268.6

Lemonthyme: I remember living about the same distance from the train tracks as you do. We weren't near an area that would have had trains stopping, but would hear them as they went by and heard the whistles as they went through the intersection. Drove me crazy. We were there a long time, but I never got used to it. During the day it wasn't a problem, but overnight, it would wake me up every time. Ugh!!! Anyway, we moved up the road about 3 miles and over a hill and I never hear it now. Very happy about that! Now all I hear is our dog barking! Ha!

For me, I did go running last night after work. It wasn't spectacular, but there I was. It was difficult, but I don't think my foot was bothered by it. I swear that it is more of a function of the shoes I wear. The shoes I have for running are good, comfortable shoes. My work shoes aren't always the most comfortable and some are pretty old, lacking support. I think I need to do better when I'm buying shoes. I am not one of those that love shoes, so I hate spending money on them. But I think I need to get better quality.

I also went to spin this morning, so that was good. It was a hard class, but I'm glad I went. My weight went up a little bit, but not unexpected. I think that with the soreness in my muscles, I need to get a couple rest days in to recover and push out the water retention. I have been doing well with food, so I don't think it is real weight gain. We'll find out by Monday, I guess!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!!

Back again...struggling to get my feet under myself. Fatty fat fat :/ I got myself back into the 260s and have been bouncing between 250 and 260 for the last month. Sucks..I'm trying but it's a hard time of year to count calories and avoid junk food...and I'm feeling pretty crap about my life in the face of the holidays, at the moment, and all the lovely, fancy packaged, treats, are soothing . . . so it's hard.

I'm trying to look at the next three weeks, which is the time I have left until I'm on holiday, as a short term goal...and then mabe I'll be in good habits enough to carry me through the new year...but it's hard to get going (I was hoping to do a month, but this last week was inconsistent...not awful..more good days than bad. I was closer to 250 than 60 this morning...although, I've been stuffing my face today). It seems such a stupid time to start something...but I've been failing all year. It was last year at Christmas that I quit taking care of myself and started the awful downward spiral

227.8

Not perfect, enjoyed cookies last night! Currently sitting at a hotel awaiting DHs meeting to finish for the day so we can hit the dinner. Not a lot to do today so sat and talked with some others to pass time. I also had the strange moment of overhearing some locals meeting for a brunch they were 4 woman in their mid to late 60s. The one was going on about her sibling in Denver who is routinely prescribed medical pot for his arthritis. One in the group is like I wish we could have that and the one is like my sibling loves it he says it’s the best. I guess it was just a very bizarre conversation to listen to of people of a certain age. I mean, i guess I’d find it normal conversation of people age 50 and down. However I should stop and think these gals would have been young in the 60s - so maybe there’s my answer. But I guess w the ageism in the moment I had - watching gray haired older women discussing pot and retirement was just different for me. I expect old ladies to talk about crochet, grandkids, lumbago and the weather.

Anywho - I’m not sure how today will turn out on my scale by Monday. I didn’t have a selection for lunch besides a meat as it was a boxed lunch and part of the meeting I was attending. Dinner is provided as well. I’m at the mercy of the meeting planners and in past events it’s a one plate meal and a tossed salad. So I expect a wonky scale. This group likes starches for sides. I’m just saying!

Anyone having issues yet w the weekend eats? I do hope come tomorrow evening I can pull it back on track. I plan to have salad once I get home and water. Maybe I can keep it holding fairly close w/ongoing up to 230s again. THats my mini goal to stay under that gawd awful number. Yuck.

Alrighty hello all. I’m off to ready for dinner - starches and all.

Haven’t hopped on the scale yet to kind of have an idea of where I may have floated to. Eating prepared meals served in large quantities is always hinky, but I tried to pick what might be ok. Not great or good. And can I say the salad they offered last night was the weirdest to build from: iceberg lettuce, pepperocini, chopped onions, blue cheese crumbles and what everyone thought was French dressing - however whatever it was, it had been loaded with hot hot sauce. I have no clue what type of salad makings it was or if perhaps it was a specific salad type I’ve never had that was offered as build your own. I ate lettuce w the crumbles and hot sauce. The whole meal was odd. Cold biscuits, meatloaf slices, chicken w heavy sage seasoning, cream of celery soup - weird combos. And yes this was at a hotel. Odd menu choices and combinations from it all. I tried as best I could but I’m sure my scale will have gone up.

Tomorrow is another day and I can get back to IF as best I can. And back to my own foodstuffs that do make sense in my head. I have a tree now so I will putting the lights up and the kids and I will decorate after school. My house smells good, so maybe that will work on my lack of Christmas mojo.

