Hotsplashes- I am so sorry about your day!I hope that today does not run into tomorrow and you can get a handle on the stress and the ice cream. *HUG*

Neesy- You can so accomplish that by then. I know it seems so hard and right around the corner but it is very reasonable.

Lindy- Thats awful about your date. I hope it was just a speed bump and if not I hope you find a Mr. Sweet 18. lol. Good job eating well today.

Dancer- If the scale says 173 and I think I am 170... I eaither have to find another scale, drink a ton of water or hide all food with in a 4 mile radius!! I am impressed you can just keep on trucking.

Sandy- I am praying for you! I was so bad I want you to have a solid night so that I can be proud of one of us!! Maybe just sleep?

I baby sat for 2 wonderful kids I had never met before today. 12 hours @ there house in the mountains and I forgot the food I packed. So 1 hotdog, chips, 2 bananas and 5 huge spinach raviolies later... I feel bloated and worn very thin. The good news is they were fantastic kids so it just made me even more baby/child happy (*BAD. NO. NO BABIES YET!!*)

On top of my long and horrible food-wise day I whitnessed the nastiest motercycle/dump truck accident on the way home. I mean I REALLY saw it. And I think... He was on his way home to tuck in his kids, kiss his wife and walk the dog. Then I start to cry. Now I am bloated, sick and sad. Yeah. great day. =)

AJ, Hotsplashes, Sandy: So sorry for your horrible days. Foodwise, stresswise and other. Lindy: Sorry about your date, what's meant to be is meant to be. Better to know sooner rather than later.

So, I'm going to make this a quick post...I am exhausted, it's 11:15 pm, I still have to dry my hair and get to bed. I'm still sore from Mr. Hott's workout, but I thought doing some cardio and stretching the muscles would help....so, I went to the gym at 8:30 tonight and did 15 minutes on the treadmill and then 20 minutes on the stairmaster. Boy, that thing is a pain in the arse!! (Literally!!) I burned 200 calories in 20 minutes. We'll see whether or not I can walk tomorrow!

Good night!

Hi ladies,

Well I am off to the venue and won't have much access to a computer for the next 4-5 days - I will miss you but will log on when I can

Hugs, S

Thanks girls for the love...after yesterday, I did indulge in chocolate chip cookie dough but it was actually factored into my calories so although not a smart decision, at least I didnt go over. I think I have decided to close the chapter of Mr. Sweet 16, there are not strings attached, we are not a formal couple, so now would be the best time. I am so glad that I move slow in relationships in every way...if you know what I mean. If anything changes Ill keep you posted but I couldnt agree with you more Dance...I think I need to step away from "boys" right now and focus on me. I CAN and WILL get to my goal by the end of this year. It is doable and that is my focus, well..that and Gab.

Dance - I TOTALLY do the same thing, unless it is Sunday. If its Sunday, then I just record what the scale says. But today I was up, but Im not going to change it...trust me, you are not alone.

Mygrits - oh how I wish and pray things turn around for you; as Im sure they will.

Neesy - you are on top of the world...keep up the good work girly. How are your workouts going with your work schedule lately? Are you still able to do the gym just as much?

Awww....AJ - I just saw your post. Im so sorry you had such a rotten day. Maybe you should detour from the fasting for now? Like I said in a previous post, the fasting took such a toll on my body and emotions. I know the end result is supposed to make you feel better but it just made me feel horrible. Anyway - I hope things turn around for you by weigh in on Sunday, your doing so well, we need to keep you on track.

Morning, all!
Staccie - lots of luck on venue - we'll miss you! Is this kind of like a pre-olympics drill? I wish I understood your job a bit more - it sounds super interesting! I bet you'll get lots of exercise running around and the weight will just melt off : )

AJ - I'm so so sorry about your seeing the accident - how very upsetting. When something bad happens around you, it seems like a really good time to realize how lucky we are to have our loved ones close so give your hubby an extra hug today and send some emails to old friends and far away relatives to let them know how much you care about them. Hang in there, sweetie! And your scale comment just cracked me up - I love your sense of humor!

maddiesmom - good for you on the cardio workout!!

