Krystal - You look amazing!!! What a huge difference for your before and after!!!! It's not a huge weight difference, but what an amazing shaping difference!!!! I am so proud of you Great job!

Hi girls, hope everyone is doing well today.

I am pretty tired today, not sleeping well this week.

I also feel a teeny tiny bit under the weather, hoping it doesn't turn into anything major. My youngest is sick with sore throat, and stuffiness. He hasn't felt bad enough to stay home from school, but enough to feel icky.

Pretty much the usual for me today, walk and then my list of other crap to get done. I was going to try to weight lift this week (all because of Krystals butt), but haven't gotten down there yet. I am sure once TOM is gone, I will get my energy back, especially if I can get some good sleep under my belt. Thankfully, I think the cramps are gone today, and (I am hoping) that black cloud over my mood might be starting to lift.

I will probably do fast 5 today if I can.

We are on the same food wavelength!
Uh oh, power walking through a mall with Kristiina, I might have to jog to keep up Remind me to wear my running shoes!

Good for you staying off that scale. Just get through this week and it will be smooth sailing for a while again. You can do it.

My plan today was to do a 16hr fast with only a GU before my a.m. 5 miler @ 0730.
Boy, did I fail miserably at that attempt.
I didn't crawl out of bed until 9, by 0915 I had downed the GU (100 cals), by 0930 I was ready to run--my brain was ready to run. The rest of me was screaming--go back to bed!!!
Worst Worst WORST 3 miler of my life!
Since I knew it was pretty much a wash, I came home, got my K9s and headed to the park for some hill intervals. I managed another mile.
I doubt I even burned off the cals from the GU!!!

Came home--showered--and what--hello--who's that???
TOM!!
I've been unpleasantly expecting you!!!
No wonder my run was lousy.
It is interesting to me how hormones play such an integral part of our overall health and wellness. They effect our mood, our emotions, our energy level, our sleep, really everything.
I am really glad I have you ladies to learn new things about myself that I may or may not have learned in nursing school (there is only so much info you can retain)

But seriously, last year, I didn't know so much about water weight, scale fluctuations, hormonal shifts, energy deposits during certain times of the month after ovulation, etc...
I remember losing it over a lb of water weight. Now, I expect to gain 5lbs before TOM and to lose those same 5lbs after ovulation.
I can look forward to wearing my skinny scrubs on week 2 and putting them up for future use on week 4. That's just life as a woman--at least it is for me.

I'm rambling.....
I work tonight. I should be sleeping, but my adrenaline is roaring still.

Kristiina: you'd be so proud of me...I ALMOST talked myself into going for for lunch today. Then, I remembered--"If I even grace the front door, Kristiina will be right over my shoulder making fun of me & saying 'Look at me, I'm 143! Want another slice?? You could see 150 by Friday if you do' "

Gosh, we are deranged!!

Sorry you had a crappy run because TOM was riding on your shoulders the whole time. I hate days like that. I do what you do, just call it and try again another day.
I sure have learned a lot about myself through this process too. If I knew then what I know now. . . .Ugh.
Great job avoiding the pizza!!!

Ladies, I am officially sick fever,chills and super sore lungs. Yuck. And TOM should get here tomorrow, double yuck. So we are all on same cycle now, very interesting!! We need to add some new dance partners to see if we can pull them into our cycle as well you are right Krystal, hormones are one mysterious world!

Nice to see you Itsmyturn!!

I hope you are not getting sicker Jo!

That sounds cruddy and then TOM on top of it?
Get some rest and keep those fluids going!

No, I feel alright, I think I am just overly tired at this point .
DS is still feeling just under the weather, but barely. Still going to school. His started out with light cough, sore throat and his chest hurt. Now he just c/o slightly sore throat and stuffy nose. Hoping that's all it is going to be and then it goes right out the back door with TOM, after I kick them both from behind

Sum - Awww, thank you! Always a pleasure to see you all too!!!!

I have learned a TON in the last year. And OMG!!!! I am due for TOM at any moment!!! Hormones ALL over the place today! How the heck did we all get on same dang cycle? I haven't even been active on this thread! LOL!!!!

Haha, the power of women when they band together! Must be from rubbing elbows with us on mfp.

You should pop in here more often, we are always good for a laugh or two!

Except right now, we are all a bunch of hormonal witches.

Hows the weight loss going for you? I haven't seen you posting statuses on mfp quite as much, but I think I did see you say you have been busy.

Hope all is well, keep on fighting the good fight!

I went to bed early, and since kids have a late start I was able to sleep till 8:15 , I feel 100% better!!

I stepped on scale last night and I was 151.5...I was a bit bummed out. This morning, after 10 h sleep I was 149! -- How much does sleep affect our weightloss? I feel I am walking around in constant sleep deprivation mode. I wake up each morning at 6 am make b-fast for the kids and usually, 99% of the time, the alarm wakes me up. I get average maybe 6 h per night. -- I was thinking since kids grow the most during summer months and they say because they get the sleep they need, could we possibly shed more weight if we slept more? -- I remember one lady at MFP talking about that most of the fat is burned at night anyways.

Spring break is coming up and I intend to see if I can drop more weight that week by sleeping more

ETA: TOM is here and I survived under 150 pounds this month I am proud of myself Goal met!

Okay, on the sleep issue, I do wonder about this a lot. I would like to know how much, if any this affects my weight loss.
I am up at least a couple times during the night and sometimes have a hard time falling back to sleep, worse when hormones are at play. I am lucky if I get 6 straight hours. Usually 4 and then another 2-3, on a good night. When I was younger, I liked at least 9 hours. Less than that and I didn't function well; those were the days!
I look forward to sleeping a little more during spring break too. Maybe we will see some losses next week with all the sleep we get?

I sure wish I knew more about the sleep and weight loss connection.

Jo - I have been super busy lately actually. I am starting to get over being sick, plus DH has been sick and out of commission for like 2 weeks... so on top of being sick, I have had to pull all the weight at the house for both of us. Moms/wives can't have sick time, There's not much to tell on weight loss front though - still on same plateau since December... oy! Keep gaining and losing same dang 5 lbs...but... have been taking off inches, so not a total wash. 4 1/2 " off waist alone since start of plateau... 1.5" off hips, etc - they add up. Just be nice when the scale catches up, LOL.

Sum - great job meeting goal! You are right, sleep totally effects weight loss. The sleep provides a fuel for the body, just as food does in a way. The sleep is where the body resets itself though, and when we lack (as I do most times), it really does slow and complicate the process of weight loss and muscle building. My wellness coach is who has lectured me about this relentlessly - however, unless he is willing to take over with my kids, I don't have much for options,

Have a super day all!!!

Awww, Wish I could make it go away!