Burgund - You are doing awesome, wow 217!! You will be 216 and heck maybe 215 if you do alot of walking in NY! Sounds like your planning a fund weekend and yes, I agree about the same scale. I can't weigh anywhere else except my bathroom......lol.

Neesy - Dang Army. That really sucks, and I am so sorry. Now I know exactly what he meant when he felt like he was in prison. Since he is on reception, that means he is making no progress and doing nothing and not allowed to do anything else......lol. Really sucks. Sorry, but like Lindy said, be positive that this gives you more time to reduce and be smokin hot for him. I know it's tough though. My thoughts are with you! Oh, and eat some protein with some healthy greens. This may help the dizziness.

Lindy - Well, Mr. Sweet 16.........lol. Momma will see the light, when needed. My mom was the same way. It was always, "Oh, Sandy, is that wise." and more and more and more comments............ugh. However, she always came around when needed, but it took time. She is very old fashion and wasn't use to the younger lifestyles..........you know, single mom dating. Anyway, just take it slow, don't overwhelm her and she will adjust. Have fun.........well, not too much fun..........LOL...........smooch, smooch.

Dance - Yummm, I love trout and any kind of fish, and spinach is one of my fav's. I have loved spinach with just a touch of salt since I was a kid. Dinner for me.......well I was bad. I was still out with my daughter and had a 'mother load' of a burrito with the works.......yummm - I was bad, but it was good. ;-)

Staccie - Your a hoot. Love the gym workout......outdoors.....lol......You really do put in some long days......gosh 14 hours is alot of worktime! I would have to workout too just to relax the muscles. I hope tomorrow is better for you.

Today was great and spent with my daughter. Her wedding dress is absolutely stunning. We went out with one of her Navy girlfriends - another MA and shopped for bridesmaid dresses and stuff for the reception. I can't believe she is getting married........dang I am getting old! Well, I am signing off, as we were out for 10 hours and I am pooped.

I will check in more tomorrow. Nite.

Hey girls. I didn't forget about you. My internet is struggling. I had a really bad day over all but I got a ton of exercise and I did my day 3 of 30ds. Love it. So friggin' sore.

Lindy- I am glad that you are smitten with that guy. He sounds hot.

Sandy- I can't wait to see pics? Did you get a mothers dress. Its a great excuse to buy a beautiful dress.

Burgundy- Awesome! You are going to hit your short term goal in no time.

Neesy- I am so sorry. The military sucks. They do that with deployments too and that REALLY sucks. *HUGS*

Hey girls - not a lot of time, really quick post:

Mygrits - I cant wait to see the pics of Alina in her wedding dress. I feel like I know your families we talk so much on her. So the question is...did you ball your eyes out when you saw her? lol.

AJ - dont you love how much pain your in with 30DS? lol. I will admit, it is virtually impossible to do it 30 days straight and if you do, some days you pretty much just half arse (haha-Stacie, arse) it.

Ok...so, on the day that I spend the day with Mr. Perfect...sorry, ahem...Mr. Sweet 16, lol...I hop on the scale and it has finally decided to make up with me and be my friend...183! Yes...2 pounds!!! Woo-freakin-hoo. I was already having a great hair day, great make up day, ****...my nails even looked good, lol...so to have this as the icing on the cake...Im golden. Also...I went and got a pair of jeans yesterday and I was able to fit into a JUNIORS 13. This is great bc a 13 in juniors is equivilant to about a 12 (or extremely tight, I cant breath, going to die...10) for me, lol.

Ok....When Im on my up...Im on my up....and this is great. Have a great day girls!

Lindy-Hope you have a wonderful day with Mr 16 and just give mom some time and I am sure she will come around. Congrats on being down 2 lbs and having a great day overall.

Neesy-hopefully your husband can enjoy himself soon. You just gotta think of the positives(lookin hot) for when you do she him.

Staccie-glad the workouts relax you for your 14 hour days. 5 block jog is good, and sleeping in is always a plus.

