This is it girls! Last week til Mother's Day! It doesn't look like I'll be making my goal this time, but I'm not too upset about it. I look at my body lately and I think it is changing, like I'm losing inches in places and I generally LIKE the way I look in certain clothes. So I'm steering myself AWAY from the scale and trying to see more of the "big picture".

Eating and exercise-wise I've been doing well....Could be better (eating) but have certainly done worse in the past. Do the rest of you feel renewed a bit now that the weather is breaking? Perhaps the summer/good weather is more motivating for me.....last summer I lost the bulk of these 70 pounds that I lost, I imagine I've been in the 220s since sometime in the fall.

Gotta get the boy ready for school. Lots of love....let me hear how the rest of youns are doing! xoxooxo Michelle

No Michelle- You must be mistaken!!! It can't be the final week. Let me look at my calendar to make sure. Yep, you are right. There is no way I'll make the goal. I think the next challenge I'll say I'll lose 1 pound and then maybe if I'm lucky I will actually make my goal. I'm really not trying as hard as I should and I know it. I have to buckle down and get this done.

The weather here over the weekend was beautiful. I got some plants bought and I got a lot of planting and weeding done. It does feel good to be out in the fresh air. I didn't get the formal walking in though. I walked miles at the nurseries when I was shopping for flowers and veggies, but that was slow walking with a cart. I had to walk around the yard while I was doing the ward work, but there again it wasn't walking at my usual pace. I have to get the dog out for a walk around the neighborhood today. No excuses. We both need it!!

Today's weed:

W- I'm going to try and get 3 bottles in today. It;s hard when I'm outside working and the bathroom is on the second floor of the house.
E- Walk my 30 minutes and do more digging in the gardens.
E- Eat healthier. Grill tonight
D- Enjoy the fresh air and get the garden ready to plant. I can't wait to try the Sq Ft gardening. Fresh veggies here I come.

Okay ladies. We're into the homestretch. I weighed in this morning, I am down three pounds!!! So I met my goal a week early. Will try to add to that this week.

I'm off to take my not feeling so great daughter to the pediatrician.

I hope you are all well and edging closer to your goals. This has been a really great group for me. It really is like meeting up with a bunch of old friends. Just the sweetest, kindest, smartest people around. The support is phenomenal. I will tell you this though. I am no longer setting myself any goals as to the whens and how much anymore. It's no longer working to my benefit. So, obviuosly I need to elminiate it. I will be happy to eat right and exercise every day of my life to the best of my abilities. I will be happy to lose what I lose when I lose it.

Have a great day everyone.

Hi ladies. just a quickie. I cant believe this challenge is almost over. I haven't lost, but at least I have maintained. This seems to be my goal these days. I will start going back to the the gym, infact I have made it a couple of times this weekend. I just need to get my motivation back. I will try and post more this afternoon.

Another beautiful day today. I can't believe how nice it's been. I hear rain in moving in for Thursday & Friday though. Temps from high 70 - mid 60s for the next 10 days.
I dug up the 2 garden areas and around the bird bath. I just can't wait to get the Sq Ff garden area all ready to plant. I've been reading about it and it sounds like I can have fresh veggies all summer through the fall. I've had a garden so a long time, but the Sq Ft garden sounds like you can harvest and replant all summer and have a different crop throughout the year. I usually only plant tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Last year I got 2 cucumbers off the plant. I'm hoping for a lot more this year. Has anyone else tried this type of gardening?

Robin- : Super work on the 3 pounds. You aren't planning on leaving us are you? Just because you aren't going to set a monthly goal doesn't mean you can't still post and let us know how you are doing does it?

Jeni- How the job going? Have they started production yet?

I'm going to WalMart this morning. I need a lot of things for the diet and if I don't get food for the cats they're not going to happy.

W- 3-4 bottles of water
E- 30 minute walk
E- Today is leftovers day since hubby has golf.
D- Enjoy the outdoors dreaming about my new garden.

Hi All,
Well I thought I do a quick post wheil the kiddos were still sleeping...ok, I just heard the toilet seat, so only 1 is still sleeping . At any rate, I hope all is well with you all.
Things here are great. The weather is improving slowly over the week. By the weekend it's supposed to be int he 80's. I can't wait.
I am on a mission to loose 3 pounds this week. I know, I know, I shouldn't do that to myself, but I want to hit 30lbs by mother's day. So I did tae bo and my watp yesterday and while I was waiting for dinner to cook, I got in a 30 minute walk and jog. It felt sooo good. I am really enjoying the jogging thing. I've been looking at some running scedules to increase my endurance.

Paula-Your garden sounds like its going to be nice. I bough some herbs in a little planter that I am going to try and pot the end of the week. It will be my first gardening attempt. Since I am cooking more and more, it would be better to have my own basil and such so i don't have to spend that 2.50 each week on it. You'll have to keep us posted on it.

Robin-WTG on the loss. I can't wait to see pictures. Hopefully you'll pop in and see us. We miss you.

Jeni- Good job getting to the gym. How are things on the job? Are you getting into a routine on your days off?

Michelle-How are things with you?

Sorry to cut this short, but if I don't get my workout it, it's not going to get done. I am sitting here falling asleep. My sweet dd spent most of the night crying and I was sleeping with here, so neither of us got much sleep. Guess I'll have to take a nap this afternoon.
Talk to you chicks later.
Love

Hey everyone! Well TOM decided to show up on the last week of our challenge. Grrr. But I'll be okay. Hope you all are doing good.

WTG, Robin!

