My update... not about me!
 

I heard from ole Quinny-poo. She sent me a message and has had some personal things with her family going on. She told me that I could post up some of her PM. I guess she's leaving it up to me to pick and choose what parts. :eek: I picked out the less personal stuff b/c I'm sure that's how she'd want it. :)

"To make a long story short, I've been living out of hotels for nearly a week and just got home last night. I had my laptop with me and was able to keep up (read) what was going on with everyone, although I couldn't bring myself to post anything. I usually got to my hotel room late at night, checked in with my kids and crashed. It was a comfort though to laugh with you guys, even in that situation."

"ANYWAY, just wanted to let someone know that I'm not just laying on a couch, covered in Cheeto crumbs!"

"Miss you guys and I will be back as soon as I can! :)

quinn"


She has had some people piss her off. I told her that we are all here for her and to give the ones that pissed her off the bird for me. If I were there with her I'd piss on their shoes, since I'm pretty good at that.

wow that's how I feel this week.

BTW I didn't send Quinn a harassing message, I guess she figured she'd message me first.:D

Hi Quinn --I've been thinking about you. It's good to hear from you. Just hope life will soon come together better for you. http://yoursmiles.org/csmile/preved/c0132.gif Whenever you are ready to come back, we are still here for you.

yeah, Mike -- Me thinks it's a good thing those "bad" people of Quinn's don't know you, or they would be in major trouble. . . .http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/agressive/t0131.gif
You have a good, protective heart.

Terri ~ I tried out the stability ball today with a Leslie Sansone "Can Do!" DVD. Think it will work except I kept sliding around. My "helpful" 7 yo dd told me, "Mommy, I think you're too fat for the ball." http://yoursmiles.org/ssmile/fun/s0209.gif She has been my self-appointed little coach throughout this process! Anyway, some of the exercises with the ball felt rather good.

ETA: I decided to shoot for the moon. I'm keeping my goals, but will not play the catch-up game. Instead, I will work on daily routine & keep practicing healthy habits.

Hi all,
Been lurking for the week. As I posted in the exercise thread:
Hello all you fitness fanatics.

My wanky sleep patterns finally caught up with me on Monday and carried over to Tuesday. I really felt like I was sleepwalking all day Monday (actually for the last week). It wasn't affecting my physical activity as much as my mental accuity. I just had no real ability to think beyond the task in front of me, which included responding to posts. Yesterday I went to the 6 AM CrossFit, came home and decided to take the morning to get myself together. I laid down with a book at about 10, promptly fell asleep and didn't wake up until 2:30 :eek:. Since I had no problem going to sleep at my usual time, I'm guessing I needed the rest.

Today I am feeling much better, not quite my mentally energetic self, but a lot closer than I have in over a week.

Yoga tonight :D.

I didn't get around to posting goals, but have managed to stick to most of the usuals.

My heart goes out to all of you who are dealing with difficult events. And has reminded me to be grateful for all the blessings I have recieved recently and over the years.

I hope everyone can find some peace in their lives today. I sounds like we all could use it.

Hi everyone! Not the BEST review for yesterday for me, but definitely a "lesson learned" sort of day. ;)

Yesterday I was stressing about something or other, which led me to me indulging in some refined sugar dessert -- ok, more than some! There was a container of one of my favorite sugary desserts that I had all but forgotten about, until that particular stressful moment (isn't it always the way!). This in turn led me to believe I could have a "normal" (read: take out) lunch. Agh.

So, unfortunately, there are a few red marks on my chart for yesterday. However, the good thing to come out of all of this: usually on a "cheat" day I won't track my progress -- instead I'll think "Well, I probably didn't eat that poorly!". Well, a simple look at my calorie count shows that I definitely DID eat poorly -- at the very least, WAY more food than I need. That's good to know, and really puts things in perspective for me!

Here are my numbers (don't laugh!):

1. Under 2000 calories - 1844, 1968, 2538! D:, ?, ?, ?, ?
2. At least 72oz of plain water only (NO crystal light!) - Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?, ?
3. NO refined sugar except for 1 Luna Bar a day - Y, Y, N, ?, ?, ?, ?
4. NO fried food -Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?, ?
5. NO dairy other than nonfat plain yogurt - Y, Y, N, ?, ?, ?, ?
6. Go to the gym at least once a day (400-500 calories), preferably twice a day (800-1000 calories) 900, 400, 1000, ?, ?, ?, ?
7. Do at least one full set of stretches after the gym - Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?, ?
8. Take supplements (B12, Calcuim/D/K) - Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?, ?

I am trying to get rid of refined sugar for good (that's always what I binge on!) and it's been a bitter struggle, I'll keep at it though!

Also, I realize that my calorie requirements for the day may be TOO high -- still trying to figure out what is ideal. I am scared to really "count" calories again (I used to do so years ago when I was anorexic, which led to a lot of denial/reward, stuff-and-starve behaviors regarding food), so I am trying to determine where my body feels satisfied and happy. I may try to stay under 1850 for the rest of the week, and then perhaps even 1750 next week, until I hit a point where I feel like it fits.

Thanks and sorry for my long post today!! Also, thank you to everyone for posting your stories and your progress, it is SO inspiring for me to keep reading all of this stuff, thanks for helping me stay on track! :) You rock! <3

Hugs,
Mea

Health / Fitness
1. 100oz water daily M: Yes, T: Yes,
2. Limit one diet soda daily M: Yes, T: Yes,
3. No salt added to plate M: Yes, T: Yes,
4. Walk on lunch unless raining or working through it M: 35 min - 1-3/4miles, T: 40min - 2miles,
5. Exercise 3 times during Weds-Sun W: 1hr 10min,
6. 500 calorie daily deficit (3500 for the week) M: -1156, T: -1591, Week's Deficit -2747

Life Goals...
1. Take things one day at a time M: so far so good, T: had a good day,

Yesterday turned out to be a nice day. We got to drive down to the hospital for visiting instead of only getting a phone call. We are only supposed to see him for an hour but the nurses kept peeking in on us and left us there 1-1/2 hrs. :) He was in a much better mood. He laughed, smiled & joked with us. The anger is still there. I am not going to fool myself into thinking things are resolved. He knows and admits he still needs to stay there and needs help. He misses home though so that is a good thing. I explained to him that we can't have him at home until this is under control because what am I to do when he goes off like he does? I dont' have shots of thorazine at my disposal. He did say that if he feels a rage coming on he can excuse himself to his room and ask for a lower dose thorazine pill instead of waiting until it is a full on fit and needing restrained and shots. I wasn't aware of that but I think it is a good thing. He also doesn't want to be on meds because he doesn't like how they feel so I don't think he will abuse the ability to request that medicine.

