Selina - my dd#2's name is similar to your name - she's Melina.

Heather - I am so sorry about the loss of your grandma. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.

Jordan : WOOHOO - on doing a race - this time last year I said I wanted to do the local challenge run/walk but with my father's heartattack I got side tracked so that is my plan for next year.

I am feeling completely overwhelmed at home, weightloss is ok (lost a pound) could be better but I have been only sleeping average 3 hours a night... this may sound stupid but I have a mouse problem in my house, I have about 12 traps set(3 different kinds) and over the past 5 nights not one has gone off. Mice are my greatest fear, my heart is racing as I type this... I know I have a mouse because I heard it in my bedroom 5 nights ago, I had one trap in the laundry I barricaded my bedroom door and put it in there, well it was scratching at the door chewing the carpet, I put another 4traps in there plus 2 in every other room. This "silly issue" as my family have told me numerous times all week - is really affecting my health, I find it difficult to breathe at times, I get overheated, I am sooo jumpy and cranky, but that could be related to the fact I cant even sleep... I wont go into my bedroom except in the daytime, I have been sleeping in my son's bedroom cause I barricaded his door just in case - this sounds silly typing but I am feeling completely overhwelmed - maybe part of this reason is that for the first time since I have separated from my husband I feel I need the security of someone. Whilst my thoughts go crazy about this mouse problem - I also start stressing about the maintenance needed in my house.

On a positive note, today I got outside and cleaned up the backyard - I feel a bit better knowing that it looks good out there.

Maybe writing this out rather than keeping it bottled up will also good for my health... I want bigger numbers this week!!!! Especially with Easter round the corner, STICK TO PLAN> STICK TO PLAN!!!!!

Good luck everyone with all that chocolate around!

He just turned 2 in January. Honestly if I watched my food intake better which I had been for months it'd continue to melt off.

Hey, lovelies! My illness-induced weight loss should help us this week, but I am afraid it will come back after.

The cake looks like R2-D2. I can never post pics here, but I will put them on my blog and give a link later.

Need to get the house ready for company! My mom says she doesn't judge, but she does. Hey, I was sick! Give me a break!

Hope you lovely ladies are wrapping up a fantastic weekend. It's been rainy and cold here in Seattle. I was hoping to get yard work done, but since it hasn't happened yet, it's not happening!

Anna - we'll take weight loss from any cause! I'm glad you're feeling better though!

Vanessa! Gosh, I'd be dying with 3 hours of sleep also. Take something (or drink something!) so you can get some rest. I'm so sorry about the mice problem. We had an infestation last summer as well. I ALMOST got a cat. We've never had such a bad year. Anyways, after peanut butter on traps for a week or so we caught them all! The blood was so gross to clean up sometimes. What are you using as bate? This variety LOVED PB!

Luckily, my back is doing much better today. I was worried last night as I was VERY uncomfortable. I slept with a magnet on it and slept well and this morning it was 75% better. I'm not working out today though. Going to give it an extra day or two. Something POPPED in there for sure.

What is everyone having for dinner? I have nothing planned and it's 3pm. Today just got away from me. I'll pull some BLSL chicken breasts out and do something.

See you all tomorrow!

Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to check in and say hello.
I know I didn't come on at all last week...
I was working. The whole spring break. I got some extra hours, but then I got more hours. "Can you work for me, can you work for me?"
@_@; I was exhausted! But at least I'll have a nice paycheck. ^_^
I started going to the gym again since it started warming up, so that's great. Hopefully I can wake up early enough to go out to a work out class.
And with the cafeteria being closed, I had no choice but healthy choice tv dinners, and I bought some spinach and stuff to eat with them. And I got my mommy to buy me fruit! Too bad I left the blender at home to make smoothies...I'll try to go tomorrow and get it.
Even though my weight has been up and down, my body shape has changed a lot since I started. I need to get a photo lol, but I feel that I'm more curvy. Like I don't have a lot of that stupid back-fat anymore! The happiness!! lol. I'm still working on getting rid of it all for good and being toned. My friend and I are trying to visit California this summer, and she's like "you shouldn't quit modeling" so I'm trying to tone. Even though I'd rather stick with my music...lol, modeling is cool, but it's too vain of an industry if you ask me. Not like I can't do both music and modeling, but I'd rather stick to the music. It's fun.
I have a recital coming up on April 4th, and I'm going to talk to my voice teacher about what song to sing. I'm thinking between this one aria and Ave Maria by Schubert, but don't know which one yet.
I hope everyone else had a great week!

