Rears in Gear for the New Year - June
 

Good morning chickies!!

This is a quick post, just to get the new month going.

Our year is almost HALF over! :yikes: What have we accomplished? What can we still accomplish? What are our goals for this month or the rest of this year? By the end of this month, we will be at our half way point for the year. I for one know that I want to accomplish a lot by the end of the year, and that means that I'd better kick this into gear if I'm going to achieve. How about you?

Ok, I'll go first. ;)

The last part of April and pretty much the entire month of May were a washout. Seems like about ever 20 pounds or 4 months or so, I totally lose it. The last time I did this was last year, and it took me 4 MORE months just to get back on track. If I do NOT want to make my goals for this year, fine. But if I DO, then I'd better get my rear in gear. As the title of our thread suggests. :D Ok .. goals for June.

Calories - 1200 - 1400 per day as they have been. Need to get back on track with fitday.com and be consistent. Last month was a wash.
Water - 6 bottles or large glasses per day.
Sleep - In bed by 9:30, up by 4:45.
Cardio - 30 minutes on the treadmill 3 times a week. I'm going to be following coolrunning.com's couch potato to 5K. Go me.
Pilates - 3 times a week.
Weights - UB Shoulders/Back, UB Arms, LB - three way split. Yes. That means 3 times a week. I am serious about this, right?
Riding - Have fun.
Scale Victory - This is going to be a **** month. Not only do I want to lose the weight I've gained (lets not go there) but I want to move forward. I was at 172. Last month I should have lost another 5 pounds, that would have put me at 167. So by 06/30/04, I want to weigh 162. I don't know if that's possible, but by God I'm going to give it a try.
Stealth Goal - See above.
NEW CATEGORY! :D NSV - I want, by the end of this month, to THROW these damn clown pants in the garbage and NEVER allow myself to creep up enough to have to wear them again! Argh. I want to be firmly into my smaller jeans, period. I do not want them to be too tight to wear on my "feeling fat" days. So there.

Like I said above, this year is almost half over. If I want to reach my goal weight by the end of the year, I had better get hoofing.

Part of my complacency problem is my body image thing. I had actually gotten to the point where I saw myself as fat. I was painfully aware of how I looked. All the time. I no longer had that self delusion that I was 40 pounds lighter than I actually was. I think that's one of the reasons I was so depressed all the time. Now, when I see myself in the mirror, I have to look twice. Because not only have I lost fat, but I am reshaping my body. In the past when I lost weight, I did it all wrong. I stopped eating, and the only exercise I would get would be aerobic. So I never really built muscle, as a matter of fact, I would lose it. So yeah, the numbers on the scale would go down, but I wouldn't really change my appearance. I just ended up being a slightly smaller version of my fat little self. Odd how that works. THIS time, however, between the running, riding, pilates and weights, my whole body is being reshaped, redefined, reinvented. I have collarbones. I have muscle definition in my arms and legs. My face has thinned, my jawline is obvious. I can see my delts and traps. I have a waistline. I hardly recognize me, because I have never looked like this in my life. Even waaay back when I was powerlifting, I had fat covering the muscle, and couldn't see the definition. It has been a true combination of the right food, hydration, and lifting AND aerobics AND core exercise that has created this change. Problem? I look in the mirror and I get so hyped that I've done so much that it feels like I can slack off. I look so good (relatively speaking, of course) that it doesn't seem like I need to work as hard as I have been. This has become "good enough." But it's NOT, dammit. It's NOT good enough. I don't WANT to stop here. So why am I? Why am I so tickled with my body being so different that it has become "good enough?" I don't want just "good enough." I want better. I want BEST. And the really scary part is - now I know I can do it. There is nothing stopping me. I know how to eat, I know how to work out, I know how to do this now. So why have I let "good enough" become a stopping point? When did mediocrity become acceptable? Obviously it isn't, not really. Or I wouldn't be sitting here gritting my teeth and feeling like I need a swift whack upside the head with a ball bat. But I let what was really important fade into the background for the immediate gratification moments. And you know... I'm not all that sorry I did. I'm learning there have to be those spontaneous silly fun times - especially with kids. The telling myself and my daughter I cannot afford, financially or physically, a smoothie, but then swerving across three lanes (no traffic, thank goodness ;) ) to dive into Bruster's to get one for everyone in the family on the way home anyway. Or .. renting all these movies we've been dying to see and watching them all in a row till our eyes felt like they were going to fall out of our heads and enjoying popcorn (it was the 94% fat free kind!) and rootbeer (diet ICB) while we were rooted to the TV. Just .. moments in time. But that is not my ROUTINE, and that is what I have to remember. So.

Back to the routine.

This is where things really start to change. What follows is mental rambling. I do not mean to offend anyone by it, try to remember I've been there. It is obvious to me that we as a society (and I am not exempt, sadly) categorize people by weight. There are the very heavy people. Those who are beyond morbidly obese. I was in this category right after I had Machine. Where people will stare at you, laugh, make horrible comments. Then there are the ones who have a LOT to lose, but they aren't quite in the "omg" category. That's where I have been for so long. Those are the ones who are largely "invisible." Not so fat that people see you, not slender enough to be seen either. That's where my daughter was, too. Then the next stage down. Overweight, but people see you. Not so fat that people can ignore you anymore. Average. Acceptably plump. That's about where my daughter and I are now. Then.. you start moving into the world of .. what? Normal? Considering how many people in this country are overweight, I wouldn't consider being at your optimal weight and physically fit "normal." Societally not just acceptable, but favored. Preferred. And if there is anyone out there who thinks that overweight people are not treated differently than physically fit people, they need a reality check. And so... this is where the big changes start. Going from marginally acceptable, societally tolerable, to that new area of preferred. I have only been in that segment of society physically twice in my life. Both times were psychologically disastrous for me because I had no idea how to handle it. People treated me so differently. I didn't understand, I couldn't cope. And perhaps that is why this "good enough" stage seems comfortable. I am pushing the envelope of the mental side of the weight loss. No excuse. What I have to really get a handle on is that getting physically fit, losing the fat, is MORE important than it is scary. It is scary. It creates a huge amount of anxiety, more now than ever because I do realize I really can do this. But what do I want? To accept mediocrity and tolerability? Or do I strive for the best? Mentally, I have handled a lot in my life. It's time for me to handle this. I can, and I will.

Well. Alrighty then... how about everyone else? Goals? Fears? Stumbling blocks? Happy JUNE!!

good morning all. I stumble to my computer after a killer spin class. I feel really good after my long weekend. My goals for June . . . . Well, my workouts have stayed constant. I need to fit in the yoga - see if my joints can hurt less. I am also going to hopefully upgrade my gym membership so I can do the spin class more often. In maybe another 20 pounds, I want to get a second weight program to focus on gluts and abs. Eating, well, I have to admit the last two weeks, I have taken about a half step back. I am not completely mindlessly eating. I start eating bad, then throw the rest out. (not good for the finances). So, I want to go back to thinking about what I eat before I eat it. The choice is still mine, I want to put the thought first. I feel good though. Continue the riding, and again, put my mind into it.

If I keep on track, I should be under 250 by the end of the month. Again, averaging a 2 pound loss per week is my goal. And focusing on myself and taking on step at a time.

