And............. Jackie and Spryng- We miss you!!!!!!!!

I'm here! I'm here!! I have a had a busy weekend and was gone all day yesterday too! Sorry girls for not posting but I know you understand!
I've been doing ok. Misti congrats on your goal!! I can't wait to be 125!!! Only 9 more lbs to go. I haven't weighed in several days. I'm waiting to weigh in on thursday. yesterday I didn't do so great. I went out for lunch with my Dh, kids and my mom and ordered a huge bowl of vegtable pasta and ate the bread that came with it. That wouldn't have been too bad but then for dinner I had a burger and fries and a .... .... CHOCOLATE shake!! After two drinks I felt really guilty and let it all melt and didn't ake another sip but drank water. But I did eat all of my burger and fries. But I'm trying to make up for it today. Not by eating less but by exercising!! I put in 50 minutes of exercise this morning!! I feel great!! I have a denise austin fat blasting video that has two parts. One an aerobic workout for beginners (which is me) it lasts 30 minutes and then the secound half is hard aerobics and weight training. 3 minutes of hard aerobics and 1 minute weight training. So I finished the first workout and felt great by the end of it and wanted to do more so I went and got my 5 lbs dumbells out and started the second half. It was an incredibly hard workout and I collasped after 20 minutes. I know it was almost done but my body would go anymore. I feel great now after I washed my face and cooled down. I want to do some everyday now. The first half again tomorrow and then the hard aerobics the day after, etc. I think that will help me break this plateou. I'm so tired of eating low cal and doing everything right and no weight coming off. So I figure a little exercise will kick my metabolism back into gear and I'll lose these last 9 lbs before this year has ended!!
Well, I tend to go on and on don't I?
Im glad everyone else is doing ok. You will definitely hit your goal Misti. Is 120 your final goal?
Sorry to hear your 15 y/o is at it again Ginny. But don't forget...they'll be gown before you know it and you two will laugh about your run ins. You sound like a great mother and I think she will see that someday. Just don't give up and take it out on your own body!! You can do it!
Well, I'm off here now. I have a kitchen floor screaming for some tlc. Bye!!

I'm Back!!

I have returned from my long weekend. Unfortunately, I was sick for most of it! My lousy virus came out of remission again & I feel miserable! The Dr. finally gave me a prescription for antibiotics. Hopefully I'll be feeling better in a couple of days. I'm not too ambitious for the computer today. I will make this as short as possible. I didn't get to try the beef roast recipe. I bought a chuck roast & will try it when I'm feeling better. We shared our condo with another couple. The wife surprised me & made all of her dinners ahead of time & included us in all of them! I only had to worry about breakfast & lunch! (Oh!, by the way...this wife is childless, so this is where she found all the time to cook these meals in advance!) I will respond to you all individually when I'm feeling better.

Welcome back Spryng. Sounds like you had a great workout, I hope it really does jump start your metabolism! You hang in there though. This eating rite really is a lifestyle change hon. A difficult one at that. I'm dealing with it really well though. I really can't say what my final goal will be. I'm taking 5# off at a time to see where I am comfortable. I was 107# when I married. I was very healthy and physically active (rollerblading, yoga, running) you name it we did it. That was all before our first born came along. I guess I'll see when I get there.
Welcome back Jackie!! I hope you are feeling better soon. We miss you. I'm sending some positive get well vibes to you Hang in here!
Hi Ginny!!! I'm sure someday you and your Dd will look back on these times and laugh. Like Spryng said. And you will probably grow to be the best of friends once she comes out of this phase. You hang in there too! Oh and here's the positive motivation you were asking for ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ vibes all coming your way!
I'm full of it today! Ok I must go and try to accompish something here!
Misty

Hello everyone!

I am new...I probably wont be able to post for a few days because I am goping out of town tomorrow-but I just wanted to pop in and say. I have been a SAHM for about 4 years-I have two ds's-ages 2.5 and 4.5. They keep me really busy. I love scrapbooking, decorating, movies, and playing online. I just moved across country and really need some new "friends"-so I am looking here for some support-I just long for adult conversation! I am trying to get out and meet people, but it takes a while, I guess. Plus, the winters a bad time to find good outdoor activities for my kids...so I am trying to get creative. Anyway, I am basically boring!

Oh, and I have a little webpage:
www.geocities.com/amyn26amyn26

It has a little more about me. I look forward to playing on this thread!

