laurab~ Great Job! Congrats on the 4 pounds! I'm glad that you've had some success in the middle of all that mess...plus it sounds like those two are ready to get reasonable about their issues.

sandisuze~ You know, I really like pilates but I also am never sure about my form. Ironically, I feel like I need to be better at it before I go to a class where the instructor would presumably help me with my form! But the "old fashioned" exercises are definitely the best. Lunges---oy, so hard!

cadwell~ glad the procrastination on your ticker worked out for you! lol! I'm a total ice cream fanatic, so I'm glad to see you've had some luck with your personal challenge. I can't even buy it anymore b/c I'll just eat the whole dang thing for dinner.

I'm really glad I have never bought Splenda after reading this....
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/10/s..._questions.htm
If you eat splenda or are thinking about it...please read this! A friend sent it to me in email today and I was amazed to find out it's not so good for us afterall.

I'm going to do a generic message here because I don't have time to look back and match names with accomplishments

Whoever threw the cookies away...you are amazing. That is so hard to do, but you DID IT and should be very proud of yourself.

Everyone who has lost pounds...GREAT JOB and keep going!!!

To the entire group....

I am doing okay today, though we have been running around in the rain all morning and my son soaked his pants (diaper leaked) in the mall and of course, the diapers were in the car, so that cut that shopping trip short lol I dropped the lid to my gas tank while pumping gas, and it went way up underneath the car and I had to get down on my belly and crawl under to get it I didn't look good doing that I"m sure LOL

We went to McD's for lunch on the way home and I got a grilled chicken, no mayo, from my preplanned list. I used to always get a meal, high fat, fat, fat...but not today It was so much easier having that list, I don't have to worry about what to order, just choose salad or grilled sandwich.

Keep going ladies We are kicking butts....and melting our own away!

Theresa

Well I am back and so happy to see everyone is having so many successes even with "life" happening. I totally sabotaged myself last week-it is a pattern for me and still not sure why I do it. I sat down this morning and got my menu going again. You know the silly thing is those 3 weeks I saw lots of loss and it was not causing me pain or difficulty. I also had a heart to heart with my mother this morning too and she told me the same thing I had already told myself-get back on the wagon and move on. I spent the last couple of days just irritated with myself and of course the kids were wondering where "cujo" had come from. Wasn't them it was me. So now I have somewhat let myself off the hook although I find I am still irritated with me.

I went to my concert on Tuesday and it was a huge blast! It took 4 hours to get in and then another 4 hours to get out and I didn't get home until 3am! My phone was ringing by 9a because my son was having seperation issues and the other grandma who was watching the girls was totally wiped out and had the girls home early too. Needless to say everyone went to bed at 730p yesterday

Today is get my house back in order day-what a pit it is! It is noon at my house and I am still in my bathrobe even-sad sad sad. Being out so late reminded me that I am not as young as my brain thinks I am. So anyway sorry this is so long but I am glad to be back in the saddle again. I am not moving my ticker though-will just have to stay there until I get to where I was before and hopefully I have will learn something through all this and just knock it off and keep focused.

mel your infected cut sounds painful! I hope it heals soon for you...you have such a great attitude about still trying to meet your miles goal. You can do it!

Theresa you had quite a morning! Good job picking a healthy choice from McD's. I'm sure crawling under the car to get the gas cap back wasn't half as bad as paying for the gas...Yikes...up another 10 cents in this area today.

Melissa so glad you are back! You are doing the right thing...get right back on task and forget about the mistake. You are back on track, you didn't give up, and that is what is important. The irritation with yourself is a good thing because it helped you make the right choice to get back with the program...now you can let go of the frustration and refocus on all the healthy changes you are making in your life. I'm glad you had such a great time at the concert...we all need some much deserved all out FUN once in a while.

Neo, I have the same thing with sabotaging myself. I have done a lot of thinking about it and I have come to some understanding of myself and why I do it. I am ready to be happy, to be ME again, and this is just one more hurdle I have to jump to get there. Just keep going and give yourself some alone time to figure out WHY you sabotage yourself...it will help you when this happes again..it helped me limit my sabotage to one meal, which would normall be weeks if not months. Of course, this group has helped as well. Try writing out in a journal, that has helped me. Try setting a timer and writing for 10 or 15 minutes without stop, no matter what, even if you end up writing one word over and over. This will get your brain going deeper and deeper, you might be surprised what you learn about yourself. Things really do just come out that way.

