Sometimes you just gotta wash that man right out of your hair, and well while you're at it wash him out of your underwear drawer too. I don't know about the rest of you but breakups were always hard on my self esteem. So when the going gets tough, the tough go do a little shopping and get a make-over. Let him eat his heart out.

Ever since I saw this goal I've been looking for a pull-up bar. My gym actually doesn't have one? How crazy is that? So I've been using the lat pull-down bar and setting it for my weight, minus a block. I can pull it down, but it isn't pretty. I'm actually thinking about getting a bar for the house, but where to put it? We do not have much in terms of empty wall space in this house. Is it tacky to have a chin-up bar in the kitchen?

Almeeker - you can get chin-up bars that go over the architraves of a doorway that you needn't screw in. We got ours from a shop called Big W for $10 (it's just a department store that stocks a small section of sports equipment) and it literally takes two seconds to put up and pull down - and yes, it's quite secure.

Oh, and if you can't find one at a shop, I know you can get them from ebay.

Would it work on an arched doorway? This is my difficulty for most of those bars. On the ground floor all the doorways have arched tops and no trim, except the one into the bathroom.

Ours wouldn't work on an arch - I haven't seen one that would. But you can use it in the bathroom doorway, because you'd just take it down when you're done. We use ours in the laundry doorway because our house has very few trimmed doors, too.

almeeker, you can get a dip station/ pull up station. That's what I have at home, the down side is that it's bulky.

jj, IMO he wasn't calling for music. He was drunk and lonely and wanted to see what you were doing. Since you didn't answer he had to come up with an excuse to leave a voicemail, in hopes that you'd call back.

I had that thought, too. Either that or he's looking for an excuse to hook you in for a bit more. Sounds like you are looking forward to moving on; time to do some more things for yourself!

Well, better late than never I say! I didn't post yesterday, but I won't let that stop me from posting today!

So after my gain last week, I've really gotten serious and I'm now down to 205.4lbs! :eek:

At first I asked myself how in the world did I do that? Then I realized I was brutally honest with myself, and didn't allow myself a little bit here or there...As Michael pointed out in one of the first threads I was in, he mentioned having to be truthful with yourself and logging things even on the weekend and such....So over the weekend I made sure I stayed within my weekly set calorie range (didn't allow myself to go up to 2000 this past weekend), and made myself stick to my plan!

Here are my goals that I set for this week (didn't post them yesterday, so posting them now PLUS Monday's status)

Health/Fitness Goals:
1. Eat between 1200-1500 cals/Day YES, 1376! :)
2. Get at least 7 hrs of sleep/night Yes, although I was still tired in the morning when I woke up
3. Consume 100oz. of Water/Day Yes
4. Take Fish Oil & Rosehip Supplements Yes for Rosehip, no for FO
5. Exercise with EA Active for Playstation 3x/Week (Tues, Thurs, & Sat) Not yet
6. Limit myself to 1 Diet Coke/Day Yes

Other Life Goals:
1. Spend 20 minutes/day reading one of my books
2. Vacuum the floors, and Mop Dining Room & Kitchen
3. Complete Budget for April 2011

I had a little catching up to do...so much going on with everyone!

jj - I see you said you still had SNOW!? :eek: I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes away for you soon, unless of course you want it still hanging around?!? Ha ha!

Terri - A little late, but my gosh so sorry to hear about your BF's incident. Sounds like your week may just get better though if it started out that way ;)

Julia - I remember tests like that, but I always tried to look at the bright side of things. At least I wasn't the only one that did bad in the class, and if the whole class had to take it again I figured it just gave me a little bit more time to brush up on some things I didn't feel like I knew well the first time!

Bubbs - What balance ball routine do you do? Any specific video or anything? I have a balance ball, but haven't really used it in a while. It'd be nice to maybe work that in somewhere sometime! Also, I know how difficult it is to wake yourself up when your surroundings are really dark! My old apartment had blackout blinds or something, and practically no light would come in my bedroom - I was always so tired in the mornings!