I just wanted to announce that I will try to refrain from complaints about my breast size from here on out. I heard (then googled) a news story about a girl who is only 17 and has size 34K (yes K) breasts and has to wait 4 more years to have a reduction because they are still growing!! :eek: She has a disease that caused them to grow rapidly at puberty. I don't know if I am allowed to give the link to that news story or not but I'm sure you can google it up.

Tori ... I agree. You should splurge on something special for yourself and new bras might be just the thing! I bought 4 or 5 at Christmas and they make me so happy! LOL

Cassie ... Congrats on your son making the team! That is huge! Just hope it doesn't make too 'huge' of a dent in your checkbook!

Lizzie ... Your weekend sounds awesome! I hope you have a great time!

Quinn ... I'm sorry for whatever troubles you are dealing with. It seems to be going around. I hope that whoever made you mad realizes the error in their way.

Terri ... BF did dishes? Oh my! If you don't want him, send him up here!!!

Darlene ... Did you get to walk to church last night? I wish I lived in a town that I could walk to things. I do like living rural though too.

I got my lunch walk in yesterday. Stayed up when hubby went to work this morning at 5am and did 1hr 10min workout. Added in a few new exercises that I saw online to work the belly more. I think they work as I am starting to feel sore. That's a good thing because exercise rarely makes me sore.

You did the best thing that you could with your 'off' day. You logged it and looked at it. Took it for what it was and have moved on from it. You aren't sulking over what happened. It was what it was and now you are back at it today. It isn't all or nothing. Continue on and just realize what caused yesterday to happen so you can try to avoid it from happening again. :)

Sooo, hey guys! Sorry to have been so absent recently - to be honest, I've had a crappy couple of weeks... As you know, I've been trying to adjust my insulin levels recently, and it's been tough. On top of that, I think some of my insulin went bad and wasn't working, so I was getting really frustrated about a lot of really high blood sugars that had no apparent reason. It really screwed with my head, and on top of that, I just felt physically bad as well. Anyway, food has been bad, exercising has been bad, I hate my classes, I want to drop out of grad school, and I'm pretty certain that the world is also coming to an end... haha, yeah, well, not really, but it's just one of those weeks where it all seems to be going to hell in a handbasket.

But it seems like this stuff is going around... big hugs to Tori and April!

Anyway, I'm working on wanting to do better, and I'm going to try to keep coming around here, 'cause I know that helps.

Thanks so much for the words of encouragement April! :) I think sometimes I am guilty of the "all or nothing" approach, and then once I have a less than perfect day I often say "Oh well!" and just go back to eating whatever I want, which is just plain silly of me! Thanks for helping remind me of the big picture -- I'll try to make yesterday the only day I have with red markings for the entire week :)

Also, so great to hear that you got to visit with your son!! :) Please keep us posted, sending warm thoughts your way! <3

Mike. Thanks for letting us know about Quinn.

Quinn. Virtual hugs and best wishes and all good thoughts going out to you.

April. So very glad you got to spend some "good" time with your son. The fact that he understands that he has a problem is positive but you are right to want to take things slowly. I know it is so tempting to think that a few good days mean he can go home but that might not be helpful for any of you. Sorry if I sound like an amateur psychiatrist but we had similar problems with my youngest sister and my dad always caved when she begged to be taken home but she was never ready and just relapsed. It was only when I lost it with my dad and told him that he was risking the entire families sanity that he stood up to sis and she finally got the help she needed.

To all who like the sound of my weekend away, unfortunately it's another week away but I can wait.....just about.

Joanna ~ Glad to see you pop back in. I really hope that you soon can get your levels all figured & onto firm & stable ground.

Mea ~ Bless you! That "all or nothing" thinking gives many of us such struggles. That's why I like motivational sayings. It helps to pound good thinking into my head because naturally I tend to be pessimistic. In other words, I identify with you that way.

Question: Would counting servings of the food groups within a Caloric goal work for you? I really don't like calorie counting either. That's why I love having FitDay to plug it all in & to see how servings/types of foods make a difference on the FitDay charts.

April ~ I smile at your words of encouragement for others while you have lots in the fire (so-to-speak). So glad for any rays of sunshine that come your way.

Pam ~ Are you enjoying yoga?
-------------------------
I think I've figured out some daily routine that will help me reach goals. I did 30" Aerobic & followed up with about 15" to 20" Strength Training. I plan to rotate muscle groups/function MON thru FRI. Today I worked on back/abd.

Back with goals later . ..

Cassie--sometimes, when it rains it pours. old me would have curled up and waited until the sun came back out, but new me has learned that all you have to do is pull on the rain boots, grab an umbrella and slosh right through it. i'll cry when necessary and laugh all i can (its what i do best anyway). I LOL'd at your lol on your calories yesterday. I did the EXACT same thing one day either last week, or the week before. Talk about cutting it close. I love your goal of 7 hours of sleep a night. I think I may need to make a sleep goal too, 7 hours would be impossible for me though. Maybe a good solid 5.....

Lizzie--doesn't it just give you butterflies in your tummy when you know youre going to get to see BF again? it's the "omg, i cant WAIT to see him" anticipation that keeps us going isn't it? and ooh la la nice restaurant and hotel stay. enjoy yourselves! I'm not so sure about taking pics for CN. i wouldn't be able to take the pic myself, and am DEFINITELY NOT having someone take them for me LOL!! even if I did, I dont think i could make myself send it to him. id know in the back of my mind that it would have been gone through before he actually got it and that knowledge makes me cringe.

Amy--when I first read you telling me to get a trash can I was thinking geez, i thought CN was a keeper, now people are telling me to get rid of the "trash" LOL!! I get what youre saying though. out with the old and in with the new.

Luv--thanks for the great words. reading your posts always makes me feel more uplifted. i wish i could harness half of your positive energy......

Terri--if BF is batting 1000 you'd best leave it be! I'm pretty sure that my GTH look came natural to me. I have an aunt who gives the same look. When I about had to give the smack down to the lady at WalMart on black friday (technically thanksgiving night) it was the look that I went with. I was telling my aunt about it a week or so later and I said "i gave them one of YOUR looks". no one had to ask which look it was LOL!!! What's sad is my 9 year old niece does it too. Whenever she shoots me a look of disgust I have to remind her not to give me that particular look, i know what it means because I invented it! I try not to think about what CN does for his job, it's how I get through. we were talking about it this past weekend and he made the comment of "if you think ive never had to shoot someone you're mistaken. it's not that ive wanted to. it's my job, ive HAD to." and i get that, i really do. but i like to live in a bubble. in Bubble World they're over there swilling beers and playing cards. And everything is all Sunshine, and Rainbows and Unicorns!! My delusions are what get me through the day. Can I borrow you BF for a while? I need someone to wash my dishes. Does he do bathrooms too??? and woohoo superbowl weight is gone! you go girl!

