Motivational Thread May 26 - June 2
 

Can you believe we're almost to June already??! Where does the time go? My kids are out of school, and my older daughter who just graduated from high school on Thursday moved out yesterday to her own apartment. Lots of big changes.

Here's a quote I just saw that I liked:
I Will Become Stronger Than My Strongest Excuse!

I come up with excuses a lot. I'm trying to retrain my brain into overcoming the excuses. I think this week I will log on here the excuses I overcome.

I lost inches this past week. Even though I was so upset that I didn't lose a single ounce, the exercise is paying off. Logically I know this. I hear/read it a gazillion times. But I am so dang focused on the scale and lbs. I'm really glad I took "before" photos so I can track my physical appearance.

My goals for the week are to increase the number of times a day I eat, and actually increase my daily calories. I think the extreme low days from 800-1000 are having an affect on my metabolism. I'm not eating frequently enough throughout the day. This is a big deal for me to overcome because I am finding myself more and more fearful of eating because I don't want to consume calories, and obsessed with keeping them as low as possible. I need to change my mindset because I think this way that I have been thinking could lead to an eating disorder. I may be wrong about that, but I do know in my logical mind that my thinking is unhealthy. My emotional mind doesn't care...lower those calories! Don't eat anything unless starving! I need to be at a minimum of 1200 calories. 1400 would be better. And even 1500 wouldn't hurt. I also need to add extra calories (preferably proteins) to fuel my exercise so I don't burn muscle.

Ok, everyone. Let's have a smashing week!

Okay Jenai, I'm in this week as well. I don't know how many calories you should be on but I do know that if you feel deprived it will backfire. I am sure that's why you've been overfocused on the scale. Formula for giving up. When I was logging my food I stayed between 1200 and 1400 per day.

I am keeping the same goals this week: walk 1 k per day, drink more water and green tea and bring my lunch to work. Walking today will be a challenge. It's a rain storm and no time to go to the gym:(

Good morning Ladies!
I'm going to take the day off from exercising. Really sore from yardwork yesterday.

GOALS
1. Keep within carb limit
2. Exercise 4X
3. 4 servings fruits and veggies
4. 6 glasses of water
I had been doing better on this but have slacked off a little lately

Personal goals
1. Finish cutting back lawn
2. write
3. Take a couple of boxes to church for fall bazaar

Jenn

Hello Everyone,

I'm ready to make this week count!!
I want to see the 2's! The scale hasn't moved all weekend, but I am determined!

It is cold rainy and +5 C here........ my kale will love this weather though, and I do see growth on the stems I planted :D

Hi All,

My DD is here but going away for 6 weeks in a few days. I have really enjoyed seeing her when I could get past the worries I have, especially about her eating and sleeping. Can't even think about her being away.

Jenai, I love the awareness you are showing. It's so easy to be obsessed and have it take over. Deprivation does backfire, in so many ways. I hope you find a healthy balance.

Robin, Hi! Walking: good goal. But I know the weather does get in the way.

Jenn, a day off helps. LOVE your goals.

Bea, kale yum!!!

Hi all. It's going to be hot out today so I am exercising in the basement. The magnolia is losing its flowers and the leaves are coming out. I sat in the sun for a bit yesterday and will try to get some sun every day, a bit at a time.

Goals for the week
Drink 6 glasses of water:
Eat 3 fruits and vegetables
Exercise 5X

I am taking out my summer clothes and putting away my winter clothes, some of which are going to the Church yard sale on July 1st. I also have some furniture and other things that I am giving away to declutter the house.

Goals:
1) 6 glasses of water
2) walk, even tiny baby walks, 3x minimum
3) don't fall for stupid diet plans, just keep it healthy
4) don't get discouraged

I have had such intense back pain, it was just taking over my life. Depression too. But I have found an acupuncturist who seems to be helping. He is far from where I live, doesn't speak much English, and the sessions are painful. But they are working!

A friend of mine lost 30 pounds (too much for him) and he explained his plan to me and I have been trying but honestly it's a bit extreme and VERY monotonous. I have suffered from eating disorders and still have triggers. Like Jenai, I need to remind myself NOT to get too obsessive. And also that I know myself better than I think. I know the food that is healthy for me. And I know that these extreme restrictive plans backfire. I also know that there will be some days I will eat more than others. It amazes me that something as basic as eating can be so complicated.