mygrits - right there with you on the daily weighing, except for those days when I know I majorly screwed up the day before then I slink around like a dog that knows it's going to be punished and pretend the scale's not even there : ) I'm so sorry this is such a tough time but things WILL get better and one of you will find a job. big giant hugs!

hotsplashes - yikes! hope you've bounced back after the ice cream incident - and that today will be a much better and less stressfull day for you!

neesy - oh good - I like not being crazy all by myself! : )

lindy - You have so got this, girlfriend! I actually started my whole weight loss thing this time around when my longtime bf was in one of his mood swings where we're basically not together. I decided this time that I was going to focus on myself and be constructively selfish, if that makes sense, by getting healthier. He's popped out of the mood and things have been great but even when/if it happens again, I've made a promise to myself that I deserve the attention from myself that it takes for me to stay on plan. NO MORE emotional/comfort eating - that whole '2 seconds on the lips, a lifetime on the hips' thing couldn't be more true in my case : )

So I'm down another pound this morning which is kind of amazing since I went for pizza with the girls last night but I think the whole portion control thing has gotten so much easier that I can actually even think about going out to normal restaurants without it causing a complete and total diet melt-down. ONE MORE POUND to the 160s - now I'm so nervous about hitting a plateau - not sure I can handle that mentally. Off to run before it gets hot - gotta kick this extra pound to the curb....

Have a great day, all!

Holycrapola Dance...another pound? Gosh...I just want to piggy back on your whole routine, whats the lowest and highest you go in calories? I know your doing calorie cycling..are you on a strict pattern?

Lindy - nothing fancy, really - just following your advice from months ago to not let your body get too used to anything. (Calorie levels for the last week or so Fri:1486 Sat: 1459 Sun:1909 Mon: 1776 Tues: 1694 Weds: 1540 and I think that's pretty typical). And unlike a lot of you, I'm not focused on strength training at all - just cardio so I'm not building a bunch of muscle that adds healthy weight and probably makes it seem like you're losing more slowly than you really are. On Sundays when we do a hike I'm usually between 1800-2200. The lowest is usually around 1400 or 1350 but usually not much below that. Exercise is still about the same as before - running 4x/wk for about an hour and one hike (usually 2-3hrs) on the weekends. I think having improved my running speed over time so that I burn more calories in that hour has helped a bit. What is your routine/eating plan right now?

One other little thing - I made a plan at the beginning of June as part of another challenge thread and said what my goal weight was for each week and I've been tracking against that. I'm slightly ahead of goal now but most of the time, I've been tracking to it pretty closely. Knowing exactly where I wanted to be each week and adjusting eating/exercise as needed to make that goal has really helped. Don't laugh too hard but I've now extended that plan all the way to our Costa Rica trip in January. Since you guys have helped me out so much, I'll share my whole plan (black is plan, red is actual - again, try not to crack up too much : ) ) I track my weight every day (ignoring those upward ticks) on a spreadsheet where I have my goals listed.

June 8:190: 190
June 15:188: 189
June 22:188: 188
June 29:186: 187
July 6:184: 184
July 13:182: 181
July 20:182: 179
July 27:180: 178
Aug 3:178: 178
Aug 10:176: 176
Aug 17:176: 174
Aug 24:174: 172
Aug 31:172
LABOR DAY Sept 7: 170
Sept 12 wear bridesmaids dress: 168
Sep 21: 167
Sep 28: 166
Oct 5: 165
Oct 12: 163
Oct 19: 162
Oct 26: 160
Nov 2: 158
Nov 9: 156
Nov 16: 154
Nov 23: 152
Nov 30: 152
Dec 7: 150
Dec 14: 149
Dec 21: 149
Dec 28: 148
Jan 4: 147
Jan 11: 146

Dance - Very cool. I love your stradegy and it reminds me of what I did a couple of years ago when I lost all my weight. I did weekly goals written down, and did whatever it took to meet it. I think I need to do that again - big time. The calorie cycling is what I have always done, and it works beautifully. My downfall with losing now is stress and not doing my cardio daily. Your my hero Dance ;-) Thanks, as you have caused me to refocus!

