Whenever I type the title for the new thread, I'm amazed at how fast summer seems to be flying by! End of July already? We leave for the beach in a week and a half and there's lots to get done before then!

I was woken up too early this morning by a cat landing right in the middle of my back. Darn near knocked the wind out of me. The gym will be first, then some weeding before it gets too hot. After weeks of constant rain, it's been dry and my herb garden is getting baked so I'll need to water.

I've been on a big cooking spree to stock up the freezer and made chili and chicken-black bean chili this weekend. I've got beans soaking and will pick up a ham bone this morning for bean soup. Gee, I must be on a fiber kick! (hey, it keeps me full )

I'm scheduled for my knee replacements on August 14 but have been having some back issues that may cause a postponement, which I really don't want to do. So I'm getting an epidural steroid injection tomorrow to see if we can get the back to settle down. Thankfully I can still do the elliptical and bike and lift weights carefully, so I'm still trying hard to be as fit as possible for the knee surgery. The scale isn't moving (of course) but I can now take off jeans that I was wearing in May without unbuttoning them, so something is changing.

I've got time for another mug of coffee before the gym opens, so join me and tell us how things are going for you. Is it hot where you are?

Good morning everyone.

Where IS the summer flying off to? We wait soo long for it to arrive, then it finally does and it's over in a blink of an eye.

Meg, I am so very sorry to hear that you are having such problems. With your back no less. I hope that you are feeling better and that they can figure out a way to help you and that your surgery will go off as planned.

I was away for the weekend, ate too much, but definitely kept in check this time. I had such a great time with our friends and I felt so great because of my weight loss, that it was a great incentive to eat less.

I loved tanning and swimming, neither of which I did while so heavy. We went out and I LOVED getting dressed in all my nice summer clothing.

I had so many great compliments throughout the weekend. Things that made me really stop and pause. 6 of us at one point wanted to go in one car (all of which were tiny cars) and the other 5 all commented at the same time how the smallest one has to get the worst seat - and of course that was ME. Bring it on. I can squish in anywhere!

Then for the first time I wore a really nice tank top. I asked my DH if he thinks it's okay for me to wear it, in public. He looked at me like I was totally insane and said, "YEAH!!!! You look GREAT. You're tanned, freckled, boney and muscular." My jaw almost dropped. I of course was worried about my excess skin underneath my arms. But when you look at me, you really don't notice it - at all. Of course if I were to lift my arms and point it out to everyone, well then of course they would notice it. So, I wore my tank top, didn't point it out to anyone (what a concept) and got a LOT of compliments. I felt so good.

Got tons and tons of paper work to take care of this week. It is terribly hot and muggy today. Yuck. Very much looking forward to next weekend as we are going away again. Oh how I love the summer. Whoa, did I just say that? Gosh, the summer used to be TORTURE for me. TORTURE. I used to dread it. Just dread it. But not anymore........

Have a fabulous week everyone.

Oh. And I forgot to mention. I got home yesterday and in the mail was my National Weight Contol Registry packet. I was sooo excited. I feel like I will be a part of a rare and oh so special group. I also kind of feel like I don't want to ever let them down. Just one more thing to keep me on my toes.

I was wondering, for those of you have done it, it says that documentation and pictures are not necessary. But I think I am going to provide it. Did any of you do this as well?

Robin, when I enrolled five years ago, I had to provide before and after pictures, the dates of my weight loss, and my doctor's name and address to verify my weight loss, so I did. It sounds like they've made that optional now?

Good morning all!

I got professional fitness photos done this weekend and I am pretty happy about it. I've gotten mostly positive feedback so far (with the exception of some guy who told me that he looks for trainers who are not intimidating, that I should smile, throw a towel around my neck, and look cheesy) and I have people lining up to get business cards and flyers, which is super exciting. Of course, on my flyer, I am going to have before and after pictures!