First things first, QOTD...What fitness magazines/health magazines do you enjoy and why?

Answer: I usually just buy a fitness magazine that has some eye catching info on the front page (every few months I do this) This month, today, I bought Fitness Magazine. It had all this great info on the front, turn to the page in the magazine and it REFERS YOU TO THEIR WEBSITE, COME ON, THAT IS BS! I haven't checked out their website yet, I'm sure it's awesome, but that's not the point, ya know? So don't bother buying that one this month!!!

ANYWAY, on a more serious note, I need to study, study, study. I am thinking that I spend more time online (a lot of it here) than studying-- and that is not right, that will not help me reach my goal of passing this killer exam I am going up for (around 8% are passing on their first go).
SO, if you don't see me on everyday, like usual, that is a GOOD THING! My test is April 7th, and I'll be needing all your prayers then. For now, I just need to focus, my goal starting tomorrow is to spend the majority of my free time studying, and not surfing as I usually do.
Wish me luck,
have a great week blusers!

Didnt sleep much again last night- but I dont have that overwhelming feeling, which is a good thing...I think my family is playing a joke on me - I found an unwrapped tampon in my letterbox, placed like a mouse NOT LOL - It didnt scare me but that is what I am dealing with - I have a genuine fear, and they dont understand--- I am putting peanut butter on the traps, still havent caught one do you think that just leave - I may have had only one - if I dont catch one by Good Friday I will start putting some of the traps away. Just leave one under the sink in kitchen, laundry, garage.

I used to subscribe to Shape and really enjoyed the recipes and some of the articles. But I don't subscribe to, or buy, any health magazines any more. Or any magazines at all for that matter. I guess I have a lot less time than I used to! I do end up reading a lot of Prevention's online articles when I have a question about a health topic.

I had to use my first freebie week today....I gained .8 lbs. I am so pissed off at myself for letting you guys down. It is TOTALLY due to poor planning for my work weekend. I worked Saturday and Sunday 12 hour day shift and didn't prepare my meals for the weekend. I ended up eating stuff from the cafeteria and whatever I could scrounge up on the unit like peanut butter and graham crackers. I feel like crap and I'm so angry at myself. I NEED to get my life in order. This isn't about a .8lb weight gain, it's really about my lack of organization. Starting today I need to get some real organization back in my life. I had ADD as a kid and was diagnosed as an adult when I went back to college. I used to meet with a counselor who helped me stay focused and organized, and she showed me little tricks to keep on track. She introduced me to flylady.com which is a website for other unorganized people. I am going back to that website and starting over as of today. I feel overwhelmed, I haven't been going to the gym.....I just need to get back and focus.

Sorry for the rant. Sometimes I need to write down what I'm going to do, to just get it out there. It seems to make me more accountable.
My goals for today are:
Clean the house and get things organized
Go grocery shopping and fill my freezer and fridge with healthy stuff
Go to the gym

Again, sorry to let the team down this week. Next week will be better. Hope you all have a great day.

Good morning, Bluesers!

