1) 6+ glasses of water, 6
2) stretch, Yes
3) write two hours a day 5 days a week, Yes if you call sitting and blankly staring at my screen then writing very little writing
4) 1500 calories or <, 1273
5) lose at least 1 lb this week, not yet!
6) keep positive, tryyyyyyyying

I see a lot of success othere: Nobe, Mern, Cassie, Jho.

Jho, I'm glad you enjoyed my "Whitney." I love the idea of karaoke FD, how would it work???!!!???

Cassiem, I have no idea why you thought of those Oreos...but now I'm thinking of them!!! I might have to go get some SF ones and sing "I Will Always Love You" to them. HCKG sugar free is the way to go (at least for me! and maybe you too, huh?)

Lizzie, how are things going overseas? Glad you're joining us!! I knos it's tough to say no to the croissants but you will feel better after the fruit.

Mern, what's up with you? I miss your contributions!!!

Mike where ya at? Tori, can you get him back?

Amy?

calories intake max 1200 - m/y, t/y
exercise my routine every day - m/y, t/y
drink neem - m/y, t/y
take walks - m/y t/y
don't eat junk food - m/y, t/y
don't drink alcohol - m/y, t/y
drink lots of water - m/n, t/y

terribly frustrated

Why? You look like you're doing great.

I was going to say the same thing Hope - Tunnrida - whats up?! You did so great yesterday! What is causing your frustration - maybe we can help!

Hope - you did ok too! My hubby struggles with writing too (his research) - don't discount the 2hrs of effort you put in even though very little came from it! Maybe some of the thought process will help your flow of writing later this week! I don't know how the Karaoke would work...just random lyrics from songs? I joined a Karaoke website a couple of weeks ago but everyone is sooo good that I haven't sang anything yet! It records you and you can post it for people to see! I wanted to try it to overcome my fear of public speaking but I don't think its going to work...I'm a pretty terrible singer!

Hope, my brother's 33 year old stepson was killed in a motorcycle accident in his home state of Georgia over the weekend. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. He leaves a wife and two daughters ages about 6 and 3. The funeral was yesterday and I was unable to attend.

I've been on the phone and online with family a lot over the past several days and haven't kept up with our group, but I'm on track with food and exercise.

Kudos to all who are doing well and big hugs to you who are struggling.

A day late but here I am for the week. My week started off with car troubles, meddling friends trying to help me with car troubles and another rush job (which is done and out the door). I appreciate my friends and their eagerness to enlist their husbands to help me with car issues, but this time it just made more work on my part and I reverted back to plan A with time lost during the day. Oh well - it's behind me now.

Also this weekend I hinted to my mother my frustration at losing weight and she called me Monday morning trying to tell me what I needed to do to lose weight because her sister had lost 10 pounds following some guy name Jorge and his diet. She doesn't get it at all and I wish I had kept my mouth shut. She basically told me I didn't know what I was doing and that I needed to take this pill and that, etc. Ugh - just go away mom. She has never dieted in her life so hard to take what she says with any seriousness. She just does not understand.

Goals for the week

1. Walk and / or exercise daily- M:Y
2. Calories 1,000 or less daily - M:N
3. Water - 100+ oz daily - M:Y
4. Log activities and food daily - M:Y
5. Bed by 11 pm - M:N
6. Go for a 1/2 day hike this weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! And it looks like we are all off to a great start this week!

Mern, I am so sorry to hear your sad news. Hugs, and prayers for you and your family.

Jho, Hope, Tunnrida, HKG...your reports look great! Tunnrida, what's the frustration?

Lizzie, hope you're enjoying yourself! Good job sticking with your walk today!

jeanne, I hear your frustration, both with it coming off so slowly and with your family members and friends. With total respect that you know your body best, I just want to share that my weight loss completely stalls when I get below 1100, 1200 calories. Put me up to 1300 and it chugs along like clockwork (as long as I do what I'm supposed to). My metabolism just balks when I don't feed it, I guess. Other things I do to get it moving are to change up my exercise routine and change up the ratios in my pie chart. I hope you find a solution soon...wish I had a magic pill for you.

Gotta run...I somehow ended up the only doc out of four here today and things are sliding onto my schedule I did not expect. Fun times!

