Ahhhh Louie, I hope you don't drop too far outta sight. If you're looking for motivation and inspiration you'll find it here. I know it's tough and depressing when you're not having any or very little success. No one ever said losing weight was easy...if it were then we'd never need one another. I hope you're able to find a plan that you'll be excited about very soon! We'll be here when you do, and we're also here when you feel like you don't. The hardest part about starting a "diet" is just that...starting, once you get in the groove it gets better...not necessarily easier...but better. Looking forward to your return with a vengence very soon!

I did well today overall. If you think of motivation as a paved street, i sort of hit a pot hole today. It all started when i let myself get too hungry in the afternoon, and i grabbed a ff cranberry muffin with milk when i should have had a yogert (220 cals versus 60 cals) and then since i figured that really wasnt enough damage, lets have a half handful of cashews (i know better than to have those things in the house). I dont know what the deal is...it is one of those days where you are just starving ALL DAY. I am due for TOM any day now, so maybe that is it, but geeze, i am over it before it has even begun this month. Then after dinner, i tried to come up with 100 excuses of why i dont have to exercise "everyday", its no big deal to skip a day, right? Wrong. So i did a video with my dd. I put in about 3/4 the effort i should have. Then i decided that should be enough, i mean, do i have to do cardio every week day? YES. So out to the dreaded ellipitical. I hated EVERY SINGLE SECOND of it. But i did it anyway. So i am happy. I kept trying to bargin with myself that i didnt have to go the distance today...but eventually i got my 30 minutes in on it. I feel like i fell off the wagon today but looking back on it, i did pretty well, i guess i just feel that way because it just felt like my heart wasnt in it today...but i made dang sure my body was, ha ha.

Robin-OMG, doesnt that just drive you batty for the scales to be back up!?!?!?!? I have been working my tail off on that elliptical, doing videos before ellipitical, eating darn near perfect. I step on the scale this morning and WHAM, 2 pounds up. It is a few days before TOM but dang, you just hate to not see the numbers you have worked so hard for. Good for you for telling yourself who is boss. I had to do the EXACT same thing tonight. The ellipitical was just not calling my name like it normally does, but a big bowl of coco crispies was, ha ha. (The elliptial won out and i watched my dd eat the bowl of coco crispies). The recipe sounds yummy.

Louie-I know all about that funk. It will drive you mad....like a vicious cycle.

Tina-Dont you just love those super motivated days! Good for you for finding your grove. I lost mine earlier today around 4 but made up for it with exercise, i feel like i did anyway.

Ok, i am off to dream land. Fairy fat mother...where are you?

Just a quick note before I go to bed. I did do the walking 30 minutes of it. Yay for me. But I kinda pigged at dinner. 1 full chicken beast 1 small (about 2 cups) sallad and about 4 see that 4 cups of grilled veggies. I ate and ate those veggies till I am stuffed. The good part is that the veggies had no added fat, no butter or oil so hopefully I didn't do to much damage.

Well ladies see ya tomorrow. Good night

Just a quick check in here.

Tina - YES, I DID get in my workout yesterday and one today, too. Yay! Back on track.

Stacy - I know what you mean about hating exercise. I wanted to talk myself out of it tonight, but changed clothes & did it anyway. I do 30 mins on the elliptical machine, too. With my MP3 player & a magazine, I'm good to go. But today, about 20 mins into it, I kept wanting to say "well, thats enough". But I keep telling myself what a friend of mine said. Her personal trainer told her "You might as well not even start unless you do 30 MINUTES." So I got that 30 minutes in, gosh dog it. *sigh* (or *woot*!, should I say? LOL)

Robbin - 7 points over is kind of alot. But I made it all up yesterday and then some, by earning 4 activity points by exercising, and then not eating as much (I ate under the minimum points for the day, but ssshhh... don't tell on me!). Since I worked out again today, I should be okay, but I haven't added up my points for the day yet. I can eat 26-31 points/day, and "bank" the ones I don't eat (or make up for overeating, like Sunday). I know - it's confusing. Bottom line is, I think I made it up.

It's getting late & I'm getting tired, but still need to add up my points & such, so am gonna run. TTYL!

