Hi all! Went to Body Pump this morning. I was running late because I tried to do too much this morning... finishing up laundry and putting together gifts for people at work... so I missed the warm up, but was there for the meat of it, so I'm happy about that!

Carter: Good to see you again!! Glad that you're back to checking in!

Jenni: Don't let it get to you!! I totally get the food thing being over the top right now. I'm there too. But don't feel like you let yourself down. This month is almost over, just enjoy the holidays and I'll be right there with you come January, hitting it hard again!!!

Hey ladies! I have been so flipping busy lately. I worked 12 hours today and yesterday. I'm exhausted! I did manage 12,000 steps yesterday and today I've hit 10,000 so far. So that's a plus. My diet is kinda lacking. I having binged or anything, but still have not been healthy. I'm meal planning for tomorrow and the weekend so that will help me get back on track.

I'm really excited to be getting my treadmill (tomorrow I think). Can't wait to start using it.
This week I've only gone down .3 lbs so far.... hoping to add .2 lol. I'm workign towards my goal of 206 (4lbs) by the end of the month.

slashnl way to work it girl! you are inspiring with your commitment to workingout! I only hope I can get into the same mentality

Slashnl you are an inspiration! My excercise has sadly been lacking, other than walking the dog and generally running after little kids - I need to get back too it.

Such a busy time of year, today is breakup day - where most businesses finish up for Christmas break, my husband is oncall next week but will still party today so its just me and the kids. Did a massive clean up at kindy today in sweltering heat so a bit pooped. Letting the kids watch Cars and eat iceblocks to keep them out of the sun for awhile. Then off to a friends office for some drinks and hotchips for the kids. Hmmm can you tell why the scales aren't budging, trying really hard on the days I don't have anything on so might loose a wee bit this week but don't think it will be the 2.5 pound I need to get to goal, we'll see though.

I know its so hard to stay on plan at this time of year but I think we should be all proud of ourselves for staying mindful and not saying 'screw it I'll get back to it on the 1st'. So yay fo us!!

Hi all. Went to my spin class this morning. It is the one that we use a heart rate monitor to get to specific levels. Jeez, it is such a good workout, but so hard! But, made it.

Thanks for all of the kudos on keeping up with workouts. I appreciate it. Working out is the one thing I can really keep up with, just because I like it and how I feel. It is just a part of my day, and I miss it if I don't do it. Now, the eating part is not so disciplined right now. Looking forward to getting back on track with that, but still not willing to commit fully until after Christmas.

MissLoud: Yep, I'm with you on that sentiment. At least we aren't totally giving up, we can be proud! It will get back to more commitment soon!!

Skinnygirl: Yay for the new treadmill! Sounds like it will be a nice treat to have to help you with your steps goal!!

Erg and then I binged ate on pizza and hot chips! I should no better than going to things hungry - in the words of Toasted I have NO CHILL. Out for tea tonight with friends, we have no money so that will chill the spending I really do know in the back of my mind I'm only going to be able to maintain over the holidays. And yes like a few of you I'm craving going back to routine.

On the plus side Tates kindy teacher complimented me on my weightloss, turns out she lost 90 pounds on weight watchers! Also another friend notice and I said I had another 70 pound to loose and shes like noway you'll be too skinny, whats with that! Why do friends always try and convince you you aren't horribly overweight.

Hello all. I know this season is tough on everyone, isn't it? I don't celebrate either Christmas (and often not even Chanukah either) and it's still a minefield, because of all the parties. I've had four in the last two days and even one more that I turned down because ENOUGH.

Yesterday evening I was at a dessert party. I did fine as long as I had nothing at all but once I decided to try something all bets were off, and I ate far more dessert than I had hoped I would.

Oh well, forward ever onward. I know this about myself, that eating NONE of something tempting is far easier than eating A LITTLE of it. Some people can satisfy themselves with just a taste but I am not, have never been such a person, and I learned a long time ago in my process that I need to work with that personality trait rather than try in vain to change it. I knew when I took that first bite exactly what I was doing. The key of course is not to do it all weekend long! I'm right back on plan this morning (I haven't eaten anything yet ).

Now I have to decide on what I'm cooking this weekend for my dinners for the week so that I can go do my grocery shopping. Good luck and good strength to all!