Almeeker - Way to go on the 94 min workout even if it left you feeling empty! I'm still pondering on if I can commit to the 60 min. P90X workouts. I think I can, and I want to BUT 94 minutes just sounds WOW to me! :D

Mike - So sorry to hear you managed to attract an internet boyfriend - tee hee hee! :p Seriously though, you crack me up! Yesterday I was here reading everyone's goals, and your one goal stopped me for a second. The goal where you have said you'd like to say something nice (but not flirtatious), I totally read that as you had work at NOT saying something flirtatious to strangers. I'm still pondering whether or not to think of you as Mr. Ladies man, or if you were just trying to clarify for us that you wanted to say something nice that wasn't flirtatious.

I've determined you're also dangerous - naturally more peanut butter AND cake batter protein? you're trying to ruin me! Ha ha
Okay, just kidding, but really - sounds insanely yummy!

I know I missed numerous people, but I'm actually still at work so I better get back to it - I'll try to post more a little later and update on my Tuesday Status. So far it's going pretty well!

Monday & Tuesday Report Card

- keep my protein intake up yes no
- drink my water!!! no yes
- work out 4 times this week haven't completed any yet
- drink only one cup of coffee per day yes yes
- track everything I put into my mouth no no (though I think i did a half way decent job working it out in my head)
- work on my dissertation no no
- calorie deficit of at least 400 yes no

Julia, it sucks that you have to retake that test! Good luck on the next one!

Mike, I agree with the others who said that you did the right thing. The internet invades so much of our privacy as it is (nevermind that is to a large degree our own doing), so if you felt put in a vulnerable, overly exposed position, why should you force yourself to endure it? These are your pictures after all and you should get to chose whose comments you want to have displayed.

Jen, congrats on that weight loss! Way to go!!

Almeeker, the last time I took a first aide class was eleven years ago when I acquired my driver's licence. Having now experienced the helplessness of seeing someone suffer without being a hundred per cent sure how to put him at least in a stable position has definitely made me realize that I want to retake the class. For me, this has been a first and it really unsettled me. So cudos to your mom for stopping at accidents! When I frantically waved at cars last Sunday, three passed me by and I actually had to run onto the street to make a forth car stop...:(

Terri, seems like we overlooked eachother's stories ;-) I just read what happened to your boyfriend - glad he is doing ok and his finger is not infectuous!

Rhoda, I'm also sending out belated birthday wishes! I hope you had a great day!!

I got a ball years ago at Costco that came with a video. The trainer is Susanne Deason. The video is made by Living Arts (now GIAIM). I have since found and bought other balance ball, pilates and yoga DVD's by the same company (at Indigo or Chapters). I have also found the company when I google and they have a massive on-line store.

I currently am using a Balance Ball for Weight loss Video by GIAIM. There are 2 30 minute sections and a 10 minute warm-up. You can customize the video to play the sections in any order or repeat a few sections if you prefer.

I need to mix it up so a change the DVD selection every now and then.

Well I'm glad you're thinking about taking a class. It seems like that medical stuff is always changing a little, and when you don't use it everyday the refresher course is really helpful. Over the years mom has often been in charge of getting everyone certified at work, and believe it or not most of the time the classes are paid for by the hospital and free to the public. So she makes all of us take them, including dad. Years ago my dad actually revived a woman who collapsed in full cardiac arrest, between a pair of cars parked on the side of the road. If he hadn't known CPR and seen her fall, she probably would have died right there.

When I was a kid nobody had cell phones, and we stopped at accidents all the time, mom is a nurse 24/7 it's not what she does, it's who she is (if that makes sense). But now with a cell phone in every pocket, EMS is on the scene almost instantly. Even still I'm willing to bet you never hit that trail again without a cell phone and a mini First Aide kit. And maybe a flare so you don't have to jump in front of any moving cars?

Almeeker, yup! No more non-cellphone time! :o
It's great that First Aide courses are free in the US; you have to pay for them over here. I'll still take one, but I think it can stop people from doing them.

What I had hoped would be a somewhat quiet "catch-up week" has turned out to be anything but! :eek: Piles of applications, paperwork, deadlines and 3 miscellaneous out of town trips are all hitting at once. But, I'm going to keep focused and not let stress and late nights get the best of me. I have to promise myself to make time to cook healthy, evening meals and stay clear of restaurants and drive-throughs.