I decided to share some of my pictures with you all (click the thumbnails to enlarge, of course):
weightartistic5.jpg weightstand3.jpg friendly.jpg weightstand4.jpg lunge3.jpg

If you want to see the rest, they are located here:
http://www.custom-international.com/fitness

That's my big news... outside of that, not much is new except for the fact that I leave for St. Augustine on Friday. I feel like I definitely need a vacation, since I am often worked to death (between my boss, my web design gigs, and personal training, sometimes I feel like I need to be superwoman!)

Meg - sorry to hear about your back As Robin said, I hope everything goes as planned for you with your knee surgery. And oh... it is SUPER hot here, but that is to be expected since I am in Florida

Robin - You should definitely submit your pictures to the National Weight Control Registry , seeing how INSPIRING and INCREDIBLE they are... you know you have made such a transformation and hopefully those pictures will get shared with others.
You are right, too, about people not noticing loose skin unless you point it out. I have this bad habit of pointing mine out and drawing attention to it because I am afraid people will notice if I don't and I've always been the type to call myself out first as to not let myself get hurt.
Tanned, freckled, boney, and muscular, eh? That's AWESOME!

Meg - time is really flying! How can it be the end of summer already??? It only just started! I will be so sad when it is over, because as much as I like fall, fall means winter is coming. Six months of freezing my butt off does NOT sound like fun right now. Some days I wonder how many years I'll be able to handle the cold before deciding I've had enough and begging DH to move back to SoCal. I've got four winters under my belt as of right now (two in Rhode Island, two in Indiana).

Shane - your pictures look great!

Robin - That's a great compliment from your DH! I sent before and after photos to NWCR. I don't have any real documentation because I was not under a doctor's supervision when I lost the weight, so there is no record of my weight loss except for my own records.

I ate crap this weekend. Half a small Wendy's frosty shake, half a small DQ thin mint blizzard (SO GOOD), a bowl of chicken enchilada soup at Chili's, half a movie theater "small" sprite ("small" is a pretty loose definition), homemade ice cream, homemade peach cobbler, stuffed cabbage made with regular ground beef instead of lean, a couple glasses of wine . . . I think that's about it. I did get some exercise at least.

Jessica, I feel the SAME way about the fall. I love it. But it means winter is on the way. Oh and tha the summer is over. And for eating those 1/2's of this and 1/2's of that, that's a lot better then eating the WHOLE of them.

Shane, your pictures are awesome. In fact, YOU'RE awesome.

Ahh, yeah. The NWCR papers specifically said "it is requested, but not required that you send along before and after pictures and your Doctor's name." I've got the pics and I did see a doctor prior and since, so I will gladly send it all along.

Hi everybody! What is today? I'm not even really sure I'm posting in the right week. As Mel wisely said, one and one is not two in the case of young children, and I'm getting buried again. I'm now 6 weeks postpartum and feeling like a basket case. I don't know how people who have to go back to work at 6 weeks manage. I went back at 8 weeks last time and now that just seems borderline insane to me. I did get 5 solid hours of sleep last night, but thankfully it wasn't all consecutive, so I can continue with my stupor. I am SO sleeping this afternoon. DS really is an easy baby or I'd need to be committed somewhere.

On the plus side, I'm now walking more or less consistently, and ordered up some fat pants so I can start working back into running soon. I'm working on my abs and some moderate strength training. But, yesterday's workout consisted of holding a screaming, wiggling 35 lb toddler in one arm and a baby carrier with baby in the other while waiting for DH to bring the car. This was after chasing said toddler around a fancy resort as she attempted to run away. Does that count?? My eating has been really good too. I'm sticking in my calorie range of 2000-2200, with a goal of less than 200 empty calories a day. This seems to be supporting my nursing very well along with moderate exercise. I have 40 (!) pounds to lose to get back to where I started, with my goal being to take that off in about a year. Not really aggressive, but then my life does not allow for that right now.

Meg, I hope your back settles down so you can get your knees all fixed up.