Sorry I've been MIA and not been here to support each of you. The old unaccountable off-plan 'me' who doesn't care anymore tried to come back and take over my body. It was a tough battle and the new 'me' almost lost, but I'm back on-plan and fighting the fight again. Honestly, this is the only time I've ever felt myself in serious danger of totally quitting this lifestyle change. I allowed myself to get caught up in the negative thinking and concentrating on how difficult this is and what I'm giving up. Basically, I had a big ole pity party for myself and decided to rebel. I'm not sure who I thought I was proving a point to? I forgot about what I've gained so far and what I still have to gain from staying on-plan...being healthy, feeling better, more confidence, etc etc etc. It is extremely difficult to get back on-plan today, but I'm finally at the point where I'm thinking again about the alternative and it isn't very appealing at all. So, I'm picking myself up yet again and I'm going in the right direction today.

First things first, QOTD...What fitness magazines/health magazines do you enjoy and why?
I like Prevention, Natural Solutions, and Health. Even though I'm not on Weight Watchers, I like their magazine.too. I used to love reading Shape, but I find that its more geared to the younger woman and doesn't interest me as much anymore.

I’ve read through the posts and have enjoyed catching up with everyone. Please forgive me for not posting personals this morning. Work is calling my name. I’ll check back in later. Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

mumtoliam - I use small pieces of oreo cookie or graham cracker stuck to the trap with peanut butter. Usually within hours of hearing a mouse in the house I can catch them with that combo.

missingmyerica - I love Flylady. I haven't been following her for a while (okay about 3 years) and I really think I should start again. With luck we will be moving in the next few months and I could really use those routines again. When I followed her before I started working out regularly and within a few months I lost some weight and got pregnant. That's it. I'm adding her to my home page.

QOTD: I just subscribed to Self. I enjoyed it before so we will see what happens this time around.

I've been really struggling these last few weeks. Between DH and that job stress and my hormones I am all out of sorts. Good news is DH did find a job. Of course it is 90 miles away so he will be staying at my moms during the week and only home on weekends. Hopefully we can get the house sold and move somewhere closer.

My period is all messed up. I haven't been taking my Glucophage like I should be. I need a refill and have been putting off going to the doc for my annual because I was waiting for the taxes to come back so I could pay a lesser cash amount instead of the payment plan. The good news there is the appointment is made. My body in turn went from a 32-33 day cycle to a 42 which threw off all my hormones.

I am also quitting my job and will be finished working on the 4th. It is just a part time merchandising position. With the price of gas, the distance I have to drive, and day care costs I am no longer making any money. Now I have to train the new girl and unfortunately we cannot get our schedules to coincide. She seems to think she is going to need lots more training than I think she will need. She does the same job at a different store, just on a smaller scale.

Enough of my complaining. I need to go get some breakfast and find something for the kiddos to do so I can get my rear on the treadmill. I'm more than a few days behind on my C25K.

Quick this morning! Trying to get some bills and stuff done before I have to battle it out with the state tax auditor this morning for the business.

I'll try to be back later after lunch.... hopefully sooner.

Rhonda - Did you get the book ok?

Hey team! Once again I've reporting the same weight as last week. *sigh* at least I'm consistent. I did however gain...some self confidence. I wore shorts this weekend IN PUBLIC! I haven't worn shorts in public for at least 3 years. I don't mind wearing them to garden, but I won't usually even run into Wal-mart wearing shorts. I'm posting proof. We took DSS to Fort Barrancas yesterday. Lots of walking and stair climbing.

Vanessa - I'm terrrified of mice too. When I first married DH we lived near a swamp, and I swear we used to get rats bigger than my chihuahua. We didn't have any pets at that point, so we used poison. DH is even more scared than I am, and he didn't want to have to empty the traps.

zinkemomx2 - Congrats to DH on his new job. Hopefully if you move closer to your mom you'll have more help with the kids too?

Lisa - You didn't let the team down. 12 hour shifts are rough!

Nori - I'm doing NRL4W. Well, I'm not doing it too much, but I've read it if that counts. Have you checked out the jpfitness forum yet?

Oops my boss is standing 4 feet away, gotta go.

Call for an exterminator. It will give you peace of mind and if you are worried that they will kill it, then you can find ones that have kindler gentler methods of mouse capture.