Miisloud I think people often remark that you will be "too skinny" when they hear someone say that they want to loose more than twenty pounds cuz in their mind it just sounds like a lot. Which it is but some people carry weight differently so maybe to them 70 lbs makes them think you'll weight barely 100? Just a thought!

Carter holiday parties are evil for weight loss lol. As much as I look forward to my dinner on Christmas Eve, it isn't very healthy, it's either fried, has bacon, or is carb filled potatoes! But I refuse to give it up because we only make this Lithuanian dinner once a year!

Yeah skinny girl - my friend who made that remark is teeny tiny she probaby only weighs 110 so it must be so hard to pathom a 100 pound loss.

Another beautiful day here - went for a big bush walk with all my boys, very proud of my 4 year old he biked the whole way. Good on the eating front too, went out for tea and I choose well, lots of seafood - I did have ice cream though, can't pass up homemade rasberry sauce!

I'm getting a bit nervous about Christmas to be honest, it has always been a bit of a finishline for me - giving up on diet until the new year after my birthday (17th Jan) so really trying to stay mindful so I don't have a big regain looking at me when I get back on the scales after holidays. I think I have a different mindset this time though - geez I hope so.

Very quiet in here I hope everyone is doing okay!

Hi all. I've been trying to get stuff done this weekend, looks like others are busy too!! I don't know why I put this off so long and then it is just a scramble to get it done. Oh well. Nothing really to say on the weight loss part. I'm trying to stay under control with eating, but not as disciplined. I'm just glad that Christmas is almost here. I do love the day and family time! But also looking forward to it winding down.

MissLoud: Just keep coming here and posting as you get to your tough times. I think it helps a lot! One of my favorite sayings is "Motivation is what gets you started, commitment is what gets you to your goal". Admittedly, sometimes it is hard to remember that!!

Skinnygirl: Lithuanian? Sounds really good!! Gotta enjoy the day! We're having a smoked standing rib roast. Looking forward to it!!

Carter: Dessert party. Oh boy, that would be tough! But you made it through! Onward!!!

Carter: dessert party sounds devilish lol!

Slashnl: thats a great quote, I will keep posting it really is something that has got me through this time. I'm scared of falling back into old ways

Well drum roll please - I know you've all been waiting lol I GOT TO GOAL!!!! Down 2.5 pound, Really pleased I stuck to it. Looking forward to my next goal which is to get into double (figures in kilos, something i haven't seen for nearly 10 years) hoping to do this by 20th February which is my cousins wedding. Oh I could just dance around the room right now.

Miss Loud congrats on hitting you goal! Totally awesome! On to the next one. You've got this
slashnl Smoked rib roast sounds delicious!

I'm still just plugging along. I dropped another pound this week. putting me at 209.7, I don't think I'm going to make my goal of 206 by the 31st but thats ok. My goals coming up are as followed
202 by the end of January
196 by the end of February
190 by the end of March
185 by the end of April
This is happening! Better hop on it

Hey guys!

So, there is a plus side to living out here, and my husband serving a church full of farmers...

Our freezer is stocked for the next month or more. From various people we've ended up with 7 pounds of ground beef, 4 packs of pork chops, a pack of t-bone steaks, a pack of cube steak, and frozen corn and potatoes. All raised, harvested, butchered, prepared, what have you, at local farms.

I hope you all are having a fabulous holiday season, and I cannot wait until we're all back here and on plan ready to go in the new year.

Hugs all around!

Edit to add:

Who wants a goodie bag? My holiday baking/treat making will include:

apple-peanut butter cookies
orange dream cookies
toffee rice krispies treats
oreo 'lumps of coal' (because they are CUTE)
lemon meringue pie fudge
mint chocolate pound cake
chocolate pretzels
spicy chex party mix
chocolate caramel chex mix

Gonna be BUSY! Luckily most of it will be going to a New Year's party, and a holiday gathering out of town.

Hey everyone!!! So I disappeared last week because work was super busy as we were closing for the year etc etc BUT I made it and stayed on track and lost another pound! I KNOW!!!! Even after the weekend that buffet built!!! 177 people! It feels pretty awesome! Yesterday's fast went pretty well but today is our annual family Christmas Barbecue and then there's also Christmas brunch/dinner on the 25th and then all the leftover temptation that Boxing Day brings so it's a bit of a food minefield ahead, which is fine. It's only Christmas once a year. But I'd also like not to end the week back in the 180s.

