So I guess I'll start this thread...

I maintained this week and I'm trying not to feel bad about it. Water retention.

The kid and I went to the zoo on Saturday and that was a full day of nothing but walking. I have a huge-*** blister on the right big toe.

The zoo sounds like sooo much fun! I love animals. So on to a new week I guess. Ugh. Why is it so hard to resist things? I'm so good at sticking to my diet when i'm at home, but one weekend of freedom and partys and I gain two lbs in as many days. UGH. Frustrating. I'm almost thinking of becoming a hermit for the remainder of summer so i can lose the rest of this weight. Then make a grand re-entrance into society as a skinny girl again lol

I had an interesting weekend. I bought a used mountain bike off of Kijiji as I really want a mountain bike to take up into the mountains/trails and for street use so I can burn some cardio with my boyfriend (whos been wanting me to get a bike so we can do stuff together).... thought I was doing good by getting a decent bike for $350 (the price was $400 but we got it dropped down). Well, found out the the gears do not work at all and it would cost $90 to replace. Not too bad but I found out that the bike is a late 1990 model! The lady said she purchased it brand new from the store a "few" years ago for $1100. I asked the guy at the shop (which she stated she purchased from) and he said def not a few years ago brand new and even if they did have it brand new a few years ago - they would have sold it for $600 tops. So I really don't know how TRUE her story was. Plus I was having a bit of buyers remorse since I wanted a mountain bike with full suspension that could be locked out. This bike was so old it didn't even have any suspensions (aka shocks)...

Anyways, we called back to tell her we wanted our money back and she was nice enough to allow us to do that. I guess she is going to go get the gears fixed herself and try selling it again.... So now, I don't got a bike anymore. Short lived. The bikes that I've been looking at that suite my needs are like $1600+... so gotta save my money up!

Now I'm having my period + cramps (since it's day 1) and now I gotta head to the gym to workout... ugh NOT going to be fun with cramps! At least my cramps are pretty much non-existent (just started having them) and tolerable so I shouldn't complain that much... but still... cramps and weight-lifting??? Ugh!

Thanks for starting up the new thread! I haven't been to a zoo in ages, but I used to love going to the Aquarium in Boston all the time. Moray eels and sea turtles are the best.

Sorry to hear everybody's having a rough start to their week. At least I know I'm not alone. I'm having TOM when I shouldn't be and so have stalled out (at least, I think that's the reason I'm stalled. If it's not, I've no idea what's going on).

Hope things pick up for everyone soon. Good luck on your workout today Scrumptious.

Oh, and Goody, I like your idea of a grand re-entrance. Sounds quite posh.

Hey gals,
Finally done with my marathon work weekend. Oof! So tired.
I was unfortunately a little snacky when I got home this morning, so I've used up pretty much all of my calories for the day. Siiigh.

I biked to the gym and did my strength training, hit the grocery store for essentials, and plan to walk tonight instead of taking transit. Should be about 3 miles one way. Just gotta keep movin' and hydrating, I suppose. Can always have some more veggies if I'm starving. Hoping to get to bed early.



doubtingJulia---oooo I hate blisters. But, I always feel good when I walk all day. Maintaining is always better than gaining. Now, go soak that foot! Haha

goody3shoes-- This is a never ending struggle for me. I tell white lies pretty frequently to avoid going out where there will be temptation. More often than not, the social engagements are not ones that I actually have a burning desire to go to.. I just go because I think, "why not?" Only going out for engagements/friends that are really important to me saves me calories, and money too.

SweetScrumptious-- So frustrating! I bought my crappy little road bike used too, but it was from a resale store. I knew it was "vintage" and was ok with it. However, I'd be pissed too if I was told one thing and got another. I think saving your $$ is a wise investment, for your body and for improving your lifestyle. Definitely not money wasted, in my opinion. I've been thinking about getting some sort of hybrid tire for my mountain bike, to possibly use for commuting. The road bike is nice, but it has baskets and can be cumbersome if my goal isn't to go to the store and back. We'll see....

doubtingJulia- ooh the zoo sounds like fun! Blisters kind of suck though. Hope they get better soon!

goody3shoes- i'm with you! I live in a different town from a lot of my friends, so I'm just focusing on getting in shape and finding work.

fatpantsskinnyjeans- that's a GREAT way to get in some extra exercise, plus it saves money and is good for the environment

The interminable job hunt is really starting to get to me. It seems like nobody wants to hire a recent college grad . I tell you, it is SO stressful.

I spend most of my time indoors, i'm a student, but my classes are online and i don't often go out with friends so when the opportunity arose i took it and apparently when it rains it pours. I doubt anyone will invite me out anytime soon since i've seen everyone i usually see about every few months. lol.

Yay SweetScrumptious. thats dedication, excercising when you have cramps. WOOT! Good for you!

Ferumbras: Yeah, blame TOM, it has to be that. It'll all sort itself out soon. Patience is a virtue and blah blah blah all that : P A re-entrance where no one will recognize me MWUHAHAHA. There shall be much rejoincing...till then i shall be the phantom beneath the opera. lol

Fatpantsskinny jeans- That's a ton of excercise! Good for you. Veggies are free or close to it foods so they're an awesome choice after being snacky. Good luck on getting to bed early.

Chloekinsicle: Good luck with the job hunt. Just about everyone in our age group understands that of course.

Ha! You guys are so nice! Actually, blisters never bother me much. I just kind of walk through them.

chloe: yeah, I couldn't find a job when I graduated either. That's why I'm on the third degree.

ferumbras: You mentioned on last week's thread that you're doing the 30 day shred. I'm starting that on June 1. How is it? Don't hold anything back!

