Good morning and happy new week to all! I'm up way early to run through my notecards one last time before my trainers exam later on this morning. I pass ... then I can catch up on life, like groceries and cleaning and laundry ...

Now that it's May, it occurred to me that I should get my spring and summer clothes out of the storage closet! Seeing as we haven't had spring yet in Pittsburgh (it's 43 and raining right now, only going up to 52), it's not too pressing but DH and I are traveling to CA and FL later this month and I hope the sun is shining there at least. I could so use some sunshine and a beach right about now ...

Work is busy but great. I have the best clients and they make it all so worthwhile. One client is 76 - she's been working out with me for about five weeks and is starting to feel good about herself. She showed up last week in head-to-toe new gym clothes - including shoes and socks - and told me that she feels like a 'fitness girl' now! She bowled her best game in the past decade last week and she thinks it's because we're doing a lot with balance and stability (she felt like she had been losing her balance when she was releasing the ball). I really look forward to our time together - the only problem is that she's 4' 11" and gym equipment is definitely not made for women under 5' tall!!!

I gotta say that I was caught off-guard at how fast the old bad habits came back when I was stressed and studying. Fighting the study munchies was really tough over the past few weeks, but I think I've survived relatively unscathed. Lesson learned again - the old habits and impulses never die; we just have to figure out how to manage them.

So how's everyone doing these days? Our moms-to-be? Even if there's not much exciting in your life, check in and say hi. And if anyone's struggling a bit, don't hide - let us help, OK?

I'll check back this afternoon and give you all a report on the test.

Sandy - I LOVE the photos you posted at the LWL site! I hope you don't mind me giving the link: http://groups.msn.com/3FCLadiesWhoLi...cs.msnw?Page=1 ... what a stunning transformation! You look so much younger and healthier now.

Hi All:

GOOD LUCK MEG.

Just a quick hello and a good week to all. I am focusing on losing some rebound weight and having some good results. Life always throws me a reminder that I need to review my lessons. The trick is to know that its time to review before it gets to crazy. This time for me life got the better of me and I am in an "intense study session".

Good week to all.

You don't need luck, Meg I'm sure you'll do fine! Don't wear out too many pencils It's a good thing for the examiners this isn't an essay test

(duck and run)

We'll have a cyber-celebration this evening!

Mel

Good luck MEGster!!! I know you'll do fine!!!

I went back to carb overload this weekend too, I ate wayyyy toooo many carbs after my 10k this weekend... So today is back to the new, improved and much much better habits...

Sandy, your pics are definitely a transformation...Great work

Hello Maintainers!

Meg - You will be fine - I have complete confidence in you! We'll definitely celebrate for you tonight!

Thanks for the reminder that old habits are always lurking. I had a blast last week on our annual trip to FL - did well during the first few days but by the end of the week I was loading up my plate at the breakfast buffet and ordering dessert every night - yikes!! My weight must be up at least 5 pounds, but I am avoiding the scale until Saturday, if I see a big number it will only make me feel awful.

Yesterday I was right back at eating healthy and exercising. I feel better already.

Hi Mel, Gina & Ilene. Here's to a great week!

Hi, fellow maintainers,

I have fresh start today - last week and weekend were not good, and it shows up on the scale . After hard work and loosing about 4 pounds I got them all back again - shame on me ! So here I am starting fresh - yesterday did upper body workout, today biked to work and plan to bike back.

I planned 100 km mountain biking tour on Sunshine coast this year again. Last year I skipped the hardest part and did about 85km instead of all 100km. This year my hubby joins me and I decided that for the whole summer I will try to bike to work as much as possible - even though it is not real mountain biking, I still live 250 m above the level of my work, and it is about 15km one way all in ups and downs. Plus gas prices are so high, that it is a shame to use a car when I can as well combine exercise and prepare for the tour. The tour is on August 6 and 7 - two days. And I also signed up for triathlon - 20 km bike ride, 400m swim and 5 km run. It is week after biking tour, so I will be in good shape hopefully.

