haha Stephanie, you crack me up. You would have liked having us as wedding clients. Geez, we spent a FORTUNE on the pictures!!!! Most of all on a little book that I was dissappointed in. I ended up going online and making my own wedding book afterwards!

So how long have you been doing the photography? I LOVE photography too. It's actually in my head to do when I for some reason don't have the job I have now anymore. I LOVE photoshop. It's crazy the stuff you can do with that program! How did you ever go from, I think I want to be a photographer...to deciding that you were ready to cover someone's wedding? That seems like so much pressure to me!

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do pictures like that for the DH! It would be a good going away gift for him before he goes back overseas!!! But I'm in NO shape to do it now and don't know any photographers I would be comfortable with.

My only forcasted goal is Jan 17th for now....trip to CABO!!!!!!!!

You best be swimming tonight little girl!

When I married my first husband he was a sports writer. Against my better judgement I moved to a teeeny tiny town so he could further his career. I left an awesome job and all my family. In said town 6.00 was a high paying job lol So when his editor said they needed some help with photos I thought I would apply. Being a small town they didn't seem to mind my lack of a pro camera so I went out and took test shots which they liked... I started taking community photos then fell in love with sports. You really do need a pro camera and lens for sports so I invested in that and found out there were lots of newspapers around me that also needed extra coverage.

As for weddings one of the other writers at the paper liked my photos and although they had their own photog they asked if I would be interested in giving them some extra coverage. Not ever having shot a wedding before I told them I would but a. not to expect anything and b. I didn't have the right kind of flash, so they bought me a flash as compensation for it.

Afterwards my photos were better then their pro photographers and I started noticing that my photos were better than ALOT of pro photographers. I became obsessed with photography, went online, read books, magazines, forums and basically taught myself everything I could. When I first started out I did weddings for next to nothing for the experience knowing that this was a once in a lifetime event and I needed to be honest with people about my skill levels lol.

That was about 2 years ago and I haven't looked back since. I kept upgrading my equipment, refining my skills and viola now I'm a wedding photographer. I own two of everything and always shoot with a second photographer the most important day of any brides life is now safe in my hands hehe.

I need to work out.... Swimming tonight for sure. Blah... Oh and photoshop IS amazing. I just upgraded to CS3 and am totally in love. If you have kiddos photography is an excellent field for moms to be able to earn a great living and still be around a lot for thier families...

Congrats JasonsLea! Keep up the good work and you'll be leading us to victory on Monday!

As for me... I'm up 1.5 pounds this morning, which I attribute to a) eating sushi last night (soy sauce = too much sodium, even though I used lite soy sauce...) and b) the dark chocolate I ate before bed (one serving but still shouldn't have eaten it at midnight).
Its kinda sad when you go up at all, even if you kinda know why! I only want the scale to go in one direction. DOWN. I keep telling myself I should only weigh once a week to avoid getting down on the little fluctuations, but I also feel like weighing every day helps me somehow. Blah!

My first exam went well, only four more! I decided to take the day off from the gym yesterday as I hadn't taken a day off since Thanksgiving. (Why do I decide to take my days off on the same days I decide to indulge a little at night???) Anyways, I'll be going to the gym this afternoon and will try to get my w5d2 in... although for some reason I want to do w5d1 again a few times before graduating to d2 and d3... maybe I'm procrastinating as far as that 20 minute run coming on d3....

I'm still going to consider myself as having been "good" yesterday, because I really was, except for the dark chocolate, but I made sure it was over 70% cocoa so it was good for me anyways. Plus, I think I was a little low on my cals for the last few days so a little good fat and some calories shouldn't KILL me or anything....

I'm having that 'night off' tonight, and I'll drink a little bit... I'm going to try REALLY hard to be good though, and my goal is 158 for Monday!!!

What are yall wanting to see on Monday???

You girls are busy! Okay so I have to catch up on the convo for the last couple days. In a rush at the moment -- things are basically insane for me right now. Last two days not bad for eating but the beer killed it all. Weighed in as 1.8 lbs up but pretty sure that's just water weight.

Steph, you just keep reminding me of yet another thing on my list that i have to do.... find a photographer. Don't suppose you'll be anywhere near ontario canada late june of 2009?

Gotta go. Will try to hop on sometime in the next few days. All of you have a wonderful day!

jasonlea - YOU GO GIRLY! Way to go I knew you could do it!

Macomer - Glad your exam went well. You WERE good having this be a lifestyle means indulgences from time to time. As long as you are in control and making smart decisions your fine. My goal is 137 for Monday... I need a REALLY good weekend.

PB - Boo on water weight, should be gone by monday Funny you ask, I do destinations weddings. I would love to come to Ontario lol. Never been there would be an awesome work vaca. Let me know if your seriously interested and I will get you the details.

As for me...

I went to the rec last night and swam laps. Had a healthy dinner, healthy dessert, rice cake snack and lots o water. Feeling pretty good. Tonight I am running, swimming tomorrow then the eliptical on Sunday. I WILL have a loss on Monday. Not a whole lot to do this weekend just finishing up my last wedding. Computer work, bleh.

Hello my favorite online ladies....