Here's to a super month for all of us :)

Hey all. I just wanted to ramble a bit. What Raven said about body image, "normal," and "ideal" really got me thinking. Where do we look for what is "normal?" If you go by percentages, where we are at is "normal." The majority of the American population is overweight. I saw a blip on the news this morning about how even things like caskets and living room chairs are being supersized for people 300 pounds, 500 pounds, and even more. We are "the norm." But, super sized or not, all around us or not, we all know that the extra weight is not healthy. So where do we look for "ideal." Magazines? TV and movies? The fashion industry? Hardly. The norm their is size 0 or 2. Plus size models are 14s or 16s. I look at the women in the magazines, even a lot of the sports magazines, and know that I would never be able to look like that. I come from a short, round woman and a tall, round man. I got eating habits from them, sure. But genetically, even had I been taught healhty eating and exercise habits from birth, I still would not look like those women. I have a large frame, and a body predisposed to larger muscles. (my calves are huge and my arm muscles are large, even though I can't lift a lot of weight yet). So it is no wonder that our body image is skewed. We see people around us that are overweight. We see the ideal, as a size most of us are not genetically blessed to look like. We have predjudice against us. Yes, I agree with Raven that overweight people are treated differently. It seems to be the last "ok" thing to be predjudiced against. Because of course if we weren't all lazy, undisciplined people, we wouldn't look like this, yes? Look at shows like "Less than Perfect" Why is she less than perfect? She is pretty, good job, intelligent, funny. Oh yeah, overweight. That must be it. How often in movies or tv does the "fat girl" get the guy? I can only think of two, where the overweight person was not funny sidekick - "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and a show on ABC Family called "Beautiful Girl." Heck, that is where I picked my name for here. Because fat girls are all jolly, right? Ho, fricking, ho. We are treated differently, taken less seriously, disrespected. But I have to wonder how much of it is a self fulfilling prophecy. We don't respect ourselves, think less of ourselves because of how we look. That HUGE chip on our shoulders is just as unattractive as the weight. How can I expect someone else to appreciate me, when I don't appreciate myself?

But, getting back to ideal, maybe I need to read pure sports (or female sports) magazines. I love runner's world, even though I can't run right now. The athletes there look like an ideal we all might attain. Different frames, different conditions, different sports. Something for everyone. The best picture I saw was of Serena (or Venus, I forget) Williams. She had curves. She was NOT a size 2. But she looks beautiful, and we all know her body works.

I don't know. Like I said, just my ramble for the day.

Have a good one :cool:

Alrighty, off to another month. Whew!

First, I need to take a look back for a minute...

1. Started WW Feb 18th. Their weigh in had me at 255. Home scale said 256.5
2. Highest weight I have ever been was Feb 2000, 283. Egads.
3. Currently, as of June 1, home scale has me at 224, almost 60 pounds down from highest. WW has me at 227.2.
4. A total loss since Feb 18th on WW of 27.8, home scale of 59.

Goals? ****, I've accomplished a lot so far, so my biggest goal is to keep on moving along on the right path I've chosen, yes CHOSEN, at this point in my life. Mini goals, immediate goals, long term goals...here they are:

1. Drop the other 2.2 before hubby returns on June 11th. That will make 30 pounds gone. Big accomplishment for me.
2. THIS IS MY STEALTH GOAL: Drop a total of 27.2 by the time I have my surgery August 11th. That is a approximately 2 pounds a week, and I can do it if I don't sabotage myself.
3. If I don't hit the 50 gone by August 11th, then I would like it to be gone by my birthday, November 2nd.
4. Absolute goal: Be under 200 by the end of the year. (This is my slug goal, as I know I can accomplish it by then.)
5. Dream goal would be: 50 down by August 11th, then 5 pounds a month after that until goal, which would come around Spring 2005. Wear a nice swimsuit next Summer!

Alright, no way would I have been able to accomplish this withouth the support of my friends on this thread. I was MIA for the first part of this year, but am back now and plan on being here for quite some time.

My mental ramblings for today are more frustrations: Most of the smallest "plus" size clothes are too big (except for around the chest area), and the "normal" size clothes are a little too tight. I figure 20 more pounds and I will be in all "normal" size clothes. The first time for me since high school. My big head trip right now is that the only time I remember being under 200 was when I was a junior in high school. That weight was 175. That is my big head game right now.

Okay, just a note/word to Sassy: GIRL, YOU HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EYES!! Oh my gosh, looking at those wonderful pictures, in which you and hubby look so happy, your eyes are amazing! Plus, girl, we have the same hair, except I have bangs. I knew we had so much in common! I have a feeling if you, Raven and I ever got to hang out, there would be much trouble wherever we went!!! Don't you think so, Raven??

Okay, big hugs to everyone here and here's to a great month. I hope to report being in the Twoteen's by the end of the month. Big goal would be to 217 by month's end. Let's see if it happens!

Chach

Just a quick note to everyone to say I'm here with you and in a mad rush. Glad you liked the "fishbowl" analogy. Yesterday I was able to add a lot of fresh water. Felt great. Got to the gym though I couldn't afford the time out, I took it! and am now paying for it, but what the heck. I will stumble through this interview I've got in a couple hours somehow. . .

Raven, we could be leading parallel lives. Your post really got me thinking, or rather, you wrote what I could have written. I will say more later when I come up for air.

Jolly, yes, there is no real model for people out there these days. Even the fitness magazines are full of unnatural bodies, no longer simply "unrealistic" but unnatural, women who are lean with muscle definition but with grapefruit-size silicon boobs. It's simply not possible to have a body like that. It's horrible. It's freakish. I don't want to buy the magazines but I wish there was some model I could look at to help me with my mental imagery of where I want to be. Like Raven, I've never been where I think I want to go and it's next to impossible to imagine it. And, there are no longer any women's sports magazines.

Chachee, it sounds like you've got a good clear goal in mind and it's very well within reach. Keep plugging away and you'll be there for sure soon. By the way, people, can you tell me what you all mean by a "stealth goal?"

Ok, gotta run. Will check in with my goals for June, random ramblings etc. sometime in the next few days for sure.

Still Time?
 

Hi...

Can I join this thread even though its midyear? I need to lose 90 pounds and am just getting started!

Thanks,
Elaine

ElaineR,

Hello and welcome! :wave: I'm one of the new members myself but I'm very sure everyone here will give you a big welcome. Good luck and please tell us your goals for the month of June!

Thanks
 

Hi Redballoon..

Thanks for your welcome. I currently weigh 222, my goal is 130. I've been miserable with my weight for years, but not always this heavy. My weight began creeping up about 1994.. first it was 150, then 162... then 178.. by the late 90's, it stabilized around 182.. but in the past two years my eating has been completely out of control and I topped 200 Jan of 2002.

This is my first venture into really getting serious and committed and I am a little nervous about really being able to do it... but I know I will. I have to! At 46, I have high blood pressure.. asthma and backaches. I have no social life to speak of and I just can't continue to live a life where I work all day, then go home and eat to entertain myself.

My goal for June is really to actually stay on a diet and exercise program for more than a day without falling off the wagon. Today is day 1. Weight wise, since I know weight comes off more quickly in the beginning.. I think it is realistic to lose 15 pounds this first month. I know that pace won't continue and thats ok.

Today: 222
June 30: 207

Thanks everybody. I am probably going to need alot of hand holding :(

Best,
Elaine

Hi girls! I've ben away for a bit and have missed alot. Don't have alot of time but wanted to check in.

Foodd water, exercise is wonderful. I'm down 5 pounds.

We have been hit with wave after wave of severe weather here. We had 2 tornado warnings Sunday with 8 touch downs in the tri state area. 2 in our county. 1 tornado warning last night with 1 touchdown 3 miles from our house. Me and Gary watched the blackest funnel cloud go across the sky behind our house last night. It was creepy. Jordan had a friend over and I had to put them in the safe place and so on.

Can't post goals right now but we are leaving for Florida on the 20th. I hope to be down another 5 pounds by then. We shall see.

Happy, so glad I inspired you to stop smoking. I haven't give up on the thought yet! I think about it everyday and I know I will get there.

Hello's to everyone. Gotta run. Take care!

Ok. Just lost the thread I posted, and have to get back to work so . . .WElcome Elaine. Chachee - you have done great. Red - keep the water coming. Hippy - welcome back, and congrats on the loss.

