Well ladies, I'm bummed. Went to the doctor today and he said that I pulled a muscle in my back. To make matters worse? I can't even do stretching exercises for at least 3 more days to give my back some rest. I'm totally pissed. I asked if there was something I can do to prevent it (figuring he would say "lose weight") but he said just to be more mindful of how I move. Since Madeline is now 30 pounds, I can't bend and pick her up like I have since she was born, I need to lift with my legs (I know...we're all told that, but with kids, how many of us actually do that?). So, as I was thinking about it, I was bending and picking up Maddie a lot and then twisting to put her in the car seat...so that's what did it. I'm on a medication that makes me drowsy and dizzy, so I really can't do much. Guess it's strict calorie counting this week.

Good night ladies, my dizzy and drowsy head is begging for a pillow. I don't remember the last time I went to bed this early...maybe when I was pregnant? LOL Good luck with the late night munchies! Don't give in!!

Munchie victims - I am sure you are all fast asleep by now! Hopefully not dreaming of chocolate cupcake with sprinkles but more of a bikini with colored sprinkles lol. Poor subsitute I know

I had a reasonably good day, peetered out at about 430 though and actually came home and napped. Big mistake. When I nap, I sleep and now I am wide awake at 1130PM. I can't just sleep for 20 min, I can never make myself stay awake. So I need to find something active to do, like go for a walk or something to get my 2nd wind. I know this week will be hard with getting back to the gym early but I have to push myself through it. Ate well, although didn't eat dinner, I just had a banana and not hungry at this ungodly hour!

Vicky - that sucks - so frustrating too when you get into a groove and then an injury sidelines it. Sounds like you have established what the issue might be though so at least you can prevent it in the future!

Dance- I am on my 2nd 35th birthday Sometimes I can't believe I am 37. I wish I had not spent so much time in my 30's being unhealthy. But at least for the rest of my 30's and forever more I will be healthy. Can't turn back time I suppose, only make changes for the future.

Neesy - I have always been facinated by nursing - I envy you. I never went into it because I had bad grades in science and can't handle the sight of blood or bodily fluids of any type. I have to close my eyes when I even see my own Makes going the bathroom sometimes a unique experience (TMI I know).

Sandy - good on you for getting outside in the oven. When we had a heat wave here last week I was so miserable. I hate being hot and humid. It's raining here today and although I have frizzy hair I am quite enjoying it. I actually went to the gym a few times to get air conditioning. Here in Vancouver, it's not that hot usually so no one has air in their homes really.

I hope I didn't miss anyone, I wish I could go back and see posts without losing this one. Well I should be off to bed now. 5am comes early!

Maddiemom- ugh...what a bummer about your back. Hmmmm...is it possible this could be a good thing? I know its always hard to get back in a routine but it could be a good kick start on your metabolism.

Stacie- I am exactly like you when it comes to napping. I cant just take a 20 minutes snooze, its more like a 2 hour snooze. And I ALWAYS wake up cranky. So now I try not to nap ever. Even on the weekends because it does not do me any good. p.s.-how dare you put the vision of a chocolate cupcake with sprinkles in my head, lol. Then I did a quick reality check on the bathingsuit dream and I was ok. I steered clear of my first "munchie" craving last night in months, I slept it off...whew....that was a close one.

Ok, so my whole plan was to weigh in once a week but with last weeks snafu of gaining, I did not want that to happen again, even if I had to "tweak" my diet day by day, I am destined to lose something...anything...I mean seriously, if I have to amputate a limb to see a couple of pounds, that is very debatable, lol. I did spinning again today, tomorrow morning I am going to do absplus and thursday is weights for my arms, friday is weights for my legs. Not to mention 30ds everyday, of course. I didnt run today because I have mild pain in my shins; I am trying to take it easy when I get that pain because last time I pushed myself I got shin splints (ouchie). So, I was a speed walking demon, lol. Now, calories...I consumed 1500 calories yesterday, which fell under my 1800 goal...crap. But I have a plan for today, I planned all my calories out already so that I can get to 1800.

Hi Ladies

Browneyed - You are hilarious sometimes......... I am envious of the cooler weather and not having to have air conditioning in home........wow....sounds really nice. Cupcakes with sprinkles huh? Really sounds good right now........

Lindy - It does appear you may kick everyones a** this week! Woman on a mission can be quite dangerous! LOL...........

Neesy - Hope work was good today, and you were able to sleep better last night!