Dance-I do the same thing, tell my families about something we said here or one of you inspiring ladies. Ya'll are all great friends. The trout and spinach sounds yummy.

Sandy-I am looking forward to my trip. I will be there a little over a week. Cant wait. My best friend still doesnt know I am coming. Cant wait to see pics of your daughters dress.

AJ-great job on the 30ds. I have 3 more days to do it before I leave.

We have a BBQ to go to tonight at 6. The last few that we have gone to have been good. I have eaten well, some of the family is vegetarian so there are always healthy options. I will be good, promise. I am getting really excited about my trip and want to lose a couple more lbs. I know I can. Got my kitchen and dining room finished yesterday. Now today gotta work on the bathrooms. I will check in later. Have a great day everyone.

Ok, just finished my workout, level 3 is killer. Lindy have you moved on to level 3 yet. Hopefully if we dont get home too late, I can do the golds gym workout too. Gotta get in the shower.

Howdy, all! I'm a little behind this morning - having a work from home day and was caught up with other stuff earlier.

burgundy - way to go on the workouts! And good luck resisting temptation at the bbq!

aj - good for you on the exercise!

lindy - so glad the stars aligned for you today! And a little bit of we told you so on the weight loss : ) but what perfect timing - I bet you look wonderful!

mygrits - so glad you're enjoying the special time with your daughter.

staccie - hang in there, kiddo! It sounds tough...

Didn't do well at all from dinner on yesterday - went for a walk with a friend after dinner and came back hungry although I'd already eaten and had way too much cheese and crackers. Not enough to gain but definitely at maintenance and not weight loss level : ( Back on the wagon today and cleaned out some drawers this morning, putting the stuff that's too big in the goodwill pile which is always motivational. The too small pile is definitely shrinking so I may have to cruise a few more clearance racks to make sure I still have a few things to wear while I'm still a work in progress. I have shin splints from the hike this weekend so I'm not running today but am going to make up for it with a flurry of gardening activity to get ready for a bridal shower we'll be throwing for my buddy in a few weeks.

What's new with you guys?

Hi Ladies,

Wow, Lindy, you are really putting on the competition!! Dang girl, two pounds and it's not even Sunday! Ok, you have now officially fired me up......LOL. I hope today is awesome, and fun for you. I know you look smoken hot - probably stopped him in his tracks! LOL

Burgund, you too have really put the competition on! I know your on my tail and I have got to start moving! FAST! Hey, why not have alittle of the barbecue and desert tonight? LOL.....

AJ, How's the packing coming? How soon to you move? I didn't realize you were doing the 30DS too! Awesome!

Dance, I know you love the feeling of adding to the Goodwill pile! LOL........and of course lessening the too small pile. Don't be too hard on yourself with the cheese and crackers. We all need a 'snack' day here or there, as it is a lifestyle change, not a diet. Hope your day is good and remember, you can always come to my house and clean out too! LOL.....

Ok, No workout today, but I went to bed late after spending the day with Alina and slept in - big time. I hate sleeping in, but I guess my body needed it. Anyway, I plan on either walking/jogging later or swimming laps. My husband woke up sick with a sore throat and small fever so PRAY I don't get it.

Kinda slow in here today.

Dance-at least you know when to stop with the crackers. Its only Tuesday, I am sure you will have a loss by sunday

Mygrits-Hope you dont get sick too. What did you decide to do, jog or swim? I did 30 ds but hope to get something else in today. We will probably play volleyball at the BBQ.

So, I am doing everything right, didn't even cheat this weekend, which is saying alot since weekends are always tough for me. But yet I still am up a pound as of this morning and it just can't be right. I have stayed at 1200 or below (only below twice) calories every day since last wednesday which is always the calorie amount I aim for when I am hard core dieting. This is how it went:

Wed - 295.6
Thurs - 292
Fri - 289.6 (I know these two big drops had to be water weight from my honeymoon)
Sat - 290
Sun 290.6
Mon - 290.4
Tues - 290.6

What gives?? I am at a calorie deficit of like 1200 cals not including exercise. So I guess I am in the same boat Lindy was in last week and the scale is just not reflecting what is actually going on...i hope MY 2 lb drop day comes soon.

