Jacque - I use a moisturizer by nature's gate because it doesn't have mineral oil (very bad) or alcohol in it - also drying. It's only about 4.99 here and I can get it at our local grocery store or can pay 9.99 at whole foods gotta love them!! Because my skin and can get really dry I also use avocado or grapeseed oil when I get out of the shower. Leaves me feeling yummy all day long I feel your pain about the boobs!! I was fitted a couple of months ago and found out I was not a 36D I was a 32DDD! I was in shock. But all day long after I bought the darn thing, people kept saying "have you lost weight?" I worry mine are going to look like flap jacks when I hit my goal weight! Or bannanas! So I feel your pain and I agree with NBK some people don't have excess skin issues - and if you're losing responsibly and not dropping TONS at a time (We'd all like to!) you'll be in a much better position to not have to deal with excess skin.

Crime girl - I'd HATE to see your text book expense!!! You've made it so far already, you obviously have good coping skills an are very smart and managed. Stormy and (I can't remember who else said it, sorry) have great points!! I use to eat in class too and it made all the difference because my breaks were MY TIME not the time I had to cram food in my cake hole! We're here for you! Some us have even committed crimes - we'll help any way we can no, I'm not a wanted girl

okay, I'm off to the gym. lower legs today and more riding/walking. I am a bit sore from running yesterday but nothing to cry about which is very good news. I started doing my weights one limb at a time instead of together (something about how the brain works) and it's MUCH harder. Also pilates was so much better last night - a lot harder when there is someone there to tell you your not doing it right. All of the sudden it gets REALLY hard and she goes "pefect, that's how it's suppose to look now do eight more" I feel concave this morning

Scales say I've gained but I pulled all my skinny clothes out of the closet (sold the really skinny clothes long ago - these are the's I'd not feel fat in though) and they are getting so much closer!! I can almost wear them So I don't buy the scale for a minute!!

I'll see everyone later

HI guys.

Little GH, the reason that it is better to do one weight at a time is that (now I am trying to explain it in simple terms, if you want I can get more detailed) if one extremity is stronger than your other (usualy your dominant one) it can cause irradiation or overflow into the other. Basically the stronger one assists the weaker one so you are not getting as good of a workout. You are a machine---good for you. Keep training hard!

Jacque, don't worry about excess skin. Keep losing that weight. One step at a time. I have stretch marks and I am 28 and I have never had a child. I hate it!

Hi there!

Stormy - how is the week going? Getting the school work done okay?? In a way I miss a SMALL part of school. I love learning more and more about the body and I miss being amazed all the time. The doc had me switch to single limb stuff because of the way that the brain is organized. I've had several head injuries (the big one being in the car accident) anyway, coordination is always a problem. By doing the exercises one limb at a time you more closely pattern the behavior the brain believes you'd need to move in. One leg forward, the oposite arm forward. When I start pushing both legs at the same time, in addition to everything you said I mess with the way the brain is functioning and I notice it in other areas. (or so I'm told....I just switched to this method and doing the exercises) I can definately tell which sides are weaker and stronger though. I remember from all my years of rehab after the wreck, really not liking having to deal with that...loved working the strong side - hated working the weak Same with stretching. But this is also making me use core muscles more - and I like/hate that

Well I rode the bike today. I bumped up my difficutly level 2 points. I've always preferred pedaling faster in an easier gear...it works for lance, right? Now I'm trying to teach myself to pedal slower in a bigger gear. It's a lot harder!! I also did lower body and am getting ready to stretch it all out.

