I just noticed its the second of February and we haven't started a new thread. So I thought I'd be the one to do it

Thanks everyone for your input and encouragement on my lack of weight loss. I am hoping it's a mixture of starting to run again (sort of), moving around a lot more throughout the day than I normally would (only 3 days a week though) and that I am ovulating. I heard you can retain water while ovulation like you would on your period. So let's hope it's that. I was feeling much better about everything today after reading all of your posts. BUT then I went grocery shopping for dinner tonight. Peanutbutter was involved in my dinner and I unknowingly ate 4 servings of it (8TBSP's!!!). Well needless to say it shot my fat grams up to 96 and my calories to 1900. I am going running for 25 minutes now to help with that. It just stinks because I was looking forward to [I]maybe[I] just maybe seeing a loss on the scale tomorrow morning. Now I can be assured I wont Oh I just wish I was back to where I was (129) and continuing my weight loss. Its very frustrating to gain back all the hard work you did in the past :/

Is it true that stress can really PREVENT weight loss and even make you GAIN? I have never experienced that but I am wondering if maybe my high anxiety is what's causing the prevention of my weight loss?

Dorian That's so great that you can run on your lunch break. I used to do that at my old job and it was so much better. Didn't have to worry about the run later on. Could just come home and relax

Turbo Sorry to hear about your pain :/ Hope you feel better!

LisaTCan Yeaaaaa I know 4 days is nothing but every other time I have started eating healthy again, the first 4 days the weight FLEW off! Even if its water weight lol its still the scale going down!!

Krampus Well that just shows you are a hard worker willing to do what you have to do to make a dollar. Thats a great attitude ! What was your new low you hit? Whats the lowest youve hit ever? Where do you feel comfortable?

Ohtheplaces Ehhh its hard to tell if I feel better. Im just sooooo stressed because of school and this weight loss (or lack of) is REALLY bringing me down. Im just SO sad to think of where I was and I ruined it all and now it seems like I can't get back there anymore. The scale just isnt moving. Ugh I could cry.

Dianne, I totally hear you on feeling like you ruined all of your hard work. I'm still up 7 lbs from this summer... I get so upset with myself when I try on my favorite jeans that won't button. I was just wearing them comfortably in October and now they won't even button!

I just ate half of a thin crust margherita pizza (a frozen California Pizza Kitchen one) and it was gooood. I was starving! I'd normally feel guilty for eating more than the serving size (which is one-third of the pizza) but it was totally worth the 480 calories. I'm still only at 1045 calories for the day and the only other thing I'm planning to have is my nightly mug of 50 calorie hot cocoa. I've been under 1200 calories for 6 out of the last 8 days! I don't want to starve my body and stall out, but I can't motivate myself to eat when I'm not hungry and since I've been making mostly really healthy food choices lately, I fill up without using a ton of calories.

What do you girls do when you have calories left for the day, but you're not hungry? Do you force youself to eat?

Oh if I only had this problem lol Thats the bad thing about calorie counting for me. If I know I have left over calories I find a way to get them in. I just love to eat. So any excuse to, I do! Oyyy!!

I guess I need to plan for more snacks/higher calorie meals early in the day. I do a little too well watching my calories all day, then I get to dinner and have way too many left to eat! I just don't want to sabotage myself and stall-out.

Oh the places - I never have that problem haha!

Oh the places/krampus -
I also did a music degree and was performing (in musical theatre) for a few years and teaching music on the side. I really didn't enjoy the life style and wanted to be more intellectually challenged. I started volunteering in hospitals doing music therapy and then doing research and I realized I really enjoyed health research so I'm back in school for sociology/public health. I really hope I'll be able to get a decent job when I'm done. I'm also still teaching music to help pay for school.

Dianne - thanks for starting this thread, haha - that always happens to be with peanut butter. I make sauces and salad dressing with it and eat it on toast in the morning then realize I've eaten 4 tbls!

Philiana - thanks for the menus, that was really helpful. I think I have to just eating lower calorie food in general. I managed to stay under 1300 today which was nice.

Turbo - feel better!

Ugh - i'm with you guys, I so want to see the scale go down! I'm really hoping for good results tomorrow for my "official weigh in". Have a great weekend everyone!

In this case I'd fill them in with healthy food looks like more than a 1/3 of your calories are on empty carbs. Maybe do your body a favor and have something with fiber or vitamins?

It's not all about the calories ofcourse. Nutrients are just as important .

Thanks girls! Pizza is thankfully not a staple in my diet...and I eat pretty healthy day-to-day, but it was good! I think my problem is that I'm worried about eating too much early because what if I'm starving later and don't have the calories to eat?? Haha! I think I need to just start (loosely) mapping out my whole day, calorie-wise to make sure I get what I need.