Also, as much as my back hurts, I do believe walking, even what I call tiny baby walks, helps. It's hard when the weather is yucky (or when I am) so motivational thread work your magic lol!!!

My day turned out to be nothing like what I had planned. I spent most of the day cleaning the kitchen and bathroom as well as folding laundry and putting it away.
Goals for the week
Drink 6 glasses of water: M-Y
Eat 3 fruits and vegetables: M-Y
Exercise 5X

Bea, You will get to those 2's before you know it! Keep up the positive attitude...I love it!

Hope, I'm sorry you're having such back pain and depression. I really hope the accupuncture can help.

Libby, sounds like your day was pretty busy and you got some things accomplished.

as for me:
Excuses For Not Wanting To Exercise Tonight:

• I just don't feel like it.
• I don't want to get hot and sweaty.
• I just ate a little while ago and want to relax

.

OVERCOME!

I did it!!!!!!!! Slim in 6 done for the night...all the way through the entire workout with only the designated water break halfway through!!! I was so afraid of the pushups. She said they were going to do 10. Well, first time and I did 6!!!!! When I first started last Monday, I made the goal of getting all the way through by today, and I DID IT!!!

Congrats to those of you who did well with Monday's goals.

My walking goal was an epic fail. I knew the day was too hectic. Didn't get supper til 9:30 pm. Those kinda crazy days are what got me in trouble.

Hi Hope.................sounds like you are really second guessing the extreme plan. Listen to your true self. You know. Hugs for the back pain and depression.

Monday Report
1. Keep within carb limit no
2. Exercise 4X day off
3. 4 servings fruits and veggies 3
4. 6 glasses of water yes
I had been doing better on this but have slacked off a little lately

Good job Jenai! Robin I hope today is less hectic for you.

Jenn

AWESOME JENAI!!!! That's how it's done....push past those excuses and keep on moving forward! So happy to hear you conquered 6 push ups!!! Keep up that momentum! :D

Jenai wins the BIDIA award. That's the But I Did It Anyway award. She didn't want to exercise BUT SHE DID.

Whereas I did not meet one goal. I wanted to walk BUT I DIDN'T.

Robin, you are right. I AM second guessing myself. Does anyone else get confused with all the conflicting food "wisdom" and advice?

BUT I AM FEELING BETTER from the acupuncture.

And I got a kitten.

Hey all -

A day late and a dollar short, but I am feeling VERY VERY motivated this week. I went to Chicago over Memorial Day weekend and then had some plans with friends, but while I was there, I had the opportunity to look very long and very hard at myself, both in a mirror and more generally, and got through some difficult conversations.

The truth of the matter is that I'm lazy. The truth of the matter is that I feel powerless and depressed because I am not happy with myself. The truth of the matter is that my motivations have been all wrong this second time around. What worked the first time was focusing on health, not anything anyone else said, and I lost my way.

But I'm trying to get it back! You ladies have been super motivational, and even if I haven't been posting the past few days because I've been running around and have had internet issues, it's been good to read :)

Week Goals:

1) Work out T, W, Th, F and Sun. Follow TurboJam schedule. T: yes
2) Calorie deficit of -3500
3) 64+ oz of water daily
4) Try one new recipe this weekend
5) In bed by 11:00 every night (my sleeping has gotten wonky)
6) Weigh on F and report

Hi all,
I just finished (well 3/4's) of one of Jillian Michael's Fat Burning workouts on TV. You guys may already know this, but there are a bunch of hers on Amazon Prime for free if you are a member. That was a tough one btw! Shew...I glanced at her Yoga one too, but will have to save that for another time.

I have been so back and forth with everything. I feel motivated one day, and then something happens and it throws me off track. I thought I was getting sick, and took heavy doses of Airborne and I think I've fought it off. Yay me ;-) Feeling motivated this week and here are my goals:

1) Drink 4-5 glasses water per day (M/N,
2) workout at least 3 x per week (M/N, T/Y
3) Log food and try to stay under 1300-1400 cal (M/N, T/Y


Also? I have registered today for going back to school this fall after over 15 years of being out of college. I am going to work on a certificate in the medical field so I can change my career path. I've been meaning to do this for quite some time now and it is finally time to do something about it. I am nervous about going back to school over so long and am afraid my brain cells have all been scattered after 2 kids, but here I am.

