That is great!!! Looks like you has a successful day too. Yay!!!! Especially because it sounds so yummy I probably would have wanted to eat it all. You are devouring your goal!!!! . Yeah the water thing is rough. I am really bad at it. I agree a littlr flavor makes a difference with me as well.

I also understand what you mean about the feeling of steErin away from determination when the weigh packs on. This pretty depression and a big deterrence to your confidence
But we found it again and are taking control. Yup!!!!

The play was good...it made my brain hurt though. Lol i didn't want to think so much. Dinner was rough!! But not even through temptation which not sure if that was good or bad. Our waitress was really sweet but was really having a rough day I think. She brought me the wrong drink two times. I order unsweetened ice tea and first she served me coke and then sweet tea so stuck with the water. She brought me my salad with the items I asked for but drenched in dressing. I mean galore. Felt bad because I think her manager was becoming aware of all her mistakes so my brother in law who thought the salad looked so good decided to eat it so I told her that she didn't have to return but I wanted to reorder my salad. She brought it with the dressing on the side but the salad now had avocado, bacon, about two dozen croutons and an oily slaw on the side. I was like "what the heck!" So I had to pick at it leaving me a little hunger. Husband tried to get me to order something at a fast food on out way home but I stuck with it and said no. I went home hungry but also exhausted so I let the exhaustion force me to sleep. My husband and I woke up and since the kids are with my sister we decided to go to the gym together in the morning which I really enjoyed. Came home and just had half a grapefruit, egg whites with mushrooms and Chedder cheese, a toast with a little peanut butter and my black coffee. I called my sister and told her we would be heading for the kids soon. She said to and stay for a bit and we can order something to eat and get a cake for her husband whose celebrating his bday this coming Wednesday. Yikes!!! I love cake. My sister has gained a lot of weight. She had a gorgeous body that men could not stop staring at her. She is still gorgeous but after her daughter she is now about 90 pounds heavier. It's rough. So got to strategize before we get there so I can stay focus.

I will keep you posted. For now, enjoy your day and stay strong my beautiful buddy. ♡

Hi. Thanks for your message. How are things with you today? Did you manage to avoid the cake at your sisters? I am super proud of you for not giving in when the entire meal after the plat the other night seemed to go wrong for you. You poor thing. It shows a steely determination to have resisted the fast food offer on the way home.

Day 6 for me and I am still going strong. I didn't deviate at all over the weekend and feel to be getting stronger every day. I've really noticed a improvement in my concentration and energy levels, no doubt a combination of my increased water intake, better diet and exercise.

To top the weekend off, as we were driving home last night we were discussing what to have for tea and my husband said he was really proud of me for my efforts with my diet and exercise. I hadn't actually told him I was doing so - he must have just picked up on my food choices and the fact that my gym gear was out!

How are things with you today? Are you still going strong?

Speak soon.

