Okay, guess I'll go first:

I started our challenge at 180. Today's weigh in puts me at 176. So, yippee, 4 pounds in two weeks!

The bad news? I weighed in at 175 last week. I'm not going to beat myself up because my BMI has come down from 41 to 38 so I am sure I've added a little muscle and I am winding up TOM so that could be an ounce or two. But, just because I'm being reasonable about it doesn't mean I'm not really, really pissed off too! I had hoped to get to 170 by the end of this month but I'm not so sure I am on track to make it. Oh, well, all I can do is keep plugging along. I'll get there eventually!

Also, time to sign up for the next challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 LBS IN 2 WEEKS CHALLENGE (2x2) 02/07 TO 02/21
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sign me up

Tricia

Happy Weigh In Monday!

Well here it is. Weigh in day already. I am down 1.5 lbs. Woo Hoo, I am happy about that. So I know I will get the whole 2 lbs next weigh in.
Anyhow, been a busy weekend. Working on the house, making a birthday present for my hunny and well, working on the house. That is why I have not been around this weekend.

It sounds like everyone is doing good.

Jaws, I am glad your boobs stick out. Just having the recognition of that I know is a real sense of accomplishment for you. It took a lot to look over there, and now aren't you glad you did. I can't wait until I have a definite space between my boob line and my stomach line.

Kat, well, I saw some of that football game, and it looked like they were going to come back, but then there was that interception. My hunny said they way they were wasting valuable clock time it looked like a payoff. Oh well, there's always next year.

Gloria, glad you made it home safe and sound I can imagine what the roads were like down there. But as long as you had a nice time nonetheless.

Lucky, yes, end, I need to work on a new end, and side, and front, and middle, and well you get the idea. I will be praying for your father. I had my gallbladder out 1.5 years ago. Not fun, but it was more painful and annoying before I had it done. Healing angels are coming his way.

BarbG, that was a cute ladybug, almost as cute as ours.

Laura, I wanted to watch for the commercials, but I got so busy around the house I forgot it was on. I am a total commercial freak.

Sorry if I missed anyone, I am so far behind. Love you all.

New Challenge starts today.

2x2 Whose up for it?
Skittles

I have a lot to do today so i cant stay long. I am in this time with the 2x2.

Cheryll-Hope you come back soon. Haven't seen you around lately.
I will check back in with you all later.
Gloria

WELL, I am ticked - I was down for the challenge but I ALWAYS weigh more on Monday so - ka boom!!!! I didn't make it.

I will just take 2 of Tricia's !!!

Okay, onward!!!!!!!!!

Today I have had half a row of saltines and a 7-up - GUESS what's going on with me!!!! I hope it's not THE flu that is going around.

I read this on WebMD:
"People don't exercise," Kimiecik maintains, "not because of the reasons they give, but because they haven't found a way to enjoy exercising. Most people have not taken the time to find out what makes them feel good. You like something if you become successful at it on your own terms."

I just copied an article on exercising - I will post it here too, I like to share

But can an exercise-hater really change? Will you ever be able to face a daily workout without dread?

Yes, say Calabrese and Gunning, who offer these tips to help you turn "hate" into "tolerate" -- maybe even "love":

Find something you enjoy. Bottom line, they say, if you don't like what you're doing, you won't stick with it. If you're not sure what you like, explore: Take a dance class, learn to Rollerblade or swim, or hike in some nearby mountains. Try them all. Keep experimenting until you find the thing that moves you, mentally and physically.
Set goals. "Write down your goals and review them often," says Calabrese. But be realistic. If you've started out walking for 10 minutes, don't aim to run a marathon in three months. Your goals "can start really short term and lead to long term," she says. "Create specific, measurable, action-oriented goals -- and have a time frame for accomplishing them."
Be a morning exerciser. Statistics show that people are more likely to stick with a fitness program if they exercise first thing in the morning, Calabrese says. There's less of a chance to make excuses, and you get it over with before your day begins.
Schedule your workout. "Write it in your planner just like a meeting or appointment," says Calabrese. Schedule a whole month in advance, writing the day and time of your workout. "And if you have to cancel one, reschedule it immediately."
Have a partner. "Exercise can be very social," says Calabrese. Whether or not you're involved in a team sport, she says, "having the commitment of a friend or spouse increases your commitment."
Reward yourself. Gunning uses rewards to inspire people to set small goals along the way to the larger ones. When you can complete a 30-minute walk on the treadmill or do 10 push-ups, for example, reward yourself with a new CD or T-shirt. When you've stayed with the program for 12 weeks, get a new pair of sneakers. "Just make sure (the rewards aren't) food related," says Gunning.
Chart your progress. Start by getting a fitness assessment when you first begin a program. (If you're not a gym member, do it on your own. Write down your weight, measurements, and BMI, then record how long you're able to exercise on the first day.) In three months, you'll see how much progress you made.
Try a mind-body approach. Starting out with classes like yoga or Pilates, in which you focus on breathing and stretching, can give you a taste of exercise's feel-good benefits right off the bat, Calabrese says: "By breathing and oxygenating the muscles, you feel an immediate stress release, and you may feel the benefits sooner without feeling the soreness that comes with strength training or even cardio right away."
Abandon the all-or-nothing approach. So you don't have an hour? How about 30 minutes? It's certainly better than nothing, and if you work smart you can really reap benefits from a 30-minute workout, says Gunning. And recognize you're fallible. You'll fall off the wagon a time or two. Don't beat yourself up. Just get back into your routine and stop procrastinating.
Falling in Love with Exercise