Mea--I think we've all had those days where we REALLY don't want to know how bad of a day it was. I had that night a few weekends ago. it was girls night out, and whew, it was a night. lots of beer and wings and sports watching (sounds like a guys night out more than a girls though LOL). the best thing to do is say "well, that's over with. it's time to move on". one day at a time. I hope you find the balance youre looking for. And what long post? have you seen some of mine?? (this one included)

April--I'm SO glad you had a good visit with your son. I know it eases your mind a little bit. Continued positive vibes to you!!! and omg 34K???? that's got to be horrible. I worked with a woman once who was a 38J. i seriously have never seen a woman with boobs that big before. puts it in perspective, doesnt it?

Joanna--climb aboard the Struggle Bus! (Amy--it's chartered, yes?) it really does seem to be going around lately. Don't drop out of grad school. Think of how far youve come to get where you are! So sorry to hear about your insulin troubles. Keep coming around. Whether your posting or not, at least read. Chin up Buttercup!!

Quinn--I hate to hear(read) that you're struggling. Know that we're here with shoulders if you need them. Sending some of the positive vibes your way too!

Mike--Your week getting any better? I hope there was no more channeling of Cookie Monster.....


So, my Wednesday has been alright, even though I had to go in to work. I didn't have to be in as early as I normally would, so that worked in my sleeping favor. And I only wound up working a half day. I'll TAKE IT! Jas has been super whiny today, I guess I haven't been paying as much attention to her lately as she deserves. And yes, I know she's just a cat LOL! But SHE thinks she's human, and she demands attention from time to time. I really need to use some of the energy that I have today and start packing all my crap up. I know that I've eluded to moving, but haven't really said in detail where to. I am happy to report that this will be my last full week of living in the 'hood. I am struggling MAJORLY in saving money for the down payment for a Home of My Own and was made an offer that I couldn't refuse. I am going to temporarily stay with my parents (:eek::eek:at 34!!!!) to be able to save the $$$. It is definitely not a great situation, but sometimes we do things we don't really want to. It's a good thing I get along with them fairly well LOL! With this scenario the only bills I'll have to pay are my car insurance and my cell. Which is only about $150 a month, combined. Everything else will go straight into the savings. It's not an ideal situation, but it'll help. I won't be scared to walk alone at night, which is good. There's a nice 5 acres for me to roam around on. It'll also give my dad someone there to help with my mom. She has a lot of health and emotional problems, and sometimes it's just more than he can deal with alone. She refuses to stay alone, EVER. So whenever he has to work she normally would stay with me or my brother anyway. Now, with me being there it'll make her more comfortable (not having to leave her own home) and Jasmine will LOVE all the attention from Gramma. And seeing as how we're over there every Sunday for dinner anyway, Jas is already used to the house. She knows just where to go to get treats. I'm guessing I'll be there maybe 6 months. It just depends on how quickly I can save. My daddy said that he's watched me struggle to make ends meet for over 2 years, and he just can't take it anymore LOL! I've already laid the ground rules though, that they can't meddle or pry. And I don't think they would anyway. It was a very hard decision, but the good outweighed the bad in the end. In the long run it's going to be cheaper for me to pay a mortgage than rent. I'm shelling out close to $600 a month right now for rent alone. On a DOUBLE WIDE! Why not try and find a small fairly inexpensive HOUSE? I think I'm going to set my upper limit to $80-90K. But I'm pretty sure that around here I can find something cheaper that would be suitable for me and Jas.

I talked to my friend's dad this morning and he said that he was doing alright for now. He had a rough night last night. His heart was racing and he didn't get much sleep, but is doing well for the time being. He'll be in CCU for at least 48 more hours. That's about all I know right now. Unfortunately I can't go see him because he's still in CCU, and it's family only. I have literally known this man since Kindergarten. We were practically raised as brother and sister. I still can't believe it's happened. He was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic maybe 10 years ago, and he doesn't manage that well. Maybe this will be the wake up call he needs to do what he has to do. When I DO get to see him, I'm gonna beat him about the head and neck for a while......

I'm not doing horrible on food today. Although I didn't get to eat breakfast. When I finally woke up, I realized how late I was running and skipped it :o. Lunch wasn't bad though. And I'm getting ready to find a snack before I start on supper. At some point today I need to run by the drugstore. I think I'm developing a UTI, so I need to grab some Azo or cranberry juice. UUGGGHHHHHHH!!! So, that's it in a nutshell. Ima go pack some stuff. ttfn!!

Tuesday Check in
 

Hi Everyone! Hope you all have had a great day! Mine has been long but good, no major crisis, so that is always a plus! Most goals were good yesterday, the only thing I'm still struggling with is moving more during the workday outside of regular exercise, but some days, actually most, this time of year it is just crazy around here.



1200-1400 cals M-1279 T-1299
80 oz water M-64 oz T-80 oz
Treadmill T-Th-Sat T-Yes
5000 steps on non TM days 3479
8000 steps on TM days 4985
Weights and Floor Exercises at least 3 times. No, No,
Post here every day Yes, Yes

Tori I'm so glad it seems that you're starting to feel better and focus on yourself, and I think it's great that you're moving back with your parents, it sounds like a great situation for everyone. I hope your friend continues to recover, so scary to be so young, but it does happen.

Cassie Great job on your goals!

Amy We all have bad days like that, I hope today has been better for you.

DarleneGreat job on your goals too!

LizzieGood for you lowering your lunch cals to make up for the cookie, I'm sure it was delicious!

Luv Keep working at your goals, I've been tempted to lower mine too, but I'm just going to keep at it and I think it will get easier. It's a good plan to incorporate strength training in your exercise plan, it will really help you feel better through out the day.

Terri Your goals look great, and how nice your BF did the dishes for you even though he hates to do dishes, so sweet!

Quinn So glad to hear from you, we are thinking of you and we'll all be here when you get back!

Mike Sorry you are still struggling today, and Luv is right you are a great friend

Pam Welcome back! I hope your sleep troubles are over! I have them too, but mine are in the form of a snoring husband! It's so loud the earplugs he brought me from his work that block out the sound of the machinery don't always work!

Mea Way to go tracking your not so perfect day, that means you are still in control, and that is the most important thing! Hope today was better for you!

April I am so very happy that your visit went well, it's true that one good day doesn't mean your worries are over, but the positive experience will go a long way for all of you to have hope that one day he will be able to be home again with you. I know what you mean about the soreness being a good thing, the crunches I've been doing really make me sore, but feeling that during the day makes me smile knowing I did a good thing.

