Hey y'all (as we say here down south).

I am sorry about the sucky weigh-in, Mindy. Maybe you'll drop two or three this week. I hope so.

I did the spin-a-thon today and it really wasn't that bad. We had nice long breaks between sets so we could get up and walk around. It was a cool, breezy day so it was perfect weather. It was fun, I would do it again.

I stayed on my eating plan yesterday and today.

Hope you guys are having a great week-end.

Hi Everyone,

It's been a busy Saturday for me. I did some house cleaning and then attended a birthday party for my niece. She turns 7 tomorrow. I passed on the cake. Yeah for me! But then I had candy (Whoppers) at the movies. WHY do I do that? My husband came back with it. I've asked him not to, but he did. He thinks that I should have more willpower and I usually do, but sitting in the movies where it's dark and no one can see me eat...I just don't. I will learn to if I haven't planned for it. It put me over my calorie limit today.:mad:

I will for sure go to the Y to work out tomorrow, that's all I can do about it now, just workout and eat "clean" for the next 5 days before my weigh-in on Thursday.

Wardhog: How awesome that you completed the ride! That has to make you feel good about yourself. I'm sure the scales will be down for you in no time.

Mindy: It's frustrating when you body hangs on to weight. Hang in there..something big is about to happen. I bet in the next week or so you wil see a really big loss.

Kelly and Focult: Where are you guys?! We miss you.

Hi everyone. Sorry I have been MIA for so long. My weight loss has been good, however my efforts have been pathetic. I think in the last two weeks I have walked three times. Mindy is cringing right now because I still lost weight even though I hardly worked out and I barely wrote down what I ate. It doesn't mean I have been eating more, I truly haven't. My food has become so routine that I know what I can and can't eat and how much is going into my body. Sometimes I think my body likes the rest. But, I do want to have some muscle tone, so I definitely will get back on the work out wagon once life settles down a bit. Here's what's kept me away from posting:

1. Vacation--started out posting, got busy and didn't have time.
2. Went back to work--had conferences this week two nights.
3. My 2 year old had an allergic reaction to her antibiotic, so me as a paranoid parent, had her at the doctors office, our local ER, and then the University of Michigan's ER (because my step-sister works there). So, doctors are my new best friend (not really, Mindy!) I just kept freaking out because she had a rash from head to toe that wasn't improving. From looking at pictures on the internet, she looked like she had measles. It really looks scary! Anyway, totally off topic.....

All of that is me giving myself excuses for not taking care of me and I promise I will start working out again. Ok, I have a house full of 8 year old girls over for a sleepover tonight, so I need to check in on them. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Susie, way to go on passing up the cake. I did the same today and boy, it looked good.

Kelly, good to "see" you. Keep on losing those pounds, no matter how you do it!

I had a ridiculous workout today, a 5.5 mi run (1 hour), then 30 min on the elliptical and 30 min on the bike. I am feeling a bit of soreness in my legs now. I stayed on plan yesterday and I'm on track for today.

See you tomorrow!

Busy, busy weekend. My DD was home on Friday and Sat. morning. We planned to do my 3 mile walk/jog. She was kind of joking around about my pace being slow and she could keep up. Well, let me tell you. She can jog faster, not longer, just faster. But I have got it all over her with walking, especially the hills. I would get to the top and turn around to go back and get her. I think she was quite surprised at just how well I did. Kind of funny!!:jig::running:

Here is a problem I've encountered. I got tired of my old scale. It was not reliable. One morning I saw about 4 different weights. So I bought a new one on Sat. It is at least 3 pounds more than the old one. So I think on Friday, I am going to record my loss on the old scale and then change my weight to the new reading. It's going to be a little screwy but that's all I can think to do. :dizzy::yikes:

I haven't seen a loss yet. Hoping to see something this week.

Congrats to each of you on your personal victories. Passing up cake, losing weight, riding your a** off. We are awesome girls. I don't think I've ever met a group of people more determined to reach a goal. Let's keep it up. Yeah for us!!:dancer::flow2::grouphug:

Talk to you tom.

Hi,

Sorry I didn't make it here yesterday. I got busy but it was a good busy. After church, I came home, at a healthy lunch and took a nap. Then I got up, went to the Y and rode 5 miles on the stationary bike and then did weights for upper body.

