Awww, Ennay~so sorry you're feeling down. Just forget it and vent here!!!

Well, I checked my charts and I weigh the same as this time last year, so the doctor can't find fault in my weight on Thursday. However, I will still find fault in myself. I am now 12 pounds higher than I was in November. Still keeping 29 pounds off, but I liked it better when I was low. I ate OP yesterday and have the day packed with healthy food (except DD pleaded with me to take her to our favorite Mexican place for dinner last night--I relented, we're going tonight. I guess she's had enough Chinese food for a while!).

Good news & bad--

Good: yesterday I took an afternoon/evening nap after work and was so ready to just take it as an "off" day with my exercise -- alas, I dragged my half-awake butt out onto the streets and did my 8 miles of running (and some leg/ab tone/stretches after)

Bad: insomnia-induced munchies (probably related to my nap, gah!) made me pounce on a 450-calorie bag of potato chips. At least I savored every bite and wasn't eating mindlessly -- and I'm budgeting that onto today's calorie plan so I don't expect it to do wreak havoc to my plans . . . and I did wait at least until after midnight before attacking the chips. Now I remember why I don't keep those suckers around the house.

Allison,
I know exactly what you mean about losing one pound and feeling lighter and skinnier, and gaining a couple and feeling so much bigger. My lowest was 140, which is right where I want to be. A couple of months ago I shot up to 148-9 and felt huge, with a big roll over the top of my jeans. It was awful. I'm now back down to 142-3 and want to lose a few more to get back to where I felt my best, but it is so hard. The weight lifting I've been doing seems to make it harder to get the scale to budge. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I know what you mean about how a few pounds make such a big difference in how you look and feel. Congrats on not weighing more than you did last year at this time. You will get back down to your favorite weight soon. I want to do that too!
Pam

ennay, I'm sorry you are having a stressful time right now. Feel free to vent all you want and need. We're here for you.

Yesterday I spent 2 hrs. working/hoeing in my garden again. Then I push mowed the yard for 2 hrs. I definitely have a "farmer's tan". LOL. (DH broke our riding mower and it won't be fixed til next week). I'm OCD about how my yard looks, hence the push mowing. LOL, at least it was exercise.

I'm planning on taking the girls to the pool today. My DD always thinks I look dumb swimming laps each time, but I don't care. If I'm at the pool, I feel the need to get in a bunch of exercise. At least my sunburn is now gone.

I've got bunches of baseball sized watermelon and cantaloupes now. I can't wait til they are big enough to eat. I haven't bought any at the store cause I wanted to wait and eat what I've grown.

Guess I'll fill out the NWCR paperwork tonite and see if I can find some decent pic's to send. I was obese for a long time, but really avoided cameras during that time. My DR. office has the most horrible pic of me at my highest weight, I wonder if they would give it to me and put a new pic on my chart?

Good Morning maintainers,

Don't feel like I can even classify myself as a maintainer right now.
I can't seem to get this recent upward trend under control. I'm good throughout the week and then totally blow it on the w/e.
Allison - I understand that 'huge feeling' after only a pd or 2 of gain.
It all settles in my stomach and hips. I feel extremely large these days.

OK enough putting myself down - out for a run.

-S

Sznn -- talk to us about what's different on weekends. Do you eat out more often? Drink alcohol? Not journal what you're eating? Not plan ahead? Eat more as a reward for surviving a tough week? If you can let us know what's going on, maybe we can offer some suggestions.

Good for you for going out for a run -- and of course you're still a maintainer! Anyone here who DOESN'T struggle at times, please raise your hand?

Meg - Thanks for your response.

Weekends tend to be blow outs due to alcohol and excessive treats.
In general lately - I am have a hard time curbing the urge to eat.
Everyday is a struggle - the upside is I am exercising on a regular basis - running /walking and skating. Keeps the scales from really tipping.

-S

Do you think that your urge to eat is a physical or mental urge? In other words, are you genuinely hungry (even broccoli will do) or is it more of a desire to eat off-plan treats that's unrelated to hunger -- more of a cravings issue? Either way, it's tough, I know! But the way to handle the two kinds of urges is different.

Sznn, I am with you on the weekends. I do great during the week but I tend to screw up my weekends. For me, it is because during the week I am at my desk at work, and I bring food with me, then I have a planned recipe to cook at home, no problems. On the weekend I am out and about, not at home, and if I happen to be out somewhere and I'm hungry, I'll eat whatever is nearby. Also all my socializing is on the weekend so going out to dinner or having dinner at someone else's house is common, and aside from the fact that they don't cook as healthy as I do, I cannot resist dessert when it is in front of me.

Just wanted to let you know I have the same kind of problem with weekends, you are not alone! I just try to make sure I am good enough during the week to make up for the indulgences on the weekend.

Weekends can be problematic for me only because DH insists on doing fast food for lunches. I can often forgo Saturday burgers, but Del Taco Sunday is my weakness! Alcohol is always a problem--weekdays or weekends--so I just try to keep it within my calorie range.

arrrrgggghhhh

Aww heck as long as I am ranting. The home inspector for when we bought this house sucked, we keep finding new stuff. Add to that a "I'll get to it" dh and

For almost 2 years dh said he would clean the gutters and de-moss the roof. Finally I got a quote for both and I scheduled the gutters (and installed gutter screens, we have 3 enormous oak trees, if dh isnt going to clean 2x a year we are in trouble) and while he was up on the roof the gutter man found a HOLE in our roof. A whole section of shingles are missing and there is just tar paper there. crud. So now its not a de-mosser its a roofer I need. There goes my deck dreams.

Last week I had the a/c guy out because the previous owners never had filters in the system and the a/c froze up from dirt on the coils.

sigh. one step forward - 20 steps back.

Oh but I made it to the gym for the first time in ages. Good news is I havent lost too much ground. So I maintained even if I didnt improve. Sometimes you take what you can get!

Meg - the urge to eat, eat, eat with me - is probably 75% mental/25% physical.
I believe this is why I have a difficult time keeping any weight loss permanent.
I have the tools - have read a ton of books/articles on emotional eating etc.
But I guess it is still my drug of choice when it comes to making myself feel better.
Trouble is - it pretty much backfires...a little emotional gratification = a lot of hard work getting the weight back off.

I will just keep fighting it - I WiLL Not gain back all the weight I lost.
Just very sad as I never even thought I would get to this place again.

-S

ennay, thank heavens you found the hole when you did! Whew!

sznn, you have tools now that maybe you didn't have before--for healthy eating--so hang in there, chickie!

Jay

Relief ... a lightbulb moment ...
I've got the food thing. I can eat less than yer average bear. I can eat cleaner that 75% of people I know (probably more than that).
I figured out how to move more. I've got a couple of variations on that to prevent boredom. I've got most of that movement morphed into real live cardio.
And yesterday and today (with about 90% accuracy ) I've got it all together ... and ... I've added back the magic touch. Weight lifting. And it fits like the last piece of the puzzle.
I don't have to worry and stew about what to do next.
If I can do that two days in a row, surely I can piece it in a few times a week.

I do realise how daft that sounds considering what I've had in my signature for months but ... and maybe you guys can identify with this .... It's the getting it all together that's the tough part. And maybe that's the magic potion for maintence!
I certainly hope it is ... it hurt my brain to come up with that.