Today is a turning point for me. I just weighed in at 216.4lbs. Even though its just a 1lb loss... This is officially the lightest I have been in 4 yrs! YAY. Thanks girls!

Where is everybody anyway? Hope all is well.

Morning Neesy!

Congratulations! Once I get to 170, that's when I will be on cloud 9. I was there several years ago and was so happy with the way I looked. Once I go past 170, that will be past my smallest weight since sophmore year in high school! Crazy. But I can't wait to get there.

Anyway, sorry I didn't check in too much yesterday ladies. I have been super busy (today and tomorrow), so I'm not sure how often I will be able to check in. I'm looking forward to weighing in on Sunday because I'm pretty sure I was have surpassed my 3 lbs. I have been extremely disciplines and exercising like crazy. Once again, fingers crossed. Ill try to check in later. I hope everyone else is doing well.

Neesy: Congrats on the weight loss!

I think I am where you were at the other day. I was trying to figure out what to have for dinner last night, and even though I have been losing weight, I just didn't feel like dieting anymore. I was frustrated that it takes so much more time to prepare some of my meals, plus making my baby healthy meals....I was just ready to give up.

This is the most weight I've lost, but I'm feeling crappy because I'm sick and have no energy whatsoever. Plus, the scale isn't going down and I was hoping to hit the 20 pounds lost mark this week. I hate being sick!!! I am so unmotivated to do anything!

I also miss the enjoyment of going to a restaurant and not caring about calories. I am a sucker for Chili's steak and portabella fajitas, but now that I know there are over 1000 calories, I can't look at them the same way. I guess that's a good thing, but I miss enjoying the fattening stuff from time to time.

Does anyone else feel this way? Maybe I am crabby due to cabin fever or whatever, but I feel like I need a break. But I also want to lose!!! Help!!

I definitely feel that way most of the time Maddiesmom. I'm going to Carraba's again tonight with my husband. I love it. I don't think it's THAT bad for me... but I'm sure it's not good either. But, I know I'll be good for the rest of the weekend because I work saturday and sunday. I'm always good on my workdays. This is me making excuses again. But hey.. If I didn't splurge every once in a while.. I would go crazy!

Neesy - LOL, I just had to laugh when I saw Martha is your Mom's name! LOL
The only reason I guess is my daughter got mad at her Dads GPS when she borrowed it and got lost on vacation. When she got mad at it, she named it Martha. LOL I guess that incident stuck in my head - and hence, Martha the Pilates Chair. We have been fighting lately too, but I think she is winning because my body HURTS! LOLOL Ok, now CONGRATULATIONS!! That is so awesome you broke through that weight level! Keep going, as there is nothing blocking you now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!

Cruebratt - Hello and Welcome! I like your Avatar - very cute. There are many great ladies in here, so you have lots of support!

MaddiesMom - Your admittance of feeling this way is great! You aren't hiding your frustration, but thinking through what is going on emotionally. If your sick, your weight will move once you start getting around some more. If your at a plateau, then shaking up your food and routine will keep your body guessing and cause your weight to start going down once again. Our bodies being accustomed to foods and routine, hence they become complacent. You have to keep your body guessing. Change up your exercise, which makes it more interesting and fun. Additionally, shake up your calories for a week - eat different foods or 200 more in calories, then drop the calories by 300 on the 3 day. If you do this a few times, it should shake your metabolism and body up. I am no expert, this is just what I have studied for myself the last couple of years. As far as foods to eat. I have had the routine that I eat healthfully all week and on Sundays we eat what we desire. I don't pig out, but we may cook out or go out to eat that one day. This too, keeps my body guessing.

Sandy

blog = www.mygritsconfessions.com

Welcome Cruebratt! Tell us a little about yourself. Your plan, your goals. This is a very good group, its like we are meant for each other. All of us have fallen off the wagon and all of us have helped each other get through it. We're glad to have you!

Maddiesmom - you are doing so well. Dont give up. Just think of the smokin' bod you'll have by summertime. I think thats what we all need to think of. When your sick and have cabin fever, its hard not to get depressed, so I dont blame you. Just try to stay on track. You should put up a board like me and Neesy. We both have poster boards in our kitchens showing us our progress. Whenever I want to reach for junk, I just look at how far I have come.

My grits - I LOVE YOUR MARTHA PILATES CHAIR. Or more the fact that you named your pilates chair - lol. Some of you girls just crack me up so much and your definately one of them. Thanks for the giggles.

Anyway, today was kinda crazy. My husband had a colonoscopy and I have been running around like crazy to get him stuff, so the first time I actually ate ANYTHING is just now. And I had rotisserie chicken, without the skin, some mushrooms and a Crystal Light lemonade. I am full and feel good. I dont want to make a habit of that though because I slow down my metabolism by not eating 5 times a day. I cannot wait to get on the scale on Sunday, I truly feel skinnier now AND....drum roll please.....my neighbor commented that it looked like I was losing weight (and she did not know I was on a diet)....YES....SCORE. Thats exactly what I was waiting for. Someone who is not related, who does not know I'm on a diet and notices a change. Today all in all was a great day.