Well, today is so - so. I haven't worked out (ahhh, hint my above comment) but think I might swim laps in a bit. I haven't done that in a couple of weeks, due to TOM taking over......lol. My calories aren't bad, right now around 550. My daughter will be here later today.......yeah! She and her Navy buddy want me to go to Sea World tomorrow, so we will see. I am not sure if I am up for that, just because of the stress right now. I don't know.......?????

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday........Staccie, we will miss you the next few days......;-(

mygrits - swimming laps sounds like a great idea! And sounds like you're doing well with food. As far as Seaworld - I think you should listen to your inner voice - if you're too stressed, take the day to destress with a good workout and, I don't know, clean out the closet/garage to see if there's anything you need to sell on craigslist : ) Maybe I'm weird but decluttering really helps me handle stress. There was an interesting Oprah once with a guy who had written a book called 'does this clutter make my butt look fat?' and the idea was it's hard to lose weight if your house is cluttered or something. And as far as the weekly plan goes, I think we're all so different in terms of what motivates us and how we can succeed. I know I would suck big time trying AJ's cleanse and I don't have the discipline/motivation to stick to the weights workouts that Maddiesmom is doing or the 30DS the way Burgundy does. I'm a project planner/executor though professionally so give me a plan and I will make the goals happen for the most part : ) Maybe we're similar that way?

Mygrits ~ Here is a big ole hug for you and the day you had yesterday (((HUG))). I hope you are feeling better today. ANd I hope hubby is too! Something will turn up.. I have a good feeling for you two!

Ajowens ~ Thanks for the hug! And now here's yours (((HUG))). I don't think I will ever get on a motorcycle again after my last accident. There are too many wacko drivers out there, both in cars and on motorcycles. And now with cell phones and texting and all the accidents those two have caused.. I think I will drive a tank from now on! I hope you are feeling better today.

Maddiesmom ~ I hope you are walking today! Hmm where can I get a Mr. Hott? DO you have spare you can send to Canada???lol Keep up the great work!!!

Staccie ~ HAVE FUN!!!!

Lindy ~ You have a good head on your shoulders and a good outlook on things! You are the perfect example of what I try to show other women how to be in my book. And in all honesty... you have it 100% right.. take care of yourself and the rest will take care of itself!

Dancer ~ You amazing Chickie you!!! Down another pound!!! You can do it!!! One more pound to go!!! WOOHOOOO!!!!!

So after the crappy day yesterday.. and the horrible sleepless nite.. I had an AMAZING DAY!!! It started when I got on the scale... I WAS 184!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did it!!! I am below 185!!!! And it just kept getting better from there.. All the documents that either disappeared, didn't get sent, or etc etc.. all suddenly appeared in the appropriate office adn I got 3 calls confirming everything is a go for school!!!! I start my law degree on Sept 8th!!!! ANd THEN!!! ANd THEN!!! I had both my specialists call to say they had cancellations and could get me in eariler than 2010!!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!! And wait till you hear this one... My friend who had to be in the hospital yesterday... IS OK!!!! He just has an odd condition that causes pressure on a nerve in his eye when he gets a migraine. It is an easy fix and he will be on meds for a bit. We were so afraid it was a stroke. But his doctor is still going to send him for a physical and to get checked for a mini stroke anyways.. Just to be on the safe side.

ANd now here's the icing on the cake... Our local Mounted Police rode around my neighborhood today.... Nothing better than a man in a uniform... ON A HORSE!!! WOOHOO ME!!! Just don't tell Dr. BF ok???lol

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!!! And I will see you all tomorrow!!!

Hotsplashes - HAHA, you had me cracking up reading your post...thouroughly enjoyable for sure! So - ty. Great read. And Ill give a big heck year to the police officer in uniform _ ON A HORSE. Next time you have to take pictures, lol. I am so happy to hear about your loss (UPDATE YOUR TICKER AND CLAIM IT!)...and all the other good news surrounding, school, friends...etc. Simply fantastic. Also, thank you for the compliment, I strive to keep with my morals and ethics and in this day and age, it can be hard. Besides, I never have let a man run my life or cause it break and Im not about to start.

