Hey, I'm back, toes in the water anyway. Last week I planned a quick full plunge into the diet, but I failed to launch. So this week I'm dipping the toes in, and planning a baby step approach. Otherwise life is fine, no earth shattering trauma/drama just really busy and took a few weeks off calorie duty. I'll post goals later, I'm on my phone.

Lizzie ... Thanks for getting us started! Hope you get out of your funk!

Quinn ... Glad to see you aren't letting your missed goal get you down. You will get it even if a bit delayed! :)

Tori ... Hugs girl! I have something to say that is a bit different than everyone else's so you may or may not want to hear it. I'll put it in white so you can skip it if you want....Do you still really love him despite what he said? Remember when he was getting ready to leave and he tried to hurt you so that you wouldn't wait for him? Could this be the same thing? It doesn't excuse him for acting like an ass. But is he trying to let you go so that you aren't stuck with him when he returns and isn't quite 'the man he used to be'? It's just a different perspective that I have after having a husband who was disabled for about 10 yrs after a car accident. I hope it doesn't offend you.

Cassie ... 8 hrs of exercise! Holy cow! You go girl! LOL

Hope ... Sounds like even though the process is daunting that you and DD are getting in some much needed quality time before she goes off to school.

Jeanne ... 1000 calories per day is a pretty strict limit. I couldn't personally ever hold to that but if you can, more power to ya!

Mike ... Oh, you're back? Did you run out of gas in the bike or what?

Nobe ... How many more days of walking do you have planned for your dad?

Amy ... Glad to see you back. I have missed your humor while you were gone!

Hopefully just today and tomorrow. If he asks me to do any more I may have to shoot myself. Not so much because of the walking (I'm sure the quarter-sized blisters on the balls of my feet would disagree) but because dealing with the whole thing is a giant pain in the butt. I'm getting guilt trips from all directions and it sucks. I think I'll just tell him I don't have any more time after tomorrow.

I'm sticking with the same goals this week as well. A busy weekend is coming up so I'll see what actually happens Thur.- Sat. but gonna try.

I have some sweet successes that I need to share. I weighed in today. (I only weigh in on Mondays). I lost 4.4 pounds this past week! I have noticed that every month at TOM I lose a couple of more pounds that week than the other weeks of the month. If my calorie deficit says it should be about 1.5-2 pounds lost it actually ends up around 3.5-4.5 pounds. I guess I burn more calories during my TOM. Does this happen to others?

But really, the best part is that with 41 pounds lost I am officially halfway to my goal weight! I can't remember the last time I was in the 170s, but it has been at least 6 years, maybe longer.

Yesterday I put on an old favorite size 16 skirt (that was too tight in Dec.) and it was loose. Also, I recently found a pair of workout pants on clearance so I picked them up even though I knew they would be too small to wear yet. I didn't even try them on until I got home. They were a size 12/14. I put them on this weekend and they fit! I'm sure they are roomier than a 12/14 jeans, but cool nonetheless.

Health Goals:
1- Exercise 5 days
2- Drink 80 oz water daily
3- Keep a minimum 600 calorie daily deficit
4- Get 7 hours of sleep each night
5- Practice clogging dance 3 times this week

Personal:
1- Do a spring cleaning/organizing project this week
2- Read a book 3 times this week.
3- Help daughter with violin practice.

Health / Fitness Goals ...
1. 100 oz water daily
2. No added salt
3. No snacks after 8pm except 2 sugar free popsicles (my addiction)
4. Walk on lunches unless raining
5. Shred 3 days this week (will finish the course)
6. Weigh and post daily M: 256.6lbs

Life Goals ...
1. Clean out fish bowl in office
2. Clip dog's nails
3. Get out flower pots
4. Read something!

This weekend was awesome! I am sorry that I wasn't here to talk and update my goals. I hit low weights both days on the weekend (sat: 254.6, sun: 254.8) but this morning was up 2lbs. That is okay it's TOTM (started Saturday). Our older son got invited to go to a cabin for the weekend with his aunt & cousin so our younger asked to go to his grams. They left before we were home from work friday and didn't come home until @3pm sunday. Hubby and I had the whole weekend to ourselves for the first time since before the almost 14 yr old was born! We have had single nights but not a whole weekend. We made dinner at home (philly chicken meat on a salad) then went shopping. I bought two new sweaters. We ran a few other errands we needed to do. Saturday morning we got up. I made us omelettes and scrapple. Hubby went to do some running and I went to a second hand store (bought 2 cute skirts!) and came back home to clean the bathrooms and run the sweeper and do laundry. Hubby did some work on his tractor when he came home instead of interrupting my cleaning LOL. He wanted BLTs for dinner about 2 but I ate a salad with 2 strips of bacon to his BLTs. We then watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy on the laptop. GOt showered and went to the dairy for ice cream (OMG!!) and out to the drive-in for 2 movies. I slept through the second one :) Sunday was out to eat for breakfast and some more errands. Then we got home and I tackled another forsynthia shrub until the kids came home and hubby was doing oil changes and things he needed to work on.

Sorry for all the boring details, it was just the most perfect weekend in a long time. Not just because the kids weren't home either. It just seemed that we were so in touch with each other. It was nothing really special but it was us, just being us and that is so important to have after over 19 yrs together.

Well....I'm off for my walk. Gotta close this so my back-up doesn't see it. My desk has to have a person at it at all times. So someone covers my lunches at my desk.

No, I have a full tank... it's raining so I figured I'd grace you with my presence. ;)

I noticed that the first couple of months - I'd have a huge drop around that time when I thought I would be up. This last one I was up a pound, though. But I think there were other factors (burgers) involved.

That sounds like a great weekend. I can't remember the last time hubby and I did anything just the two of us, even for a couple of hours. I think it was about a year ago, we went secondhand shopping without the kiddo. Even doing things with the kiddo that don't involve work or errands is rare.

Terrie, you have done awesome! When I had my TOTM I found I went in the opposite direction as you. It woud freak me out sometimes how much I gained (8lbs, WTF??!!??) but it went off when TOTM ended.

April, your weekend sounds awesome. And I know that when you're togther for years, a romantic wekeend might jsut mean raking the lawn!!! But no matter what, it is so good when couples get in synch, isn't it? You guys were in "the zone:" the no kids zone.

Gosh it's gonna be weird when DD goes to school.

I am almost superstitious to say, but things have been going much better with DD. What a change between this year and last. But as I said, I am almost scared to say that. And yeah we have been getting in some good time together which I'm gonna need cause I'm gonna be awreck when she goes. OMG...

So, Mike, the weather brought you back to us, huh? I laughed when April said did the bike run out of gas. Well whatever the reason, glad to have you back.

Gotta say some of you are really shaming me on the water drinking. I almost feel like I should make my minimum 8 glasses but sometimes I have trouble just doing the 6. That's cause I'm a "little sipper." DH and DD make fun of me because they are both big gluggers. And on that note...

April So glad you had such a great weekend, you so deserve it. Sometimes it's all about just being together, doing normal kinda things, but on your own, no kids to interrupt or need stuff doing. With me it would be good getting together with no Blackberry or phone calls from his work.

Tori. Sorry that you're hurting, really want to see that madcap girl back on here, but in your own time.

GOALS

1 stay below 1200 per day Y

2 No alcohol until Palma on 28 Apr Y

3 30 min brisk walk at least 5 days this week plus some ab crunches every day. Y

From last week's goals - I finally finished my TEFL course and got my certificate with a distinction.