Goals
1: log everything--yes
2: water, lots and lots of water...maybe just MAYBE if I imagine the water as oreos???--no
3: calories 1200-1500....for some reason lately it's like I can't eat enough. I did so well with 1200 for so long, now it's like I'm famished even when I stick to the meal plan I was on then :confused:--1251
4: some sort of extra activity every day--yes
5: don't be a slave to the scale, post starting weight and ending weight only--187.4--I SO failed and hopped on the demon machine this morning an guess what? I'm UP a pound. It seems like my worst days are when I lose weight. My good days, I gain. I freaking give up lately.

Mern...so sorry to hear your news. I'll pray for peace for your family.

Jeanne...I SO know what you mean about moms. My mom was never overweight until she was over 50 years old. Then she started walking and lost a tiny bit. When she was diagnosed as diabetic, she went on a very strict Atkins. After losing 25 lbs, her blood sugar and insulin use were perfect and she just added bread back about once a month. That worked for 10 years. She doesn't need to lose any more weight (in fact, she is beginning to look frail), but her blood sugar/insulin use is bad again and she is on meds. Before she got sick, she had no idea of the demons I fight to lose weight. Now, she does...my life is much easier now. We do have some differences...I have to be a carb Nazi, she doesn't. She can eat high-carb veggies and stay healthy. When I eat spaghetti squash, my blood sugar spikes as high as it does when I eat regular pasta. I also have a serious wheat allergy--it started out as something that just made me uncomfortable, but now has progressed to the point that I have actually had to be hospitalized after eating wheat...corn is worse. Still, we have a meeting ground and my mom is quick to recognize that our bodies are not identical--just because something works for her doesn't mean it will work for me. Another example...my sister went on a fat cure diet and sent it to me. She lost all the weight she'd ever need to lose and has kept it off for 10 years. I went on it and gained a pound a day--too much sugar in the fruit. Everyone is different!

Tori...as for logging, I am on strike! I logged every bite and every beverage for the last 14 months and I am just tired. I still stay under my carb/calorie goal, but I am taking a short break on logging. Honestly, I am so tired. Water? I get a minimum of 64 oz (4 16oz bottles) a day. Usually, I'm closer to a gallon of water each day.

As for daily goals...I stay away from processed foods. I'm about 90% successful with that all of the time. I fall off the wagon on things like SF Torani syrup for my coffee. If I give that up, I'll just quit drinking coffee. :p Regular sugar makes me nauseated, but I try to stay away from artificial sweeteners. I've been using stevia and truvia. I think I'm healthier. I haven't been losing much weight, though, and my blood sugar is still not where it needs to be. Metformin didn't help, now I'm on glumetza (which didn't work by itself) and Bydureon (a weekly shot). I am hoping that I won't have to start taking insulin. My weight loss goals are sidelined until I can get the blood sugar under control...I've lost 40 lbs in the last year and just have 20 to go.

OH, Mern, I am so sorry. I will say my little Jewish/Buddhist prayers for you and your family that you can cope with this great loss, if that is Ok with you. Big hugs to you, Mern, big hugs. My heart goes out to you and yours.

Mern My thoughts are with you and your family. Take care of yourself. Mary

Oh Mern - that's horrible news sweetheart. I am so sorry for your loss and sending my thoughts to you and your family. Big hugs to you.

Mern - I am so very sorry to hear about your family's loss. I can emphasize a bit as my 1st Hubby died at the age of 33, in a helicopter crash (in 02'). The first few months are very surreal, but in time the good memories are the ones that endure. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family...

Ama

Ama so sorry to hear this. What incredible suffering you must have gone through and so young.

Mern- Sending you lots of hugs and letting you know i have you in my thoughts. Very sorry to hear about your loss.

Jho- loving the sound of the karaoke website- i love singing- im not the greatest in the world- nowhere near a whitney houston but im ok- confident enough to sing in public- after a couple of vodka/diet cokes lol.

Jeanne- mums and weight loss- dont even get me started lol- i could write about 10 pages but it would just be ranting!
I still cant figure out if my mum is genuinely happy that ive lost so much weight and if she really wants me to get to goal. Mine isnt as slim as she used to be and sometimes comes across a bit bitter. When asked if ive lost weight each week and ive put on i sense a slight bit of happiness. I may be wrong but as it used to bother me i have now stopped letting it bother me.


