I messed up last night and ate a bunch of stuff, both good and bad that put me over my calorie limit. This morning I woke up with a weight gain--though who knows how much of it is actually water or whatever. I'm not too concerned. I think I will do well today, since I will be going grocery shopping and will have lots of veggies and other good stuff on hand to make decent, satisfying meals. The kind that keep me from craving food late at night!

Val, I read your livejournal entry and am thrilled you have more time and more evidence against the devil-ex! What great news!

And, good luck with keeping on track today. I'm going to try to fit in a run today, but I have to take the kids to a birthday party and get my haircut, so that cuts into time that I'd have to take care of myself, especially since I am just getting nowhere with my schoolwork. I'm starting to freak about that! I am just stuck on this one paper and can't seem to get caught up, and feel overwhelmed by all the work I have to do before August 12th! Looks like I will be doing homework during the trips! AACK!

Well, I need to get somethings going today, like laundry and such, before I even head out the door to that party at 1:00--Gotta go!

Oh, forgot to say that this morning I had my 1/2 cup of Wheat and Barley Nuggets cereal with 1/4 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of 1% milk again. Just didn't feel like making eggs or oatmeal, the two other options in my house right now. Not a bad start, if a late one--we didn't eat breakfast until after 11:00, since the kids had trashed the house last night and I just had to clean up some before I could relax and eat. Ugh...I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Can you tell?!

What a week!! I just got back alittle while ago from our school retreat. It was awesome and I ate like a pig!!!! But I enjoyed myself and tomorrow is a new day!!!!! I am exhausted so I will wait and post more tomorrow!!! Just wanted you to know I was here!

Hi Paige! Glad to see you again! Sounds like you had quite a good time on your retreat--that's great!

My day wound up better than I expected. The birthday party I took the kids too, was actually fun for me too, since the other mothers I met there were REALLY nice women. I really liked one of them and it turns out she lives on the same end of the peninsula, so her daughter might be in Stella's class! Stella's other friends from ballet all live on the Southern end of the peninsula, so they will be going to a different school, which has made Stella feel sad, but now she has met another little girl who lives closer to us and will go to the same school.

Anyway, Theresa, the mother of the birthday girl, really set up a nice, healthy spread! I was pleasantly surprised. There were lots of veggies and some yogurt dip with dill. She had pizza, including a yummy vegetarian pizza on whole wheat crust! And instead of the traditional rich cake with sugary frosting, she had slices of angel food cake, cans of whipped cream and blueberries set up so that it was easy for the kids to fix their own. Fun! and relatively light and healthy! I, for one, loved it--delicious! I did hear a couple of boys complaining about the cake, though!

After the party, I got a haircut and it came out so nice! I love it! It's basically the same cut, but I haven't gotten it cut in about 3 or 4 months, if not more! It feels so healthy and bouncy!

After getting my haircut I went to the high school track again and ran and walked again! This time I upped the running part, too! Here's what I did:

~Walked around once to warm up and then I stretched a little.

~Ran 4 times around the track before stopping to walk again!!!

~Did 4 more laps of alternating walking and running, ending on a cool down walking lap.

~Stretched for around 10 minutes.

SO--I walked 1.25 miles and I ran 1.5 miles! And I feel GREAT!! I know it's not really that much compared to what REAL runners do, but I feel pretty proud considering how long it's been since I've been able to do any running at all! Yay, me!

It's weird that the running is not making me feel very sore. My real soreness is from the yoga I've started doing again and also some tricep dips I did yesterday. (Owie!) But it's all a "good sore!"

Well, gotta get the kiddos in bed. Later!

Hmmm...well, I know I shouldn't get on the scale everyday, but I still do. This morning I got on and found I lost that little extra I found yesterday. Water weight, I suppose. I have to say, though, that today, after reading a couple of articles that Mrs. Jim (one of the maintainers and moderators here at 3fc) posted about losing weight slowly, I feel even better about my 1 pound or less per week loss! I'm just so much more comfortable and better looking at this weight than I was at 200! I can live with a slower rate of loss, if it means that I'm more likely to keep it off. It also affirms my attitude of "this is my new, better life!" So, I will keep exercising and eating right, because it is good for me and even feels good. I will lose weight, too, but it might not happen very quickly, and that's OK! So, while I am still trying to lose another 24 pounds or so, I'm not so stuck on whether or not they come off by a certain date, or not. I'm going to take it one day at a time, which is how I've been hoping to approach many aspects of my life!

Now, that doesn't mean that I won't keep setting challenges for myself, because they seem to keep me motivated and on track, but somehow I have less of an attachment to reaching a certain number by a certain date! If, overall, I am eating right and exercising, then my body will respond accordingly--and in it's own time! So, anyway, I'm rambling, but I wanted to share my little insight. Hope I made some sense!

Good for you Andrea losing that extra pound!! I know you are very busy and all the stress makes it so hard to do well. I am jealous that you can run. I have never been a runner. I was always one that could run fast, but in very short distances. Running is one thing I wish I could do. Anyway, it sounds like you are on track (no pun intended).

Paige, glad your retreat went well. My kids start school on Monday. We went and found their classes and who they had for teachers on Thursday, I think my son will be happy. He is concerned cause all his friends are in other classes. But most of his teachers this year are males and most are coaches. We will see how that works out. My daughter will be in 4th grade and I love her teachers. I just can't believe my summer is OVER!!!!

