264.4

Stacygo100: Welcome!! Oh, we all know the feeling, all too well! It sucks having to re-lose the weight, but it sounds like you have a good outlook on it! It is what it is and all we can do is move forward. This is a good group and very supportive. We have a couple of people out on vacation and overworked right now, but it is a fun group of people!! Looking forward to hearing more from you!

Lilion: UGH! Sorry for the increases! I know that is so frustrating. It is tough when the scale doesn't move at all, but even more so when it fluctuates wildly. Hang in there!

As for me, I had a very good day yesterday with food and exercise. Today I went to the gym and lifted some weights on my own. It felt pretty good today, even though I was so close to not going at all when I first got up. I'm kind of tired today, dragging a little bit. I have a healthy lunch packed and today should be good for staying on track. Just need to make myself stay smart and keep making good choices. SO HARD!! I did have a loss from yesterday, so finally seeing a loss for the week. I would like to see it lower, and then hold on to it for the weekend. The weather this weekend isn't supposed to be very good, so I'm not sure I'll get a hike in. I hope I can. If not, I should go to the gym.

Tomorrow, I plan to go to spin class in the morning. Just trying to keep on keeping on!

Welcome Stacy! Welcome to the club! I also was a former 3fc girl, lost 100 lbs! ...aaannnd gained back 80. BUT - slowly going back down the scale. You got this!

(For now ignore my whininess. I haven't had a good night's sleep lately and it's making me moody.)

Diane! You did good! Bravo!

So..finally scheduled my gallbladder surgery - Feb. 2. Off work a week after and I have just right at a month before my week-long medieval camping event. Hopefully, I'll be one of those people who just doesn't really need a gallbladder - because camp cooking is hard enough without having to watch the diet that close. I got lots of exercise at Gulf Wars - so it'll be good even if I can eat!

And I'm gone again!

Good morning! I am checking in again with you girls. I did not weigh in bc I really didn't try to eat right. I did join a gym last night. It is the same gym I went to my last journey...I think I will feel comfortable there. I even dreamed I went to spin class...but in my dream my couldn't cluck my shoes in and when the teacher came to help I got in trouble bc I dropped mud everywhere. What do you think that means?

Sounds to me that you're afraid of judgment from other people there. Kind of like dreaming about forgetting your pants means you're feeling exposed..."getting in trouble" for being messy could mean you're feeling anxiety about being judged for your appearance.

Of course, I don't claim to be an expert in dream analysis.

So...today I'm at 272. This does not please me - as I'm pretty much right back to where I was before Thanksgiving. Then again, I didn't expect to be back down and the bad weekend was topped off with mac and cheese and cookies last night. Ever hit the point where you are just SO TIRED you can't function and can't make yourself CARE about what is going in your mouth? That's me. I feel like I haven't had a good night's sleep in days. I actually took a muscle relaxer prescribed for my back last night - even though I am not having any problems with my back - in order to just knock myself out and sleep! Other days I lay in bed and my mind just races. Two nights ago I was mentally chewing out my sisters-in-law. Three nights ago I was mentally building camp furniture. Yes. Camp furniture. Out of lumber and plywood.

Tomorrow, I plan to sleep until I can sleep no more. Then I'm having a decent breakfast/brunch. Then I'm going to do some laundry and clean my sewing/craft/exercise room and make some healthy turkey soup from my left-over Thanksgiving turkey. I'm going to end this bouncing up and down the scale with the food that started it all. Buying some veggies and starting to eat right again is the only other thing on this weekend's agenda!

Hey Diane! Hope your last night was good and today is grand!

Laurie, Toasted, Bookmark , Lemon- we miss you!

Lilion...I do like your analysis. I'm sure it is pretty spot on. I think when those anxieties show up in your dreams it is important to recognize it and face it head on....

I need to just focus on getting the bad foods out of my house and getting good foods in me and getting myself to the gym.