Ive had a better day today foodwise- was out at my friends today and didnt jump for the unhealthy foods. Ive done good and snacked on fruit.
Teatime was a quick weightwatchers ready meal- i was happy with the small portion and felt satisfied by it. Had a yoghurt afterwards so that helped.
Weigh in tomorrow but im not getting my hopes up- not being defeated just know that i could have done better but we will see. Dont feel like ive lost anything apart from my mind hahaha- lots of money stress past couple of days!!

Mern, so sorry for your loss. Big hugs. My thoughts are with you.

my weight for 4 weeks did not change!!

The Karaoke website is called Singsnap - its pretty cool except I feel like a creeper just watching random ppl sing to there computer cams LOL! I would also need quite a few drinks in order to Karaoke.... the last Karaoke extravagance was with my little sister - we sang Kiss by Prince - IT WAS SO HORRIBLE.... but I can't help but laugh when I think of it.... oh so bad!....sorry I lied - the last Karaoke was with my hubby in the kitchen a few days ago with my sons new microphone LOL :D we were singing old school country songs by none other than Johnny Cash! We are such losers together!

I'm getting my Bonus #1 in tonight (Sorry you have to listen to me all over again Tracey haha).

Hope everyone is having a wonderful evening!

Had to skim--GD needs the computer for a school project. My apologies to anyone I didn't address personally.

Thanks to all for your sympathy, hugs and prayers for my family. Hugs of appreciation right back at ya.

Hope, I appreciate any prayers and best wishes--Jewish/Buddhist, Christian, Pam's prayers to the universe, whatever. Love and caring is just that, no matter how you slice it.

Ama, that must have been horrible dealing with the lost of your husband back in '02. I'm so glad your love and good memories carried you through. Was he in the military at the time?

Tunnrida, I hope your scale moves soon. Many of us know how frustrating that is.

Jeanne, wishing you an end to your frustrations.

Cassie, I hope your workday ended well.

Tori, my scale is nuts, so I got over being a slave to it. I hope you can, too.

volleyballgranny, best wishes on getting your blood sugar under control. Kudos on losing 40 lbs.--that has to help a lot.

Goals
1: log everything--yes, yes
2: water, lots and lots of water...maybe just MAYBE if I imagine the water as oreos???--no, kinda
3: calories 1200-1500....for some reason lately it's like I can't eat enough. I did so well with 1200 for so long, now it's like I'm famished even when I stick to the meal plan I was on then :confused:--1251, 1390
4: some sort of extra activity every day--yes, kinda
5: don't be a slave to the scale, post starting weight and ending weight only--187.4--I SO failed and hopped on the demon machine this morning an guess what? I'm UP a pound. It seems like my worst days are when I lose weight. My good days, I gain. I freaking give up lately.--I won't be home for the next few days, so the demon machine gets to sit all by it's lonesome. Take THAT stupid scale!!!

Haven't had time to read everything, but did want to offer my condolences to both Mern and Ama. Huge hugs to you guys.

mern - i'm so sorry !! :(

Mern,
Love and a hope for strength to you and your family.

OMG Mern, that is horrible! I'm so sorry. :(

Ama - so sorry to hear about your loss as well. I can't imagine having to go through that.

1) 1,600 calories max/day (allow myself 1 guilt free day over 1,600) - 1331, 1319
2) do 2 exercises on days I don't work (walking/weights/Richard Simmons/stationary bike) - 2hrs gardening (I'm counting it!)/1hr+ walking, 1hr gardening/1hr+walking
3) 20% protein minimum - 26%, 17%
4) 64oz water minimum - 64oz+, 64oz
5) calorie deficit 700+ - 1167, 933
6) take vitamins - yes, yes
7) lights out by 11 the night before (except Sunday night because apparently I'm hooked on Celebrity Apprentice) - no, no

I might have to give up my evening treat - two squares of dark chocolate. I've been having restless leg symptoms off and on since I was pregnant (usually about one night a month). Basically I get in bed and feel like there's bugs crawling under my skin in my feet and I can't sleep because I just want to smash my feet with a hammer. I've had it now for the past three nights. Last night was the worst; I was awake tossing and turning and kicking the bed until after two. Caffeine is bad for it, and I think my evening chocolate is too much for me (I usually have a couple of cups of coffee in the morning but I think it probably wears off before bedtime). I'm going to skip it tonight and see if it's better. Now I'll need to come up with a new, caffeine-free treat. I don't have much of a sweet tooth for things that aren't chocolate, so it won't be easy.

