Hi Linda
That's quite a zoo 
There are a lot of discussions about lapses, relapses and collapses on this board...scroll through and I'm sure you'll find some pertinent reading. We've all been there to some extent.Elana- Rather than just upping the weight, try really changing your workout. If you work mostly with machines, move over to free weights. Try the same exercises with dumbbells and barbells. If your gym has bosu balls, try doing a lot of your arm exercises, like dumbell curls, standing on either side of the bosu ball. Sometimes I do a whole shoulder routine standing one one leg on the flat side of a bosu ball, rest, then switch legs. If you don't have bosu balls, try sitting on a stability ball instead of a weight bench. Use a stability ball instead of a flat bench by resting your head and shoulders on it (face up), hold your torso up with your abs and lower back, and do chest presses or flyes with dumbbells. You'll probably need to use lower weights at first, but you get an additional core workout, and lots of balance work...and it's more fun! Or move over to high and low cables. Anything you can do with a machine, you can do with free weights, cables, and/or resistence bands. If you can do an exercise sitting, try it standing. If you can do it standing, try it standing on one leg (then switch) or an unstable surface. Hope this gives you some ideas. Look around your gym...what are people doing? Are they moving while doing their workout? Are they doing different exercises from you? If so, maybe it's time to invest an hour or two with a trainer and learn some new techniques.
Ilene- Glad you finally made it to the gym
Time for bed!
Mel
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peanut butter and arrowroots. Beats he77 outa puffin' on cigs!
..... Yes Co-Mod to the Exercise thread ... I'll go around saying: *JUST DO IT* 
My workout buddy has had a rough week with her baby, so I've been on my own. My major accomplishment for this week is getting to the gym each day even though I got that "I'm off the hook" feeling every time she told me she wasn't going. It made me realize how I need to be very careful about not getting too dependent on having a workout buddy. 
) I also added an avatar. I've never uploaded an avatar, so I'm pumped! 
for your five month anniversary!!
It's finally feeling a little better, though I still have a black bruise from the shot that's slowly spreading onto my toes. When I go back next week, I want to ask if a bruise like that is normal? Regardless, at least it doesn't hurt so much to walk and be on my feet. I've still been managing cardio on the bike and elliptical (though I took yesterday off - bad me