I woke up feeling extra down today. Sometimes the motivation and excitement of what I'm doing so right still can't overpower the sad emotions. Had a long talk with my husband last night on the way back from my sisters. I can tell he was trying really hard to keep me positive. I feel bad that he wasted his energy, his words. I did eat a taco that had chicken and cheese in it. Nothing to throw me off thank God. No cake and no ice cream. Guess sometimes it's difficult to feel like I'm being controlled again like I feel I have been all my life by people and situations. Honestly I think what really got to me was some of the stuff that I heard my sister say yesterday. She's my little sister and we're very close. Unfortunately although we always talked about living right next door to each other she moved about an hour and 15 minutes away. Needless to say with such a busy life on both ends it is really difficult to get together often. I try to stay away from all the drama that goes on with the family by not coming around my mom's so much. It's kind of a win and lose situation. Because we miss family time and my kids missed their grandparents who they love extremely and don't get to play with her cousins as often. But at the same time it's a win situation because you don't have to see all the tension between the sister-in-laws or hear all the words exchanged by brothers and sisters. I'm pretI felt like my sister wanted to vent yesterday. She started talking to me about some of the stuff that my brothers were doing and other stuff that my sisters were allowing their husbands to do and although I pretty much sat there and listened I felt like I took it in like poison that made my stomach burn and my mind go wild. I don't like drama nor tension and disrespect... Especially not towards my parents. So when I hear that it happened it's truly makes me angry. Saturday I left my sister's house feeling drained and sad. I don't want these emotions to make me lose focus on what I'm doing. I want to make sure I stay focused. The morning and afternoon will be rough because I didn't prepare my meals last night. So I'm actually coming into the office with no breakfast and no lunch. I don't do well with not being prepared. Even if I go out and get some type of healthy salad I feel like since it was not in the meal plan that I'm pretty much open for anything. So I'm really going to try to stay focused here and get through the day. I'm keeping my husband and kids in mind and you as well to help keep me motivated and focused. I'm a little afraid but for now I can honestly say that I feel like I can do it. Going to take a few minutes as soon as I come into the office and strategize and try to figure something out. If I get a chance I may even hit home and prepare a quick lunch. At least knowing that it's coming from my home where I purchased all the healthy stuff I know I can eat will make me feel better. I am hoping you are having a good day/night. I am hoping that you are full of energy and motivation and that your meal prep comes easy. It would make me feel a lot better to know that one of us has it going good today. And I promise you that I will catch up.
Thank you for allowing me to vent. Believe It or Not sometimes that is all that I need. Many times my words sound more horrible than they really are. So don't worry much about me. Sometimes it just takes me getting through the first day of the week to realize that it's all going to be okay and get me back going again. Don't count me out because I am still way in.

I just actually read your message and hit it pumped me up even more to make the day successful. 6 days and going strong!! That is amazing. Keep it up!!! Thank you for being my rock!!! After making it through this weekend I know this coming weekend will be a lot better. Thank you for being so amazing!!!

Here is too a successful Monday!!!

P.S. I did bring my gym clothes. So I'm ready for the gym right after work!

Hello my dear friend!! Hope you had a great and healthy day!



I am feeling much better today. Well………I wasn’t really in the morning but then I looked at the positive. I know I probably sound like I am a negative person but believe it or not I am actually always very happy. I tend to be very hard on myself and thus more negative but I am getting better. So……..I weighed in. 5 pounds off. At first I was discouraged. But then I rationalized things. See, I am used to losing 10 to 15 pounds a week. This is because I literally starve myself. I eat about two crackers a day and that is about it. I would take water pills which would leave me weak because I don’t drink water and they were draining the little I had out of my body causing me to dehydrate and to cramp. I couldn’t exercise because I was always too weak. Then there would come a point where I would become so hungry I would binge and eat everything in sight for two weeks straight causing me to gain it back and more. Then I would start the cycle again. This time I want to do it right. I want to eat healthy, be healthy, have energy to exercise and to live. So I will take the five pounds and be happy and keep it going. I am now 20 pounds from my goal and feeling confident and slowly but surely I will get there. At the least I have accepted the slow transition and I am great with it.



I am proud to say that I did good yesterday. Stuck with it. For breakfast I had a yogurt and a banana.



For Lunch I asked my coworker to please bring my a side salad from a restaurant nearby. She insisted I get something in addition to but I did. I probably should have grabbed some chicken or something because the salad was really tiny and I was left hungry and almost wanted to veer towards the pastries here. But I didn’t. After work I went to the gym and did 45 mins of treadmill and 15 of the bike. Funny when I got there I was ready to give up and go home after waiting for a parking about 20 mins. I wondered why it was so full when usually at that time there is not so many people. Well it turns out they have pizza night the 2nd Monday of every week of the month and bagel mornings the 1st Tuesdays of every month. Really??? I walked in there and there were about 80 pizzas on a table and people devouring it. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? But maybe it is a treat for those who have been working hard. I am thinking of maybe having a treat when I hit 10 pounds???? Lol After the gym I went home and had grilled chicken and broccoli topped with homemade salsa and water to drink. I had a sugar free jell-o as a dessert and that’s it. I felt really good about it.



Today I came prepared. I brought the following:



Breakfast:

½ grapefruit

Toast

Egg whites with mushroom and cheddar cheese



Lunch:

Lentils and grilled chicken

Salsa



Dinner will be a large salad with tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, a scoop of tuna with light mayo and I boiled egg.



