good morning and hi reda! WOW you are having a heat wave You've put so much work into your home renovations, hope you can enjoy your efforts soon!

only 15 days (or is it 14 now ) to Cancun, baby for you! I'm excited for you as you can see

Yes, we're still planning on the Columbus show. I'm looking online for a new party-type top to wear.

Our younger son totally surprised us by applying and enrolling in college for the spring semester - it's all happened within a week. And right now he is in the dorm.

It's a local state college, but still pricey i think! $8000 for this semester. The meal plan alone is $3000!!!! and mandatory for resident freshmen. I am thanking my late father for starting a college fund, he had intended to do one for both sons but he passed away before that could happen.

So he had the first account started, maybe in 1998, with about $12,000. That has grown to $17,000 which is a god-send. Our older son (whom it was first intended for) started working right out of high school so has not accessed the money for college. So I guess it will go to the younger son.

I do need to make calls to first, change the name on the account for the younger son, and then to see how to access the money. It's a New York State college saving fund (my dad lived in NY). I hope it's not too red-tapey.

well I am still stuck at 157/158; I have NOT stuck to smart eating so that is all my fault. I truly have been doing what I can to combat the seasonal affective disorder; I use my light therapy box religiously, I stand by the windows at work when I can, I don't even use sunglasses on the way to work if the sun is out; and exercising almost every day. And taking my med. I just hope my 'click' comes soon. The 'click' that gives me the willpower to resist the crap at work. I had an onplan day yesterday, I hope for the strength to do the same today.

have a good day! oh and an honorable MLK jr. day; for the man who had the courage and strength to speak what he believed.

PS - just did Karen Voigt's Cardio Strength, about 50 minutes.

Looks like everyone is doing great

I went on a 135mile ride today. I was SO cold. I know its not temps like yall have but riding at 49 degree temps is freakin cold to me. After hubby and I pulled out of the drive we went tot he gas station. I was crying because I was so upset that I was so cold. I told hubby I was just going to go home. He wanted me to just get on the back of his but i said that wasn't going to stop me from being cold. Plus it was a group ride and I have the whole pride thing going on that if I am going to be riding with a group I have to be seen on my own. I told I was just going home and he at least wanted me to get the car and drive to wear they were going to eat breakfast, but pride thing again, I could not show up in a cage. Then I couldn't stand the thought of being left out and i refused to look like a wuss. Hubby then reminded me that I have his face mask in my bag, I wasn't sure it would help me since I dont have a full face helmet, just a 3/4. Turned out that worked great so I did ride and it was fun, other than having to ride over so many bridges. I hate bridges, especially high ones. Only 2 freaked me out though so not too bad.
Oh, I ate REALLY badly for breakfast. I had a Moon's Over My Hammy with seasoned fries. I should have had a veggie omlette, but its been over year since I have eaten at Denny's and I haven't eaten out since Dec so I got what I really wanted. We didn't stop for lunch and I'm not hungry for dinner but guess I should eat something.
I will be hitting the gym tomorrow woohoo!!

good evening, and Mandy I'm soooo jealous of your ride, but I'm sorry you were so cold! I have a ton of cold-weather riding tips if you want, not trying to be smarty-*ssed, just want you to be warm I applaud you for going ahead and doing it!!! That breakfast sounded so yummy, I'm sure the calories spread out over the day weren't too bad, if you have a light dinner.

I had another OP day (don't congratulate me too much, it's just two in a row, LOL!) but its another start. And I did some more cardio when I got home, I did 40 minutes of aerobics.

talk to y'all tomorrow

occasional off plan days, will not make you fat. it was ALL days on NO plan that did it so dont beat your self up. Any day on plan is an accomplishment.

breakfast was about 1200cals...lol no lunch or snack but dinner was 1/3cup allbran bran buds and 1/2cupskim milk(110cals) and a pudding(60cals)

For cold weather I really want a full face helmet, and I had a jacket and gloves that would have been great but the company sent the wrong size so I had to send them back. I haven't received new ones yet. So I had on a long sleeve t shirt, pullover hooded sweat shirt and a zip up sweatshirt type jacket. For gloves, I used hubbies leather work gloves with wool gloves inside them. My hands still got cold and they were kind of awkward feeling but not to bad. I did hitt he horn a few timesw when going for the blinker and had to get used to the clutch. The black mask, black helmet and sunglasses, I looked like I was about to rob a bank ....lol

I will take all the advice i can get for cold riding. So gimmme what you got. I hate haveing to stay home because i am too cold.

