Just a short post to celebrate another pound gone. Yup. Proud of myself.
Hope everyone else is having a great day too!!!

Jolly, hope you're feeling better. What did you think of my "maintaining" idea? You seem so inredibly busy that I think you go too hard on yourself then do a rebound kind of thing because you feel so deprived, no? What about trying to do a real gung-ho day or so followed by a maintaining day, not a gung-ho by a no holds barred? Just an idea that I'm trying to use myself. I've been good but I feel a backlash coming on. Yesterday too, so I didn't force myself to go to the gym and I made spaghetti instead of forcing down another salad. It satisfied me and I didn't feel deprived and yet I know that that was still a ton less than what it could have been. Oh yeah!

Apple, congratulations on the pound off! Good for you for feeling proud of yourself! I think you should be too!

I've been afraid to weigh myself. Don't think I'll be below 72.8 like last time I moved the tracker, so I'm waiting so as not to be discouraged. That sure was good to see the lower number. I think I was dehydrated though. But so what?!

Hello to everyone. Chachee, sassy, where r u? Sass, I could have sworn you'd said, "no more lurking." Derry, come in and give us an update on things, ok? Rave, you still on a roll? It's OK to fall of your horses but don't fall off the wagon, K?

happy, how are you doing? Hope you're feeling better too. A child docter, eh? Yeah, Asians always look younger than their age, at least to Westerners. I can guess their age right on the nose. DON'T ask me to guess Westerners any more though... uh-oh! dangerous for me. But now that I know that I just figure what I think they'd be and immediately chop off 10 and if I want to flatter 'em, an additional 5. Speaking of Korea, I was trying to learn the writing once more. I just hate seeing some language and not being able to make heads or tails of it. I may go there in a week or so for a racing conference. Never spent time in Seoul, just only stopovers when I used to fly to NY on Korean Air before there were direct flights. Couple times ago when I was back in the States, in NY, I was so surprised to see out in Queens all this Korean all over the place. Guess there was a big influx of Korean immigrants. Well, just got me thinking.

Anyone I missed? It'd be nice to hear from you....

Jolly - Good going on getting to the gym, but really... do take care of yourself. Lots of rest and liquids. Yeah yeah, I know... I'm such a mom.

Red - That's what I've started doing every day. I never diet anymore. I eat pretty much what I want. I limit portions. Every day it's a choice for me - eat too much or lose weight, which do I want? Some days (or minutes) eating wins, but lately losing weight has been the preferred choice. I truly think you cannot do this unless it is something you really want. Not just want, but are willing to choose on a minute by minute, day to day basis. Or at least that's what it is for me. If I force myself to be too rigid, I will finally explode and give up for weeks or months at a time, inevitably gaining back everything. That and my inability to deal with attention are my two worst enemies.

Apple - Congrats!!

Food - Pretty good.
Water - Much better.
Exercise - Yep, did the treadmill yesterday. Supposed to do pilates today, we'll see how my rear end fares. Not sure if I can handle the floor work with the bruises around my lower back/tailbone. However, I did ride again last night! And this time, I stayed on! Woo! Go me! *lol* Working on smoothing out Arashi's trot, learning how to use muscles I don't think I've ever used before to hold myself on my horse - it's truly amazing how many muscles there are between your waist and your knees that you never know exist! He is coming along beautifully, god I love this horse. V rode Shadow, but she's terrified her leg is going to give out on her again so kept it very very light. Then Machine rode Eve for a few minutes just to get his "horse legs" again. Been a long time since he's ridden, but he did really well, and I was proud of him. He's really starting to begin to understand the training we're doing. He practiced his emergency stop yesterday, and did quite well. Then V rode Eve and of course... made Ian and I look like rank beginners. (ok, so we are, shush ) I think Eve is going to end up being a shared horse, I hope Machine doesn't mind. V wants so badly to do some more demanding riding, and she is just too scared to push Shadow. I don't blame her. It's scary not knowing how far is too far with a horse when they have ligament damage like that. You never know for sure if it's *healed* or if the next workout will cause it to blow again. One day at a time. In any case, thank goodness we have Eve. She's a fantastic, giving, big hearted, beautiful girl. Have I said I really love these horses?

Heh Raven, You still online? Check your Yahoo IM.

I'm just back from the gym. Good workout. Doing the couch thing to 5K too but with a touch of variation basically cause I forgot it and then just wanted to up the running so did my own. Now have checked it out again for Week 4 and will start that next week. Feel my stamina getting better. Ah, it feels so good to be getting back in shape.

Just cooked up some hb eggs, great for a snack.
A big bowl of strawberries and yogurt is waiting again! YUM, here I come!

I don't use Yahoo hardly at all. If I have anything up, it's usually MSN. I think I ate too much for dinner tonight. I made mexican and it was sooooo good.

CSI tonight!!

Pilates was a no go this morning. My butt hurt too much! Treadmill again tomorrow!

I hope Chachee is ok.

Couch-to-5K Week 2 Day 2: 30 minutes, 1.76 miles. Making progress.