Just tolerating exercise isn't enough, Kimiecik believes. In his book, The Intrinsic Exerciser: Discovering the Joy of Exercise, he advocates learning to love exercise for its own sake. "Most people don't like (exercise)," he says, "because the information they're given doesn't do much to get them to like it."

People know exercise will help them live longer and be healthier, "but that doesn't do much in the way of motivation," he says. "It's external, or outside, in. Those reasons are not powerful enough to keep you motivated for the long term. Those people, on a daily basis, aren't paying attention to the feelings of exercise."

On the other hand, Kimiecik says, people who consistently exercise are motivated from the inside, out.

"The people who maintain exercise on a regular basis are those who really enjoy the movement," he says. "Regular exercisers almost always talk about how exercise makes them feel; they rarely talk about disease reduction."

So how do you get there?

"Find activities that make you feel alive and make you feel enjoyment," he says. To do that, he suggests: "Think about how you want your body to feel when you're exercising. Do you want it to feel fast, do you want it to feel strong, do you want it to feel pushed?"

In other words, be involved in the activity mentally and physically. Connect your mind and body.

Kimiecik admits it's not always easy, but without internal motivation, he says, it's next to impossible to keep up an exercise routine.

"To become a regular exerciser," says Kimiecik, "we all have obstacles. Like with most things in life, if you don't find a powerful inner motivation for doing something, obstacles are easier to find."

I do like to do a few of the tapes I have - however I have to get over getting side tracked by life. I was exersizing in the AM and PM and then my Dad got sick - side tracked!!!! Okay, I can do this!!!! Right

I have to do more goal setting and charting. I do like my bellydancing - but I (being raised in a Norwegian Lutheran community) haven't been able to get myself to dance around the house while gyrating my hips in wild abandonment.
I just stand in front of the TV and follow the VCR tape!

I do love my Strip Tease workout and am starting to like the newest pilates tape I have - so there is hope that this exercise-hater is changing.

My son Will and daughter-in-law are coming down for a visit tomorrow. He is here on business in Orlando and will be stoping by for a quick visit. I am attaching a picture of them. Sorry ladys, his married.
I am off to my step class now.
Talk to you soon.
Gloria

Hi all,
Just a quick check in. It has been Monday all day for me! I feel like I have run myself ragged today...

Ok, bad news on the weight in. I'm up a pound for the two weeks. Ugh! I didn't help the challenge any and I've let myself down. I have got to buckle down and get back on track. I'm doing this little slipping stuff: too many snacks, an extra bite of this, too many meals out...
Put me in for the new challenge. I'm going to try to do better this time!

Still got work to do before I can go to sleep. Talk to you all later...

Laura

BarbPa probably has morning sickness. Let's hope.
Have anyone heard form Cheryll?
Gloria

Morning Ladies,

It seems a lovely day today. Not much time as I have to work on the dishes before work and I wanted to exercise this morning.

Lucky, thanks for sharing that article. I do need to find something I can have fun at.

(being raised in a Norwegian Lutheran community) haven't been able to get myself to dance around the house while gyrating my hips in wild abandonment.
I just stand in front of the TV and follow the VCR tape!