I want to make the 20 pound mark at next weigh in, so need to stay focused. Also, send some kicks my way at the end of the week, so I do my yoga tape.

Have a good day all.

Wow, you too, Jolly? Ticked me off so bad I just shut the window and gave up for then. I had this big long post and sloppy moused it and clicked on one of the #@&$%@ advertisements and blew my post into the ether. *sigh*

Elaine - Welcome! :wave: You sound like me about 2 years ago. Whatever we can do to help, just let us know! I'm 43 and started out at 218. It's been a long road so far - but I've managed to lose more than 40 pounds and I'm changing my life. Not just going on a diet till I lose weight then going back to the same stuff that made me fat to begin with. Are you on any specific plan? What do you like to do for exercise?

Hippy - Glad to see everything is going well! I've missed you! Hope the weather calms down a bit.

Red - Sounds like you had a heck of a good workout day.

Chachee - I think the word "chosen" is so appropriate. And it's a good reminder.

Alright. I'm working on too little sleep. My biggest challenge is getting my butt OFF my horse. It doesn't get dark here till later than 9, I didn't get home last night till after 10 - didn't get into bed till after midnight. Not good when you have to wake up before 5 if you want to work out. :tired: I'm doing pretty good on food - need to eat more. Doing ok on water, need to drink more. Somehow I need to address the scheduling thing. But last night was so so pretty. Beautiful moon, soft warm night, but not hot... it was perfect. Tonight Nick and I go to the stables. I'm supposed to work Eve on the ground and get her giving to the bit better but boy I'll tell you, I really just want to work with Arashi more. He's gotten so fun. He's starting to develop some nice neck muscles because of the work we're doing, and now when he arches up he looks like some sort of magical creature. How did I get so lucky? If I ever get to the point where I can teach him collection, he's going to be a real eye-catcher.

It's Wednesday already. Three cheers for short work-weeks!!

Hi Everyone!

Whew, life is incredibly busy around here. Just haven’t had a chance to slow down.

My son is still sick, so I was off work half a day yesterday. I did, however, start my weights program. I am going to do it three times a week, slowly building to my 8 pound weights and an advanced workout. Do my cardio three times a week, weights three times a week, and I should be looking good by the end of the year. Really want to build up those chest and arm muscles before the surgery.

Hubby called this morning. He got the boat loaded early, and is leaving Bangkok Saturday morning. He will be home to us Saturday, 9:35 am. (The time difference is huge, and so is the amount of flying time.) That is a week earlier than expected. I probably won’t get my goal of 2.2 more realized, as weigh in is tonight and it’s TOM. Ick. I’ll be happy to only gain 2.2. Oh well, such is life!

Watched a documentary on cannibalism last night. Needless to say, I don’t have much of an appetite and will never eat pork again. One of the serial killers described human flesh tasting like….wait, I better not say it as some of you may have weak stomachs. Needless to say, not going to eat a whole lot of meat the next little bit! Why did I do that right before bed?? Duh!

Elaine: Welcome. We are almost at the same place. I am currently at 227.2 on my WW weigh in and want to get to 150’ish. This is a great group of women to help you out!

Red: I stole that “stealth” goal from Raven. To me, it means the most aggressive goal I could set for myself. Going into “stealth mode” means hitting it hard, silently and aggressively. (To me that is!)

Hippy: Great job on the 5 pound loss! Slowly but surely!! Sorry your weather has been so bad! Have fun camping and I am sure you will meet your goal by then!

Jolly: I think all our lost posts are having a party in cyberspace. I hate it when that happens! Thanks and I’m already sending you mental kicks for the yoga tape. I started my weights, so you start that too! Be good over the weekend!

Raven: Scheduling can be such a hard thing to get in order. I know I do so much better when I’m on my own with my son. Only have to worry about ourselves. If I don’t get into bed and asleep by 10:00 pm, I’m good for nothing in the mornings. Plus, I’ve never been one of the cheery/happy/wanna-punch-in-the-face-when-I-see-them morning people. I’m pretty good if no one even talks to me before I have my shower after I work out. Hmm…maybe should have looked into being a hermit? No way, love my son and hubby too much!

Alrighty, I’ll try to check in tonight after weigh in. Dread/doom/gloom. But, as my dear friend Raven told me once, if I don’t go and face it, then I can’t get over it and move on. Plus, it may not be as bad as I think it will be. Thanks, Rave!

Chach

Good morning, people. 5:30 a.m. here, been up since 4, haven't done much though and it's all waiting for me. Hitting the peak now of work. God, I'll be so glad when this is over. I need time off, time for me. Interview behind me, transcribing the tape, writing the story ahead. Want to get in riding today as had to cancel on Tuesday. God, I hate that. I work so hard to keep the horse and then if I can't ride her, it's meaningless. Maybe I should stop looking at it that way though. Rainy season is setting in here too, which means I never know when I'll be rained out as there's no inside ring. No gym yesterday, too busy. Oh well, seems that's my life these days. Can't even talk to other people because they talk about weekends and days off, wish me 'have a nice weekend' and it's so irrelevant. Alas. . ..

I made some great saves yesterday, thanks in large no doubt to being over the hormonally challenging time of the month. God, I hate that. Guys must have it so easy. The difference is dramatic, it's not me, it's this chemical screwup that forces my hand. I understand why people reach for the drugs. After a while it's like, oh, this is too ridiculous, this constant battle with the mood swings, the attack on one's resolve, the mad urge to eat and eat and eat. It seems like I spend 10 days of the month doing fantastic, not eating, doing lots of exercise and then the rest of the month I start to waver, then crash and burn, gain back all the weight I lost and then it's the same thing over and over again. I wish I could get out of this vicious cycle.

Yes, but those saves yesterday were nice and I suppose I could have easily NOT done them. Normally I would have happily been at the gym working out but I was tied to my computer and that makes me want to stick food in my mouth. Something in my mouth. It used to be cigarettes. So I was off to the convenience store, mainly just for a walk, but then all those sweet things beckon. But I asked myself, NOW, NOW, this is when the choice is made, this is where it starts! Do you want to get lean or not, and I didn't get anything sweet, which is wasted calories. It got me thinking, the sweet things seem so innocent, so harmless, and I guess anything is by itself but it adds up and up and then we have the weight problem. I really tried to think, look, the stress is NOT going away by putting something in your mouth. You're no different from a baby with a pacifier.

Will try to keep this dialogue going next time I head for the store, pass a kiosk, have sweets offered me at work etc. etc. . . . on and on ad nauseum.

I am sick to death of being sloppy looking and that's what it comes down to. Wearing loose clothes to hide the rolls, I'm just sick of it . . oh rant away. Sorry!

*******

You all who lose your posts all the time, why don't you do what I do and always type the posts in a separate file and save as I go along, then just paste it in. It's really no extra work and it'll save you losing everything.

ElaineR, please don't be nervous. Relax, you have already come far if you've begun to stop, look and really think about what you're doing, what you've been doing that has gotten you up to this weight. It doesn't matter if you have 20 pounds of fat on you or 200, it's each and every little decision you make along the way that puts it on. It's the SAME decision, it's no different. It's not like there's a decision that says, "OK, let's put on 200 pounds!" and one that says "let's put on just one little pound!" It's ALWAYS a little decision. OK, binge eating will get you there faster but the impetus, the spark, the thing that starts you going is the same. Don't get too hyper about losing weight. Just take it easy and make little changes in your lifestyle. Those are the little things that add up to big changes, over time. Instead of coming home and eating calorie dense whatever, switch to eating tons of fruit or something. I don't know about you but with me it's often just wanting to stuff something in my mouth, anything and since I don't want to eat anything artificial, I can't satisfy this urge with noncaloric things. For now, I'm still into stuffing, must be the oral fixation or something. But slowly I'm changing that too. I'm looking at what the urge is really about and then trying to deal with that. You're already doing that. That's why you've come here. You've made a major step! Keep it up!

