I started an Autumn Challenge over in the Chicks Up For A Challenge subforum, but I'm joining here, too. This summer was full of record highs and heat advisories, so I had no motivation to work out when I was going into heat exhaustion just from my normal daily routine (it doesn't help that I have to wear a jacket at all times at my job and our air conditioning system is always busted).

Hopefully it'll cool down soon and I can start walking/riding my bike outside again. I'm trying to get to 180 by Nov. 30.

Stella ~ This is TOTALLY what I need!!!! I'm definitely with you

This summer was, by far, one of the absolute most fun and best summers I have had in awhile. I wasn't home for more than like 3 days in a row and I spent pretty much more time in Canada than I did in Boston....which really is how it should be LOL I saw so many new places and experienced so many new things and did not think about work once all summer long and I loved ever flipping minute of it.

But with all the traveling that I did, I completely lost my routine. I haven't really been to the gym in a month and "vacation eating" took over. Being that it is September 1st, I am back into this full speed ahead. I think I gained like 6 pounds this summer (which in reality is not bad at all...but still) and definitely need to get back on it before my weight starts with a 2 again. That can't happen since I worked so hard for so long to get out of the 200's in the first place.

I definetly need this too!! I slacked a little bit this summer, but I'm still on track! I want to be at my goal by January 31! (Just after the new year

Soooo, this is just what I need!!

Alright, so I had planned on doing a super long work out tonight. And then DC/Baltimore area traffic hit and it took me 2.5 hours to make a drive that should have taken 1 hour. So I ran for 20 minutes until my ankle hurt, then jumped on the elliptical. I wanted to run for longer, but I don't want to break my ankle, so....

I'm feeling ridiculously inspired right now, and tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day, but I'm contemplating getting up early tomorrow for some stairmaster action instead. Oh, decisions decisions

Also, having hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator is KEY. I just got home from school and I had chocolate milk and a boiled egg and I don't feel like I want to roast my cat on a spit.

Ok so its actually Spring here :P
But I am with you ladies on this one. I would really like to lose another 8kg (18lbs) by the end of the year. Which is pretty ambitious but I think I can do it.

lmao! I'll remember that.

I'm in too. I need it because fall is usually the worst for me! That's when I start packing on pounds and I am determined not to do it (again!) this year. I got down to the weight I am now last summer and gained it all back plus some over the fall/winter and didn't start working on it until June this year. I'm sick of the cycle! For me, fall is all about comfort food and BEER! Not to mention, it's the start of the school year, which is stressful. (requiring MORE beer, lol) Then I start eating/drinking and not caring...I tell myself I'm just "living it up" and "enjoying life" even though I'm actually hurting myself in the long run. Anyway, yay!

Jen

I am totally in! On Sept 24th, it will be a year since I met my boyfriend, and I was at my skinniest- 131.2. Since then, I have fallen off the bandwagon BIG time . I have to remind myself that I do not have the same metabolism as my bf, and in the last year I went back up to 150. Goodness. I really NEED to get back down to a better weight. I love fall, because I am in school, and that structure really works well- as I plan my life and meals better . I really want to be down to 135 by November 1, that is our official 1 year anniversary from becoming a couple. I have started tracking what I eat and am trying to fit in working out also.

I want to refocus!!!! I'm determined to get back on trap and its easier to do that with a school schedule since everything needs to be planned properly! Woohooo we can do this!!

Good morning ladies! How is everyone doing?

I woke up at least 3 times to pee last night, so when my alarm went off at 5 I just smacked it off my night stand and went back to bed. My body just feels so tired that it could use the rest day. I have a nice, long weekend ahead of me, so I'll be able to get in some good work outs then. I was down 0.6 to 170.0 this morning, so kind of excited about that. I just need to keep it up

Also, fresh peaches are AMAZING.

Wow I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who totally was off course this summer lol.. my failure was due a lot to stress. I also found it a lot harder than I imagined to keep on track with eating because being off school and not working, I was open to do anything..and eat anything! No real schedule. I personally don't start fall until it starts on the calendar but there isn't a day to waste so, on with the refocus!

Stellarosa: I also love fresh produce! If there is one bonus to living in the ohio country its that farm stands and home grown produce are plentiful.

Yesterday The BF and I went to the huge annual fair and as you all know with fairs, it means yummy but not healthy foods. I tried my best to eat well, but it was a struggle, but I came up with the idea of giving half of all the foods that bought to my BF. We walked walked walked everywhere for about 6 hours.
I'm really trying also to continue drinking 2 L of water a day. at the fair 500 ml of water was $3.50 a bottle so I passed on that while there. But came home and downed the 2 L in under 2 hours before bed. This meant that I woke up almost every hour to use the washroom!
Anyways, I stepped on the scale this morning - and I'm down 2 lbs! Guess I walked more than I thought , and the water helped push out any salt that I ate !

I really need some help refocusing too. Don't get me wrong, I'm still losing weight, but this month I've gone to work out all of 3 times. Sure life happened and what not but for me there really is no excuse.

Next week starts new for me, this weekend I'm going to make some vegetable soup for the week and get right back on track. No excuses, no nothing.

I'm totally in. I haven't done absolutely horrible this summer, I've at least maintained my weight, which is better than gaining. However, I've been having a really rough time with life in general lately, and have had a few dates with ben and jerry. That's over though. I really need to buckle down.


On a good note, while I haven't eaten exactly on plan, I've been off of sugar drinks for over a month. I've been sticking to water, and diet green tea. (Along with some OJ and milk of course.) The one time I slipped, was when the girls from work went to Dunkin Donuts. I got a small coolatta, half vanilla half tropicana. While this wasn't the best, I'm proud that this didn't lead to having treats more often, and I'm also proud that I got a small, as opposed to my old mentality "Oh, well it's a treat. I might as well get a big one." Nope! Not anymore.

Is there some sort of neck collar I can wear that will zap me everytime I mention eating out? This is my downfall. Everytime. I had a friend drop by and because I didn't feel like cooking after work so I suggested going out. What I had wasn't THAT bad (half a sandwich and a green salad), but it was more than I needed.

Tonight will be OP. DH is on a volleyball team and I run at the park where they play and I already have the meat thawing and the salad ready. Hopefully, I have made today as idiot-proof as possible!

Not eating out is SO hard. I'm going shoe shopping with a friend after work, and she's like OH LET'S GO TO HAMBURGER HAMLET. She did not like my response of "well, I brought a sandwich with me to work, so I'm going to pass."

But I know I'll be so irritated tomorrow if the scale is up, from sodium of all things, so I'd rather have my home brought food.