Hey everyone! It's been about a week since I've posted. I had my neices for a couple of days so I have been busy with them. They are safely back home and things are back to normal! Welcome back Wilbethin. I do remember your name! Coming up 7/12 will be my one year anniversary when I finally got myself back into gear after my husband had to have some unexpected surgeries. so much has happened and I can definitely see an improvement in my body since then (almost a 30 pound loss ). I still have a ways to go but have accepted that this is a daily battle and I refuse to give up. Even though it is alot of hard work the pay back is multiplied! Everyone have a great day and I'm planning to as well!

Wow Carol, that is incredible.

Hello everyone! I am feeling great... I have been able to keep my diet clean and healthy and within my calorie targets. I am trying to keep my calories around 1400, give or take. I get in exercise each day, except for some Sundays. My husband has me doing circuit training with kettlebells on strength training days (3x week). On pure cardio days (3x week) I do walking (3mph @ 20% incline) with minutes of jogging thrown in (20% incline @ 4 mph, fastest I can go!) for a total time of 40 minutes... I am working my way up to 60 minutes while also working my way up to continuous jogging and running. It will take a while, but I have nothing but time!

I have a question for you all... I have not taken my measurements yet, but I want to. What places on my body should I measure? I know that I need to measure my chest, waist, hips and thighs, but where else? My neck? My arms?

Have a great rest of the week!

sherpamelissa-the calculators are really just guestimates, and you can eat more calories when you are at a higher weight, then you can when you are closer to goal. When I was 211 pounds I started out losing rather quickly eating 1800 a day on average...now I vary (cycle) between 1200-1650 a day usually. I cannot eat 1200-1300 a day on days that I exercise heavily-I am just too ravenous if I eat that low. Holly/VermontMom made it to goal eating close to 1500 a day, but she exercises heavily. It all just depends on the individual, and their age, activity level, what sort of exercise they are doing...so many factors.

Candy-I measure about once a month with a seamstress measuring tape. I measure my chest (fullest point of bust), natural waist (look in mirror-don't go by where your jeans hit), hips (fullest point of them when you look directly into the mirror), thighs at fullest point, calves at fullest point, and upper arms at the fullest point.

willbethin-Of course I remember you!!!! I am glad that you are back, and not giving up the fight!!!

So the doctor diagnosed me with sinusitis and an ear infection. Woo!

I rode 36 miles on my bike on Tuesday, but skipped the gym yesterday. I skipped it again this morning because I went to the doctor. I talked myself into taking a 30 minute bike ride at lunch. I am planning on going to do 20/25 minutes of strength training after work. I keep arguing with myself over this. Was I being a wimp skipping the gym yesterday? Should I have dragged myself in this morning before the doctor? Or is it reasonable to take the day off for illness? I don't feel worse after the bike ride today so I really feel like I should have made myself go.

Was I taking the easy excuse? It is so easy to talk myself out of going to the gym sometimes. I hate to let myself get away with it.

hi, thanks all. i know usually to lose weight it is between 1200 and 1400, but this site said for the first 20 lb loss i can have 1565. i do agree though, i did eat that much today and i am stuffed, i could probably eat less. i was happy not to be hungry though. so far so good. i will hang in there. thanks for the encouragement, advice and support. the site i went on, if you want to check is www.caloriescount.com. i am 5'3 193 lbs, 40 yrs old and i checked the low activity. i at least do 30 mins 3 times a week, but i am trying to increase that excercise level.

congrats on the casino winning, that is awesome!!!!!! i to would love to one day get to hawaii.

willbethin-I think that you should eat as much as you can get away with and still lose weight. If you lose on 1565 then you do it! If you feel satisfied, then you are more likely to stick to it, anyway.