Morning girls! Well still struggling here, but glad i have ya'll who understand and can give me the swift kick in the butt i need to get back on track!

Ryanmi - Grass allergy can be tough but i have heard folks say the shots can be really helpful! Hope the testing goes well for you! I know what you mean by the screws not looking like the pictures. Makes me nuts!!!

Stacy - Congrats on the 3 # loss!! Fabulous! I know what you mean about kids being too quiet, mine have watered down a bathroom, had windows open about to slide out roofs into wading pools, and been sliding down steps on a boogie board! Never trust a quiet kid! Wow, have you been reading my mind? sounds like a few conversations i have had with myself lately!! ONLY I GAVE IN AND YOU DIDN'T!!! I am so proud of you! I know what you mean about feeling like you fell off the wagon even though you really didn't! Some of that all or none philosophy creeping in. Don't let it take over! You did great!

Cheryl - hope your weigh in goes well today, sounds like all the activity and staying on plan will definitely set you up for great success today!

Tina - glad to hear youa re getting back on track! I am working on it but still not there yet!

Robbin - thanks for the scolding, i really need it and maybe a little more! I am having difficulty getting the cravings back under control again. once you get the taste of sinful sugar it is hard to give it up again! What is up with the www you have been fighting??? I would be insane by now and i really admire your dedication and refusal to give up! Glad to hear you got the walk! pigging on veggies is a whole lot less damaging than the chips and sugar i have been pigging on lately! Lighten up you are doing fabulous!

Louie - we all struggle and need a little alone time to get a grip, but know that we are all here for you going through the same things! Having someone there with you can make the journey easier. Look forward to your fly bys and i am still going to try for a halloween goal!

Shawn - good job on getting your exercise done! you did great! I haven't gotten thirty minutes on the elliptical yet! Considering I started at 2 minutes i am proud of my 20, but 30 is my goal. Your kids are beautiful by the way!

Well gotta run, need to be working instead of sitting at the computer! Everyone have a great day and i will check in soon!

Ok Ladies just a quickie for me right now I just got to work and am swamped already.

Just wanted to let you all know that the scales were back to 229 this morning YAY!!!!! When I added up all my foods yesterday my calories fat grams and carbs were well within my daily alllowance so I don't know if it was my eating, my walking or just the loss of the WWW. I don't care really cause I got my ticker weight back.

One other thing I wanted to tell is that I have a new incintive to get this weight off. Hubby told me yesterday that we are expected (by his boss) to be at the Millitary Ball which will be end of March or first of April. I wonder do you all think I can loose about 50 lbs by then. That gives me 6 months, maybe if I really start working my butt off I can do it. At least 40.

Well better get a move on. Check back later.

Morning Lovely Ladies !

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement The support here is fantastic and definately makes this journey much easier !!

I am off to work, so hope you all have a wonderful day and I will TTYS

Good morning girls! I'm currently taking a break from moon walking all over the place to tell you...I'VE FINALLY MADE IT BACK TO TICKER WEIGHT!! YAY! This comes after a two month hover around 217-219. I haven't been 215 since mid July. I'm am back ladies!! And I feel good, dun nah nunna nunt...I feeEEEELL good ((totally singing but the typing doesn't sound as good)). Hopefully soon I can visit the 'edit signature' room and change my ticker! Fingers crossed!

Stacy, good girl for sticking up for yourself against that nasty little on your shoulder telling you lies. I for one has been giving into that crazy lady a little too often and it has gotten me no where but a stand still. Woo HoooOo! Keep it up girl!

Robbin, I am so excited for you today!! I know how disappointed you were yesterday with those scales, but you didn't give up the fight and now you've the won the scale over this morning. Feels great doesn't it! I for one know exactly how you feel today. Lets dance...((doing the hip bump thing)). Keep up that great energy girl! WoooOOoooo..you're going to a ball...sounds so fairytale-ish. What an incentive, you can do it!

Shyla, another exercise victory! Great job keeping your eye on target. It really makes the day go a lot smoother when you feel so accomplished with yourself. Hope you're having a great day!