Hi!
Welcome back Jackie!!!!!!!! And hi to Spryng and Misti (thanks for the vibes!!!!!)
Welcome Amy! This place gets a bit crazy, but in a good way. I am glad you are here.
Hey Spryng, did you check out the video site (collage?). Never been there, how is it?
This is just a quick hello- I am glad to see all the posts.
Dd needs the computer for Hw, so I had better go.
See ya tomorrow!
Ginny

Hi Everyone!!
Sounds like everyone is doing well on their diets & Exercise!! Wish I could say the same for myself! We moved last Friday, and I am finally a little settled today (Tues.) Boy did I get a work out on Friday!! I swear I could actually feel my jeans getting bigger! Now we are all settled and I have to really get back on track! I found an exercise bike at Walmart I think I am gonna buy (its only $100) I would spend that in 4 months at a health club! So that will be a start to some exercise, and its back to lots of water and Lean Cuisines!! Glad to be back, I really will be needing the company now that I have moved - and the support!
Take Care.

Good morning all and welcome Amy!! I hope we hear alot from you and I can't wait to get to know you better!! My name is Spryng. It's my real name. (actually my middle name) and I am 22 now. I just had a b-day on the 11th. I have two children, boy and a girl, 1 and 2. They are 11 months apart. So needless to say I have my hands full!! That's why I love this thread! Everyone here can relate and knows what I am going through.
Well anyway, yesterday was a very good diet day for me. I ended the day at about 1100 calories plus the exercise. Today I am sore all over and probably won't exercise until tomorrow and my muscles have healed some. I don't want to hurt myself. But I am very excited about seeing the results of toning my body. Tomorrow I weigh in and hopefully I have lost another lb. We'll see.
Jackie you get better!! I hope you recieved those get well vibes from misti and are feeling better now. There's nothing owrse than to get away on a well deserved vacation and then get sick on it. My best friend, the one I was maid of honor in her wedding last month, well they both got the flu on their wedding night and was sick for a few days in Hawaii. Poor guys. But they were there for 11 days total so they did have a few days to enjoy it after they got better.
Misty- Did you say you were 5'4"? I am thinking for some reason that we were the same stats. The 5 lb increments are a good idea. I was 106 when I got married. That was WAY too thin for me even though I remember loving my body very much at the time. I had washboard abs and all that. But my face was too thin. That's I figure 125 should be about right for me. But I'll do the same as you. When I get to 125 I'll see how I like it and maybe aim for 120 depending. But I won't go lower than that. I really don't want to be a size 6. I love my 8's!! What size are you??
I did check that site out Ginny and I liked it but it didn't have a few tapes I'm interested in like Cindy Crawford. But that's ok. Their prices are decent too and I love that people tell you what they think about them. That helps me decide whether or not I'd want to buy it. I'm really liking one video. It's a video with 5 different workout programs. Aerobics, pilates, yoga, bootcamp, etc. And everyone who had tried it really liked it. I may pirchase that one some day. But for right now it's just me and Denise.
Cdm- congrats on your move!! How do you like your new house?? I'm sure you are glad it's over with and you are settling in. Now you can relax a little and just work on getting all those boxes unpacked! I usually love to move but when we bought this house I dreaded it. I didn't want to pack up our apartment and only did half so when we actually moved it was alot of loose stuff everywhere. Then when we were completely moved I hated unpacking everything. It was such a chore! I guess it was the fact that I had two little ones hanging on me at the time. I never moved with kids before so it was a headache. But at least we bought this place and are never planning to sell so hopefully that was the last time to ever pack or unpack a box again!! That bike from walmoart sounds like something I'd like. I never think to look at their exercise equipment. But they have some good stuff and prices I appreciate. I really would like a treadmill. Maybe next year we could afford one.
Well, I guess I need to end this post before everyone falls asleep trying to read it all!! I'll see you ladies later!!

Good afternoon all!!! Welcome Amy! I hope you will find yourself at home here, we all are! Everyone is great and so supportive of eachother. Jackie, I'm still sending those vibes! Ginny are you and Dd getting things lined out? I believe the moon is in line or coming in full, my Dd's have been trying themselves too. Hey, Welcome back CMD!!!!! Glad you are moved! We missed you. I hated moving too. They will burry me on the mountain behind my house, I'm never leaving! Spryng, hope you are healing fast! Sore muscles are the worse! I'm kinda doing alittle healing myself. I did step aerobics last night with my yoga insructor. She has a class after yoga and asked me to stay. Wow, it really worked me over! I loved it! We are close in stats, I'm 5'3.5 and 125#. I feel pretty good but to be honest I really think I would like to be 115#. I'm taking it 5# at a time though to be safe. And this way I don't feel like a failure when it takes forever to lose 10#. Um as far as what size I wear, I have on a pair of Ralph Lauren slacks that are 8's. They are very loose though. I don't really know what size I wear to be honest. A 6 would probably be comfortable. My dungarees are 4's and they are snug but okay. I wear overalls or flannel pants most of the time and they all come in S M LG. I take a medium in those. So, who knows. Once I hit my final goal and maintain for a few months I'll go shopping and figure it out.
Well, TOM is here and I feel lousy! Tell me something, how do you all fight the cravings? Once I hit mine I crave chocolate and fatty foods like a mad woman ! I blow my diet all to pieces and then have to start over again. It kills me. Please, Please give me some advice. Everyone's input is needed!
Ok I'll check back tonight for the answers. I gotta go shovel out stalls (yuck!) Dh is out hulling feed so it's all me girls!
Have a great diet day!!!!