After work I plan to go to the gym again.



How are you doing my friend? I can’t tell you enough how reinforcing it is to have someone to share this with. It really does make a difference tremendously. Every time I think of going astray, I think about you and your efforts and I don’t want to let you down. It is a great feeling when I don’t fall into the temptation. Sending you lots of good vibes and lots of strength so that you can make it through another beautiful and successful day.

Hi my amazingly dedicated friend,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner today - it's been one of those days! It got to the point mid afternoon when my hubbie phoned for the millionth time with yet another work related job for me to do that I had to tell him my notepad was full!

Congratulations on your absolutely fantastic weight loss at weight in. 5 pounds is brilliant for your first week. The 'experts' say anything between half and 2 pounds a week (after the first week or two) is a good rate at which to lose weight as you've more chance of keeping it off. Slow and steady wins the race! If I've lost as much as you tomorrow when I am due to weigh in I will be over the moon.

I love how honest we are with each other - some people would gloss over some of their more extreme eating habits but we are happy to share them with each other. It is really great that you can recognise that you (any my) old eating habits were not healthy or sustainable - you are doing tremendously well as you are not only eating better, exercising more but you are also changing your whole dieting mindset, which is possibly the hardest of the 3.

When I read your previous message, when you spoke about your family and feelings, I felt awful for not having seen it straight away and responded as you sounded like you could have done with a friendly message to cheer you up. It is always hard to hear negative comments both from and about our close relatives and I fully empathise with how it made you feel.

You have such a kind and lovely nature and I don't mind admitting that you inspire me to always see the good in people and situations. You don't come across as a negative person at all - I recognised early on in our friendship that you are very harsh on yourself yet very kind and thoughtful towards others. That is a trait we share.

My start weight last Wednesday (if i'm remembering correctly - i'll have to check my book later) was 155 pounds. My goal weight is 126 pounds - but this may alter depending on how my shape changes from the increased exercise. So I'm a little nervous about my weight in tomorrow but also excited too to see my loss. I will let you know as soon as I've been on the scales!

Today has been another positive day. I've taken to buying sushi from the supermarket - it makes a really tasty lunch and keeps me full until dinner. Tonight we are having honey soy chicken breast with wholegrain rice and asparagus. I find that now my body has gotten used to not having processed foods and refined sugars in the quantities I used to eat them, I now enjoy the taste of my food more.

Have you noticed an increase in your energy levels since you started your healthy eating? I have and the difference is astounding. Sometimes my hubbie used to tease me that I was like a sloth some days - I now see that I probably was! Today I have litterally not stopped all day, it's been manic, yet I'm not lacking energy even though it's 6pm.

Which part of America do you live? I'm trying to work out the time differences when we message

Also, can I ask your name? It's fine if you don't want to say on here, just thought I'd ask. My name is Corinne.

Pizza ans bagel sessions at the gym sounds like a ridiculous idea to me. I understand that it might work for some people as a treat but if the pizza day doesn't fall on someone's weigh in day then it could seriously jeopardise their resolve, just the smell of pizza and bagels would start my mouth watering. You did well to resist it, well done you.

I can't wait to hear how today has been for you. I hope it was an easier day for you as you sound to have had a rough couple of days lately.

Stay strong and remember that together we can achieve anything and everything that we set our minds to. I know I've said it before but how lucky we are to have logged on to this site on the same day and found each other - I feel like I could talk to you for hours.

Speak soon. Take care.

Hello Buddy,



I totally agree on the pizza and bagels. It wasn’t a deterrence to me luckily. But it definitely may have been for others. Yeah pizza and bagels inside a gym doesn’t go.



I am sure you are going to do totally great with your weigh in tomorrow. And I agree with the weight loss, slow will guarantee a better chance of keeping it off…and it is healthy.



