Hello! I seem to be the only one on the board today, So I figured that I would start this for you! ... Plus it keeps me entertained through out the day!

Thank you JellyMae-I check in usually everyday but don't always have anything to contribute.
Am trying hard to maintain during this crazy, food focused time of year! Have had about three "free" days this week and I need to get a grip or it will be sadsadsad. So stupid since the pleasure of eating is over so quickly and the pleasure of thinness is the gift that keeps on giving! I feel so much better when I eat low carb too-it just makes you feel thinner when you are not bloated from carbs- well enough of that- I am off to a 4 - h party where there is a cookie exchange. I am determined to stay on track!

I am pretty sure I won't be able to get out of bed in the morning. I did 3 miles on the treadmill and then after 10 minutes doing some crunches on my ball and some stuff with my kettle bell I decided I needed to start The Shred. I haven't done this dvd in a long time. It goes for 30 days and you do 10 at each level. I figured if I started today I could get 10 good days in before going on vacation. If I can't lose anymore weight before we go, maybe I can still get rid of some inches. I ended up burning 629 calories with all of my working out. Wish I had all that extra time everyday!

Oh, and the bad part.....I had a couple hand fulls of my daughter's microwave popcorn. Why? Cause I have brain farts every now and then. Ugh!

Is everyone already Christmasing? Seems so quiet around maintainers land. I am lucky enough to have a few quiet (slow) days at work before the chaos begins. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

OK, I am going to repost something that really resonated with me, I have had a terrible 4 days and am back to phase one today!!!


Beck Diet Solution
Monday Motivation: You can’t undo any eating from the past, you can only control what you do eat in the future so there’s no point in berating yourself for past mistakes. Instead, focus on what you can do to make TODAY’s eating a success and you will feel so good that you did.

Okay, my weekend started super with a fun party that was my free day. I ate all the best treats Christmas has to offer and then some! Yesterday was my Phase 1 day of penance for all the fun I had Saturday. No problem until "the event," which necessitated wine last night.

I took my 3 year old daughter to the Nutcracker with a co-worker and her little girl. In the middle of the 2nd act, my child treated the whole second row to projectile vomiting. We both left disgraced and covered in barf and drove home in our underwear, while she continued to upchuck in Mommy's Lexus. Ahhh parenthood. Blew my phase 1 day with wine, but boy did I need it!

Sandy..I like that quote and it is good to read it. I thought Beck has excellent idea. Hope today goes well for you.

Well.I went out to dinner last night and tried to eat as low carb as possible. However, now I see a gain of 2 pounds. I think there was butter in a seafood broth I ordered. So despite the fact that I did not have a free day, I am going on Phase 1 today to hopefully knock off those pounds. I am within my 2 pound range so all is good that way.

Itsabouttime..I was on the treadmill yesterday also. I indulged myself and watched the Wedding Planner to make the minutes go by. You sound motivated on your exercise. Where are you going for vacation?

Disgal and Determined: You do feel so much better eating low carb. This time of the year keeps bring new temptations and more celebrations. It is hard to stay focused, but we can do it!

Determined: Good luck at that Cookie exchange today. You can do it.

Jelliemae: Thanks for starting the thread. Hope your holiday week is going well.Your 42 pound loss is exciting.

I am baking with my daughter today, which I enjoy doing. I just can't eat anything we bake! I am going make the apple zuccinni recipe for a legal treat.

Pauley..I am so sorry about your daughter. That sounded awful. You deserved the wine!!!! I hope she is better. Don't think the wine will hurt you.

We are going to stay with my husband's best friend in Oakland. We will be in San Fran a couple days, the Napa/Sonoma area one day, and we are going to the Raiders/Chargers game on New Years Day. My hubby is a huge Raiders friend so this is a dream come true for him. It's his friend's 30th birthday New Years Eve so we will be doing whatever he wants that day.

I'm sore but itching to get on the treadmill this afternoon. My daughters have a funny dance schedule this month so it keeps me running back and forth from the studio but I'm determined to get the run AND the shred done! (One goes at 4 and is done at 7 and one goes at 5 and is done at 6 so I'm there at 4, 5, 6, and 7.)

I was *pleae don't be jinxing myself* down to 152.6 this morning! That's 0.2 less than last Thursday. Let's hope this keeps up and I'm back down in the 150 somethings before vacation!

Aww. Poor thing. And poor mommy! My daughter puked all over me, her and the magic express on the way to the airport from walt disney world and it was the worst! We had the bus driver check all of our bags for the way home so we had no extra clothes. Ick! It was a long flight from Florida to South Dakota!

I am having a great phase 1 day! How is everyone else doing?

Thanks Jellymae for starting the new thread!
Disgal- I'm so happy to see you! I love your new avatar pic you look great! Thanks for coming back to contribute during this oh so tempting holiday season...
Determined- I have always admired your attitude and forthrightness. This is a particularly difficult time of the year with so many temptations being provided. Don't get down on yourself. Just get on Phase 1 if there has been any gain, promise yourself that you will choose a free day and stick with that day as the only one in the week. A cookie here or there is not the end of the world and is easily balanced with a strict phase 3 day the next day.
Maile- I hate the rapid jumps in weight. Don't know how your scale treats you but mine is not necessarily always just to me. I can eat very well and low cal and go up a pound or two or I can eat with a bit more leeway than normal and go down half a pound. As well I find it is whatever I ate 2 days before that is reflecting back at me and not 1 day. Hoping for you that the scale shows you a more comforting number tomorrow.
itsabouttime- the shred video is my favorite. The zumba has replaced it over the last week but it is still my go to for feeling like I got great work our in a short period of time. Good for you for combining it with running- that's supposed to be the best for burning calories!
I ended up having a free day on Saturday. My evening on Friday went a little like this:
I left my home in Edmonton to drive to Calgary which is 3 hours away for my little sisters shower. Went without the kids or husband so my brother and I decided to see a late show at the theater after the shower. It was 1 am by the time we got out and I was starving as I hadn't eaten my dinner protein because I'd been in a rush to get to my sister's and ate only veggies while I was there. So there is a Superstore that is open 24 hours next to the theater and I decide to go in there to get boiled eggs and use the washroom. In the washroom I go to flush and my keys slip out of my hand and into the bowl which I immediately reach in to grab them and the automatic flusher goes off. Buh bye keys. 3 hours away from home. 1 am. Bah. I was driving my husband's massive 1 ton dually (4 wheels on the back). I had to get it towed the next morning to the dealer so they could make a new key for it. My brother who had kindly come back for me when I called him at 1 am and I had breakfast in his car from Starbucks while we waited for 3 separate tow trucks to try and load this massive vehicle in the middle of a very busy parking lot. Needless to say that evening when I finally arrived home and we went to a Christmas party I was ready to let off a little steam. I ate the chocolates, the chex mex and had more than a couple drinks. So, pauley I feel your pain Life happens. But I have been phase 1ing the past couple days, tomorrow will be a p3 depending on what the scale has to say.
It seems that one of the hardest parts of maintenance can be feeling restricted still but it is a worthwhile restriction

PS Sandy- I'm on Phase 1 with you today like I mentioned and I'm enjoying it but definitely looking forward to my 'big breakfast'

Oh CAp, how awful to lose your keys like that!!! Thank goodness for your brother!!!