I did bad yesterday Val....we did a 'welcome back teachers' luncheon for my sons school. We served pizza and some killer deserts. I did fine serving it, but there was pizza left over and I didn't have time to eat before I left, so I was starving. I ATE PIZZA AND COOKIES!!!!! Do you think I need to start over on phase 1 now??? I would just like to act like yesterday never happened and go on with it, but I really don't know what I should do!!! Help Andrea!!!!
Be back in a little bit!
Kim

Hello everyone!!! I was so excited to see so many posts to catch up on this week. I have been so lazy today!! Just trying to regroup after such a long few days. Our school retreat was just so incredible...just what our faculty needed. Forget the fact that we were all staying at this incredible resort that over looked the harbor. Sailboats and yachts were parked in the docks just below our balcony....BEAUTIFUL!!!! The actual staff development that we did for the teachers was the best!!!!! Not one person complained about anything!!!!! And that never happens.

The kids start school on Thursday...where did the summer go...oh yeah we spent it in Arizona!!!

I only lost about 5lbs this summer but I am okay with that. Considering all that we did I can't believe I didn't gain 10!!!!!!

Today it is back on the program 100%. My goal is to lose 80 more lbs between now and May!! That gives me 10 months so that is only an average of 8lbs. a month. I think that is realistic...some months may be less, some may be more. I agree with Andrea on losing it slowly!! And I agree with Val in that I'm doing this for life...its not a diet but something I am going to have to do to some degree forever!!!

Well I here the laundry calling my name!!! Check back later!

Kim, I'm no great runner myself. I'm not even fast! When I ran that first mile yesterday, I did it in about 12.5 minutes. Not very impressive! And it was work! But that's what I want--to get a workout. It will get easier with time, and then I will hopefully speed up and be able to go farther. You could do this if you wanted (believe me if I can, anyone can!), but there are other things to do if running is not your bag. You go to the gym, don't you? I can't remember...tell me again what kind of exercise you do.

I did my yoga just now, and, WOW, I had a really good session! I feel so good right now. I love how yoga makes me feel so strong and supple, and also helps me to be so much more in tune with my body. I just don't know why I ever get out of habit with it. It's a GOOD thing.

Well, I was just checking in again. Have to get back to things. Later!

Andrea, My neighbor and I walk every night. We only walk a mile and a half, but it is hilly. When it is cooler we walk in the morning and at night. I also ride my stationary bike some. Not lately, but I will try to get back into that again too. I don't go to the gym. Really can't afford it right now and I am not excited about the one close to our house anyway. I would give anything though to be able to break out in a run and go more than 1 minute. I am not exaggerating......I can't go more than that. My sides start hurting and I just can't do it!!!! UGH!!!!

Kim, if you really do want to run, maybe try running a little here and there as you can, but don't hurt yourself, or make it absolutely NO FUN! Eventually, you will not only get more accustomed to running, but as you lose weight, you it will be easier. I had a much harder time running when I was around 175. I tried running on the beach. It was SO hard. It seems easier now that I've dropped some more pounds. Just a thought...

Oh, and I wanted to say, that, actually walking is wonderful exercise. It's just that I can never get away from the kids and get any fast walking in, unless I go to the track...and the fast walking around the track is boring to me. Running is quicker and the difficulty factor, for me, makes it more intersting. But I LOVE walking, and if I had the time, would just walk and walk and hike and walk some more!

Andrea, Thanks for the info......I may try to start out running in our cove. It is small, but I guarantee it will be all I can do, if I can even do that.

Well tomorrow is my weigh in. I think it will be ok even though I had my one cheat day. We went to some friends house last night and I did very well. I had steak, salad, and took my own broccoli (cause they had a potato!) and my own salad dressing. She also had a great looking apple pie, but I didn't touch it. I waited till I got home and had a SF fudgesicle. So I WILL do this. As I said before....I may have had obstacles that stopped me from losing the weight this summer, but honey...........look out NEXTsummer!!!

Ok, I will check back later. Lots to do today!!
Kim

Kim, you really did have a stressful summer! How is your dad, anyway? I hope things have evened out for him and he is feeling much better.

You sound really motivated this morning! And good for you for sticking to your plan last night. I would have a terrible time with limiting my food choices that much, but I understand that it's for a finite time and will kick your weight loss into gear, so I wish you continued success! You're doing GREAT! Good luck with weigh-in tomorrow.

My weigh-in is tomorrow, too, but I don't think I even lost any! That's okay, though. I am definitely seeing my clothes fit better and can even wear a size 10 shorts that I haven't worn in about 10 years! They are still too tight to be comfortable or really look very good, but my thighs don't squeeze into them like sausages anymore, like they did just a couple of weeks ago--air can go up between my legs and the shorts! I've been hanging on to them for motivation. I figure that when I can wear those shorts and look good in them, I will have come back to the weight I was when I last felt relatively in shape and was wearing those shorts. I was about 28 and living in Tacoma, Washington and going to college, and playing softball in the city league and rollerblading alot and even running the trails at Pt. Defiance State Park. I wasn't super-thin or anything, but I was pretty fit. I will be quite happy to reach that level of fitness again, and anything after that will be--I hate to say it--icing on the cake!!

Val, where are you girl!? Everything okay? I miss you!

Later, all!

Thanks for asking about my dad Andrea....He is doing ok. Still weak and tired all the time, but better. He will go to a new oncologist on Wednesday. My brother will take him since his appt is in the middle of the day when I pick my kids up at school. I wish I were going. You know men....they don't ask questions!!!

I am still motivated.......I lost 3 pounds this week and I started my TOM 2 days ago. SO...I am pretty happy to say the least. I agree with getting in shape....even if you aren't thin, it is such a difference when you are fit. Also, just because someone is thin doesn't make them 'in shape'. Yes, there is a big difference in the 2.

Well, I think the hubby wants to go for a walk this A.M. So I am going to get my walking shoes on.

Kim

Wow Kim!!! 3 pounds with TOM happening! You are really kicking into gear! Yay for you!!

I only lost .4 of a pound, but I'm okay with that. Got lots going on as I get ready for our trip, so this is it for now. More later!