My "Back To Basics" List:

* Forget the pie chart for one week and keep calories to a "clean" 1400 or less. Way under... no time to eat much yesterday. Yes.
* Hike (heavy pack) twice this week. Probably Wednesday.
* Spring's here... resume daily neighborhood walks. Again, sadly, no time. Again, no time.
* 100 oz. of water daily, minimum. Yes. Yes.
* Stop buying jelly beans already!!! Geesh! So far, so good. Yes.
* Clean two more closets. Probably Wednesday.
* Keep on top of applications and deadlines. 4.5 hours of paperwork yesterday... ugh. 5 hours Tuesday.
* Smile more... bitch less. (Does "nagging" your children count as bitching?) I admit, I was a little "snarky" yesterday. :rolleyes:

This weeks Progress

1) Keep calories between 1200-1500-try to bring my deficit from 850 average a day to 1000 a day through calories and exercise
M-1453 T-1367 W-1467 so far Deficits are still around 6-700 so far

2) Drink 2 liters of water a day M-NO 1.5ltr T-No .5ltr W-Yes!
3) Exercise 30 minutes minimum/5 days-Walk 30 minutes minimum/5 days- introduce Jump roping 5 minutes/3 days
Monday No,Yes,Yes(10 min jumprope); T-Yes,Yes,No; W-Yes,Yes,Yes(10 minutes Jump Rope

4) Get Off the Breads! I'm suppose to be gluten free M-No, T-No, W-No

5) Measure myself to start recording monthly M-Yes!

Non-Fitness Goals:

1) Finish the Lace Project and start the new one for my class Still working on it
2) Organize Closet Nope,will hit that later this week
3) Finish Laundry Not Yet, will work on it Friday
4) Treat myself to one night of REAL pampering (Havn't done it in years)Not Yet, but will this weekend.
5) Work on my husbands anniversary gift for this coming month Will this weekend

almeeker: You remind me that we need Epsom salts in the house. I'm going grocery shopping tonight, I can swing by the drug store and pick some up! Thanks!

Mern: Thanks for the encouragement! I guess it's about 6 lbs. in three weeks, which is great. I've been aiming for between 1.5-2 lbs. a week on average, so I'm right where I want to be. I'm just glad this month isn't like last month, where I was stuck on a plateau for 3/4 of it, haha!

Lindsey: They always take forever, don't they? I hope they get back to you with something constructive soon! And...I can't even really imagine dancing in chaps. Sheesh.

Cassie: I'm laughing so hard about your son braving it better than your husband. I think men revert to a childlike state when sick, whereas children can sometimes want to show they're big and tough! When my BF gets a man-cold it's quite pathetic -- whimpering and moaning for the remote control, or some more juice, or another blanket. I'm like "Is your leg broken?!" When I get a cold I take some medicine and get on with my life and just try to rest when I can. But no. He's out sick for two days and groaning like the world is going to end. Take some Thera-Flu, yeesh!

Julia: I hope your data-mode produced some good statistical results :D

behaze: OMG YOUR POOR FOOT. I would have DIED. You're a trooper, and I'm glad you got to a proper doctor. Embroidery needles are not allowed to be banned as I am crafty and need them, but he has been sitting across the room when I do my sewing or fiddle around with my supplies ;)

Jenny: Week is going to be stressful, but I hope it's good stress! Thanks.

quinn: Good luck with all that paperwork! Yikes! Things always seem to come together, don't they?

Tuesday Report Card:

Fitness, Exercise and Lifestyle Goals:
1) Under 1400 calories, track everything M: yes, 1,355 T: yes, 1,448
2) Average 30% protein for the week M: 17% T: 29% (weekly average: 23%)
3) 96 oz. water daily M: yes T: yes, 104
4) 5 hours of exercise, split between weights and hard cardio M: day off T: 15 minutes cardio, 45 minutes lifting.
5) Use heart rate monitor each workout this week M: N/A T: Totally! I had a little trouble getting the chest strap to sit correctly (bra was in the way) but I got it to work in the end. Apparently I burn more calories than I thought I had during my lifting!
6) Use new protein powder in a shake after each workout: M: N/A T: No, because we are out of milk and fruit, and I didn't want to drink it straight with water.