I just don't know what my deal is. So, last night I went to the store craving cottage cheese and lettus. I don't know how, or why, what crazy force took me through the cookie aisle. I looked, drooled, kept walking. When I was almost through the store I remembered something I forgot, in the back of the store, so I had to go back and get it. This took me past cookie aisle again. Another strange force said, "Go, just take a peak at those yummy soft cookies and see what the calorie count is. Afterall, you've had a great day and deserve one or two cookies. You will still be under calories for the day." So I did it. Bought a box of cookies. Ate 6. Still came close to my calories of 1500 for the day so I didn't beat myself up about it. Then this morning came. I had to work at a different then usual location this morning so I took the rest of the cookies thinking I would share them with others in the office so I wouldn't be tempted anymore. NO BODY ELSE WAS IN THE OFFICE THERE THIS MORNING. SO guess who ate like 10 cookies? Yeah, Me. Nothing like downing 1000 calories worth of cookies to start out a drill weekend.

RARRRRRRR

I feel you girl - RARRRRRR is right! Remember how I was going to be "good" when I drank last night? Well I guess I was good, if you consider good to be drinking 2 bottles of wine all by myself (not literally ALONE - now THAT would be a problem...) and then eating pizza and wings with the boyfriend... yeah so in other words I WASNT good!!!!! UGHHHHH.

The funny part about last night was that after a bottle or so, I was feelin good and totally told my boyfriend about this website and our group. I don't know why, but I had kept it to myself up until then. Actually, maybe I do know why.. he's one of those people with a PERFECT body who eats whatever he wants... which is totally annoying yet great at the same time because I love to look at him BUT its bad because he's always getting me to eat crap because he CAN. He also doesn't think I need to lose weight and never indulges me when I say things about needing to lose weight like my ex did. (No, you don't need to, you're so hot, blah blah blah. My boyfriend now just roles his eyes. WHICH IS BETTER to me)

So anyway I told him about the group and how much I like talking to you guys and how I needed to be good when we ate because of yall. So we proceeded to get pizza, and I was so gone that I didn't even know how much I had eaten. So he assured me this morning that I only had two pieces and like 4 wings (which is a SHOCKER because usually I would eat 3 or 4 and wings and then like 291092019 cinnamon sticks, but I don't even think I ate more than one last night!)

So it wasn't great, and I ate that right before bed and after consuming ALL of that wine (12089102910 calories worth) so I'm going to be as good as I can today and tomorrow and I'm not going to weight myself until Monday morning. I'm keeping my finger's crossed for a two pound loss!!! PLEASE let the scale say 158 on Monday!!!!

Oh and I definitely need to be studying right now for my exams next week (three of them...EEK) but all I want to do is look through the forums, sit with the boyfriend, and then watch the Florida-Alabama game at 4...
Do yall watch college football??? I live in Athens, Georgia, where UGA is, so I'm a huuuuge fan, and even though our season kinda sucked, this game is going to be big!!!!

Must be good today and tomorrow. Must be good today and tomorrow. Must be good today and tomorrow. Must be good today and tomorrow. Must be good today and tomorrow. WANT TO BE 158 ON MONDAY!

JasonsLea - get your butt to the gym!! trust me I know how you feel... I REALLY didnt want to go to the gym today, but I made myself, and I feel AWESOME that I did it and actually got in a good workout! just getting yourself there is the hard part, once you're there, you know you'll work it out!

I just got back from the gym.... did w5d2... actually told myself before I started (why?!) that i wouldn't be able to do it because I hadn't run in about 5 days... but somehow it didn't feel like I had to stop, and i did the whole thing! so im really happy about that, even though I'm pretty sure i'm not going to hit my goal for tomorrow... (damn that wine!)

How is everyone else doing? SO QUIET!!!

booooooo. 160. no loss. will discuss in further detail after my exam! eeeek!

I also can't report a loss. IMAGINE THAT! I think I reported 160.6 last week and we reported it as 160. This morning I was 160.2 so still 160... Sorry guys!!!

I need to get my butt in gear. Have not worked out since Thursday!! B A D BAD BAD. And not like me...so tonight me and the work out room have some bonding to do!

173... again no loss, but hey - at least it's not a gain!

JamieJo - You cookie aisle travellin girl you! Somtimes it calls to me too. How did your weekend go? Did you have a blast?

Macomer - I don't really delve into the 3fc convo with my husband either. He knows I participate but not that I am totally fricken hooked lol. Wk5d2 you are awesome! I am repeating week 4 but stepping it up a notch... No loss here ewither so I can totally relate

Jasonslea - Did you make it to the gym ,sorry for the late motivation I really never check in on weekends. Hope yours went well girly!

As for me...

140 eeeeeek 1 lb gain! I did go running then swimming then nothing yesterday. Guess I should have gotten that extra workout in huh? Friday I had a little mini binge where I lost control of myself. I was sooooo bummed I vowed to stay OP all weekend and did a pretty good job but there is only so much you can "make up for".

I DID finish my own wedding photos as well as finishing my last wedding this season. YAY! Now I get to do the fun stuff, DVD's, Albums etc and some second shooting which will let me really work on my creativity. If you guys want to check them out here is the link...

http://flickr.com/photos/stephiewill...7608028150215/

Not much on plan for today just working then getting my run on this evening. I might work a little on my OWN wedding album, imagine that!

Okay! so it looks like we all had a stellar week LAST weigh-in... this week though... not so much! lol

I have to report a 0.6 lb gain. I was 177 on the dot this morning. Attributed mostly to an insane weekend that was not on track in any way. The once in a blue moon weekend that includes: pizza, wings, pasta, fries, wine, beer, and other deep fried pub food. Sorry girls.

It's a new week though! we'll do some damage for the next weigh in for sure.