wow ....ghost town huh ? haha ...Hope you are all doing okay ...have a great weekend !!!

Hi! I survived the work week and had a .75 lb loss at TOPS. I have lost one of the .75 lbs I gained so next week I want to get that .75 ld off and 1 more lb so I can be at my average of 1 lb a month. If I loose more than that a month I am happy but right now, until I can totally focus on the weight-loss and get myself to the gym more than a couple days a week I am ok with that average.

I feel I should have things in place by March 1st to get start getting to the gym more consistantly. I'm shooting for more before then but I know with closing my old role at work out and starting my new role at work that it will not be consistant.

What can be consistant is staying in my calorie range. So I will start reporting that daily again. Keep me honest ladies!

Carri: Sorry to hear that TOM arrived. Thank goodness you only do it every 3 months huh? Be strong with those cravings and give yourself more protein..you need it anyway at this time and it will keep that hungry feeling away.

Cherrypie: Good for you for finding the area where you are struggling and focusing on that. I would recommend that if you do snack, or want to, add up the calories and see how many extra ones you got invested in that snack before hand.

Carri & Cheery Pie: I know how it feels to just "want something" and they say we should eat every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugar even and keep the metabolism going. I've been snacking on try ceral like Oat bran or Quaker Oats. I feel the exta fiber is a "good" thing for me. Just besure if you increase your fiber you increase your water (which is also good for you) or you end up with "concreate"

K-Fy: Applause for you for getting back on track and for real?! Keep it up.

Arabella: We are looking for you. Miss you!

Dee: It was good to see your post the other day, and I got your email. Hope to see you here again soon. I got my new TOPS News in the mail today...did you get yours?

Liz: How are things going in "Maintence Land". We always love to see you here. Miss you!

Auntie G and Mel: I'm about to send out a search party. Where are you guys?

Visionary: I think I saw you pop in a while back..hope to see you again soon.

I better get back to cleaning the house, then going to the grocery with my DH...and he said we would eat dinner out--I'm thinking Bob Evans.

Hope everyone is doing well.

i totally thought that said applesauce...

Morning girls, hope you all had a good weekend, I did have some regular soda so wasnt so good but hey

Dee - I won't do diet soda because I wont do anything with artificial sweetner in it ...long story about why...but I just don't have it ....but I do drink a TON of water all day long at work and if I have a soda I am really only having one in the evening...in the summer I always have a pitcher of water infused with lemon or lime, love that ...and yes you are right soda is better than all of the things you mentioned, hahaha...I also like to make a lot of things ahead and portion it out, makes it so much easier for me because if it is going to be hard I wont do it, especially after a long day at work....

Susie - TOM is over thank God as of yesterday...and now I am free of it for three whole months...gotta love modern medicine, haha ....I too like to snack on cereal at work...because I do just sometimes want something...I do try and have something substantial though every three to four hours ...keeps me going.

Hi to Liz, Mel, Arabella, Auntie G, Visionary, Cherry Pie and K-Fy ( is there something else we can call you? haha )

Hope you all have a great day !!! I know it is hard because it is Monday, but try

Carri

satine - you can call me mandy. it's my name and much easier :P (it's up there under my screen name if you forget!)

Hi everyone !!! And thanks Mandy that is easier ...haha ...hope everyone is having a good morning...so far I am ...I got a really good night of sleep last night and that has made all the difference, feeling good...actually shaved my legs last night too, haha ...I have a hard time doing it in the winter because I normally who think "who is gonna see them?" but I think dh was getting sick of seeing them, so I caved and shaved lol

this is just a drive by post ...hello to all !!!!

Carri

morning everyone!

today is my first weigh in in MONTHS (aside from a quick peek on a random bathroom scale a couple weeks ago) and i'm crazy nervous. i know it's gonna be a huge regain and i don't want to see it

i've got all my spread sheets at the ready to keep track of my weight and measurements and i'm seriously excited about getting back on track. i get the feeling i'm going to have to work crazy hard to see onederland by my birthday in october. it's 8 months. and i think i'll have to lose between 8 and 10 pounds per month to make that happen. i'd like to hit that goal by my birthday simply because i know in the months after my birthday through new years it will be a food fest free for all. i'm hoping i handle it better than i did in 2011. yikes.

Morning everyone ....really quiet in here lately, hope all are okay ...

Mandy - so how did the weigh in end up going? I also would like to lose 8-10 pds a month...I will be going on vacation in Sept to see friends so I would LOVE to have off 50-60 pds by then ...would be wonderful. Yeah unfortunately for me the holidays thru New Years is usually a free for all with food too ...gonna try and be better in 2012 but we will see

Not too much is going on with me ...trying to make my grocery list for next week...getting sick of lunch meat sandwiches and baked chips for lunches here at work ...seem to need more protein ...might switch out the chips for cottage cheese and maybe the bread with a higher protein ( lower carb ) wrap...gotta re-tool my menu ...my main snack staple is this spicy hummus I buy at Kroger...it is SOOOOOOO good ...I love spicy things...I make my salsa super hot too ...

Well hope you all have a great day, miss you guys.

Carri

also forgot to ask did anyone watch My 600 Pound Life last night on TLC ? Very interesting ...definitely made me feel better about myself or a while

I feel like the "groundhog" peaking my head out! But I'm finally here!

