OK, I thought workout #1 of week 6 was hard, workout #2 was even harder. But somehow I managed to keep on going and finish. Plus the fact that today has had a humid start and my last leg of my run was into the wind. Let's just say that I am positively tired right now.

W -10 full ounces
E - Workout #2 of week 6 of the c25k program, then my ab routine as soon as I finish my glass of water and get off the computer
E - Slim Fast Optima diet
D - If I conquered that workout, I can certainly handle anything else that comes my way today.

Hope you ladies have a great day! Here's to our continued sucess.

Gonna be a scorcher the next 3 days here too . . . with plenty of yummy humidity - gosh, I love that all that moisture is so good for my skin! Between the humidity and the hot flashes -I should be just GLOWING.

*stab at a positive outlook now over*

Made an ED yesterday - stayed deliciously OP and prayed for our troops and their families at our Chapel at work - WE was missing. Was operating on 4-5 hours sleep so now that I'm well rested and tentatively scheduled back to a SANE 8 hours for the next week or so - must get back to the Aud Exercise Zone - I'm thinking consistent exercise is the engine driving all the other healthy choices/thoughts I'm making now.

Extremely motivated by all the exercise going on with my fellow WEED'ers, glitterlicious & n.michelle are ON FIRE! and so inspirational for me! Not making excuses here, but I cannot comfortably run unless I'm around 180 . . . I CAN step up my routines at this high weight and that's exactly what I plan to do.

Tx for being here All - and hope you get to feeling better holyt.

W: Get some

E: Still OP

E: Just Do It

D: Hitting the Outdoor Track as soon as it cools down tonight for the Looooong Walk!

Hiya musicT! on the 2 PoundaRoonies!!! (We seem to have lost 2 lbs together and also now Post at the same time! LOL!)

I've got 10lbs to go on the Challenge but will shoot for 12 with ya - when does school start?

PS: Regarding Gym Eye Candy:



:


*ok . . . emoticon overload over . . . just HAD to throw Rudolph in there*

Howdy gals!

I was up last night and I typed a VERY long reply to each one of you and when I went to submit, my internet connection was no more. HOW FRUSTRATING IS THAT!!!! I don't have the time to do it all again. Just suffice it to know that I communicated with each one of you last night. Did you hear me in your dreams?

I have been struggling with thoughts of giving up on the healthy eating plan. That is why I logged on last night. I had made some tortilla chips and cheese for my DS and I had about 15 myself. I managed to get to bed without scarfing down anymore food after the internet went down. Today, I have been OP, but not in a happy-go-lucky way. More in a grumpy grit your teeth kind of way.

I'm curious as to why I am feeling this way. Hmmm, it's funny how I never asked myself that until now. It's a good question. Ohhh!! I know!!

I am facing some challenging issues with my family of origin. Alcoholism runs rampid in my family. I cleaned up my act 15 years ago, but none of my 5 siblings or my parents have. I live way across the other side of the country from them, so my way of dealing with their alcoholism has been to keep my distance. But, it is time to face the issue more fully as it has been discovered that my brother is now addicted to crack cocaine.

I have a therapist that I have been doing some wonderful work with for the past 2 years and now it is time to look at this issue. I started that exploration yesterday with her. Even though I thought I put the issue on the shelf until next session, I think I am fooling myself. I think it is affecting me more then I am willing to admit.

So, I admit it. I feel sad, scared, angry and confused. There. Now maybe I will be able to keep on track with my WEED, having admitted what is really influencing my desire to numb out with food.

You know what? I am so glad I thought that through. That is exactly what's going on here. Now, instead of handling my stress about this by means of an old, ancient pattern of eating junk, I am going to meditate, stretch, breathe, exercise, and cry. That should get me through.

Sorry if that was rather heavy! LIFE!!

OK, now for a little WEED to get me through!

W - 7
E - OP - 2 chocolate chip chewy bars and a brown cow
E - Walk
D - I have healthy choices now to deal with some old family issues.

I LOVE THIS THREAD....the emoticons just make me giggle! Oh and I realized I didn't change my ticker this week, so I did so today, added the extra pound I found out I lost this morning.