Weight up, I ate too much, and what I ate had a lot of sodium in it. Roll with it.

Water good.

Tonight riding again.

Tomorrow pilates I hope. Rear end should be better.

C'mon chicks!!! Where are our BASIC STEPS???? Just ONE!

Excellent work, Raven! You sound like you've found a groove there. Keep it up.

I've been doing very well myself. Just decided I have to eat less, period, no screwing around with it all, just cut back, way back! But I know to fear the rebound if I cut too far back so I will eat and boy, after getting used to cutting back, it feels almost sinful!

Hi all. Just a real quick check in. Not much to report, except I did make it to the gym today. That's it, that's all.

I will try to post more later, but I am still so very very tired. And I work this weekend.

Hope things are going well for everyoen.

Good morning ladies. Geez I can't remember being this sick in oh so long. Several people at work have variations of it and it's devistating. I am still not up to par and my boss said her mom had it for 3 weeks I do not tolerate being sick very well and I will be tying myself in knots if I'm not over this by Monday.

Even as sick as I was, barely eating, not keeping things down the scale has not budged. So wrong. Sometimes it feels like just what dah heck, why bother? I don't have it in me to fight the big fight each and every day, day after day. Big changes to see almost an insignificant loss. For me enthusiasm and stick to it-ness go hand in hand with seeing results.

Maybe it's just the week of dragging around like a slug talking, perhaps if I go and get some things done around the house, I'll find my enthusiam hiding in the corner of a cabinet or something.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend...

Hi all. I hear you, Happy. I was up sick for most of last night. Subsequently, I won't have time to go ride today. I have to finish cleaning, take the dogs for a walk, I will have time for a brief workout (I figure it is better than nothing) then get to my part time job. Sigh. I either need a clone, or more hours in the day.

I just want to find my energy. Maybe it went to the Bahamas with your enthusiasm?? And I think everyone's motivation is at a family reunion in Arruba.

Where is Chachee with Bat when you need him??

Wow! A bunch of sick chicks!!

Happy - I'm so sorry you're feeling so rotten! Please do NOT worry about a number on a scale right now. Just take good care of yourself. This too shall pass.

Jolly - You too. Your body needs rest.

Red - Just be careful you don't cut TOO far back. I'm sure you know the drill.

Today I need to run again, but it's hard when the sun is shining and the stables are calling. I'm still really sore across the low back/high up on my rear area, so .. no pilates. That just takes too much rolling across that area, and it HURTS still. Nothing broken, just really severe bruising. Thank goodness it doesn't interfere with running or riding. I'm going to try to get my run in before we go out to ride. I did ride yesterday again... and Friday, too. Have a great time with that. Mostly working on training Arashi - right now it's breaking at the poll and perhaps soon we'll be starting shoulder control. He's already starting to move through the shoulder a little bit with the training we're doing, so .. when I start asking him to do it, he'll 'know how' I just need to teach him to do it when I ask. It's exciting to see him responding to things *I* have taught him, you know?? Pretty soon, sidepassing from the back! We were getting there last fall when he injured his hip and we had to stop riding for so long. It's SO nice to be riding again!

Oh and ... No WONDER the scale went up!! I started my period yesterday. Where did THAT come from!?!?!

Hi everyone!
Sorry I was an absentee person for a few days.... this was truly my busiest week of the year. I don't even want to "go there" as far as telling you all what I ate, but it was a whirlwind and thankfully today most of all the crazy stuff is over with!
Firstly, just want to share that I came in first place and best of show at the quilt show this weekend that my guild had. I just had to do some celebrating! My daughter was in a play and we were busy with rehearsals and all kinds of things this past week, plus I was getting ready for and helping with the quilt show.
Whew.... I haven't weighed myself, haven't read all your posts, haven't eaten properly, but at least I can tell you all that I am happy.... for now at least.
Linda

Glad to see you checking in, Linda!! Congrats on the quilt! Hope your daughter's play was great fun.

Ok .. I ran! Go me! Second week of Couch-to-5K DONE!

Yay Raven for making 2 weeks on your 5k!

Linda for placing best of show!

Go chicks, go

Wow, Linda, congratulations on the quilting prize. I wish you could show us a picture of it here! Don't worry about the eating or the weight!! Enjoy yourself. You've needed some laughs and fun times. That's what celebrations are about, letting go and having fun. You can always get on the straight and narrow again soon.

Rave, happy, jolly, a big hello to you all. I'm under the gun again here and feeling awful because.. uh-oh..Raven, what was that about going overboard?!?!... not an expression in my vocabulary...it's ME!... and I had too many beers at the racetrack last night...ugh...oh, God, gotta write a story on the Japanese horses going to Hong Kong for this week's big race....hey, saw the Kentucky Derby on the screen here at Tokyo yesterday...any of you watch it. I love the buildup to it, the fanfare..never been there myself... ok, gotta run... take care all... so glad to see everyone posting regularly...chachee, apple, sassy...come on and say heh!