Megan - :hug: You probably burned enough extra calories by being out on the boat in the cold to make up for the extra food you ate! You know, right now you are saying that you think you looked better last summer, but last summer you were also saying that your weight was too high and that your eating was off (in fact, I think you've been saying that for a couple years now...). Do you have a weight/measurement log? Were you actually any smaller before than you are now?

Also, when Operation 5-10 started, didn't you weigh something like 165? 155 is still 10lbs lost! If you could do it once, you can do it again!

Megan - I understand about the cold. When it was so *very* cold here in January, I told myself I had to come in, take off all my outside clothes, try to relax and warm up before eating. I'd have a hot chocolate drink (no sugar) after about 5 minutes which helped me start to unwind.

Good luck. It is cold on the water at present.

Ok. I need to be a bit more lenient and understanding on myself when I do something physically taxing, and get tired afterwards. I'm not superwoman, after all. Shocking I know.

Jessica, I went back to my post and I think I mistyped somewhere, but couldn't find where. I think I looked bad in the pictures I saw last summer (summer 2009), that is two awful photos that have popped up on facebook from last summer that I just look fat in. Yes, fat. I also know (er, guess?) that I have trouble perceiving myself accurately, so I can't tell if I'm really fat or just critical of myself, but I do have weights, measurements, and clothes that don't fit to let me know I'm not as small as I once was. I finished losing weight March 2005. I maintained at 140 for 2 years. That's when the scale started creeping up. But now I'm going on 3 years this March of being above where I want to be (more than 50% of my time as a "maintainer" above my goal weight!). I've said all along I'm willing to change my maintenance range a little bit, but not this much when I think I looks so awful! It's a nice idea to "accept my body at any weight" but I'm not quite sure how to actually do that in practice. Just frustrating, venting... :headache:

I did start at 164 when we started this 5-10 thread in August. So I'm down 9 lbs (155 this morning... releasing some water now). I feel so two steps forward, one back... but it is moving in the right direction, slowly...

2 days POP in a row, anyways. I've got a fun weekend planned and I'm just going to try and relax, get some sleep, stay warm. And work out and eat POP. I'm still frustrated but in a better place mentally today. (Not coincidentally I'm warm today, and not freezing my tooshie off yet again!)

Thanks for the words of understanding and listening to me vent, Jessica and silver! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

I have a headache a leak in my kitchen which iss a nightmare and a *edit*
Ok, my turn. Oh how I love when others let loose. I feel like I am always ccomplaining, or at tthe very least, stopping myself from tthe complaining I want to do.
I have been so caught up in my own anger I cannot find 5 topics aa day to be grateful for. It is not healthy and I feel powerlesss to change rightt now. I keep trying to let it go but I seem to be unable. I guess there is. No choice but to keep trying.
Food sucks. I tried to fiill the void with suuper high sodium soups, lots of them. Then yesterday shoveeled junk food. Noww today tryin to reel it back in. Scale at 131.

Sorry to be debbie downer.

Megan, sorry, I must have misread your post somehow. I think we are about on par with each other -- I was 147 in August and I'm 139 now, so that's about 8lbs. You're doing better than me! ;) We just have to stick with it a little longer to get down to where we want to be. We can do this -- we ARE doing this!

Kitty, sorry to hear about the frustrations. It is so hard to eat well with everything life throws at you.

Silver, hi!

You're right. I'm making progress, just slowly, but as long as it's in the right direction that's ok. All the cold and tired definitely put me in a bad mood, even though I didn't feel traditionally "cranky". I'm feeling much better today. We can do it! And 8 lbs, great job Jessica! :carrot:

Kitty, sorry to hear about all your frustrations. I hope things get less crazy. :hug:

Have a good weekend everyone!

Hi there... Sliding back in again...

I obviously have no self control at all and have become a big time stress eater again. I just mindlessly ate what could have been 800 calories of nuts because I'm tense. So, I picked up the stupid bag, measured out a perfectly exact portion, ate it, then picked the bag up and ate almost half of what was left. Not a wonder I'm not happy with my current weight. I have poked in here a few times before and gotten encouragement from you guys and it apparently hasn't helped a whit.

And, I haven't consistently exercised this week because I haven't felt great so I have made every possible excuse. Yes, I know I have hurt my arm somehow, but exercise makes it feel better, so I can't use that as the excuse I have been using it as.

I'm irritated and out of sorts this week, have had a bad week at work, am all around tense and uptight. TOM just ended, so maybe that will help somehow. I've dropped completely out of the accountability thread because I don't want to have to say "I just ate 800 calories of almonds, pistachios, peanuts & raisins" to too many people. If I can't admit I did it then I shouldn't be doing it. So there. I ate too many nuts and have to throw the rest of the bag away right now.

Right now, I just need to strictly eat my maintenance calories, because I'm sure not doing that currently. And I can make all the 'my clothes still fit' excuses I want, but my face looked fat again in the Christmas pictures, and my clothes were a little loose before. So, this is it. Have to stick to maintenance, decide if I'm going to do this half marathon in March, get my butt out training if I am, and if not I need to cut my calories down.

Can you return unopened nuts to the grocery store?

Good weekend to all.

