Sh!tty rainy Monday. I've hurt my foot somehow, think it may be an Achilles tendon injury. Nothing is creaking or popping so I'm hoping rest will make it go away. It had better, as I am now less than 2 weeks from my trip to Germany. Unfortunately walking is my only means of transportation to do most things - like go to work, which is about 2 1/2 miles away.

Weekend was as expected. Probably overate each day, junk, whatever. I'm going to focus a lot on strength training this week since I won't be running or doing much on my feet. More pushups, planks, squats, etc. I'm already feeling results from like, three workouts.

In cheerful news - found a thrift store in Fukuoka City with real thrift store prices - none of this $20 no-name "secondhand" BS that Japan typically does - and LO AND BEHOLD almost everything fits. I would have been very scant on options a few months ago but I'm sliding into tiny things I didn't think I could fit into.

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*big hug* neurodoc, there always has to be some dumb thing that prevents people from having actual perfect lives. Fortunately your weight is such that it's not negatively affecting your health (e.g. morbidly obese) and you have all those other good factors to be thankful for and happy about - but I do understand the frustration that comes with not being able to break free of the scale addiction. Again, *big hug.*

kat999 Ouch! Sounds like you've had a rough time lately with the falls and such. I'm glad you're okay. While stomach flu totally sucks, it probably did play a role in your weight

Ciao Are you cutting off arms and legs?! Seems you've lost all your weight in less than a month. Amazing! Tell me your secrets...aside from being 16 that is...

DoraUK Enjoy Domino's! I miss pizza.

Wildflower Get well soon. 'Tis the season to be sick.

thesame7lbs Enjoy running again! Even if you're running-around busy all the rest of the hours of the day, it'll feel great to run.

Aw, neurodoc, be kind to yourself! You're soooo close to your goal! Haven't we all around here kind of determined that the rate of loss slows down the closer you get to your goal? Just be patient, and do remember all the other great things you have going on!

Krampus, congrats on finding fun items while shopping!

Ciao, probably cutting out your school lunches is a huge part of your success. I can't believe how unhealthy school lunches are these days, at all grade levels. Not that it was much better when I was a kid, but it seems like that's gotten worse in the past decade or so.

I just wanted to vent a little bit about the month of December, the month where all the "happy holidays" collide with my "happy birthday" and results in a dietary chaos.

I have 2 holiday parties for work this week, 1 dinner with DH's friend that just snuck up on me and a pre-birthday dinner at a restaurant with DH (we couldn't get reservations on the actual date ). There is a third work holiday party that I am turning down because the date conflicts with one of these 4 events (I work at 3 offices so 3 different work parties). I wanted DH to cook me a nice dinner on the actual bday date but decided against it as there are just too many calories already going on this week. My parents wanted to take us out to eat for my birthday this week and out of nowhere, the in-laws e-mailed saying we should battle traffic 6 hours each way in the frigid cold to go out for a bday dinner with them THIS WEEK. I had tried the Cheesecake Factory's red velvet cheesecake back in October with my brother and thought I would like to have that for my birthday but I won't because I know that isn't the smartest move this week.

I've had to say no to everyone (including myself!) and would like to postpone all celebrations by a month.

Aw, ortho, you know you certainly COULD with the birthday stuff! After all, it's YOUR birthday!

Gooooooooooooood Morning Feathers!!

Wow, I feel like I have not posted on here in forever!

I have been a little MIA for a few reasons. There is at least one event every week with the holidays and making it virtually impossible to lose weight. With that said, I have decided to just maintain till the end of the year and sort of give my body a break. So far it is going well! I have maintained 129 on the nose with all the chaos! The only thing I am a little upset about is not being able to run as much. It is just simply TOO cold! Life has just been crazy with work and finals! I also met someone recently who has been a little distracting and hard to say no to when it comes to yummy dinners

I have been reading and I am in such admiration with all of you ladies who are successfully losing weight during this month. It truly is such a difficult time to not only maintain but lose! You ladies rock!

I look forward to jumping back on the weight loss wagon with ya'll in January!!

Have a great day feathers!

Congrats on your maintenance, Dianne -- that's awesome! I know what you mean about the weather -- it's too cold and snowy here for running right now. So I've been mainly using the bike here at home.

Hope your finals went well and that you're enjoying yourself with the new person in your life!

I hit 130 on the nose today -- I'm happy and ready to hit the 120s real soon! My loss has really been slow lately, but I guess it's not reasonable to expect it to be as fast as before, right? I hope I'm not making excuses for myself. Maybe I should up my exercise just to be sure.

Yeah I just want to jump on the in-awe bandwagon at those who are successfully losing this month. I'm in a rough patch on accounta the foot injury. I have all this energy pent up from wanting to run and not being able to. And my weight is a monster, I was 130 when I weighed this morning. I am pretty sure I didn't gain 4 1/2 lbs of fat in the past four days but still.

I have been so stressed out this month. Today I went head-on with a couple projects that have been stressing me out and really causing a lot of fear and dread. Yes, they were as awful as I thought, BUT I only had two cups of chai (sugar and milk included - I don't drink chai every day). In the past I have been known to eat a dozen cookies while dealing with such things. I also stayed within my plan for the day for food. And I exercised. So the scale may have been a new high this morning, but I'm feeling rather proud of myself for weathering the storm.

Well, folks, in jumping back into my fitness regime this weekend after not quite a week away from it, I thought last night that I felt GREAT. Ha, was I wrong! My thighs do not agree today and are giving me that workout soreness I hadn't felt in months. Oh, my! It's not awful or movement-limiting at all, it's just different, since I'd gotten myself up to such a fitness level since July that the delayed onset muscle soreness was a total thing of the past. I now know taking this much time off is asking for some wincing the next day!

However, I am proud to say that I sallied forth and jogged four miles tonight. My original goal was to do 100 miles by December 1st, and obviously I missed that. I'm up to 92, though, and I think I'll be able to safely hit 100 by the end of the year.

I'm not looking forward to how my legs will feel in the morning, though!

Foot is healing (I hope). Food was spot-on today, a couple bits of junk here and there but mostly vegetables. I really do dislike the rancid flatulence that comes from lentils and chickpeas but I live alone so I guess it doesn't matter.

Happy Tuesday Feathers!

Fivestone - Thanks for the well wishes. One more final to go! Wish I had a bike at home to run on. Actually, I would really enjoy a stair master at home. But budget is tight and cant afford one right now!

Krampus - You know most of that is water weight - if not all! I am sure after your on point eating yesterday you will be close to where you were before!

Pageta - I am alllll too familiar with stress eating. So I give you major kudos for not going crazy with food with all the stress and projects you are facing. I would say stress is my number one reason for binging and going off plan!

Kat - Good job on the exercise! I dont know how you are doing it in this cold!! I am so envious. I cant believe I would ever say this but I am craving running. I guess its true; its addicting!

Not much to report here. Just sailing along this wonderful thing called life! Hope everyone has a blessed and happy day!

Good job with the running, kat999!
Glad your foot's healing, krampus. Is your scale having battery issues? There's no way you're magically back to 130 overnight. Anyway, you've been hardcore motivation for me, since we're about the same height (I'm 165 cm).

Anyway... down to 129.6 today! Tested it after I woke up (on like 4 hours sleep), and then again when I got back from running errands. So happy to see the 120s, ZOMG! I don't think I've been 120anything since February 2007. It's about time I got back with the program, and I'll do everything in my power to keep from having to repeat the process.

YAAAAAY that's good news fivestone. I have an old analog scale but I ate so much food on Sunday that the sheer volume of it probably just sat there for a couple days. I'm back to 57.5 kg/126.7 lbs today after my on-plan day. The foot is healing, still hurts but I should be good to go in a couple more days.

I have been having a bit of a rough week. I started feeling ill Sunday night and although it has not turned into a full-blown flu or cold I am still feeling pretty awful. My energy is low and I keep having dizzy spells so no gym for me until I feel better. I am also struggling with my appetite because I am not hungry most of the time or when I am I lack the energy to make a complete meal. I know that not eating can be just as bad as over eating where weight loss is concerned so I am trying to make sure I am eating at least 3 meals.

On the positive side I saw 149lbs on the scale today meaning I have exactly 10 days to lose 2 lbs to meet my Christmas goal. I think if I can shake this malaise I am suffering from and get back to the gym it is totally do-able.

I am hoping that this is the sickest I get this cold and fly season because other than feeling like crap and the dizzy spells I have no other symptoms of a cold or flu which I think is pretty sweet!