JoannaWhy is it that when one part of our life is out of control, everything else seems to follow? Don't quit school, Tori is right when she says you have worked so hard to get here, you can do this! Maybe gaining control of your food and exercise will help you to feel better able to handle everything else. These classes that you don't like will eventually end, and this will all be so worthwhile when you are done! There were many times when I was studying for the CPA exam while working full time and with 2 young kids that I wondered what in the heck I was thinking, but now all these years later I am so glad I stuck with it, no one can take that from me. Hang in there!

Mern Haven't seen you here today, but I hope you're having a great day!

Have a great evening everyone!

Julie

Wednesday Report

I got busy yesterday and didn't log all my food. To be honest, yesterday is a blur--I truly tried and cannot remember what I ate--don't know if I was under, on track, or over on my goals. I'm just going to put a question mark for Tuesday, but I know exactly what I ate today.

I was deliberately over in carbs today by exactly the half avocado that I choose to eat tonight for a snack even though I'm currently at my 25g net carb limit. Avocado is one of the foods that is supposed to help lower cholesterol/triglycerides (whichever--I can never remember which it helps) but I'm above normal in both according to my blood tests. I had my homemade lasagna today without earning it with clean eating for a whole week and boy, oh boy, was it delicious! :p

Blue means above target but target is weekly so may not yet mean a missed goal

Calorie limit 1600 daily 1270, ?, 1584
Carbs less fiber limit daily 25g 21.4g, ?, 30g
Saturated fat average 12% of total calories 13%, ?, 15%
Fiber average 25g 11g, ?, 29g
Cholesterol average 300mg 277mg, ?. 195mg
Protein average 120g 79g, ?, 102g

Water 60 oz. NO, NO, NO
Exercise 5 days NO, NO, NO

Check in #1...wow, what a day. I am officially overwhelmed.

Had lunch catered in at the practice...had to take a wag at entering, but I think I made a good choice. I'm compensating a bit at dinner but have to get in my healthy fats, so that's the task for tonight. And exercise. And work. Hope all are doing well...

First, thanks to all for your congrats on my stove knob. It IS funny how such a simple thing can bring such pleasure. That made me remember how two Sweetest Days ago DH bought me a headlight switch knob for my car. I guess I got a thing for having to have all the knobs to which I'm entitled. LOL

Cassie, you made a similar choice as I did--you with getting in your healthy fats, and my avocado puts me over my carb limit, but it's a healthful food that I need to get in daily. Hope you get some good rest after your super busy day!

Tori, sending you another big cyberhug. Hope you did OK with the exercise with having to wear the brace. OMG, so sorry 'bout your friend having the heart attack! I'll certainly keep him in my prayers--keep us posted. The energy savings is not going well except for turning down the furnace. Amazingly, DH is the one who is unable to make himself cut back on computer usage and TV. He doesn't have as much that he HAS to do (I mean like in the line of household chores and errands, etc.) to keep himself busy as I do, so that's more of a sacrifice for him. He gets miffed when he FINALLY gets off the computer or quits watching TV and I remind him to put the computer in the sleep mode and unplug the TV. I'm about to give up on that because he takes it as nagging. Yeah, I'm rolling my eyes just TYPING about it. LOL I laughed aloud at your redneck dryer knob story. Good thinking! Hell, I had a pair of vice grips as a headlight switch knob in my car for YEARS! Not joking. I'll bet you and I could give Jeff Foxworthy a lot of redneck material. LOL Another OMG--best wishes on the house. Wonderful that your parents are willing to help by putting you up for a while and you'll be helping them in return with more companionship for your Mom for a while and some relief for your Dad.

Darlene, my oven isn't antique--it's just older than most people's, I guess. I was amazed that an oven made in 1989 is already called "vintage." In my world and DH's, we don't replace things until they're broken or unsightly. That's so sweet that Kaya brings you her chew toys. Our dog used to do that but only because he wanted to play tug of war and he would never let go of whatever he had until we quit playing. LOL Oh, golly, the oil cleanup from our dog chewing a hole in the oil line WAS messy and a ton of work. You sounded as busy as I was yesterday. Hope you got all your errands run.

Terri, schedule C's are a pain in the butt, but it must have been a little self-satisfying with yours being from your book royalties. That is super cool! :) I'm like you--hate exercise, but love HAVING worked out. Aw, that's sweet that BF did the dishes for you! Congrats on your Superbowl weight being off. I hope you get lower by Friday, especially if it's the 157 you're hoping to see.

Lizzie, I've only tried one brand of flaxmeal. I'll bet one is as good as another. I forgot about your sister being coeliac. Best wishes in the kitchen Saturday! OMG on the chocolate chunk cookie calorie content. I had that horrified experience once over one bagel that turned out to be 75g carbohydrates--3 TIMES my daily carb allowance. I haven't eaten one since and that was years ago. Great job on dropping your lunch to fruit to make up for the cookie calories!

Amy, oh, man! I'm sure you had to pull your diswasher rack out way more often than I had to fiddle with my oven with the missing knob. Glad you were able to get that fixed, too. Doesn't take much for you and I to consider ourselves living the high life. LOL!

Luv, you really HAVE been doing an outstanding job in your exercise. I ALWAYS want more food than I'm allowed to have. Self-control is quite a challenge for me, too. Believe me, you're not alone!

Quinn, adding my old lady finger to Mike's bird for whomever you wish to flip it. Huge cyberhug to ya!

April, I'm glad you had a good visit with your son yesterday.

Pam, hope you get some good sleep soon!

Mea, there's never a need to apologize for a long post. Everyone is welcome to, entitled to, and encouraged to talk as long as needed or desired. Kudos on tracking your calories yesterday. That's great. And kudos on winning out over your anorexia years ago. YOU are inspiring and YOU rock! :)

Julie, you're so sweet. Everything is fine here--I've just had a zillion things to do yesterday and today so got behind posting. Congrats on your calories, treadmill, and water today!

Lizzie Your night with bf sounds nice. Lol at him being your Leonard I love big bang theory a friend lent it to me when I was sick back in November then I had to catch up on 4 seasons so I could watch it this season. I agree it’s hard on owners whose dogs are left home all day the dog doesn’t really mind but when you get home they need your time and attention I have had many a day were I get home from work and the dogs are waiting on the stairs for their walk it really is a commitment. The advantage Kaya will have is dd is home all day so she is becoming far more people dependent then our past dogs have been we actually are going to purposely start going out for a couple hours every day so she can learn to be alone. I love my cats I was 100% a cat person until I met hubby and had kids he claimed every kid needs a dog and I must admit they have grown on me but wow cats are so much easier.:)

Amy I am starving too, yesterday was really hard I just wanted to eat everything in sight I was over calories but they were at least healthy food choices but still too much food. I am glad Kaya brings stuff to me also but we are not taking any chances my lovely purses no longer get sat on the floor all my good shoes have been put in my closet no point in testing her chew ability on things I like alot. I thinks things are improving economically here also we of course did not get hit as hard as you guys did but my hubby is a salesman in the construction industry and he’s been pretty happy this month with new house and commercial building starts. I actually got called to interview this morning so we will see what happens I have to admit I am still being pretty picky about where I am applying right now but I am ready to get back to work the sooner the better.