264.2

Lilion: Good for you on getting your gallbladder surgery scheduled. I'm sure that isn't something you're looking forward to, but at least it will be done!! Turkey soup sounds really good, I think that is a great start. Sometimes we just need to convince ourselves to forget where we were and just start again. I can easily say that to you, but doing that myself...not so much. I actually was looking back to see what weight I was last year at this time. Now that is a really productive way to spend some time...... It made me mad at poor choices last year.

Stacygo: Good for you on joining the gym. It sounds like this was a good gym for you before, so hopefully it will be good for you again! Heck, stay off the scale for now, if that works for you! No more dreaming about spin class!! Ha!

For me, I went down slightly on the scale, just making it to one pound for the week. That's what my goal is, to lose a pound a week, but I really wish it would have been lower. Weekends are just not my friend for weight loss. I will try again this weekend to keep a little sanity. I want a loss for official weigh in on Monday.

I went to spin this morning. It was hard. I do think I'm getting my mojo back again and getting much stronger, but boy, by Friday, I'm starting to wear out a lot. I hope to get a hike in this weekend, if the weather isn't too bad. We have some kind of storm coming, so it might not be good, but if I can, I'm going. Hope everyone has a good weekend!!

I’m back!

And probably fatter!

But we had fun and I’m tired and now also picked up something be it a cold or the flu - it’s currently all those ambiguous symptoms that overlap. Yeah airplanes for spreading weird germs and The parks for hosting people from all over the world to mix it up. This time there were many from Italy, Brazil and Spain - so whatever is active there I’m sure we swapped germs with.

Weather was crazy the last few days they had freeze warnings but since I’m a hearty type it was like fall weather as the sun was out all day but it was frosty in the am and at night. But I have tanned feet - someone once told me happiness is tanned feet - I guess that just means you had fun making them that way.

My DH says he’s down 5 and I have only hopped on after a meal and it’s been waffling between 227-230 so I went up 3-5. Good god the 230s. CANT THEY LEAVE ME ALONE?! So I think I will do an official weigh in on Monday and start all over. I did have 2 ghiradelli sundaes but they were split 2-4 ways. I did have sweet treats but they were all split so never 100% stuff my face. We walked on average 6-8 miles a day so that was a help but I didn’t push water, fast or eat super well. Alas, if on Monday everything has returned to normal as in water, eats and bathroom returning to normal, then hopefully I’ll have an ok weigh in. If not, it was vacay and I was intending to eat like that at some point.

Before I forget: welcome new lady! I don’t have the previous posts up to recall your name - but we’ll get aquatinted I’m sure.

Ok gals - I’m ready to grumble with you into this new year. I never did hit 222, nor the 200 I had hoped way back in August of achieving but really I am one who lives her life first and Diet is not always my main achievement to reach. I’ll get somewhere just as long as it’s not the 230s forever and thensome.

I look forward to visiting with everyone again. I thought of you all as I had my hot fudge sundae and I know from toasted’s cakes obsession to lils Christmas cookies you’d all tell me to enjoy that moment and be good later and work hard.

Happy weeeknd all! I’ll post later once I’ve a true scale reading. For now keep me at 230. Blah!

Hi. Hope everyone is doing great today!

Stacy: welcome. May your journey go lots quicker than my own - right now I could argue about mine or that my husband lost 5 lbs on vacay but sent it my way instead. I will admit I’m not 100% attached to making sure I hit my magic number of calories as some days are better than others and currently I’m trying to right the ship since returning home. What are you doing to loose this time?

Hello ladies!

AM: we are all still sick in this house YUCK. Nothing’s worse then feeling like crap and having to blow ones nose in the middle of sleep. I hate winter for the illness portion and of course amongst all the cold and a drab world outside: devoid of much color.

Tomorrow we are to get lots of snow so the few appointments that I had planned may have to be canceled. That probably will include school too, either its start or once lunch is served (then the day doesn’t have to be made up). I’m ready for winter To be over. totally evident seeing all the flowers in bloom while on vacay which in turn got my wheels spinning. I began looking at what I’ll be planting in my garden and flower beds. I need to get to the store and see what I can find for seeds. I’m trying a few new methods this year from raised beds to starting seeds on my own. I hope it’s doable. And I hope they all take off and produce well. I will say that’s one good thing about winter - anticipating a growing season. I’m not super successful with mine but I try yearly and see where I can make improvements.