Hi ladies. Wooo. since you asked my job is going ok, but still no production. Start up date for my job is the 21st! it is coming soon. I am still getting used to the 12 hours, its weird I work 6 out of 7 days one week, then I am off 6 out of 7 days the next. (I am on my Off week, today is the one day I work). I'm not having any trouble getting up at 2:15 am, I go to bed at 7 (the kids come in and out till about 8). Starting next week We have short sports on Monday and Fridays and swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am worn out just thinking about it I am going to go to the gym in the morning before DH goes to work so I don't have to try and fit it in around the kids' schedules. I did make it in tonight though, I don't know where I found the energy, but after my 12 hours today I just felt the urge to be extra active.

Everyone seems to be doing well, although I see it is a slow week so far here.

Robin, congrats on getting to 158. I hope you still pop in and out of our WOW challenges It wont be the same without you.

Good work on going to the gym Jeni!

I'll be back later, but I wanted to make sure you all got to see Robin's pics on the mini goals thread. She looks GREAT! There's also a link at the bottom of her signature now.

I saw the thread but I can't view the pics because I'm using the computer at work and the government computers don't show most pictures. So I'm going to have to wait till this weekend when I use the computer at my mama's house. But I bet she looks great!

Hi girls!

I have been so remiss in checking in for this challenge... bad Suz...

Robin, your pictures made me cry today - I am so incredibly happy for you - WOW, have you come a long way, baby!!! You absolutely are Rockin' Robin.

Jeni - you also have my admiration for working gym time into that crazy work schedule!!

Paula - I hatched the idea for turning part of the backyard into a garden, too! How are you doing it? (sorry if you mentioned before, but as you can see I've not been here in a long while...)

And Michelle - I know that this nice weather has me motivated to get out and move more. In fact, even DH wants to start getting out for walks and gym time. Never thought that would happen..!

I have been atrociously busy, partly due to a trip to BERMUDA! We just got back on Tuesday, and it was positively gorgeous. And I felt GREAT when I dug out my swimsuit from last year to try it on and it was hanging off my body!!

Wanted to also come here to tell you girls that only two days ago I've started doing The Beck Diet Solution, which I am hoping will help me lose these last stubborn pounds by helping me fine-tune what I'm already doing. I think a lot of you here would probably like the approach of the book - it focuses on what so many of us have already done and what Robin has done with finesse: retraining your brain and your responses to food, hunger, etc. so that you can eat effectively to lose the weight and keep it off for a lifetime. I'm excited about it! Anyone wanna be a Beck-buddy with me?

OK - off to the gym, and then to my knitting circle!! So, SO glad to see everyone here doing well. I've missed you, ladies...

Bermuda, Suz? I hope you kept away from that triangle...well I suppose you did since you're here! LOL

Another beautiful morning in Ohio. I think it might have rained a little overnight, but I didn't hear it. Everything was wet when I got up. The sun is shining now and they say it should get in the high 70s today. They were predicting thunderstorms for today, but when I watched the weather this morning that has changed. No they say no rain until next Tuesday and Wednesday. Of course in Ohio that can change hourly.
I got some more gardening done yesterday morning. I weeded around the tree in the front yard and planted some flowers. Everything is looking so nice. I like doing it a little at a time. Today I want to get outside again and do a little more. I'm just not sure where I want to work today. I have some rose bushes I want to plant so I might work in the area I'm planning on putting them. That area is going to need a lot of work. There's all kinds of stuff growing in that space and it's just hodge podge. Eventually I would like to put a patio in this space. I think the roses would like nice in there along the fence.
I'm going to dinner to night with the Red Hatters. We will be eating Mexican. I'm planning on getting the fajitas. I will being most of it home and eat it for lunch the rest of the week on WW tortillas.

Love- Good Luck in losing the 3 pounds by the end of the challenge.
Thanks for the heads up on Robin's photos. I'll have to go look after I post this reply.

Jeni- Great news on getting your workout in.

Suz- I'm going to put in 2 6X6 square foot gardens. I saw it on PBS and it sounded so cool. I started doing research online and my neighbor let me borrow her book. You just plant 1 foot squares at a time with a different veggie instead of planting them in a row. You grow your tomatoes and other upright/vining veggies at the North end on a trellis type structure. I still haven't planted anything in the veggie gardens. When we bought this house 5 years ago it had horseshoe pits. Since we don't play I turned one into a garden and one into a sandbox for the grandkids. This year I'm going to try the Sq Ft gardening in both of the boxes. Search on line for this technique if you are interested. I have to get the soil mixture this weekend so I can get the plants in the ground. I have my plants and seeds all ready to go.
WOW Bermuda huh? So I guess you had to go out and buy a new swimsuit.

Morning Ladies,
Quick post while th kiddos are ocupied. I got up this morning at 5:30 to go for a walk and when I got back they were awake. I thought I was going to have some quiet time. So much for that.
Anyway, I stepped on the scale this morning and it said 175. Only 1 more pound to go and I'll have lost 30 pounds. That's really exciting to me. I am shooting for Mother's Day. That would be a really special treat

Paula- you make me want to go plant something. I don't have enough room for a garden, but I did plant some flowers last spring. I'll have to replant my rose bushes, because the snow completly destroyed them. If I can get my window wells covered i can bring the kids out to play while I plant.

Suz-Glad you had a good trip. Hope you are well rested. How are things at work? Slowing down any? I'll have to check out the Beck Diet book. I've been gathering as much info as possible on this journey.

Shari- How are things with you? How is WW going? And the job hunt?

Jeni-Are you enjoying your days off. After being off that many days, I wouldn't want to go back.

Michelle-Where are you????

Well I will chat with you chicks later. I am off to feed my baby chicks.
WEED For the Day:
W-64 oz. Been doing really good at this
E-Did it-60 minute walk/jog
E-On plan.
D-Pay some bills and make some calls.