Starting the thread. Will post in two seconds...

Goooooood Morning!

I have to say, packing went remarkably well last night. I got A LOT done, so I'm feeling slightly less stressed. On the other hand, I have successfully managed to catch a cold (I used to get them a lot this time of year in college because of finals and the stress that's related) and feel pretty crappy. I'll pack some more tonight and be almost ready to move by Weds.

Things are not going so well as far as WW goes... I'm feeling SO unmotivated. I'm not sure why--I thought last night maybe it's the fact that I can't afford to buy new clothes so all of my old clothes are pretty much falling off me. I'm skinnier, but I still feel sloppy. I told my mom last night that I just have to go buy new clothes and some gorceries (there is NOTHING in my apt to eat right now) and that's just how it's got to be, otherwise I'm not going to lose anymore weight, I'm afraid.

WI is tonight. Not feeling so confident about that. But whatever happens happens. I've got too much other stuff going on right now to care too much about WI. I'll worry about that a little more after I at least get moved into my new apt.

Well, lovely ladies, I gotta get a little work done. Will check back soon!

Hey Ladies, I am motivated this morning surprisingly enough. I packed all of my food for the day and plan to stick with it. I weighed myself this a.m. and I am up wayyy up but I am hoping it is b/c of TOM which just ended yesterday. Oh well I have got to start somewhere.

Cristina- I understand me and my almost fiance (waiting on the ring) have no idea either. Oh and I live by you. I live and work in Taylor. Please come and post again, it is cool to know that we are in the same boat in the same state. We can empathize with one another when we are having typical Michigan weather and unable to get outside

Kim- I agree very scary. I hope there will be no more tornado's in your neck of the woods.

Belle- Thanks for the cheers. We will definitely get back on track.

Jess- THis may be a good time to focus on maintaining but don't revert back to your evil ways. Trust Me. I did it for 3 months and gained 13 pds. UHh it makes me sick to admit it Anyways I really wish that I would have focused on maintaining through my stressful time instead of saying screw it. Good luck at WI! We are behind you

Well ladies I am off to get some work done.

Becky

Just a quick post because I will be leaving soon, my Emma is sick with another daycare disease. Poor girl screams all the time.

I am doing quite well, but haven't been able to weigh in eons! I walked twice yesterday and was very proud of myself. First I walked on the treadmill because it was raining outside, then the rain stopped and I needed a break from the screaming, so I walked the dog!

We have new neighbors and they are the most unfriendly people I have met. I was walking the dog and they were in the yard, they saw me and turned their backs to me. I chalked it up to being busy, but you, I would want to meet my neighbors... so on my trip back around the block they had moved closer to the road... so I looked at them, the guy turned around and they all snubbed me.. so I hollored HI, and the girl mustered a pathetic HI back. Not even a, HI glad to finally meet you, we are so and so! I don't think they are married and they are quite young and for the almost 2 months they have lived there, if we ever see then, they are having a party. They will never wave or anything. The former people were super nice and we really liked them. So that makes me sad. Also, the neighborhood is mostly young families... so partiers are not cool!

OK, gotta go and get some work done before I go home to my sick child!

Hey everyone! Just had the week/weekend from **** at work. Buy, Tonya-I followed your advice about the three simple things to lose weight-I have managed to be in control although b/c of work i haven't exersized as much as I wanted too....but I am down 2 lbs in 5 days-so that excess fat is coming off!!! I am three pounds away from my lowest weight ever, and hopefully it will be down from there!!!
Jess-get the new clothes-it is so much easier to overeat when all of your clothes are big!!! Get rid of them-you'll feel better about yourself in new clothes that are smaller-I always do! And it keeps me motiveated! I'll be back later to catch up on all of the posts! My goal is 12 pounds by mid summer!!!!!
Lori

Good Morning Ladies

Spent several hours yesterday working on my lawn. Now I'm obsessing that I didn't lay down enough peat moss, that I watered the new seed to long and that the weeds were too tall for the weed killer to be effective. I wish my mind had an off switch.

I also baked a double batch of chocolate chip cookies and a double batch of brownies to bring into work later this week. How is it that I can have those things in my house and not be tempted but just the smell of pizza sends me into a tizzy?

