Krampus: Feel better! And I second the statement that you simply found some motivation and used it. We all do that at different times and in different ways.

Shannon: A 25 page fax?! One cake pop is barely compensation for that. And happy birthday!! Is it today?

I ate two pieces of lemon poppyseed pound cake today. There, I said it. I will atone for it with my long bike commute and another aggro "power pilates" class tonight, but it was still a dumb, unnecessary splurge. And it didn't even keep me from feeling hungry again a few hours later.

That is my problem with cake pops exactly, Saef. So easy to eat, so cute on little sticks, feels like I'm not really eating anything. Even four times in. Two bites pretty much cover it. Three if I stretch it.

I had never heard of cake pops either!

OK, guys, this food porn got to me. Dare you to look:
Google images of cake pops

I hope I never encounter one of these. Or a dozen, LOL.

Oh Bill, that was harsh. The Muppets were cute though. They are all kinds of popular down here, I didn't think that you guys wouldn't know what they were. I had a coworker whose daughter made a wedding cake out of them for a friend. They are vile, evil, soul destroying things. LOL

Hate hate hate cake pops. Has the lowest calorie-to-satisfaction ratio of any treat I've ever eaten. 200+ calories in one of those 2-bite suckers (pun intended).

I ordered a TRX suspension trainer which finally came yesterday. I got to try it out at my gym this evening, having watched the instructional video last night. Very novel, kind of fun and tough while I was doing the exercises. However, now that I'm home a few hours later, I don't feel the muscle fatigue I usually do after a hard training session, making me skeptical that I got a lot out of it. And the pulley up/down system is pretty hard to manipulate - they make it look effortless on the video. Have any of you used one of these? If so, what did you think of it?

Month of May has turned out pretty well, May 1 weight was 116.2 today May 31 weight is 114.0. I never , ever dreamed I would say this but I am at a point that I do not want to go any lower. Maintenance is a daily thing. I step on the scale every morning and depending on what it says determines my food choices for the day.

Cake pops! Not only have I eaten them, I've MADE them. They are ridiculously easy and cute, and therefore perfect for parties/baby showers/work functions. However, yes, they are also evil and have a terrible "calorie-to-satisfaction ratio." (Love that, Andrea! I had that idea but needed a good label.)

The scale this morning was right at 123, which tells me it would be lower except for my own poor choices. Still working on changing habits and mindset.

Bargoo -That's wonderful! I'm glad your current system is paying off for you.

Krampus - I echo everyone else's sentiments. Post whatever you want - we'll still like you. :)

My parents AND my best friend are in town this weekend, staying with me. The first day of summer classes is Monday and I am woefully underprepared (my course load was just changed yesterday!). I have 3 academic conference proposals due ASAP. I just found out that a 22 year old I used to babysit is engaged to a guy she's known for less than 6 months and I'm 35 and mostly convinced I'm going to die alone. So, you know, regular weekend.

But, on the bright side, my "regular" food is bought or planned for the weekend, I have some time tomorrow to get some necessary things done, and talking to my best friend is one of the surest cures for anxiety ever. :) So I'm hoping for a good weekend.

Andrea - I love the concept of 'calorie to satisfaction ratio'. I have a knock off brand TRX, mine is a Jungle Gym. The straps are pretty easy to use on it, I'm not sure about the TRX. Becky and Sheila both use them I think, they might know. On the muscle fatigue, I don't feel as much from the suspension exercises either. I wondered if it was just me.

Jen - I'm hosting a baby shower next weekend and am totally not ready. There might be making cake pops in my future. Busy weekend for you! I hope you have a good weekend with all of your company. And don't feel bad about the 22 year old. They often make impulsive decisions. ;)

Two days of hard work brought me back down to 151. Clearly I'm gonna have to fight hard for every pound. I'm hoping the hot weather in the 90s that has abruptly descended upon us will have appetite-suppressing properties such as Megan has described, though her days are far more physically arduous than mine.

Cake Pops may be regional, the way red velvet cake was until the "Sex and the City" period in NY, when the cupcake craze struck and that became one of the favored flavors.

That craze is now officially dead. Here's what is trending in Brooklyn in desserts.

