WOW! You guys have been a busy bunch this weekend! That is great!!!
I'm not on as much on the weekends because we are always running around doing stuff. I will take some timeto go back and read everyone's posts later tonight. I just wanted to pop in and say hey so you guys didn't think I forgot about you!

Awesome workout yesterday. I thought I would be wiped out for the rest of the day, but actually I was fairly energized. Now today...this chick is taking it easy!! (If you can call several loads of filthy laundry because we live on a creek...and I have two boys plus one friend who spent the night....relaxing )

Yesterday:
Full body class: I love the energy of a class. It was a full body class working the shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, legs, abs and all the muscles in between for an hour. I found some of it difficult (WALKING push ups anyone?) and some too easy. Some of what they're doing I'm up to 15 lb weights on at 20 reps and these weights only went up to 7.5. Next time I think I'll bring in my own weights.

Then I ran! I alternated 4:00 minute runs and 2:00 walks for an hour and covered 4.2 miles. My best endurance run yet!

This coming week I am anticipating great things. School ends for me on Tuesday but my kids district is still on for another two weeks! So I get to hit the gym hard, hard, hard and then come home and NAP!! LOL! I'm going to need it with the intensity I'm planning. I'm planning three hours at the gym from 5:30 AM until 8:30.

This weight is coming off this summer!! I want to wow everyone after the Summer break!

That sounds AMAZING!

Me either....I have found a yummy chocolate slim-fast shake (but I buy the walmart equate version) its only 180 calories and has protien and other vitamins and such....really good and fairly filling....gets me through till my morning snack. I don't have one every morning...but on days that I am presse for time its really easy to grab and go.

WOW! Go you

Dang ya'll are all stompin my booty on the working out stuff!

Hey everyone Well I have had a great weekend! I hope everyone else has too. I'm telling you guys...there is something to be said for pampering yourself and getting all done up. I went and got a pedicure last Thursday and bought some new make up. Since then....I have been getting up and getting ready in the morning....and something about feeling like I look good keeps me on track!

I'm scheduled to go get my hair highlighted and cut and my nails done on Tuesday...so hopefully this will help even more.

I have decided to set three goals for this week....

#1. Only eat out once this week.
#2. Stick to 1500 calories a day or less (plan food at least one day in advance)
#3. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day

I am thinking this is going to be super duper easy cause I can get in 30 minutes of exercise a day just by playing my wii...and man the things I can eat for 1500 calories a day.

Tomorrow's food plan

Breakfast - Bacon sandwich and juice
Snack - Yogurt
Lunch - Grilled chicken salad from Mickey D's
Snack - 1/2 turkey sandwich w/ 1/2 oz chips
Dinner - Shrimp alfredo - YUMMY!

Aleks--Ack!! I hate shin splints!!! (I had them occasionally when I used to do Jazzercise, about 15 years ago!)

Melissa--Are you sure that's all you're going to eat? I would try subbing in some less calorie dense foods so I got to eat more!

This is a great group!! I'm so glad I joined this challenge.

Hey guys I just got back from my workout couple of hours ago and I been working out since last year of September and my legs just always feel like they need to be stretched out and it's like I cannot lay down in one position without trying to move my legs around to feel comfortable. Maybe it is because all my workouts are based around using my legs for example the elliptical machine, the bike, and the treadmill. I might have overused my leg muscles and their trying to tell me that their tired out. Anyone else feel like this? Like your legs just feel so restless and there is an actual condition called restless leg syndrome but I don't think I have that because it has not gotten that bad.

Melissa, I agree with FCmonroe. I eat a lot more than that for 1200 calories.

Cheerios, I work my legs hard six days a week either cycling, running or lifting. They get a rest one day a week. I feel like I'm giving them a good stretch just straightening them out in bed. Is that what you mean? To me, that feels really good. Today my legs are sore because I worked them extra hard Thursday and then again too quickly on Saturday. But ordinarily, they recover pretty quickly. But I almost always feel that stretch in bed.

I had an awesome workout this morning in cycle class. Our Monday instructor is just insane! Tons of running on our feet, which is still hard for me. My legs burn!!

Hey everyone...I hope you don't mind if I jump in here! A little late, but I hope I can still join.

- I'm Corinne, newly a mommy. I got down to 190 before getting pregnant in September, and reached 228 by the time I delivered my baby boy.

- My plan is to calorie count/shift. I plan to eat 1500-1800 calories per day, at least 60oz of water daily, and as for exercise I am going to gradually step into it. Right now I am going to recommit to my calorie counting, then start walking 30 minutes, and then incorporate light exercise since I still have about 4 weeks until I get the clear to exercise again (doctor's orders).

- I plan to weigh in every Monday, officially, though I am a daily weigher.

- My goal is to lose 2lbs a week. Since I am starting almost a week behind, this is equal to about 28lbs. My finishing weight, I hope to be, is 185lbs.

SW: 213.7
GW: 185

Hi Corinne! Glad to having another person on board.

Oh man... it was a long weekend, and it happened to fall on my weekend off. ( I work every other sat and sun) Also, today was my DD's bday. I pretty much threw all caution to the wind..granted I didn't eat and eat and eat..I just went to old habits...eating what I wanted when i felt like it.