LOL @ hitting the horn instead of turn signal; done that and have had people look in fear when it was done in a parking lot. Layers are the key for me, my first layer might be a tank top that is thin but long, so that it doesn't pull up. Then a long sleeved thermal shirt. Then a thin long sleeved hoodie, with the hood on my head. Then a fleece neckwarmer. Maybe for FLA you wouldn't need fleece, but anything to seal the air from getting in through your neck is good. Then your jacket.

I also wear my chaps over jeans even when it's relatively warm here, low 60's and I'll start out wearing them. There's not much else I could put under my jeans, maybe thermal pants but my jeans are usually too tight anyway

The mask is a great face warmer, I like those neoprene ones that velcro in the back, and have some scary graphic on the front (like a grinning skull) or the ski-type mask is good also.

Gloves are a challenge, as you experienced if you go too thick you feel clumsy with the controls. I pre-warm my gloves on our heater (my boots also) and might also use those chemical heat packets. Those heat packets need about 15 minutes to start to work, so I open them up at least 1/2 hour before I head out.

guess that's it, but for me definitely always something to go around my neck, a light scarf even when it's in low 70's with no sun. And always wearing a long shirt or something that is gonna stay tucked in the back (have had cold air whistling down the back, that'll chill ya!)

I haven't worn a fullface for so long, but boy they do keep the noggin warmer.

Oh yeah, and you've probably seen folks wearing their bandannas across their face like a gunslinger Even that little bit helps. And it's a look the chicks can rawk with a pink or purple bandanna

Exercise this morning was 40 minute tape, Denise Austin's Sizzler (intervals of cardio and hand weights and some leg work)

Wow, that is really really cold!! I couldn't imagin that!!


Wow...Congrats!!!


That is great news!! Hopefully you can use the fund your father set up!


That would be freezing. I have only rode a couple of times when it was about 60ish out and it got chilly. I couldn't even imagine what that would be like. Glad you had fun though!!

I haven't been on for a while so here is an update....Well at 3:30am yesterday morning I woke up with a horrible pain in my back and side. I thought I could handle it, but after about 15mins I was feeling nausiated(sp?) and could barely stand it. So I woke my husband up and told him to take me to the ER. I called my mom so she could watch our DS. She got to our house at 4:30 and it felt like hours. When we got to the ER they did all the normal stuff and said they thought it was Kidney Stones, turns out that is what I have. It is 3mm in size. So I've been trying to drink water to flush it out, but I am scarred for when it does come out. I woke up last night around 11:30pm with pain again and took a pill so I couuld go back to bed. I'm guessing it is still making it's way down. I feel better today but am very tired. I haven't slept much the last 2 nights and have still been coming into work. I'm a person who doesn't like to take off unless I really need to. Ok, i'm done running my mouth about that.

I haven't worked out since Saturday and have been pretty much staying OP.
Have a great day everyone!

Oh scarahjs, that sounds terrible! I'm so sorry. I'm ignorant enough that I thought only men got kidney stones (or maybe it's because they COMPLAIN so loudly about any illness more than women ) I sure hope it 'passes' soon and that it doens't hurt!

This morning for my exercise I started out with a Cathe dvd, and did the aerobic/step part; then when it progressed to chest work with weights, I quickly switched to a Gilad tape because I wanted his workout for chest/back...did 10 minutes of that, then switched to another Cathe dvd to finish up with abs thank goodness for technology!

Had another OP day (kinda worried to say that because the day isn't over yet, lol) but feel pretty good. I feel like a kind of traitor to the South Beach Chicks because now I just want to focus on regular sensible portions of all healthy foods and watch the calories. But we all gotta do what we feel we need to do!

Does anyone here watch "Lost"? I enjoyed it at first..then missed some episodes, then was so lost myself when I tried to watch it I was driving my husband and sons crazy by asking questions about EVERYTHING Then I just stopped watching for a while, but saw the episode last week and with the running captioning, that helped to explain things...a little. It's on tonight and husband will be watching, so I guess I will also.

well have a great night chicks and again I'm sorry to hear about your pain, scarahjs!

