Happy mothers day to all the moms!

Suite - I love your dress! The red accent is lovely and I love how you and your DH match! That is so sweet! As for everything else, don't give up! You've come way, way further than a lot of people ever do on a diet (or lifestyle change) and have put a lot of effort into what you've achieved so far. You'd hate to see all that effort go to waste, right? Keep your chin up! It's a new week!

Shrink - I get that sometimes when I am really stressed out, yet it occurs usually when I am not doing something that stresses me out. It's sort of a delayed reaction. My mom has heart palpitations too, so is it possible that it's hereditary? My mom's are worse than mine, they've sent her to hospital twice (sure hope mine don't develop into that!), but I've only had it happen for that long a few times in my life and only for about half an hour. It's a really funny feeling, isn't it? Not pleasant, either, quite scary really! I'm healthy and everything myself, don't have anything wrong with my heart, but sometimes it just beats a bit irregularly, and most often it's just for a few minutes maybe once a year or so. If it happens again, you should definitely get it checked out!

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For whatever reason, and apparently it's happened before, we lost the lights on the top floor of our house today. I just had to go downstairs and flick a switch, but I've lost my bedroom light completely. I tried changing the lightbulb, and that didn't work, so now I am pretty much sitting here in the dark. I have a tiny ensuite bathroom so I have just left the light on in there but it's not helping very much! Since we are renting and landlords tend to be pretty mean to students (as some of you know!), I am worried they will take money out of my deposit to fix it if it's blown a fuse or something. It wasn't my fault at all, the bulb just went like it was burnt out, but a new one still didn't work. I think that, since I am only really going to be in this room for another 20 days, that I will live in the dark and not mention it and hope I get my deposit back in full before they notice

Suite Thanks for sharing your wedding photos, your dress is very beautiful, love the red trim, and you both look so happy.

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Hope everyone had a great day, mine was quite lovely, here's hoping everyone has a great week

Beautiful photos, Suite. I love looking at mine, too. I don't even mind the extra weight in them because it was simply the best day ever. Just great, lots of family, friends and fun. Not a huge wedding, but just enough for us.

Back from camping, mother's day (Chinese buffet, but it was lunch/dinner, so it's done!) It was a nice day, brother and sister-in-law were there, they've done medifast, he lost about 65 or 70 lbs, she lost about 25, he looks so different, it worked for them, I guess, but I'd rather do it the way we have, slow and steady (changing our lifestyles, right Suite!) It's hard not to be influenced by others' losses, but sometimes quick losses don't teach you the important things, like how to keep it off.

gotta run, best to all

Freedom -- thanks for sharing about your palpitations, I feel better knowing someone else gets them! Probably has to do with stress, as I have a lot going on right now. But man, at 27, I thought I knew how my body reacts to stress! This is a new one!

Stitches -- glad to hear you had a good day!

Kel -- glad to have to back again! yum, chinese buffet sounds so good to my bingey self...

well, I'm sleepy and headed to bed. just wanted to share that a couple of nights ago, I dreamt I was on Core. Funny, huh?

S

I'm still around but.... boy is there a lot to catch up on here!

I haven't stepped on the scale in a while, but I haven't had to pull out any bigger clothes, so that is a good sign I'm just trying to maintain right now anyway. I haven't really been writing down points or anything though. I've tended to just eat when I'm hungry and eat healthy food. I've been *trying* to exercise, but that hasn't really been happening too much

Kelijpa -

Shrink - Haha, that IS funny! Perhaps your dreams are telling you something

Mod - Glad to hear you haven't had to pull out bigger clothes, even if you haven't been tracking everything. You must be in the right frame of mind and have learned better habits for it not to be doing a number on your waistline. I know I'd be in trouble if I stopped tracking at this point. Well done!

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Well, the weather is gorgeous again today, so I decided to skip working on my essays this morning and go for a walk into town! It's only a 15 minute walk from our house so it's pretty easy. Well, my little stroll turned into a four hour, try-on-every-pair-of-shorts bonanza. I did manage to find two that I liked so I bought them, but I find UK sizes don't fit me very well. I'm not sure why. Not only that, but it is so hard to find anything that isn't low rise! I am really long waisted because of my height and low rise and I just don't go well together (I feel so uncomfortable with them sitting so low!). Anyway, it was a great day not just because I managed to walk for four hours around downtown, but because I am officially a UK size 12. It's roughly equivalent to a US size 8. Woohoo! When I moved here I was a UK size 16 on a good day I say roughly equivalent to a US size 8 because I have a pair of jeans from home that are a 10 that fit just right, but you know how sizes go. Anyway, that made me very happy!

Wow, you girls have been busy posting! I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day.

Vday- it sucks that you're having such a hard time finding a place. I don't envy you! Keep plugging away. You'll get there.

Suite- Love the wedding pics! Would be happy to see more if you'd like to post them. I actually went to the other thread and dug through till I found them! I'm sorry you're feeling a bit bummed about the small gain. You're always so positive and encouraging to all of us. So let us take care of you this week! Just don't give up! Keep going. You can do this! You are worth it!

Freedom- you opened up a can of worms here. I can talk horses all day long everyday. The horse in my avatar is my gift from God. I swear God knew exactly what I needed and sent him to me. He's a 15 yr old Paint gelding. His name is Apache. I bought him as a 4 yr old. We competed, did a lot of local shows in Western Pleasure, Showmanship and reining. We now just trail ride and started camping last year. I have another horse (technically hb's). He's a dark bay breeding stock Paint gelding named Griz. Griz is 20 this year and just a good ol' trail boy. We bought him for hb when he was 14. Hb really hasn't taken to riding like I had hoped, so I try to keep both horses going. I would love to see more pics of your babies if you've got some that you'd like to share. It'll probably take me forever to remember their names, but I'll try my darndest! I rode my first Thoroughbred on Friday. It was a really cool experience. I'll bet Raz is a lot of fun! What kind of work is your leasee doing with him? Do you ride him English or Western? Freckles injury sounds painful. Your minis sound adorable! I use to have an Appy colt whose sire's name was "Geronimo's Steed." Gosh, I love my horses.....


to everyone else!
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Mother's day went well. I think my mom really enjoyed herself. We ate lunch at a buffet though. I tried to be good and just taste the stuff that I really wanted to eat. I have no way of even guesstimating the points though, so I just went on with my day from there like normal.

