Hi everyone!!!

Well it took me FOUR DAYS to recover from my sugar-drop episode. FINALLY last night I had a good workout (60 minute cardio). Sheesh. I stayed home on Sunday and rested...ate clean but didn't move a whole heckuva lot. I think I might have needed it!!!! However, I will NEVER forget my food again!!!! Goodness what a toll that one morning took...

I went to a new New York Sports Club last night. It's open 24 hours but was crowded and small...it's right on Broadway so it probably serves the theater community...I like my other club better but it closes at 10 and I tend to watch the clock too much. I'll give this one a few more tries. I now have 3 (two near work and one near home) that I've been to. I like my "home" club the best for the cardio equipment but don't like the way the free weights and machines are situated. They have all the free weight equipment in another room and there are never any women in there...only these huge grunting sweating men...gee, I wonder why the women stay out.

Summer fruit season is winding down...the nectarines and peaches all seem past their good time...I go through serious withdrawal every October!!! Whaaaaaaaaa.

My stomach is bloated and continues to be bloated. I don't know what is the problem...something I'm eating...my HRT (dr says no), forgetting my HRT, calcium, magnesium, glucosomine, glutamine...I have no idea. Of course it doesn't make sense that it's any of those but I find that some days it's just EXTENDED and I don't get it. Oh well....

2fru: congratulations on the dress fitting!!! Way to go! I like the idea of the engraved clock. It sounds lovely.

hrbabe: I usually take Zicam and 3000 mg per day of Vit C at the first sign of a cold and it seriously heads it off. I think that stuff is amazing. It doesn't work on flus unfortunately or bronchitis which I had twice last winter.

Welcome back Cindy!!!! I know whatcha mean and how you feel. My highest weight was 220 and I got down to 135 (goal was 130) about 3 years ago. I slid on my program and dealt with a bunch of issues and have been in the 150s since January. I have struggled to get back on track. I also struggle with the fact that it takes me 3 weeks to lose 2 lbs but then I can gain a pound with one off day. I hate the fact that I let my weight move up like that but I gain weight all over...meaning that I can gain 10 lbs without it having a noticeable effect on my clothes and until it affects my clothes I don't feel too motivated to do anything about it. Now I'm struggling with getting back to where I was which wasn't even goal!!!!

Softballmom: I love the phrase when motivation turns to momentum...that's great. I love when that happens. It's like you kick into high gear. I'm waiting for that to re-happen to me.

SugarCube: where do you live in New Hampshire? I lived in Massachusetts for 10 years and my company (now defunct) had sites in NH and I was there a lot! I will be making a fall trek up there this year (I hope) to take a friend of mine from the south leaf peeping. (she's never been).

Nelie: I understand the frustration of dealing with that kind of mom feedback! When I would bring my straight A report cards home, mom and dad would say "Well you're smart but you have no common sense." Terrific feedback. They were both insecure at having never finished high school and were adamantly opposed to college (thought I thought I was too smart for my own good) and that is why it took me 20 years to cobble all my degrees together. However, they were right in a way -- if I had HAD common sense, I would have never shown THEM my report card. I eventually had to learn to stop going to the dry well for water. They weren't going to give me kudos no matter what. You're doing FABULOUSLY and know they we recognize the struggle!!!

I would love to write more, but I am now officially behind my schedule!!! Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!!!

Eat clean, work hard everyone!!!!
Susan

Tuesday and Primary Day here in Massachusetts. DH and I are planning to meet at the polls and then have our traditional dinner, steak. The first time I cooked dinner for DH, it was a primary, he came over and I dashed out of the house to vote, luckily it was across the street. He was amazed anyone could put a full dinner on the table on a weeknight. Of course by the time I first cooked for him, I was sure he was the one so I pulled out the stops, tablecloth, candles, dessert from a bakery. I think a bottle of wine too.

LBWO - wow, I just kept pushing it this morning, not sure where the energy came from. I was interspersing exercise, glutes, calves, quads, butt for three sets. After this week I feel confident about upping some weights. I also tried out one of the new elipticals. Either I need a new bra or a different machine, too much bounce in that model. I'll stick to the other style.

I am more than a little irritated, food has been really good, and I am at the gym again, and still the scale is sitting at 202. I am so not happy. I am tracking on FITDAY and keeping between 1450 and 1500 per day. I'll what the end of the week brings.

Allergies and sore throat are aggrevating as well. At least I hope it is allergies and not some head cold. I took the Alavert about an hour ago so maybe that is a sign it is a head cold.

SHAN - definetely rest the arm and shoulder. Getting it all wracked up will really be the pits.