Fit4luv Keep plugging away at tracking your foods and trying for your macros mix, it takes some time to figure it out and before you know it you will be an expert at planning your calories. Thanks for the link to the smileys, I love them.

Terri Lol at bf doing the dishes being a fall over moment I had one of those years ago when hubby cleaned the bathroom he told me when we got married he doesn’t do bathrooms I said fine I don’t do garbage.:D

Pam Wishing you a great sleep.

Mea Good job on posting and being honest about what you ate that’s a really important part of why I am on this forum, accountability works wonders for me. I think playing with your calories slowly is smart especially if you have struggled with food in the past you can always increase exercise to instead of decreasing food once you decide what healthy amount of calories will help you lose the unwanted weight.

Joanna Glad to hear from you.

Tori I think it’s a great blessing and huge opportunity to move in with your parents to save money for your own place it’s so smart to try to be a homeowner. Good luck with all that packing and go play with your cat for heaven’s sake.:rolleyes:

Julie Good job on your goals today.

Mern I am glad you enjoyed your lasagna.

I guess I should go cook supper hubby just walked in asking what we were going to eat.:)

April I am happy your visit went well.:D:D:D:D
Attachment 300

I did get to walk to church and it was very nice but darn cold.

Darlene, glad you enjoyed your walk to church--sorry it wasn't warmer for you.

My lasagna came in at 10.3g net carbs per serving. :) Almost half my daily carb allowance, but it was so worth it for what will be an occasional treat.

Cripes.
 

Temptations everywhere.

My son had practice tonight from 3:30 to 5:45, then he had his regular tennis drills from 6:45 to 8:45. When I picked him up, he was starving. He offered to buy himself a pizza; we have a Little Ceasars nearby, $5, ready to grab and go. It's not good pizza, but teenagers don't care. So we get there at 8:55, it's deserted, the guy says he'll give me a second pizza for $3 and free crazy bread. Score!

Anyway, it smells much better than it tastes, so I'm trying to ignore the aroma and eat my pistachios. Going to work for an hour, then lift weights. Will check in later to make my goals.

I've been pretty out of sorts this week. Reading about what all of you are dealing with, I realize I don't really have any reason to be. I function well for long periods of time, and then hit a week like this week were I just kind of shut down, and all of a sudden dealing with everything by myself just feels overwhelming, and I miss the support of having my husband with me.

Yesterday was bad. I didn't feel like I could cope with anything. I literally took a book back to bed, and crawled under the covers to read. I felt guilty the whole time for not putting the dirty dishes in the sink into the dishwasher, and not moving the laundry to the dryer, and not spending time with my kids, but I just needed the escape I guess.

Tonight I'm a bit better. I made one of my favorite recipes which is a ginger-glazed mahi mahi. Not the healthiest thing ever with 3 TBSP of honey in the glaze, but very tasty. I also got in 5 miles on the treadmill. I still need to take care of the laundry though, so I'd better get off the computer and take care of that.

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick check in before I go to bed. Started logging my foods again today now that things have settled down a bit.

To give you all "The Reader's Digest Condensed Version" of my last week...

My mom had a nearly fatal medical emergency. Local treatment (surgery) would have been fatal, if they even attempted it at all. (They didn't want to even try.) So, I got her out of here and into a large hospital where they most certainly saved her life. Large hospital was many hours away, so I lived out of hotels for the last week. (Eating sucked, to say the least... I was kind of at the mercy of whatever others could scrounge up for me, and it was almost always high fat/high calorie. Just got home late last night; she should be home by the weekend. Anger was addressed to hospital #1; the one that also misread my mammogram a few years ago. :mad:

Miss you all and although I won't have time to post a whole lot, know that when I was in my hotel, (with my trusty laptop) I still got late night chuckles reading what was going on with all of you. ;)

Looking forward to more normalcy soon! Oh... and JUST KEEP LOSING! :)

quinn

Quinny-poo, I'm gonna keep gaining until you come back. How's that for pressure?

Kay--I completely understand you wanting to crawl under the covers. I did so on Monday, except I didn't have the book.

It looks like we all need one big group hug!!

I was having a pretty decent day until around 5 this afternoon. My cousin calls and needs a ride to the ER. She was in immense pain and couldn't even stand up straight. Her sister was watching the kids and her fiance was in class, so she was SOOL. What do good cousins do? They drop everything to take people to the ER. We were there for a little over 4 hours (thank GOD I took her to the hospital of lesser volume, otherwise we'd still be there). It was a test of will power when standing in front of the vending machines. But I won out!! **woot woot** They doped her up pretty good and she was flying high, so at least I got some good laughs out of the night. She was diagnosed with having passed a kidney stone and she has a (and I quote) "really nasty urinary tract infection". Looks like those are going 'round. I got home about an hour ago and found something for dinner, but I'm still hungry. I'll probably have a bowl of cereal and call it a night. My pot pie will have to wait until tomorrow, again. I've had the stuff to make it since Monday, but it's still not made.

All I have to say about it is BLAHHHH BLAHHH BLAHHHH. I think I'm going to go to work tomorrow with my rain boots and umbrella ready. It's liable to rain while I'm there.....

Hope all have a great night. Will post totals tomorrow.


My "dinner" options.....

I'll take the butterfinger at E10

Didn't have popcorn to go with it, so I went with the Skinny Cow. Which I'll never do again. UUUGGHHH

Mern I am surprised that anything from 1989 is vintage that’s funny my daughter was born in 86 maybe I should tell her she’s vintage already.:D

Cassie Lol at the little ceasars smelling better then it tastes, my son used to bring it home all the time and my hubby call's it the best smelling cardboard on the market.:)

Kay Down time is good and necessary sometimes, I hope you cheer up soon, great job on getting your exercise in.

Quinn Glad you are home and that your mom is going to be ok, you are a great daughter and she is lucky to have you making health decisions for her.