So, glitter, you're almost through your c25k! WOW! Now, when the going gets hard, aren't you supposed to stay on that day until you're comfortable moving on? Do you think you'll move on or keep up on this day? I imagine I'll be on week one for awhile. Are you thinking about racing? (I posted yesterday about how I'm dreaming of racing!) Do you think the weight is coming off faster now that you're running? Tell me more about the Slim fast optima diet, is it a can for breakfast/lunch and a healthy dinner? Oh and on your C25K, do you use a stopwatch? does resetting the watch interfere with your momentum? I think I can keep an eye on the time on a treadmill, but I'd rather take the workout to a track. One of my trainers told me to walk the curves and sprint the straightaways (or was it the opposite?) Hey your Myspace page is nice! YOU ARE ONE HOT CHICK BABY!

Musictchr, guess what helped me when replying to the posts? I swear it took me MONTHS to figure this out, I'd write out all my responses on paper then post them, just so I could keep who's who straight, THEN I figured out that if you scroll all the way down on your "reply" screen, past "submit reply" keep going, and there are ALL the posts!!! Saved me a ton of time! You are so going to love going back to school this fall, once everyone starts making a big deal about your wt loss, how FAB you look, etc, you will get so excited and so motivated, you'll really keep it up.

Paula, how's dad? The one thing about congestive heart failure is that as quickly as it can hit, it can be treated and turned around. He's just weak right now and will have a harder time kicking it. They didn't have to send him back to the hospital for that did they? I didn't know you were such a CLAY fan! I gotta tell ya, I don't know ANYTHING about him, I didn't start watching Idol til the year Carrie Underwood won it. Your Myspace page looks really good. I'm working on mine tonight to add some pictures, now that I know how.

Teror! I love your page too! How do you guys get so many friends!? Now I have a pretty face to match the name....you are a cutie! Hope you are feeling better. Do you find that exercising (unless it's a chest cold, from what I've read) helps you kick it faster? I've often wondered if that helps or if I just wasn't going to get sick in the first place?

Aud, you and I weigh almost the SAME so hop on and let's do this together! Of course, I'm not facing the same challenges as you are (the menopause, etc) but still. You CAN and WILL do this. And I'm dragging you to OneDerLand with me! So let's go! PS it was nice of you to include ol' Rudolph.

Clykky, I saved you for last because what a post! I had no idea what issues you were struggling with. It sounds like you straightened out your own life and have gone onto wonderful things, but your heart is strained worrying about your family. Especially your brother. You must feel helpless being so far away from all of them but it probably IS better that you are or you might get pulled back into the vortex....Good on you for seeing a therapist, and keeping up with therapy. I'm proud of you, girl. Your strength and determination is inspiring. I have an uncle in recovery from crack cocaine, I have no idea how he has found the strength to kick it, I imagine it is one of the hardest things to quit. Have you seen the show Intervention? (fridays, on ?A&E?) I always tear up watching that show, so many people face addictions every day and you just can't fight it alone. I wish your family peace, but sadly, you have to fight for yourself first.

Oh and I've lost tons of posts the SAME way, I usually highlight and copy my posts as I write them that way if I lose them, I can just "paste" them back on. It is frustrating, and even if you re-write them, the sentiment just isn't the same.

Jeni----are you out there?!?!? I haven't forgotten you!

Dinner's ready....oh and I finished the first Harry Potter book today and started on the second one. I'm hooked! xooxoxxo Michelle

This week I think is the first time that the c25k program has really been a challenge. I'm not sure how much of that is psychological though, because today's workout is the last one that includes walking which freaks me out A LOT. I actually am like *oh god...* as my "brisk walk" time nears the 5 min mark. I'm going to try to finish the week out on schedule with the last workout this Friday, which is 25 min jogging no walking and judge from there whether or not I should repeat this week. I might have to...I'm hoping that I won't.

I actually am considering a race on August 12, around the end of the c25k program. The flyer has been on my dining room table for quite some time now, and the closer I get to that date, the more I am considering it. I'd be happy with any time at this point, I just want to finish. Will I actually do it? I hope so.