Here’s hoping everyone had a nice weekend. I’m off to go look up the salad maybe it’s something that’s common and I have never had!

Hey all.

Bookmark, Welcome back! I know exactly what you mean about this time of year. I've been sick since Thanksgiving...but not lucky enough to be "Oh, I can't eat" sick...no I'm "CARBS! GIVE ME CARBS!" sick. And the season obliges with all the goodies I can stomach.

Yes all - I'm still sick. Today is day 9. I am at work...not feeling ill enough to stay home, but I truly didn't know the human body could manufacture this much mucus. It just does not stop. I broke down and called the clinic today - the health clinic for state workers is just easier to get into than my doctor - and they will see me tomorrow morning - booked solid today. The woman said, "The sinus thing?" and I said, "Yeah...I know it's probably a virus and you can't do anything, but it's been nine days now..." and she interrupted me with - "Oh! You need to be seen! If it's been that long you need antibiotics!" So...guess I'll get antibiotics. As a general rule, I try not to go to doctors for things like this until I'm SURE I've got some type of infection as opposed to virus. Too many super-bugs being caused by over-use of antibiotics, in my opinion.

However, it's actually more important to be on them now because hubby (who's at the doctor right now) and I will spend all day (literally) in a hospital Friday. His father is having surgery to implant some type of electrode in his brain for Parkinson's. To protect both us and others we need antibiotics.

So...still sick, still craving comfort foods, still giving in and eating them. Really, I'm lucky to get 1 serving of veggies a day right now. I just don't want them - at all. I want protein and carbs and I'm just listening to my body. I am past the "feed me!" phase and my appetite is normal - not starving - but I just don't feel well enough to care a whole lot.

On the bright side, despite the biscuits and fried chicken and potato soup and cookies - I've not gained! I'm still sitting at 271.5 this morning - only up 1 1/2 lbs since Thanksgiving. So there's that. Last night I logged out of MFP on every device and computer - breaking my streak - so that we can start fresh and recommit. That's the plan. Hopefully, my body will comply with my desire to actually eat healthy and start wanting decent food again. I still don't feel like forcing myself to eat green things.

268.4

Bookmark! Welcome back! You've been missed and I'm happy to see you posting. You know what, it is the perfect time to get back at it, but you also have to be forgiving of yourself for those times when you don't quite meet your goals! We all understand how it goes, and just know that we're all here for you. I know I went off the rails in November and December of last year, and went up into the 260's again. I fight it all the time, regretting that I let it slip so far. Ugh! But, what are you going to do? You just have to keep trying to get it right.

Lemonthyme: Yep, still struggling with weekends. For some reason, this weekend in particular... I felt a little bloated. My eating wasn't stellar, but I also felt like something was off, maybe with sodium or something because I just felt puffy. Hope that you are able to get back to your good ways!

Lilion: Ugh! Sorry you are sick! I totally agree with you on antibiotics, but it does sound like you have suffered long enough! I hope you feel better soon. Hope all goes well with your father-in-law.

For me, I had a really fun weekend, but not quite on track. I wasn't horrible, but wasn't great either. I was worried about getting on the scale this morning, but it was down from last Monday, so I'm still happy with that. I think if the weekend were a little more controlled, I would have been down further. I looked back and I was actually down a little bit from Friday, and overall it was a little over a pound loss for the week. Ok. I'll take it.

But, I was able to get out and do a little hiking. We cut our own tree and with the lack of snow right now, we were able to get up to where we go hunting. It was fun being up there as it is one of our favorite places of all time. Last year we couldn't get anywhere close due to the amount of snow.

I went to spin this morning. It was good because I tried to talk myself out of going. It is never good for me to take Mondays off, because then I struggle to go any of the other days. You know the attitude... well, I blew it so might as well just not go this week. Ugh! So, glad I went, and I'll go lift weights tomorrow.

Didn’t hop on the scale today as I had early morn appts and kids for the bus and the like this am. I did last night and the 230s were back. HOWEVER when I travel I’m not regular if you will until about 12 to 24 hours after a return home so I’ll just stick w my IF and see what happens tomorrow. I’ll also be sure to push water too as a helper.

Today I finally broke my fast late. Ugh. Meetings ran longer than I thought.

Trying to pay bills and balance the check book. I hate doing that because it never balances. The debit gets us all fouled up.

So tomorrow I will weigh in - 20 days until Christmas and a final weigh in for the holiday Diane challenge.

Personals later. My day is crazy!

Good afternoon!