****

Well, I've got to get to work. Will talk to you all later.

Well, no excuses for me now. I was just too tired to make it out to the stables tonight. Nick had a headache, I was tired and ... :o way under my caloric intake. Work just ran over the top of me today and the only thing I had to eat was a cup of oatmeal.

That did not contribute to a good mental state.

So I made some of the Zatarain's Pasta Alfredo with chicken and a mess of steamed broccoli. Not THE healthiest choice going, but really not that bad, either. Cut out most of the butter and use skim milk. And quite tasty, actually. :eating2: Still a little high in sodium. I like the pasta scampi with shrimp, too. :T

So anyway... that means that I can go to bed on time tonight! Woo! The kitchen is already cleaned up, the laundry is all done, the dogs have been walked and fed. And that means I can get up early enough to work out tomorrow morning. A good start.

Red - When will you be able to take a break? A much needed one, it seems. You know.. I used to feel that way about my horses too. And I feel your pain on the no covered arena issue. I'm in the same boat. And with the lightning and heavy rainstorms we've been having lately, sometimes I feel really guilty if it's a nice night and I'm not out there riding. But I guess at some point I realized my horses are with me because I love them. They give me a great deal of pleasure and stress relief. Even at the same time as I'm worrying about them and trying this supplement or that for hooves or weight gain or joint problems, or worrying about an abscess or ... lord knows. They are my therapy. But they cease to be good for me if I guilt trip myself all over the place about not feeling like making the drive because I'm tired or have other obligations sometimes. I suppose if I ignored them for weeks on end, that would be one thing. But we're out there minimally 5 days a week almost without fail. It's all good.

And yes, rant away!! That's what we're here for. :D

OK. I guess the planets must have just been aligned wrong for all us horse lovers. I didn't make it out tonight either. Work ran a bit longer than I expected, I was on the other side of town, and I am really sore from the last two days workouts. So, I decided to go tomorrow as I will be at the group home closest anyway. So, hopefuly I can go to bed early, and get a good night's sleep, and feel better tomorrow too.

Chachee - good luck with weigh in. Raven - I hope you get a good night's sleep. You will get where you need to be - one step at a time. Red - don't underestimate the mental power of your "saves." Today, I was driving back to my office and passed my favorite Chinese restaurant. Almost turned in, and just told myself that right now buffet restaurants are not my friend. Then passed a good fast food drive through ( breaded mushrooms. . . . mmmmmmmmm). Told myself that fried foods are never my friend. A couple of my staff invited me for lunch tomorrow. I thanked them, but said that my budet and my waistline would have to pass. I overate a bit at supper, but the rest of the day was good, and I feel real good about my "saves." I hope you feel better about everything else soon.

Have a good night all.

Just a flyby here because I saw your message Jolly. I love it! "You, fill in the blank, are NOT my friend!" I'm going to use that. Thanks and congratulations on your saves too! I'm off to try to get a ride in. Just transcribed the whole tape. Must write the article tonight and early tomorrow morning. I'm already deadtired. Lets hope a bit on the horse will lift my energy levels and, more importantly, my spirits. Bye for now!

Help!!! Help!!! Help!!!

Bad weigh in tonight. Was up, 1.4 pounds....egads!!!!!

Okay, had to freak out a little. Not that bad considering my slug tendencies and TOM visiting me this week. 3.6 off next week, that is for sure!!

Just wanted to check in quickly....now I must eat the Taco Bell Jolly didn't eat. (My one night a week splurge I haven't done in a long time. Mmmm..two soft tacos waiting for me.) Not too bad, actually.

Chach


slurp, gulp, mmm...mild sauce...tacos.....

help!

Hi everyone,
Sorry I didn't get here yesterday. The night got away from me. Welcome Elaine, great group of people here.

Hard to believe it's June already. My only goal for May was to stay off the cigarettes. Seriously I really didn't believe that I could do it. And maybe some others around me didn't think so either as they inquire how I'm doing and sound surprised that I'm not smoking. I'm almost afraid to say it out loud, but I think (without being cocky) that maybe this time is it for me and I can spend the rest of my life as a non smoker. But it took alot of grit and that's why it was the only thing I was really focused on last month. I would have also liked to have started to exercise more but the stupid stumble and sciatica knocked me out for the last 2 weeks.

My goals for June:
To reestablish my routines. I am not a creature of habit, but I do need the discipline of routines - I see that now. I must plan my food, otherwise if I wait until I'm really hungry, I'll make bad choices and grab whatever's convienient instead of the more healthy choice. Same goes for exercise - plan my workouts, start back slowly and DO THEM - no excuses. Don't get overly aggressive, better to do 30 minutes than to plan 45 and talk yourself out of it. I've also dropped on my water - barely 1 liter a day and I've been having Cokes a few times a week. Water, water, water - 2 liters a day.

I have taken measurements which is my back up plan for measuring success in case the scale doesn't move like I want to and demotivate me. I gained almost 10 pounds from quitting smoking and my weight has held even for the last 2 weeks so I have to believe that the gain has steadied out (thank goodness, I was so afraid I'd gain like 20 pounds or more but I was not substituting food for the cigarettes I wasn't smoking). So my stealth goal for the end of June - very, very agressive is to be back at 200 - 202.

I will do weights, abs and walking as the core of my exercise routine. 5 times a week.

And finally (what kept me away from here last night) is that I need to get back to the Flylady type of decluttering and 15 minute intervals to keep on top of things. Too much laying around the house or things needing to get done that frustrate me. If you do it a little bit at a time, things get into shape quickly enough. But drop the ball for a week and you're quickly in the chaos mode again. I used to be a mega packrat and now clutter just really bugs me. I want to be able to get out and enjoy the weekends over the summer (the non rainy ones) so I have to get more organized.

I am taking the summer off from school so I have no excuses to distract me. For the last 2 days I have done well on the food, water and cleanup. Even got in 2 evening walks. Slow but steady.

My last goal is to be getting to bed at midnight instead of 1:30am and laying in bed thinking until 2am. I'm already 20 minutes past that goal so I'm going to run off now and will catch up with posts tomorrow. Night all, happy June!

Finally, peace and quiet, a good cup of coffee :coffee: and a little time for myself :D

Raven, you missed me??? Aren't you sweet! Glad to hear that you are getting back OP.

Chach, wouldn't freak out too much over that gain. That TOM does crazy things to our bodies! Personally, I think it just shouldn't be allowed :lol:

Things around here have been crazy so I have had to be very consious about my food choices and so on. Friday was the last day of school here and it's been crazy since. Saturday I spent all day preparing for the cookout Sunday. We had about 15 people here Sunday, 5 of them children, it rained on us 3 times. We had to keep dragging the kids out of the pool because of thunder and lightning and had to put off grilling. It cleared up for awhile so we got the food grilled and everyone inside before the big storm hit. They put out tornado warnings so while some got the kids prepared with blankets and pillows some went out and put up all of the chairs and so on. Spent all day Monday cleaning my house after having all of those people in here. What a mess. Jordan had company over tuesday and he still has company! Gary went to the dentist yesterday. He had to have 1 tooth pulled and another cut out. Needles to say he worked for about 2 hours, went to the pharmacy to get his pain pills filled and came home. Right now everyone else is sleeping and to be honest I'm loving it!

As for me, still doing the weights with my arms everyday. I am able to feel and see a difference. I just keep thinking about wanting to wear tank tops when we go to Florida! Drinking water and making wise food choices. Planning what I will eat while we are away. There is alot of choices there so I don't see a problem with the food. I do see a problem with all of the tiki bars that are set up all over that resort :lol: I love margaritas :D I just can't wait to be on that white, sandy beach relaxing and drinking margarita's. HMMMMMM......I wonder if there is some way that I can alter the calories and sugar in those things :lol:

:wave: to Jolly, Red and Happy. Welcome to Elaine!