Dance - thanks for giving me that info. AGAIN...lol. I fell off the calorie cycling wagon and think thats really what I need to do again. I love your chart of mini goals...it looks like your right on track with minor fluctuations...I think I am going to create a journal with the same goals.

Mygrits - in my personal opinion, I would go to Seaworld...well, I guess it also matters whos paying? If your paying..maybe not, that might cause more stress, but if its a treat or someone has free passes...I would totally go. I think it would help to relieve stress. I also think you should google "free yoga", there are several places in Orlando that do free yoga sessions as a community service, now in Deland...not so sure about this, lol...but it might be beneficial to do something so relaxing. Big hugs to you...I know the stress is hard but continuing to eat and not exercise is not going to make it any better, remember this...tough love. So..yeah, totally get out there and do your laps and heck, if your nights are as nice as ours have been, I would try to get in a walk too. Yep...a walk too, lol.

Ok, well...I have to bring my Grandma to Bingo tonight so I have to tackle the DREADED SNACK BAR and all those old ladies with their snack cakes, lol. Its ok...I actually think I am in good shape, not worried. Ok...have a good night girls...Ill talk to you tomorrow.

Hey Ladies,

I haven't made it to the pool yet, but am going after I finish this quick post.

Hotsplashes - Your hilarious and major CONGRATULATIONS on all your accomplishments today! Woo Hoo! I do agree with Lindy, we need a picture of the Uniform Horseman........ahhhhh....I just picture it......a Uniformed man with a tight butt on top of a beautiful strong horse..........yummie! That is awesome that your school starts in a couple of weeks, and I know you must be sooo excited!

Lindy - Well, I kept going back and forth how Sea World would be good memories because I don't know how many more outing Alina and I will have, with her military career and getting married too. I also thought about leaving Mike here with the dreaded stress............well, the problem got solved, as Alina isn't coming now. They had something occur on base and she needs to stay there. She is now coming down on the 1st. LOL........oh well. I will miss seeing her, but it may be a good thing for the next couple of days, as there is alot of stress around here and I hate that when we should be excited for her wedding. Thanks for your tough love, I am listening! ;-)

Dance - Craigslist.......We are doing that! I used to make quite a bit on eBay for others and myself. I gave it up a year ago when eBay was just nailing sellers with too many fee's. Anyway my husband started putting things on Craigslist to keep the bills paid, since our nest egg is gone. It is amazing to me to think of the income we had just 2 years ago and now today......ugh. Anyway, yes, we are selling anything and everything that we don't need. I hate clutter and raised the kids that if you don't use it in 6 mos. to a year max - you DON"T need it! So, since we were moving anyway, the furniture is almost all gone, along with antiques, jewelry and whatever else. There will be less to move when we do move! LOL..........Thank you to for your suggestions...I am listening to you too! LOL........

I will check in later, going to swim now to relax those muscles and burn some calories. I am at 1095 so far, so I have room for a little dark chocolate ;-)

Hotsplashes- Read your post @ my husbands work and laughed out loud!! I love how excitable you are =) Congrats on every thing! And thank god your friend is okay.

Lindy- I am do well calorie wise today but I have put off my cleanse for another week. I will start Saturday. I think I will shoot for 4 days then if I am doing well I will continue. My emotions really were all over the place.

Sandy- I don't think I knew you were moving! Where are you moving? I am sorry that you have lost so much but I love the idea of getting rid of things 6+ months old. I am badddd at that. Not packrat bad but bad.

Dancer- I am glad someone appreciates my selnse of humor and gets that I am really joking =) Sometimes I am too dry and sarcastic. I think that I am so in love with your chart and your plan that I am trying it. I already did the weight thing (2lbs a week= 130- by Christmas!!) And I am going to try cycling. I can't do weights. I love cardio (well... hiking, walking, ect.) I lose interest in weight training over night!! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!!!

Vicky- Thank you so much! I got through and past my bad day and I have had a good, busy day.

Where are Tiff and Neesy?? And I hope Burgundy is having a blast!

I am changing thins up via dancers ideas. I am so sick of my plan and I know I paid a fortune for it all but I need to stop flying all over the place on the food charts! Thank you so much for your love and support. You are truely the first and last thing I think of in a day. xoxox