I don't get too many cravings anymore when tom hits. But I just increase my water and try to stay busy. I do most of my deep house cleaning the week of mine. But if I'm not cleaning I take my mind off food by playing with the kids or the guitar or visiting family. Anything to keep me out of my kitchen. Plus I don't have anything sweet here to really snack on. My mom came over the other day and she had some chocolate cravings and wanted to know what I had that was chocolate and I had nothing sweet at all! I eventually found her a banana and that was it. My kids don't eat much sweets either. They like to snack on hotdogs and popcorn more than cookies or sweet things. So by not buying it I'm not tempted with it at home. Hope I was some help misty. How many times a week do you work out? I'm going to try to workout out 5 days a week except for sundays and mondays. Of course after my muscles feel better. The aerobics I'm doing are difficult but are suppose to give you fast results. So that's what I want to focus on. 30 minutes of hard aerobics/weight training a day. Then I figure after I hit my goal I'm going to switch to yoga. Something that's not as difficult but will still burn calories. How long is a typical workout for you girls?
Well, I'm off to find a deck plan for our house. We should be finally building one in the next month or so so I need to find what I want. I'll talk to you girls later!!

Good Evening!

I'm just leaving another short post to let you all know that I'm still kicking! (Not too high though.) I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but I started antibiotics yesterday. No high fever today, thank God! I'm still coughing quite a bit, but I found success in it. I've noticed that my tummy went down & seems a lot flatter. I've kept the 6# off & it better stay off 'til tomorrow is over. This way I can say that I made my Valentine's Day 5# goal! Welcome, Amy! One thing about the internet: You can pack up & leave the country, but your cyber buddies are just a click away! I hope that we will make you feel a little less lonely in your new surroundings. Misty: Thanks for the get well vibes! It's appreciated. FYI: I fight my cravings by either getting outside for a walk or brushing my teeth. (Sometimes I just give in!
Ginny:I've been thinking of you for the past 2 days while I'm watching Oprah. Yesterday was on bad relationships with your child & today was on how to de-stress your life. One lady on there reminded me of your busy lifestyle with all your sports chasing. I taped todays show & just in case you missed it, I could mail it to you. Also, I'm glad that you miss me! Spryng: Hope that your muscles recover quickly! I haven't worked out in over 3 weeks, but when I do: It's usually every-other-day for aerobics & the other days are weight training. Aerobics for an hour, usually the recumbent bike & it usually takes me an hour or a little bit more for my weight training. I usually do the full circuit of machines @ the Y & do 3 sets of 12 reps on each. I usually don't work out on weekends, unless I've missed a lot during the week. When it comes to sweets: I don't have much of this around the house either. Today I'm totally stocked due to Valentine's Day! CDM: Glad to see you back! Glad that you had a safe move & are settled in enough to buy an exercise bike. Hope to see you posting more often.
Well, I'd better get going. I keep coughing & coughing & it's getting really hard to post this way. TTFN

