Good evening, ladies. Well, I have been pretty good (for the most part) even though I am PMS'ing. This is the HARDEST time for me - I totally feel like I have a tapeworm for about two days!

So, I am a teacher. I teach math in a public, urban school (translate: poor) to 6th grade students. It is a crazy, busy time of year!

ok ok ok ok............ I have been MIA and I am soooo sorry, My computer crashed on me, I failed one of my finals by 2 points, and my 3 1/2 year old daughter had a some what emergency surgery and a close friend passed away all since the second day of this challenge. Im not SURE if I am even still able to be in the challenge but I would love to!! I have a computer back full time... So I wated to stop in and say hi, and that I did miss all of you!!!
(btw who do I need to talk to, to see if I am still allowed to participate in the challenge)

Wowzers!!! I would say that you have certainly had your hands full! I'm so sorry to hear that you've had to go through so much! OF COURSE you are still in the challenge. I'm gonna send you a PM about it. Glad you're on board with us! Hope your days are getting better

Hey team! I did post a 1lb loss this week, which I'm happy with since TOM is just around the corner. I wish it would hurry up and get here, my body is all outta wack. I've been having terrible back pain, an aching pain on the left side from the hip to the foot, occasional aching in the left arm (just at the elbow) and cramping. I tried taking 3 tylenol but the pain didn't completely go away, so this afternoon I broke out the hard stuff. Afterwards, I did manage to get some running in but stuck mostly to walking.

As for running, I'm thinking about doing a 2 miler at the local park, and I've been running 2 miles on the treadmill so I thought I'd better get some outdoor time in. I haven't ran outdoors since high school (many many yrs) and have developed issues with running in front of people. Boy, it was awkward and I couldn't even do 1/4 of a mile without walking (partly due to the wind blowing 25mph). I'm gonna keep at it, I'm not a quiter!

Congrats Soul...you big loser you!

Sally-the hair looks great. I just got mine cut too, but the lady screwed it up...I guess you get what you pay for.

Diva- hey gf hows TDP treating ya


Justforus-pm Julz, if you missed two weighins your still in, but you can't miss anymore or your numbers wont count, but you can still chat with us.

Cheetera- portabello fajiatas sound yummy

I've have yet to try my eggplant recipe, let alone try a new artichoke recipe...I need to make me one of them fancy dancy check lists...Especially the next three weeks...I won't know if I'm coming or going!

I work in the office for an expanding trucking company. I answer phones, dispatch drivers, customer service, pricing, billing, and figure production reports.

As for my hobbies, during the fall/winter months I bowl league and once a year travel to the national tournament...this year it was held in Detroit...we had a blast, its a nice time to get away from the hubby and dd and enjoy spending time with the girls. I also love shopping! I could do it everyday...if the checkbook allowed me too...I like to watch movies...although it usually takes me at least two times to watch one. I get settled with my blanket and pillow and sometimes only make twenty minutes into the movie. I also enjoy making jewerly...mostly bracelets but I'm thinking about venturing into earrings. One more...soap operas! I usually watch one or two at night...gotta love Soap Net!

Ok gotta go enter my calories for today!

Just checking in too!!! I need to go back and catch up with the posts. Congrats to all who had a great Week 2, whether you lost pounds or not!

I've been focusing on getting in more exercise and the badge challenge has really motivated me. So many challenges going on, it's great!!!

For Mother's Day, my youngest son got me a Dance Dance Revolution for our Wii here...it's not high intensity, but it is another added activity that keeps me off my butt for awhile each day. And it's fun!!!

I've started back to 24 Hour Fitness after a 4 month hiatus, so that feels good too. Right now, I'm going Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and do some cardio and weight machines. I may add Sundays too. I'm still getting in some Leslie Sansone workout videos, and our dog needs his daily walks.

Eating has been a bit unorganized so far this week (my husband is out of town, and that has thrown me off a bit) and I haven't been getting in as many fruits and vegetables as I'd like, so I need to get back on track with that.

Hope everyone is having a great Week 3!!!

Sigh... I'm at work and I've been good mostly. Today, my craving/urge rate is UP UP UP... I had eggplant lasagna I cooked, drinking plenty of water...and am full but still have craving for SOMETHING. I can't put my finger on what it is, though. Just something. So i try a small piece of dark chocolate. Nope. I have little bit of apple. Nope. I think and think and think...and aha! I got about 3 days left till my TOM. Well, that explains. sigh... I used to take Seasonal, loved having only about 4 periods because my regular ones are super HEAVY, and I have like 20 days from the end of last period till another one. So while many ladies have 2, I have 3...so Seasonal was WONDERFUL. Also the amount reduced significantly, which was great. I think I'm going to start going back to it this month or maybe next month. Sigh...

Anyways... so what do I do with this craving I can't seem to control...? I feel like eating everything I got, although I'm not hungry and then all the C25K and OP I did today will go down the drain. Sniff Sniff

Good Morning Ladies & Gents!

I might be the odd ball here, but I stay home with my kids. I do some writing while they are at school, but really my job is the house and them right now. My hobbies are scrapbooking, gardening, photographing the kids in everything they do, and it used to be bowling, but I haven't done that much since I had the kids.