Glad you're here, Shannon! I hope we can help support you! Stress eating is something I haven't learned to deal with sometimes, too. It seems like when I can teach myself to deal with one overeating situation successfully, another pops up and bam! It can be very frustrating, I know.

I was lurking in the weightlifting forum and I hope that you haven't injured yourself from that little head bump thing. Are you going to get that checked out by a doctor? I'm sure that's causing some stress, too.

I'm going to say both have a good weekend everyone, and let's have a good weekend everyone!

Good to see you, Shannon. :hug: You've had a lot on your plate for quite a few months (MIL, DH, DSS & I know I've forgotten someone in your family *plus* all the work stress).

Oh, and the snow and ice!

How about slowing down the pace this w/end, taking some time for yourself and doing what you really, actually, like.

Good luck. (My personal plan is to have a long bath.)

Shannon, Kitty, Silver, Megan, Jessica, ICU, I wish we could all sit down together with a nice cup of tea and a fruit salad and spend some time just chatting....You are all so special to me! I'm sorry to hear about the struggles, but I am so glad we can all come here and share with each other.
:hug: :coffee:<-----cuppa tea

Hear, hear!

:grouphug: from the train.

Bless you all! I am still here - and it must be because of your motivating words.

The pantry and the freezer are stocked. Bertolli's frozen meals met my label-reading criteria, and Amy's TV dinners are going to be a fixture for a while. Big ole hunk of chuck going into the slow cooker later this morning (snow day - woohoo!) I guess I just need to get a grip, spend more time breathing, and be grateful for what I do have!

Briefly, to answer some of the earlier questions - I've got 1 kid - DS10, who is a wonderful human and is doing his best to keep his stuff picked up, and monitor the dishwasher. Spouse - different, long story. Came from a "traditional" home and is the oldest of 3 brothers, 100% German heritage, and a Taurus to boot. This morning, on his way out the door, he knocked over some CDs. Stopped to make sure none of them were his, and backtracked far enough to let me know one of mine was cracked, but somehow couldn't find the time to actually pick 4 CDs up off the floor. Will cook, but will not do dishes. Will only do laundry that involves his hunting clothes. Enjoys lording his authority over DS10. Yep, I'm one of those morons who stays put for the sake of the kid. But I am beginning to realize that it's not in anybody's best interests. I started taking responsibility for my own well-being about a year ago and I like it better in this place.

Growth is good! Thank you, everyone who responded to my rant with your understanding and encouragement!

I thank my lucky stars every day that I've got such a great support system here at 3fc.

Becky, thanks for posting more details about your situation, gives me more insight about what your day-to-day is like. (And please don't feel you need to be defensive about "being a moron for staying put" - no judgment here!) Well, I still think that relying on lean cuisines and pre-cut carrots is better than relying on the McDonalds drive-through. I also remember to tell myself a 20 minute workout or stretching is better than nothing at all when I feel I'm too busy for a "full workout". Hang in there! :hug:

Somehow I totally lost a week at the end of February. I thought we had another one before the month ends. Anyway, been looking at the calendar and thinking about how I was doing pretty well with mini-goals. I've decided my next mini-goal will be to get to 149 by April 16 (not a holiday but that's the weekend that my next play is, and also the weekend of this year's benchpress tournament). It will give me something to work towards. Though I'm not exactly sure what I weigh today - it's that TOM and I get so stressed out about the weight gain I vowed to stay off the scale this month. Does anyone else have a mini-goal to work towards?

Have a wonderful week everyone. Stay strong! :wl:

Hi everyone! I'm glad to have the support system too. I could never do it without you guys. :grouphug:

Megan, I changed my ticker so that my mini-goal is just my goal because I don't have that many pounds to go. It's kind of a lie though, I haven't weighed less than 139 in weeks. :o I just don't ever want to move a ticker UP! :lol: I want to get to 135 by summertime so I can feel good in my bikini.

Becky, I was at the pool swimming yesterday and I thought of you! I was getting tired, then I thought, Becky would be blasting through this workout. I ended up getting in a whole 25 laps, which I think is probably the most I've ever swam.

I think I know why my weight loss has stalled, and it's not just the lack of running. I've been slacking on the weekends. My one high-calorie day has turned into two high-calorie days. It's not that I have been eating a lot of junk -- I still have just one "cheat" meal -- but I've been eating more on Sundays than usual and coming in at 1700 calories instead of 1400. Fine for maintenance, not good for losing.

TOM and water weight for me this week too. Blah.

Morning all,

Oh, silly me. I was feeling so positive yesterday, kicked butt at the gym, food pop. This morning I thought, "TOM is almost over, I feel so good, how can my weight not be down? I'll just peek at the scale." Well that was a bad idea. I really need to get a grip on how a stupid number should not dictate my entire mindset. Staying off for a few more days until TOM is gone.

It was an early morning of benchpress training at the gym, along with chest, triceps, shoulders, and a little cardio thrown in. I've got healthy food prepared for the week. I'm once again feeling overcommited (I know, my own fault), but I will manage to get through it, POP.

How's everyone else doing?

Jessica, good for you for getting through those laps! Weekend eating is where I struggle too. I'm starting to get weekend after weekend of events lined up. We can get through the weekend food together!

Becky, Silver, Midwife, Shannon, everyone else lurking out there, we can do it! :cheer: