OK...it is 12:30 at night so I am too tired to do personals, but I wanted to check in. I also wanted to brag that I took my big ole butt for a 10 minute jog tonight, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be! I know 10 minutes isn't a lot....but it is alot for me considering I have ran 0 minutes in the past decade!
I am now planning on starting the C25K program that everyone on here is always talking about....see what you ladies have started!

Good Morning to all you beautiful ladies

I'll have to come back after my workout and stuff before I get personals in. I'm really quite cramped for time this morning...late start and all. At any rate, just had to come in and read everyones news, or I just can't get my day started right. So you ladies have a great day and remember to smile.

Another hit and run post here too--got my HIIT in and now I need to get Ry ready for school (Dev is staying home again poor kid). I'll be back later after my ST'ing to do personals and such.

I can't keep up with you chickies!! On posting, I mean. On weight loss- I'm on the slow-but-sure-hope-i-meet-my-August-goal! even though I don't post much, I'm checking in and you all help keep me focused on on plan.

sandye, i think you asked me to post tofu recipes- i made some "creamed spinach" last night using silken tofu, and I found it VERY satisfying! I don't really use recipes- i read them a lot, but when it comes to cooking its sort of, hmmm, what do i have and how much do i feel like? if you want to try it, here's how i made it:

saute 1 chopped onion & garlic (2 cloves?) in a little bit of olive oil.

add one chopped zucchini (i had lots of zucchini, so i figured id throw some in.) add a little salt.

add 1/2 bag frozen spinach (about 8 oz.) (or i could have used fresh spinach)
saute about 5 minutes.

toss in the food processor (or blender) with 1/2 box silken soft tofu (about 6 oz)- silken tofu usually comes in vacuum-packed packages, and has a custardy texture. its really good for making creamy dips, etc.

i added a tbsp of white miso for flavor, salt, depth. parmesan cheese would be more traditional. a dash of grated nutmeg, some fresh black pepper.

ok, so it wasnt the rich, unctuous creamed spinach of your dreams. but it was a light, creamy, very satisfying creamed spinach that took about 10 minutes to make and i ate a bowlful for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. plenty of veggies and protein.

im going to play with this formula and make a healthier artichoke-spinach dip, etc.

i also like to marinade firm tofu and BAKE it. but im not turning on the oven in this heat!

have a great day, chickies!

Well I know Tummy is alive and breathing because she update her facebook...same thing with Le, for any of you wondering about our girls.

Sandye ~ I do hope your son feels better. I know it must suck having to stay home so early in the year when things are just getting started. You are right about the C25k. I'm gonna integrate the MFC cardio back in next month and I may end of repeating weeks with the C25k until my knees feel better. So how goes the day thus far?

pucedaisy ~ Hey Good to see you checkin' in.

Jessica ~ Yeah, we have a bad habit of being infectious and influential. The one thing that lives and breathes with this group, is the, if she can do it, I can do it mentality...it's GREAT! If you need any of the links to the podcast or what have you, just shout and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

Joci ~ hey sweetie I sure hope she recovers soon. Don't you worry about your exercise, when things get back to normal for you, I have no doubt that you will be right back into your groove dahhhhling. You take care of you, I know the whole college transition can be hard on parents.

hotsplashes ~ I feel the same way right now about these 180's. Man I flew through the 90's but I think I finally gained a little muscle and my body is being a pain this month. We just have to keep moving forward..eventually, we will get through them

Shrinking ~ Thanks I know what you mean about it seeming long. I'm gonna try to put something on the puter to watch that may make it go by quicker...the last one though was hard..I was all huffin' and puffin'. for getting yours in even though it seemed like things were working against you.

shasha ~ Oh dear..I can't do mushrooms...it's a texture thing for me though.

misspiggy ~ Good to have you back.

As for me, I'm doing laundry and trying to keep busy. I'll check in later. Have a good one ladies.

morninggggggggg girlssss...happy new day. Quickie post on my end too but I read your news.........as always! Congrats to those of you who lost and to those of you who have not....keep on truckin'

Delphi, ty so much! I know tummy is on vaca but was worried about lewis and just wanted to be sure she is okay. ty ty ty! yes chickie, I do have a pool....am real lucky and particularly thankful for it now (in a heat wave here). June was a real lousy month for us here (unusual for june) so I didnt get to use it and now am happy to be taking advantage of it. How's the hand, are you ok now? YOu have an awesome day girl and keep on shining.

Sandye, hope your son is feeling better. How is he? As far as the younger one....it's often a temporary or passing thing. My mom had told me in the past I did that, it was after my aunt left the states to go back to greece (she was like a second mother to me) and I was fearful after that for awhile. OH, thanks for the kind words and encouragement sandye...thanks sweetheart! I plan to be buckling down in that dept. and for our sep. month I am thinking about some more specific plans. SOunds like your trying a lot of new recipes........good for you!