I do love my Strip Tease workout Ok, soooo, let me get this straight; you can't shake your hips around the house, but....You can take your clothes off??? And I thought growing up Catholic was odd.

Tricia, you and I were posting at around the same time. Way to go on losing 4 lbs, you Rock. Oh, I didn't see Duran2 on GMA, but I did record them on Regis and Kelly. Simon was in jeans and a leather jacket, Oh yeah Baby!!

BarbG, I have not heard from BarbPa yet, but I really didn't expect to hear anything til at least the middle of this week. I know she will be ok with all of the prayers her and her family are getting from us all.

Andria, Just tell Tony to call back later, we all miss you.

Gloria, you have a very handsome son.

Laura, you will lose this time around. Now you know there are things that you need to do different this time. And the best thing to do is change one thing at a time. I know you can do it this time.

Ok off to exercise before work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 LBS IN 2 WEEKS CHALLENGE (2x2) 02/07 TO 02/21
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tricia
Skittles
Lucky
Gloria
Laura

Good morning all!

Lucky, I am sorry to hear your dad is going through so much. I know you are worried. I think you've made an important step in recognizing that this is a situation that could potentially do damage to your weight loss goal. But, since you see it for what it is you can CHOOSE to stick to your guns. You don't have to fall into the same old traps that have gotten all of us at one time or another. I find it helps me if I remind myself that since I am aware of the outside pressure I'm not necessarily eating in response to it, rather I am using it as an excuse to eat. I've always considered myself an emotional/stress eater but I finally had to admit to myself that I was just looking for a reason to get what I wanted - my favorite foods and lots of them- without it being my fault that I'd stumbled. I realized that is what I was doing when I put two and two together and figured out that going off plan actually just ADDED to my stress and worry. Now, I'm not saying that any of this applies to you- food offers a lot of comfort and it is hard to resist when comfort is exactly what you need in situations like what you are facing with your dad. But the bottom line still comes back to being a healthier you. It really is true that you can't take care of someone else unless you've taken care of yourself. There is a reason that when the oxygen masks drop in an airplane they instruct you to put one on yourself before you attempt to help anyone else. The same principle applies here. Do your best to stay on plan (I know it will be hard) so that you are as healthy as you can be and have the strength and energy to handle whatever may come for your dad. You can do it and we'll all be here to help if you need us.

Gloria, I don't know if you ever watch FoodTV, but I saw a recipe for pepperoni chips on one of their low-carb shows (I think it is called Low Carb and Lovin' It). I tried it as an after school snack for the kids and they really liked it. You can eat them plain or use them just as you would a chip with dip. All you do is take pepperoni slices and bake them on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Take them out and soak up all of the grease with a paper towel. Put them back in the oven for 2-4 more minutes or until they are crisp. They will keep for about 2 days in an air tight container. I only tried one and it was really good. In fact, I plan to try it with a lower fat or turkey pepperoni so that I can fit them into my own plan every now and then.

Good job losing 1.5 lbs, Skittles. I don't have any doubt that you'll make the whole two this time around. You sound very determined. Leather jacket and jeans, huh? Sorry I missed that. I'm still such a teeny bopper. Of course, I would have argued till I was blue in the face if someone had called me that when I was 15. I was New Wave, baby - and there was a difference! Unfortunately, I had to give up the act once I realized I had a little crush on Justin Timberlake. LOL. Poor Greg, just rolls his eyes and laughs. I've always been the type that is very easily star-struck. But, Greg is still the dreamiest in my book so it is all just silly, good fun.

I'm off to tackle laudry AGAIN. Then I've got to scrub the bathrooms - my absolutely least favorite chore (I've taught Jake and Addie to think scrubbing the toilets is a game. They'll catch on soon enough but it would just be wrong not to capitalize on all this free child labor in the meantime). Hope you all have a terrific day!

Tricia

I'm here...just not here, if you know what I mean. I've been in a rotten funk these past few days, trying to shake it, but I can't bring myself to come here and talk positively about weight loss when I'm doing everything in my power to sabotage any progress that I've made recently. I need to pull myself out out this. I'll be back, just give me a few days to smack myself back into line. Could be PMS...I don't know. I'm calling my doctor for a physical and intend to explore the possibility of antidepressants. I don't know. I feel so hopeless. Is this pre-menopause? I don't want to be this way. Sorry to unload this on all of you, but I feel like you all are the only ones I can talk to. I'd talk to dh, but he's been working crazy hours lately and now he's sick with a terrible cold. Please bear with me. I'm sorry to be such a downer. Now I'm crying. What the heck is wrong with me? I want to delete this but I want you all to know I'm around, just not my usual chipper self.