I burned the roof of my mouth on pizza the other day - holy cow it can be super sensitive until it heals. It interrupts my morning coffee! Hot on sensitive skin is not where it’s at. Maybe it will also prohibit me from eating as well!

Ok may you all have a good Sunday! I’ve got to finish putting our travels away and begin figuring out my week ahead. And that includes getting back to my IF which I seriously abandoned. Oh the things we do to sabotage our diet progress.

Happy day all.

Side note/late note: I hopped on scale after breakfast/coffee before shower there is a possibility vacay wasn’t as bad: 227.2 it landed at. So better than I thought even with a meal in me. I’m currently making cookies for a nephew that helped quasi House sit for us and of course I’ll have one but send the rest with him.

Hopefully tomorrow isn’t too bad weight wise. I’m currently pushing more water, my legs have slimmed back down (my ankles had been puffy the whole trip) so that’s helpful. I felt very heavy by the end of the trip leg wise. Funny how the body retains he things you don’t want it to.

227.9

Fatty mcfatty here. No I know I have the vacay creep to deal with and get rid of yet again. I wish things were easier on this journey and weight stayed off and the rest would come off but I haven’t yet figured out what totally works for myself. What worked 10 years ago does not work now. And I’m not hip to go walk outside as today we are to get north of 10-12” of snow and ice. The town hasn’t been plowing well and of course the sidewalks are up to the homeowners but a lot rent and it’s not their “job” to clear them they’ll say. Alas I’ll have to come up with yet another thought to try and see if that helps out in getting some movement.

In the meantime I’ll be looking ahead to spring with my garden planning and flowers. Planning new growth is always a help in he mood department. And then the bulk of my sewing is done so what’s in front of me now is either quilting or outfits for spring but since I’m on this hope to loose weight kick then that’s making things up right before I’d need them less I’d have to do alterations in case I did finally loose some more. Even the shorts I was proud of making felt loose on the trip. I guess that’s a good thing right?!

Well my focus for everything is all over the place. Maybe it’s the cold outside or the cold in my head or maybe just all the craziness with settling back into normalacy post vacay. Whatever it is I hope all goes well and slows down some so I can think easily and come up with answers for it all. But until then just know I feel kind of defeated weight wise today. I wish I had more focus, I wish food wasn’t a temptress some days and I wish the journey for me would be a lot easier to do. I see others whipping down their numbers already to 1xx and here i sit still in the 225-230 range. Sure I’m pretty much keeping off what I’ve lost thus far but darn it that scale doesn’t want to surprise me w a new number I haven’t seen in years I just revisit the same groups of numbers over and over again.

Alright gals - sorry today is a glass half empty day for me. I wish you all well with your Journies. May you have better success then I and get rid of these albatrosses quickly!

264.8

Lemonthyme! So glad you are back, you were missed! Try not to worry too much about the vacay weight. To me, you did a marvelous job and didn't add too much at all. It could have been a lot worse. Oh, and I heard that the Midwest got hit pretty hard (I have relatives in Nebraska). I saw some pretty impressive pictures. I am so ready for spring, even though we've had a pretty mild winter. I saw that the store had some seeds out. Makes me super anxious!!!

Stacygo: How's it going? Hope you had a good weekend.

For me, I had a pretty good weekend overall. I think I did better than last weekend, but I'm still tripping myself up with food. I was actually really happy that my weight only went up by .6 from Friday. I still had a loss overall for the week, but just .6 of a pound. Since I'm shooting for one pound per week, I need to buckle down more on the weekend. It is much easier for me when it gets warmer, since I can get outside more. But, it shouldn't be so difficult when I'm inside, either. Endless battle continues with the weekend.

