bite his head off. I mention again last night that TOM wasn't here yet and he looked much more concerned. Last summer when I was training like crazy, my cycle was a bit longer but I don't remember how much longer... Peeing on the stick scared the crap out of meee. (anyway, if I was pregnant, I wouldn't lose pounds, no?)

Maddie : Hope this 0.3 will get away quickly! ;) Nice for the pilates!!

***

Still at 137.6 this morning. No TOM yet. BLEEEEEH. I wanted to go for a run eventually but when I got out of my car this morning it's like I pulled something in a quad. Seriously, getting out of the car. I am hesitating between going or not, I don't want to make it worst but I had planned a really tight training schedule this week. Double BLEEEEEH. I also have to prepare for an interview tomorrow afternoon. And I need to iron a shirt. I SUCKK at ironing. :S

Turbo - oh yeah, IF is super easy... all I did was basically move breakfast back. :) I don't feel restricted in any way by it. Less than I did in fact! I can see this being something I do for life.

Its good that you can understand and appreciate that your BF is stressed out right now and aren't taking it too personally when he says something b*tchy like that. For the record, it was still unacceptable and I think he owes you an apology, but good on you for being the bigger person and not turning it into a fight!

Go train, do something light if you feel like your body is hurting, but just get it done. It will make you feel better and wake you up mentally so that you're able to prepare for the interview. It might seem counterproductive or like a waste of time but I'm betting it has the opposite effect.

Maddie - Its surprising how much sodium is actually in soda, isn't it? You wouldn't think so because it's sweet, but it just goes to show we don't really know what is in a lot of our food! :o

Thats great you made it through the DVD with no issues! Hopefully everything will be feeling OK again soon.

Krampus - Boo for work drama! I hope everything turns out alright! That's awesome that you had a great workout; you're so right too -- it's much easier to be active when you enjoy it! :D

You're right, IF actually requires less thought and I think about food less in general already. I realized I have some chocolate and stuff at home and I haven't even thought about eating it or working it into my meals... it's just not really on my radar and normally it would be.

My hubs is totally stressed, so I get it BUT I am no less stressed than he is and I still make an effort. We'll work on it... it's temporary and we're getting closer to the end of this whole long distance $hit show.

Congrats on deciding to do a 5K! I'm not a huge runner, but I did one for the experience as well. It's nice to have the little race number thingie and a little medal (our team came in 3rd overall actually) to remember it and say I did it.

Alexis - Yeah, lots of changes but super exciting! It's stressful and scary but there's no turning back now. :)
He'll be gone approximately June 2013 - February/March 2014... so, a LONG DANG TIME! I'm used to shorter deployments so this is a hard one to think about, and usually it's ME deploying, not him!

I wouldn't worry to much about not being able to sustain your plan. After all, like Krampus said the hard part is when you aren't feeding yourself but even if you 'derail' you can always get right back on those rails! A bad meal, day, or even week is not a tattoo... it's not permanently affixed to your forehead or your @ss and there is no damage you can do that can't be undone.

If lower carb works for you MOST of the time, just do that! :) Don't count yourself out before you even start Chicka.

That is EXACTLY what I did. I feel much more relaxed now that I had this workout done :) and I did not feel the thing I pulled while running, leading me to thing it is probably just a random pinched nerve that gets trigger when walking or something. I got scared at first, because it was feeling like the same thing I had with my hip joint in November, but on the other leg. It was my legs weight training yesterday too..

Ugh, up to 146.2 today, why? I honestly think my body thinks this weight is acceptable and it's not. A few years ago if I were to reach 145ish, all I would have to do is make some good choices for a few days and it would go right back down. But I'm worried that my body now glees in thinking that 145ish is the new norm.

I did great with the fasting again. I fasted until lunch, then had about 500 calories. Then didn't eat again until dinner, where I had some ground turkey and a tomato-based sauce in it (sort of like spaghetti or sloppy joe sauce) and some veggies. I did have a homemade chocolate chip cookie for dessert, too. Everything was very satisfying. So maybe what I ate was high in sodium, hmm. Oh, and no wine.

Yesterday with full intention of going to the gym after work, I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I was putting my empty cart back, and I tripped and fell in front of the grocery store, yep, flat on my face. I was mortified -- but nobody saw me! I quickly got up and went back to my car but I felt like I was going to pass out or something. It was awful. But there doesn't seem to be any damage. Just my knee is banged up a bit. So yeah, did not go running right after that. Now it's been over 10 days that I have taken off from running, and I'm getting worried. I hope I haven't lost all the fitness I acquired! Today for sure!