I like our honesty as well. I feel comfortable being honest with you and telling you exactly how food makes me feel, what I used to eat and how weak I can get sometimes. I also like sharing my strengths and successes that remind me that I have done it before and that I am doing it again. I am extremely excited that we met and that we are doing this together. As I said before, I honestly feel that I would not be doing this well without you. J



I am glad to you understand and believe that I am really a positive person. Sometimes I tend to find someone I feel comfortable venting with and it seems I am always eager to share the negative. Not that positive doesn’t exist. It is just that you don’t feel comfortable sharing certain emotions with everyone so that one person seems to hear most of it. I know you understand what I am saying. I am actually the happiest I have ever been in my life thank God and I am extremely grateful for everyone and everything I have in my life. It isn’t perfect, but I am right where I belong and after being lost for so long, it feels magical.



As for my energy levels I do see a difference. I am definitely more energized and tend to be able to make it longer through the night than before. I do notice I can go to sleep faster too. I guess once my energy subsides, I knock out and sleep well. But I have also been waking up more refreshed and energized. I am sure the food we are eating right now has a lot to do with it as well.



Of course I don’t mind answering those questions. I am from California, Los Angeles, California to be exact. My name is Sandra. Most people call me Sandy. J



I plan to stay strong and focused today along with you. I can’t wait to make it through another day and week. Like I said, I am sure you are going to do great tomorrow. 126…I only hit that weight once before. Then I bounced up the 135. I don’t think my body was feeling it at that weight since it is so tiny. But I will tell you, I enjoyed the two three days that it lasted!!! lol How tall are you? I am thinking once I get to 140 I want to see how I feel. If I am able to, I would like to try for 135. I just need to be careful. It seems like when I get down to a certain weight my body doesn’t feel as well. The whole point is to feel good. I want to feel good. Plus, once I hit my ideal weight, I still need to go into surgery because I have a lot of excess skin from when I lost the 275 pounds. I have it around my stomach, my arms and legs. My surgeon says that I have 17 to 20 pounds of excess skin!!!! And it is too much for me to be able to work out and tighten on my own. I am thinking if all goes well and I am able to stay consistent with my weight for 6 months after I hit my goal, I will start the surgery process. I figure, if I have lost the weight and gotten this far, might as well take it all the way. I am 35 years old but this excess skin makes me feel and look like an old granny…all wrinkled. I don’t even wear sleeveless dresses or blouses and I really want to.



Well, my beautiful buddy, I will let you go for now. Hope your day end in success and can’t wait to hear from you soon.

Hi Sandy (lovely name by the way). Well, guess what? We can add another item to the list of things we have in common.....I have lost 5 pounds in my first week too! I was 150 pounds this morning and I am over the moon with it. I am so happy. I know subsequent weeks the weight loss will be slower as my body settles into it but I am so happy. When I set out on Day 1 I told myself that I would treat myself (not with food!) for every 5 pounds I lose. I was expecting to have to wait at least a fortnight.

I didn't go in the gym this morning as my chosen 'treat' was to go in the sauna so I did that instead. I got my daughter off to school then took myself down into the sauna with a book to read - it was blissful and I enjoyed it more because I felt like I really deserved it. My parents called round for a coffee and a catch up afterwards and I've kept myself busy in between with work. If I had missed a training session in the past, I would have used that as an excuse to say 'oh well, I've failed on my exercise so I might as well fail on my diet today too'. But today I haven't, it was a conscious decision not to train and I will be straight back in the gym at 6.30 tomorrow so all is good.

Lunch today is smoked salmon, cucumber and low fat soft cheese on seeded bread. Dinner today is one of my favourites - beef bourgignon.

I'm 5ft 5inch tall (165cm). Do you think 126 pounds it too low? I think I will adopt a more fluid approach to my end goal as you are. I'll get down to 140 pounds and then take stock and decide how I feel then. I have been 126 pounds at several points in my life and been happy at that weight. I know once when I dropped below that I started to look dreadful - really gaunt and not healthy. So maybe 130 would be a better target? How tall are you?

I think your plan of looking into the surgery once you've maintained for 6 months is a good one. It will show to your surgeon that you're able to stick with a healthy diet/weight but it will also allow your body a few month's time to adjust to it's new weight before undergoing surgery. Is it a long procedure to remove the excess skin? It isn't something I know too much about I'm afraid but I understand that it must hold you back, especially as you say in your choice of clothing.

