Good morning! I'm back from the gym and groceries and want to get us started off for a great week! More later after I have breakfast and another mug of coffee.

How's everyone doing?

I'm not really sure how I am. These seem to apply to me today.



I think I have moved into the desperate, terrified, and insane part of the process. 111 more days.

BTW: I am tremendously fat.

Anne

Oh Anne - . You are NOT tremendously fat - you are with child.

Now, me I AM inching towards FAT. Kids had a snow day on Friday, so that started my weekend off on the wrong foot. Then I had guests over on Saturday and the eating "off" continued. Sunday was good.

I can no longer say that I weigh myself every day. Couldn't face the scale this weekend or today. I need to get a good week and an ENTIRE weekend under my belt til I step foot on it. I do feel good and strong though today and am excited about the fact that I have finally decided to forgo my weekend "splurges". They're just not working out for me. When I get under my "red line" again, and I WILL, I need to rethink just how I will get my extra calories in. We shall see.

Meg, was it last week or the week before where you gave us the great line "One cookie is too many and a dozen are not enough"? Well, I repeated that to my daughters, I thought it WAS brilliant afterall. Anyway, my 16 year old has an anti-drug program at her school. There was a guest speaker there on Thursday, an ex drug addict and sure enough SHE used the phrase. And my daughter came home and told me about it.

I hope you all have a great day.

I made goal two months ago and happy to say I'm holding my own at maintaining. Still counting calories and planning all meals ahead of time and keeping a food diary.My weight has fluctuated between 3 pounds below goal and 2 pounds over. I can live with that, for sure.

Anne. This too shall pass.

Robin, think about weighing yourself now and getting it over with, rather than waiting for nine days. Even if it's a shocking number, acknowledging it lets you put it behind you. Like: "it's XXX today, but this is the last day and tomorrow it WILL be less". I've found that denying reality just doesn't work for me and I need to "own" that number in order to get past it. For me -- and you may be different! -- not weighing myself is a slippery slope that leads to weight gain.

The funny thing about extra calories is that I never have to worry about getting them in. They always find me. It only takes one dinner out every few weeks to keep my calories at a maintenance level. So the rest of the time, I'm eating the same as I did while losing. But I really do enjoy my occasional treat meals!

I'm so glad you like the "one cookie" saying! It's not original with me, but it sure resonates.

Congratulations on your continued maintenance success, Bargoo! I think we can take your training wheels off now ... you're doing great!

Good morning! I will do a much better of job of keeping up here this week! It's past time to wean off the SB group and jump in here (yeah how many times have I said that), sometimes I feel guilty for posting my trials over there when I am not facing the same issues they are. You know like my eating was awful this weekend and I am up in weight but still within my goal range, I just need to crack down!

Our Anniversary is tomorrow and I am seriously thinking of asking DH to get us a gym membership. Our local gym is pretty small but it is better than nothing.

Anne I doubt you are "tremendously fat", it's a lovely baby bump and I am sure you are looking beautiful!

Have a great day!

Oh, Anne. I bet you're being bombarded by hormones! I remember days crying over how fat I was (and I gained 24 pounds with my first, 19 pounds with my second, and around 25 pounds with my third). Do something to make yourself feel great - get a pedicure or go buy a new maternity top or read a good book. And remember, you're growing another person! How much of a miracle is that?!

Meg, glad to hear you got a good workout this morning! Today is my rest day after having a long run yesterday. I always feel a little guilty on a "rest day" but I know if I push myself too hard, my body will give out and then I'll be in a sorry state! The girls and I are going to walk to the post office later this morning, so that should be a fun way to get a little cardio in (although we'll be walking at my three year old's pace so it certainly won't be high intensity!).

Hi Stephanie! I don't think you have to "wean off" the South Beach group. We need folks over there in Phase 3 to show everyone still losing that they can get to goal and maintain their losses. If you can handle it, realize you're doing something positive for other people by continuing to post over there. You're a success story!!!

Bargoo, congrats on your successful maintenance! Keep it up!!! (But be careful, Meg's going to ask you to write the maintenance book soon!!! )

Robin, we'll run and jump back on the wagon together, OK?! Ready? One...two...three...GO!

I'm ready to be on track today. I've got plain yogurt with frozen blueberries lined up for breakfast and a protein shake for snack, big salad with a bunch of fresh veggies I got at the store yesterday for lunch, and veggie burger with brown rice and salsa for dinner. Mmmm!

Off to start the laundry. Gotta love Monday!

Kara

Good morning/afternoon/whatever.

Robin & Anne -- My thought exactly! I've never given birth, but of course being pregnant is something special. As long as you're healthy and the baby is too...