I have been recalcitrant in my check-ins lately. So much so that I missed the founding of the TLTMAS. Toasted – I am SO down for this idea!
My absence has been due to both being super busy and being super irresponsible with food and exercise. Checking in at least make me face the music, so I have been doing my best to lie to myself about my ability to check in. No more, I say.

LemonThyme – Ugh. I hate having to rely on other people to feed me. So much so that I often prefer to bring my own portable meals. Pre-packaged meats, tuna packets, berries, etc. I have perfected the art of being so engrossed in discussion that I have very little opportunity to eat the inappropriate and unwanted food in front of me. Although, I must admit that lately I want to not want that food, but actually really want it, and am eating it despite knowing it won’t make me feel good. Hope you had a great trip. I’m with you. I need to buckle down to be able to really make it for my goal on the Diane holiday challenge!

Diane – Yay for going to spin class even after trying to talk yourself out of going. I need that little extra oomph. And yay for the fun weekend! Sometimes, that’s more important than getting a perfect scale-friendly weekend, though sometimes I feel like I should be able to better balance it out. Glad to see you’re still committing to the running. I have been struggling to talk myself into running lately, so it’s inspirational to see that you’re still committed to it.

Bookmark – So glad to see you back! I love that you’re recommitting yourself at this time of year. It’s so easy to push it to the beginning of the year, then to the next month, etc. Hope you start to feel better about the nutrition and exercise stuff, and that this spurs you to feel better about life in general. Sometimes, that works for me.

Lilion – UGH on your long, long respiratory and mucous issues. And I’m totally with you on being in the stage where it’s more important to just get through the day than it is to fight with the weight control issues. Hope you feel better, and much better, very soon. Hope the FIL’s surgery goes well and that the medical intervention produces the results you hope it will.

Toasted – I am all about TLTMAS! My admiration for you is sincere and long-standing, and I want to live up to all the nice things you wrote about me, especially the ideal of retaining (most of) my sanity. Hope you got the abstract for the conference done and that production has been super-fantastic. Also hope you got in some relaxing. You’ve more than earned it.
Got up early so that I could get to work early so I could get in some steps before work and still manage to get a project submitted by 9 a.m. The project was done, but wanted to do a final run-through with clear eyes before submission. I let the newly-permitted 14yo drive to school, and we successfully made it to the school in time for me to get all my stuff accomplished. Then, of course, he realized he forgot his backpack. So, we drove home and back to the school, losing 40 precious minutes. And morning minutes, at that. **SIGH**
I’ve also decided I’m not weighing for the next week. I feel like it’s making me crazy (crazier?) lately.

Goals –
1 – 25K steps
2 – 2 sets of bodyweight exercises
3 – Nutrition spot-on
4 – Hit the gym tomorrow morning

Hope everyone has a fantastic day!

Ok - my new seasonal sweet treat is the cutie or mandarins or tangerine. Oh those things are sweet - in many ways! Do any of you have seasonal favorites?

I’ve got the tree decorated. I had 1/2 a strand of lights out so I dangled it down the trunk to hide the non working strand. The kids decorated it fairly well and I don’t have to Move too many things around. They are learning!

Have no clue what the scale will say tomorrow. Today I didn’t track calories which can always get me in trouble. I know last night when I hopped on I was back to 232 but I admit I had a custard on our travels home. It was chocolate chocolate almond. And I’m one of those travelers that has issues with everything coming to a screaming halt. Alas. Maybe by Wednesday I will have a true weight. However I will make a good attempt to weigh tomorrow.

Laurie: I was so scattered brain the only good things I grabbed to take with me were cuties and almonds. I was kind of in the boonies w/o things to grab and just tried to make due. Ugh. I gave up tuna long ago - seeing as though it never says what ocean was fished from. I don’t trust the ones coming out of the pacific since Fukushima - I know - I’m sure they have standards on radioactive items, but I’ve been radioactive before (cancer) and don’t care to do a supposed safe level if indeed they are hot. Anywho, I know lots of other foods to take with me and I wasn’t even thinking. I even forgot jewelry! But I did take 3 pairs of shoes in case my toe acted up - and it did - so that was one help!

Oh a new driver! May you have lots of patience and calmness especially when they run a light!

Lil: sorry you have sinus issues. I always get wicked headaches with those. Sadly some doctors around here won’t prescribe antibiotics due to the reason you state and want you to weather through. Instead they usually prescribe Flonase first. So hopefully yours cleans up quickly. I’m sorry your FIL is going through Parkinson’s. Not easy I’m sure.

Bookmark: nice to meet you. Sure it’s tough - this is where I fell off the wagon last year. You can do this! Just a bit each time and know you may have to fight just a bit harder. Maybe you and I can cheer each other on because the Christmas cookie is forever my downfall!