Tori That’s some gourmet buffet selection you had for dinner good job on resisting I noticed the gold twix wrapper that could have been my downfall. I am glad your cousin is ok and you are most certainly a good cousin for being there for her.:)

Busy, busy day again today. I am looking forward to hiking tomorrow I didn't do any exercise today other then my 30min abs/squats. I did take Kaya for a walk around the block and she was full of energy so we sprinted back up the hill on the way home and she loved it, maybe my dog can find the jogger in me.:rolleyes: I need to put my pedometer on to log our walk I have no idea how long it is so I have not been counting it as k's. Hope you all have a great night.



Goals:
Walk 25k: M=7.1k, T=6k, W=0
Exercise 5 days: M=Hike, T=Walk, W=No
Squats 5 days: M=Y, T=Y, W=Y
Ab work 5 days: M=Y, T=Y, W=Y
Calories less than 1400: M=1379, T=1501, W=1406 really six calories I am blaming the blackberry.
Calorie deficit of 5000 for week: M=-753, T=-436, W=-504
No sugar: M=N, T=N, W=Y

Zzz...
 

1. Keep calories at 1300. 1259, 1299 lol, 1286
2. Follow my pie chart / fiber guidelines. Yes, Yes, Yes
3. 2 sports bottles of water. Yes, Yes, Yes
4. Take all vitamins and supplements. Yes, All except fish oil, Yes
5. Sleep 7 hours, at least. Not last night, Yes, Nope
6. Exercise 6 times. One, Two
7. Check into FD 3 times daily and log everything. Yes, Yes, Yes

8. Get info and order new faucets for MBR.
9. Change doc appts. Done
10. Card for pediatrician.

Wed FitDay Challenge Check-In / Will Chat later . . .
 

FIT Day Challenge *~* Shoot 4 the Moon *FitDay Check-in: Mon-Tues-Wed
Sun = "Cushion" Day {Respite with Reason} . . . Daily = x6/wk

“You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” -Wayne Gretzky

}*{THURS MISSION: Complete 1/2 Chapt of Hlth Group Study by 3:00pm -->

MISSIONS
*^* WED: Plan Strengthening Routine --> Accomplished
~*~ TUES: Simplify Food Plan for my Simple Thinking :) --> Accomplished...Now to apply
<*> MON: Stick to Food Servings Plan --> Accomplished, but felt like swimming around with this.

FIT
FOCUS (3) Mind & Heart
*Audio Bible (10 chapt) ~
**FitDay (Check-In daily) ~ Yes x3 ::::::: No x0
**Hlth Group Bk Study (Complete Chapt) ~

INTAKE (3) Nutrition daily
*1600 Calorie ~ AT or BELOW x2 ::::: Lost Track x1
**H2O (40 oz) ~ Yes x1 ::::: No x2
**Vit/Fish Oil ~ Yes x2 ::::: No x1

TRAIN (3) Movement wkly Tally
**Aerobic (150") ~ 30"
**Pedometer (15 mi) ~ 5 mi
*Strengthening x5 ~ x1

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

DAY (3) Life wkly Tally
DAZZLE: *Zone Focus (60") ~10"
ADMINISTRATE: *Paper Trail (20") ~
YARD (Outside) *Maintain (20") ~

I am so annoyed at myself for sitting around on my butt when you all are so busy and STILL make time for exercise.

Luv. Been meaning to say how well you are doing and I admire your focus on getting fit and healthy cos that's what it should be all about.

Tori. Life is certainly throwing it at you, but you sound like a winner so I know you'll cope but don't forget to take care of yourself as well. I get the "bubble", I grew up as a pacifist and a bit hippy and went into a caring profession so how I wound up involved with military was a big surprise. However it opened my eyes to life and to what we owe to people who do jobs that we would never want to contemplate. In my case it's a bit easier as I know his work is treating others, both our guys, sometimes yours and civilians, but he also has to protect them and if the worst happened he is still expected to respond. As he has been in 4 different conflicts.... I just don't ask.

Cassie, there must be a difference in the Little Caesars. Ours is every bit as good as Papa John's or Pizza Hut. My whole family counts ours up there with really good tasting pizza. Congrats on your exercise! Great job except for the sleep. Must be contageous--I've been awake since 2AM after falling asleep around 11:30PM--just couldn't get back to sleep so I gave up. Today's not gonna be fun.

Kay, I'm sorry you're having a hard time right now. My heart goes out to you. The single parenting times are really tough. Hoping today will be brighter for you and that you and your kids will find something fun and uplifting to share. Big hug to ya! :) Wow, congrats on the 5 miles on the treadmill!

Quinn, well, geez! You've been having an awful time, too! Sure does sound totally sucky! Will keep your mom, you, and family in my prayers and hope you find more chuckles here to help you through your hard time. Big hug to ya!

Tori, glad your cousin is OK--OMG, she HAD to be in a lot of pain.

Mike, "Butterfinger at E10". Giggle, giggle.

Darlene, tell DD she's three years PAST vintage. LOL Hmm, really interesting to read another thumbs down on Little Caesars. I guess ours down the street does something different. DH and the grandkids enjoy it once a week. 30 minute abs/squats and a walk with Kaya is great. I haven't done any exercise all week and I know the scale will be on the rise again. I must make myself get moving!

Luv, I see you're still working hard on your goals.

Lizzie, I'm joining you in the exercise slacker corner. I've just been so darned busy I haven't wanted to make time to exercise at all. I doubt I'll do any today after only 2 1/2 hours sleep all night. UGH! Hope you get some in today.

Morning, all. I have another busy day in the office so may not check in until the evening, but at least there is no catered lunch today!

Quinn, so, so sorry to hear about your mom. I know you did exactly the right things to get her what she needed and hopefully you can get a chance to recoup from that exhausting run of days. She sounds like a tough lady and that will help her be on the road to recovery sooner rather than later, so here's hoping you can get some time for yourself soon, too.

Gotta run; will try to catch up with you all tonight or tomorrow :).

Yesterday was better than terrible - I count that as a win.

Quinn, I'm sorry to hear about your mom - hugs for you!

Oh, I'll be lurking around when I need a break from all of this insanity!

With all of the great Mardi Gras food, I'm sure I'd gain, too!

What's that I see in your signature?? No weight update since March 2011?? Time for me to put a little pressure on you, Buddy! ;) Just kidding... I'm sure you're doing just fine... oh, wait... is that a King Cake I see there next to your keyboard???? :D:D:D No beads for you!!

Thanks for all of the prayers... we'll take everything we can get. Feeling a bit more rested today, but will probably be heading back to the larger facility again Friday. (Getting antsy... feel like I should be there.) Came home to re-group, re-pack and rejuvenate. (Clean undies and clothes are a marvelous thing! ;)) My oldest son is driving down to be with her today... we are all taking shifts, because none of us lives in the town that the hospital is in (several hours away) and no one can stay the entire week.