I went to the doc and I'm glad because he actually took things seriously (no badgering me for laziness or whatever). So now I'm home for the week, and it's quite a relief, although I definitely need to learn to NOT feel guilty for not attending classes (I can't go out except between 2pm and 5pm, and yes I can be controlled during the week, and after all I'm here to rest, right!). The less good news is that those of you (I can't remember who it was, sorry) who suggested it might be related to the medication I'm currently taking might have been... right. It looks like a blood test is in order early morning tomorrow to check. Something about the liver making too many enzymes, and in turn it causes tiredness. I haven't understood exactly, I was still too focused on cringing about my very, very poor performance in my British Civilization test from this morning.

And now another hard part: I'm home. Alone. All day long. With the need to restrain myself from doing homework. OMG. How long until I feel like eating just for the sake of doing something?

Keep typing, Kery! You can't eat when you're typing! I'm so glad you went to the doctor and are getting things sorted out. No guilt -- you need to rest.

Oh, Kery, I'm glad you got a helping hand from that doctor! Are there any movies you can rent? What about computer games - mahjong or solitare or sudoku?? Anyone you haven't chatted with on the phone for awhile???

Oh my word, I just realized that the end of this week is MARCH! SEVENTEEN DAYS until Tom gets home!!!

Kara

Good morning everyone!

Anne - You're almost to the 100 day mark!

Kery - glad to hear you are getting some much-needed rest. Do you have any books to read or something to keep yourself occupied?

Hi Robin, Bargoo, Stephanie, Kara, and Meg!

I think the side effects from my new med are finally passing. Yesterday morning I had a weird incident where I felt like I had drank ten cups of coffee for about an hour. This was before I took the new med but after I took my thyroid pill. Maybe my thyroid medicine dose is still too high? Anyway, last night I managed to sleep almost all night and no jitteriness this morning.

Yesterday we went to a local maple syrup festival! I did eat the pancake and sausage breakfast that was included with admission, but other than that I think I did pretty well this weekend. Still no desserts or sweets! That makes six days now. Weight is slowly going down too.

Kara & Jessica -- Actually, I probably have to avoid movies: watching TV is a big trigger for me, at least when I'm alone (oddly enough, going to the movies isn't...). But I indeed have plenty of light reading to do (fantasy novels I never have the time to dive into, for instance), so I may very well take this as an opportunity to finally open them.

And since I posted while several others were posting too...

Meg -- The cookie thing may not be original, but it sure resonates with me as well!

Stephanie -- No need to wean off, indeed. I'm not even at my goal weight and yet this forum welcomed me, so I guess nobody there will mind you for staying as well even if you're "done" with losing.

Good Morning Maintainers
I'm hopeful the worst of the flu is past. I did step on the scale. I lost 6lb but I know alot of that will fly back on when I feel like eating again.

Anne-You are not fat, you are gestating. It's work!
Kery-I hope the doctor can get you sorted out so you feel better.
Kara-I hope the time flies until your dh is home.
Everyone else have a great day!

Jessica, what a bizarre feeling it must be to notice how medicines affect you that way! Hope you get them all evened out!

Kery, do enjoy those books! Get lost in them!

Lisa, hope you're on the mend!

Kara

I always thought that I would weigh myself everyday. That that would be way to be accountable and my reality check first thing in the morning. But I am really to nervous to do so. I need to step away from it for the week. I don't need to necessarily own the "number," per se'. I am more then aware of the behavior that brought me to this point. At this point it's enough that I know I've messed up, I've eaten too much for too many days. And I can FEEL it and actually SEE it - in my legs and on my waist and on my face. So although I haven't stepped on the scale, I am more then aware of the fact that I've screwed up and I think for now that may be enough "ownership". I think the number may actually frighten me and make me worse off. I really want to give it my all til Monday to step on the scale. It's some kind of little game I'm playing with myself, I suppose. I hate to say IF I don't reel it in this week, that next week I will step on the scale no matter what, because I don't even want to put the "IF" on the table. There can be no "IF" I reel it in. I AM reeling it in! So there, I said it.

Anyway, the treat meal every few weeks was going to be my way of maintenance too. Only I have not been having them every few weeks. I've been having them EVERY weekend. And sometimes 2 days of the weekend. Once I deal with getting these extra pounds off, I will really have to keep it to every FEW weeks. Gosh, how I wish I was at that point.

Jessica, sounds like you're getting everything under control.

Kery, I'm glad the dr. was able to give you some answers. And yes, read away. Enjoy those novels.

Yes, Kara, let's jump back together! I've already jumped back and I feel real good about it. But not to be a downer, my weeks have not been the issue - it's been the weekENDS. 17 days til Tom - I can't imagine how excited you must be.

joyof6, I'm glad you're feeling better.