Dance, I think you asked what my diet plan is, and I just count calories. Usually I aim for 1200 during the week because it is so easy to while I am sitting at work all day. Then on weekends I just try to eat in moderation because we're always having friends over or going out with friends or going out to eat with my Mom. So, eating out I can't exactly count calories so I just try to be "good".

Burgandy I hope you have blast on your vaca and I bet it will be fun to suprise your friend!

Lindy, I hope things went well today with mr. 16

Mygrits, I wish I could have slept in today! Me and the sleep fairy have not been good friends since I moved into my new house. I get up early on Saturdays now to get all the cleaning done. That used to be my sleep in day. Then on top of that, I have been having these nights where I wake up 5-6 times throughout and feel like the night must be almost over and look at the clock and its like 1am or 2 am, with like hour increments in waking up. I used to (at my apartment on the old mattress) sleep like a rock and not wake up once and the morning would come super quick. So, I guess I need to figure out it it's the new mattress or the new house. Although I'm not sure how I could figure out if it's the mattress since we threw away the old one.

Staccie, you're my hero...I just can't handle that long of workdays. My first real tax season of 10-12 hour days almost killed me...well that's a bit dramatic, but it was super stressful and I remember feeling like I NEVER had me time. So double kudos to you for MAKING you time. My house was soooo messy during tax season, becuase my days were so mentally exhausting I felt like I had to come home and veg out in front of the TV. Sure didn't win any weigh loss awards those couple months.

Here's to hoping for a loss tomorrow.

Hey Tiff - Your doing great and you will drop. Is Tom coming? Second, are you drinking alot of water? Other than that it could just be your body 'holding on' thinking it's starving, but it will adjust - be patient! Your doing fantastic and to lose what you have lost is fantastic! Tiff your down 5 lbs in a week! WOO HOO!

Burgund - Wow, I am feeling lazy just reading your posts everyday! I am going upstairs and workout right now. Hey, you sure you don't want any treats at the BBQ? Come on......lol

Okay. I am not doing well. I don't know where my motivation went. I am still working out but my "diet" has gone to....

Do you guys have any favorite recipes that we could share. If every one emailed me one or two I would compile them and send it out for every one as one document.

I NEED fresh ideas. I also have just lost it so any advice or motivation would be great. In teh beginning I wanted my old clothes to fit. I wanted to make my hunsband shiver when I wore a little black dress again and now.... I feel like I don't care. I haven't gotten lazy with fitness. WHY FOOD??

Ugh. Sorry for the rant.

Tiff- 5lbs is fantastic and 1200-1300 seems a little low to me. Do you wourk out too?

Sandy- I have gotten no where but we have a little under a month so its okay. I still have to re-paint though. Not looking forward to that. Over all... I am trying to not be a packrat and get rid of most of what we have. I have too much stuff!

[email protected]

Hi my friends,

Wish I could have logged on earlier today. I am unfortunately not feeling well. I woke up at 430 and felt super tired so fell back asleep with my gym pants on lol. Today I have been feeling kind of dizzy and when I stand up my face and lips are tingling - almost like vertigo...very strange. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow for something else so I will let her know. It's not the first time I've had it but it's been over a year now. Stress, blood pressure I don' t know but I am dead tired. And this is not good Anyone ever have this before?

Back to the gym tomorrow morning unless I feel more horrible. Yuck, I hate feeling bad.

Sorry I can't write more, I read everyone's updates - excited for you!!! Will try and check in tomorrow

Hey Chicks,
Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I guess since the gym is out, as is my back, I really haven't had anything to post. No life event changes, just...the same. Blah. I'm still nursing a hurt back, have begun stretching to ease the pain. I was actually dressed and ready to go to the gym when it started aching again. I was going to suck it up and go, but thought I would be doing more damage than anything. I'll try again tomorrow.