Let's kick some butt this week ladies

TARA--How did you get through yesterday? I have the same issues the week before TOM and have to keep anything really tempting away from me. Try bringing lots of stuff you can eat without derailing your efforts...like fresh veggies and fruits maybe? No one ever got fat for eating carrots and apples. I have "freebie salads" that I just pile with all the veggies I can find, a bit of very low calorie/fat balsamic vinagarette dressing..and I can eat all I want, or I just nibble a head of lettuce all day. I never gain from taht and it gets me through that munchy feeling.

Dream-thanks I did get to talk to her! and Im back for good, there is no getting rid of me now!!
Julz- thanks again, Im glad I have only missed 2 weeks. .
Purple- Im also a stay at home mom, Im a nursing student as well, but Mainly good ole mom duties..

Hobbies... well, the gym (I love going to the gym, now if I didnt LOVE to eat so much) and shopping!! starting a garden this year, and really I guess the kids. A 10 month old and 3 1/2 yr old keep my on my toes at all times..

It has been rough, but the days are getting brighter minus all this rain!! ugh!!
This morning its raining again, so no morning walk, but I will make it to the gym this afternoon, and I tihnk Im going to start painting my living room. so many summer projects I want to do!!
SSSOOooOOo Good morning everyone!@!

hi everyone!

due to a bad upset stomach (since sunday!!) and frequent trips to the bathroom, i haven't felt up to exercising - since sunday. tomorrow i have an appt in the morning and then will be running errands for most of the day in anticipation of leaving town on friday. we'll be gone friday through monday (must remember to post my weigh-in before we leave...friday morning!) so i guess i'm taking a week off from working out. i have such a very hard time with this.

the good news, i'm down another pound with the hope that i can add to it before friday's weigh in post

hope everyone is having a good week!

and congratulations soulbliss for being last week's biggest loser!!!!

Angeline - I hope you feel better soon!

Tara - I'm with you about TOM cravings. For me, I refuse to eat anything until I figure EXACTLY what it is I'm craving. Once I figure it out I make whatever it is in the healthiest way possible and then the craving goes away.

Dream - I didn't know you made jewelry! How fun!! MY OB/GYN made me a very pretty bracelet. I just love it. (I had quilted a quilt for her and it was a thank you gift.)

Soul - Congratulations! To those of you who haven't been on Soul's team, she is a CONSISTENT loser!

To all: I read and enjoy EVERYBODY's posts. I'll get better about doing personals as it thins out. I just don't want to single out some people and have others feeling like they are standing out in a field.

blueyedlvrgirl: I come from a family of accountants. I'm a numbers freak myself. One of my sisters used to audit for the NFA and had a 100% conviction rate with her fraud prosecutions. They paid for her to attend law school.

To scrappers & gardeners: I would LOVE to have been born with either of those genes. I want to LOVE gardening but it's something I have to force myself to do. The closest I came to scrapbooking was getting my photos in date order. It was almost more than I could stand. My sister gave me a rolling box full of "stuff", pens, scissors, decorative do-dads and papers and I STILL can't get started!

About me: I sold industrial quilting machines for 8 years and quilted professionally & competitively. I retired in March of 2007 and began a "Happiness Journey." Part of the journey is getting healthy and losing weight.

I love to cook and am flirting with the idea of writing a cookbook with healthy, satisfying recipes and weight loss tips. My mother is a published author and my younger sister has her first novel coming out this month. I sing country music and recorded an album last year as a gift for my dad on Father's Day. It has all his favorite songs from Patsy Cline & a few others. I'm competing in the Colgate Country Showdown on Saturday evening.

My husband and I have 7 children. Two of mine (that are still at home) plus the niece I finished raising after my older sister passed away, three of his and one of his step-sons that is like our own and is currently stationed in Iraq. Two of his children we only hear from when they want something but the other 5 are part of our daily lives.

I had Legg Perthes as a kid in my right hip so it's weak and always will be but I don't let it stop me from exercising. I'm hoping to earn every Beach Badge.

That's me!!

Good morning TEAM! It looks like it might rain on us today-I just hope it doesn't ruin my plans to get out and move. This is what my to do list looks like today. I had a good OP day yesterday and got in over 90 min. of exercise plus another 60 min. in the yard. My muscles are a bit sore, but I LOVE it!

= completed for today
= more than a one day project-worked on it suficiently

My Check List Today:
Dishes
Sweep/Mop/Vac.
De-clutter Room
De-clutter Kids Toy Room
Reorganize Clothes
Box up Winter Clothes
Pilates
Walk/Run
Drink 2 32 oz jugs of Water

Weather Pending
it was too windy and cold to be productive outside today
Rake my piles into One
Dig up Weeds in Front Approach
Fertilize Plants
Walk to DD track meet

Looks like today's schedule included a little bit of everything-I would probably get done faster if I worked on 1 project at a time

ggmugsy-you sound so talented! I am not a scrapper either, I just can't get into it. I am too much of a perfectionist and it stresses me out too much. Your mentioning of writing a cook book reminded me of how disgusted I was the other day when reading through a kids cook book my MIL got for my daughter. We LOVE to cook together and were looking for something fun to make. This cook book (New Jr. Cook Book) includes the nutitional value and I could not believe how bad the dishes were-90% of the dishes have more than 15 grams of fat per serving AAAHHH-there will be some major revising needed for us to use that book!

Your not the oddball! lol. I'm a stay at home mommy too. Our photography gigs are only on weekends. My kids/house/husband are my top priority.


Ooops...gotta RUN. Gotta get to the gym. Taking a new class called "Crossfit" today - I hear it's near-torture!