Jess - re: motivation - Becky has a good thought - maybe you should concentrate on maintenance until the rest of your life calms down. re: clothes - I know what it is like to be broke - I found that even having just 1 outfit that fit really well kept me wanting to continue to lose. Also, think about checking out thrift shops or consignment stores if there are any in your area - lots of nice clothes at cheap prices - especially if you are anywhere near a rich yuppie suburb.

Becky - I grew up in Michigan. I'm a Yooper at heart and a huge 'wings fan - I don't have cable in my current location and not being able to watch finals is killing me. You into hockey at all?

Work calls. Must go. Later.

Winter

I love seeing all of these posts first thing in the morning!

Jess - I also think that maybe you should just try to maintain for now. It is okay to make the decision at certain points in your life that you don't have the motivation to continue losing, but it is good to find a way to maintain during this time. I know it is hard, but you don't want all of your hard work up until this point to be for nothing. Your motivation will come back - I promise! Now, get your butt to the store and buy some groceries! You're right- it is nearly impossible to eat right if you don't have the right foods in the house. I do commend you though for continuing to go to WI, even though you haven't been on track. I probably wouldn't be that disciplined...

Becky - Sounds like you have found some motivation! It helps so much to have your meals planned for the day, doesn't it? I always do so much better when I know what I am going to eat.

Jen - Sorry to hear about poor Emma. And the rude neighbors. What is their problem (other than immaturity, obviously)?? I would do what you did and continue to say hi to them when I saw them. Maybe some day they will come around and realize that you are friendly!

Lori - 2 pounds in 5 days?! That's awesome!

Winter - You must not have much of a sweet tooth. I'm the same way and my friends don't understand it at all. I bake all the time and then just give it away because it will go to waste if I keep it. But I'm with you - don't put me within smelling distance of pizza or I will come running! Everyone has their struggles, huh?!

The weather was so nice last night when I left work and it motivated me to take a nice 3 mile run. I always am filled with such motivation and positive thoughts after I run - I just can't explain it. Tonight, I am going with some friends to a Nike running clinic which is followed by a breast cancer awareness talk, and I am really looking forward to that. Then, Friday, I am going to an information meeting about training for the Chicago marathon. I really want to do it, but I need to get a better idea of the kind of time commitment it will take so that I don't overcommit myself with school starting in August. I would really love to give it a shot though.

Better get to work... I'll be back!

Winter- A Yooper. ARe you from the UP. I visit there every summer at least once. My B/f and I are seriously considering staying there for our Honeymoon. It sounds kind of crazy but he isn't working full time b/c of his leg and he will have student teaching in the fall so we are considering a low cost honemoon b/c we want to get a house and then the next year when we are both working full time we will do something tropical. We worked at a summer camp up there. Hiawatha. I worked there for 4 years and he work there for like 9 or more. We met there and it has such a special place in our hearts. It is on a lake and we would rent a cottage. We also would go to Mackinac Island and stay at the Grand a couple of nights. ANyways I love the U.P. it is so peaceful. Sorry to everyone else but Yoopers are hard to come by PM me if you want and tell me more about where you are from. Oh and about the hockey. I watch the finals like this past series but I am not an avid fan. Everyone else around me is though. The last game of the last series was awesome. Go Wings.

Jen- Rude neighbors, gotta love em? (well not really) I have neighbors on one side of me that I have never met. I have lived there for a year and a half. Oh well there loss

Jkarr- No sweet tooth. I truly cannot imagine. If I didn't have a sweet tooth I would weigh nothing

Lori-Down 2 pds that is awesome. Congratulations!!!!!

Ok once again need to work. Not motivated. Surprise, surprise

One of my very best friends is from Marinesco (sp?). The UP is truly a beautiful place, I think! Becky, I think the fact that you and your b/f met at camp there is a touching reason to go there for your honeymoon!

I LOVE MACKINAC ISLAND!!! Being from WI (Wisconsin not Weigh In!!!).... hubby and I used to drive up there for my b-day and stay on the island. Truely a lovely place!!! We brought our bikes one year and rode everywhere, up and down hills, etc. What a work out. Haven't been since Emma was born, but last week we were talking about spending a day there with Emma! OH THE FUDGE!!!!