Better get off here and enjoy the rest of my coffee while I do laundry!

Hi there. I shouldn't be writing here because I have yet to start my story and it's due tomorrow morning! Oh, God, procrastination. Nah, heck, I'm just sick of all the work, go go go! Yes, Raven, a break, I really need down time, like a good week of it, not possible, but at least something less hectic than now.

Well, just wanted to say that I stayed off the sugar, which is what I used to do but recently I've been eating a lot of sweet things. Thanks to Jolly, I was in the convenience store today and standing in front of the candy and cookie area and I looked at all those things and said, "No, not my friends!" and did not buy any sweet. Hurrah for me!! It felt pretty silly but it worked. I think this is what my brain needs. Maybe this is the 3-year-old in me looking for sweets, nice, happy things (toddler mind) and saying something as banal as "You are not my friends!" is just the answer. Well, thanks again Jolly.

So, I don't mean to ignore anyone but I haven't been able to comment individually. Raven, I wish I could spend as much time with the horses as you seem to. I'm in a setup where everything is done. It's very hands off but the stable is far away. I use up 7 hours getting there, riding, and coming back into Tokyo. It's a lousy setup and extremely expensive. I don't think I can keep it up but for now I do. I have to work like crazy to scrape by. Maybe I can find a better way. The problem is the instruction is good, or at least I know what I don't know.

Today was horrible. I was out for a lesson in the big dressage ring, not the usual round pen and I had no idea what to do in the corners. I had to use a tranceiver to hear the teacher and I wasn't used to that and that and everything (mirrors!) just made me feel like a total incompetent. I started thinking, what do I think I'm doing? But then, I forced myself out of that mindset and said, no, this is your next lesson. If you run away now you'll never know what to do with the corners!

Later, listening to some rich prima donna type coo over some horse in Holland that they want her to buy didn't help. I was listening as they were watching a video of this horse going through his paces and I heard the price and then transport and then money to "enter" the stable (a custom here) and this and that and this and that and the woman didn't blink an eye, but was instead, like, "oh yes, would you pleeeezzee get him for me, oh, please, I want him!" And then they said, well, he can't be flown over to the fall so you'll have to board him in Holland until then and they said what that would cost and it was like, "Oh, no problem at all, this horse is all 'readymade.' " Giggle, coo, giggle, coo, --- oh, give me a friggin!' break. This is a chick who didn't even know how to wash the horse she'd been riding. Oh, please, I'm near tears from the workload, getting paid peanuts, my boots have holes in them, my saddle (a borrowed thing) is literally falling apart and . . . . oh well. life's not fair. I consoled myself with remembering what she looked like in the ring, a total beginner. These are the people (and it's the majority over here) who buy custom-made leather boots before they even get on a horse. There are loads of horses that can be had for next to nothing and here she is buying something that's going to cost millions of yen to buy and get over here. And she'll ruin it anyhow, and . . . OK, stop! no more, sorry nonhorsey people!! I need a rant. Raven, help!

******

Chachee, too bad on the weigh in but it's surely just water retention. Yes, you will be down next week for sure. Just don't go hog wild with the tacos!

happy, sound like great goals for June. And you are doing a fantastic job staying off the cigs. And why not, get cocky, it's not easy to stop smoking and just maybe if you do feel like slipping, if you've been cocky about it you won't dare.

Ok, I must go again. Elaine, where are you? Give a holler and hope you're doing OK.

Hi hippy, we were posting at the same time and I missed you. Saw your post later. Good going on the arm exercises. Great you're seeing a difference.

Heh, just wanted to say hi so you didn't think I was ignoring you! When is your Florida trip, by the way?

Red, you are so funny :lol: I would have not thought a thing about it UNLESS you never spoke to me :D We are leaving the 20th of this month. We have been planning this since January and it has gotten her pretty fast but these next few weeks will creep by oh so slowly I'm sure!

Checking In
 

Hi everyone,

Raventoy, Chachee and Redballoon, thanks so much for your comments. They helped alot!

Jollygirl: I also loved the "you are not my friend" affirmation. It really put it into perspective. I just spent the last 10 years entertaining myself with food and choosing carry-out and TV over going out and meeting people and doing things... ironically because I got tired of being dissappointed by people. Nothing compares to the dissappointment of weighing 222 pounds!

Happy2bme: I am also an ex-smoker. I quit the first time for about 12 years.. and actually relapsed for a two year period in late 94. Quit again for the second and last time in Jan. of 97. Let me know if you have any quetions about what I went through. I am happy to share.

Yesterday was my first "official" diet day and I did well. I craved sugar after dinner but did not give in to it. I did not do much in the way of exercise becuase my weight leaves me feeling so fatigued. I know that is a big catch-22.. you have to move to feel better, but its hard to move because you feel lousy.. blah blah blah. I actually do walk alot on the weekends and I enjoyed being physically active in the past. I need to do more during the week, which means getting my butt OUT of my office at a decent hour. So, that is my other committment for June.. to leave work by 6PM so that I can exercise.

I have joined a slow runners group and I am meeting them for the first time this Saturday. I see it as serving two purposes: a much needed social outlet AND getting myself moving. Years ago I use to run alot and was in great shape.

Have a great day everyone and thanks for your support.

Elaine

Current: 222
Goal: 130

Good morning all. I am glad my comment helped others. I am just trying to keep things in perspective. That my long term goals are more important than immediate gratification.

Chachee - you can do this. keep focused, and don't let the gain get you down. And take your bat with you next week to weigh in.

Happy - congrats on meeting your main goal for May. And good luck for June. I like your idea of checking measurements when you feel frustrated. I will have to do that. Also, how is your job hunt going?

Hippee - your trip sounds great Send some sun and sand up here.

Red - I am glad my comment hleped. Yours on "saves" helped me. OK. I have to ask. How'd ya end up in Tokyo???

Elaine - good luck w/exercise. Slow and easy does it. Your runner's group sounds great. I know workout buddies can be very supportive and motivational.

Well, finally feel better about eating again. I am thinking about what I am putting in my mouth and why. Here's to a good week. Have a good one all.

hey ladies -

Well, I'm angry with myself. No excuse, right? What about turning OFF the alarm and then oversleeping? :( What is the matter with me? (you're tired, dumbass?) I'm tired. I think I'm going to start putting the alarm on the OTHER side of the room so I actually have to get out of bed to turn it off. By that time I'm moving and out of bed, so it's too late to just roll over and stay sleeping. That and actually starting to get to bed at a decent time on a regular basis. *sigh* Ok, so no workout this morning. Valeska's lesson tonight.

Red - I wrote a big long rant myself to Jolly in an e-mail this morning about similar things. It's frustrating. I know. I'm so broke all the time because of the horses. I mean... *really* broke. Like .. I have $16 to last me till payday which is next Thursday. *wince* I'll figure something out. And yes, Jolly knows my saddle situation well. ;) My daughter's boots are starting to separate, and Ian and I have to use borrowed helmets... yeah, the list goes on. And sometimes it's hard to see people with money to burn taking abysmal care of their animals, throwing them away. My Arashi was a rescue from slaughter. Something you know all too well about over in Japan. Eve, our beautiful granddaughter of Seattle Slew, was an OTTB who would have been slaughtered, too. So I comfort myself with the knowledge that I'm doing what I can. Anymore, I wouldn't buy an already trained horse. I might have, had I the money, when I first started. It's so much easier to learn on a horse who knows what to do than it is to try to learn yourself AND teach your horse. But it's also infinitely more rewarding, I'm finding, to train my own horse. The rush I get from seeing him learn, think, respond... better than sex. :devil: And then on top of that - showing my kids how to teach their horse something, watching them work so hard at it, and watching their faces light up with that feeling as they see their horse "get it" is just incredible. It gives me goosebumps and shivers. My kids and I lament our lack of money. But we also realize that we would rather be poor with horses than well off without them. Now ideally I could be well off WITH them, but.. hey. ;) My kids sacrificed a lot, knowing they would have to, to have their horses. I'm really proud of them. So Red, I understand. Rant away. That's what this place is here for. So you can unload all that stuff and get it out of your head and not eat it. :grouphug: I hope your story is going well, smoothly and will be done by deadline!