Otherwise I am watching what I eat. I will have crazy month of May - many birthdays, kids start swimming lessons, lots of gardening...

Hope you are doing fine...

Meg - I am sure you will pass exam with flying colors. Thanks for posting my pictures, I actually was half asleep when reading your post and opened the link without thinking that it is my pics... Boy, did I look big! I very much resembled my older late sister - she was about 300 pounds before she got all frustrated and started to drink. She died when she was 40 y.o. from liver failure due to drinking... Every time I look at my pics when I was heavy, I think about her, I think about choices we make - some of us try to loose the weight and be happy, and some of us choose false happiness.

Sandy.

Thanks for all the good wishes - they worked! I passed with a 91%!

Every little bit of overstudying paid off because the test turned out to be insanely hard (or else my brain has turned to mush in the 25 years since I've been out of school - a distinct possibility ... ) Anyways, it's over and done with and I now can throw some laundry in, clean up the kitchen, and try to get life back to normal.

Sandy, Anne, Gina, Ilene - let's have a good week together, OK? It sounds like lately a lot of us slipped or had challenges or bad old habits coming back to haunt us, myself included ... so I'm making a commitment to all of you that I'm going to stay 100% on plan this week with food and exercise.

Sandy, too funny that you opened your own pictures when you didn't realize that it was you! How eye-opening! And how very sad about your sister.

OK, off to see if there's still furniture under all the cat fur.

91 freakin' percent WoWser YOU are good girl ... Congrats

I shoulda read your post sooner, I didn't leave the kitchen soon enough tonight after supper and ate some extras I'm not eating before bed tonight, even if I'm starving!!

Sandy -- Great goal to have that 100k hike ...

Welcome back Lessismore!! Did you have a nice time in Florida? Or was it business ?

I didn't make it to the gym today my allergies were just too bothersome and I am tired from the allergy meds, I probably would've dropped a weight on myself anyways ... Sigh, tomorrow is another day, I will go to bed early tonight ...

Meg,
First of all, congrats! 91%!!! Gosh - I passed my fitness theory with lousy 81% 2 years ago and found it extremely diffucult!

Good idea to start fresh again. I made my bike ride home today under pouring rain - amazingly enough it took me 8 minutes less than usually - is it insane or what? I have my gym scheduled tomorrow - so tomorrow I am safe. I am not sure about Wednesday as I plan to work from home and when I am home temptations are just buzzing around... Good that I go grocery shopping on Thursdays, hence on Wednesdays we are almost out of everything... That is called strategic planning.

Cheers,
Sandy.

I ended up going to bed very early, and waking up very late 9:30am, thank goodness I don't work on Mondays and Tuesdays... I think what I thought were allergies is definitely a cold so no gym for me today I'll wait and see how I feel tomorrow, this is the first cold I have in about 2 years, it really sucks...

Sandy -- You're good, I probably would have called home to get a ride or taken a cab...

Meg - That's what I like to hear! Congrats!!!

How is everyone else doing? I'm OK, started to snack yesterday afternoon & managed to get through it without any damage. I went to work out and that stopped the snacking...I definitely gained a lot in FL, my clothes are very tight, even my shirts! This is a huge wake-up call for me!! I hope all of you are doing well.

Let's make this a great day - clean food & challenging exercise. I had a great work out this morning. I'm going to journal my food for the rest of the week because I want to get on the scale on Sunday.

Ilene - I hope you're feeling better. Florida was a fun trip - no business - just sun and sand. It was beautiful.

Hi everyone. Just popping in for a quick hello. On day three of the flu, but things are much better today. I'm going a little nuts since I haven't been to the gym since Sunday.

Mostly, I just want to say CONGRATS to you, Meg, for doing so well on your test. I'm so happy for you.

Ilene, hope you feel better soon.

Right back at ya Karyn

Ahhhh, sighhhh, what is ??