I don't know if the weight has been coming off any easier in response to running, but I do know that taking care of my body and getting it in the best condition possible has caused me to really think and be concious about what I put into my body, which definetly impacts my weight loss. I also feel a lot more toned and in shape at this weight than I did years ago at the same weight.

I've been doing the Slim Fast Optima diet for over a month now and I love it. I feel so much better too while working out because I'm getting the nutrients I need while keeping my calorie intake down. I'm normally a very picky eater so it definetly helps, especially with protein and iron because I'm not so much of a meat eater, especially red meats. I use the power and mix it with skim milk for my shakes. I like the chocolate milk one- it's delicious and i never get sick of it. It also eliminates my taste for sweets after meals (what little sweet tooth I have, bc I'm more of a salty snacker), because it tastes like a dessert. For breakfast I usually have a shake and nonfat yogurt, for lunch i'll have a turkey wrap and shake, and then a healthy dinner and about 4 snacks throughout the day.

For running, I like to run outdoors and use my iPod as a stopwatch. I never really restarted it I just kept track in my head, bc restarting the timer is too much to have to do while running.

If you're wondering whether to go the track or treadmill route, my advice is to mix it up. Too much of either will get boring after a while. You could also try running on park paths and sidewalks if your neighborhood is walker/runner friendly.

You'll have to keep me posted on your c25k progress. It's definetly worthwhile to stick to and I know you can do it. I know that someday you will definetly get your chance to race...and I'll be there cheering for you.

W -10 full ounces
E - Resistance workout, ab workout at the gym before class
E - Slim Fast Optima diet
D - 3 days until weigh in...will what I do today make this a happy or dissapointing moment? I wanna be happy.

I'll write more later but I have lots of things to do this morning.
Busy, busy, busy.

Still draggin' my butt around in a bit of a funk, but this too shall pass. I am going to go out for Day 4 of my c25k jog/walk.

NurseMichelle Yeah, it has been difficult on the heart strings, but I come first, that is for sure. So, a c25king I will go! Join glitterlicious and I, won't you? I have a stop watch and like my hero, glitterlicious, I too just keep it running and walk when I'm supposed to walk and jog when I'm supposed to jog based on the minutes that have passed.

musictchr Yeah, those blessed chewy bars. I ate the last of the chocolate chip ones today. I won't buy those anymore. NO WILL POWER!! The fruit bars are not as tempting, but I have a plan to bring a healthier fruit or veggie snack with me in the car when I go out. That should save me.

glitterlicious You are my hero! Week 6 of the c25k!!!

OK, off I go.....

W - 8
E - OP The LAST chocolate chip chewy bar!!! 12 Triscuits with 3 Gruyere Light cheese triangles
E - 1 km swim AND Day 4 of c25k
D - It's worth it to keep on keeping on. Still holding strong on no Chai Lattes! Good for me!!!! (Chewy bars next week!)

Slacked up on h2o for the last two days and feeling dehydrated as a result. Neglecting to get my planned walk in but doing great on added walking, making it to the weight room and staying OP.

W: Increase back to goal

E: Yeah, baby!

E: Got a brand new Book On Tape and it's Planned Walk or BUST!

D: Slow and steady wins the race.

Have a Great Thursday WEED'ers and Rock ON glitterlicious - you are so inspiring to me girl!

still stressin about my job girls....but i got some workout in today with the Billyblanks ultimate abs/butt......did about 25 mins and some crunches afterwards before i had to go back to work........for sure i believe i'll be starting the c25k program next week. i'm planning on workouts during lunch break....and weights on the days i don't walk/jog. also will be using my bean in the morning. hopefully i'll make a goal this time around.....

OH and i bought a new scale today from costco...so hopefully it will work better than what i've got...

W -10 full glasses of water
E - Workout #3 of week 6 of the c25k program, ab workout
E - Slim Fast Optima diet
D - If I can run 25 minutes without stopping, I can certainly tackle anything that comes my way.