Diane: how’s the foot? Have you ever had to have prednisone or something similar for it? I don’t know if that’s possible. Maybe try icing w/a plastic water bottle and when you get home for the night, roll it around w the sore foot on top while the bottle is on the floor. It might help.

Toasted: how are you doing? Did your day off give you all sorts of time to take a breathe? Did you do anything enjoyable?

Hello all!

Ok, well here’s hoping for good scales tomorrow all! Fight on will you? I’m going to try as best I can. Maybe I will be surprised in a good way but most likely not. Back to my abacus ways of weight loss!

228.2

Ok back to doable. Not my 227 but it is also not a 232 today. So for that I’m thankful.

I’ve got some bills to pay today and I’ve got more to decorate. The tree looks good as does the porch ceiling. I need to get my nativities up and my open staircase banister hung w stockings. And then on to clean and make gifts and wrap. So the season is finding me a bit before I’m ready but I need to get it done because I have littles and it’s a magical and fun time for them. So this mama best get on her wings, broom, winged shoes. Anything that facilitates quick movement and lots of energy - so maybe a rocket pack on my back!

Weight wise I think between now and the holidays it’s just going to be IF for me and limited on daily Exercise. I’m having a hard time figuring that in and since temps went from 60s yesterday to currently 22 but w windchill it feels like 7F too darn cold. So I’m not walking outside this am w the strong wind gusts. No thanks. I will have to play it by ear - I will get some movement in - I just haven’t planned a daily schedule of it. . Bad I know.

So good morning ladies! Can I ask y’all who have lost your heaviness if once you hit your goal, did you fit into smaller shoes? Did wearing heels get easier? I’ve been out of mine due to being at home most of the time and wear sporadically. I’ve got the arthritic/ridged big toe which is its own problem - but I’m just hopeful w less weight wearing heels becomes an ok option once again.

Alright - I’m off to slay my morning while kids are at school. Hang onto my hat as I may blow away here! Happy start to your days or in toasteds case - a good evening! I’ll drop back for personals later.

Good morning!

LemonThyme - Ah. It sounds like we are on the same page then. I, too, know the best ways to handle things (at least most of the time) after years of honing my weight control craft. But it's not always easy to apply, especially when the demands of life invade. Which, of course, is all of the time. I have a love/hate relationship with fruit. Except that makes it seem too dramatic. I actually very much enjoy fruit, but it's hard to get me to eat it so much of the time because there's always something I want more, whether that's healthy food of not-so-healthy food. I have to make specific goals to eat fruits and veggies, and I don't often hit those goals. That's fantastic that you are honing your passion for the healthy foods. It makes this whole weight control thing so much more pleasant.

I am back on my exercise routine. Last week, by Tuesday, I was celebrating two days of morning work-outs. Then, I ate too much on Tuesday and experienced serious "just getting back to it" soreness and general body aches and fatigue. Then, I allowed myself to go down the rabbit hole again and felt like I couldn't get myself to stop eating for days after that, despite feeling sick because of it. I am almost always good at getting my steps in regardless, but I did the bare minimum. So, while I started the week with 25K steps on Monday, I only ended up averaging about 15K steps per day for the week, with Friday even missing my minimum 12K steps for the first time in months. So, I am toning down my ramp-up this week. I lifted weights on Sunday, only focused on steps yesterday, and lifted weights again this morning. I have to get back to running, and I did run for 5 minutes this morning as a warm-up, but I'm trying to ease into it a bit again. I also took some ibuprofen as a prophylactic measure, which makes me feel old. I am not weighing so I don't have to fight the psychological drama associated with that. I am also making goals to consume healthy carbs (fruit and veggies mostly, but some whole grains cuz I love them) in addition to protein, and to limit the sugar I'm consuming. We'll see how it goes.

Goals -
1 - Run tomorrow morning, even if it has to be treadmill
2 - 25K steps again today
3 - 5-minute work-out at some point (it's five minutes of planking)
4 - Do 3 sets of push-ups
5 - Be smart about food
6 - Eat a half-cup of veggies today (modest goal, I know, but I gotta do better about veggies)
7 - Keep consistent output at work, even though I don't have any looming deadlines

Hope everyone has a fantastic day!

Hi all. Kind of busy today, so this will be short. I went to the gym this morning and lifted weights. It was good and I hope that I can feel like running after work. Then tomorrow is spin. I am keeping on plan for food, so hoping I'll see some losses this week.
Sorry so short!!