Hey all, sorry I've been so MIA. I spent the weekend BINGE EATING like a warthog. Weight was up from a bloated/constipated 132 Friday morning to 139 at noon Sunday! Am currently in the deflating process and back down to 132 but still feel like a landwhale. After being a little off track with exercise I am pleasantly burning all over after Tae Bo/planks/pushups last night and early morning yoga/pushups this morning. Planning to run later tonight for the first time in over a week, yikes.

Motivation is high this week, I'm going to Osaka for the weekend for 48 hours of party time with a bunch of friends I haven't seen in a while. Kansai girls are the hottest in Japan and I don't want to feel ugly.

Goody3shoes If you don't go crazy every single weekend I don't see how one weekend of partying will ruin anything Sounds like you had fun with friends - you should relish that at ANY weight!

chloekinsicle Yeah I'm not looking forward to the job hunt. I graduated college in 2008 and it probably doesn't look good on my resume that I have been teaching English abroad for 3 years. Not going to grad school either, I refuse to believe that I need to spend thousands and thousands more just to get hired somewhere.

FPSJ All that activity will be great for you. If you get hungry, eat!

Ferumbras I love the Boston aquarium. The penguins are my favorite but it is pretty sweet when you get to watch the divers feed the sea turtles! Hope your stall doesn't last long!

SweetScrumptious Man, I had no idea decent bikes were that much. At least you were able to get your money back. How was crampy lifting? Did you feel better afterward?

doubtingJulia Blisters are totally life-halting for me. If I have a blister I feel like a cranky toddler until it goes away. You're a trooper! Third degree, yikes. Hope this one is the lucky charm.

Krampus: Oh sweetie! Looking at your picture, I can't imagine how you'd ever be ugly short of an industrial accident. So avoid those construction sites!

doubtingJulia: I did day 3 of the Shred this morning. Honestly, I feel pretty good about it. When I first started, there was one exercise I had to do without the free weights. Now, I do it with one as opposed to two, holding it jointly in both hands, but I can tell I'm getting stronger. My legs feel the biggest burn, particularly my quads. I am liking it, though. I'll be curious to see what level 2 holds in store when I get there next week. Even after three days, I can tell my endurance is improving. I need fewer breaks, and anytime I do break I always hold myself to the five second rule. As for visible results, too soon to tell, but I'll let you know if/when any develop.

GooOood Morning!

I'm pretty stoked. Eating good stuff and walking a lot in addition to my exercise routine is paying off. I'm ok with the slow pace of weight loss, too. Still irritated that I couldn't make this stick the first time around, but I understand that the important thing is "getting right back on the horse," so to speak. I'd rather take my time, and keep it going, than try to rush and gain it all back (a third time).

Went over calories last night by a few hundred, but it was all in fruit, veggies, and plain popcorn. I'm ok with this, and I am starting to see that there's no reason to fuss if I am getting in plenty of activity and staying hydrated.

Going out for (decadent) breakfast today with friend #1, and then dinner in at friend #2's tonight. Planning to walk home from #1, do my run in between, and then going to walk or bike to #2. Loving this warm-ish weather-- it makes this process of "moving around more" so much easier!


chloekinsicle-- I'm frustrated for you! I've been there. Persistence, persistence, persistence. In the meantime, just keep working on you.

krampus-- Bahaha, that is an amazing use of the word "warthog." Seems like you're balancing out the indulgences, so more power to ya! Hope you have tons of fun this weekend

Good morning girls!

So I woke up at 5:30 to go to RPM this morning at 6:45. This is a spin class with really loud music. It was really damn hard. I don't think my bike was adjusted as well as it could have been. To tell you the truth, I probably could have pushed a little harder but it was my first time and I didn't know what was coming next and didn't want to burn out early. Next week I'll really kill myself.

I'm sure if you've ever taken a spin class you know how I fell. My crotch hurts. The teacher suggested I ice pack my um, baby maker. It will be the most exciting thing to happen to it in months.

Good morning, all! I really didn't want to get up this morning, but my husband bribed me out of bed with bacon and eggs. Hard to pass up! Then of course, I had to give him a ride to work, lol.

But I'm up, which means in an hour I'll go to kick-boxing. So loving that class!!

Hope you chicks are all having a great day (though I'm sorry to hear about your baby-maker, doubtingJulia ).

Goodnight from Japan! Up too late. Had a good eating day, calories were about as low as they've ever been (1100) but I don't feel hungry. I was bloated and huge all day and I can't explain it, but a nap and a short run (20 minutes at 6 mph or so) made it better.

Yay Tuesday. Once again, I've been gone for so much of the weekend that I am behind on chat. My Vegas weekend turned out better than I'd hoped. 48 hours total from leaving on Saturday at 3am and returning Monday at 3am. 41 hours of which we were awake. I ate, I drank, I didn't get sunburned thank god. I did however gain like 5 pounds in TOM and food. 139 this morning and feeling heavy. Last day of TOM hopefully I'll drop the water in time for this weekend, which starts on Thursday haha. I now have a car, so I have to be careful to not slip into driving everywhere or I'll lose some of my exercise.

Hope everyone is doing well

doubtingJulia you made me laugh out loud twice while reading the chat, first with the "whatever, they're purple" and again with the baby-maker comments above. Thanks, it made my day

ferumbras Rock the shred! I love kickboxing.

krampus 139 to 132 overnight? so envious. Glad you had a good day