310 Calories? Why do I tell myself "I know it's all sugar", yet I crave it anyway? Empty useless -- like you said "non" filling calories. Good point.

FYI - love the pictures! You look so adorable!

Great vacation pics! You look great!! I'm having another good day today, but by the skin of my teeth. I want a mini Reese's Cup right now so bad I could scream. Hopefully, that craving will ease up after the first week has past. I'm on day 4.

Glad to see you back 2BThin.

Yes! 310 calories of teeth destroying sugar!!! You can get thru this coke addiction and find something that is low-no calorie to replace it. You crave it anyways because it is sugar. I have found that the less sugar that I ate throughout my lifestyle change - the less I craved it - once you get it out of your system, you truly want less of it. And...the less sugary things that you thought were bland before...become much more flavorful....like right now...I'm having a Breakstone's Cottage Doubles - 130 calories, only 16 carbs, 11 grams of tummy filling protein - and I honestly feel like it is one of the sweetest items I eat.

Thanks for the photo comments - can't wait to see y'all up here!!!!

Beginme - you will get past the need for the chocolate - a package containing the standard 2 cups - has 230 calories - once again - not very filling (although quite sweet tooth fulfilling!) calories - and 13 grams of fat. For me - just not worth it during weight loss. Once in a blue moon it's okay to have 1 mini cup - but still, not very filling and you know you can't eat just one of those suckers!!! You'll get thru it - they say it takes 21 days to make something habit - so don't stress too much if you still have these cravings next week - you just have to get it out of your system!

I'm going to the gym and will attempt to beat my time of 37:44 for my 5K (3.1 miles)...I participate in the 3FC 5K's that EZMoney has been hosting - and I did 39 minutes for the 4th of July but ran my butt off last night to get to 37:44 - would ideally like to get down to under 36 minutes for the next one - August 1-3rd....I'd love to be considered athletic one day! A girl can dream, right???

Well, off to the gym...I'll let you know what I did once I get back
~A

Amanda ~ Great photos! I can't wait to see your official 'before' and 'after' photos when you post them, I find it so inspiring to see the difference that weightloss actually makes ... it's often hard to imagine in your mind that it really can make such a difference (to ourselves at least!) without seeing the hard evidence.

I agree that it's absolutely true about getting over the cravings for sugar (although I'm not over the chocolate ... yet!). I always used to have 2 teaspoons of sugar in tea/coffee, but gradually reduced this amount until I was having none at all ... now I can't even take a sip without thinking how sweet and sickly it tastes, and have to throw it away and make another cup. I've been 'sugar-less' in tea/coffee for a few years now

Yesterday's Food ......

Breakfast
Fromage Frais 99%ff

Lunch
4 Ryvita Crispbread
low fat spread cheese

Dinner
Chicken w/salad, jacket potato (w/grated cheese), lf mayo

Have another great day everyone!

HongKong - that doesn't look like very many calories for your day....how the heck did you get through the day????

I use splenda or stevia in my coffee and tea - i like both!

Tonights workout was:
ran 3.25 miles @ 5.5 miles/hour average - time was 38 minutes
lifted weights focusing on arms and legs for 40 minutes.

I worked out hard and have been in the mood to do so lately - it's just feeling really good and i'm trying really hard to get my fatty triceps to not jiggle so much - i pretty much hate that body part right now.

I'm hoping to wake up at 158lbs tomorrow....everyone keep your fingers crossed!

Amanda ~ Don't worry, I'm not going to wither away (chance would be fine thing!). Yesterday was very much a one off for me ... just had a very busy day and only managed to grab a pot of fromage frais for breakfast ... before I realised it, I'd missed lunch time completely so grabbed a few Ryvita crispbreads to keep me going until dinner. As I said, it was a one off, and on a normal day I don't struggle at all to get in my full quota of food!!

I'm really impressed with your workout routine ... I wish that I could become motivated to exercise more ... or rather, I should say, to exercise at all!! I'm hoping that as the scales go down I'll start to feel more like doing something

My fingers are crossed for the scales to show 158 on the scales for you in the morning!!

Well, I didn't do as well today. Managed to eat 2,100 calories. Yikes! Well, I'll be back on track tomorrow. Hope you ladies are having a better day.

HongKong - I understand about having off days where actually eating is difficult. I always try to keep something with a higher nutritional value around so I can grab and go -but even that can be difficult on those days. I know that there have been a good handful of days where I have gotten in less than 1000 calories - not good, but I surived!