Check-in:


1. Calories below 1300. 1090, 1297 (sheesh!)
2. Exercise 6 hours. 30 min, 30 min.
3. 2 big sports bottles water. Yes, No-1.5
4. Sleep 7 hours. 6.5, 7
5. Eat clean. Yes, Except for the peppermints at the office
6. Log everything; post it daily. Yes, Yes
7. Name an excuse I've used, and shoot it down. 1. "It's a special occasion." This time of year, there is always a 'special occasion'. If I let things lax for every one of them, I'll never be on plan. I can celebrate the occasion without eating junk. 2. "I'm too busy." What exactly are my priorities here? Work or health? I have to make the tough choices until I learn to juggle everything even when things are crazy (no pun intended). Yes, exercise takes time, but it takes the same amount of time to make a good food choice as a bad one. Exercise relieves stress, so I should do it even more so now!

Ama, so sorry to hear of your loss at such an early time in your life together. Mern, thinking of you as well and hope you and your family are holding up.

nobe, I hope you get an answer on your chocolate-restless leg connection. What do you enjoy; I'm sure we'd all have some treat suggestions for you!

Tori, wherever you are that's not home, I hope it's fun for you. Hang in there!

Chat with you all tomorrow...have a restful night.

Hmmm...I'm not sure. I've had chocolate (a little or a lot) pretty much every day for as long as I can remember. I only eat cake if it's chocolate, same with ice cream. Maybe something caramel-y or brown sugar-y would be close enough? I've been eating this fat-free honey flavoured Greek yogurt for breakfast, and half a cup is the same calories as my two squares of chocolate, so maybe I should just have that in the evening. I wonder if there's something I could do to jazz it up...besides fruit. Fruit to me is breakfast or snack food, not dessert (pie and crumble for breakfast probably partially explains why I'm here, haha).

Mern - I am so sorry. Prayers and lots of hugs out to you and your family.

Goals for the Week
1. Calories around 1000 - M:N, T:Y
2. Walk or exercise every day - M:Y, T:Y
3. Water - 100+ oz daily - M:Y, T:N but close
4. Log activities - M:Y, T:Y
5. Bed by 11 pm - M:N, T:N (11:30)
6. 1/2 day hike this weekend


Cassie & Mern - I'm just impatient - I want the weight gone tomorrow. It is slowly coming off - just not as fast as I want. Distance between my mom and I is best. And the further the better. I'd say Texas to Montana is far enough

1) 6+ glasses of water, 6 6
2) stretch, Yes Yes
3) write two hours a day 5 days a week, Yes if you call sitting and blankly staring at my screen then writing very little writing Yes did "real" writing well over 2 hours
4) 1500 calories or <, 1273 1734
5) lose at least 1 lb this week, not yet! Yes but I'm afraid it won't stay off
6) keep positive, tryyyyyyyying Yes and it helped DD

The reason I thingk the weight won't stay off is because I went off antibiotics and my tummy reacted badly to it so that makes me lose weight. Ahhhh, the battle with the "demon machine" (the scale) as Tori calls it.

Nobe, restless leg sounds horrible. And giving up chocolate IS tough; I had to do it for menopause symptoms especially insomnia and hot flashes; caffeine is a killer. There used to be really good sugar free caffeine free chocolate but it's gone - they probalby found out it was carcinogenic or something LOL. Let's put our heads together and try and come up with a good treat for Nobe, guys.

MERN. My thoughts are with you and your family at this time of tragedy.

My legs are about 2" shorter having walked for miles today. I only stopped for a few minutes once or twice and then for around 15 mins to drink some water. I've been out from 10:30 and have just got back around 15:30. I kept passing metro stations on the way back and was so tempted but I kept saying, maybe at the next one I'll get a ticket but I never did, probably the longest walk I've had in years.
BF should be back from the course soon and tonight it's all the instructors and students being hosted by the Centre, as he is directing, the head of the centre said he could bring me as well so no lonely meal for me tonight.

Lizzie it sounds like your'e doing great and what a smart idea. You gave yourself an out but you didn't take it!!

