Here is the new thread ENJOY!

Well, I was ONCE AGAIN at 243.6 this week. I'm getting so damn sick of seeing that same number every day. I need to really buckle down on my eating habits. Usually I'm a little bit lax with what I eat, but I work out and that makes up for it if I go over...and I think that now that I'm not working out, I'm maintaining instead of losing because of those extra calories I'm probably consuming. I can't really change what I'm eating until i get paid again, which is thursday, but I guess I can try and eat less of what I have. It's a strange concept to me, not finishing what's on my plate...so I'm going to have to come up with some new food ideas that have portion sizes a little bit smaller so that I'm not going overboard with my food.

It has really been awfully quiet. I know that school has started and everything (trust me, my 5 week government class is KILLING me)....but seriously...I feel it is so important to prove to myself that I can focus on my health even with all of this other stuff going on in my life right now. If I can eat healthily and take care of myself when I'm a full time student with a full time job who also has a second part time job and has obligations to her family as well....I know I'll be able to take care of myself for the rest of my life. I really honestly hope you ladies aren't falling off track and are just struggling finding the time to be chatty. I wish you all the best of luck this week!

Hello! Sorry I've been MIA. I was sick last week and had very little energy and nothing to report. I took the week off of working out. On the bright side, my heavily liquid diet helped me get my weight back on track! I'll try to be more chatty this week

Divine, I hear you. I think we all need to make that commitment too! Have you tried using a smaller plate to eat off of? It tends to help a lot of people. Plus, when you think about it the size of the dinner plates from the 50's and earlier were actually the size of what we now call bread plates.

Ruby, Welcome back! Sorry you were sick :\

Am I not in the competition anymore?

I didn't do the challenge last week SMS, but only because I'm not supposed to be doing much physical activity yet (which sucks and I REALLY REALLY just want to go to the gym...). I don't count calories or anything, so I'm going to make this week for myself stay perfectly on plan. This time I'm trying to lose the weight just by making the right choices with my food. Water instead of soda, PB&J instead of a cheeseburger...things like that. The scale was down a tiny bit this morning...so I definitely think the balance I had found when I was exercising wasn't good enough for me when I wasn't. I'll have to eat a little less until I can get up and get active again....but I can deal with that. I'm aiming for a LOSS this week.

EDIT:
By the way, I guess I should mention there is a wildfire about 2 miles away from my house right now...and at the moment it's moving away from my house...but if the wind shifts it could very easily jump the highway and then I would have to evacuate....and in that case I probably wouldn't be on for a while until things got settled. It's crazy. I've been hearing about all of these wildfires all over Texas and I was thinking well that really sucks....but it feels a lot more real now that it's so close to home. It has given me a whole different perspective on these fires. Someone needs to bring some rain to Texas before we all burn up...

I have been slacking a little. ><
It's easier to run to work and then just focus on home work at home. I haven't been making my meals like I should ><
Maybe I should invest in lean cuisines for lunches at work?
Those good at all? Or not so much?

Kitty - Yes you are. I might have forgotten to add your name to the list of freebies used. I also think the system wouldn't let me send you a pm cant remember why, you and 1 other person I had issues mailing.

DivineFidelity- Understandable Feel better heal up and stay safe! You have been active in chat so even if you fall below for a week or so in terms of chat you'll be fine

Kuri- I hear ya girl I been laxed a bit too!

If I sounded a bit mean in my post I am sorry. I started these back up again thinking I could get us together to support eachother and I know part of that not working is my fault for not being able to be here as much as I thought I would be. It's just frusterating I love havint TBL challenges for the 20 something and I love running them but if people aren't going to participate like they agreed they would it kind of gets boring ya know? Life happens, Happens to everyone. This is supposed to be fun not something people dread. Depending on how the end of this challenge goes will determine if I run another one or not. HUGGSSSSSS all, Love my lovely leaves!

@ SMS: I am not sure if I did last weeks challenge to be honest. I didn't keep track last week because things were really hectic for me and I wasn't at my house. Good suggestion for the smaller plate too! I recommend a blue plate (avoid red or orange as they tend to make up eat more).

@Ruby: welcome back! A lot of us have been missing so it isn't just you.

@Divine: YES! Break your same scale number track. Down a little is still the right directions (as opposed to my scale going up lately ). Hopefully you will see a woosh soonish and all that weight that has been plaguing you will drop. That is how I am trying to lose weight (with a little exercise thrown in). I hope the wildfires stay away from your house and be safe!

@Kuru: I am pretty sure most of us have been slacking (I know I have >_<). As for lean cuisine, while they aren't terrible a much better choice is making your own meals. There are copious amounts of sodium in those frozen meals but they are good in a pinch. I would say you could get away with it once, maybe twice, a week but I wouldn't do it everyday. Good Luck and let us know what you decide.

In my own news...I had an awesome number appear on the scale this morning. So it's time to buy a new scale because it was TOO awesome. Apparently in two days I went from 250.3 to 219.7. I weighed myself four times and that number kept coming up. I assume it was supposed to be 249.7 but I can't handle the heart break of seeing the teens when i know I am in the 40s or higher =(.

I do have a real victory though: a while ago I mentioned my MC Hammer like pants (my tents) and I finally broke down and went pants shopping. I got myself 3 pair or size 20s (I haven't fit in anything but 22/24 in years) and they fit great. They aren't tight and (bonus) they have belt loops so as the weight drops off I can keep them up (something my other pants lacked). I am looking forward to them getting looser and looser.

@SMSDREAMER2007 i ALSO hAVE SEVERE PCOS. AND WAS WONDERiNG iF YOU COULD GiVE ME SOME TiPS ON YOUR WEiGHT LOSS. EATiNG ETC!!! ANY ADViCE WOULD bE WONDERFUL!

ALSO LADiES i WOULD LOVE TO jOiN iS iT TO LATE?

Oh ok. Well I am back. I will check in a couple times a week. Crazy busy right now. my godaon is due any day now so I am preparing for that.

Well everyone...I'm back up on the scale again. Ugh. At this point I'm at 244.3....and I don't understand WHY?!? I'm getting so frustrated.

Oh, I guess I should mention that my house didn't burn down, they got the fire contained.

Oh yeah...and now I'm sick. I went to the doctor and I'm on antibiotics and he's putting me back on an inhaler so that when I start exercising again my asthma won't act up as much. I hope it works. lol

I'm going to go lay down now. I feel crappy. =/

@ Kitty, welcome back. Congrats on the godson.

@Divine: I am sorry you are sick, it seems like you can't catch a break lately. =( Feel better