Non-Fitness Goals:
1) One hour of needlework every night M: not quite an hour, but close T: No
2) Rework 2 original chapters for book by Wednesday M: DONE! Go me! T-Sun: N/A
3) Focus on extra work coming, do whatever hours are necessary this week/weekend M: N/A T: N/A
4) Buy a couple of small plants for the apartment, the place needs some green! M: No T: No

It's a lovely gloomy week of rain here in FL. My walk to and from the gym last night got me soaked, but it kinda felt nice, actually! :D Also, the HRM was a total revelation. According to it, my weight lifting is described by fitday as more "vigorous" than "general" (which I had been logging it as until yesterday)... I didn't feel 'vigorous' but I do lift until I'm shaking and grunting, I guess that counts!

Also, ladies, is there any way to deal with that silly chest strap? I ended shoving it under the bottom of my bra yesterday (sorry if that's TMI, haha) and my bra was sitting a little funny, but at least I got a constant reading! This was supposed to be a "designed for women" strap but apparently they forgot about bras :rolleyes: (or, maybe I'm just odd. I have a large chest, and don't wear a normal sports bra) It's possible I just need to wear a different bra to work out in, or find something that works, but if there's some secret I don't know, lay it on me!

~Terri

Terri, I hear you loud and clear as far as the chest strap is concerned! I can assure you, though, that it has nothing to do with chest size ;). I do the same - I put the strap underneath my bra. Not the best feeling, I know, but haven't discovered any better way (or better bra) to make the HRM work.

Ugh...day 3 and still no reply from the team. I'm sorry to say that yesterday, a bit of depression and anger over the whole thing kind of sent me over the edge. Even though there is barely any junk food in our house anymore, I managed to scrounge up and demolish a stale mincemeat tart (the last one leftover from Christmas) and two small pieces of stale fudge. And, as if that wasn't enough, we had pizza (albeit, homemade) for supper, and THEN I decided I MUST make cookies...for some completely unknown reason. 3 handfuls of peanut butter chipits later, I felt totally guilty, and didn't even eat the cookies once they came out of the oven. I've packed them all up and brought them to work with me today in the hopes that the rest of my department will help me get rid of them!

Tuesday report card:

1) Keep calories under 1400 M 1,176 T 1,457

2) Exercise 30 minutes minimum/5 days M yes T yes

4) Keep carbs down - 170 g/day or 130%, according to my fitday meter
M: close, 178.6 g T: 197.8 g...ugh!

5) Start bi-weekly (Weds/Sun) weigh-ins on Wii-Fit: it's more accurate than my bathroom scale. Sun: yes Mon: no Tues: no

Non-Fitness Goals:

1) Clean kitchen M: uh...does dishes in the dishwasher count?! T: made a mess making pizza and cookies, and never really finished cleaning it up...oops.
2) Put away clean laundry, and tidy closet and master bathroom
M: definitely no. My response at 11pm to a bed covered in clean laundry? "ugh. I'm not dealing with this now! Tomorrow."
T: definitely no.
3) Prep guest bedroom and bathroom for visitors on Friday
M: guest sheets washed...and then the stinky dog decided they made a good blanket and laid on them all night...so net progress = 0
T: spent the night watching DWTS and Biggest Loser and wallowing in self-pity. Fortunately, the Biggest Loser contestants inspire me, so by the end of the show I was feeling ready to try again and do better with my fitness goals tomorrow.

julia ~ that sucks about the test. good luck on the re-take. hope you weren't at school to long last night.

Jacqueline ~ i would so much rather workout in the morning too, but i'm having such a problem getting up early to do it too.

behaze ~ hope you enjoyed your un-productive day :)

jen ~ good job on your loss. you & mike are so right we have to be honest with ourselves.

quinn ~ looks like you are doing pretty good with your goals.

Crimpet ~ i'm supposed to be wheat free sometimes easier said than done.

Terri ~ great job on walking to the gym that's awesome. can't help with the strap as i use hand weights.

I'm just starting to visit the forum's - glad I finally noticed this part of fitday. I agree with many posts - keepin it simple. I am getting close to my goal weight and progress now is very slow but I am feeling great.

Goal:
Follow my workout plan (6 days this week)
Follow my meal plan (1300 - 1400 calories/day)
Drink more water
Drink wine only some nights
Do a fun physical activity with my kids
Take my pants to the tailor to be taken in (yay!)