Mern, how are you today?

Mike, where are you today?

Amy you out there?

April?

What's going on, guys?

Hi everyone- 2 hours til my weigh in and im wanting it over and done with- because this week hasnt been good or bad i dont even know what to expect. I used to stand on my scales everyday but i now prefer to just be weighed at weightwatchers- after all i am paying for all he services!
Ive had a bowl of kiwi fruit with some low fat yoghurt for lunch and endless coffees- now i cant stay far away from a toilet! Ive never known a bladder like it!
Going to prepare a gammon joint dinner now for when i get back- it will be boiled and roasted- i got all fat removed from butcher and im having dauphonoise potatoes- no cream just a sachet that gets made up with skimmed milk and some spring greens and other veg. Mmmmm- cant wait. I be back later with my results.

Wednesday weigh-in: 178 (-1)

Thanks, everyone, for your hugs, prayers and well-wishes for my family.

Mike, someone turned right in front of him when he was doing the speed limit on his bike. He didn't have time to react and slammed right into the back of the car. My bro, also a biker, is furious.

Tori, I love your sense of humor about maybe imagining water as Oreos. I'd surpass my water daily ;) Kudos on your calories this week so far.

Nobe, great report so far this week. Congrats on that one lb. loss. Restless leg syndrome certainly sounds awful. I'm a dark chocoholic, too. If I don't have chocolate, peanut butter, or better yet, almond butter, eaten right off the spoon, at least gives me the richness that chocolate provides.

Cassie, good job this week.

Jeanne, patience is not one of my virtues, either.

Hope, nice job so far. Your 1273 calories Monday balanced out the 1734. Aw, thanks, I'm doing fine. I can see how all the prayers and good wishes are helping my family.

Tracey, best wishes on your weigh-in. Your dinner sounds delicious.

Lizzie, kudos on the walk. Glad BF will be home soon.

Went over yesterday in carbs and calories, not horribly, but I didn't finish logging everything. Did level four on the treadmill at the Y today and it was quite a workout, but can do it. Heart rate target of 124 (80% of max) and level four achieves 133 for me, so I'll stay on level four for a while to get used to it before trying level five.

The last month of school is much HARDER than the first. Ugh, oldest has me running six ways til Sunday lately. Performances all over the place, and dear Lord SINGING! She has a nice voice, but she never sings solo, she sings with a pack of 3 other girls (playdate rehearsals right and left, oi). Two with beautiful voices and one COMPLETELY tone deaf, who is also seriously ADHD but who pays attention long enough to know when the next practice will be. I feel bad for her, she needs a mom more than she needs about anything, her life is scattered across a field of people that cannot see past their hatred of one another and focus on her for 2 seconds straight. My bleeding heart however cannot fix her voice, she needs to play an instrument, not percussion, something with a MOUTH piece.

Middle child has had doctor appointments for the arm every other week, it's mending Amen. I also went with her on an all-day field trip to the dunes. Man was that beautiful.

Youngest has also had a couple of field trips, tomorrow we're hiking to the park.

I'm off to school again, it's talent show day. Oldest made it with her singing buds, middle child did not. However on the same day the talent show results came out, middle dd ran the mile in 8:50, eldest ran it in 11:55. It all evens out in the end doesn't it?

WOO-HOO!!!!!!
Ive lost 3lbs- absolutely ecstatic, i cant believe it- all ive been saying is i didnt feel id done that great. When i think about it i think its made a huge difference that ive been making a better effort with cooking methods and leaner cuts of meat, more veg etc.
There was 1 day this week that i ate 10 quality street chocolates and i really thought id have messed it up.
Im so happy- cant remember the last time i was 11st 6lb- it feels great! Only way is down from here and im super excited about finishing the journey ive been on for the past 9 years!!
I might be going over the top but its just how i feel right now.

Will someone please give this girl a dancing banana? She earned it!!! Congratulations!!!

It's good to see you back. I know you must be crazy busy.

I feel for the girl you describes (and also for your poor ears.) Maybe percussion or some other kidnof instrument would be better?

Glad it evened out with your kids, the benefit of having more than one.

Tracey, the congrats dancing banana is from Hope and from me for your weight loss! You worked hard for that and we're really proud of you!

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/funny/2/banana.gif