You can get beyond this, but I think you have to deal with the emotional issues to keep together long term. Good luck, email me if I can help, I know what you're going through.

THeresa

Yeah I just started a journal since there is space under my daily food menu. I think I am motivated out of fear mostly. I haven't made the best choices in the past in husbands-two major losers who also took me to the cleaners and I think I am afraid to make another bad choice and if I stay fat it really isn't an issue. If all my kids aren't enough of a deterant, then being twice the size I am supposed to be seals the deal. ******ed reason I know since I really do know the word "no" extremely well (it is a mommy thing). I just have to quit spazzing out about things and realize there is alot at stake for me if I don't get rid of the weight. Not to mention it would be nice to wear a little slip of a dress and look awesome and feel good.

1.Totally new clothes
2. New hair and the color it used to be-LOL
3. Spa is an excellent idea
4. Go to Disneyland and ride all the rides I never could due to weight

I am sure there will be more to come-I plan on a lifetime of rewards.
Melissa

I plan to shop til I drop...I'm getting a whole new wardrobe!

I'm doing great, mel, thanks for asking. I've got three very busy weekends coming up with fairs, birthday parties, and relatives from out of state coming to stay w/us over the holiday, and also I'll be starting back to my regular hours at work next week...but I'm feeling really good about it all and I know I'll stick with my eating right and exercise and when times get tough I'll just check in here and it'll get me right back on track.

I haven't tried journaling but I think I should give it a try. Things are going well for me right now but there are always bad days, weeks, months, and you just never know when they are going to pop up. I can see where it would be a big help to have a journal to read for inspiration and to write in during those hard times.

Great question about rewards! I also am planning lots of rewards far into the future to help me with maintenance.

1. New clothes and lots of them
2. Learn how to dance! (I'm so uncoordinated this one may be an impossible dream!)
3. Next summer a trip to Glacier National Park for hiking, horseback riding, and whitewater rafting!
4. Eventually a long 2 to 3 week vacation to visit my 2 favorite places...Washington & Oregon...we've been there only one time and my whole family absolutely loved every minute of it. Been dreaming of going back ever since.

I know there's lots more....just can't think of them all right now...

Thanks LauraB, much easier

I love thinking about all the things I will do when I am at my goal weight!

I think all of us are looking forward to new clothes shopping--of course! I'm not even thinking about anything crazy, just maybe being able to pull off a tank top and skinny jeans combo. woo-woo!

I've got a whole life list of somewhat random things that kind of depend on me being in good shape. I totally want to hike in Peru..Macchu Pichu? (spelling?) I promised my lecherous husband I would go to a topless beach--dressed appropriately, wink!

And I am definitely going to treat myself to Tango lessons--and a slinky outfit to dance in!

D'oh! I forgot why I was going to post! I was having a really bad afternoon--sluggish, wanting chocolate very very badly, not wanting to workout at all b/c of this humid heatwave we've got all of a sudden...

Well, instead of completely ruining my diet, I had a big salad at dinner and then finally satisfied my craving with a low cal fudge bar. Then I messed up and had to have another fudge bar. sigh. I'm still under my calories for the day (I'm flexing at 1300-1600) and doing pretty well on fat grams too, so I'm not too bummed about it, but I just had a total flash of what I used to do with food--promise myself I would just have something small and then blow it.

So... instead of having a third one, I took out a little diagram I've recorded my measurements on and know what?! I have lost 5 total inches. Smashing. I'm going to be a total hot baberoni. It might take me a year to do it, but I will be so fabulous I'll have to jump back and kiss myself, it will be that awesome.

Tonight I am going to get my slightly smaller yet bodacious booty on that pilates mat and sculpt away. Then, I am going to bed early so I can jog it out tomorrow. I am just so dang excited right now!

[COLOR=Navy]Book Antiqua]gorgeous jeans without elastic in the waist, with a pocket tee shirt, tucked in with a belt.