Other goals:
Get my taxes done
Talk finance with my husband
Lighten up and have more fun!
Do one random act of kindness each day


Thanks everyone - love reading everyone's goals! Even had to borrow a few.

What about a little pocket in the bra? Or can you swivel the strap around so the mechanism is in the back? Your heart is pretty much smack dab in the middle of your chest cavity, so it would be the same distance from your heart as it is in the front, and maybe even closer for those of us that are well endowed ;).

Ooh, there's an idea, I can try it in the back...will do so tonight if I can get to the gym. None of my bras have pockets thus far, and it didn't like working if it wasn't right against the skin. I had to bring my hand up to the chest strap to "reset" it a couple of times, but if I can get it to sit in the same darned spot I'm hoping that will no longer be a problem.

Stupid boobs :rolleyes: ;)

i was going to go home at lunch & clean up for 45 mins, but my boss asked me out to lunch & i accepted. i like my boss we get along well at work kid & joke, however i have had lunch with him once before & it felt awkard like we didn't know what to say to each other at times. i hope he invited someone else to join us too.

also did something scary well sort of scary...lol....i approached my dance teacher about possibly working on doing a solo dance. there are about 4 songs i would love to dance to two are harey belafonte & two are gypsy kings so they would be a belly fusion type dance. i'll wait to see what her reply is. however i'm also thinking i SHOULD just attempt at doing my own choreography just for the experience of it. i learn choreography really well so i wonder if i could come up with my own?

Well if you run out of ideas for lunch, just start quoting things from fitday. Since we're all so interesting that should be a big help, right? JK, just be yourself and you will find that you have plenty to talk about. Don't sweat it.

I think you should make up your own dances, even if you only ever get to perform them for the living room furniture. I had a friend in college that used to write her own choreography all the time. She used to just turn the music on and video tape herself dancing and go from there. Always impressed me, but I'm not a dance instructor.

Welcome cwyuill! Glad to have you with us.

Tuesday's achievements:
Calorie limit 1600, actual 1612
Carbs less fiber limit 25g, actual exactly 25g
Protein target 120g, actual 122.2g
Oops, I totally forgot to make sure I got in Omega-3
Changing sugar free candy limit to 2 pieces per day--had none yesterday

Water goal 64 oz. actual about 40--promising to get it in today.

Exercise none yesterday, but I did some this morning.

Mern, Congrat on yours .5 pound lost. I celerbrate every single ounce.
Last night I went out with my family but I already have dinner. I thought it would be hard for me to watch them eat. But actually, It was easier than I thought. I drank 2 ice tea without sugar and have a bite of icecream. I felt very in control.
Mai

almeeker ~ lunch went well the entire department was there he & i work in a different building. so it was good to catch up with the others. however i did have a blt sandwich :( & cream of celery soup, but i didn't care for the soup so i just ate the sandwich.

mern ~ congrats on the loss woo hoo

mai ~ great job on going out & feeling in control what a great feeling.

Terri – I have the same issue with my HRM. I just tuck it under my bra. Can’t really see any other way of doing it. I’m gonna save up my pennies and get a wrist one, though.

Lindsey – I hope you do hear something soon.

Stacey – Cool! I hope your teacher gives you some freedom to choreograph! That was very brave of you. Hehe. I agree with almeeker’s friend, too. Even if you’re just videotaping yourself in the loungeroom, you’re still choreographing. And, you can put them up on youtube so everyone can watch your stuff!
Oh, and yesterday was a lovely day, thanks! Today is another dark and rainy day, perfectly suited to snuggling and nothing-doing, but I have to mow the lawn. :(

Wilbeanerz – well done with your fitness goals. You’re going well this week.

Cwyuill – welcome and good luck!

Mai – that’s awesome that you felt in control of yourself while your family was eating out. Good for you!

For Wednesday:

Fitness Goals:

1. Achieve at least ONE unassisted pull-up. Not yet, Got a little bit higher but still no, No
2. Give every workout everything I've got. Yes, Yes, Yes
3. Drink 2L of water per day. Yes, Yes, Yes
4. Keep carbs at or below 30%. Yes (25%, 61g), Yes (23%, 64.8g), Yes, (16%, 57.3g),
5. Take multi-vitamin daily! Yes, Yes, No - my partner told me they're mouldy so I have to get more (I wasn't even looking - yuck!)