I have promised myself that when I reach my ideal weight, my reward will be to go shopping with my hubbie for a whole new wardrobe of clothes. He loves buying me new clothes and has a really good eye for what suits me but this past year or so I've refused to go shopping and try anything on in front of him as I've felt so gross about myself. It will feel fantastic to be able to shop together like we used to.

I've just looked online and it seems the UK is 8 hours in front of you so I'm guessing you will still be asleep while I'm typing this but I hope that your day starts well and continues to be a happy and positive one.

Bye for now. Corinne

Woooo whoooo!!!!!!! Great work!!!! I am soooo happy for you Corinne!!! It totally made my morning bright and exciting to hear your results!!! We are doing so great!!!!



So, I am 5’5 too. We are twins in all ways! Lol It is all depending how you feel. I am definite big boned and curvy. It is genetic with me. Plus after the surgery when they remove the 20 pounds I will only be 120. Honestly at 125 people told me I looked sick. :/ But then again, your body and my body might carry different. Like I said I am thick boned…a typical Hispanic. Lol When I am about 150 to 155 people tend to say I look great and comment that I should stay exactly like that. Funny thing is that when I was about 5 months pregnant with my daughter and I was in my 150s everyone was telling me I looked great and should remain at that weight. They didn’t know I was pregnant. I prefer maybe 140. I feel good at 140. It is whatever weight you feel good at. The evaluation when you hit 140 sound good. See how to feel and go from there.



It is so awesome how we are able to stay strong just knowing that there is someone thousands of miles away rooting you on and vice versa. It is so powerful and so great!! And I know exactly what you mean about if one thing changes whether it be the gym or a food item it feels like you are thrown off and might as well let everything go to shambles.



Another thing we have in common, clothes! My husband suggested the same thing after I had my daughter and said I should buy a new outfit every time I hit a 15 pound goal. Once I hit the goal and got the outfit, I would wear it on a date out with him. That was lots of fun!!! Maybe we will do that again.



Your lunches sound so yummy!!! And on our previous message you mentioned sushi…I love sushi! I try to have it as often as I can. I do most of the cooking all week. Maybe have something out once a week or once every other week. But most times I cook all our meals. I also prepare lunches for work for both my husband and I. Both to save on spending to buy meals but main to also to keep track of what we eat. Again, if I don’t plan it, I don’t tend to select the best foods at the last minute. Having my lunch bag with what I am going to eat allows me to know what I have and that once it is empty, I am done.



Surgery would probably keep me out of commission for at least 3 weeks. It will also keep me on lite duty for an additional month or so. Luckily my job is not too physical so I should be okay coming back full force. I figure, if I did the sacrifice with losing the weight and basically kept it off for over 5 years, I might as well take it all the way. I still feel young enough to feel I deserve it. Not planning on any more children so soon would be a good thing.



My meal plan for today is the following:



Breakfast:

½ grapefruit

Toast with peanut butter

2 eggs with soyrizo



Lunch:

Chicken with Chili lime green beans



Dinner:

Lettuce wraps with ground turkey, peanuts and sesame spicy sauce



I love spicy food and add more spice to all my foods.



For dessert I will probably have a sugar-free jell-o pudding.



I have been trying to drink more water. So far so good.



Right now you are probably finishing up with dinner and hopefully getting ready to relax for the night. I hope your day went smooth and healthy. J



Now I can’t wait until Tuesday so I can see what the scale has to say. Another 5 pounds would be great but I know what you mean about it may be slowing down. I am okay with that and will keep it in mind so I don’t get discouraged.



Wishing you’re a beautiful night and another successful morning.

Hi Sandy,

Thank you for your lovely message of support, it means a lot.

Randomly I am having quite a tough time today. I still made it into the gym at 6.30am and did a good training session (HIIT on the bike then a lower body weight circuit) but have really struggled all day with feeling lethargic, snappy and seriously craving chocolate. I'm sure it is just my hormones as it is coming up to that time of the month but honestly, it's really hard staying focused today.

It will be the school run time shortly so I'm going to have a glass of water now and hopefully, once my daughter is home I will be too busy to be craving chocolate! I don't feel hungry at all so I know it is simply a craving....must distract myself.