Erin, I know how difficult it is to get back on track...but the longer you leave it the harder it will be and you don't want to blow all the hard work you've done. Flick that little chip and sugar craver right off your shoulder and let her know who's the boss! You can do it girl!

Louie, hey girl! I'm glad you're feeling better today. That's what we're here for, to help you along your way. For your halloween challenge, I'm trying to make a ticker (a halloween one) for ten pounds. But I'm having trouble figuring out how to get the one from ticker factory to here. Have you thought of a goal yet, it might just be the incentive you're looking for.

Well, I'm off to the races! This is a good day girls. We're coming along, we're fighting the urges and we're exercising to make a difference! Remember, keep your eye on the prize today... for Robbin that will be an awesome looking new dress for the ball!

Have a great day!
~Tina

Hello ladies, Today is looking better so far than yesterday. I have already put all my eatings through dinner into fit day and i am about 250 less than yesterday, so that is much better. Went down to the health food store for lunch, they have THE best salad/veggie bar. Every veggie under the sun is there and all kinds of healthy low fat organic dressings to choose from. Double yum. I got a side salad and half of a chicken wrap, so i was very pleased. Their healthy sweets look good but even if they are healthy, they are still sweets. So while i glanced at the scones, i did not partake. Still up 2 pounds this am...something has got to give with this www by friday.

Tina-WOOHOOO to you. I bet you will be on cloud 9 all day. Enjoy your well deserved victory my dear. You may have hovered for a long time but at least you didnt give in and gain. And now that you have stuck it out. It is paying off. I do believe i have knocked the devil off my shoulder for now. I am looking forward to exercise tonight, whereas i was dreading it yesterday. And i am stocked up on midol should any kind of cramps try to spoil my private time with my ellipitical.

Robbin-Oooh a ball. How fun and what a cool goal that gives you to work towards. I have something similar. My best friend is getting married at the beginning of May and i am supposed to be a braidsmaid. I have never had to endure that before. I am definately not going to be the fat braidsmaid...in those waist hugging ugly dresses. So i plan on losing 65 pounds by then. So you and me can work it til spring and knock em dead.

Elem-You are exactly right. For some reason, i take my "diet" lifestyle as an all or nothing thing. I dont know if it is a whole upbringing of it being called a diet, implying you hurry and get the weight off so you can go back to eating, and one screw up is a huge deal on a diet. I have to work very hard to keep myself centered in the thought that it is a lifestyle...not a contest that i am being graded on. It is my life and a small handful of extra cashews in a day is not going to make or break who i am or how i feel about myself.

Shyla-We were thinking the exact same thing last night. I kept saying, "okay, 20 minutes is not a bad workout." "Okay, 25 minutes is just short of 30, its not going to make a difference if i go to 30." Then finally i actually did the 30...but i tried really hard to talk myself out of it. I fought it the WHOLE way. From deciding to get my butt off the coach all the way to getting the WHOLE 30 minutes in. Victory feels good huh?

OK, back for work for a few.

Hi guys,

Michelle, a belated CONGRATULATIONS on the 4 lb loss. That's wonderful! I don't think I could have kept a straight face with the doctor either. Too funny! Hope you're having more luck getting the bike together today.

Robbin, Don't be discouraged about the lack of time to exercise. When my kids were younger, I don't know how I would have found time to do it either. Now that they are (almost) teens, I have a little more free time. Football practice sounds like a perfect time to exercise. Just make sure you always have some walking shoes in the car and most of your excuses are gone. Yay! I just read that you got your walking in. Good for you. I can't imagine that 4 cups of veggies would ever hurt at all. Very few calories and lots of good stuff. Glad to hear they didn't hurt you since the scale dropped back down.

Cheryl, Wow, you are really doing great! 4.7 lbs is fantastic! Congrats! Is weigh in again today?

Stacy, Oh my 3.2 lbs for you too! I read your post from yesterday about hitting the pothole when you got too hungry. That's what screws me up when I go off plan. I wait too late to eat and by then I'm starving. You did great though faking it, even though you didn't feel like it, you did it anyway. The bridesmaid dress sounds like great incentive to lose weight. I'm sure you can do it!