Goals:
1) 6 glasses of water -?
2) walk, even tiny baby walks, 3x minimum -N
3) don't fall for stupid diet plans, just keep it healthy- BINGE ATE
4) don't get discouraged -yes

So I did keep one goal!!!

Terri, I don't think you're lazy. I think the other thing you mentioned - depressed and feeling powerless - might be more like it. But you know what worked last time and I think you're ready for positive change. And we are ready to support you!!

Aimee, congrats on going back to school!! How cool is that? In my experience teaching college, the best students are the returnees. They know what they are there for, they work hard and don't waste their time and (often) their parents' money. You go, girl! You're gonna do great!!

Hi guys, i'm back from Hawaii.... it was so Amazing:D
I know I did some major damage while on vacation.
But, Im back on the wagon as of today.

Got my water intake in...did a quick work out just now!
I'm feeling good.

I hope everyone has been doing well and had a nice holiday weekend!

It rained today and was very humid after. I didn't get much done today but managed to cook a nice supper with lots of vegetables. Tomorrow won't be quite so hot so I might get some house work done.
Goals for the week
Drink 6 glasses of water: M-Y, T-Y
Eat 3 fruits and vegetables: M-Y, T-Y
Exercise 5X

Aimee, that is so wonderful you are going back to school! How awesome is that?! What type of career in the medical field are you looking to do?

Terri, I like what you said about taking a long look at yourself. It really struck home and in turn started doing some thinking about myself too (not so different from yourself).

Hope, I am also bewildered by all the conflicting advice! I guess for me I try things until I find the one piece of advice that clicks and works for me. I don't think any one thing works well for every person. Still a pain in the ass to try to find the thing that does work.

Becca, so glad you had a fabulous trip!

I could think of so many excuses not to exercise tonight:

• My head (and specifically my eye) hurts. (Every time the pressure in my head changes it feels like my eyeball is going to pop out.)
• I want to watch the Diamondbacks game on tv
• My mouth hurts and is throbbing (went to the dentist today and had a bunch of work done.)
• I don't want to get hot and sweaty

But I also thought of so many reasons why I should. So...
OVERCOME!
Slim in 6 done for the night, all the way through again, AND I did ALL 10 pushups tonight! I didn't think I had it in me.

I can't remember who on here recommended it (sorry!) but I took the idea of low fat cottage cheese for protein. holy heck! only 90 calories per 1/2 c serving with a whopping HUGE 12g protein! wow!

Problem is, I'm not super crazy about it yet. I'm hoping it's an acquired taste. maybe I need to look up some recipes on Pinterest instead of eating it plain. so whoever recommended it...thanks for the idea!!!

Goals:
1) 6 glasses of water -??
2) walk, even tiny baby walks, 3x minimum -N, N too busy helping DD prepare for trip
3) don't fall for stupid diet plans, just keep it healthy- BINGE ATE ate OK until night, not too bad
4) don't get discouraged -yes ummm

Jenai, thanks for letting me know I'm not alone in this!

Becca, welcome back! You'll undo the damage. And Hawaii...wow...

Jenn: Late congrats on the BIDIA award!!!! Hoping to follow your awesome example this week.

Jenai: You are ROCKING IT OUT and I love that you're posting your excuses - that is both brave and inspiring!! I literally looked at myself naked in a hotel mirror for about ten minutes before doing some other soul searching - nothing like a full-length mirror and different lighting to make you see things differently. But I think it worked for now! Did exercise help your headache? Sometimes I find it can make it worse or make it completely go away. Weirdness. It was me who recommended the cottage cheese :) I find I can't eat it plain either and I REALLY can't eat the low-fat cottage cheese. It's nice mixed in with some other things, though, and sometimes I like putting it on a flavorful bread!

Aimee: I feel your pain, I go back and forth too, but good on you for getting the Jillian Michaels done! I've never completed the 30 Day Shred; tried and failed many times! You go girl! As a neuroscientist, and also someone who has taught older students, I can tell you from experience that older/non-traditional students are an absolute joy, and your teachers will be happy to have you! Also, if anything, all that running around after kids and thinking on your feet is totally good for your brain. You're going to do amazing, and way to go on getting back to school to do something you want to do! Nothing can stop you!