Not sure if I will lose this week, I've had the TOM from **** and I'm trying to watch what I'm eating. Ended up having Culver's frozen custard Sunday night (craving chocolate). Had a small, where I would normally have a medium, that counts for something, right? Other than that, been eating Lean Cuisine for dinner and having a little larger lunch to keep me going and not snacking in the afternoon. We'll see how that works.

AJ: Sorry you're feeling frustrated...I've gone through motivation withdrawl as well. Perhaps becuase you're moving to a new place, the stress is getting to you eating wise? There has to be some kind of motivation for you...are your clothes feeling bigger, smaller clothes fitting right? I think once you get over this "hump" you will be back on track and giving us a run for our money in the challenge!

Lindy: Sorry for the tough time with your mom. I've gone through the same thing. I dated my hubby for 8 year before we were married and my mom actually compared Matt to my father (long story, but let's just say that is an incredibly harsh insult). Then, my MIL told me that she told Matt that he should date other people and not get so serious with me. Guess that worked out well for her, huh? Parents want what is best for us, but God knows they don't always have the right answer. Follow your heart, it will lead you where you need to go.

Burgundy: You are cruising...way to go! Level 3 on 30DS? WOW!!

Tiff: I'm almost thinking you are taking in too few calories, so your body is going to hold onto that weight. Have you been doing the 1200/day for awhile now? If you are working out/cleaning, etc. your body may be going into starvation mode. Just a thought. Also, I think the sleeping thing may have something to do with it, thought I read something about that not too long ago.

Staccie: You're cruising along as well. Not sure how you manage working so much and working out. Good for you!

Sandy: How exciting...I love weddings. Hope all goes well with the planning and Alina has her happily ever after! Hope you don't get what your hubby has...I hate when that happens.

Dancer: Your "slip up" is very minimal, just keep moving. The fact that you're shopping for smaller clothes has to make you feel good. I put on one of my favorite shirts today (that I spent 15 min ironing over the weekend) and it was too big. Like, way too big! I loved that shirt and my husband laughed at me because I was complained that my "fat clothes" weren't fitting anymore. Too funny! Oh well, even if the scale doesn't move, it seems like inches are still coming off.

Well, this post is enormous, so I'm going to stop. Have a great night!

Oh, AJ wanted recipes. I'll post them here in case anyone else is interested:

I have a really good turkey burger recipe I posted a long time ago, so here goes again:

1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp bread crumbs (this is a guesstimate, as I've never really measured)
1 egg white (or you can use the yolk, your choice)
salt/pepper
I put Montreal Steak seasoning in mine, it tastes sooo good
Grill as you would a normal burger. I eat these all the time.

Had this at work today (our cafe is pretty good)
Grilled chicken & veg pita
1 pita bread
boneless/skinless chix breast
grilled veggies: onions, eggplant, mushrooms, zuchini
no sauce, no mayo, etc. just had it with the chicken seasoned. very filling.

Dinner:
another chicken sandwich:
1 Arnold multigrain flatbread
Boneless/skinless chix
lettuce/tomato/light mayo
Lite cheese (I use colby jack)
Just had the sandwich and I was stuffed. Guess I'm getting used to smaller portions now.

To answer sandy's question, Tom was here since thurs/fri. I still haven't been able to figure out when/if it affects my weight loss. Like, I don't know if it makes me gain at the beginning or before or not at all. I guess I will have to tell myself that it made me gain a lb during the beginning of it, and then next month I will have to see what happens.

I have been making sure to drink TONS of water. I actually unintentionally haven't been drinking my usual 2-3 diet sodas a day cause we haven't had it in the house. Dangit, now I will probably crave it now that I mentioned it to my house.

AJ and Maddiesmom, yeah 1200 is always the level I aim for when I am on plan. I do allow for hungry days, and allow myself up to 1500 cals if I am especially hungry.