I'm down 1.6 pounds from last Friday, when salt caused me to balloon up, but not as low as I was two weeks ago.

When I think of trying to lose seven pounds, I feel really tired, like it's beyond me just now. But I also engage in some nasty self-talk when I'm in front of the mirror, accusing myself of being lazy, making excuses and letting myself slip back into bad habits. This is not a good place to be in, to feel unhappy but unable to change. It's the place of inertia.

I tell myself that I can wait until I am less stressed, but what if I am never less stressed? What if this is the new normal?

I need a clearer head. I need some rest. Which I won't get this weekend, unfortunately. I've got to drive downstate with my mother in her minivan, pick up a loveseat, stay overnight and drive back. No laying around, not till next weekend. And then, next Tuesday, another round of presentations at 11 AM and 10:30 PM, for anyone who missed this past Tuesday.

When we go golfing on the weekend, we usually stop at my in-laws RV afterward for a cocktail or beer. MIL usually brings out the chips and salsa which totally kills my diet. Her thoughts? Well the salsa is so low in calories! My response? Look at all the calories in the chips! So, we're golfing on Sunday and I've offered to bring the after-golf appetizer. I found the most wonderful recipe Tropical Shrimp Boats that will be low cal, low carb and totally yummy without the need for chips!

Excited that DD comes home for the weekend as we're going to the Rat Pack show tomorrow and then out to a Greek place for dinner.

I'm still stuck at a 9.5 loss. I was really hoping it'd be 10 today, but the dinner Wednesday night was too much.

saef, I have found that taking the weight off is easier than keeping it off. Sad but true.
Allison that recipe sounds delicious.

Allison-- that looks delish! Much better than salsa and chips!

If I can just make it through today-- the birthday celebrations will start. I get to wear my PJ's to school to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday and Read Across America day, so that's a plus!

After work, the tentative plans are to go to the gym, then out to sushi, then home to watch Hugo (dd's friend whose mom is having brain surgery today will be hanging out with us).

Tomorrow the birthday plans will start with a breakfast with a dear friend. Cannot wait.

Saef-- try not to be so hard on yourself! The scale is moving in the right direction, yes?

Ok, I *need* to play with you guys. I've been lurking way too long, and it's taking me way too long to lose these measly 12 lbs I set out for. I started sometime around Dec 15th and have lost a grand total of 6 so far. I try to stay at no more than 1500 cals, but my average is actually 1650. I've also *just* started exercising (this week), so hopefully that will help. I joined that Contours Express I asked you guys about the other day. It might be too easy for you pros, but it's kicking my a**!! And I love it.

Congrats on your losses, and I hope to be celebrating soon(ish) too!

Welcome Clara!!! Your journey sounds like mine. I've been trying to lose 24 pounds since the beginning of January and I've been stuck here at a 9.5 pound loss for a few weeks now. But the way I look at it, I'm not gaining and at the slow rate at which I am losing, perhaps it will be easier for me to keep it off. Let's hope anyway!

Clara! Please make yourself completely at home.

My weight this morning was the highest for a very long time indeed. I'm pretty certain I'm in the middle of a hormonal event (I've no idea what's going on but the signs and symptoms are all around) so let's hope I'm holding a lot of water. We'll see but I'm not feeling good about it. Just "not good", though, not "bad" or "guilty" or "angry" or anything like that.

(Do you like the term "hormonal event"? I made it up. I like to think it's in the same group as "astronomical event" and big things like that.)

Welcome, Clara and good luck. I like to consider this as an elite group, you qualify in every way.

Birchie - I love the term 'hormonal event'. I think I've been in one for the last six months. It definitely falls in with astronomical events and other big scale things. Not extinction level events though, they are bigger.

Welcome Clara!

I slid up a little today, but figure since I snuck downstairs and ate a grapefruit with salt at 12:15 that is part of it. Then weighed at 5:00, which is way too darn early.

Add a little Vodka to your grapefruit and salt and you've got a Salty Dog. That might cause a hormonal event, though.

That made me laugh out loud. I could see that just might cause a hormonal event, absolutely.

Totally.

hi ladies, just wanted to say hi and that i have been in a bit of a lurking mode around here. i hit a new lowest weight of 125.2 and now i am bouncing between 126 and 129 depending on day of the week / time of day. i just want to stay there and never again see 130 no matter wht time of day i weigh myself. part of me wonders if i want to go any lower, but i am not willing to eat less or exercise more (as in more time devoted to it) than i currently do, so it may be that this finally is my maintenance weight but i woudl like to be more "firmly planted" in 125 so that my range is more like 123 to 127. so i think i will make that my goal to get to 123 by April 6. i will use the loseit app to track calories and i will do levels 2, 3, and 4 of ripped in 30 DVD (just wrapped up level 1). a friend will also lend me the first 4 insanity DVDs so i may get into that too, though i am scared

anyway, i dont post much, but watned to let you know that I will be lurking.... happy weekend!

Tracking my calories today. 1100 so far, which is tight for dinner, but if I end up at 1600 that's still better than the 1800-1900 I've been doing lately, if not as good as 1400. At least I managed to get in my run even though we're having storms today (there was a short window with no rain).

I got the results from the gene carrier tests that my OB/GYN ordered -- positive for cystic fibrosis and inconclusive for tay sachs. This means DH and I have to go meet with a genetic counselor, and he has to get tested for CF, and either I need a re-test or he needs a tay sachs test or both. But apparently my insurance has no in-network genetic counselors in my entire state! So now I have to deal with getting a "gap exception" so that they will cover more of the fees. Genetic testing is $$$ and that makes a big difference between 70% and 90% coverage (plus an additional $700 deductible). I hate health insurance!

Anyway, we'll see what happens, but DH and I are pretty much decided that if he's also a carrier for CF (unlikely, but possible) we will not have kids. It just isn't worth the risk to us.

Jessica,
I sure hope the tests are negative for your dh. I hope you can get them done soon as well.