Jacqueeeeee, how is your mom sweety? Wishing her a speedy recovery. You must be so tired sleeping in the hospital like that...not easy. What a good daughter! Just remember to take care of yourself which is sometimes hard to do at times like that but the lack of sleep and all sometimes has a residual effect on us . ANyhow, glad the surgery is over with now and mom is on her way to recovering : ). I agree with the girls....things will settle down and you can get back to your schedule. Keep us posted

misspiggy, yay on getting the internet service ! : )

Jewel, congrats on raising 200 dollars! wtg! Good luck with the 5k Saturday and ty for your encouraging words to us all : ).

sasha, how did your mushroom recipe come out?

Shrinking girl.............so glad they found your measurements. COngratulationssssss on the inches lost girl, that's terrific keep up the good work.

oops................I have to go. I will catch up with you all later, A big hello to all. Have a terrific day girls .........chat soon.

Good mornin. Sooo remember yesterday I had ambitious plans for cooking chicken/mushroom and then going kickboxing? Well I was so exhausted, I came home and napped for a couple hours. So needless to say, no workout or cooking. But I think I needed that rest because I had only been getting like 5 hours of sleep the last few nights. We ended up going out to eat and I got a grilled chicken wrap for dinner. So good!

Okay, now that I'm properly caffeinated and fed I can do a proper morning greeting:

Goooooooooooooood Morrrrrrning Laaaaaaidiesssssssss!!!! :c heer3:

Jewelie~ okay, even thought I've never been all that into fried food--that sounds YUMMY!!! Truth be told, I've never tried any of the fried fair foods--some of them just sound downright scary, but, from what I've heard--they're awesome! Like deep fried Snickers and the like. I saw a show on the Food Network--I think it was Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives--and they were talking about a restaurant that deep fries anything their customers bring in (they have a huge menu of deep fried goodies) and some people brought in some wild stuff! Everyone seemed to be really enjoying the food.

Nello~ glad you're back hun! Having family in town always makes the eating and exercising that much tougher doesn't it? Glad to hear your workout buddy is back in town, you'll be back at it in no time! Congrats on the size 12's!!! From 20's to 12's--you've done an amazing job hun!!!!

dcapulet~ Hi back at ya!! Hope you're having a wonderful time!!!

Jessica~ 10 mins isn't a long time?! HUH? Well, to me it is! Bravo hun! If you can do that, C25K will be a breeze! Hope that you'll jump in with both feet and let us know if you have any questions--there's a few ladies here that have gone through the whole program as well as newbies like me, between us I'm sure we can help you out if need be.

pucedaisy~ Now I'm not a creamed spinach kinda gal, but ya know, that didn't sound half bad! I might just have to give that a go one of these days. Now, the spinach artichoke dip--that's another story all together! My friend turned me onto a Rachel Ray recipe for that--O M Goodness, it is beyond fantastic! Sooooo not a 'diet friendly' food though so it'll have to be one of those dips I save for super special occasions. Mmmm...dang it's gooood! Congrats on continuing to lose, these ladies are remarkable in their knack for motivation aren't they?

Delphi~ see, I really MUST go to FB more often! I need to see about finding her and adding her to my friend list too. In the meantime, tell her we miss her and that we hope she's having a great time! Thanks for the well wishes, he's still feeling miserable although he did eat a bit of dry Cheerios this morning. No more barfing, but he is having some...er...intestinal distress, it ya catch my drift. Poor kid. I called the school and left a message to send his work home with his brother--that way he can try to do school work while feeling like crud. Sigh...I think that adding back your old cardio is a good idea! I mean, if you're not feelin' it with C25K and you're knees are suffering to boot, well, stick with what works! Have fun doing laundry--I'll be joining you soon, there's a giant pile of clothes that needs to be folded and put away just waiting for me when I get done here...joy.

Well ladies, it is a good scale day today! 146.8!!!! I was kind of shocked to see that number since I was up .2 yesterday, but I'll take it! Just .6 away from my August goal now (but I'll call it an even lb since that's what my ticker says )!

Finally got all my workouts in--I've got to figure out how to cram it all in before the kids are awake! It drives me bonkers to start and stop my ST'ing whenever someone needs something. Sheesh, don't these kids understand I'm trying to get in shape?!?!

Speaking of ST'ing, I'm officially sick and tired of my ST'ing routine. I need to switch it up next month for sure! I can't go out and buy any new games/DVDs so I'll have to see what Netflix has and what's on the EA Active. I would really love to try out the Plyometrics workouts that I've been hearing about, but honestly, I don't have that kind of cash layin' around at the moment and I'm pretty sure that even if I did, it would be hard to convince hubby that I need them.

We've got a Birthday party to plan for on Sunday, I'm hoping that no one else gets sick, otherwise it could end up being cancelled. Trying to figure out what to put in the goodie bags and all that fun stuff--bah, I hate those things!!!

Lastly, I talked with my Mom and she's doing well. Just had a super busy weekend with a last minute visit with her brothers so she didn't have a chance to post. Rest assured she's reading every day though! Hiya Mom!!!

Okay, I'll stop now. Get out there and have a super fantastic day ladies!!! Be good to yourselves and remember to...