Again, thanks for the well wishes... it means so much. I've made up my mind that I've done enough pity eating, and it's time to eat right. (It's so much easier when I'm at home!) I totally hear you about vending machines!!! Good Lord! How long has some of that stuff been in there, anyway??

Hug your loved ones tight and make a call to that Grandma, Grandpa, etc. that you haven't spoken to in a while. ;)

quinn

Mike: Thanks for letting us know about Quinn! How's your week going??? I see no goal updates posted yet!

quinn: So sorry to hear about your Mom. Big hugs for you and her, and I'm glad that they were able to help her at the large hospital. Keep your head up and just keep going, we'll be here for you when you have more time to talk. <3

Luv: LOL! I've never been good at the stability ball either, but your dd is hilarious. From the mouths of kids come things we often didn't want to hear. It's GREAT that she's coaching you though, and I'm glad you decided to shoot for the moon!! You can do it!!

Pam: Sometimes you just need a nap, girl. I'm glad you got one and I hope your sleep is evening itself out. I've been getting bad about sleep habits myself. I find I'm needing more sleep than normal lately and it's throwing my mornings off.

Mea: Good for you for tracking the cheat!!!! I find it really helps me to get over it just by logging and looking and moving on - if I don't log it, I feel guilty AND I wonder what I did to myself. Logging it lets you know and helps you have some peace. We all learn what works for us as we go on - now pick yourself up and log a better report the next day! :)

April: SO happy to hear you got to speak with your son in person and that he was having a good day. I'm sure it was great for all of you to be together and discuss it. You're keeping a level head and an open heart, and that's exactly what you need to do, I think. Big hugs for you. Also - yes, BF did dishes, but it's probably all he's got in him for a few years, so not sure what sending him to you would do!!!! Also... 34K?!?!?! That poor girl! She must be in so much pain!

Joanna: Big hugs to you!!! We all have this weeks where it just seems like nothing is going our way, but you stick at it girl! I know you can do it!!

Tori: He does the bathroom after MANY death glares. He has his own bathroom currently and he's a mechanic, so it gets fairly gross in there fairly quickly, and he tends to leave the shower stall until it's more brown than white. I get that he doesn't want to clean it so often, but it's so nasty I just don't go in there very often. But he DOES do it eventually. I do my own bathroom about once a week or so... sometimes a week and half if I'm being lazy about it. LMAO about your death glare, it DOES run in families, I don't know WHAT I would do if a 9-year-old gave me that look, I think I'd want to laugh and be shocked at the same time. And girl, if I were you, I'd be having the same delusions about playing cards and such and thinking about the combat as little as possible. I say go ahead and think about safe activities for him, maybe some of the good juju will go his way!

I hope your friend DOES get the wake-up call he needs. My Dad has Type 2 Diabetes and a heart attack and a triple bypass later, he still doesn't manage all that well. Some days when I think about it, it's just too much. Remind him of how much you love him on a daily basis if you can. Also, WTG on the home of your own!!! My sister moved back in with our Mom and Dad for a year, at 29, when she was also saving up for a down payment. It's not such a big deal as long as they don't meddle too much, lol. We do what we have to do!! Good luck with your move!

Good on your willpower at the vending machine! Those Cheez-Its would have been devoured >.>

Mern: Sometimes we just need to go over. I hit EXACTLY 1600 yesterday, which is my upper limit on cals, but I also had nearly a 1k burn and I think my body needed the fuel. Your lasagna sounds entirely delicious. Maybe I'll make a lasagna this weekend, there's a recipe I've had my eye on. The Schedule C WAS a pain in the butt, but if I get my refund it's all worth it!

Cassie: Practice from 3:30 to 8:45, holy cow!!! Only an hour off in-between there? This tennis is way more hardcore than the tennis I did in high school, lol. Good on your for resisting the Pizza, Pizza. Just remember you're worth more than cardboard ;)

Kay: I feel you, girl. We all have days like that. Sometimes we just need alone time. Not adult-time, not responsible-time, but just time to do nothing and recharge some batteries. I like to think that women have more pressures on us day-to-day then men do, and you just need to hit the pause button every once in awhile. Big hugs, and hoping you feel more like yourself soon.

Weekly Goals

Food/Exercise/Lifestyle Goals:

1) Keep calories between 1200 and 1500 daily. Week average around 1300. No single day over 1600. M: 1,335 T: 1,012 W: 1600 (Week Average: 1,315)
2) Exercise at least four times this week M: yes (small) T: No W: yes, twice!
3) Calorie deficit of 5000 M: -676 T: -797 W: -985 (Week Total: -2,458)
4) Protein 25-30% average for the week M: 29% T: 35% W: 25% (Week Average: 29.5%)
5) In bed by 11:30 every night M: yes T: No W: yes
6) No more than 1 lunch and 1 dinner out M: No eating out T: No eating out W: No eating out
7) At least 64-80 oz. of water daily. More is better. M: 80 T: 72 W: 88
8) Weigh in on Monday and Friday and report the weight here M: 161.5 (Superbowl, you do bad things to me)

Other Life Goals:

1) Make an effort on my appearance every day M: yes T: yes W: yes
2) Don't sweat the small stuff M: yes T: Tried really hard W: Needed to regroup, but yes
3) Send in at least 5 job applications M: 2 T: 0 W: 0
4) Do something special for BF - he was a saint all this weekend. M: not yet - I need to come up with a good idea T: I have a V-day idea, but I want to do something non-V-day related. W: not yet, but I have an idea
5) Write something wonderful that happens every day M: Got my taxes done and am getting more refund than I thought. T: BF did the dishes :eek: IT'S A MIRACLE. W: Managed an unexpectedly choppy day yesterday.

My day was extra-busy yesterday, but I wasn't aware of it until the middle of the day when an unexpected presentation got dumped in my lap. I suddenly got really scatter-brained -- actually, my walk at lunch managed to clear out my head. A lot of the time when I get upset, I don't even know what's truly bothering me and I need time to sort it out. The extra work wasn't bothering me, nor was the last-minuteness of it (though that was annoying) -- what was really bothering me is that I sort of feel "done" here in my current job and I know I need to refocus. I've been thinking about the future so much that I've been ignoring my present (except for my teaching). Once I realized that I was able to focus much better and my annoyance left me. Great what a mid-day walk can do. I didn't burn too many calories (didn't want to sweat in my work clothes) but breaking up my day of sitting with some activity felt great. I'm going to try to do it again today if I have time.

After my walk yesterday I ALSO got in a bitchin' workout - 820 cals in 55 minutes. That felt good too! And I actually wanted to, wahoo!!

Happy Thursday everyone. Looks like a 12-hour workday for me!

~Terri

LOL, E1 Snickers bar for me please.