Hi there Girls! Glad to know you are still kicking Jackie! And thanks for the info! Thanks to you too Spryng! I don't keep the junk in the house either but If I'm out (and TOM is here) I'll have my cravings in full!! I'll figure it out though. It didn't hurt me this month. I gave in, you don't even want to kow how bad I blew my diet yesterday...can you say 2500 calories? Yep! I worked out like a mad woman last night to burn it though. I was still 125# this morning so I'm in the clear! I work out in spurts, Spryng. It depends on how many calories I go over my allowance. I do yoga 7 days a week. But It's always different. I work it in as I can around my daily chores or when the mood strikes. I'm not strict to say. I don't expect much and sorda fly by the seat of my pants. That way if a day comes and I don't get in a cardio workout I'm not disappointed in myself. Yoga is a way of life for me though. It's like eating, breathing...etc. Sounds Kooky I know but it's my sanity. Like I said though I'll do 30 min here, 25 min there and maybe 50 min later. I probably get an hour of working out a day. But I have to say something too. I'm manic depressive. I hate to tell anyone this. I was on a ton of meds that caused me to gain a load of weight. I couldn't find a drug to suit me. All the cocktails they came up with had a bad side effect on me. So I decided to do it without the meds (before you freak I am still under the close supervision of 3 doctors). I am taking Omega 3 and doing yoga as my treatment. It's been almost 3 months now. This treatment has been very successful. Ok my skeletons' bones are rolling all over the place. You know how you say skeletons in your closet. There's mine. Hope no one thinks less of me. It's a hard thing to tell people about. Well I really gotta get myself in gear. I'll try and get back again today.
Have a Happy Diet (Valentines) Day!!!!!!!
Misty

Good afternoon all!!
Of course we don't think less of you misty!! In fact I am impressed that you found a lifestyle that helps your moods rather than a drug cocktail, as you mentioned. Yoga is suppose to be very relaxing and spiritual for the mind and body and it definitely seems that way for you! You are an inspiration to the rest of us! We all have our "skeletons" and by you opening up to us just lets us get to know you that much more and really like you that much more! I feel like we are all great friends here!!
Jackie- I'm glad the antibiotics are working for you. I hope you feel 100% better real soon. We all love your posts here.
Thanks you guys for the info on your workouts. I'm going to try and workout everyday except when my DH is off from work which is sunday and mondays. I'm going to do only the hard aerobics/weight training so that I see some results faster. Plus that workout I enjoyed more than the beginners one.
I weighed in today and was depressed when I saw the results. It's been almost three weeks since I lost a lb. I'm still stuck at 134. I'm giving it one more week with the exercising and if I haven't lost at least one lb by then I'm going to lose my mind. I'm eating great, and drinking tons of water and yet my body is working against me. It's depressing. But I'm not going to let it get to me this time. I'm giving it until next thursday. Then I'm going to have a huge pity party for myself if I'm still 134.
Well enough about that. I guess I'm going to get off here and fix the kids some lunch.
Oh by the way girls, I have a personal question to ask you all. I'm on the BC pill. I've been on it for about 3 years now yet I'm tired of the side effects I'm having with it. I'm thinking about trying that new IUD Mirena. Have you heard of it? It's a more permanent method with no estrogen. What type of birth control do you use? And do you know anyone who uses Mirena?

HI!!
Golly, I feel like a stranger here, missed 2 days and this is hopping!
Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I promise to check back in later and really do some justice to responding to y'all. But it is great to see all the posts. Glad that the move is done Cdm. And that you are feeling better Jackie!
Spryng good to hear from you (you were quiet for a few days). And Misti, I think it is wonderful that you found a treatment that works for you and is not so many meds! (wish my sister would do the same............... ).

I have a busy day, and all the kiddies are home tomorrow. Just Dd and I are home today, and for the most part she has been pleasant.
Ok, so who remembered that I wanted to lose 5# by Valentines Day? I think I was starting at 160# (not sure). Well, this am I weighed 156.5. Not exactly 5 #............but I'll take it! I have been really good with my eating the past few days (stress does that................).
Gotta go pick up Dd and Ds. See ya later!
Ginny

Well I'm back again! We went out to lunch for Valentines Day. It was really nice. I went over my calories again. It's ok though. I'm gonna drown in some water and coffee get motivated and burn it off. Thanks for being so understanding Spryng and Ginny. It's really a hard thing to tell people. My mother-in-law just found out and she is always asking me "how are you feeling dear? are you ok?" it makes me mad. I feel like she is being mean, not concerned. She's a trick. Another time though, it would take all day to tell you about her.
Hey Spryng! Let me take a minute to talk about you and your work out. You probably all ready know all this but just in case. Did you know muscle weighs more than fat? With that said, if you are going to do weight lifting/high impact aerobics to tone you will most likely gain weight (also burn calories too). If you really are emotional about the #'s on your scale, go say 5#'s under your goal weight. Then do the weights/aerobic, gain the 5#'s back as muscle and be at your goal weight. Otherwise, throw the scale out and start measuring. You might be gaining #'s (or stay the same) but losing inches. I'm sure you know all this already but I had to say it. I do cardio work outs. I'm fairly toned and not looking to get ripped . Cardio burns up the cals and I feel good. Weights and high imapact aerobics make me hurt! I'm puney.
Okay I've talked enough I gotta go do something to burn off all the bad food I just ate!
Misty