Take care - Ill check in tomorrow.

Lucklindy - Wow, SCORE! Congrates on the 'nice' neighbor! That can be such an awesome and unexpected feeling when someone takest the time to notice and say kind words.

Oh, and yes, Martha......LOL......she and I are meeting later ;-0

I have been doing since my 'pigging out' the beginning of the week, well, that is until late last night when I attached the stromboli....lol....I know - go for the gold - right?! I guess it was due to the stress of our friends funeral being today. I will be on track, especially after Jim's funeral and we (husband & I) can go forward. We will miss that ol' cowboy ;-)

I will check in later - Hope everyone has an awesome & calorie burning day!

Sandy

blog - www.mygritsconfessions.com

I going to have a busy weekend. Today I have to get with my mom to go over some of the medical bills that are starting to come through, I'm getting my hair cut this afternoon, I'm going to meet with a friend I haven't seen in a while for drinks and something to eat (I will have to be careful with food here), I need to meet with another friend to go over some contracting work I do for her AND I have to exercise somewhere in here.

Tomorrow I will be doing laundry, cleaning the house, clipping coupons and going to the grocery, making meals for the week AND fit exercise in there somewhere.

I know to some of you, this really doesn't sound like much, especially since I don't have children. But the only time I get to rest IS the weekends, and it seems like that doesn't happen. So it just goes on and on and then I have no energy or desire to do anything because all I want to do is rest. The only good thing is that I can actually get 8 hours of sleep on Fri and Sat nights. That is what helps me get through the weekends without overeating. I know that if you don't get enough sleep your body kicks into 'survival' mode and then you crave carbs and everything else you see. I'm just gonna have to start going to bed earlier during the week to get enough rest. I always feel worn down.

On a lighter note, literally..haha! I weighed this a.m. (even though tomorrow is my weigh in is Sunday) and I was down 1lb. Hot diggity doo! Now I'm really nervous about meeting my friend for food and drinks. I know if I tell her what's going on, she'll meet me somewhere I can eat OK. But it's still one of those situations that could quickly turn to trouble, ya know?

Now for my shout outs...
Cruebratt - We are all chatter boxes here and are very supportive of one another.

Tiff - I don't know when you're heading back home, but if you're still in OH, you should be enjoying the 'heat wave' like the rest of us now. This snow will soon be gone, so you should be able to walk the dog without incident! Hope you are doing well and hope to hear from you soon.

Vicky - Sandy said it best, mix up your calorie intake every few days and it will keep your metabolism guessing. That way it doesn't get settled into a pattern and create a plateau. You should come out of being sick with flying colors once you jump back into your routine.

Lindy - The comment from your neighbor is fantastic! That's definitely one way to keep myself motivated-to hear from others that don't know. I jsut know you do fine tomorrow.

Neesy - That is awesome! I think you are at a point where you are able to make wise choices and follow through. Carraba's isn't any kind of match against you! I keep thinking of when I was on WW bout 4 yrs ago and got to 201.4. Then I froze and over time gained it all back. I will keep thinking about how I felt AND how you are moving right past you're own number. Great Job!

Sandy - Just wait, one day, you will kick Martha's butt -I know you can do it!

Burgundy - The snow didn't get the best of you did it! Congrats on the little losses, they all ad up each week. My losses are small at the moment, but I'll take it. You should do well this week after shoveling snow!

Chloe - Weighing without your glasses...that is sooo funny! But it didn't matter right? Congrats on the 170's!

We have so many ladies now! Gosh, I hope I haven't forgotten someone!

Hey ladies:

Its kinda busy this weekend but I just had to jump in on my bragging rights. I got on the scale today (Im changing my weigh in day to Saturdays-I'm always in a graet mood on Saturdays) and LOST 2 more pounds. Now, remember, I put on 3 pounds after Superbowl, so TECHNICALLY - I lost 5 pds. Im sure most of that was water weight, but its nice to dream. I feel awesome. I told my hubby if I meet my first goal of 200, I am going to buy myself new sneakers (good ones that are not just for fashion-lol), and once I get at 170, I think I'll join a gym to step up my game. I know I should probably do that now, but were on a budget and I'd like to consider it an award. Besides, by then, I'm sure Ill start to plateau and that will help me get past that.

Takeadeepbreath - trust me, that sounds like a busy weekend,I dont think anyone is down playing it. Its good that your making the effort to squeeze in exercising - good luck!

I'll touch base later. Hope all is well with everyone.