Non-Fitness Goals:

1. Finish washing clothes. No, No, No
2. Keep positive attitude in the house. Yes, Yes, Sorta – no arguments, so it’s a green
3. Make an appointment to see 8yo's teacher. No, No, No

I’m just loving this weather. It’s actually kind of chilly this morning, and the clouds are hanging low over the land. I need to do some of the mowing today because the lawn is just getting ridiculous, so I am hoping the rain will hold off for a bit while I’m outside.

My 8yo’s good behaviour has exhausted itself, so we’re back to counting to ten in an attempt not to snap and get cranky . . . I think I’d prefer to hear the drone of the mower than the high-pitched squealing and moaning of an unjustifiably dissatisfied boy. :rolleyes:

Make that appt! Everyone will probably benefit from it. Okay there, now I can take you off my list for today.:p

Better late than never. I was in my N.O. office today in training. I'll try to get to everyone later.

Back To Basics!

Health & Fitness:

1. floss 7 times yes, yes
2. gallon of water per day yes 147.6, yes 130oz
3. Vitamin Daily yes, yes
4. Fish Oil Daily yes, yes
5. Weekly calories consumed to be +/- 500 burned :eek: -54, +36
6. Workout (like a beast) 3 times no yes
7. 200 Chinups :eek: 30, 45 (15 of which were weighted!)
8. get back to my journal no, no
9. Protein Shake ONLY FOR POST WORKOUT (get nutrients from real food) yes (none), yes (PWO)
10. Weigh in Monday morning and Sunday morning and post #'s (stay +/- 1 pound) 170.4
11. Push, motivate, or encourage the next person (behaze) no, no & also do one of their goals.
Non Health & Fitness:

12. Business drop-ins once no, no
13. Call 10 current clients and touch base 2,3
14. Say something nice to a stranger (not flirting) 3 times no, no
15. One RANDOM act of kindness no, no
16. yes, yes

Haha, that's funny. As I was writing my 'report', I was thinking, 'my god, you're such a lazy sack of poo - just write a damn note already!', which I did and gave to my son to give to his teacher. When I got home from dropping him off, I saw this.

You can so totally mark me as 'achieved!' today! :D

By the way, go you with your chin ups! Weighted, no less! Who da man?:cool:

Oh, they aren't generally free here either, but sometimes the ones my mom schedules are, because the hospital pays for the trainer to do so many classes and whoever shows up gets certified. You might check with your employer, sometimes they will foot the bill for a class, so they can take a deduction on their health insurance or some such.

Wednesday Report Card:

Health & Fitness Goals

1. Keep calories to 1,500 M-T-W-T-Sat, 1,800 F-Sun. 1,495, 1,937, 1,686 a little over
2. Calorie deficit for the week 3,500. -833, -733, -611 (total 2,177)
3. Exercise 6 hours. 48 min, 94 min, 20 min (total 2:42)
4. 96 oz water. YES, YES, YES
5. Carbs under 45%. 48%, 46%, 45%
6. Protein over 40%. 26%, 31%, 28%

Other Stuff

7. Call SIL and find another race, 5/14/11 is not going to work out. NO, NO, NO Going to see her on Friday
8. Clean 2 rooms (15 min each) + 1 load of laundry. NO YES, YES
9. Figure out basement shelving layout. NO, NO, NO
10. Write library proposal. NO, NO, NO
11. Work on church design 2 hours (or more). NO, YES, YES Went to a planning meeting
12. Fix starting block covers. NO, YES DONE
13. Sew patches on GS uniforms. NO, NO, Got 1 finished, 2 more to go.
14. Plan some activities for Spring Break. YES, going to see in-laws (the kids will love it, me somewhat less so), YES got a schedule for the pool and have a day picked out for shoe shopping.

hi all,
i ate two glazed donuts today so my cals are a bit high but i worked out this AM and am still at 1500 (or a bit less) for the day. i feel so bloated bc I ate tons of beans. I didn't even need to eat dinner but I did anyway.

thanks for the comments about the test. even though it's a pain to restudy and spend more time on this, i'm grateful he didn't just give us all bad grades. He's a really nice prof but his lectures are hard to take notes on.

good job on getting that note to your son's teacher, behaze.

mike, i hope the trainings going well.

stacey, good for you for having such a passion for dance and asking about doing more solos/choreography! This all sounds challenging to me, but it sounds like you are great at it!

everyone else, i hope you've had healthy days!