Hope, you're so sweet, but I am a naturally lazy person (just ask my husband!) -- depressed and powerless certainly adds to it, and I DO do better when I have busy days, so I've been trying to make sure that I get some stuff done during the day, even though it's summer and I don't have research this year (first time since grad school!) I am going into work this afternoon (in fact, as soon as I finish writing this) to get myself set up and maybe get some editing done. Why are you getting discouraged?

Becca: So jealous of your Hawaii trip, I have never been!!! You'll get right back on track, whoo!

As for me:

I've been trying to get my workouts done in the mornings these past two days, and I think I like it. Normally I don't during the school year because I can't get up/get my blood pressure stabilized/get a workout in before I need to go into work, but now that I'm on summer and my hours are much more my own, I'm trying to use a morning routine. Even if it's just only in the summer, I like the past 48 hours.

I'm actually trying a new recipe TONIGHT rather than this weekend (maybe I'll try another one on the weekend, too) that I found in my crock pot book. The book says it only has 335 calories per serving, but I calculated it out on spark as 419 cals/serving (still not too bad!) and I probably used somewhat different ingredients. I never trust cookbook calorie counts anyway since the products can vary so much, but I'm using a light turkey/pork sausage blend and lots and lots of beans, along with onion and carrot to flavor it (it's called a sausage bean bake). Hopefully it comes out tasty. I didn't have any marjoram on hand, which the recipe calls for, so I substituted basil and thyme, and added pepper. I'm totally sore in the abs and lower back from my past two days of workouts, but hopefully my core will strenthen up over time. The TurboJam ab workouts are no joke.

I've already logged my dinner and so far I'm looking at a -810 calorie deficit for the day if I stick to the plan. We'll see. Snacking often does me in, but I plan to try and chug water if I'm getting the urge to munch. I also added my protein goal below (I forgot it earlier!).

Week Goals:

1) Work out T, W, Th, F and Sun. Follow TurboJam schedule. T: yes W: yes
2) Calorie deficit of -3500 T: -447 Total: -447
3) 64+ oz of water daily T: yes
4) Try one new recipe this weekend T: N/A
5) In bed by 11:00 every night (my sleeping has gotten wonky) T: 11:03. Close!
6) Weigh on F and report T-Th: N/A
7) Protein 25-30% of daily/weekly calories T: 18% Average: 18%

~Terri

Terri, all due respects to your DH, I still can't believe you are lazy. Look at all you've done professionally and at such a young age.

Look at you rocking the workouts and new recipes!

Whereas I just ate a diner burger bigger than my head and a good portion of DH's fries. I am going nowhere near a mirror, clothed or otherwise lol!!!! I'm grabbing my new kitten and curling up. Just dropped DD off at the airport and this little cat is my new fur baby.

Excuses not to exercise tonight:

• Plain and simple I don't feel like it.
• My knee hurts.
• I don't have any energy.

Half Overcome

While I did exercise tonight, I am ashamed to admit that I regressed and only did the workout up to the mid point water break. My knee really is hurting, and those lunges sure did a number on it.

Lunges are really tough on the knees. Is there something else you can do?

I think I pulled a muscle yesterday in my back doing that fat burning Jillian Michaels show. Ouch. I had to take lots of ibuprofen last night and all of today. I'm hoping I'll feel better tomorrow and maybe get back to at least do an elliptical worikout at the gym.

Thank you Hope, Jenai & Terri for the congrats & encouragement on me going back to school. I've been putting it off for quite some time, but my kids were younger so I had the excuse. Now, with my youngest in kindergarten I have a bit more time in the day. In answer to your question, I'm going to get a Phlebotomy and/or Medical Assistant certificate. I already had a bachelor's degree in mass communications and had been a Technical Writer for several years prior to having kids and taking time off from a job. I just don't like that profession anymore, but I do like interacting with people and providing help so I think this would be a good new profession for me.