I didn't get to hike this weekend, since it was snowing for a lot of it. We have some colder weather this week, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to hike next week either. I might have to go to the gym one of the weekend days, if I can't hike. Anyway, onward!!!

Still feeling pretty positive overall. I went to spin class this morning, and it was really good. I just feel like workouts are going great right now, and that is so helpful. Really during the week, I'm much better with food, too. Just need to find my way a little better on the weekend.

Hello! The weekend is over and I am alive. Not that I was doing anything dangerous that might have made me not be alive...but the fact that the weekend is over is nice and depressing all on its own. It's a nasty, cold, windy, dark and gloomy day. The Midwest - by that I mean the CENTRAL US - I've never really understood Iowa and Nebraska - Well Nebraska not so much, but places like Minnesota being "Midwest" - aren't they more "Mid-North"? Anyway - MISSOURI was 70 degrees and sunny yesterday! So of course today is 40 degrees and about to rain. Stupid weather. Better than the snow I guess.

So...that ramble was intended to say HI LEMON! Welcome Back! I'm glad you had a nice trip. Sorry it's over. Don't you worry about the weight...you know vacation gains are inevitable but seldom last long.

As for me...well...270.5 this morning. Down from Friday's 272. That's after a weekend of poor eating with virtually no veggies and lots of carbs and pork and cookies and such. But apparently my "digestive issues" have started to resolve themselves and with it the weight goes down. Still annoying. I must admit, these days I FEEL fat. Like really, really fat. My new clothes which I bought heavier than this, feel tighter. I'm just not even comfortable in my own skin. Maybe it's the gallbladder thing. Though I feel 100% fine...maybe it's making me bloaty and uncomfortable? I have no idea.

I did actually try to take a walk today. Winter has stopped my lunchtime walks as effectively as having to go home to care for little Suzie did. I made it halfway to the capitol today and realized that I had runny nose and eyes and would have to stash my coat somewhere if I were to try to walk inside...and I gave up, took 1 lap around the building and came back to the office. Still more than I've done in a bit. I definitely need to get back to working out at least a bit.

So...Diane and Stacey - HI! Hope you all are set for a good, healthy, week!

lil: well technically the great lakes - but our attitudes and mannerisms lump us w/the midwest. The worst is when they say we are part of the PLAINS - now that I take offense to - My state is nothing about all openness and flatness - heck no! We have it all. Including today - with 13" of snow and ice and yuck to contend with. The 50 mph winds haven't begun thank goodness.

Sorry on the craziness of the body feeling one way and the clothes another. I know how it goes all too well. Hang in there my dear!

diane: I am glad you keep your body moving. I am recuperating from my extravagant park walking. You never realize how your body feels after a full day of walking until you stop for the night and say what the heck?! Wouldn't it be great if the weight just fell off and STAYED OFF? I am all for that.

AM: having to clean off my hard drive - no room with the new photos. So as I am pulling stuff off I ran across my undie/swimsuit photos from last year this time. Good golly I think my belly is flatter. I will have to have DH take photos of me and I will microanalyze and see if I have lost anything. Well put it this way - I feel thinner. And I guess that's the main objective besides a scale that m moves downward even if it takes 20 years!

My cold is still hanging in there. I just want to keep eating soup but at the same time am completely bored by what I am making. Ugh. A double edge sword. I made chicken rice vegetable soup last night but had a good time with crackers I guess. Today I am having a soda - I can't very well taste things due to icky cold - and I am tired of being parched when I come to and coffee and water just weren't doing it for me. Sure, staple on those extra pounds I want to get rid of, but sometimes you just need to cave.

So I hope all are doing well - battle those scales. One of these days I will be good and moving the scale downward for good.

today isn't that day.

happy afternoon all! I am off to clean some more and if I am absolutely a kind wife, I will help my DH shovel the heavy wet snow before the night is done. I don't know if I am of that caliber today.

