Good morning.

My weight is up too much. I must get back on track. Today, I am trying for calorie counting, and I am going to take some small hand weights to work, so I can use them when I walk at lunchtime. I also want to hi the gym after work, but considering how well that plan has been going, I want to make lunchtime exercise count for something (even if it has to be non-sweaty exercise).

I really must come here every day--it is a relief to know that I'm not struggling alone.

I hope everyone has a good Monday.

Whew - back on plan this morning (well, for a few hours already, but I'm saying I'm back completely in hopes that it "takes") ... up early to get in my workout. Brought my stuff to walk the canal at lunch, but now plans are changing and I'll be eating lunch at my desk so I can leave early. Car that was being repaired on Fri/Sat still isn't done. Hubby is working nights, so I drove his car in but need to get home to pick him up and go get MY car, and let him get on to work ...

Feel GOOD to be in control so far. Banana smoothie for breakfast. They hold me for a while. and YUM.

Guac - I agree - it DOES feel like you're in the spotlight when you're seeing folks you've not seen in a while. I have a big anniversary party for my folks this summer and so, SO want to be in good shape for that. Family I've not seen in five years will be there (and I was in shape then!) ... so I don't want to look like I've failed.

Good job on prepping for the lunch workout, as well, Kitteh! And good luck getting in time at the gym later! That's hard on a Monday, I know!

Hope everyone had a good weekend! Jules - yours must've been tough without your mother and it being so recent.

Happy Monday , strange mothers day on my end, my mom was sick, I was sick it was gross. Didn't have the grandkids, stayed home from church, I managed to do a bit of exercise on sun as sat was pretty bad food wise. I didn't eat much on sun and felt sick to my stomach and extremely fatuiged all day. Then I ate some ice cream and popcorn for dinner. Feel a bit better today but still feel a bit fatigued and icky stomach. Lately I have been feeling like I wish I could have a few months off work but being the breadwinner can't really do that. Trying to be thankful I have a good job and great people I work with and 4 day weekend coming up in two weeks.

We went to the groc store today and got into a line behind a woman with shirmp and crabs platters. Hubby ran for the door but the seafood leaked and got on our groceries and bags, too. Not a good week for him.

Tried to find a picture of it but there's a statue of Mr. Tom Lee, a local hero, in a rowboat saving passengers from the MS river. Now the river has risen so high the statue is mostly underwater and it looks like history is repeating itself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lee_Park

Hi everyone! I am new on here as well! I look forward to learning more about you guys as we work toward our goals!

Welcome, Giraffe! We look forward to learning more about you, your program and challenges, too!

Got my car from the shop, so will do some marketing later. I just don't feel like it yet. Blah.

Picked up a Papa Murphy's garden salad for dinner - gave 1/3 to hubby to have with his dinner and I ate the rest along with a fruit smoothie I made with banana and frozen berries and milk. I'm FULL and hopefully that's it for tonight. I stayed within points today - yay! Key to that is to go to bed early! ha ha.

Friend and I swapped night for her to come to Wednesday, so that worked out great for me - whew - now I can clean the house. I'm just not motivated to do it now, though. Why do I think of everything I need to do at home when I'm at work and all I need to do at work when I'm at home!

Ashley- hope you feel better soon, being sick on Mother's day sucks!
Annie- That's what I did, I didn't eat sweets at all while losing my weight, I was determined and had great control, but after that I did & I lost alot of that control.

Hope everyone had a terrific Mother's day!

My daughter surprised me, she used her own money & paid for us to go to a buffet, so sweet of her to do. I ate alot but didn't stuff myself, last night I baked her cookies & that's when I totally blew it. I'm up 5 lbs overnight!

Kristen's test results came back, everything is fine! So happy!
But she's still feeling the same way, just less frequently. She goes back to the doctor tomorrow, the next test will be an MRI of her brain if the Dr. decides he wants her to have one. I think it's stress from school, but I would feel better to know she is healthy.

I'm back on plan today with eating even though I was still craving peanut butter( had 3 servings last night) All the food I don't want in my sight is locked up in the safe! Walked for 36min & did yard work, so I'm pooped.

Went to the doc today. Had a cortisone injection in my knee. Hoping it helps, as if it doesn't the next treatment will be an injection that costs about $1000 per injection... If that doesn't work, well...the words "knee replacement" were brought up, but I'm aiming for waiting about 20 years before I go that route. Can't stand the thought if it.

So this has strenghtened my resolve to keep the weight off and get to goal....possibly readjust my goal after I reach it. Even if major surgery is in my future, being in the best shape I can be in will only help me in the long run. So no looking back at the ice cream, pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. that I have ingested over the last few days....ONWARD!!