This week has kicked my butt. I have been helping my brother out for about 4-5 hours after work with his boys as his partner is traveling this week and that left him at home alone with a 2 yr old a 10 months old and a Great Dane.

I finished my "babysitting" last night, I have my replacement at work executing the daily jobs in my old role and I've just about got things and a system set up for part of my new role.

It feels good to see a little "light" at the end of this transition tunnel. I feel like I can now get back to me!

I have no idea what those scales will look like tonight at TOPS.

Carri: I didn't get to watch that show last night and forgot to DVR it. I'll have to see if I can find it online.
I haven't watched Biggest Loser for this week yet. I plan on catching up on it tomorrow night.

I like your lunch time swap idea with the cottage cheese.

Mandy: How did it go at the scales?

Both of you have special dates in the fall of the year that you want to show significant weight-loss for and so do I. We have a wedding to attend in PA in October and I would love to have 30-40 lbs off by then. So, let's keep these Fall dates on each others radars and keep one another on track.

I think I will add a ticker for mine.

It's good to be back with you guys and I hope we hear from the others soon!

heh the weigh in was worse than i thought it would be. i gained exactly 30 pounds from october through january. which is always a bad time for me. it starts with my birthday celebration, then halloween, then thanksgiving, then christmas and new years, then NFL play offs and the superbowl... (football is big in my family) and all of the church and campus events and travel that go along with the holidays. it's a wonder i didn't gain it all back! (i gotta hold on to somethin, since my net loss is now 23 pounds instead of 53 pounds)

if i want to lose 76.6 pounds (to get me to 199.9) by my birthday, i have 36 weeks (ish) to do it. which means a little over 2 pounds per week. (2.12 actually) and i know that's really super ambitious but i know it will come off faster than that in the beginning. which means it can come off a little slower than that at the end. I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN! heh. and if not, and i only lose 60 or so pounds... hey, i will still have lost 60 pounds by my birthday. i can't think of a better present to myself

Morning Girls, TGIF !!!!! I want to relax this weekend …of course I will probably be staying close to home base all weekend because of the superbowl here in Indy…crowds will be crazy …I made reservations at a steak house we like to eat at on Sat and they could only get us in at 3:00 …so late lunch I guess …places are crazy busy around here right now …good thing I am north of all the real craziness…don’t know who I am rooting for …I guess I would say the Giants …because of Eli Manning being the brother of our Peyton…haha …so GO GIANTS !!! We will watch the Superbowl and probably just make wings at home with celery and blue cheese …something we can both have and by making them at home I can control my portion and calories …and also gotta watch because I am a huge Madonna fan ( don’t know if I have ever shared that or not ) …so gotta see her at the half time show!!

Mandy – I hear ya …I gained 20 pds between Halloween and New Years …usually always happens, nasty cycle …so right now I am at 236 …and I want to lose 8-10 a month to get to at least 50 pds lost , to get under 190 before we go …preferably I would like to be under 180 but we will see how it goes …I know we can both do it if we put our minds to it …who is more powerful ? Us or food? We run our lives, not food !!

Susan – great to hear from you again, haha …yes please find that show on TLC and watch it …apparently it is a 4 week series, so on again next week with a new person…it was truly eye opening…her visit to the grocery store in the beginning brought tears to my eyes for her …people are so cruel sometimes…and yes I LOVE cottage cheese, I like to top a serving of it with a tablespoon of sunflower seeds …give me some crunch for texture and some extra protein…tastes great too …

I probably won’t hop on here this weekend so hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy the Superbowl if you are watching. See ya !!

Carri

Spending the weekend quietly. My DH can't believe we aren't going to or attending a Super Bowl party. We will watch the game at home, or rather DH will watch the game and I will watch the commericals and the half-time show.

Mandy: You can so make that goal and like you said..if you get to 60 lbs or 50 or even 40 by your birthday..it's still a great present to yourself.

Carri: You can make your goal...get tough and do it! I will be looking forward to the Madonna half-time show as well. I will share that I even had a black lacy glove and wore it to clubs when I was out dancing in my 20's!

Ladies, I have a big fat 1 lb GAIN on Thursday night....wake up call for me. I need some tough love here.

Hi Liz, Dee, Visonary, Auntie G and Arabella! You are missed.

Mel you are missed to...I KNOW you are on the computer..so come and visit us.

Oh ladies too much to catch up on, so a hello and how are you all doing post from me!!

Susie - I'm sure you saw my post on facebook but thinking of you!!

Things are going well here, I took the day off yesterday and Jacob and I went swimming - so much fun and he's getting so good! He had his 4th birthday Jan 13th and I am so impressed by my little guy and how fearless he is with doing lots of stuff - he is very physical and loves to be active, so we definitely want to nurture that! Honestly there is usually at least a moment everyday, especially with him running circles around me, that I am so thankful that I lost weight, I have no idea how I would keep up with him otherwise!

We also had Katie's 2nd birthday so lots of partying last month! I can't believe they're 4 and 2 now - time flies. Sigh. Other than that maintenance is going well, I've very consistently been floating arond 133-135 which I am very happy with. Still counting and weighing daily!

Hope everybody is doing well!