GM everyone!
I have to work a princess shift tonight 7p-11p.
I am praying I can roll that heavy cart around for 4 hours!
I wasn't supposed to work until Friday.

I am going to try to schedule a relaxing massage today, no deep tissue for a while! Each day, I am a little better

Thank you all for all of your support. It has meant the world to me!

To see candid snapshots of the race, please visit this site & enter this info in the columns!

MarathonFoto
Last Name: Engler
Bib Number: 32666
Event: St. Jude Country Music Marathon & Half Marathon

K9 and Everyone!

My name is Meghan, and i am a SLOOOOoooooowwwww loser --> But apparently a very fast gainer! haha

Little bit of background to get myself introduced
2 years ago i lost my weight, and reached goal, very quickly. I qwent through the weightloss clinic, Metabolic research Center (MRC). Im a marathon runner and have a sever case of "adult On-set Athleticism"

Well, i maintained for about 1 1/2 years, then, due to an anti-depressant, pregnancy (misscarriage) i gained all the weight back, and of course, it brought friends.
When i was at the hospital on St Paddys Day, i stepped on the scale and it said 161lbs! Holy geezers! i KNEW i had gained, but i was in denial about how much... i was thinking i was aroun 150, and THAT terrified me..... jeebers, for a year and a half the thought of seeing a 140 number terrified me into a viscious cycle of restriction/maintaince, repeat, etc..... I had also lost my period while on the MRC diet, due to overtraining, undereating, and too low of a body fat ( i got down to 12-13%, according to Bio-electro... ...

So, needless to say ive done some serious damage to my hormones and metabolism. My body is very sensitive to strict caloric deficits and overtraining, so this go around, i am NOT going to train for anything while losing weight (TRAIN, not exercise.. i still exercise.... but not with the same *intensity, kwim?) and im going to pay close attention to my cycle, as that is a vital sign for me that my body is too stressed out. When i lost weight originally i was activiely training for a marathon, on a low carb/low cal/low fat/high protein diet of <1100 cals per day......

Well, i re-signed with the same Program (MRC) a couple weeks agao, not *expecting* to lose fast, and still skeptical, though i know the program WORKS. And while being on the eqivalent of "induction" or "phase 1" or whatever, i went in for my first weigh-in, and had GAINED 1.5 pounds! This is during the period where most people lose the most weight, quickly (even if its mostly water weight) and i GAINED.

I struggle to stay on plan 100%, and in all honesty, if i get to see a 1 pound drop (they *guarentee* 3-5 pounds a week.... ya right, not for someone like me) i will danece for joy. I go WI tonight and we shall see..... i *feel* like ive lost some, but again, this is still the initial phase where you lose fast.... so im worried. very worried i forked over money and that the program wont work for me a second time....


sorry for the long intro...
K9-- Congrats on your Half! I looked at the photos Smiling in every single one of them.... it looks like you had a blast.

Was it your first half?

Meghan

welcome meghan!!

good morning everyone very busy day at work yesterday, running a full day of programming for students, about 36 students yesterday all day but the day went well, good staff and the kids behaved well...found time to work out even during all that

last few evenings, late in the evening, ive started to feel very....icky...not exactly SICK, not exactly healthy, its weird, like i cant pinpoint exactly what my body feels like...and after a night's sleep i feel fine...so that's weird

got up earlier this morning because DH had to be at the airport at 6:30 a.m....im getting the kids ready for school right now...then another usual day of errands, working out, going to work etc...

Meghan - We are all slow losers here, but seem to be good at this pace

Krystal - Awesome pics! Yes, it really is our 11th thread :O Wow!

Did some running tonight after work. Loved it. Nothing kicks the stress of the work day better than going until my legs want to give out on me I wore my brace so the doctor can't complain too loudly - and I didn't even care about wearing it as long as I could get out Have a super night all!!!!

Alaskan - Sounds like you are still full tilt!

Kristiina - Hi!!!!

Just a quick and to thank Krystal for our new place!

Welcome Meghan! Glad to have you here.

Kristiina - Great to see you!!!! We will take a fly-by

Good morning everyone and hope you rock your Wednesday!!! We are going to be have 91 degree weather and I will be stuck at work - however plan on getting outside after work to enjoy the remaining hour-ish of daylight to enjoy it

Hi gals, I am here, just not here

It has been a busy week so far to say the least. I will make this short since I have a million and one things to do today.

