Hope everything is ok. No need to apologize.

I was just slinking back into this thread to say the same thing!! I've been MIA for 4 weeks and every week I would tell myself "I'll go back on the forums once I lose some weight" and I would either maintain or gain. I've been helping myself to bigger portions and buying chips (veggie straws) more often than I used to a few months ago. I'm really stressed about my job hunt and our upcoming move (2 months!). Yesterday, I was thinking of quitting this challenge because I'm just dragging the average down with my gains. As I was listing my reasons in my head, I realized they were all excuses, and lame ones at that. So I decided to get back in the game and see what I can do. Today was my first day back in the gym. I had been exercising last week so it wasn't a total shock, but it's nice to feel sore again. I'm really glad I checked in here. I missed you gals.

YES! I'm so glad your back on board!

Welcome back

Aww, thanks guys! This is why I keep coming back even after a mini-downward spiral.

So woohoo!! A lb down! I'm hoping to make it to 154 for Sunday. Yesterday I did a 15 min (4.0 mph) walk and jogged for 15 min (4.2 mph). Usually my thighs are sore but this morning, my hips are sore. Um...ok. This might be a good thing because my hips are my problem area.

Yesterday, I was militant about my portions and I think that's a big part of why I dropped some today. Bah, it just sucks knowing that I can't eat off-plan on some days and still show a loss like I could earlier. Oh well. I'm in it for the long haul.

Have a good day, girls!

Morning ladies,
It sounds like many of us are in the same boat right now. I think we need to grab on to that life jacket and save ourselves from ourselves. Sunni welcome back and to Nella and Sunni, I look at the challange as a positive and if that means posting a gain instead of taking a freebie than I do that. It is my way of checking in. It may bring the average down a bit but if your ashamed to post your gain it makes it seem even worse than it is. I come for the support and to hopefully give support when it's needed. I know as a teammember that good and not as good will show up from everyone and that is all part of the team experience. I'm not sure if everyone agrees with me and don't get me wrong I like to see the blue team win but I don't think that should come at the price of somebody not wanting to post here on on the weigh in thread thinking it will bring the blue team numbers down. Ups and downs are all a part of this lifestyle change. I myself am posting gains more often than I would like. I had only 1 gain last challange and can't seem to find a way to do that this time around but will keep trying to see the losses I know are in me somewhere.
I know this sounds like rambling but it all makes sense in my head....lol

I am still doing the double workouts this week and eventually that has to pay off somewhere...doesn't it?

Keep up the great work everyone and be proud of what you have accomplished up to this point. Everyday is a new start.

hi everyone! sorry again for going awol. my cousin was here from america. so been busy with him.

also was so busy cooking and entertaining my cousin and aunt, didnt get a chance to weigh in on sunday. (good thing actually cause gained quite a few pounds!) luckily had one more freebie. no more freebies left, so will be uber careful from now on

gained a few pounds the past week, over indulgence. but got back on track this week, and have recovered from my cold (hurrah) and today the weather was pleasant and i went for a jog in the park after my driving lesson, which was lovely! going to do that everyday now, walking and jogging, really enjoyed it its so lovely being out in nature and the park is so lovely with lakes etc.

driving lessons are going great, have learnt how to do reverse around the corner, parallel parking and turn in the road (3 point turn) now i just have to master those major roundabouts! and lots of general driving. i really love my driving lessons

hi bigmid! thanks for your reply and hellos

hey mercy, i TOTALLY hear ya! i keep losing and gaining the same few pounds haha. me back on track aswell this week. you're in company! that happens to me, when i lose a couple of pounds, i relax abit too much! haha

babygrant hi! wow those cakes sound delicious! yum yum hehe good luck on staying on track with all those parties.

and a big hello to everyone else!

congrats blue team for winning! you girls are amazing!

nice to hear from you Sunni, i've been AWOL myself for the past few weeks, but i always think about you all and the challenge, and it does keep me from going TOTALLY crazy for more than a few days. i think regardless of your weight ins, you should stick with the challenge, cause at the end of the day, it will help you in the long run, to have that accountability, i know it helps me! dont worry about bringing the average down, the main goal is for us to have the support and accountability and to lose weight for ourselves.

sunni - that happens to me aswell, sometimes if i run after a long time, my hips are sore, and im thinking weird, why would my hips be sore, i dont think im using them when im jogging lol.

well done sunni on already getting down to 1lb! thats brilliant.

on monday i was my highest since i started my challenge at 159.4lbs! which was a shock. thankfully today its gone down to 157.6lbs, cause been watching my portions and not over eating. it really helps me to weigh everyday cause i catch my weight gains quickly and adjust.