Your horses sound awesome, Paint! I have never been in a competition but I have always wanted to. I suppose you could describe Raz as fun... lol, he's very very smart, and despite my best efforts, he's often a step ahead of me. He never gave me much trouble, but I am not as experienced with strong-minded horses as the girl leasing him is. We rode him English, and he's still going English now. He's the epitome of the gentle giant but he has a mind of his own, and at 17hh he's a lot of horse to deal with! The girl leasing him has been riding jumpers for a long time, and that is definitely what Raz was born to do. He's schooling about 3'3'' and clearing them by more than two feet. It's like he's saying the jumps are too low! I used to jump back when I was taking lessons, but I really just like riding for the sake of it, so as much as I love Razzy, he is certainly where he should be, doing what he should be doing right now. It's hard to admit when he's not doing it with me, but I don't have the guts to jump like that! He's only been leased since November but his progress is remarkable and Rachel, the girl leasing him, will be showing him this summer. I can't wait to see him in a show! We got Freckles in November and up until March rode him Western, but when I came home at Spring Break I got my saddle back from Rachel (she bought her own, so didn't need Raz's) and we checked to make sure it fit Freckles and everything was fine, so I threw it up on him and he didn't seem to care. I left his headstall but put my English reins on it as I have been riding English since I was 8 (not solidly, as I took lessons sort of on a year on, year off basis and then leased a horse for a few months and then we moved to the country and got our own), and Western only occasionally, so I am much more comfortable in England tack. He looks really funny now in my brown saddle, black reins and mismatched brown headstall! I don't think he minds, as I certainly don't I think QHs really suit Western tack, Freckles definitely looks better in it than English, but now he is my English/Western hybrid Quarter Horse, haha. Eventually I will buy him a nice English bridle to go with the rest of the English tack but since he's not getting ridden too much as I am here and he is far, far away in Canada with my mom who is definitely a "fair weather rider" and only gets on his back once or twice a month, I think it's okay for now.

I will sort through my pictures and find some good ones to post. I have sooo many that it might take me a while to decide which ones to put up!

Hi Flexers! Just wanted to check in after the weekend. Hang in there ladies, stay strong!!!

I recovered from my exercise week extravaganza...we'll see how this week goes, I want to keep with it and not burn out by trying to do too much. However, I DID actually get exercise in yesterday, gardening and hoeing and a short walk in...that is 7 days in a row for me! Though yesterday was admittedly at an easier pace, whew!

I was my niece's 10th birthday (she was also born on Mother's day) so she spent the day with us (Auntie and Uncle) as her 7 yr old sister has CHICKEN POX! Ack! Both kids were immunized but I guess it is only 50% effective in some cases. All the mothers of their little friends who want their own kids to catch the pox so they don't have to be immunized are lining up play dates, no, I'm not kidding! LOL Apparently in our state if they don't catch it by age 12 they push to immunize so the child doesn't get a horrible adult-style case. It still looks just as horrible and "plague'-like" as always to me!

Anyway, we went out to lunch and did a girls shopping afternoon for new birthday clothes for the birthday girl which was lots of fun for me! Ten is a great age, I can actually remember what it was like now when I see my niece at this age.

Back to a busy, busy week at work for me. I will try to catch up with ya all later, though I read everything! Love the horsey info

OP thoughts to all today!
M

Hey ladies,

Well, I'm still fighting the binge monster, but I sort of prevailed today. Even made it to the gym after I finally ended my mental dialogue about whether or not to go by saying, "shut up and just friggin GO!" and I did. Just 35 min cardio, but it's the thought that counts. Then came home and cooked up a bunch of veggies with some beans and ww pasta. If I can get through the rest of the evening, that will be pretty incredible.

Mod -- yep, the clothes are what really tell the story! it's so funny, I've been really really off plan the past week, and the scale has hardly registered a change, and even if it does, it can only reasonably be a few pounds, but I'm psychologically ready to pull out my "fat pants" again, as if I could have gone up that much. This weight thing is such a head game!

Paint and Freedom -- it's like reading a horse novel reading your posts! I love it! I really wish that I had a horse, but that's one of those far out fantasies for a Jersey girl like me! But man, it seems like a horse is just a constant companion, a dog on steroids or some such thing (shall I mention that I have tried to ride our Lab mix? He pretty much just walks away...)

Manick -- I remember my mom making those "get sick" playdates! I was a late bloomer in the chicken pox dept, finally got it in the 3rd grade. And now, my mom swears that before I got them, I had NEVER been sick, and afterwards, I started getting head colds (you know, like a normal person). Of course, this was before a vaccine existed, and it seemed that everyone was looking to get the pox! Anyway, WAY TO GO on the exercise!! That is so kick*ss!!

Luv -- thanks for checking in! Hope you enjoy Prince Caspian!

S

Hey all!

I'm catching up, but I'm very busy at work today, so I'll have to personalize this later.

Basically, a line was down in Virginia, and due to storms and flooding they weren't able to repair it until today. So, we sat around yesterday getting no work done. They want us to come in on Saturday. I don't want to come in on Saturday. So, I've got lots of work to make up for. We'll see how it goes.

Best to all! Have a marvelous day!