Ok, I have to go now. I am getting a perm... haven't had one in 4 years so it will be quite a change, then I have to relieve hubby of Emma duty so he can go to work for the afternoon!!

Jess - I'm with you on the sloppy clothes! I come into work wearing suits with safety pins holidng up the pants. I look like a clown, but I'm not buying a whole new wardrobe until my weight is stable. Of course, I did have to buy a couple things to go out in I'm having trouble with motivation too, so you're not alone.

You girls with no sweet tooth - I wish!! Put a thing of chocolate in front of me and I'll eat it till I get sick....same with pizza though, so I guess I am doubly cursed. Why are the healthy things so easy to resist? I basically ended up eating candy last night for dinner, so I didn't exactly stay OP.

I am contemplating joining a gym - a new Gold's just opened up like 2 blocks from my house, and the grand opening rates go up tomorrow! I honestly know that I need to join a gym to really get in good shape - I can get myself to run outside, but I need the weightlifting equipment to tone up. So what's stopping me? Well, I won a 3-month pass to a gym near my work a a few weeks ago and I still haven't activated it. I always have an excuse. Plus, it seems crazy to me to be a member at 2 gyms at the same time, even though one was basically free. The problem is my one near my work is 30 miles away from home, so it's not like I will ever go on the weekends - maybe during lunch breaks to do some lifting. I guess I'm just trying to justify spending the $ when I am so broke otherwise. I'm afraid I won't end up getting good use out of it I guess. Plus, I am one of those people that likes to wait to get a better deal - and usually end up missing out.

Anyone want to start a new challenge tomorrow? That might help pick things up a bit for me. I'm not really sure what you all did for the last one. We could make it to the end of the month or the first day of summer or something.

Wow all these fellow U.P., Mackinac Fans! I cannot believe it.

Lexxy- I am in on a Challenge.

I am eating healthy so far today but I didn't walk on my lunch. It is nice out but when the wind blows I was freezing so I didn't but I am still determined to get in at least 3 days of working out this wk.

Ok talk to you all soon!

Yeah - finally not bored at work - so what do I do? Get on-line of course!

JenL - hope Emma feels better soon. I'm sure you'll look and feel like a million bucks with your new 'do.

Congratulations on the 2lbs Lori - way to go.

You're all going to laugh at me now. Despite the fact that I lived most of my life in the U.P. I've only been to Mackinac once. How odd is that?

Becky - where is Hiawatha camp? I worked for several years as a counselor at Fortune Lake in Crystal Falls. I'd heard the last game was incredible. I may just have to break down and get cable either that or find a sports bar down here that goes for hockey.

O.K. JenK and Lexxy - I have a question about running. I just recently (last 2 or 3 weeks) have changed from straight walking to alternating walking and jogging at about 5 minute intervals. When I jog it is only at 5 or 5.5 mph. So here's my question - is it better to work on increasing the length of time I spend running each interval or the speed at which I run?

Later all.

Winter

It all depends on what your fitness goals are. For me, it has always been more important to increase my distance while maintaining a consistent speed. I have always wanted to be a distance runner, even if I am not the fastest person out there. So, although I have run 10 minute miles for a while now (not very fast, but it works for me) I used to only be able to run one and am now up to being able to run 5 miles at a time.

I would suggest that you slowly increase the length of your running intervals, and as you do that and get more used to running, your speed will most likely increase a bit anyway. Plus, running burns a lot more calories than walking, so there are definite advantages to being able to run longer distances, even if your speed isn't what you would consider fast. I earn 2 points if I walk for 45 minutes, but I earn 4 points if I run for 30 minutes!

Hope this helps a bit...

It's exciting to see all you Red Wings fans here! GO WINGS!!

Diet-wise, playoff time has always been really rough for me to get through because I want to go out and have buffalo wings with a beer...ya know?

I feel fortunate in that we have a work out facility here at work, so I'm able to get on the treadmill for a bit a lunchtime and also I go back down after work and do a more strenuous routine, on the stairmaster or something. I've noticed a big difference in my endurance and strength just since January!

So keep motivated! It's almost tank top time!

I'm just doing WW on my own, so I try to get on the scale just once a week, on Friday or Saturday morning. But I often end up getting on just to see where I'm at. This week has been great so far, so I'm hoping to see a good loss by this weekend.

Good luck to everyone!