Angela, i totally understand what you're going through! i seem to be in maintance mode ever since xmas, ever since i lost my initial 15lbs or so. but going to keep at it. perserverance going to watch my calories and exercise everyday

Bigmid wrote:Bigmid that was SOOOOOOO Eloquently and beautifully said! I TOTALLY Agree with you 100%!!! thats so right, and that makes me feel better aswell. thank you !!!

Evening ladies!

Checking in for the day. I ate pretty healthy today, so that's good. A nice broiled chicken breast on salad for lunch. Not really any snacks.

No workouts yesterday or today. Too busy with kid stuff. And I'm not feeling up to snuff tonight to think about doing a JM video. I think I would fall over and die, lol.

Bigmid - Thanks for the uplifting post

Echo - Glad to see ya hon!

Sunni - Glad to see you back as well!

Angela - I'm so in that boat! The first 30 came off without too much resistance, but now, I'm just like completely mentally blocked form losing any more. I want to, but I can't make myself do it. I can get the eating right, but then no workouts, then I can get the workouts, but eating crappy. Why can't I just get the two back together???

Well, that's it for tonight ladies. Maybe off to bed. I slept bad last night. Have a great one tomorrow!

Ang - you and I had the same pitfalls! I stopped monitoring portion size and on came the pounds! Funny because I knew this was why I gained all my weight in the first place. *shakes head at self* Here's to you, me and everyone else with the same issue - onward to Plan Get-back-on-track!

Echo - So good to hear from you!! Missed ya. Good job on parallel parking - took me forever to learn it AND my driving school had a car with stickers to help with aligning. Haha. Stickers. Happy to say I haven't had to parallel park in a long time, and I hope I never have to again. Totally agree on being accountable with this challenge. Even though I was, er...being food-happy...the past 3 weeks, I was always conscious about the challenge and weighing in. I think that's a good thing. It's a way to bring oneself back into the game.

Bigmid - Thanks for saying that, I really needed to hear (read?) those words. It really shows me the support I get on here and even though I know this, sometimes it needs to be said as well.

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Went for a 2.3 mile walk yesterday. It was SO nice outside, I couldn't bring myself to go to the gym. Today, however, I will be in the gym. I need to do my strength training for my arms. They're the weakest part of me. It's really embarrassing how little I can do, haha. I think right now I can sit - benchpress 30 lbs, although the mark on the weight says "3" so the 30 lbs is only a guess. Haha, I benchpress 3.

Lost 0.5 lb this morning, woohoo!

Hey ladies! I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. I've been having a hard time the past couple of weeks with a plateau. I've stayed OP, but just feel less enthusiastic since the weight isn't coming off as quickly as it was. I keep reminding myself that it took a lifetime to put it on (well, 23 years anyway), it's not coming off overnight! I am at that point now where I am literally trying to lose weight I've never lost before. Anyway, I'm hanging in there, cursing the scale every morning, hoping for some serious cooperation soon!

ars - to you! I know how it feels to not show a drop. Total let-down when you've worked hard all week to see a drop. Never fear - it has to go sometime. Although it can be frustrating waiting...

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I went to the gym yesterday. I did 15 min walk at 4.0 mph and 15 min jog at 4.2 mph. I wanted to do my arm workout as well but there was someone else in the teeny apt gym and I felt self-conscious because my arms are really lame. Haha. I'll go a little earlier next time and get it done.

Yesterday, I was down in the dumps. I had a phone interview and I was really excited about it and in the first half of the convo, I felt things were going well. Then in the second half, I thought I said something stupid (she asked where else I was applying, which took me by surprise and I answered honestly and it wasn't in her field, GAH) and ruined my chances. At the end of the call, she goes "ok I'll have to think about whether to call you up for an interview..." and I thought that was the kiss of death. Le Sigh. I woke up this morning thinking "it's a brand new day, get going with other applications!" so I guess I wasn't too hurt by yesterday's events.

So today we're heading out to my fave buffet. I know that's a no-no, especially when I'm gunning for a loss this week, but I have no worries. It's Asian so they have tons of steamed, sauteed veggies which I adore. They also have brothy soups and small soup cups so I always start out with their soup, followed by a good helping of the veggie dishes, then a ladle-worth of fried rice and pad see ew. Then for dinner, I'm going to have soup with veggies. Also, I'm planning on going for a 2-3 mile (hopefully 3 miles) walk sometime today, hopefully before we go.

Showed a 0.4 lb loss this morning!

to all you ladies. Have a good day!!

How come nobody's on here yet? *claps loudly* Wakey wakey!! (talk to me)