Drink Your Water!!!

See what happens when I get longwinded? I miss posts!

NSM~ thanks hun, actually, it's my oldest (the one who is sick) that's having all the sleep/anxiety issues. He has slept better the past 2 nights though, so I'm hoping that will continue! I'm already looking forward to September's challenge! I feel like I was all over the map at the beginning of this month so it'll be nice to start fresh. I'm already working on figuring out a different workout routine so that I won't be changing it 10 times next month!

Shasha~ aww, sorry to hear you were so tired! But, glad to hear you got some rest! I totally know what you mean, sometimes you just gotta catch up on your Z's! Hope you're feeling more rested today and that you get your workout in!

Okay, really going now--kids and laundry calling me!

Sandye-I can totally relate to being interrupted during ST'ing. I'm like 'seriously...can you not see I'm holding a weight in my hand trying to do this workout!' That cracked me up when you mentioned it! That's my life.

Joci-Hope your mom's recovery continues to go well. You get some rest and take care of yourself, too!

FSA-There are times when I think having a pool would be great, but the school DH works at has one we can use, so at some point I'll add that into my routine. Such wonderful exercise!

I also had a good scale day. I hit 150.4, so I am only a half pound from my August goal. Oh, to be forever rid of the 150's...what a beautiful day that'll be!!!!!! This weekend will be my last real challenge of the month (I think). We're going to the Green Bay Packers pre-season football game Saturday. We are HUGE Packers fans here! It's not so much the game, but it's an out-of-town trip with eating out all weekend. That's the tough part for me. I am trying to give myself the "Don't undo all your hard work" speech over and over. It'll be fine though. I just need to plan for it now and it'll be good. Have a wonderful day all!

snuck back in......lol.

Delphi, I agree with MsP.......take care of that knee girl! Your better off to take a break from the types of workouts which aggravate it and give it some time to recoup as I am sure you know. Feel better, glad the brace is helping you.

MsPerception...........wtg on passing up the food at the fair. Those wafting scents in the air can indeed be torture! Oh, yayyyyy on the loss too...you are sooo close to the 140's keep rocking chickie

Ruth, you sound awfully busy over there. Sorry about your goat. Hope you have a nice time with your family.

Nellonello, congratsssssss on the size 12's

dcapulet, hi there as well. HOpe your having a great vaca. I am glad you got to take some time to kickback....enjoy it : ).

Hotsplashes....hang in there, we just do our best or strive for that and keep on working on it....it will all payoff (in many ways). Hope your having a good day : )

LTTG, hi there! Hope you had a great weekend.

Jessica, wtg on that jog the other night

Pucedaisy, hi : ) and ty for sharing the recipe with us.

Tummygirl, hope your having a fab. vaca

A big hi to you all. I will catch you all tonight or in the morning. Have a great day girls...hugs.

MsPerception.....................yayyyyyyyyy! I am so excited for you! your going to be in the 140's before you know it! Regarding the pool oh that's great that you have access. It really is great ex. plus I enjoy it so much. ...I see a difference and my strength ...stamina, toning..etc.. I wish I could do it year round! ANyhowwwwww..........you have a fantasatic day !

hello ladies no change in weight today but at least it wasn't a gain today... I am off to do some grocery shopping. Hope you all have a great day. I'll check in when I get back ...

Yay! Apparently the jog might have paid off as the scale was down almost 2 pounds! I am finally under 275! I don't know...in my mind, being under 275 means I am closer to 250 than I am to 300, lol.

pucedaisy--your recipe sounds good, and it's vegetarian! Yay! I never even thought of using miso soup as a seasoning before--what a healthy idea! I just might have to try that.


Sandye--I totally know what you mean about being interrupted while working out. My 2 yr old does it all the time. I tried getting her interested in working out with me, but it lasts like a minute and she's off...then she is back 2 minutes later to have me help her put a shoe on or tie a cape.....cute, but not exactly helpful if I am actually trying to stay on track with a workout video or on the Wii Fit, lol.

Sasha--I have no idea how you are maintaining all this willpower with how much you go out to eat! Seriously, I can order a salad a few times going out to eat if I am really motivated....but after that the smells will eventually get to me and I will cave. Kudos to you with all the healthy choices you are making! Every time I read a post of yours where you go out to eat...I just think of all the bad food I would have ordered, lol.

mystical ~ hey sweetie.

FSA ~ Well, it's always nice to get updates, regardless..eh? I think you become accustomed to seeing certain people, and even it they are virtual friends, it's still nice to be able to say hi from time to time.

msP ~ Bring on the FOOTBALL season already. Huge Titans fan here..I've kept up with all the pre-season stuff and the draft. I'm so darn excited.

Sandye ~ Yeah, try Netflix, but I should warn you, there are TONS of fitness videos on there. Oh my gosh, it is endless. Let me know what you go with. I get two videos out and unlimited streaming, so I might join ya. You know they have tons of pole dancing videos..rofl!

Well I'm off to do some cardio with Maya, I'll catch you ladies later.