Maddiesmom - Really sorry for the pain you are going through right now. When you are up and about think how quickly the weight will drop from the boost of movement! That will really kick your metabolism in! LOL........Hope you feel better soon.

Lindy - My late night munchies are surprisingly gone now. I have a small piece of dark chocolate around 8pm and I am good for the night. Thank goodness!

Well I have had a headache since yesterday and it just sucks. I hate going to bed with a headache and it is still there when you wake up - even though you took aspirin - must be hormones........ugh. So I am not working out this morning, as that will just enhance it. My plan is to swim later today and hopefully it will be somewhat better by then. If not, the swim will help me relax.

Check in later.

Morning, girls!
Maddiesmom - so sorry to hear the news on your back - what a bummer. Seems like these kinds of things always happen when we're getting on a roll, trying to make things better. Concentrating on making good food choices sounds like a great idea. Hang in there!

Staccie - poor you, up all night! That's so tough! I'm the same way with napping - love the idea, hate the late night consequences. Hope you were able to get some sleep afterall!

Lindy - you are the workout queen! Good for you! On the shinsplints, if they're the kind that run along the outside edge of your shinbone (as opposed to the inner edge), make sure you do a bunch of calf stretches before you run, the kind where you stand on the edge of a stair and let your heels drop below the level of the stair (did that make sense at all?). My old physical therapist for shinsplints had me do that and it helped a lot.

I'm still kind of surprised to see the new numbers on the scale - anyone else feel this way?

Mygrits- sorry to hear about the headache thing... I NEVER get headaches, its the weirdest thing. I mean, I wouldnt say never but probably twice a year. I wonder what triggers them? Anyway, its probably best you didnt go out today, I went for my morning run/walk (but just walked today) and it was already 92 at 7 a.m.! That is insane. And the weather man said it is going feel like 108. I hate August in Florida. It is definately worst than June or July in my opinion.

I am extra hungry today, so I threw in a sweet and salty almond bar. For lunch I am doing grilled zucchini, 20 medium shrimp and 1/2 cup of black beans. That should cover me for my calories range. Dinner is chicken with steamed veggies and maybe a side salad. Whats everyone else doing today?

OH - Dance, I saw your post after I posted mine, so Im editing. Yes...makes total sense. My neighbor told me about those stretches too, I stretch but I think I need to incorporate more of that kinda stretch because that is the exact area where Im feeling the discomfort. THANK YOU!

mygrits - hope that headache goes away! Have you tried having a drink with caffeine to see if that helps? <<waves of headaches sympathy sent in your direction from a fellow sufferer>>

Lindy - since it sounds like we have the same kind of shinsplints, the other thing to try is to do a weird exercise where you stand with your back against the wall and raise your toes/front part of your foot up off the ground and bring it back down again. I do 50 footraises before I run each time and apparently that strengthens the funny shaped muscle that runs down the front of your shins and gets it stronger to match your calves and help prevent shinsplints.

Off for my own run - got to make some progress this week!!

Hi Dance & Lindy (posts on here since I posted last)

Thanks for the well-wishes with the headache. Lindy I get them quite often and they seem to be triggered from imbalanced hormones, and if not that then sinus headache which really sucks because they last for days.......Ugh. This one is sinus, since I did take aspirin a couple of times yesterday and it didn't work and today my left nostril isn't open (breathing freely). I'll just have to go forward and deal with it I guess. It does knock me down though.

Lindy, Sorry about your shinsplints. I got them one time years ago and boy did it hurt. I don't know why I don't get them now with all the walking and jogging I do, however I do stretch every night and sometimes in the morning. I do the stretches that Dance wrote on here. I hope yours are better soon. 92!!! already - that early in the morning???? That really is insane. I hate August and even September. It is just sooo hot and humid. I think part of it too is we are anxious for some fall coolness and the holidays around the corner...

Dance what did you mean about the weight this morning? I must have missed someones post????? Yesterday I weighed a pound less than on weigh-in day, but today the pound was back this morning......go figure....Oh yes and i did try caffiene but it didn't work - thanks for the suggestion though.

mygrits - Sorry - didn't mean to be confusing with my earlier comment. Just meant that I still thinking of myself as weighing far more than I do now and when I try to remember how much I weigh, it takes me a while to remember where I am now so that's what I meant by 'getting used to the new numbers on the scale'. It was particularly on my mind I guess since we just did the roundup on how much everyone's lost so far. Are all of you used to your "new" weights? Or does it take you by surprise sometimes?