How was your day yesterday? Are you still beaming from the brilliant weight loss?

Food wise, we generally eat out at a restaurant once a fortnight and will have a takeaway once a fortnight. The rest of the time, I cook our meals from scratch at home. It's far easier to know what goes into your meals if you've made them yourself. Plus pre-packed meals are often tasteless.

What do you have planned for today? I'm looking forward to hearing all about your progress - I'm sure it will help to lift my mood.

Hello My Strong and Amazing Buddy,



As I type this I am praying and hoping that you fought through your cravings and made it through yet another successful day in the healthy world we are creating. I guess one thing to keep in mind when we do veer off or when we do give in to a temptation is that it is not the end of the world and that we just need to get back on it. Every day is a new day. So even if you did have your taste for a piece of chocolate I think the change and the success is that you had it in moderation…a small piece just to quench the craving and that right after you jumped back on it and stuck to the plan. Yesterday after dinner I was craving my favorite cereal and I had some. My change was that I grabbed one of the daughters small bowls served myself exactly ½ cup, a splash of milk and took my time enjoying it. After, I washed my dish and I was content. Sometimes you just need a little taste or maybe it is just a mind thing. In the past if I was going to give in I was going to do it “RIGHT.” I huge bowl, a huge spoon and I would sit there with the whole box of cereal and the whole gallon of milk and serve myself two to three times. Then since I already felt like a failure, I would break into the cookies, the bag of chocolates, the chips. I am a sweet AND sour person. It felt good to have a little and move on. So, don’t get too hard on yourself if you quench a craving sometimes. If you didn’t give in to the chocolate, great! If you did, you quenched the craving hopefully in a small moderate portion and moved on.



Yesterday went great thank God. Ate as planned plus my mini bowl of cereal, went to the gym did my 45 minutes of treadmill and 15 minutes of bicycling then went home to make dinner. I felt energized and pumped. I do hit a specific time maybe 10:00pm where I become extra tired and call it a night. Usually I am up a lot later. But I still think the energy levels are better because I have energy through the whole day when before I used to die out by 5:00pm and drag myself through the rest. And when I stood up past 11:00pm it was mainly to watch television and eat. Now I tend to sleep better and wake up more refreshed. I too sometimes feel tired though. Our body are going through lots of different changes. Another thing to remember is that this is a lifestyle not a temporary thing. Once we hit our goal comes the hard part, maintaining. That has always been the roughest for me…maintenance. So there is really no destination, only a never ending journey. But I look at my husband and my kiddos and I realize that it is well worth always staying on top of it. Because I want to be around for them for a long, long time.



Food plan for today:



½ half grapefruit

White whites, spinach and cheddar cheese

1 dry toast



Large salad with cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, and 2 boiled eggs blended with light mayo, relish and some spicy mustard



Chicken breast

Green Squash

Black Beans



Dessert: Sugar-free Jell-o topped with 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream



Planning on going to the gym after work for another hour’s worth of workout.



Tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment which I am kind of bummed about because I don’t want to weigh in yet. But I won’t look and tell them not to tell me. I want to wait until Tuesday.



I am sort of dreading the weekend but not much. My family is having the fights at my mom’s house but we opted not to go because of the food distractions and because I have a lot of studying to do. So at the least I don’t have to worry about the distraction. Sunday we are having a picnic with the kids where I will pack healthy snacks. Moving around with them will be a good distraction. That is another thing that I have noticed. If you stay busy, you seem to think less about food. You have to keep your mind busy. Plus feeling your body lighter and easier to work with is a good motivation as well.



I am sending you lots of strength and good positive vibes so that you can finish off the day strong. You are doing amazing and are now 5 pounds plus closer to your goal. In a week that is amazing! Keep it in mind and let it motivate you to get you to the next 5 pound goal. You will get there. We will get there!!!!



Your Fan, Sandy

Hi Sandy,

Thank you for your super supportive message of encouragement. You'll be pleased to know that I didn't give in. I feel so proud of myself for not giving in this time. I kept talking to myself in a positive manner and focusing on how great I am going to feel by the end of the year when I am at a happy weight.