Ok- goal time-- not doing so great, but here it is:
1) Drink 4-5 glasses water per day (M/N, T/Y, W/N
2) workout at least 3 x per week (M/N, T/Y, W/N
3) Log food and try to stay under 1300-1400 cal (M/N, T/Y, W/Y

Hope: You're such a sweetie :) I suppose when it comes to my job I get things done, but I have a tendency to procrastinate. I feel very lucky/blessed to have gotten as far as I have professionally. But around the house? Super-lazy! DH does most of the cleaning and daily tidying up (except for laundry and dishes) and most nights this time of year find me watching a baseball game and sewing in the evening if I don't have anything on ye olde social calendar. Also, I've been meaning to ask you about your new kitten!!!! Was he/she adopted? What does he/she look like? Sounds so cute, and I hope it helps comforting while your daughter is away (off on her adventure!)

Jenai: Fantastic job on getting half done. That's not regressing - that's making a compromise with your body. No one wants you to get injured! Lunges are super-tough on the knees. I actually find that doing a wider lunge with my legs really spread apart is easier on my knees for some reason, maybe that could help? You know your body and you know what you can and can't do. I am proud of you!

Aimee: Nice!!! I have a friend who became a phlebotomist after going back to school as well, and she loves it! Good for you! I'm excited to hear how it goes :) Looks to me like you're actually not doing so bad on your goals. Water is always a toughie. I try to set water mini-goals throughout the day (2 glasses by lunch, 4 glasses by dinner) which makes it so that I'm not chugging it all at the end of the day and getting an upset stomach. Maybe that would help?


As for me: Oh boy, yesterday... - I was pretty darn hungry through the afternoon and temptations abounded. A colleague had bought pizza for a lunch meeting with summer research students and had a TON left over because not as many students showed up as he was planning for. He kept asking me all afternoon if I wanted pizza. I ended up taking a few slices home for DH (he hates beans, so I knew he wouldn't like the dinner I had cooking), so they were in my car and sitting on the counter for an hour after I got home from work... but I didn't even have a BITE!!! I didn't have any other snacks either and made it to dinner intact, so I got my deficit to over 800 yesterday. It's funny that I'm proud of myself for NOT doing something, but I resisted pizza for hours and had to say no multiple times.

I'm scheduled for another TurboJam ab workout today. Normally it's about 20 minutes of abs, 10 minutes standing and 10 minutes on the floor. My lower back is still sore from doing the standing abs work, so I may only do the floor abs today. I know it's just core strength I'm lacking, but I don't want to throw my back out and/or make it difficult to move. We'll see if it feels loosened up after my cardio today (schedule is 20 mins cardio, 20 mins abs) and I'll go from there. About to pop the cardio in as soon as I log off here. Morning workout again! I also realized the Turbo schedule this week doesn't call for a workout on Sunday, but I put it as a goal, so I'll do an extra one!

Got about 3 hours of editing done yesterday afternoon and some prep for my new job (book orders). I'm upset at my protein numbers; I actually felt like I ate a ton of protein yesterday, but I guess I didn't! I did have some rice cakes as a side to my lunch, maybe that's what did it. I'm hoping my appetite doesn't kill me today; I just ate breakfast and I'm still hungry. Have a happy Thursday everyone!!!

Week Goals:

1) Work out T, W, Th, F and Sun. Follow TurboJam schedule. T: yes W: yes
2) Calorie deficit of -3500 T: -447 W: -810 Total: -1,257
3) 64+ oz of water daily T: yes W: yes
4) Try one new recipe this weekend T: N/A W: sausage/bean bake. It's pretty good!
5) In bed by 11:00 every night (my sleeping has gotten wonky) T: 11:03. Close! W: yes
6) Weigh on F and report T-Th: N/A
7) Protein 25-30% of daily/weekly calories T: 18% W: 15% Average: 16.5%

~Terri

Hi Everyone,

I'm getting frustrated, stuck at 302.3 for days!!
But this is not the time to give up!! I will just dig deeper and ride it out :)

I just graduated from college last may (at the ripe old age of 49!) It was a 2 year computer programmer/analyst degree. I highly recommend studying to keep the mind sharp and focused. It is also wonderful having some papers to back up the hands on skills I had. Degrees really do open doors!

Good luck Aimee!! and enjoy your time at school... I certainly did.

See you all, at what will be a very frustrating weigh in tomorrow! GRRRrrrr

Let's end this week on a high note!

Good job Terri!
Yesterday I ate terribly! Way too many carbs but there was nothing in the house so I bought a muffin downtown for breakfast. Lunch and dinner weren't so bad but hardly any veggies and I didn't drink nearly enough water either. I'll take it as a win if I don't gain tomorrow!!