Not sure if it is mind over matter, but I'm thinking my knee is feeling better just in the last hour or so. Doc DID say no jumping, twisting or squatting, but I don't do that type of thing anyway. I haven't been able to squat for a long time. I realized that a few years ago when I went to get something on the bottom shelf at the grocery store.

PP-Wow, Tennesee has sure had its share of flooding, etc. over the last year. I sure feel bad for those in the flood zone. That pic is really neat.

Welcome, Giraffe! Jump right in!!

NP-Those smoothies sound delish!!

I did get out yesterday and got some yard work done. Planted some rosemary, thyme and lavender in pots and also some pentas. Discovered my neighbor has a mulberry tree that drops its berries on my concrete...what a mess!!

I was able to do 3 miles walking this morning, even with the knee issue. So back at it tomorrow!! I do plan to charcoal hamburgers tomorrow, but will use portion control on my meating and try to keep the cals/fat to a minumum.

Have a great evening everyone!

Here are some pics of some of the things we saw Sat. on our trip. I'll make another post to include a couple more.

Here are a couple more pics...couldn't load a couple of them because they were the wrong size.

Annie - those pics are great - thanks for including them. Nice hiking area, huh? So much more interesting than our living rooms and treadmill rooms!

Ashley - hope you're feeling much better, soon! Glad it's slowly warming up for you!

FL - good news on your daughter's tests! Hopefully she can learn ways to deal with all the stress, like yoga, or something. That really helped me years ago after a hurtful breakup. To just be able to shut my mind off for a while was a welcome retreat.

PP - love the pic - thanks for including that. The flooding has just been something this year. It seems like these weather patterns are just getting worse and worse. Was listening to a book on cd talking about how the 1960s had the worst snow in a century. I didn't know that, so now want to research that a bit Just to see what the difference was in the US. Also, PP - you're just KICKING on the workouts - way to go!!

Kitteh - hope you had a good day back on plan and with the workouts. I'll be joining you and Annie tomorrow with the morning one.

I lost my way on the memorial day challenge this weekend. Now down to 18 days until Memorial Day weekend and I've got NO HOPE at all of reaching the goals I set out to do... So ... I'm still working to get there but now that I know I'll be goign to a beach resort for work and play the last week of June, I'm kind of refocusing on that goal - so I don't embarrass myself in front of all my peers there. Realistically I know I won't see that much success here that fast, but I want to try to do my best to get there. Annie - sounds like you're remotivated, too.

NP-I don't think I can make my Memorial Day goal either. Not impossible, but still not likely that I'll hit the 140s by then. Just getting back to losing....even a couple of pounds will be enough if that is all I accomplish. I am still able to wear all of my summer clothes from last year though and that is a big plus. I feel fat in them, though...weird.

Annie, great pics. thanks for posting. The river is so blue! All of our rivers are brown. Yuck! Eeeek on the knee shots. One of my friends had both knees replaced a few years ago, she's walking much better, pain free, and is now 2 inches taller!

NP, I think Hubby said this is the worst flood since 1927, which was two years after Tom saved the boaters. Something else, there were 600 tornados just in April, the most ever recorded since they starting keeping track.

Giraffe, Welcome, glad to have you join us!

FL, glad to hear Kristin's tests came back well.

Annie - great pics - where were they taken? I am sure i should know this.. but been soooo busy with work that I haven't had enough time to keep up here..

Giraffe - welcome and hang in there

NP - I know i'm not going to hit my MM day goal of hitting 140.. but just going to see how close i can get but that is 10 lbs from where i'm at.. and realistically I don't see that happening in 3 weeks - just will endeavor to keep at it.

Good morning.

TOM arrived yesterday, which explains why I was so exhausted and headachy. I am still a bit tired this morning, but I hope it won't be as bad today. Feel off plan yesterday because I was feeling so tired. Will do better today. I did get in a walk at lunch so not totally hopeless on the exercise front.

Annie--Nice pics. I've known several people who've gone the knee replacement route and they've been very happy with the results. They were up and walking around the next day (not very much or very fast, obviously, but still pretty amazing).

Giraffe--Welcome.

Well, time to get ready for work.

Welcomd giraffe

Penguin sounds like a bad day for hubby. hope he is okay

FL - so glad to hear your daughter is okay. Sounds like you had a nice mothers day.. dont' feel bad overdoing it though....... it is a new day today!

Annie - so your knee issues seemed so suddenly here, so have you noticed over the last few year or months anything else besides not being able to bend down. My aunt had knee replacement and she said it was wonderful.

Good day foodwise yesterday and on plan today. walked at lunch and had a tennis game after work, was a nice way to unwind from a busy afternoon at my desk.

Onward we go!