Wednesday Check-in

Health & Fitness:

1. Calories 1,400 week days, 1,600 weekends. 1,357, 1,699, 2,026 ugh
2. 100 oz water. Y,Y,Y
3. 7 hours exercise. 50 min, 0 min, 72 min (total 2:02)
4. Calorie deficit 5,000. -774, -427, -351 (total -1,752)
5. Protein 25% or higher. 27%, 27%, 31%
6. Log & report everyday. Y,Y,Y
7. Last Monday 165.8. Post weight: 164, 162.2, 162.2, 162.6

Other stuff:

1. Finish 1 rabbit cage, cut pieces for 3 more. N,N,N
2. Finish my little part of the taxes. N,N,N
3. Housework 45 min daily +1 load of laundry. YY,YY,YY
4. Write calendar for G.S. N, DONE
5. Distribute 4-H calendar. N,N,N
6. Cut out pieces for Betsy Ross costume. N,N,N
7. Write and send out Valentines. N,N,N
8. Write down the most wonderful thing that happened. Yesterday my DD and I had a really great conversation about her history day presentation. I had one vision that I was sort of steering her towards, but she has really good ideas of her own and it's better all the way 'round if I back off and let her do what she does best.

I got in a 72 min brisk walk last night and had some really great conversation with my workout partner. We both have kids and it's nice to spend some time hashing out our own parenthood fears and concerns, especially when you can do that with a someone that has a similar approach.

My calories were way out of whack yesterday. Part of it was planned and part of it was an incident. Ugh, I made room in my budget for homemade cookies, but I carb crashed afterward and ended up having a mindless pepperoni binge around dinner time. Ugh. Once the package is breached I'm a goner. Fortunately it was just pepperoni and not pizza, cardboard or otherwise it all goes down really fast once I get a whiff. I'm with you Mern, our local Little Cesar's makes a pretty good pie, although I don't think it's as good as the local Pizza Hut. What I usually do is focus all my willpower on imagining "heartburn", which really helps to keep things in focus. I always get heartburn from Little Cesar's, and pretty much every time I eat Pizza Hut too. I think it's the combination of wheat and grease, tomatoes don't bother me the same way.

Quinn I'm so glad to hear that you stuck to your guns and got your mom the right care. Technically I suppose it was the bigger hospital staff that saved her, but let's face it, you deserve credit for making that call in the first place. You're an awesome daughter by the way, your mom is one lucky lady.

Cassie, wow, no wonder you're overwhelmed, practice until almost 9:00pm? Great job staying away from the pizza fat bomb, you're a far stronger woman than I. All I did was read about it and now it's all I can do to keep from driving 3 blocks to get one. Yes, that's right there is a Little Cesar's less than 3 blocks from here and yes, I have driven there many times for a fat fest. I should make it mandatory that I at least walk down there for a binge, but that's not how a really good binge works is it? Salad for lunch, salad for lunch, salad for lunch, must consume green leafies... Anyone convinced yet? I'm not even close...

Tori, I too moved home for a while to save money for a down payment, not only did I move home, I dragged my then fiance with me. There is no shame in working toward the future. And no I wasn't saying that you should trash CN, lol, just get rid of your old "fat" panties and bras.

Joanna, wow what a nightmare with the insulin. My SIL is diabetic and I know for a fact that her blood sugar has a serious impact on her mood. Hopefully you can get this worked out quickly. You know grad school can be really hard unless you're one of those people that lives for higher education. I can remember when I was in my last semester, it was brutal, I'd been a student for going on 10 years and I was just "OVER" it. All my friends were moving on to better jobs, spouses, kids, and I felt left behind. It was so bad, I was falling asleep routinely in class, forgetting to take notes, leaving my books all over the planet, lot's of sub-cerebral messages there... Anyway I set up a little rewards program to get through it. I bought a couple of bags of mini chocolate bars and hung them on a string, one for each day. Anyway I wouldn't recommend that exact incentive for you (maybe sugar free chocolates?), but having a visual reference helped me tackle it just one day at a time.

Pam, Mern and Kay, I'm sending you out some good sleep juju. I've been sleeping really well lately and I think it has to do with making sure I work out regularly and steer clear of caffeine or concentrated sweets, and quit drinking water by 9:00pm. Yikes, the trips to the potty can really break up your night. I'm really hoping that my sleep pattern is contagious this time, not yours, no offense.

Tori I'm totally cracking up over your "death" stare. I have one, but it doesn't sound nearly as effective as your genetic gift. My mother has it too, but my SIL, holy cow she's got a nasty one, the fam refers to it as "the stink eye". My nephews are really funny, she makes that face at them and they raise their arms up in front of their faces to block the glare and scream "not the stink eye" and run to do whatever it is she's P.O.ed about. I need to harness that super power...

Darn, I think if I had a dog that would turn me into a runner I'd be tempted to get one of it's legs removed, LOL, just kidding. I'm glad she's got enough energy to get both you and Lucky moving.

I have a fun mom thing to share. Yesterday I was tidying up oldest DD's room. I don't clean it, but once/week I spend 15 minutes in there just to spruce it up and do the things she forgets. Anyway, I picked up a piece of folded paper and it was an assignment from keyboarding class. In keyboarding they concentrate on punctuation, capitalization and spelling, but the content is wide open. Since it's homework I read it, notes from her friends I usually skip, since those are private. Anyway she wrote about how the snack bar has horrible junk food and she wished it had healthier options!!! This from my DD who had nearly knock down, drag out arguments with her mother about WHY I should let her buy food from the snack bar every day! I actually got choked up over it. HA, I'm making progress, at least I made progress on that one day when she needed something to type about in keyboarding class.

Yesterday was definitely a much better day than Tuesday!:

1. Under 2000 calories - 1844, 1968, 2538! D:, 1910, ?, ?, ?
2. At least 72oz of plain water only (NO crystal light!) - Y, Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?
3. NO refined sugar except for 1 Luna Bar a day - Y, Y, N, Y, ?, ?, ?
4. NO fried food -Y, Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?
5. NO dairy other than nonfat plain yogurt - Y, Y, N, Y, ?, ?, ?
6. Go to the gym at least once a day (400-500 calories), preferably twice a day (800-1000 calories) 900, 400, 1000, 500, ?, ?, ?
7. Do at least one full set of stretches after the gym - Y, Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?
8. Take supplements (B12, Calcuim/D/K) - Y, Y, Y, Y, ?, ?, ?

Thanks again to everyone for their kind posts and words of encouragement! Interacting with everyone is making this so much more easy and dare I say, fun? (OK...did I just say dieting was FUN?! Might need to head off to the gym now to knock some sense in to me!) Cheering for everyone this week! <3