LYDIA - 8 YO's are full of great advice. Mine is helping me to stay on track and lose weight, of course her ideas are mostly about eating candy only once a week so you can tell what is up with her priorities. She is also fascinated by the 100 calorie snacks she see advertised and in the store. She hasn't a clue what 100 calories means but she knows it has to do with losing weight. LOL.

2FRU - I had way too many Magnum's while in Scotland this summer, the white chocolate ones, the ones with nuts, the chocolate ones... You get the idea. Loved the almond ones. not sure about the presents for parents, we didn't do that, just presents for the bridal party. I do love the clock idea, gave one to my BIL and his soon to be ex wife. I noticed he has taken the clock back to where he is living now along with the candlesticks DD, his neice/goddaughter gave him. Very sad actually. Didn't mean to go off on a break up story on the bride. One the other hand a coworker is getting married this weekend and we are all thinking sunny thoughts for her as she is very excited to be having the reception near the water.

SUSAN - Maybe the weight room needs some Fabreeze or a tub of pot porri??? Hard to get the whole package together in one gym. I was shopping around earlier and totally agree. Hours - equipment - location - cleanliness. Actually live, work and exercise in Mass, Cambridge. Been here for a long time and love it though DH would love to move to New Hampshire and be more of a farmer. The sugar maples in NH are turning, so anytime in the near future would be ideal for the leaf peeping. I want to do the Mohawk Trail but since DH used up all his time in Europe, maybe next year.

Off to get some work done, luckily that woman from yesterday hasn't started calling yet.

Hi all,

Today is exactly 2 months until my wedding day. I'm excited but a little nervous. I want everything to go smoothly and also it is a big step!

I'm having a major clothing dilemma. My pants are all too big (size 24), not only the waist is bigger but the legs are longer and drag on the ground now. I bought a couple pair of work pants (size 20) which are a little too tight. I could wear them but I rather wait until they fit perfectly. So I switched to my skirts. Well my skirts are all size 22 and are too big. I wore one yesterday that I thought might fall down any moment. Today, I wore a skirt that has a bit tighter waist so they didn't feel like it was going to fall down but still it falls down a little as the day goes on. Anyway, I'm frustrated at the moment with my clothes. I just need to lose a few more lbs and the size 20s will be good.

Part of my problem is I am having some reluctance with exercise lately. I will get my exercise in but for some reason it seems I have to force myself. I don't know why I am being like this. I'm even thinking of trying to get up early and go to the gym but I just don't follow through.

hrbabe - thanks for the flame for my mom She does mean well but she gets it from my grandma. Both of them are like that.

I have to leave for a meeting in about 15 minutes, and will likely be gone most of the way - it's 1/2 drive for a start. I wanted to share some photos of my "visitors" last evening. Good thing I had the camera out as I had just gone out to water the transplants I'd put in the ground, and nearly ran smack dab into them. Like less than 5' away. Once my heartbeat went down a little I grabbed the camera....

Mom and yearling in the driveway:



Yearling in the side yard - has just realized he won't fit under the fence around the garden:




Have a great day everyone.

Pat - WOW! And to think I get excited when I see a deer or wild turkey!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome back. I really do think that a support group is crucial to my success with this.

So far, so good - had a good day food-wise yesterday, and got in this morning's workout. We have an elliptical/cross-trainer at home now, so I plan to do my cardio at home for awhile - at least until I can crank out a respectable time on it - seems silly to go into the gym to do just 10-15 minutes, while I ease my knees back into working out.

Nelie - while I was reading about your clothing dilemma, which is a good one to have(!), I was thinking "safety pins!". Is it feasible to take up the waists of those skirts while you get through this stage?

Softballmom - I love that phase as well - when motivation into momentum! Let's hope that all of us that need it can get there!

Hope you all are having a great day!
Cindy

2Fru – Keep enjoying that lack of appetite, I know exactly what you mean! Very rarely I’ll hit a period where food just doesn’t interest me much. The body is a strange thing indeed.

nelie- Sorry your mom and grandma are so difficult. I’m fortunate that my family has never really put any pressure, just silent pity, or something like that. Which I find pretty uncomfortable but I guess it’s better than nagging. I hate that problem with the in between sizes, before I dropped a full size I was in the somewhere in between place for many weeks before I finally hit the point where I felt I was justified in buying some clothes. Annoying!

Pat – Amazing pictures, must be thrilling to run into such exotic wildlife in your own backyard. Thanks for sharing!

I’m still resting my shoulder, though it’s hard to not forget and try and lift something or stretch it in the wrong way. I did my first couch to 5 k run this morning with the podcast and I didn’t even hate it that much! Felt pretty good in fact. I think all the other times I’ve tried running I would start too hard, end up in pain and burn out immediately. With the handy audio telling you when to run and when to walk you really can’t screw it up.

