I am going to be away for a few days. I will miss you guys.
my children and I are going to Chicago for American Idol auditions. This should be a fun trip. It is very casual, no real plans, so no idea where we are staying or eating. I am going to try and be good. So, I'll check in with you upon return.

Hello,

My weekend had been filled with food--but there are a lot of good for me things I can choose from and I've been trying to stick to those and when I don't I'm doing small choices on those kind of things.

Mindy: Your trip sounds exciting....who in your family is trying out of Idol?
I know you can stay on plan! We will be looking forward to your return.

Ward: I would say you rocked the workouts! That flat stomach is going to be yours!! Keep it up.

Mindy: Thanks for the idea of the calorie cycling and also the formula for how many calories I should be eating every day. I'm going to give both of those things a try.

I'll see you all tomorrow.

Hello! Where is everyone? I know that Mindy is in Chicago...Ward...Kelly...are you guys out there?

I had a BAD day yesterday with food. I just let that gain on Thursday get to me. I'm in a better frame of mind today and will be moving forward from here on out.

I'm washing windows today. Tomorrow I go back to work...got to get busy Talk to you all later.

Susie, I had a bad food day on Sunday. Let's just get back down to business, ok?

Workouts have been good - 8 mi run on Sunday, Group Ride/Group Power on Monday, Group Ride + 50 min elliptical today. Eating was back on plan yesterday and today.

See you tomorrow.

They didn't get in. Comp on the fritz. Using DD's. Weight stayed the same while gone. Get back with you later.

Hi,

I'm feeling pretty steady and back on plan. It's been 3 days of that now....one day at a time right?

I am having lunch with a friend today instead of going to Zumba. I hate to miss Zumba but this is the only time that I could get together with this friend. I do have Belly Dancing and Yoga tonight and there is a 30 min time slot between so I'll hit the elliptical.

Ward: I'm right here with you, getting back down to business. Thanks for pulling me along with you!

Mindy: I'm sorry to hear they didn't get chosen...but I'm glad to hear that your weight stayed the same.

Kelly: How are you doing? It's been a couple of days since you were here....

I just seem to be maintaining right now. I guess that is okay. I kind of expect a gain, but would be happy without one. Tom will be arriving around the 5th, so I'll wait until then to see what happens. It is harder to work out these days because it has been so friggin hot. Walked 3 miles last night and thought I would die.

Susie- Good job staying on track. Good luck with weigh-in.

Ward-Keep rockin that gym

Hi--Quick check-in. I'm on track with food and exercise.
I am not weighing in tonight due to another appointment--I need to get my hair done--got to look good all over!

Mindy: Maintaining is good...just think of this as practice for when you meet your goal!

Hi everyone. I am doing pretty well. My husband and I are still rockin the workouts, now I just need to get my food more under control. I am not binging, just not keeping track. I did keep track today, though. I'm maintaining through this even though my husband has lost almost 15 pounds in the last three weeks working out with me. While I am happy for him, why the h**l is it so easy for men to lose weight and so difficult for women? Frustrating sometimes.

Susie--Keep up the good workouts!

Ward--You too!

Mindy--You too! Just remember, maintaining is better than gaining.

See you all later.

Wow! That is just not fair.

Everyone seems to be having a good week - we are overcoming our challenges and keeping at it!

My eating is on plan and I have had good workouts. Yesterday I did the Ride/Power combo and today I ran 4.25 (45 min) and also did Group Ride. We went swimming, too.

I had a bit of a stressful day yesterday but everything turned out just fine. My Mom had ovarian cancer a few years back, and her mother had breast cancer. So she jumped through some insurance hoops and had genetic screening done. I went to see the genetic counselor with her yesterday and she tested negative for BRCA1&2 mutations. If she had tested positive, I would have been tested next, and if I tested positive too, I would have had to have my ovaries removed. So, a big sigh of relief all around!

See you guys tomorrow!

Hi!

I had some time last night between leaving work and getting to my salon appointment, so I decided to run by and run into my TOPS meeting and weigh. I told myself good or bad I needed to know. I had a .75 loss. I'm happy and mad all at the same time I'm happy that I had a loss...I didn't just go crazy this week but I also didn't work as hard as the week before. So..I"ll just keep at this and one day I'll figure our the formula that really works for me.

Ward: That is GREAT news for both you and your mom. Hopefully with that added stress gone it will be easire to focus for you and not worry about those kinds of things. I think you are amazing that you stayed on plan through all of that!

Kelly: I think I might kill your husband! lol. I"ve been trying since Jan 8 to loose 15 lbs and he did it in 3 weeks! Being a woman is the hardest things ever..there is no way our men could handle one day being us! Glad to hear that you are on plan with the exercise and that you are getting back to writting down the food. I remember when it was hard for you to committ to the exercise..look how well you are doing.

Mindy: How's it going?

I have not been loggin food lately. Yesterday we had a party for DD bday and I went out to lunch with Kelly. I am up a bit today, 186. Not bad. All I did yesterdy was walk 2.2 miles.

I have a cold, it sucks. My comp. is still out and yesterday my fridge puked. Can't get a new one until Wed. Looks like I will be eating take out type meals for a while.

Girls- So glad to hear you are all on plan and doing your thing. I agree whole heartedly.......it is tough to be a woman. Keep it going!!!

Hi,

So...tonight we are having friends over and we are having a icecream social. I am telling myself that the focus in more on the social than the ice cream. I will have just one dip!

Mindy: I need to get back to logging my food. I know that I get in trouble in a hurry if I don't do it. I'm sorry to hear that you are having so many problems with appliances!

Ward and Kelly: How's the weekend going?

I'm looking forward to my regualr workouts this week. I think it's good to take a break every once in awhile to renew and then get back to it.

I'll see you all tomorrow.

Doing ok. Up on the scale two days in a row. Not really surprised today since I had an "I don't care" day yesterday. Went to the car races with Mindy, my husband and some of his friends from work last night. Very loud, dirty, and easy to eat too much crap. But, fun in a crazy sort of way. Workouts are on plan.

Mindy--Hope that computer and fridge hurry up and make your life easier.

Susie--Keep your eye on the prize, not on the ice cream! Have a little, but don't go overboard.

Ward--Hope you are doing well.

Hi,
I see no one made it yesterday. I'm assuming that Mindy's computer is still out of service.

I did very well with the ice cream social on Sunday...not so well with the leftover ice cream last night....I ask myself again and again why I sabatoge myself. If I could figure that out it would be great and I know I would make progress. I WILL not give up..did you hear that cravings...I WILL NOT give up!

Kelly: We all do a "I don't care day" every once in awhile--I hope you are back on track and will see those scales going down.

Mindy & Ward: I hope the two of you are doing well and that we will hear from you soon.