Beginme - I've easily eaten 2100 plus calories - those are the days when I go out to eat - and I just plain don't bother to count my calories anymore on those days - however I always make up for them by doing a cleansing cycle of eating for myself - focusing on high fiber and lower sodium to get what usually shows up as a couple pounds of water weight out of my system!

Okay - off to get some stuff done. Have a good one

Amanda - congrats on your weight and your work out - I can't imagine the day when I would enjoy a work out. I do however remember even in my skinny days - I always thought my arms were jiggly.

A little news here - DH wants me to pay for WW. So I guess I will sign up. He said he thinks its a good idea since a friend of mine did it and I showed him her before and after photos - plus he finally met her in person. He said I should want that --I can't see paying the $$$ when I should be able to do it on my own, but apparently I can't.......so this week I'm off to my first WW meeting.

Other than that - slow weekend. We have company this weekend so not a lot getting done. Things will be back on track when they go home tomorrow.

Well, I had a much better day today!! Totally back on track.

Congrats on joining WW. It really is a great program. Glad you girls are doing well!

Okay it's Sunday night - I just went to the grocery - I did not buy any soda! I bought lots of water though. It was tough - but I walked right on by the soda.
I am also trying to skip my pill at night that leaves me hung over in the morning - which will prevent my craving for that McDonalds coke.
Tomorrow - will I wake up at 5:30 with my DH to get in an early walk before the kids wake up? I'll post and let you know!
Have a great week everyone!

Edit to add my planned menu -
I am doing slim fast for breakfast one day - then special K the next day.
I bought whole wheat bread with sandwich meat
Dinner - well - I'll post as they happen.
Also bought fruit. One apple a day and a banana on the next day / (alternating).
Still need to figure out my WW points.

Yippee for no soda!!!

I also had another good day today! The good ones are definitely outnumbering the bad ones and I'm really starting to feel like it will be good news when I step back on the scales on August 1 (I weigh the 1st of every month so I don't drive myself mad).

Beginme - good job on another good day - every single good day in a row will lead to much more and they will just get easier! I weigh every single day - I can't not do it - I may be scale addicted, but I also know what food effects my body and how. It's been very helpful for me!

2bthin - congrats on not buying soda! i know it was hard for you! also, big congrats on planning to get up and go for a walk with DH - I hope he can help you with your journey! I'm going to hope you get lots of good sleep tonight. I know how rough it can be. Can't wait to hear from you in the morning to see how your day has started out. Also - have you tried some of the Kashi line of cereals? I like them better then Special K - flavors are good and they are higher in fiber...which we all know I'm obsessed with


Well folks, I'm off to bed, have a good one and I'll see you in the morning
~A

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I've not been around for a couple of days. Had a really busy weekend and I'm really annoyed with myself because my eating habits have been bad, bad, bad!! I don't know why I do it to myself ... I have a good week, then everything goes to pot over the weekend! Consequently, I've hopped on the scales this morning and there's only been a 1lb loss I'd hoped for more this second week, but because of my stupidity over the past few days it was not to be. That'll teach me a lesson!

Anyway, I've given myself a good talking to and I'm well and truly back on track, so hopefully I'll have a better week this week.

Well done to the rest of you for having a good week

Amanda ~ I told you that having few calories one day was very much a one off for me! I'll try harder this week!

2Bthin ~ Good luck with WW ... when's your first meeting?

beginme ~ Glad your good days are outnumbering the bad ones ... I need to take a lesson from you!!

I'll check-in later to post today's food ... won't bother with the weekends as I had so much I can't remember most of it!!

beginme - I'm glad you are having more good days, wish I could say that.

As for me - my plan did not work out so well. Around 8:30 I had plans to get in a little computer time then watch a movie at 9pm...so I could fall asleep okay ...I always need to unwind before bed -- unlike my husband who can do anything then decide he's going to bed and he'll be out fast.

So here I am in my office - then he comes in to chit chat away -- for over an hour! Which was nice -- but it was 9:45 before I got upstairs - which meant no unwind time for me...I missed the start of the movie and ended up taking one of those stupid pills that makes me groggy. Funny that I woke up around 5:40 but of course was too tired to get out of bed. I'm not detered though. I will walk later today and make sure I get it in.

On an unrelated topic:
Extreme Home Makeover is in our town and I'm going over later today to watch!