Guys, I know I ramble on here a lot!! It's what's keeping me going. My bf is no encouragement at all unless I ASK him if he can tell I've lost. Last night we both had hard days and I asked him to say something nice to me or about me. He's said nothing nice all week. Nothing mean either just in his own world...that was at 6:00 - at 10:30 he finally tells me I feel skinny. It meant a lot to me but my god - 4 1/2 hours to think that one up??? M y friends are all either mad because I'm losing and they're not or keep telling me my diet is unhealthy - I'm not eating enough - I'm losing too much wieght...anything they can say to get me to do it their way. It's tiring. I finally gave my food y exercise diary and my measurements to one girl and told her to give it to her trainer and ask if I'm in any danger. She of course, didn't think that was needed...just wanted to lecture me. So I took my shirt off and showed her fat. Then she started the "I know, it's just that...." and didn't have much else to say. Anyway, my point is that it's amazing the lack of support you can get from loved ones sometimes, and the total support you can get from strangers!! I need it and I appreciate it more than you can imagine!!!! It's what keeps me going to the gym and eating well. I realize my eating plan is strange but the people in my life are not even trying to understand it. Even my mom gave us candy for Christmas...tons and tons of candy. Maybe they think I'll fall of the wagon again and love that the candy is there??

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. I needed the skinny spot in the mirror more than you can imagine!! And NBK - my mirror at home makes me look bigger - I keep saying we need a new one! I'm going to get one like yours

Little GH, your doctor is right about the way the brain is organized. Great job switching up your bike routine. It is always good to vary your workouts, it keeps the body guessing. So how much weight have you lost so far? You sound like you are doing great. Do not let anyone sabatoge your new lifestyle. As far as me and school, well it is going. See the problem is I love learning but I do not like studying or doing research if I am required to do so. Now to do it on my own is fine, but to HAVE to do it is another story!

According to Liz Neporent, exercise physiologist (SELF DEC 04):

If you do one of these give yourself credit for 2 mins of exercise: 50 heel raises while waiting in line, 50 butt squeezes while brushing your teeth, 50 crunches during commercial breaks

credit for 5 mins: climb 8 flights of stairs during the day, 50 slow plies while on the phone, carry 12 bags of groceries from the car

10 mins: sweeep and mop kitchen floor, fold and put away five baskets of laundry, complete a cartload of grocery shopping

15 mins: vacuum living room, including nooks, shovel a snowy driveway, wash and dry your car by hand

See even your chores burn calories!

Good morning, people. I didn't have time yesterday to get on much and, wow, do you ever keep posting. No sense now trying to catch up. Maybe later. I see you're posting now so I don't want to miss the action.

Don't feel much like writing actually. Nothing good to report on the weight situation. The late night Tuesday didn't help anything. I would have just gone home from riding and finished off a great day with healthy eating and exercise but instead the night was late and filled with smoky live houses, bars and tons of beer. But, what the heck, it's not everyday and it's good to connect with people, get out and see a bit of the world other than my usual haunts. Unfortunately the calories in the beer don't disappear with the buzz. But, like I said, no use ruining the fun with thoughts like that!

Well, those work talks yesterday were strange. I got a tentative offer from the publisher that sounds ideal. In fact, it sounds way too good to be true and so I'm thinking it won't work out. I know that's bad thinking but I have just had nothing good happen to me workwise in soooo long I can't believe something is actually going to happen that is promising. The other work was with the racing-related stuff I do and all they were wanting to tell me is that they want to be giving me MORE work and was I OK with that? OK with that? It's like, "yes, I don't think that should be a problem." Inside, I'm thinking, am I dreaming, is this MY life or did someone get confused?

Well, nothing is definite and with the publisher they still have to give me a concrete offer as far as max hours per week and pay. This would be just when the newspaper decides to give me an offer I suppose. I could see that happening but I tell you, I have lost trust in them. It's a difficult situation emotionally. It feels exactly like a bad relationship, as Crime girl pointed out, and I am a hanger-on, always hoping until the last possible moment, really, I hold on with such faith you'd think I was one of the apostles!

OK, just want to say something. Will check in later and try to get back to you all!

Good recipes:

http://www.zoneperfect.com/site/cont...ook_search.asp

Ignore block size, etc. and just put what meal in the pull down menu. You can choose from snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc

Thanks for the recipe site, stormy. It looks really handy. I just did a tofu lunch search and it came up with some interesting things. I especially love that the calories and so are figured out for you. This is my sticking point. I can't stand all the tedious figuring and so. I think it's because my editing and proofing work is so tedious that I want to steer clear of such in other things.