After reading your message, I feel like I am back on track and focused again and I am so happy that I didn't eat any chocolate. In the past, the resulting mega food binge would have been exactly as you described yours.

I am focusing on my training in the morning - tomorrow's plan is a treadmill interval followed by an upper body weight circuit. I really struggled to get going on the bike this morning but I stuck with it and told myself I wasn't going to allow myself to give in and I didn't.

I found myself even more inspired when I read how you had only had a tiny bowl of cereal last night. That is excellent. As you say, if we occasionally allow ourselves a small treat but immediately get back on track, we will have our amazing results in no time. I'm really proud of you for being so restrained, well done

Your meal plan for today looks great. You sound to cook really lovely meals. I wish I had you here cooking for us!!

I'm going to have to rush off now as dinner is just about ready but I will message again first thing in the morning.

Stay strong, keep smiling and speak soon. Corinne x

Good morning Sandy. I hope you had another successful day yesterday. Did you stick to your food plan and make it to the gym?

My day ended on a very positive note yesterday and apart from the dried fruit I already mentioned, I didn't eat anything other than what I'd planned so I am super proud of myself.

I didn't go down into the gym this morning as I wasn't feeling very well - off to the doctors shortly. I may fit a training session in this afternoon if I am feeling better.

Food wise, I plan to have tomato and basil soup with 3 rice cakes for lunch, a banana as my late afternoon snack and then homemade spaghetti Bolognese for dinner.

You mentioned yesterday that you had a lot of studying to do this weekend....what are you studying? Are you at college/university or is it a home study course that you're doing?

I was feeling so despondent at my slip in mood yesterday morning but just messaging you to have a grumble and then hearing your enthusiasm and positivity when you replied really gave me the kick up the backside that I needed. I have woken today feeling refreshed and confident.

I'm sure you will have a lovely family day out at your picnic on Sunday - are you going to a local park or the countryside? My daughter has her cousin staying for a sleepover tonight so she is very excited about that and then on Saturday evening the three of us are going to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. They serve the most delicious meals there and because it is fine dining, the portions are not overwhelming. They do a beautiful duck dish which I will probably opt for. Fortunately, they serve nice coffees also so I often opt for a latte instead of a dessert after the meal.

What do you have planned for today my lovely buddy?

Hello my sweet buddy!



Well I guess our twin thing extends to the not so fun stuff…I woke up feeling not too good either this morning. I don’t like feeling this way. I feel weak and I feel like anything I try to eat right now is going to make me gag. Luckily I have my doctor’s appointment today in less than an hour just so that my doctor can confirm that all is A-okay! Then this morning my son was crying his eyes out begging me not to leave or at the least to take him with me. It broke my heart. I made a promise that when I got home I would take him to buy rainbow gum and the airplane toy he has been wanting to buy with his allowance. So, after work, I plan to go to the gym and rush home get ready and wait for by husband to bring him home so that I can sweep him in my arms and take him away for our fun little journey to the toy store.



I go to college…last class before I transfer to the university. I plan to get my BA and MS in sociology God’s willing. I can become a social worker here for my current company or become a director in which I am leaning more towards. I like the big impacts they are able to make and I want to make my own. It is rough working full time, and tending to a husband the kiddos as well as going to school. Sometimes it feels like too much. But I know that at the end it will be worth it and it will benefit my family not only financially but I will get the flexibility to spend more time with them. That is my biggest goal.



I finished off strong yesterday. Stuck to all that I was going to eat and the exercise I was going to do. I went to sleep proud! Only thing is that I think I really need to up my water intake. I woke up in the middle of the night with some severe cramping on my legs and feet. Oh man it is so painful. My poor husband who had to wake up in an hour for work was up with me massaging my legs and giving me water. Those freaking cramps hurt like heck!!! I know I have to drink more water and hydrate my body.



I am so proud of you for getting through the day as well. Great job! But most importantly I hope you feel better and that your doctor’s appointment go well. I really hope you feel better. Like a good friend once told me “be kind to yourself.” As we continue this journey, we have to make sure we stay kind to ourselves. The restaurant night sounds so yummy and fun. The best part is that you will be with your family. I love family time. To me it is the best!! We are going to a very nice park near our home that has fountains and a pond with ducks and turtles. We take bread to feed the ducks and turtles and walk around and let the kids play and then we sit down and have snacks and laugh…it is really nice. I adore those moments.