And if you are one of the many unfortunates who doesn't live in Brooklyn, what you're supposed to do is cram yourself into a small, narrow artisanal shop or wait in line at a food truck for gelato. Should you choose the former option, you can go to Eataly's Gelateria, or Amorino Gelato, or L'Arte de Gelato, or Il Laboratorio del Gelato, or Ciao Bella Gelato, or many other copycat places, depending on your neighborhood.

The gelatos are truly gorgeous, colorful, laid out looking like big wedges of cake.

Il Laboratorio is the one that everyone swears by.

I go to those places with friends, get nothing, and afterward, while they are licking their spoons, duck into the nearest deli or bodega for a Diet Cherry Pepsi, which I try to sip slowly.

It's hard sometimes being a weight-conscious, eating-disorderish female in the midst of foodies in a foodie town.

Cake pops are like macaroons or cupcakes or donuts or non chocolate pastries in my "dessert hierarchy" - zero temptation, I agree 100% with Andrea (but less about calorie-to-satisfaction vs "plain old satisfaction") - many better options out there. I think I prefer desserts that look like poop or something even grosser than poop. Ice cream sundaes that are half peanut butter, Pizzeria UNO cookie sundaes, brownies, that sort of thing.

I translated this morning's WI into kg and realized I always dreamed of being 55 kg, and I am 54.9 kg today.

saef, I spend a lot of time on the XX Fitness section of Reddit - most of the posters there are somewhat serious athletes under 30 and under 130 pounds who have rippling six-packs and eat 2000+ calories a day. It's so absurd but seeing them around makes me feel I'm not exerting enough effort if I'm not shooting for "definition." Fortunately in real life I am surrounded by friends and family and a boyfriend who encourage a balanced and moderate approach - life isn't worth living if you're always hungry, comparison games are idiotic, etc. For me and maybe for some others, it is VERY easy, shamefully so, to get carried away and made to feel insecure by what total strangers choose to do with their bodies!

bargoo - Congrats on not feeling like you want to lose more. An amazing achievement. Imagine you in your XL pants thinking that!

Jen - hope you are doing OK with dying-alone worries and you will have a good weekend with your loved ones.

Andrea - the real question with TRX I guess would be "how do you feel 24-72 hours later?"

Popping in to comment on the TRX - but bear in mind, this is coming from someone who tends not to indulge in strength training. Even when in shape from swimming, which I currently am not, this thing accesses muscle groups on me that apparently nothing else does. I have actually stood at the bottom of my stairs, looking up, wondering if I can make it upstairs after a workout. :D I really like the instability of the whole thing, and the simplicity of moving my feet (or hands) to create a different level of workout. The adjustments did take a few tries to learn how to do quickly. I've found a lot of variations on exercises on Youtube. No buyer regrets, at this point!

To quote my favorite grandma: "Those who marry in haste, they're sure to repent at leisure. And in divorce court."

I was in a long relationship (7 years of living together) that ended when I was 34. I then accepted the fact that I was going to be alone forever, and I totally embraced it. For three years I turned down dates and avoided any interested guys, and it was great. I focused on finishing my PhD, being with friends, doing lots of good volunteer work, and taking my nephew on trips.

Then eighteen months ago I met a really wonderful guy and now we're already engaged, so you never know what will come your way. The bottom line is, I was SO much happier being single and even thinking it would be permanent, than I was in that bad relationship that I couldn't break out of. You are enough. Anything else is just an addition to your already complete life.

Beginning of a new month, and we're up to 460+ posts on this thread. Anyone want to start a new one? "5-10 pounds lighter this summer"? I don't have great ideas for a catchy title .

And, oh yes, I'm finally back to 125 (again). Only took another 10 days, and going low-carb in addition to low-cal. I am now on a "deadline" because we are leaving for a family vacation to Greece in 2 weeks. I can see that 122 is not going to happen by then, but getting back below my "redline" of 124 should be...so I can blow it again on vacation:
"maintenance is just yo-yo dieting on a short string." <sigh>

Didn't realize we were getting so close to the 500 mark
.
Title suggestion, Maintenance Summer is Falling.