We picked up our newly enfianced friends from the airport last night, sounds like they had an amazing time in Israel. They even got to spend some time volunteering renovating old bomb shelters. Apparently during the latest war there was a lot of overcrowding and poor conditions since there hadn’t been a need to use the shelters in a long time.

They’re talking about a wedding next fall in Madison scheduled during a home game weekend so we can all go to a Badger Football game as part of the festivities! So exciting.

NELIE - Think of those clothes and you can get to the gym and workout. Being between sizes is difficult, I live by the safety pins at those times. I tend to pin the back, in at least two places, just to nip in the waist a little and by using two pins, it isn't so pokey out.

PAT - Thanks for the pictures, great shots.

SHAN - A wedding and football - how American.

Throat is still really sore, but I did do some walking at lunch time to keep from stiffening up too much after this morning. It was a great workout but I need to be in more of an exercise groove. Lessen the recovery time.

Pat, I LOVED the pictures!!!!

Liza: I went to Cambridge College and also took classes at Harvard and later summer classes at Simmons College in the Fenway. My undergraduate degree is from Mount Holyoke and my son is currently attending UMass Boston. I LOVED my 2 years in Cambridge. Cambridge just holds so many wonderful memories for me.

Well tonight I had a great legs workout and then did 35 minutes of cardio.

I also have had the experience of using weighted shoes the past week and I cannot believe it but my knee has suddenly stopped the clicking noise and the pain. It feels "normal" for the first time in a few years. I am not sure that it is the shoes but I felt a pulling in the knee the first few times I wore them -- then the pulling went away and it felt NORMAL. Is it possible that it somehow fell back into place? Weird.

I am feeling pretty good about my workout tonight. It has been a long time since I have been able to do a full leg workout AND cardio afterwards.

Feeling good.

I have decided I am sick and just not feeling great. Sore throat and head cold in general and not allergies. Skipped the gym, I'll take my rest day today and get back into cardio tomorrow.

Forgot to log some of my food yesterday, so I was over by about 400 calories, though I was hungry so I am not sure what was up, maybe just the whole week is catching up with me.

Getting together my food list for the week, eggs, there's a shock, need more eggs. LOL. In any case, mostly getting the basics so I am hoping to be able to get in and out. Hate grocery shopping, heck, I hate shopping in general.

Upper body is nicely recovering from the Monday workout and I was more than a little surprised not to have any soreness in my lower body from yesterday, time to up the weights I guess.

SUSANJE - I LOVED UMass/Boston, got two degrees from there. I had been at URI for two years and was miserable at a school where the dorm was full of people who were away from home for the first time. I had already done the staying up all night routine and was ready to work. Ended up transfering and blooming at UMass. I worked part-time went to school full time and did really well. I love Cambridge too, I figure it is so crazy here, I have to stay here or go back to an undeveloped country because anything in between is going to make me crazy.

Lunch w/ coworker at a new Thai place, she is on South Beach and a vegetarian so I should be able to follow her lead and chose wisely.

Pat, I love your discovery - they are beautiful animals! And I'm drooling over your landscape: trees, trees and more trees, beautiful. Looks like Autumn is knocking on your door; maybe it's just the shadows that give it that feeling.

W/T tonight, and actually looking forward to it. I think the afterglow has been helping me to stay motivated - I like the tightness afterwards.

Yesterday, I received my undergarments for my wedding dress. I didn't like them all that much. The bra was very thick and I actually ordered the wrong cup size for that bra. It was kind of funny actually, the bra made me feel like I was wearing nothing. It was more of a long bra that boosted you up with little support with what was boosted up. I thought I would end up falling out of it and that isn't what I want. I also thought it cost too much for what it is. So I'm sending it back. TThe girdle thing also isn't what I thought it was and cost too much for what it is. So I ordered a different bra and a different girdle thing, both cheaper than the previous.

My body is being kind to me. Despite not exercising as I should, despite TOM, despite not eating what I should, I lost another lb. I need to kick my booty into gear though. I have less than 2 months before the wedding!

Pat - wow, that is amazing. I guess moose can do whatever they want

NELIE - If nothing else (like losing more weight) working out will help you deal with the stress and all those "helpful" friends and family.