Chach - Aw!! Hang in there bubble girl!! You know those spikes on the scale are an occupational hazard. ;) It could be for any reason at all, so don't get down about it. You've done SO well, and you will continue to do so!

Jolly - Hellagood on the saves, woman. I'm proud of you!!

Hippy - Good job on the weights!!! Of course I missed you! Silly gurl. Sounds like your "holiday" weekend was considerably less than relaxing, but I'm glad you found some time for yourself. Even if you had to sneak it. ;) I just yell at people and tell them if they bother me it's THEIR funeral! *blink*

Happy - Staying off the coffin nails as a goal is a great one. Sometimes you just have to drop back to where you can handle it, then work our way forward. I've run up against that disbelief from others, too. Well, and in myself. Sounds like you made it with flying colors, and now you and I are kind of in the same boat, eh? Lots of very good goals there.

Elaine - Sounds like you're on the right track!! I'm working coolrunning.com's couch potato to 5K plan, and I know Jolly is planning on doing that one or something similar to it. What is a "slow runners" group? Slowly working your way up to running? Or just running slowly? :lol:

I need to really work harder at getting on a regular schedule and getting to bed, getting OUT of bed, and getting in my workouts. The food has ceased to be an issue, I'm fine on that. Water I can use more of, but I know that if I start exercising, I start drinking more water because I'm actually thirsty instead of forcing it. Phoo. Moving the clock TONIGHT! Ha.

Hello ladies!

I'm better today. Still mad, but oh well, can't really fight nature on this one!

Raven: Here it come....*lifts leg and aims for your butt* Now, get out of bed and get your workouts in! That's all I got for buttkicking! I know how full your schedule it, and I know you are tired in the morning, but you gotta stick with it. Remember, you aren't "normal" anymore, you are smaller than "normal" and will keep it up! Move that clock, because that is what I had to do when I snoozed too much. I'm sorry money is tight. I hate it when that happens. My money has been really tight for about two months. Don't know what happened, but just don't have the funds like we used to. I think with hubby gone, he's been spending more overseas on souveniers. Will get that under control in a couple of days.

Happy: Those are all great goals to have. I know you will be successful in all of them. When you get your clutter under control, come help me. Welcome back to the new thread. And I want to wish you continued success on your being a non-smoker. Over a month, now. Way to go!

Hippy: I'm glad you are sticking with your arm weights routine. I just started back on my weights program this week. I love doing it, but had to get some weight off first before I started lifting again. Slowly but surely I'll work back up to where I used to be.

Red: Heck, feel free to rant anytime. I'm a non-horsey person, but I love hearing about them. I severely dislike people like the woman you spoke about. (Don't like the word hate, so try to not use it.) It's hard work getting what you want for most of us, and the ungrateful people make it feel like a slap in the face. Grrr...

Elaine: Great for you joining the group. Let us know how it goes. How slow is "slow runners"? I do a 15 minute mile when I walk, so I was just wondering how that would translate. Great job on your first OP day! Temptations are hard to resist and it sounds like you did a great job.

Jolly: Bat is back. Looking at me he sweetly says, "Go on with your good self, girl. I got ya covered if it comes down to it". Silly Bat! I am hoping I can conquer the TOM gain and then some on my own. If not, Bat's takin' a road trip next Wednesday! Be good this weekend!

Alrighty, back to work for me. Did one power walk to far today, weights, and have another power walk coming up this afternoon. Gotta love those 15 minute breaks!

Needing some suggestions on snacks. I'm kinda getting burned out on mine, and am finding I am not eating enough points. With the exercising I need more food, but am having trouble putting it back in. Funny, why am I having trouble eating enough? I'm just not hungry much anymore. yay!

Chach

Running
 

Hi,

On the slow running group.. we run slowly, with the goal of working up to 5 and 10Ks. Right now.. we run 10 to 12 minutes, then take a walk break. I got stuck in my office AGAIN late.. but I am going to exercise no matter what!

Running off (no pun intended!) to do that now. Have a great night and thanks everybody.

Elaine

Good morning all. Chachee - I may need to borrow Bat. If I don't make the 20 pound mark this week, and then hurry up to move the bar under 250 withing 2 weeks . . . . I'll need Bat to bop myself over the head for being silly and not doing what I need to.

Elaine, I think your running group sounds great. I did a couple of 5ks a few years back. It was really uplifting to realize my body COULD do something physical like that. I did about a 10 minute mile. I want to train again, but am having some ankle problems right now I need to resolve first.

Raven, moving the alarm is a good idea, but I still say the best thing would just be to train your dogs as back up. My alarm went off this morning and I said, "nah, ain't gonna happen." Even though I keep telling myself it's ok to take a day off a week, as long as I plan it and set my alarm for later the night before (why wake up if I don't have to). So I reset the alarm, and rolled back over. My boy was ok, since I had reset the alarm, and curled back up. My girl just sat there, staring at me. Glaring accusingly at me, actually. until eventually I realized she was right, and got up, and am off to the gym in a moment. Dogs make great personal trainers :D Now if I could just get them to growl at me when I go to the frig . . .

More later, I am sure. Have a great day all.

Good Morning...
 

Hi all...

Happy to report that I did stay OP yesterday.. so 2 days so far.. and I did get in some exercise last night even though I didn't get started till 8:30 PM. I walked, and did some weights. I also weighed myself.. down two pounds. I'll feel like I am making progress when I make it OP an entire week. Something I dont' think I've ever done before.

While walking, I was thinking about this group. What I really like about it is that I feel like everyone in the group WANTS everyone else in the group to really be successful. I recently tried to be a weight loss buddy with a co-worker, and instead of being supportive, she became competitive and underminded my efforts with negativity and sabatoge. I really love the spirit of this group, and feel like everyone really pulls for everyone else! So, thanks!

Have a great day everyone.

Elaine
:coffee:

Start Weight: 222
Current Weight: 220
June Goal: 207 (this might be unrealistic)
Ultimate Goal: 130

Good morning... Thank GOD it's FREAKING FRIDAY!! *tears out hair* For a short week, it sure has been a hellish one. At least workwise. *breathe*

Elaine - Congrats on the two day mark!! And the two pounds, too!! Two days leads to three, leads to four, a week, two weeks, a month, the rest of your life. ;) It is all about the little steps. Sometimes I count my successes by the minute. Whatever it takes. Isn't it funny how sometimes people behave so poorly when it comes to someone losing weight? Jealousy, resentment, discomfort, insecurity.. Significant others, children, co-workers, relatives, "friends" - I've had all of them at one point or another pull something that just kind of left me staring open mouthed at them in disbelief at what they'd said. Fortunately, as I've continued on my plan and even when I've fallen off, I managed to get going again - even if it takes me a while sometimes :o - they've pretty much all come around and started to be really supportive. I think, too, sometimes people want their "partner" to fail because that gives them permission to fail, as well. What we need to remember is that this isn't about failure. It's about changing your life. Some days are going to go well, some aren't, but you don't just stop trying. One bad meal, one bad day, one bad week or month is not enough to justify that you just quit. You just keep trying. And if you want it badly enough, because you do have to WANT to do this, then you will achieve your goals.

Jolly - How are your ankles doing? Well, one dog sleeps with my daughter, the other with my son. The foster dog doesn't count since I'm hoping and PRAYING we find a home for her soon. I don't get a doggy to sleep with. :( Ohwell.