Jenn

Terri, good for you for resisting the temptations! And you're right...don't throw out your back. Do what you can that your body can handle. Wait til it feels a little better to work on your core.

Bea, Don't give up!!! You will probably see a big drop coming up here real soon. Just keep it up and you will get there!

Aimee, is your pulled muscle feeling better today?

Excuses for not working out today:
Said to self: "I didn't do very well last night, so I probably wouldn't do well again tonight."

OVERCOME
It took some mental/internal arguing, but instead of my less than stellar outing last night get to me, I decided to use it as incentive to get through the whole thing tonight. I did it! :D

I'm feeling hopeful about tomorrow's weigh in. I hope I don't mysteriously gain weight over night again.

Bea: SUPER frustrating, BUT, you know that we often get stuck right before a big loss. It might not happen Friday, but I bet it happens soon. Just keep on keeping on girl, you know that scale is just playing with your mind.

Jenn: Good luck on your weigh-in today! I bet you did better than you think!

Jenai: I bet you'll have awesome numbers today, especially with your great attitude all week and not giving up! You got through the whole workout again, that is AWESOME! Thanks for the encouragement. I think it was the right call to only do floor abs, which is what I ended up doing. I'll get to the standing abs again next week!

As for me:

WOOHOO!!!!! I just woke up and weighed in (I slept TERRIBLY last night and let myself sleep in this morning) and I hit a new decade, 179.6! I will TAKE IT! I was worried I might be up due to inflamed muscles/muscle soreness, but if I am, it's still a good number.

I decided to only do my floor abs work yesterday instead of the standing abs, and I think that was a good decision. My back felt OK during cardio but as soon as I stopped moving, I felt it tighten right back up again. The floor abs work was good and I pushed myself to lift off the floor a little higher to try and make myself feel better about it. Still upset about my protein numbers, but I know why it happened yesterday; I forgot to thaw the meat for dinner and I wasn't comfortable cooking it from frozen straight onto the pan (it never comes out right) so we ended up doing mini-pizzas for dinner, which is basically all carb.

Heading into today, I know dinner is going to be a high-cal number, so I'm going to try to keep it down during breakfast and lunch. We'll see, I'll keep thinking of my new scale number to motivate me!

I hope everyone has a HAPPY FRIDAY!


Week Goals:

1) Work out T, W, Th, F and Sun. Follow TurboJam schedule. T: yes W: yes Th: yes, though only 10 minutes of floor abs though (lower back stiffness)
2) Calorie deficit of -3500 T: -447 W: -810 Th: -613 Total: -1,870
3) 64+ oz of water daily T: yes W: yes Th: yes
4) Try one new recipe this weekend T: N/A W: sausage/bean bake. It's pretty good! Th: N/A
5) In bed by 11:00 every night (my sleeping has gotten wonky) T: 11:03. Close! W: yes Th: yes
6) Weigh on F and report T-Th: N/A F: 179.6!!!! Yay new decade!
7) Protein 25-30% of daily/weekly calories T: 18% W: 21% Th: 19% Average: 19.3%

~Terri

I'm CONSIDERING:
Possibly, maybe getting a bike

We have a community share event tomorrow, where everything on offer is free for the taking.

My reasons for considering a bike:

When I was a kid, I LOVED my bike! (I remember the sense of freedom and the wind going through my hair) Mine was blue with a yellow banana seat and high rise handlebars (I was STYLIN)

We do have nice bike trails here and I want to experience that freedom again.

I feel a change in activity might help

Cons:
There are only 2, but 1 I don't know how to get passed

What if I've forgotten how to ride? (I can relearn - but it is a pretty significant thought). Also a little concerned with falling, well more the getting up afterward. Picking myself up from the floor/ground is still kinda awkward.

I will look terribly awful on a bike, and I hate the thought of the ridicule (this is the one I can't seem to shake). I don't understand this one, because I really don't care what people think, but this one just won't go away.

I'm doing a bit better today but I still feel like my back hasn't completely healed so I'm going to pass on my weight lifting class today. Thanks for asking Jenai

Bea- a bike sounds like the perfect thing! Please do go for it! Your fond memories of having a bike sound like a wonderful association, and maybe the bike and trails will be a great addition to your fitness routine.