Having a workout schedule is really working for me. Last week was busy and I skipped a bunch of days but then I thought of Diane, cut out the excuses and caught up with all my workouts this weekend!! Come to find when checking in this morning that yup, she's still rocking out her workouts!!!

Jenni, Kelly, Diane, I agree the food of this season is tough going. Soooo many choices to tempt even the most motivated planista!!! And the parties, carter, I'm like you, my mouth doesn't understand the concept of one bite just for a taste. One bite and it's like "OMG Fooooooood!!!" whilst my rational brain fights the losing battle and reproaches like "you said only one bite, dude, you HAVE seen cake before! Chill!" I find people who can do that as magical as those who only eat half a chocolate bar or eat half the small bag of chips and save the rest for later.

SkinnyGirl: Congrats on your grades, your weightloss (it may not be up to what you planned but even through this most difficult foodie season, you're rocking it out so go you), on meeting step goals and most of all on still being on top of this!!!

Mandy: Yay fresh, free food! And me, pick me! I want a goodie bag! I kid. But only because I don't think them goodies will make it over the Atlantic to me. Everything on your list sounds sooooooo good. The Temptation!

I hope everyone is doing okay. I'm a little stressed because even though I did my Christmas shopping since November, there's been a strike by the customs office here so everyone's goods coming in are held up in warehouses and even though the customs people are off their strike, there's a huge backlog because if affected everyone from individuals like me with just a few packages coming in from Amazon to big time department and grocery stores who we're expecting stock for Christmas .... And apparently I'm lower priority than them so I'm watching the situation. I might be out tomorrow like a last minuter trawling the barren shelves excited to find a dusty 2014 diary or picking up a bag of apples to place under the Christmas tree for my mom (what??? She likes fruit! She may never have received fruit wrapped in wrapping paper AND she may have the same bag of apples in her fridge, but desperate times y'all because I've taken a look and the store shelves are bare!)

Here's wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Good morning folks.

Since the dessert party I mentioned, I have managed to keep within my calorie limits. This regain is tough, though. It's been a long time now and it feels like slog for very little results. I am just a few years older than the last time I lost these same 25 pounds, but I am a little slower, my joints are a little creakier, and everything just seems a little bit harder. Last time I was in this range I had the momentum of the previous two years and 100 pounds lost, I guess. This time it's hard to stave away the hopelessness. Like, just go buy some size 14 jeans and admit that 185 is where you are going to maintain, carter.

Perspective counts for a lot. When I reached this weight on the way down, I felt trim and strong and fabulous. Now, hitting it on the way back up, I feel burdened and slow. This is one reason why a regain is psychologically different from losing for the first time.

Toastedsmoke: Good luck getting those gifts. I hope it all resolves and finds its way to you in time. The customs office has clearly picked a high-leverage time of year to strike - maybe that will get things resolved quickly...

FeraFilla: Okay, that goodie bag sounds fun. I am not much of a baker (more a cook) but sometimes, when the weather is cold, I do feel the itch to bake. Then, I don't do it, because I lack the proper equipment and because of what I said above about not being able to stop with just a taste of something. Instead, I cook Indian food.

Skinnygirldreams: Wishing you good luck and good skill. I have to admit that I gave up on time-based numeric goals long ago. I lost in fits and starts - I tend to have several weeks of no net change followed by a 3-4 pound whoosh - and I can have daily fluctuations that can mask anywhere from two weeks' to an entire month's fat loss. I have to focus on behavior-oriented goals and let the numbers do what they will, with trust in my plan. That said, you seem comfortable with not always hitting your scheduled number and being content with the loss you have achieved, so if the time-based numeric goals work for you, go for it!

MissLoud: Congratulations! One phrase that stuck out in your post is "really pleased I stuck to it." It's a great feeling of achievement, isn't it, to know you white-knuckled through the tough times and exercised enough discipline to do something really hard that isn't ever immediately rewarding. Keep at it.

Slashnl: Nothing wrong with making a conscious choice to loosen up on the eating between now and Christmas. In the grand scheme of things a handful of days over plan isn't going to stop you from reaching your goals, as long as you keep it to a handful of days and do get right back on the horse after Christmas. I am all for this!!

Time for me to get moving if I'm going to hit the gym before work - good luck and good strength to all.

Quick post just to say hi. Hope everyone is doing well. Almost done with the waiting for Christmas. I love the actual day, but the build up to it is just so frustrating to me.

Still really looking forward to January!!