Red I can understand not wanting to have to deal with all the counting and figuring to take over your daily life too. Especially since work life is such a source of stress! Glad you're not letting the fun night out haunt you! I'm glad you had fun - you have to live!! Now move on The job prospects at least sound hopeful. Wise move to not get too excited yet though.

Stormy - I know what you mean about the research on command. I had one prof that took weeks of research and writing and then gave out checks if you did it and nothing if you didn't. I wanted to kill her! A CHECK???? After all that?? I guess I'm still slightly livid I'm glad now that I didn't fun today..my TFL's are a little too sore. So far I've lost between 15-20 pounds depending on the day I get on the scales. They'll go up and down that much in a week. As long as the average is lower every two weeks or so I'm not worrying too much. Today it says I've lost 16 pounds.

oh god. My dogs stink horribly!! I don't know what they got into but they're both off to the baths!!!!

Woohoo! I just finished an hour of Tae Bo. I love the feeling of pretending I kick butt!

OK, Red you have been really quiet. I am starting to worry about you. I hope that you are okay and that you are not down on yourself again. You can do anything that you set your mind to do. Please come out and play.

Little GH, how much more do you plan on losing? You will look awesome by the time you go to Arkansas! BTW do you have a swimming noodle around the house? If so, lay on it sideways and roll it back and forth to massage your TFL.

Hi grasshopper, glad someone posted. Seems I'm missing out on any action. Have to leave soon. Yeah, I don't know. I think I SHOULD get a bit excited about some work prospects instead of being wary. Maybe being wary is what's keeping me away from the good work and if I'm always thinking things won't work out then they WON'T.

Was a little confused there with your talking about the teacher who "gave out checks." I thought, hmm, a check, strange to be giving away money for a class but that certainly is great incentive. But of course, when you said, "is that all?!" I realized, duh! that it couldn't be a money check but just a check mark!

What's a TFL, by the way, that's sore?

Great going on your weight loss. 20 lbs! Wow! And you don't have much to lose so that is really significant. Sorry to hear you don't get the support from others. Maybe you need some real skinny friends who won't feel jealous. It's all relative. How can people be jealous of another's good fortune, especially when it meant a lot of hard work. What a shame.

Stormy, hi there! Thanks for asking about me. You must have missed my last post. Yeah, I'm feeling so down and yes, being hard on myself for not having been harder on myself I guess. It's so cold again today. Tuesday was warm and it just did so much to lift my spirits. I rode and walked and ate well and felt really good about myself but that partying ruined that and then yesterday was talking work prospects over while feeling pretty cruddy with the hangover and then I continued to eat badly. It's like, when I slip, I keep slipping and feel so down about myself, just can't hold on to the optimism anymore. I mean, look at me, belittling what sounds like some good things starting to come my way. I start looking at the newspaper and the thought of leaving there and the friends I have there and stop looking at the crap and the stress. Pathetic. Wish I could find some warmth somewhere and just relax instead of always been tensed against the freezing cold. No wonder I keep gaining weight. I never move.

By the way, what's a swimming noodle? I feel so out of it.. . .

Sorry Red, now I go back and read the previous posts. You are more than okay! Great news! I hope that something comes out of this. You deserve it! Now I am going to go back and edit my last post that I was asking where you were.

Nevermind you already read it! You are too fast. Okay let me go read your posts

Sitting at the computer eating my oatmeal breakfast. Fast on the draw! Have to leave soon though. Glad you had a good tae bo workout. Is that like kick boxing? Do you need a lot of room to do the exercises in? I have next to none. Also I kind of think that if I were jumping around I'd probably squash a cat or two. They get so underfoot. I've learned to more or less shuffle around but inevitably one shows up and I almost trip over it. The tiny spaces of Tokyo are unbelievable.