Erin, I'm glad to hear that DH is doing okay. Take care of yourself too. It takes a lot out of us to be caretakers as well. I know it's easy to get off track when our routine is interrupted (between DD and DH we've had 3 surgeries since April) but you'll do it. you can get back on track, don't sabotage yourself! Sugar can be so evil, but after the first few days of no sugar, it's not so bad. Hope you're back on track by now.

Tina, Alyssa is such a beauty! I'm glad to hear that you spoke to her teacher and the problem has been straightened out. Good to hear that the scales are back where they should be. You'll be editing that ticker in no time!

Shyla, Good for you for the clothing success. I'm having a little more fun wearing tops that are more fitted than I used to myself. Your babies are beautiful. Thanks for sharing the link to their photos.

Hi Card and Emily, Nice to meet you both. I'm new to this forum and am enjoying it. What kind of food plans do you follow?

Louie, I hope you are able to get back in the groove soon. The first month after I decided I had to lose weight, I flittered back and forth trying to decide what plan I should use. Finally I decided that I had to do something and that most any plan would work, I would just have to stick with it. And I did decide on a plan and stuck with it, and that worked. Hope you return soon.

Nothing new to report. I weigh every day and I did lose a pound two different days last week, but I may have already reported them. Can't remember. Exercise has been good. I overslept today since I had to take an allergy pill last night and they make me very sleepy. I haven't decided if I'm going to take off today or if I'll go for a walk later on. I always take off either Saturday or Sunday, and occasionally take off a day during the week. I feel like a break today so I may take it.

Evening Ladies,

Erin...So happy to hear that your hubby came through his surgery OK. I'm not lookin forward to going through it myself. No, the kids quilt is done and I will take a picture of it this weekend at the retreat. I'll be working on two twin size Triple Irish Chain quilts. Can't wait for Friday to get here, I soooooooo need a weekend away from the FD's to relax.

Robbin...WHOOHOO!!! I was thinking about sending the fairy fat mother your way to give your scales a swift kick, guess the thought of scaleacide did the trick. LOL...Whooooo the Ball, how exciting!!! I was able to attend the Marine Corp Ball several times. You can do it Robbin!!!

Tina...WHOOHOO!!! Congrats and getting back to your pre-vacation weight. Yah, for both of us, it was no easy task for me. We are back to battery problems with the laptop. Got it fixed 3 months ago and it the same problem again. The place where you plug the power supply is bad. It cost $114.00 to fix it last time.

Shawn...Your girls are too CUTE!!! I bet their grandmother's spoil them. I know I would!!! Great job on getting your workout in.

Ryanmi...Sorry you haven't gotten that darn bike together. Hope you find someone that can put it together for you. YIKES!!!! I hate needles. I'm allergic to fresh cut grass and alfalfa. Gives me such a horrid headache. I just take a bunch of tylenol, cold cloth over my eyes and a dark room for a couple of hours.

Tammy...Two words...WATER WEIGHT....The scales will be down next week. Good job on getting your exercise in when you didn't feel like it.

Louie...Sorry you are in a funk. The first step is to stay with US. We will help you get through the rough stuff. Find a program you can stick with and an exercise you like doing and just make up your mind that the time is now.

Well gals, I have been very busy and stressed with the FD's. I have been to the principals office the last three days. Needless say, they are ground from the internet/computer in our home forever, no phone calls for one FD for the next two weeks, plus she can't go to the retreat with me. The other loss her make-up for two weeks. You would of thought the world ended by taking her make-up away. Paaaleeezzzz!!! On top of that, the one FD hit a kid on the back of the head while he was getting a drink in a water fountain, and chipped his front tooth!!! We are looking at a $700 or more bill!!!!
It's going to be an Arbor Mist weekend This afternoon was my weigh-in day at Weight watchers and I stayed the same. Very happy about that. Well I have been up since 4:30 and I really need to get a shower and go to bed. Have a good one.

Cheryl

Hey ladies - another quick check in. I got to move my ticker down TWO pounds today! Woot!