Chach - What do you use for snacks now? I'm not up on points... but some of the things I use are fruit (thats a big one), yogurt, half a piece of bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter.... I'm not a big snacker, sorry. *lol* I used to be, isn't that funny? My big deal is the dessert thing.

Alright. I know I have trouble with my schedule. The part that is aggravating me the absolute most is missing the running. The other stuff I can kind of work in as I can, but the running is a big deal. Part of the philosophy behind the horse training method I've adopted is "ride where you can, not where you can't." In other words, don't set yourself up for failure by trying over and over to do something you know isn't going to work. So.. if I apply that to running.. and say "run when you can, not when you can't" when would that be? I can run on Saturday. Monday mornings I think would be good, too because I can get to bed on time Sunday. That takes care of two of the running days.. now, can I manage to get to bed at least ONE day a week so that the next morning I can get up early enough to run and still not be late to work? I think I can do ONE day. I'm going to leave that day as a floater of Wed or Thur. Part of the reason running is such an issue is because I sweat like a PIG when I run. So no matter when I do it, I have got to take a shower right afterwards. If I try to do that in the evenings when I come home, then it just eats up that whole bunch of extra time. BUT, I can do weights and pilates pretty much catch as catch can, because I don't work up that huge sweat. I can even do Pilates later in the day on Saturday, and weights on Sunday. I will figure this out. I just have to be creative. Think outside the box. Or alarm clock. Or something.

I've lost one of the pounds I gained last month. I hate re-losing weight. Yay. It doesn't feel much like a success, it feels like a kick in the tail. And I'm 4 days into the month already. Yeah, well .. to lose the weight I gained, plus lose the weight I was supposed to have lost last month PLUS lose the weight for this month... uhm. *cough* I'd have to lose a half a pound a day. I don't really THINK that is going to happen. *nose wrinkle* So realistically - I didn't shoot myself in the foot completely with this last month. I nicked my toe. ;) If I can lose 6 pounds a month from now till the end of the year, I can still reach goal. And yes. I WANT that!! Argh!. Now, do I want it badly enough to stay OP and stop farting around for the next 7 months? *whine* I guess there's only one way to find out, eh? So. Six pounds a month for the next 7 months. I can do that. Right? One pound in, five more to go for June. :cheer: Go me!

Hello Ladies!

This may be my last post until Monday, as hubby returns early tomorrow! Yay! I'm so happy to have him coming back. It's been a long 7 weeks! I hope he brings me something neat from Thailand, even though I told him not to. True hubby test...did he do something nice without being asked to?? We shall see.

Elaine: That is the big thing about this group. They lift everyone up and re-enforce good habits and give big hugs when things go wrong. I have a friend that is a sabotager also. I am having dinner with her tonight. I picked the place and am going to have a nice big greek salad and only one slice of pizza if she orders it. It's funny, well not really, but the more weight I lose, the more she gains. Don't know why that is, but it really is showing now. Kind of a motivator for me!

Jolly: My poopers are also my back up alarm. If I don't have them out the door to tinkle by 6:00 am, I'm in trouble! They have that beagle "howl" that can wake the dead! I've really been trying to get them out for our 2 mile evening walk. They are tired little guys by the time I get them home, but they sure do sleep better!

Alright, to everyone else, have a great weekend and I will see you all here on Monday!

Chach

Hey all. Congrats on the loss, Elaine. I think the sabotage element is gone from here, because we are all so far away from each other. We don't have people comparing one person's loss to the others. WE all just want to be healthy. Keep up the good work. Chachee - beagles. . . I had a beagle mix for 16 years. Actually, she had me. I taped her howling once and played it back - she ran and hid. Raven - glad you are coming up with a plan. There is always some way around the obstacles we put up. You can do it.

RAVEN!!! Get with the program! You are the exercise motivator around here, for me anyway, don't let me start thinking it's okay to not workout :D

Chach, if the hubby does good without being told to do so pleez post some hints on how you got him trained :lol:

Elaine, good job of being on OP.

Jolly, I take it you haven't let the couch become your best friend again? You're good! Sometimes my couch calls my name and begs me to sit and be comfy, then I hear the laundry calling so I always try to avoid the couch for as long as I can.

Hi Ya's to Happy and Red

Catch you girls later!

Hi everyone, sorry I've been MIA. Sometimes (well ALOT) there's too way too much to keep on top of. Yesterday I spent the evening catching up on some emails, cards and correspondence that really was over due to get done. It's embarassing when you get a get well card for a good friend and she gets well and the card's still sitting on your counter... well you know the routine I'm sure :o. So that was yesterday. Today after work we went to the garden center as the outside of the house is in PAINFUL need of some sprucing up. We picked up several plants, bushes and flowers and tomorrow will be a get up early (NO, NO, argh let me sleep :censored: go AWAY, leave me ALONE, oh all RIGHT already :lol: :tired: ) kind of morning and a day filled with lots and lots of clean up, digging, toting, yanking, filling in and planting. At least it's still in the mid 60s in the morning and not hot yet so it's the best time to get this done. Sunday will be catch up laundry, groceries, cooking and cleaning. But I have done a little each night so overall cleaning will not take that long.

As for you fine ladies...

Jolly, I loved the story of playing back your barking dog which sent her packing. How funny :lol3: and I also liked the idea of "this is NOT my friend". However I met up with a quart of Edy's Grand Lite Dreamsicle which was NOT my friend and bullied it's way down my throat. Several times in fact. AND, I'm not even much of an ice cream eater. But thanks for the great motivational line. Hat's off to you for doing a spin class. Do you think having strong legs from riding and kickboxing is helping you with spin class? That looks so INTENSE.

Chachee, hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend enjoying it with the hubby. Hope you got something nice too and that he notices right off the bat all your hard work while he's been gone.

Red, if you have time, I too am curious how you wound up on Tokyo. Wow, that sure is a LONG way to ride to get out to see your horse. Is that because open land is such a premium out there?

Elaine, good going on the weight loss this week. The slow running club sounds like a great group of people and a really interesting concept.

Raven, no more farting around - you hear? :rofl: :lol3: I hope you get some kind of schedule set for your exercise. Perhaps you could run around the ring while Machine gets his lesson. Just kiddin' of course. Yes it is really hard being every thing to everyone and nothing to yourself at times.

Hey there Hippy, hopefully you will get some sunny weather and won't be tempted to log any couch time this weekend.

Last thing - snacks. :chin: Lowfat mozzerella stick, smidge of peanut butter on fresh apple slices, 2 spoons FF vanilla yogurt with sliced berries, FF jello w/sliced fruit, sliced veggies with lite/FF ranch dressing, walnuts, cottage cheese w/fresh fruit, chilled pears sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon, dash of tuna salad on 3 small wheat thins. I find that anything with protein really helps me avoid the munchies. If I'm really craving chocolate, I have one of those Krave bars that Kellogg's makes. Not exactly low cal but better nutrition than a Snickers and I maybe only have one of those once a month.

It's off to bed for me now, got a busy weekend ahead. Enjoy everyone. That hot bright ball in the blue sky means go out and play for a while :sunny: :sunny:

Good morning :coffee:

Gary and Jordan are off and gone today. This is the first time I have been home alone in don't know how long. Now I don't know what to do with myself. Did some cleaning last night so I didn't have to do it today but I'm sure I have laundry. It's sunny and pretty today and will be 80. It's been in the 70's all week. I'd like to get out and go for a swim but the pool has cooled off a whole lot. It's tolerable after the initial :yikes:

Happy, what a busy day you will have. I love plants and flowers and take alot time each year planting. I have some things that come back every year but I love petunias and so on for potting and setting on the patio.