sherpamelissa wow 36 miles you could afford one skipped day at the gym! I am wishing I could ride that far. I can't even think of 10 miles. Congrats! Your doing great!
Well I got on the scale that crazy # thing thats square and hangs out in bathroom closet. I was up a few lbs. it could be some water wt. but I have let some extras into my intake lately. So I need to becareful and skipping going to the gym because I was swimming etc. might not of been so smart. So I am going to set my self a few goals and new valued outcomes to work on. I will put them in my journal. I have a few events coming up so I need to be going to the gym and watching my intake closer. I hate that little scale but it doesn't lie I guess? My clothes still seem to be fitting fine I wouldn't of thought I gained some could be muscle as I have been hiking, swimming, rowing. Oh well a little depressed but not enough to binge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a good day everyone and a fun weekend.

cacmsc, good for you for not letting it get to you. Scales do lie! If you clothes are still fitting fine and you feel the same then don't worry about it. If you do think you got a little off track then it is awesome you are doing something about it.

36 miles isn't really that bad. I did it in two 18 mile trips 4 hours apart. I rode 12 miles this morning. My plan was to ride my bike to where I left my car yesterday (scooter shop) which is about a mile from the gym. I was going to then go to the gym and do my strength training, then go to work. I messed up my timing somehow though. I left my house at 4:50, rode for an hour, picked up the car and got to the gym at 6:10am. I start work at 7 so I just had to shower and drive to work. I am hoping to stop by on my way home for a quick upper body set.

The scale was kind to me this week. It was showing 162.5, which is a 3.5lb loss from last week. Which really doesn't make sense - at all. I tried it twice, before and after my shower and saw the same number. I will check again if I stop in to strength train. I really don't believe it at all.

Good Friday morning everyone!!!

I am in a pretty chipper mood. Last night the kids and I went to run errands while Jason had to work over-we rented videos, went to the health/nutrition store to stock up on protein powder, vitamins, etc., and then hit the grocery store.
When we came home and got things put away, we had dinner (I had a vegetarian black bean dish, and a cup of fresh blueberries for dessert) and we went out in the garden to pick green beans. I have them slow cooking right now-I cleaned and snapped them this morning, so they will be ready this afternoon.
The kids thought it was great to pick beans with me-they have little kiddie garden gloves, and had a blast.
Today is strength training day, and I have a lot going on. There is a big festival in the nearest large city, and Jason and I are in the parade tomorrow morning with the local 501st. We have to be suited up and ready over there at 8:30am, but our group is meeting at 6am. So-I have to get up in the morning around 4!!
The parade route is 1 1/2 miles, so that will be a little extra exercise thrown in there.

I am tired. I was up until 5am working on my research project and then I had to get up at 8am . I am so tired, I forgot what my point was and I can't remember why I started this post .

I put another notch on my Colt limited- edition Butt Blaster. 6 altogether. Startin' to make a name for myself. I hear Pizza Pete is lookin' to bring me down -- without his sidekicks Pepperoni and Mushroom to back him up. He knows where to find me.

Hello ladies!

Quick check-in, WTG to everyone!!

willbethin, sure, I remember you also, welcome back!

WildWestGal, heehee, that Pizza Pete sure is a sneaky varmint

I am doing great with my exercising yay!

I know I don't post as much as I used to...but I'm still with you all in spirit

hi all, i see everyone is really trying hard to stick to their plans. i almost quit, weekends are tough for me. i guess with everyone, i almost went to another plan slimming world. i got all excited about it too. but i just feel more comfortable if i can see how many calories i am taking in, if i am hungry it is only cause i am spending my calories on junk or to many carbs. hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Hello everyone! Sherpamelisa thanks for your input. I am going to try and get to the gym in the a.m. before work starting monday. Sometimes after work I just want to get home and so skip the gym I do better when I make something a routine. So I will see how this goes for me. Lately, I have had a lot of extra events going on so I think I am going to try a 6 days doing what I am suppose to and 1 time a wk. to give myself a day off. Just a little test to see how it goes. Maybe it will help me to stick to things a bit better on my on days? Its worth an effort to see how it goes for a week. Start date today!
Aphil my children always enjoyed helping in the garden. My daughter has a little corner of the garden which the children help plant and pick out of . They love it. Have fun at the parade. Holly nice to hear from you!