Okay, done rambling. I'll see you soon.

Kat - I can tell you from experience, if depression is at the root of your problem (only your doctor can tell you for sure) anti-depressants can be your best friend. I never had a symptom in my life and then about 9 years ago I had my first panic attack. From there, chemical depression evolved. I refused to address the issue because, even though I felt awful, I wasn't "crazy." Finally, broke down, made the appointment and was back to my old self in no time. Whatever is causing you to feel so emotional and down in the dumps can certainly be addressed one way or the other by your doctor and there is no reason in the world to feel that bad if you don't have to. Good luck and I hope you are feeling all sunshiney again very soon.

Okay - my sweet dad called earlier to tell me that he was stopping by the country club and bringing the kids their favorite lunch from there - chicken strips and fries. Great, they will be so excited I say. Now, I haven't mentioned to my parents that I've been dieting. He shows up not just with their lunch but one for me as well. A full pound cheeseburger loaded up with everything. These things are HUGE and sooooo good. I managed not to eat it while he was here thinking that once he left I could just put it in the fridge and Greg could have it for dinner tonight since I have to take Will to karate. Let me just say that I have been sitting in front of my computer entering this cheeseburger into fitday every way you can imagine - half of it, quarter of it, half with mayo scraped off, mayo scraped off and only half of bun - I've tried very, very, hard to find a way to make this monsterous burger not blow my calories for the rest of the day. There is just no way around it. This thing is just too good to work. So, the good news? I've spent so much time trying to figure a way to eat it without guilt that now it is all cold and soggy. Yuck. So, I got lucky this time because I had every intention of eating this thing. Let me say it again - this was sheer luck, there was no will power whatsoever involved. But, I think I may have tapped into a good way to avoid temptation in the future. Let's hope it works for me EVERY time!

Good afternoon everyone!

Sounds like everyone has done pretty well on the two week challenge. I weighed myself last thur. and had lost 3 lbs. My husband and I both had a 3 day weekend of celebrating his birthday. We ate out everyday, and yes, I had steak, baked potato, and those yummy warm rolls with cinnamon butter I was talking about. I was weak!
But, I weighed in this morning and had only gained 1 lb. So I've managed to still meet the two week challenge and count me in for the next challenge. I had to work over and extra 5 hours yesterday and couldn't get on the computer. Looks like I've missed alot since the weekend.

Gloria, I'm so glad you're back with us, and you son is drop dead gorgeous. Yep, he's a keeper. Oh, also my dad has been in florida for a couple of weeks, and is staying for the month of feb. and he called last night and bought a place around Fort Myers. I'm excited about that. Plus by working at school I get alot of vacation time so I'm looking forward to visiting florida. Haven't been there since I was a kid.

And Kat, I know exactly what you're talking about. I've battled depression many times in my life, and it's horrible. You get to a point where if medication will help you then you should not be afraid to get help. It"s so exhausting trying to fight it. I was always worried about taking medications, and still am, but I don't know what I would do without my Zoloft. I would sometimes get to feeling so blue and start crying for no reason. Everything would be fine with my husband, job, etc. but I couldn't stop crying. Anyway, I just wanted you to know your email really hit home with me. I say let the tears flow, and talk, talk, talk, to your friends. You WILL get through this depression. And most of all you are not alone. My mom use to say when life hands you lemons, then make lemonade. I think of that all the time. Start squeezing Kat, and I'll join you. Take care.

Anyway, I missed workout last night but am planning on going to aerobics in just about an hour. Everybody have a good one.
Cheryll

Hi Everyone -
Sorry to keep you in suspense. This has been by far the worst week and I am slowly starting to feel a little better. I am still in FL with my family and I plan on returning home to PA on Thursday. It's helping to spend time with my dad and brother right now. I've had some time to visit with old friends and celebrate my mom's life.

On the IVF front, of the 3 eggs that were retrived on Thursday, only 1 was mature enough to use. The good news is that it fertilized and was deemed a "good quality" embryo. It was frozen on Friday and in a month of two we will begin the "frozen embryo transfer" process. We are praying it's a little miracle left here by mom.

I hope you are all doing well. I'll take more time to catch up with you all when I return home.

Barb