Big LOST fan here. LOVE IT. Last nights episode was great.

Scarahjs, I am so sorry you have Kidney stones. That really sucks. Since it is said that the close thing to labor a man can feel is a Kidney stone, then women shouldn't get them.

Holly, you are doing so great. Only 7lbs from goal? That is amazing.

I worked out with a personal a trainer yesterday. I am pretty sore but nothing like I was last week, which was the first time I worked out with her. I really don't understand it. I went to the Gym last Tuesday and met with her for the first time, did all of the routine she set for me and thought i was going to die and had problems with proper form ect... I had done a lot of back and chest exercises and the tightness in my chest muscles affected my heart, made it beat off rhythm, its happened before so I knew what it was. I was SO sore the next day, all over, I was on the verge of tears, driving was excruciating, I was still really sore on Thursday as well then Friday I ran a 5k so no gym work at all after last Tuesday and no exercise since Friday's run. So yesterday was my first opportunity to get back at the gym and I did the exact same routine and it felt completely different. My form was almost perfect, I wasn't near as exhausted and I am not quite as sore. I could see this happening after a couple weeks of the routine but this fast??? I don't get it.

That is puzzling but I commend you for doing that 5k when you had JUST recovered from the first grueling workout with trainer...maybe you just really super-fast-recuperated in those day's time and that you did the routine with great form yesterday!! Will you be working with the trainer once a week, or not so often from now on? That's kewl that you signed on for the personal training

Yes, last night's episodes(s) were great! I had only expected from 9 pm to 10; when that second one came on I was whoa, I gotta stay up another hour? but it was worth it

This morning I did most of the Karen Voigt cardio/strength tape; but when she did upper body work I just kept doing cardio because I did upper bod yesterday (don't want to oversculpt, LOL!!!) and then I did some Cathe ab work.

7 pounds to goal does sound great, doesn't it, but I look at myself and think that much much more than 7 pounds needs to come off!! but I was pretty happy with myself last summer @ 150. When the 150 day comes I'll sure let you know

Ugh, time to get ready for work already. OH!! my boss, (male) ordered Nutrisystem for himself (he identified with Dan Marino and the other guy, I guess) and the box arrived at work yesterday and we were all looking through it...my gosh...the serving sizes are TINY! or should I say tiny LOL. I don't mean to disrespect anyone's decision to do it but the amount of food for a meal just seems so little. I hope he can have like big green salads and lots of good veggies to beef up the meal sizes. He said, 'there's like a week's worth of food here for me" and it's supposed to be a month

well have a great day chicks, I'll probably check in tonight also.

I do believe the point of those meals, is you are supposed to add ina salad or other veggie to go with it and I think the meals are supposed to have plenty of protein and fiber so you will fill faster. I do that at home with out paying for all the food. It def should be helping with portion control. I had thought about doing it when my husband goes on deployment again, when ever that is, if I still need to lose weight.

I dont know what I want my final goal weight to be either, When I get to 160, I will see where I am, what I look like, what size clothing I am in ect.

Oh and the trainer thing, she is free. I recently discovered the navy base opened a free fitness center for moms. There is a place for the kids to play and the trainer works with you for free. Its just a really small place. The base has always had a really big gym with classes and equipment ect, but no child care.

Good morning! Mandy - I am pretty sure I did not know you were a military wife, maybe I didn't read close enough...please tell your dh thank you!! for his service

well I had a major calorie overload yesterday ...I will only remember it to help me not to do that again!

relatively warm here yesterday!! 30. Yes that's warm when it's been 60 degrees lower than that recently

soon to choose an exercise and then do it have a good day everyone!

wow holly HEAT WAVE...lol

I had a bad eating to yesterday(TOM) so I worked out extra hard today.

good morning Mandy and everyone else I also had bad eating day...good for you for working it off!! I need to do a double or triple exercise session to work mine off, ugh. Again I'll try to do better today.

Our heat wave is out the door, haha, it's 12 out now and not going to warm up any for a bit. Oh well!!!!

have a good day everyone