Antibiotics, steroid pills, codeine cough syrup, an albuterol inhaler, a breathing treatment and a steroid shot in the tuckus - sinusitis and acute bronchitis; well on it's way to pneumonia. It's entirely possible I should have gone to the doctor a wee bit earlier. The weird thing is I feel better today and have felt increasingly better the last two or three days! Except for the fact that I felt a bit like I was wearing a too-tightly laced corset and therefore couldn't quite breathe deeply enough.

So yeah...I guess I really am sick. I was berating myself for being such a baby and going to the doctor over a cold. I only really went because of the hospital. I didn't want to chance getting anyone sick.

Oh yeah - I also have to wear a mask at the hospital Friday...not because I'm infectious, but because she's afraid I'll contract something on top of the lung infection! So...there's that.

Steroids. We all know that those cause lovely weight gain side effects. At this rate I'm just not sure what's what. Scale was up 273 today...but I am SO unsurprised! I mean, there's only so many sweets and carbs and fats you can eat before those calories attack. So of course, I got Springfield Cashew Chicken and friend rice for lunch. For those not in the know, Springfield Missouri invented it's own Chinese food. Unlike the healthy stir-fried cashew chicken, Missouri's version is crispy fried chicken with a brown gravy and cashews. It' my favorite and I very seldom get it, but the only place around here (I'm NOT in Springfield - thank God) that serves it is the deli of the grocery store where I fill my prescriptions...and today where I picked up my drugs and bought my lunch.

I told husband it's his turn to come up with dinner and to make an attempt to make it somewhat healthy. That's my nod to weight loss right now. All I can do really is attempt to eat better and wait for the sickness to be over and the steroid weight (mostly water thank goodness) to go back down afterwards. Hopefully I won't gain much over the next 10 days of drugs.

LauriDawn and Lemon and Diane, I know this time of your makes us all struggle a bit, but sounds like you are hanging in there and doing well! Keep it up! And thank you for your well-wishes for my FIL.

Take care all. I'll be around on and off.

Lil: prednisone makes me eat sweets like I’m a millionaire. Good thing I’m not loaded w dough of the spending variety, but I about crawl the walls when I’m on either oral or lotion -sones. Not so much w eye drops. I send you willpower and good wishes to heal quickly. Who needs the crud? Get well my friend! I LOLd with your local delicacy - some days we just need to have something that’s special. I hope it was as enjoyable as you wrote on.

Laurie: sounds like your will is quite strong to keep up your success. I’m hopeful I get to that point. Some days are big struggles for me. Thank you for cheering us on.

Diane: you are moving! I’ll live vicariously in your exercise world this week. I’ve been finishing up decorating. Outside is done, inside I have a few more things to
Clean and set up. Then decorating is done and on to wrapping and cleaning and sewing in between it all.

AM: So far ok today. Managed to get to my 1045 hour with food, drinking water now - oh one could hope that the scale moves on down tomorrow. This weekend I am home w no travels, so I’m HOPEFUL the scale will be ok going into next week. But I’ll work on it day by day. Keep the picture window small and focused. 26 days to the end of the challenge right? Well I just will keep my head down and see what happens but I’d be ecstatic if I actually found a 10 type number! Ok focus lemon!

So my best to you all. Off to get this project I’m taking a break on done before my little one awakes. It’s going as it’s going.

Happy afternoon all!

30 pounds down!

227.0

I think 224 is the lowest I’ve been since having my first babe. So that’s my mini goal, it is to get below that. That will have been 9 years in the making. I was reading one other gal on the forum just got below her whole adult low so I understand completely how she feels once a goal like that is met you want to jump up and down and keep it moving. In my instance it’s a number I sat at for a while and then lost from before I got married. So maybe I’ll use these odd increments as mini goals to hit. Pre baby was 210, week after deliveries 242 (I was consistent) cancer was 222, wedding was 180, college graduation/first job was 147, high school 135. As I said I’ve run the gammit in my adult life. So still lots of work to do but maybe new challenges ahead for myself. And the other thing was at my lowest adult weight I was still a size 11/12. I still don’t understand women who are my size that are able to drop to a 4/6. However, when and if that bridge comes I’ll deal with it then.

Otherwise the IF I think has been helping me. I know I slide a bit back and forth depending on what I’m doing but in general I think it’s working. At least the scale seems to move whereas w calorie watching it stalled. So if I can get to 219 by year end I’m doing ok.

So all - have a good start to your day! Find something you enjoy and treat yourself if you can without disturbing your numbers. May you all who are feeling sickly feel lots better, and may the sun shine on everyone’s nose. Yes, I’m Pollyanna this morning. Some days you just need to smile at nonsense.

Happy day all- you can do this!