@Jossfit - about the fasting adjustment...I think it's just because my body is so accustomed to me eating something (and usually something pretty protein-based like eggs) right around 7 a.m. so from my past experience there's usually a couple of days when there is a lot of hunger in the morning, especially around 10 a.m. My stomach was growling again loudly during a meeting yesterday, whoops. I'm so not used to doing this when I'm working, lol. In a lot of ways, doing it while working helps because I'm distracted and busy! I do think that my body will adjust in a few days and learn that it's not getting food at that time, then I can eat less at the lunch hour. My goal is to give most of my calories toward the end of the day when I can actually enjoy food, especially because it looks like if I want this weight to move and move not at a glacial speed, I'm going to have to eat way fewer calories.

@Alex - I feel exactly like you do about the lower carb. It works well for me in general, but then it's not sustainable for me. Unfortunately I'm not willing to say no to homemade enchiladas that a good friend is making for us later this week, for example. Ugh. But I do love that clear-headed, less bloaty feeling that eating healthy low carb food does after about a week or so.

@Krampus - ick, work drama! Yeah, I started thinking that I would be able to work out in the morning if I could get my butt to the gym the minute I woke up, but NO. It's too dark and cold outside and my car had almost no gas in it to drive to the gym and back BEFORE I have to leave to go to work anyway. Nope. After work it will be until I can run outside (WHERE IS SPRING? It's not here yet. :( )

@Maddie - heh, yeah, I need to get back into oatmeal. I love it, but I tend to screw up cooking it. Do you make it by scratch in a pan?

@Turbo - oh, man, I'm so ashamed, though, I have this guilty like for McDonald's fish sandwich when it's all hot and soft with tons of tarter sauce, lol. I know it's not a good quality fish sandwich by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a guilty pleasure. And then I had some fries with it. ;D And good job with keeping in the 137ish range! Ugh, that was me a few years ago and I want it back! (ha, never thought I'd say that because for me, at my height, 137 is still too big, but oh, I wish I'd see it on the scale again right now!)

Made toast with cream cheese and hummus for breakfast... then promptly walked to the trash can to throw my knife away instead of setting it in the sink. Caught myself though! Unlike the time I put garlic powder in the fridge and eggs in the pantry...

krampus Yeah, dunno why that drop happened! Guess I was holding onto water.

olehcat Eeep! Glad you weren't really hurt from that fall!!

TheBunneh - LOL, I have been guilty of that a time or two myself! Lately I haven't had kitchen issues, but my brain has been a bit scattery and I keep forgetting to pack things in my gym bag! One day it was my boots, my bra the next, and then my towel!

Olehcat - I don't want to pretend that I'm doing things a certain way and now suddenly know everything, but maybe you would also benefit from NOT weighing for a while and just focusing on working out and eating right. Do you really need the scale to tell you if you are eating the way you *should* be for fat loss?

Some people can handle the daily fluctuations, but I realized that I cannot and therefore I stopped. It was driving me nuts even though I KNOW how the body works and that fluctuations are normal. TBH, your posts always seem somewhat frantic and desperate unless you had a *whoosh*. It just doesn't seem to be helping you at all and might in fact be hurting your fat loss efforts.

Just my $.02 of course.

That is VERY cool that the fasting works for your schedule though! I'm seriously diggin it. I started this for two main reasons; 1- a way to keep my calories at the best weight loss range for me AND have somewhat substantial meals (and work in a cookie here and there, which I haven't even done yet because I haven't felt the craving to), and 2 - a way to do that while still being social!

I've noticed in the past few days that I've had a bunch of unexpected positive side effects;
- MORE energy in the gym, especially with cardio, and no heartburn or breakfast burps.
- Sleeping more soundly and for longer (since I don't have to make time for breakfast and time to let it digest before workouts).
- I have more energy in the morning in general, even after my workouts.
- My first meal actually gives me a little buzz! hahaha

If I start to see some changes in the mirror, it's a definite bonus... we'll see how it goes.

So sorry you fell and hurt your knee! Definitely try to get in a workout but don't do anything that feels uncomfortable.

Turbo - Great minds think alike I guess! :) My hip has been giving me some issues too, and your post made me think it might just be a little pinch going on in there also.

http://static1.wonderwall.com/image/...1-original.jpg


This is super random, but this is the best I've ever seen Nikki Minaj look. *EDIT: And I want that jacket, but I bet its like $1700

Double Edit ** I mean her face and outfit, not her body. As Krampus pointed out it's probably photo shopped (and heavily if you ask me, judging by her legs) but I just mean that I'm so tired of the Nikki Minaj/Lady Gaga/Ke$ha/Katy Perry "Look at my crazy outfit!" trend.

Women IMO should look like women, not cartoon characters. It's OK to have some wild accessories or hair or whatever, but when you look like an anime character all the time and aren't a harajuku girl it gets old.