Robin, sounds like you did have a fabulous weekend. I did send in photos and documentation on my weight loss for the NWCR, but it was required when I joined.

Shane, you look fabulous!

Jessica, LOL about the loose definition of the "small" sprite!

Hi to everyone else. I was pretty overwhelmed last week, and while it seems like I did read the thread, I have retained absolutely none of it, and the boss is grunting at me right now, so I must go again before I can look. Hope everyone is doing well, and I'm sending general good vibes into the universe for all of you.

Anne

Good morning everyone.

I have a doctor's appointment this morning. I know I've gained since last year--about 5 pounds, but hey, that's really bothering me. Last year he suggested running to lose or maintain (which I did but stopped when it got too hot). We'll see what he says this year.

Went to see two movies yesterday! The Dark Knight at IMAX (wow) and then lunch at Applebee's (California shrimp salad) and then Momma Mia (very cute and funny).

Just 3 days of work and then VACATION!

Anne~so sorry your toddler is giving you the run for your money! Don't despair, things have to get better.

Lisa~good luck on which ever route you take. Take care and be healthy for both of you.

Anne. you have your hands full, but it will get better. I applaud you for thinking and planning for your overall health.

Morning. It's COLD here this morning (47) but at least the sky is blue and there's actual It rained much of the weekend, with a few dry hours - enough for me to mow the grass and DH to paint one wall of our new (i.e. rebuilt) greenhouse.

Anne - Good to see you. Glad things are going okay. I've often heard folks say that two children is lots more than two times one child. At least your DS is an easy baby....

Robin - your weekend sounds lots of fun - and great compliments!

It was great to "see" Lisa Marie last week. Can't believe she's only got 2 more weeks to go.

Meg - sorry your back is acting up. Hope it won't delay your knee surgery.

I had a great dinner last night - a small steak grilled, some new potatoes, plus a salad/veg made from summer squash "ribbons" - a new recipe from Cooking Light. I posted it in our recipe section.

I was a cooking fiend this weekend. I have dinners made for the entire week (and probably into next week), lunch through Thursday, and I even put up six jars of jam yesterday (two jars of apricot cardamom, two jars of plum lavender, and two jars of plum rosemary).

I'm also squarely back in my maintenance weight range--two lbs below my pre-Chicago weight and four lbs below my red line. I also have a doctor's appt today and my weight is going to up from where it was last year. I've been struggling with this because it looks like I'm gaining, but really I'm not. My measurements are the same, if not a little lower. So, although my weight is up, I suspect my body fat % is down. Unfortunately, my doctor doesn't measure body fat, so that isn't going to be reflected in my medical records. But, even with the extra lbs, I'm still at the mid to low end of my BMI range and I'm sure my doctor isn't going to be concerned about them at all. I just hate the idea of my medical records showing that I've gained weight.

It's pretty cold here in NoCal today. They are showing a high of only 70. But theoretically it's going to start warming up tomorrow and should be in the mid-80s by Wednesday (which still doesn't really feel that warm to me). I can't believe it is the end of July and we've only really had one week of hot weather. That is just inexcusable. I'm not sure who is responsible, but I want it fixed now!

Meg: I hope the epidural helps your back and that you are able to have your knee surgery on time. I know you've been waiting a long time for it.

Robin: When I sent in my NWCR packet, which was earlier this year, I think they required some documentation showing my weight loss, but it was up to me what it was. I sent before and after pictures and copies of the records from my annual check-ups for the past three years (which I was able to print out myself through this online system that my doctor has). I didn't give them the name of my doctor-- I had just started with my current doctor, so I felt a little weird about that. Your weekend sounds fabulous! How nice to be the tiniest in the group. What a great response from your DH about your tank top
(which I am sure you looked fabulous in)!

Anne: I think chasing after toddles counts as exercise. I have a friend who sole exercise is toddler chasing and, despite all the weight lifting I do, she totally kicks my butt at arm wrestling. It sounds like you are doing great, considering everything that you are juggling right now.