Hey Guys, Happy New Year (20 Days Later) and Merry Christmas too (Not quite a month later)! I know I ghosted a bit (a lot) from the group and I imagine I've missed EVERYTHING but I hope you guys are all doing well and are alright. In summary, since the last time I was on here, I had the biggest real break (not with reality, unfortunately, because I was very aware of ALL the indulgence) I've had since I started working and it was great. I had a lovely Christmas with my family (even though our gifts didn't arrive in time and so on December 24th, we were scouring the bare store shelves) and then I went to Dubai for New Years and took my food scale and workout gear and planned to be totally on-plan and come back pounds lighter and well... none of that happened. But it's over and done with now. I'm back (I've been back for a couple of weeks) and still trying to get back on track- not with tracking my food, but with not overindulging and with exercising. I caught an epic cold last week that kind of scuppered the one-day running trend I had built up (ha!) but I'm a lot better now, just um... decongesting quite a bit, so pretty much in the obnoxiously loud and mucusy stage. In total, I think I gained possibly 8lbs or so (depending on the day) in the past month and I'm now the heaviest I've been in 4 years which is kind of a wake up call for me, hopefully. I wish I had a smidge of my 2009-2012 weight loss mojo where I was DEDICATED, I'm wayyy to casual in my attitude to things, and I know I was doing better when I was surrounded by my crew (you guys) who were also working towards the same thing and inspired to try just a bit harder. I have a couple of big trips planned for April (conference- remember I was working on some abstracts in early December? Well all 3 got accepted, so I'm off to Bali! ) and May (cruise) and ideally, I'd like to be at least 15-20 lbs lighter by then so I've got to WORRRK!!!

GOALS FOR THE DAY
1.) Eat under 1400 calories
2.) Do a workout after work
3.) Get up early enough to go running tomorrow

No w/I as school is delayed so I’m chasing kids much like herding cats!

I was not a good wife, the only help I offered DH w the shoveling was sending one of the kids out with him last night, making sure he took aspirin afterwards and kicked him out of bed at 540am to go shovel more. He grumbled with that one but I said if it was a mess last night today will be worse and take longer. As is, it did. So he was glad I gave him that shove.

My youngest is morning 4k and it’s canceled as it’s a 1/2 day program so we’ll have to do some work here at home. He hasn’t been to school for two weeks now. Oh no! I’ll try to keep him going.

My plans for the week have been derailed each day. I haven’t gotten back to IF but I hope to this am. With kids home it’s hard to do because I KNOW I mindlessly snack with them around. Exercise is hard to fit in as well. I know I read of all these women who have no issues fitting it all in to their days, but that isn’t me. Part is low desire on my part and part is my basement is not cleaned where I can walk around it.l as it’s too much a mess outside. If the basement were cleaned I could go down and walk so maybe this weekend I can convince DH we can get that done or at least all out of the walkway I’d use as there is 1/4 of it still blocked w totes (my sewing crap). It might be doable (cleaning) as the man lost weight on vacay and he’s now almost to 300 (yes we’re fatties together but he’s tall so it’s all in the belly/butt area) and I think he’s excited to see 299 and may want to walk to. I would be estatic to see 222. So perhaps the cleaning can be done so the waking can commence. I usually can get a nice chunk done in 45 minutes - being mindful not to spur up the bursitis.

Alas - it’s a new day and what am I going to do with my crazy challenge? I’m trying my darndest to have water EVERY DAY. That’s this weeks change. I’m trying to get to 99oz, but I’ve not been super great. I think I had 66 yesterday. I don’t like feeling like I’m floating by bedtime. So I have to be mindful when.

Toasted: welcome back! What was the best thing you did in Dubai? Is it as opulent as it seems? Oh the weight! I’m sure for you it will come off easily. I’ll cheer you on!

Hello ladies! I hope your day goes well. Look forward to your journies. I’ll continue to struggle with mine. But my goal with this challenge to st. Paddy’s is to work on changes each week and build on them to make a better me by 3/17 where I can just move forward and do well.

Ok I’m off to find cereal for the youngest that makes him happy. Pantry here I come!