Lisa, good luck with your official weigh-in today! How school do you have left? My degree is in elementary education, but if I had to do it over again I would have done something else, maybe occupational therapy, a child life-specialist in the children's hospital, or social work.

Down to 138 today! crossing my fingers that it'll stay this way...don't want to update my status prematurely <_<;;

Ugh - so I finally got my cast off this morning and now I have an ear infection!!
So brutal, I didn't weigh in this morning because I got up 3 hours early to go to the hospital, going to weigh in tomorrow. I succeeded in not snacking at all last night though which was good

Oh the places - Oh cool, I teach early childhood music and have for a few years. I'm just finishing up my second bachelor's degree in psychology/sociology but I've applied for Masters programs in public health, medical social work and medical sociology. My top choice is public health..we'll see if I get in anywhere. Most of them are two year programs, I'm 25 now so I'm hoping to be done school before I get married and have kids. You could always go for a Masters degree in occupational therapy or social work once your kids are a little older, nowadays people often have a second career.

Jojo - congrats on the loss!!

LisaT! That sucks so bad! How long is it gonna take for the ear to clear up? You must be getting a bit annoyed lol.

JoJo: I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. I refuse to note down a loss when I am not certain it's actually gone too.

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I am really into this running thing. LOL. I just went on a 2.2mile run through 3inches of snow. It's so beautiful outside and the dog was wagging her tail at me. I just couldn't take a day off like I planned to because I woke up with the sniffles. But they seem gone anyhow. Yay!

Philana, I was wondering, how did you get into running? It's the sort of activity that I'd love to get into but I'd want to do so in a way that makes it enjoyable for me

February is not off to the best start eating-wise. Last night I went out and got tipsy at karaoke (fun!) and went back to my dude's house where we split maybe 3/4 of a pint of ice cream between us. This morning I was the same weight as yesterday (about 131.5...my scale is heavier than every other scale I use so I like to knock off a pound in my head) but then there were free bagels with cream cheese for breakfast at work. Exercise is still nonexistent...sh!t I need to step it up!

OhThePlaces I don't count calories and I definitely don't ever have to make myself eat. When I did CC I'd go ballistic if I had some left over and convince myself that I "need" to eat them all (and then some). The numbers crunching made me feel insane.

Dianne I'm about 131 or thereabouts now which is lighter than I've been in quite a while. My lowest ever was a toned 123.5 last Christmas. I've lost most if not all of my fitness and muscle tone which is awful. Peanut butter is Satan, I swear, I always do that too.

LisaTcan It's great that you're still active with music. I don't have a clue as to what I want to do career-wise. I just want to make more money than I do now so I can travel a lot!

I hear ya! I hated running because everytime I tried I just got so frustrated that I couldn't even run 1/4 mile without feeling like I was gonna die. Then last summer I started the c25k program, and it was an eye opener. I'd been wanting too much for a first time run before that. After 5 weeks I was running 8min runs in intervals and I couldn't believe it.

Then I dropped out of c25k/exercising for half a year due to workstress and moving, but when I started back up 3 weeks ago I started at week2, decided I could go to week 5, and then after 2 small interval runs I was like "heck, I can just pick a distance (2miles) and run it as slow as possible but atleast run it." And it worked. That was last monday. Haha.

Since then I've run 2miles, 2.5 miles, 1 mile and 2.2 miles. In decent time also - around 11/12 min per mile. And I am in love. It's so easy, it's so nice. And I know if I keep at it in a few weeks I can go running for an hour and just feel great.

Hi all, can I join?
I feel like I'm always walking in on the middle of a conversation.
I'm getting back to running after an injury (pulled ligament in my ankle). I'm trying to take it really slow because when I went back to it last summer I sort of re-inflamed the same spot, so I'm going super slow even though it's driving me nuts.

Ugh. I am just so upset. Because I havent seen any loss in the mirror or the scale I have just not been able to stay on plan. I binged again because I am just MAD. I feel bloated all over all the time. Even when I am eating on plan. I am beginning to think my body really doesnt like soy. Maybe its the veggie burgers and soybeans (dry edamame) that is causing all of this gas and bloat and preventing a loss. I notice every time I eat it, I get gassy. I am going to eliminate it and eat foods I KNOW works for my body. If i dont start to lose eating that way, I am seriously going to fall into a depression. The stress this all is giving me is just make me plain sad. I am so mad I took for granted a year ago how quickly and easily the weight fell off. If only it would happen again, Id keep it up and put in the work. But its frustrating. Its got to be the soy. Maybe? ARGH!

LisaTcan Weird! I think I have an ear infection too! So do you eat 4 tbsp's of peanutbutter everyday?

Krampus Omg your postings always make me laugh. February hasnt been that good for me either. But Im not giving up!!!!!!! arghhh!!

Moviegrl Welcome!!!!