When I got home from that, I cleaned out the inside of my car. All the physical activity has made me feel really good today.

Tonight I plan on taking a walk in the neighborhood and then doing some more yard work. I have window wells to clean leaves out of. I have so much work to do around the house and I can't get it all done on the weekends..I don't want to for that matter...I want to enjoy some of my weekend so I'm working on a balance and the best I could figure out right now is that on Monday's and maybe Wednesday's I would walk in the neighborhood if it's nice and then work on something in the yard or outside for another hour- hour and a half and then go in and eat dinner.

I'm on track with my food for today and I've posted and journaled. This is starting to become a routine for me and that's a good think because I do so much better with a routine.

Kelly: It's great to see you back. I'm glad that you have continued to show a loss and that you are now back on track with remembering to take time for yourself.

Mindy: A think a new scale is a good thing for you. What I do with my scale is take a 5 lb weight and put it on the scale every time before I weigh. If the scale is right it should read 5 lbs, if not, then I know how to adjust the scale.

Wardhog: I don't think I would survive a 5.5 mile run! But good for you!

Ok..time to meet my gang for lunch.

Talk to you all tomorrow. Keep up the good work and reaching for our goals.

Well the scale is holding steady at 219. Well it is not a gain, but a loss of 1 pound so far this week. I am hoping to maybe get one more off by Friday. I am going to workout with Kelly today. We don't seem to do that very often lately. It will be fun.

Susie- Great job on the workout and journaling. You are getting so on track. Good for you!!:carrot:

Talk to you tom.

Susie, you are sounding really strong. Great job!

Mindy, have a great workout. That pound and a couple friends are going to say bye bye this week.

Today I got stuck in traffic going to and from school, so I missed Group Power. I did my old favorite Firm workout at home - Complete Aerobics and Weight Training. Then I mowed the lawn (an hour and 10 min.). I stayed on my eating plan yesterday and I'm on track for today (day 11).

See you tomorrow.

I posed this question on another thread also. I am searching for ideas. Here goes. Yesteday I weighed 221.5 (new scale). I worked out after school, went home weighed 222.5 (1 pound). I ate dinner did a little yard work weighed in at 225.5 (up 3 pounds). This morning I weighed 222.5 (i lost the 3 from dinner).

Why did I gain 3 from eating dinner and Why did I gain a pound today when I ate good ( 1300 something calories) and worked out (30 min. TBL DVD)? Just wondering what you guys think.

See this is why it is so hard for me lately to lose anything. This is how a typical day goes.

Hope things are going well for everyone. Looking forward to your ideas.

Hi Everyone,

I've had a crazy busy day at work today. It's about time to head home but I wanted to post before I left because I know I won't get on the computer tonight.

I am going straight from here to my FIRM class and then coming home to walk with DH in the neighborhood. It's such a pretty day out so we want to enjoy the outside.

I'm on track with food and exercise. I'm having a hard time today with wanting some chocolate. But I know at this point I can not control it so I'm not going to have any. I'm having these "talks" with myself. They go something like "You will feel bad after you eat it". You are just tired, a workout will give you more energy. Why do you want it when you know that it will just lead to more and that will lead to more of you? Remember how you can't wait to hear people ask, "Are you losing weight"? That feels so good to hear."

Do you all have these self-talks?

Wardhog: don't you just hate it when you miss your regular workout? It's good to do something different once in awhile. Good for you for not blowing it all off and for doing something different. Day 11 of being on track? You are doing great..soon it will seem like routine.

Mindy: I don't have a real answer for your question but I think it has to do with water weight, hormones, things like that. That's why everything I've always heard that you should weigh yourself once a week at the same time and place and go by that.

Ok go to run.

Okay, yesterday someone directed me to a new website that calculates calories. It said I should eat like 1639 calories a day while keeping my exercise the same. I am waiting until Friday when I weigh-in and then I plan to start eating between 1600-1700. I am going to really try it for a good week and see what happens. It seems like so much food to eat. I'm not sure what I am going to eat to get to that total. I'll have to figure that out.:?:

A friend at work, who weighs about 5 pounds less than me says she is eating between 1600-1800 calories. She thinks I am way too low. Maybe she is right. i know this; I have got to break through this plateau and make some downward progress. It is getting too frustrating. Call on all your weight loss powers for me and hopefully something will work.