Dance - um, no...I can honestly say my weight does not take me by surprise. Now, what I do notice is...I tend to believe that I look skinnier than I really am. Dont get wrong I know I look A LOT better than before but when I look at certain pics, Im like...really, I still look like a hepher? lol. Anyway...

Hey! I've seen pictures of you and I'm here to tell you that you are one hot mama! Funny though how our self images get twisted one way or the other...

Hey Dance......ahhhh I get it now! I am like Lindy, my weight doesn't surprise me, what gets me is I am quite active or I should say busy, as I don't sit still much and I just feel small that I am. When I see a pic, it's like "Whoa Hessy! I'm still chunky!"

Well, I went for a swim and it did help my headache, but it is still faint letting me know it's there...............dang it.

Hope everyones day was good. Mine was, well except for a piece of Carrot Cake.......yeah I know, my daughter-in-law brought it home for us......Grrrrrrr. Hey, I thought it would help my head! LOL.........

I am beat. I worked 13hrs with no break. Not even a pee break. Which I always do. It was SO busy. It makes me feel like I can't do this much longer. It is sometimes mentally and physically draining. I can't image being a nurse for 30+ years. I cannot wait to get my masters. The more money you make, the less work you do. Go figure. I "coded" my patient for 2.5 hrs today. It was insane. And.. I have to do it all over again tomorrow. Don't get me wrong.. I like helping people and seeing people improve. But mostly, being in the ICU, they don't. ugh.

Anyway, I barely ate today.. which I know is bad. I just didn't have time. I ate before and after work. Which only put me at 900 calories for the day. I know I can't starve myself, but its so hard to eat when I'm doing CPR all day long.

Oh.. in other news, I got my first letter from my hubby. I balled my eyes out. I feel so bad. He says it feels like prison. I can't write him for a few more weeks until he gets placed in a unit (so that I can get an address).

Well.. off to bed. Goodnight girls. Thanks for letting me vent. I usually spill on my husband when I get home. So now you guys get the honor=)

Hi all - well for today - Sandy, Dance and Lindy hi to everyone else who is logging. I was so disappointed that I couldn't log in at lunch today but I had to finish my resume - I am thinking about going to London, England for the 2012 Olympics after I am done here. Not completely decided yet (or if I will even get hired) but it would be cool to live in UK for awhile - I would be 40 when I'm done and that's not old at all!!! I've never travelled much of anywhere so it would be great.

I was up so late last night due to my nap so I made myself stay up all day today and I couldn't work out this morning - but I am looking forward to going tomorrow!! I ate well today and stayed on track so that is good too. Work is crazy as **** but at least I am making time to eat and work out and that is important because it's only going to get crazier!

Lindy - I agree with Sandy you are a hot ticket for workouts this week - I bet you are losing inches like I am losing my mind somedays at work And you look great but I hear what you are saying - I can't wait until I don't have to position myself for pictures - like behind a tree or someone else and suck it in so my eyes look huge and I look constipated in my pictures!!

Sandy I am the headache queen - stress brings them on unfortunately. I am worried about all the advil I have been eating lately. And staring at a computer all day doesn't help either.

Dance - good exercises for shin splints! I have to keep those in mind.

Well I am off to bed at 8PM - looking forward to getting 8 hours of sleep. I have an appointment at the gym tomorrow woo hoo. It's my lower body day. I do 10 miles on the bike and then 7 sets of lower body exercises with weight and finish off with 10 min on the nasty *** stairmaster. I love training my lower body but I do hate squats - so I do them first! Tomorrow for food I have banana, Special K and shake in the morning, tuna sandwich and fat free jello (my savior) for lunch, grapes and almonds for snack and egg whites, tomato and onion mix for dinner - with chunky awesome salsa. My meals are not very luxurious - but they do ok for me. Some of the stuff you guys talk about on here makes my mouth water - I just have no patience or time and don't enjoy cooking anything. I hope that changes someday! I like baking but I end up with more on my face and on my *** than anything else so I try and stay away

Hope to log in tomorrow at lunch! Hope you are having great dreams so far tonight!!!

You can't say arse - except the three letter on here...is that now a swearword? LOL. So I am just going to say arse!

Neesy - sorry to hear about your busy day - kudos to people like you - I admire you. And I hear you on the missing out on food - it's so hard to eat when you are busy at work - and I am just busy keeping everyone happy, you are busy keeping people alive!

Night - arse out