Hectic days, with the boys both sick...somehow it ends up being more to do and I'm desperately trying to avoid what they've got!! Consequently, not so great on goals this week, but that's no excuse. Hopefully I can pull it out the end of the week.

1. Stay on calorie target (changes daily, depends on exercise). Almost; off by <100, Yes, No
2. Balance the pie chart. I'll give it a B, B-, Fair, Fair
3. 2-3 big blue water bottles daily. Yes, Yes, Yes
4. Sleep 7 hours per night (I will get this goal this week, dammit!). No-6, No-6.5, No-6.5
5. 5 fruits and veggies per day. No-3, Yes, No-3
6. No sodas (had given them up, then diet ones snuck back in). Yes,No, No (wow, this has become a habit again :mad:)

7. Work on office. No, Yes, No
8. Finish trim in bedroom and bathroom over weekend, no excuses. Not yet
9. Shop for fashion-challenged DH before discount coupon expires Saturday. Not yet
10. Follow up on outstanding billing. Not yet

Wow, that looks abysmal. Don't know why I'm struggling so much. I need to find my mojo again soon; I'm starting to be afraid that I'm going to hit a big downhill slide :(.

Thanks to everyone who's here posting. I do skim through even though time is limited this week; you all are very motivating and I hope you continue to do well!

Wednesday Report Card

- keep my protein intake up yes no no
- drink my water!!! no yes yes
- work out 4 times this week yes (W),
- drink only one cup of coffee per day yes yes no
- track everything I put into my mouth no no no
- work on my dissertation no no no
- calorie deficit of at least 400 yes no maybe

Don't seem to find the time to be online for very long. Will try to keep up with everyone's postings though!

Hi all,
nice to see you guys. I am still sick, on 3rd dose of antibiotics. I lost a little weight but I suspect it might be mostly from muscles. I didn't exercise for many days and my body has become very weak, esp. legs. Dunno what flipping germs are still surviving in my throat.

On the positive site, I lost quite a lot of my appetite and taste, so at least I don't stuff my face all the time.

Those of you who follow the story with imig, I have a new episode :D we were contacted and told to submit a new application (in accordance with that new law) and hopefully there will be a result soon - a positive result, fingers crossed.

MunaAmin, glad to see you post. I have been thinking of you. Fingers crossed!

jj, who needs a gym when you're doing all that? I think you're ok skipping a day. My son is in jazz band, too...and there is always "some band thing!"

Ok, MollySue, time to make a small dent on that dissertation! Even one step brings you closer to finishing than before; you go, girl!

Have a great day, everyone!

Cassie- the fact that you’re worried about letting it get out of control means you’ll be conscious not to. After a year of maintaining goal weight you have some serious mojo and will get over the hurdle (or at least I hope so since you’re my push to do it)
Jjeand- Sounds like a busy day!
Muna- Hope you’re feeling better soon! 3 doses have they checked what bacteria they think you have so that they aren’t giving you a resisted antibiotic (or treating a virus which antibiotics do zip for)? I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
I know I’ve missed a lot of people and I’m sorry but feeling really tired. Found out I’ve got another kidney infection (I’ve had issues with my kidneys all my life and have some anomalies with them) I’d been doing so well staying healthy so I’m pretty down and sore to say the least.
Food:
1) keep an 800 calorie deficit M:-573 T:-849 W: No (junk food for self pity)
2) LIMIT coffee intake max one a day: M: ZERO! T: zero W:zero
3) No carb Wednesday and Friday: W: No
4) Try to avoid ordering in dinner (my fiancé has already said they are on speed dial this week as he is swamped with work too): M: Homemade cob salad T: homemade W: store bought junk
5) Start drinking my shakes again: M:N T:N W:N T:Y

Non-Food:
1) Deep breathing exercises: M:Yes T:Yes W:Yes
2) Journal my thoughts/feelings to avoid that overwhelmed feeling M:N (too busy writing everything else) T:No W:No
3) Go for celebratory "girls night" once I make it through this week!: Doesn’t look like it will be this week