Talk to you tom.

I hope it works, Mindy. Have you done measurements? How are your clothes fitting?

Susie, you are doing great. Keep it up!

I think I missed posting yesterday. I had a weird encounter at the gym that left me scratching my head and a little distracted. Anyway. I did 30 min on the elliptical, Group Ride, and 22 min on the stair mill. Today I did 30 min on the elliptical, Group Power, and 15 min on the bike. I am still on plan (day 13). Weight this morning was 143.0.

See you tomorrow!

Wardhog- Weird encounter? Care to elaborate? Yes I have taken measurements and I will re-measure on May 1st. I'm checking every 2 months. Last time I had lost 12 inches overall. Not bad. I am wondering about this time though. I'm sure it will be a lot less.

Kelly- I know you are reading, so where is your post? huh? Where is it???

Susie- How ya doing?

Yesterday I didn't work out, ate about 1450 cal. and lost a pound today. There might be something to this nto eating enough for the amount I workout. I am weighing in tom. and then increasing calories to see how it goes. May the force be with me.

I'm here, I'm here...Life is busy, what can I say. I'm back on the wagon with my eating this week. Back to writing everything down and staying under my calorie goal. And miraculously losing a couple pounds back to what I was 2 weeks ago when I fell off the wagon completely. So, it feels good, and I will keep going. Things have to calm down soon, because I reallllllllly miss working out with Mindy after school.

Yeah, Wardhog, I am curious about your encounter, too.

Susie--glad to hear things are going well. Yes, I too have the talks with myself. They usually are about working out or not eating the dessert in front of my face.

So, my husband is nagging me to leave. Talk to you all again soon!

Ok, here goes. Sorry, it's long. I usually do a little warm-up before I go to class at the gym. Today I brought my son with me, warmed up for 30 minutes on the elliptical, then left to take him to school. I came back for Group Ride class. I parked next to a woman I see all the time, and went into the gym. When I got into the bike room, she (an older woman, maybe 60) was already there setting up her bike. She says, "Ward! What did you do, come in early and put a towel on your bike and then leave?" And I started to explain about having to take my son to school and she just cut me off and started saying that I am compulsive. I am at the gym all the time. I over-exercise. etc. I denied being compulsive, etc. and she just kept going on and on. She cited an example of a woman her daughter (a triathlete) trains with, and how she over-exercised. She accused me of using exercise to compensate for poor eating choices. I denied it. She said, "I know you can't see it, but it's obvious to me that you have a problem." And she asked me if I had ever been heavy and I said yes. And she said that my body image is distorted, just like another person that she knows that had to have counseling. She said I won't be able to keep it up, that I will get burned out. And on and on. I said, yes, I exercise every day for about an hour and a half. I do it because I like it and I like the way it makes me feel. I have the time when the kids are in school, so why not?

By this time I had to go change shoes, so I said "thank you for what you said, but I disagree" and I went out of the room to the bench to put on my bike shoes. While I was out there another woman in the class came and sat beside me and basically supported what I said. She said, "you're not sick, you're not injured. Why not exercise all you want if you have the time to do it? Why not try to be in the best shape you can?" When I came back in the room, another woman kind of gave me the "OMG, what just happened?" look.

So anyway, I know I exercise a lot. I like it. I like the way it makes me feel. I like setting physical challenges for myself and meeting them. I have never had a whole lot of self-confidence and it makes me feel good about myself. I am fully aware that I will not be able to exercise at this level for the rest of my life, and I will do my best to remain as active as I can and scale back when I need to.

The point is, even if it were true, what business is it of hers? We see each other just about every day, but our relationship is completely superficial. She doesn't know me or know anything about me. There are other people at the gym who exercise every bit as much as I do. Why single me out?

I don't know, the whole thing made me feel really weird, and now I am little uncomfortable going to the gym knowing that she might be there (although she has missed the past two days).

That said, I did 25 min on the elliptical, Group Ride, and 20 min on the stair mill yesterday. Stayed on plan (day 14) and weighed in at 142.6 this morning.