Congratulations Takeadeepbreath on your weightloss - that is great!! I know
exactly what your saying about being busy. I was always busy when the kids were growing up and thought when they were grown I would have so much time for me - NOT. It is strange that even now with the kids gone, I am soooo busy and am grateful when I do have 'me' time. Oddly enough, I feel busier now than when I was raising children!! LOL

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Sandy

blog = www.mygritsconfessions.com

So I just wanted to check in before bed, gotta get up at 6 in the morning. But I wanted to tell everyone I got Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred today at Kmart. And hopefully tomorrow, I can get a Wii Fit, Kmart is supposed to have 7 and we have to be there before they open if we want to get one. I so hope I do. So gonna get in bed and will be back tomorrow to respond to everyone. Have a great night

Yipee!!! I kept the 1 lb off AND lost another! I am down 2 this week! I get to change my ticker! Wow, all of a sudden, it seems like I can do this. Till now, I've kinda had the thought in the back of my head that this was just water. I always fluctuated from 223-226, but this is under that 'magical' number. Wow! I feel so proud of myself.

Yesterday, my friend and I went to Tumbleweed, a mexican grill. I chose a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and onion. I switched out the seasoned fries (big time sodium) for a baked potato. What sucks is they don't have LF mayo or spicy mustard. So I mixed regular mustard (which I hate) with the mayo. I might have put 1/2 Tbs total on the sandwich. I now wish I had left the top of the bun off, didn't think of it at the time. They also did not have LF butter or sour cream. So I used those sparingly also and added lots of pepper (I love). I had 2 long beach drinks, too instead of beer. Then for dinner, I had wheat pasta with a jarred peanut satay sauce that was actually low sodium, low cal, etc. I also drank lots of water.

Today I have to go feed my mom's cat, do my mom's laundry, my laundry, exercise while doing laundry, finish cleaning the house (I did a little yesterday), go to bank, grocery and cook meals. No problem...HAHA!

So off I go. I will check back later to see how everyone else has done this week. EEEKKK! I am so excited!

Congrats to Lindy and Takeadeepbreath! That is awesome!!!!

I've been at the same weight for the past few days. I'm hoping to lose 3lbs this week and reach 213 by my surgery on the 16th. I really have to kick it into gear and be good all week. Good job everyone! You all really keep me motivated when I see that everyone is working so hard. =)

Take a Deep Breath: Congrats on the weight loss!! Two pounds is great!!! Keep up the good work. Keep in mind, when cleaning, vacuuming, etc. that is all calories being burned! Good job on making the right food choices. I find that my new favorite condiment is salsa. I use it as salad dressing and also marinate chicken in it to give it more flavor and make it more tender. Keep up the great work!!

Sandy: Thanks for the advice. I guess I'm in a rut, even though I've been losing. It's been hard this past week because I've felt so crummy...the 50 degree weather yesterday helped! Plus, I got a call from the company that laid me off and I will be temping for them in a few weeks. Hopefully, by the time the assignment is over I will have found another job or their hiring freeze will be over and I can work there full time again.

I'm nervous about working full time again. That's when I get bored and eat the "bad stuff" that people bring into the office. That will take some extra will power. Plus, I will miss spending so much time with my daughter. These past two months have been great....I love spending time with her. If only Stay at home moms could be paid for their hard work!!!

Lindy: It's got to be great to get compliments from your neighbor! You're doing so well, keep it up!

My hubby has been so proud of me that he told his mom about my weight loss (she's overweight as well). The only thing that bothers me about that is that she has no censor switch, and has probably told the entire family about it. That frightens me a little because they will have these expectations now when they see me, and if I fall off the wagon (and that's a big IF), I will feel like an even bigger failure. Is anyone else feeling this way?

My ticker is not changing this week, sadly. With my cold, I didn't have much energy to do anything. I even had to take my daughter to the in-home daycare becuase I didn't have the energy to watch her. I maintained, so that's better than gaining something.

Hope everyone else's weigh ins go well! Have a great Sunday!

Takeadeepbreath - CONGRATS on your weight loss and discipline.

I too have been using salsa with EVERYTHING. I actually make egg whites a lot and put salsa on them and eat them as a snack, its so good.

Maddiesmom- When your sick, thats going to happen, your not going to lose weight - dont let it discourage you. I think I might be coming down sick. I am filling my body up with all sorts of meds and vitamins to try to get past it. I too feel some sort of accountability in keeping the weight off, but thats a good thing. My mom has been telling my family in Connecticut how well I am doing with losing weight. I am supposed to be visiting in June, so yeah - I know how you feel.

I had a horrible night of sleep last night, Im not sure why but I just feel lousy today. I am trying to give myself a pep talk to get my butt up and exercise. Its kinda strange, but a good strange. I feel addicted to exercising now. If I dont do SOMETHING, I feel like crap. Almost like its part of my daily routine, like brushing my teeth.

Anyway, Ill try to check in later.

Take care!