Jolly, I guess I missed something somewhere. I didn't know you kickbox. I bet that burns some major calories. I couldn't do it, I do good to do what I do but keep telling myself if I get some of this weight off I will be able to do other forms of exercise that I might actually enjoy. Right now exercise to me is a chore. I get tired and winded and it's painful :lol: That is why I choose to walk until I can do something better.

Raven, Red, Elaine, hope you are well.

Guess I better run. I need to write out some bills, there is always someone waiting to take my money. I wonder what in the heck they are thinking :lol:

Good morning all! Or is it already noon? It better not be because I must get meself to the racetrack today and write two stories.

Ah, sweet sleep-in. It's 8:30 in the morning and since I keep the same hours as Raven and earlier these days, earlier on getting up end and later on the dropping into unconsciouness end, this is later than late.

I am enjoying the sweet luxury of a bit of a breather after all that work. The last few weeks especially the last two were hellish. It all came to an end on Friday night, when I wrapped up the final draft of my ambassador interview and put the final touches on the page which was to print yesterday. THEN, seeing some guys getting in the elevator I knew they were off to the pub and met up with them later for TOO MANY beers. Oh well, I wanted to celebrate and I did manage to get the last train home though I passed the taxi stand and had to stagger 40 mins. home because I got off the train too early not knowing if I would miss the transfer at that hour. Oh well, what an undignified end to a lot of great work. Even won high compliments from the ambass on the story!

Saturday I was taking off from work mainly to go riding (another present to myself, though at the expense of no pay) but due to my drinking the night before there was no way I was going to make the early hour ride but I was able to change to an afternoon time slot and got out to see my mare. Except for the ill-fitting saddle causing me considerable pain, it was a nice time. It's always nice to connect with her. I even managed to stay on when she did a mad dash across the ring when a loud noise scared her.

Ok, you can see I've gotten too much sleep here to be going into all this detail. But I haven't had a sleep-in for weeks and I really, really needed it. As for the eating, the "fresh water" just hasn't been. I'm in desperate need of a tank change!

Well, today, I'll be at the racetrack. There's an international race, 1 horse from the States is here, 1 from Hong Kong. I've been doing training reports for Hong Kong and if their horse makes it in to the top 3 I have to write a wrapup in addition to a story for the paper I work for here. Gotta leave in a couple hours now. But first, haven't even had breakfast.

*****

Ok, ok, enough of me. Hope I haven't lost any of you . . .

Looking back over the posts, and boy, you people sure are prolific!!

Elaine, how's it going. Sounds like you have really set yourself on the right path. Your slow running group sounds like a great idea and a great motivator. Congrats on staying on your plan. Don't worry if you have some not so great days either. Just keep getting chips for your good days and that pile will grow!

You know, you were talking about sabotage and I really can't comprehend why people do that. I was thinking everyone here seems very tolerant to be saying they have 'friends' who sabotage their efforts. I can understand spouses or family and there's not much you can do there but if I had friends who did that, well, they wouldn't be my friends much longer. But then, I was thinking, it's not just about trying to lose weight. I notice people trying to sabotage my work all the time, by making it difficult for me because they feel jealous. It's very sad but it forces me to be very closed about what I do. It seems like anything I tell some people will be used against me. Jealousy is a sickness with a lot of people. Instead of congratulating others and seeing their gain as their own, as an inspiration and a motivator, they seek to pull the rug out from under you. Though we may not be quite that high up, the phrase, "it's lonely at the top." applies. When you're making progress, changing, improving, there seem to always be people wanting, waiting to see you slip up. What a bummer!

Jolly, how'd I end up in Tokyo? Korean Air Lines, over 20 years ago. What can I say? I was always the restless type, wanting to see what was beyond. Took off for Germany when I was in college and then stayed on for 4 years, then, when the urge to find yet something different got stronger, I went to India. I was back in the States to get a visa to stay on in India. When I didn't get that because I didn't have a ticket out of India and the embassy told me to buy one and reapply I got annoyed and just said forget it. Since I already had a ticket via Tokyo as far as Bangkok I decided to just go to Japan and look around for a couple weeks. Those couple weeks turned into years, now decades. I was never one to make hard and fast plans so I just took the opportunities I saw and they've led to years of newspaper work, and then, with my growing ability in Japanese, to a lot of language related work, writing, translating, interpereting, etc. etc. Anyhow, there's no reason for me to be here. I just am and I really don't know why. I often say it was just because there was no strong pull to get me away from here from anywhere else.

You made me laugh with your dogs giving you the glare treatment and it would be great if they would growl when you went to the fridge! One of my four cats will pounce on me until I get up in the morning. This is great when I have to get up but when I can for a change sleep in it gets very annoying. She leaps from above me and it's quite a shock!

Chachee, I missed what you were mad about? the weigh-in? Well, don't let it get to you. You have certainly lost weight. It's just not showing up on the scale. Just keep at it. You can do this. Your walking and weight-lifting is very admirable. I don't know about snacks per se too much but I've been on a popcorn kick lately. It's new to me because I found some imported lowfat stuff in a store here and bought a whole case of it! Only 250 calories in a whole bag and the crunch crunch of it is a great stress reliever.

Well, this is getting WAY too long. I will write again later. Hello to those of you I didn't address individually. I will return!!

Thanks for listening!!

OK. Despite the fact that food and exercise have been good all weekend, NOW I want to eat. Computer problems - can't access email, posts disappearing - and worrying about money. I want food!

I am otherwise having a great weekend. Really enjoying the weather. I hope everyone else is too.

I am going to leave it at that for now. Will post more later - if IT lets me.

Hey all. Just another quick post. Still can't access email :flame: but I haven't turned to food. If it isn't working by tomorrow, I will call at&t. :censored:

On the positive side, though. I did my yoga tape today :dance: :dance: I do feel better. I really should figure out a second time I can do the tape each week. Hmmm. Also, had a very nice ride, even cantered outside. Hurray :goodvibes:

Red, you have to schedule time to see your horse??? Or is that a lesson time? That would stink if you can't go see your horse whenever. I did like your story on how you got to Tokyo. Very interesting.

Happy, yes the riding and kickboxing probably help with the strong legs, though I haven't done kickboxing in awhile. Plus, I used to ride my bike quite a bit when I was younger and I guess all those muscles haven't disappeared.

Hippee, I do aerobic kickboxing. I used to do it at the martial arts studio I belonged to. I like that class better, as it was more kickbox than aerobic. but they only had classes at night, and there were some other issues, so I quit, and just stayed with the gym. The gym offers aerobic kickboxing, too, but it is more of an aerobics class than a kickbox class. Good workout, but not quite as much fun. Ah well.

Well, hope weigh in goes well tomorrow, and that everyone is enjoying the weather.

It looks like we haven't had much action over the weekend here. I didn't want to fill the thread with my goings-on but it looks like if I want to write I'm going to have to.

Jolly, it sounds like you're having a tough time of it. Remember, there's nothing wrong with eating. We HAVE to eat. I suppose you're talking about eat eating, not just normal eating! Yes, yes, I hear you, the frustrations of life. I'm feeling them too now big time. I have a good cry, write in my diary, whine and rant and cry some more.

If you haven't turned to food then good for you! It means you're making great progress, the kind of progress you want to make.

Well, I just came in because I saw your message. I hope you get your computer problems worked out and that money will come you way too.

As for riding, yes, I have to schedule when to ride, even on my own and if the club is not open I can't see the horse but that's not a problem because I can only get out there sometimes anyhow. Still, there are days when it's closed and I could go out but can't. Don't remind me of the limitations. That is something about life in Japan that you can't think about. You have to learn to work within the confines or do without totally. There is always a tradeoff. I recognize that my situation is far, far from what I want it to be but, still, I can make progress in other areas, such as learning to ride better.

Well, must go. Good luck, everyone. I'm in a real slump, always happens after busy times. Need to reconnect with myself and my goals, which have all been put on the back burner, no actually, taken off the stove!, for a long time.

Later. . .