Shane: Your pictures look awesome! No wonder people are lining up to hire you.

paperclippy: I don't know how anyone survives those midwestern winters. They are definitely the reason I moved to CA (although apparently I moved to the wrong part of the state--I should have moved to SoCal).

Barbara - see my morning temps in the post above yours! I'd be thrilled to death to see 70! I guess I can safely assume you won't be moving to Alaska any time soon.....

Hi everyone,

It's definitely HOT where I am! It's 90, but the heat index says 104. It's very muggy. I was out on the boat this morning and sweat was dripping off of me. I just don't know how people exercise in the heat. I can't do it! I'd rather when it's so hot.

I had a great weekend. Friday night BF took me to my favorite restaurant for my birthday dinner. I had prosciutto-wrapped salmon and some nice wine. I got to go scuba diving on Saturday - what a blast! I saw some really neat fish. Sunday I made a batch of peach ginger jam and peach butter. I'm really into jam making right now, I don't know why. I could never eat all of it, even though I usually make the low sugar recipes. I'll have a lot to give away this year!

I also need to refocus. As of Jan. 1, 2008 I was at 153 pounds - 13 lb. higher than my red line! I worked really hard and got down to 144, but the past 2 or so months I've lost discipline with food and the scale isn't moving. I need to get it back. I do think my muscle content is higher, but I still don't fit in all of my skinny pants. I'm trying to refocus starting now. It's really the pants that bother me more now. I would be ok with the number on the scale if I fit into my pants.

Barbara, I've been using this website to get a lot of my recipes. This is where I got the fig jam recipe. You definitely need to do the jam in small batches to let the pectin set properly. I tried the "low sugar" (4.5 c sugar/batch), tried it even lower, a little less than 4 c/batch, and then did a mix of 1.5 c. each sugar and splenda. With all recipes it tasted extremely sweet to me. With the peach jam I used a lot less sugar, too, and it still tasted sweet enough. But I put in too many peaches so my pectin didn't set properly, my own fault. It's still tasty, just a bit runny.

Allison, I'm with you - I can't work out outside when it's so hot! I remember before I joined the gym I would run at 8:00 PM in the summer, when the sun set at 9:30, just to avoid the heat. It really messed with my eating schedule, though. I love my climate-controlled gym. Hooray for vaca!

Anne, I believe chasing a toddler absolutely counts as exercise! Sounds like you're doing great with walking and food.

Shane, your pictures are great! You look very fit - definitely a body I'd want, therefore a trainer I'd hire. But I do think you look nice when you smile. Enjoy the vacation!

Robin, it must feel great to be "the tiniest one"!

Meg, I hope your bad settles down so you can have your surgery as planned. How great you can take off those jeans w/o unbuttoning - nothing like a pants-o-meter moving in the right direction!

Hello to everyone else out there!

Anne - it's good to see you! Chasing a toddler is definitely exercise in my book!

Pat - That's pretty darn cold for the end of July!

Allison - I know how you feel about the weight. I was terrified of getting on the scale when I started with my new doctor because my weight was up 15lbs at the time. On the other hand, on last year's NWCR survey I had to report a gain of 5lbs and I'm hoping to be able to show that I lost that this year!

Barbara - I bet you'd get hot weather if you moved further inland! I spent a summer living in Livermore, CA and it was ROASTING. I took the BART into San Fransisco for the day during that summer and ended up having to buy a sweatshirt. It had been 110 degrees in Livermore and 65 in SF! Or you could move to Arizona, there's some good hot heat there.

I posted this on the no excuses thread already, but I've been trying to get back into exercise. The results so far: a brief walk/jog was okay, my knees felt pretty good for the next couple days. A brief bike ride, on the other hand, totally killed my knees. Or maybe it was the fact that I was standing in the kitchen barefoot all afternoon, hmm . . .