Ugh- GIANT DEER! I have a herd of deer that live in the ravine behind my house. I thought it was so cute when we bought here 7 years ago. They no longer look cute to me. I've completely given up gardening- it's too disappointing to be growing a very expensive wildlife buffet. Almost everyone I know has hair-raising tales of hitting, almost hitting or having a deer come crashing through their windshild, usually at great expense and bodily injury. One neighbor was killed that way about 5 years ago. I just heard a radio interview on NPR this morning that deer were almost completely hunted out in the Eastern US in the early 1900's. The DuPont family reintroduced a pet herd onto their estate in Greenville, Delaware and most of the deer from Boston to DC can be traced to that herd. Thanks! That's about 13 miles from here, and coincidently, I went to elementary school with one of the grandchildren of the offending DuPonts, and played at that estate. Little did I realize how much I'd despise those deer 45 years later.

haha, end of wildlife rant. We are also currently being invaded by ants, but they don't make me half as mad as the deer.

I did a loooong shoulder workout this morning. I scheduled too much time between clients for lifting, but not long enough to lift, do cardio, and get cleaned up again. So no cardio today. I had a doctor's appt. in Philadelphia which took the rest of the day. Actually, I must have walked about 4 miles by the time I parked, trudged around the University of Pennsylvania looking for the right building and feeling old, walked another 2 miles in hospital corridors, then reversed the process. Traffic on the Sure-kill Expressway got my heart rate up.

One of the questions the doc asked me was "were my muscles ever sore?" How do you answer that one if you are a weightlifter?

Sorry to be such a grump today

Mel

Liza and Susan, a UMass Amherst grad here! Actually there was no other UMAss when I graduated (1966) My whole family is from the Boston/South Shore area. I grew up in Braintree, with a raft of cousins in Wellesly, and another bunch in Holbrook. DH is from Westwood (we met in college). Currently I have a sister in Plymouth, stepbrother in Wakefield, FIL in Westwood (still), SIL in Wrentham, nieces/nephews in Foxboro and Marstons Mill (Cape). Also BIL and another niece in Maine. So we spend a lot of time in MA and ME when we come east.

Mel, moose are actually a huge problem here. There are roadside signs showing statistics of how many get killed each winter, and warning folks to watch out for them. Not surprisingly, they do a lot of damage to a vehicle. I have never technically hit one, though one ran into me once! Did $1200 damage to my car. I was an EMT for nearly 20 years and saw lots of car vs moose accidents, and the moose ALWAYS won, though it sometimes was killed too. The most bizarre was one where the moose ended up in a sitting position in the passenger seat of a car. We also had to have a state police officer come and shoot the moose before we could treat the patient. So I'm with you in that they are a nuisance and a danger. They also have eaten or walked in our garden several times and caused us to lose a lot of stuff. Our current fence - which starts about 2.5' above the ground, goes up to ~6' - is loose on the poles, so it moves when anything/anyone touches it and has surveyo'rs flagging tied on it in several places. This seems to startle them, or maybe we're just lucky, but we haven't been bothered in several years, though we see them in yard.

Nelie - hope the next set of undergarments does the trick. Good thing you ordered them early!

Softballmom - it is fall here! All of the leaves are turning and look lovely, though to a New England gal used to reds, oranges and golds, these yellows and golds look tame! We have only birch, willow and a few aspens - no maples, oaks, etc. We've only had one frost here, and it's late. Soon however, it'll be plenty cold. DH is leaving tomorrow for "one last camping" trip, and it was 28 last night where he's headed for! Too cold for me to be sleeping out - even in the back of the truck!

Shan - hope your shoulder is feeling better. Stupidnoncontrollingdogowners!
have a good one

Mel,

You actually drew me out of lucking with your rant. I can so understand your lack of enthusiasm. The valley where I grew up in NY State had a nice deer population and plenty of hunting done each fall when I was a girl, but in current years most of the farms have been bought up by people who don’t actually live in the valley and most of the land posted against hunters. Consequently, there is now a major over population and it is very dangerous to be driving especially at dusk or after dark. My brother is retired from the NY State Troopers and he was on a high speed pursuit when an 8 point buck jumped out in front of him. It came right through the windshield, he was lucky to have survived the crash. His troop had the rack mounted for him. I love seeing deer around but man I can so understand the need for hunting to help keep the population in control.

I’m one of the lurkers that keep reading but because nothing really eventful ever seems to happen then we never get around to posting. I too lost lots, gained most of it back and once again have my head in the right place and I’m working hard to take it off one final time. I really have learned so much since I started posting/reading with 3FC’s and most of my time is spent in the Ladies Who Lift forum. I honestly think today I have a much healthier attitude about eating and exercise then I did 3 years ago and I owe a great deal of that to this forum, even if I do spend more time lurking then sharing.

I will try to be a little more active in the future,

Evangeline

PS
Nellie, I’m sooooooooooo proud of your 100+ lb milestone. I am just so happy for you. Keep up the good work!