After my horrible weekend, I have been doing pretty well. I decided (finally) to start the weight program on Monday and just finished day three today. It is a 6 day a week program, working different muscle groups each day and also cardio on top of that. So far I have one day of HIIT, one day of running and one day of walking in. I was going to do HIIT again today, but I am feeling pretty pooped so I figure I should listen to my body. I decided to up my calories again a little to 1600 since I have upped the intensity of my workouts. I guess I am still doing IF since I rarely am eating before noon and am usually finished around 6 or 7. No 24 hour fasts though, I don't feel they benefit me much right now.
I finally weighed in today, and am back into the stupid @ss 170s at 171, BUT, I have a lot of DOMS in my arms and pecs, so some of that has to be water weight. Even so, it ticks me off. I am hoping and praying I am back down to the 160s or even my low weight by weeks end or early next week so I can get this show on the road.
Now that my determination is full steam, I find myself re-losing the same darn pounds I have lost a few times already. I hate this one step forward two steps back dance I have been doing. Grrr.

Meghan, to the thread with the most supportive girls ever! I would be no where without them. Sorry about all your struggles with life and I hope everything gets moving again for you! At least you know you can do it because you have been there, done that! I think I will learn a lot from you because I feel my body is the same way. If I push too hard for too long, it rebels. I can do small pushes of high intensity or of cutting calories, but too much and I get nowhere. Very frustrating, but I too need to think about fueling well and working out smart. I hope you have a good weigh in tonight!!!!

krystal the running is not LOL....i ended up hurting a muscle or something behind my knee, where it connects to my upper calf...weirdest injury ever lol so i got a better pair of shoes and started walking instead while it healed...

right now im doing high-incline walking on the treadmill, up to its max incline and doing fast walking speeds...i take much smaller strides than other ppl do because my hips dont rotate very well due to lower back injuries...my spine is twisted and collapsed inward at the L5 area for the last 20 years or so...i used to walk with a cane at one point and still have a handicapped sign on my car...but anyhow, a walking speed of 3.6 is darn fast for me because i take such small strides

so right now im doing 60 minutes every day on the treadmill of high incline fast walking at varying speeds....i do alot of the walking without using my arms or the handlebars, which forces my core to rotate and twist while walking which gives my core muscles a great workout...im losing my belly fat that way

treadmill still says that my heartrate is in the same area as when i was running intervals, and same amount of calories burned because i'm going for longer time now, and the incline walking is something that i can do every single day without having to take time off for a blister or aches n pains etc

and interestingly since i changed to incline walking ive started to drop some weight again....i feel like i'm getting a strength workout by walking uphill, a core workout by letting my core do the work instead of swinging my arms, and a cardio workout because my HR is still elevated and i leave drenched in sweat

Krystal - I am so glad you are letting yourself heal and doing this right So proud of you!!!! Betting that massage will feel good tomorrow Super jealous!

Jo - The workout program sounds cool. Glad you are able to work all the muscle groups with it

Alaskan - It's a great feeling when you can "feel" the improvements !!!!

So, not tennis, running, walking, or swimming tonight... I did weights instead. After the day at work, I needed something I could do with angry music and throw myself into It totally worked! We are slammed... down workers, another one on FMLA due to her son... all reports and applications in at once and very few of us to work them.. ugh! So this week will probably be great for my workouts!!!! When I am stressed, working out, sweating... it's my vice Awesome feeling after. Now I am properly worn out, though think I pushed my knee a bit too far, so naproxen tonight to keep the swelling damage down a bit and should be ok for cardio tomorrow :P Yes, forgot to wear the brace... my bad. Have a good night all!!! Shower and beddie-bye time for me!

Morning ladies! And much missed Larry!!

I just can't seem to get my head straight. I keep eating junk I have even had some POP I am not eating huge amounts but enough to retain crazy amount of water. Scale is stuck at 151 I have not walked either.... I keep looking at my belly and how it is growing and it is making me feel sad, but obviously not sad enough.

I am super busy.... I think one of my problems is...now that DS iis playing 4 times per week and DD is performing all the time, I am seeing my MIL almost every day, hours at a time. I am about to loose my mind with her. I had a nice break when she was focused on the "new DIL" and now she is back....coincidence that I have gained within the last month?? Baseball started about a month ago. -- Sorry about the rant. I am just really feeling sad and depressed over it. I feel like I have very little control over how I can hang out with my kids and husband. -- I hope I am not being selfish, I just wish we had some boundaries and she attended to things in moderation...like 2-3 times per week. (She expects us to sit with her and only talk to her...I would like to hang out with other BB moms as well; if I do she pouts). ** Rant over **

SOOOO today; I will walk and fast. I think I need to fast again to cut the cycle.

What I feel horrible about; DH has been working from home this week; because of so many kid activities....and I have been a total biotch to him

Therefore today is a new and better day. I will walk and fast and be nice to my hubby

Star Are you still gluten free? -- I hope your knee feels better. -- I have taken a break from my walks, and my hip feels better...maybe a little depression is good for sore joints -- You are on fire girl!

Krystal How is your toe doing?

Jo I think Fasting is only good for cutting a nasty eating cycle... I will fast today just to get my head straight

Alaskan and Meghan!