And I had another NSV.... while getting dressed this morning, I was standing where I could see my naked back in the mirror... and I was wondering where all my back-fat went. You know, the stuff that was bulging around my bra straps, etc... It's WAYYYY down from what it was. Hmmm.... that's never the place I would have chosen to lose weight first. LOL. But I'll take it!

Gonna run - got laundry to fold... will check back later! Bye!

Hey guys, well TOM is in full swing and i am just exhausted this morning. I got my ellipitical in about an hour before the cramps started last night so i was very happy to have it done when they started in. Today i am going to be taking midol like candy and i WILL GET MY EXERCISE IN tonight. Weigh in is tomorrow. I did really well in the food dept yesterday, not so great in water consumption though. Planning on drinking like a fish today. I should be getting a new movie in the mail today, so that is good incentive for my workout.

Shyla-A 2 pound difference, good for you. I love those. Hopefully i will doing the same ticker dance in the morning. And a NSV too. Awesome. Isnt it crazy where our bodies lose the weight first. My gut has not budged an inch, which is the part i want most gone. But my chest has gone down 2 shirt sizes...the last place i want to lose it. It doesnt do any good to go down 2 shirt sizes in the chest if the shirt still will not fit around the gut but is baggy in the shoulders and chest. I am thinking another 20 lbs and SURELY it will start to affect the gut.

Cheryl-That is terrible about the chipped tooth. I bet you were pissed. At least it gives me some comfort to know i am not the only one that has issues with the kids. Good for you for maintaining this week.

Jtammy-Glad to hear from you. I had been missing you. Good for you for losing 2 pounds last week. I hope to do the same tomorrow. I have a similar exercise schedule. I take off on friday, since that is my weigh in day. Then i give my self an "out" for one day during the week just incase things get too hectic, headaches, or just not feeling good. I didn't take that day during the week this week yet. Hoping to make it to friday. Dont you hate over sleeping? Makes me feel like i am running late the whole rest of the day, even if i am not. I am like that this morning though, Tylenol PM last night for cramps and i feel hung over this a.m. I need to get up and move around.

Talk to you ladies later,

Gooooooooddddd Morning LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!! How are all of you lovely ladies doing today? Everything is just B-E-A-UTIFULE here. The sun is shining the temperature is down and bearable (almost chilly this morning). Ok enough of that crap, Guess What, Guess What...................The scales love me again. They said 227.2 this morning. Can you all believe that. I got on like 10 different times and even changed the battery and they said the same thing each time. YAY YAY YAY, I am back in the groove. I am also a little sore from all the jumping on the trampoline I did last night but who cares the scales are down and that is all that matters. I'm not gonna move the ticker just yet I would like 2 days of the same thing before I do that so every one cross your fingers for me ok.

Well I would love to do personals but the boss is back today and I have got to get my rear in gear. Hopefully I will have some time on my lunch to get back here. Hope you all have a great day.

Robbin, That's fantastic! Congratulations, I'm so glad to hear the scales are moving for you again, and even with a fresh battery. You have a lot of restraint on moving the ticker. Once I weigh in and my scales show a loss the majority of the weighs, I take it and move my ticker immediately. Like this morning, it showed 231 8 times out of 10, so I'm claiming it.

Cheryl I hope you have a relaxing weekend away from home. It sounds like you need to get away. Yikes on the $700 bill. BTW, what does FD stand for? After your wonderful loss last week, maintaining is wonderful.

Shyla, Congrats on the 2 lbs and the back fat disappearing. Funny how it comes off in places we'd never think of.

Stacey, I can sympathize with the shirt problem. My shoulders, neck and lower arms are getting really small, but will this huge chunk of lower belly move? No way! I need a 12 or 14 in the shoulders, but what good would that do if they won't go around my apron of fat? I know that I have lost 17 inches in my lower belly/hip area (OMG, it was huge to begin with) but it's still so out of proportion to my top half. Oh well, we'll both get there someday. Good for you for getting your exercise in last night before TOM messed it up.

I did my WATP 3 miles this morning. I hope to get another mile in at the park tonight. If I don't step it up I may miss my exercise goal this month, and I don't want to do that. TTYL.