Your lunch seems so yummy too! Right now it is warm where I am at so I try not to eat soups but during the cold weather soups are my favorite along with chili and stew. It warms the tummy! :P



Today the meal plan is as follows:



Breakfast:



½ banana

Oatmeal

Toast



Lunch:

Salad no dressing

Chicken and homemade salsa



Dinner:

Ground turkey with olives and small red potatoes (limit to one)

And small protein salad that includes kale, dry cranberries, pecan and feta.



Dessert – sugar free jell-o pudding. Quenches my craving for chocolate and dense enough to pretend it is bread. Lol



I am really praying that God gives us the strength to make It through the weekend smoothly and successfully. I really feel we will be okay. Enjoy it and embrace it and stay strong and beautiful friend. I will keep you posted tomorrow on my Saturday eats. For now I am sending you a big hug full of positive vibes and energy!

Hi my sweet powerful buddy:

I wanted to send you a quick message before the weekend got way too busy. So I had another successful day yesterday both with my food and the gym. Did get home pretty tired last night and my husband was sweet enough to tell me to go to bed early and that he would look over the kids. I usually will say thank you but no thank you but I actually took the offer yesterday and I'm glad I did. I feel really refreshed today. Me and my son went to go get his rainbow gum and his airplane yesterday night so he was really happy. Woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day. My husband just took the boys for their football evaluation. So me and my girls are home getting ready to clean house. For breakfast I had some sliced strawberries, a toast with peanut butter, and my coffee. Later today I will set up for a picnic with the family. For lunch I'm set to have a wrap with chicken, avocado tomato and some lightly marinated slaw. For dinner we are having what the boys suggested... Hamburgers. But I will make myself a Turkey Patty and layer that with avocado, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce and homemade salsa. No bun. At the park I will try to get my exercise in since I won't be going to the gym today. I'm hoping that you had a great day as well and that you have an amazing weekend. I can't wait to make it through successfully. It's going to feel so great. Hang in there my beautiful friend. We are doing it!!!!!

Good morning my dear buddy,



Crazy morning this morning but wanted to get in a quick message to you before the day flies by.

So the weekend was good. Still wasn’t feeling 100 percent but well enough to make it through and to have our little family picnic which went great Thank God. As for my eating, it went well. I stuck to it although I must say that on Saturday I did cook some beef and veggies and may have overdid it with my serving of the beef. Not may have, I am sure I did. But I tried my best to work it off at the gym Sunday morning. I did not make the gym Saturday. During the time that the kiddos were playing in the park on Sunday I also used about 30 minutes to walk around to get some more exercise in.



I prepared breakfast and lunch for today and it consist of the following:



Breakfast:

1 large chopped mango. My dad bought them and they looked so good I had to ask for one. It was delicious.

1 toast with peanut butter

1 medium black coffee



Lunch:

½ cup of black beans

4 oz of left over beef

A small side of homemade guacamole



Dinner:

Large salad with spinach with cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and a scoop of tuna blended with light mayo, shiracha, mustard, a chopped boiled egg, salt and pepper.



Dessert: Sugar free jell-o



Planning on going to the gym after work today and get in my 45 minutes and treadmill and 15 of bike.



I must admit that on Friday I got on the bike and felt so winded I got off 5 minutes later. I was ready to walk out but ended up jumping on the treadmill for 50 minutes. I felt good after.



As for my doctor’s appointment. It went well Thank God. However, I was slight anemic which I usually am. This time the numbers went down .3 in which my doctors wants to monitor. I am going to up my intake of food items that contain iron such as spinach and lentils. Hoping that will help. Also still working on my water intake. Did pretty good on Saturday but Sunday not as well.



How was your weekend? How was dinner with the family? Thinking your day is probably ending right now. Hoping your weekend was a successful and enjoyable one! Did you end up going to the doctor? How are you feeling?



Hoping that this email find you well and healthy. As always sending lots of positive vides and strength in order to get you through another successful day.



-Sandy