I really hope this doesn't set me back too far...but tomorrow morning, I'm back to it and everything... I'm saying tomorrow since I am not eating anything else today. lol

Good for you Aleks, getting right back on is so important!

Awe, Aleks! I hope today is definitely on plan for you. Next time maybe have a plan heading into a dreaded long weekend....like Memorial Day coming up. There always seems to be something and we can't just eat like that for every special event. My preference is to make sure I'm not snacking, and serve myself tiny portions of everything I want. So half a hamburger, 1 Tbsp of baked beans, and ear of corn without butter or salt...that kind of thing.

Great workout today! Today almost begins my new workout schedule. I had two hours at the gym and I spent it running a 5K without walking, lifting for biceps and triceps, and then the elliptical, 2miles.

Howdy, girls! I'd love to join you, if that's okay - the September timing is perfect for me - I'd like to be at goal (or at least goal for now) by Labor Day. I'll give you a quick version of my blurb:

- I lost around 25lbs last summer and a few more since then but have recently stalled out and have seen a few pounds come back (I stubbornly refuse to increase my ticker though so my five pounds lost won't be budging that thing).
- I calorie count (goal is 1400-1500/day but have had too many treats lately, call it a quasi-maintenance break) and go running a few times a week, walking a few times and zumba twice a week. I track my food on thedailyplate.com.
- I know exactly what I have to do (eat clean, no late night munching, minimal treats) to get this off - I've just been lazy and self-indulgent about it lately. I've re-read some inspiration posts (rocknrobin is a goddess in my opinion ) and I'm back in the game. No more thinking about what I 'feel' like doing - I'm going to stick to what I need to do.
- I want to lose around 20lbs this summer to be at goal by labor day so that's around 2lbs/wk roughly.

SW: 170
GW: 150

Can't wait to get to know you girls better and for all of us to be celebrating our successes at the end of the summer!

eliana - 2 hrs at the gym! You are a workout goddess

wormwood - congrats on your baby boy - good for you for starting slowly with exercise.

mcK - love your non-food rewards strategies! I'm going to try to give myself those kind of treats (massages, mani/pedi, spray tan, etc) for sticking to plan this summer. Maybe we can trade ideas Thanks for getting this thread started!

Off for a lunch-time run....


aleks - how's the first day back on the wagon going? Good for you for turning things around so quickly.

ALRIGH! I'M READY FOR THIS!!!

1. I'm 19 years old, and I've always been overweight. My weight used to fluctuate a lot, which contributed to my anxiety and embarrassment, since every time it spiked up, I felt like walking off the face of the planet. I still am very sensitive about my weight, but I'm learning to take any changes in my body in stride, and accept baby steps as the way to go. This past year, I've stayed around 140-150 lbs, which I am really proud of. In the past, I would go up to 170 lbs. I've always been radical about weight loss, which I need to change.

2. My plan is to eat less and eat healthier. To specify, I won't consume any: candy, sugary drinks like soda, salty, fattening snacks, fatty sauces or dressings, or fatal desserts like cheesecake. Because I do have a bit of a sugar craving, I will seek out low-calorie and low-fat choices of snacks. To combat my binging tendency, I'll invest into individually packaged portions of snacks. Those things are expensive, but they are perfect for when you absolutely cannot resist revisiting a favorite snack. I will make sure that I never overeat, and wait 10 minutes after every reasonably sized meal for the feeling of fulness. I will exercise 6 days out of 7, doing at least yoga. The exercises I do take at the most 30 minutes a day, and so I'll only let myself skip out if circumstances are against me. I will increase my exercise time by going to the supermarket and otehr places by foot, whenever I get the chance.

3. I will weight in once a week. There might be times when I won't have access to a scale, in which case I'll do it as soon as I can. I'm around 140 now, and I want to be 130, maybe as low as 125 by the end of the summer. I am small-boned, and have small hands. I can feel the excess fat weighing me down every day. So. Goal WEIGHT LOSS -- 15 pounds.

4. I am working hard on my attitude right now. I have to go easier on myself, since in the past, I would be the one to discourage my own progress, saying things like "You'll never reach it." But I will. Oh, I will.

5. If I do something wrong that's beyond my control, I'll try to let it go and do things right the next day. If I am the one to blame for a setback, I'll promise myself that I'll work on myself so that I don't do it again.

6. So... let's get REAL!! I am prepared to have ups and downs, and know that in the end, the weight's gonna come off. It HAS to, if I am patient and optimistic!

I'm not sure what kind of weight is the best fit for me. It is VERY exciting for me to imagine that for THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I might have the body I've always wanted. A lighter, fitter body that responds better to my needs and that I will take care of properly. It is truly a wonderful goal to have. A goal that I will reach soon enough.

Here I go! Best of luck to everyone! I hope you all have a great summer!!

to this thread WormwoodDoll, dancerindenver, and thewildcat!

Eliana- It does feel good when I stretch my leg out in bed, but I think my legs are just being weird and I never use to cross my leg when I sit down but now I always catch myself always having to cross my leg just to feel that stretch and it feels good!

Aleks- Good job on starting again! I fell off track yesterday and ate 3 cinnabons, ice-cream and chips! all that was like over my limit of what I should of ate in a day! each cinnabon was 480calories I know what my goal is and I want to reach my goal really badly so I know what I need to do! These stupid downfalls won't keep me down! Let's keep going strong even if we mess up a day