Terri- congrats on your scale victory!

Bea, I say go for it! Bike riding is a great exercise, and riding them is so fun. I have a lot of good memories with my bikes through the years too. I don't think you forget how to ride a bike. Maybe a little wobbly at first, but I bet it'll be easy peasy to get on and go.

I am so flippin' happy! My scale finally finally shows a 2 lb loss on weigh-in day. The past few weeks I'd dip down about 3 lbs on Wed but then on Friday it would sadly be the same as it had the week before. I did that to some extent this week, too. But it didn't go back up as much this time. 2 lbs! I'll take it!

Bea: You should go for it. I read this a couple of weeks ago, and forgive some of the language in it, but it's a post from reddit:

"To the fatty on the Westview track this afternoon:

You, whose feet barely lift off the ground as you trudge across the track.
You, who keeps to the outside lane, footslogging in the wrong direction.
You, who stops for water breaks every lap, and who would probably stop
Twice a lap, if there were bleachers on both sides. You, whose gaze drops
to your feet every time we pass. You, whose sweat drenches your body
after you leave, completing only a single, twenty-minute mile.

There's something you should know: You ****ing rock.

Every shallow step you take, you carry the weight of more than two of
me, clinging to your bones, begging to be shaken off. Each lap you run,
you're paying off the debt of another midnight snack, another dessert,
another beer. It's twenty degrees outside, but you haven't let that stop your
regimen. This isn't your first day out here, and it certainly won't be your
last. You've started a journey that lasts a lifetime, and you've started at
least twelve days before your New Year's resolution kicks in.
You run without music, and I can only imagine the mantras running
through your mind as you heave your ever-shrinking mass around the
next lap. Let's go, feet. Shut up, legs. **** off, fat. If you'd only look up
from your feet the next time we pass, you'd see my gaze has no
condescension in it.
I have nothing but respect for you. You've got this."

I find it very inspiring, actually, and a reminder that most people find those of us trying to lose it, and do it the right way, inspiring and respectful. There might be sniggers and jeers from the idiots, but there will always be idiots. I think getting a bike is a lovely idea, and if you're worried about picking it back up again, just find a time when the area you want to ride on is fairly quiet and give it a few goes until you feel comfortable with your balance. I say go for it :) If anyone finds the above post offensive in any way, I will remove it!

Jenai: Congrats on the scale victory!!!!! WOOHOO!!!

Aimee: Just keep resting that back as long as you feel you need to, and then get back out there :)

Congratulations Terri and Jenai!!
New decades and 2pound losses are awesome.. Well Done both!

Hi Everyone. Despite the fact that I didn't think I ate that well this week I had a 2lb loss. I did have more exercise than I thought with cutting the grass and other yardwork plus walking.

I had a NSV today too. Had to buy new capris because 2 pair are too loose in the back--one is practically falling off. Took in a size 20 and 22. Tried on 20 first and it fit--not sucking in, just right.

Jenn

Jenn...Congrats! New, smaller clothes is so exciting!

As for me, I did not exercise tonight. :( It's not that I had excuses it's just that I think Fridays are going to end up being my regular day off.

And forgive me, for I am going to sin. I am going to lunch/early dinner tomorrow with my husband and kids to Outback, and I planned my menu for the whole day (including all the custom added Outback dishes). It will be about 3300 calories and 5700mg of sodium! Goodbye, 2 lb loss this past week. I doubt I will show any loss for next week either because I'll have to lose what I ate plus flush all the sodium out of my system.

I don't feel guilty one bit though, really. It will be my last dinner out for a very long time, and I'm going to splurge. dh is going to get laid off any time now, and there is virtually no commercial construction going on anywhere in the area (he's a journeyman electrician). What little there is was seriously underbid by the non-union companies. (The owners will be sorry they didn't hire union in the long run because they will get what they paid for.) Last time he was laid off it was for 6 months, but now the only major employer, Intel, is shipping its new tool builds to Israel, so that work will be gone. I have no idea what we are going to do! But anyways, I am going to eat a lot and savor every bite. Isn't that terrible of me??

Hi all. I feel like I've dodged a bullet. Yesterday I had more medical tests and every thing was fine. Today I am going to eat well and exercise to try and turn things around again. My weight was 175 yesterday and I know that some of it was from worrying. Today is a new day.