(((((maddy))))) ~~ I'd take the cold back, rather than sic it on you. I hope you feel better soon.

Welcome to Tess!!! Sounds like you're already making good progress.

I worked out today and also made some progress on the job/boss front. One step at a time. I am about 150 calories over for today, but I burned about 400 at the gym so...who the heck knows?

I was feeling VERY frustrated and pretty hopeless about ever losing weight tonight -- and stresed about work and home -- and was considering eating a chocolate bar...until I logged in here and read posts from all of you. I think I can make it through another day without eating even more......and I'll hold the damn binge off. It's emotional, not physical.

Thanks to all for inspiring me.

maddy ... sorry about the cold ... hope you get feeling better soon!!!!

osuche ... yay for your positive decision!

Lil .. we love ya ... hope you find what you need to get to that right mind set ... heaven knows, it's taken me long enough to find it! :) ((((Lil))))

I'm ending my day just under 1700 calories ... and going to bed a bit early for me ... my feet and ankles are all swolen from the pre-hut water retention ... seems to be a little worse than usual ... probably due to the massive salt cravings I've been having ... staying in the calorie range, but taking in too much sodium ... gratefully the worst should be over in a couple of days! Have a great Friday everyone!

What a wonderful surprise to log in and see the new faces in this thread! I think it's wonderful that you all have joined us, and I'm looking forward to "watching" your progress. :)


And maddy, don't stress too much over the treadmill just yet--get yourself feeling better before pushing things, you know? ((maddy))



Personally, I've had a very weird, very interesting week. I've been under a great deal of stress at work the last month or so, but the woman I work with and I sort of cleared the air with our boss Tuesday, at least for as long as it lasts. I've also had stressors in other parts of my life that have distracted me a bit as well.

But, despite that, and despite the fact I had a glass of wine, Italian food, pizza, and two birthdays, I got to the gym for four good workouts, and I ended at my weigh-in this morning down another pound. The program I'm using to track shows me at an even 2.0 lbs. lost per week since I started, and I'm a half-pound away from 25 lost since 12-30. I have 23 more to go.

Maybe more telling than that, though, was the episode I had yesterday afternoon, which honestly scared the crap out of me. For the first time since I was pregnant with my daughter and giving myself insulin shots, I had a hypoglycemic episode. Fortunately, I knew how to handle it, and I called my doctor afterwards. She confirmed what I kind of already suspected--I've lost enough weight and have been active enough that my body has again started to use the insulin it produces...but I am also still on medication designed to jump start my body to do that very thing. Obviously, it kicked my body into overdrive.

For the next three days, we're playing scientist and experimenting--I'll be diabetes medication-free. I'll watch my sugars, and, if they're within an acceptable range, I may not have to go back on them, controlling it with diet and exercise. I've got all fingers and toes crossed.

And did I mention that, for the first time in the four Fridays since I bought them, I'm wearing my new (smaller) jeans? I've tried them on every Friday morning since purchasing them, but no luck until today. They're the same size as a couple of other pants I've worn recently, but jeans are different, of course. How cool is that? :)

Superb! Smaller jeans is a happy thing for sure.

Osuche~ good job recognizing that you were depending on chocolate to do something that it really can't do (ok well it can comfort us temporarily but we pay for it later). ((hugs)) <~~~~ work better

((((IAKG)))) ~~ congrats on the meds!! That's awesome, and good luck finding the right balance.

Lil ~~ I think sometimes you forget (as do I) to be gentle with yourself. You've had a lot changing in your life, and a diet is a big commitment. Don't get too discouraged by occasionally falling off of the wagon. You've made big progress and sometimes your body needs time to adjust! I know you'll be back on board soon...if not already.

Thanks osuche. I do have to find some outlet for the stress. I need something that takes oh about 4 minutes. It seems that is all the time in a day I can scrounge.

I can read your mind. You're thinking about:












SEX

Ending my day ... just barely under the top of my calorie range ... but I made it. Off to bed now.

fzzy you are amazing. You have consistently kept to your goal!

funny girl ;)













yes I am:D

Let's see...ended yesterday with 1800 calories -- which is good. But I took the day off from the gym, too. Woke up this morning about a pound up. I'm hoping it was water weight -- been eating more salty food than usual. But who knows?

I'm going to try and do my Pilates tape tonight after I get home from class. Not a complete workout, but it truly kills my abs...so hopefully is doing some good.

Off to class...Hope everyone has a GREAT Saturday!

I've only been on the treadmill once this week due to being sick again/still. I'm hoping to get over this soon so I can get back to the treadmill. I have a couple of trips coming up that will be challenging to my eating and I'm not completely sure how I will cope yet.

I'm feeling slightly better today and am going to head out soon to do some shopping. I did my weekend "feel better" routine and tried on some of my smaller clothes to see if I'm making progress. Today I managed to squeeze my gut and butt into jeans from about 6 years ago. The odd thing is I know I was about 30 lbs lighter last time I wore them. Granted they are not remotely comfortable right now, but I can force myself into them. I also got out my one size smaller than my current baggy jeans out, and they are now fitting comfortably. I can zip and button them without a challenge. Lastly I pulled out my dressy capris that I wore last summer/fall to work and I can now pull them down without undoing the zipper and clasp. These are the last of my work pants to go in the goodwill pile. They were the only dress pants I had that didn't have some elastic inset in the waist. It's a shame I really liked those capris, but I'm not keeping them.

The scale also smiled upon me this morning...and I'm only about 4lbs away from where I want to be in the next two weeks. I'm still hopeful I will reach that goal I set for myself.

I came in a couple hundred calories under my limit yesterday. And today I went out and did a month's worth of grocery shopping. So that was more calories burned than usual. Tonight in my Red Hatters get together. I'm looking forward to it, but also dreading it. We're going to Olive Garden. I would have a lot easier time resisting the cream sauces if I went there more often. But I don't know what kind of will power I'll have tonight. I've deliberately held back on eating too much today just so that I can relax a bit tonight. I won't be consuming any alcohol, nor ordering dessert.
So maybe I won't do too badly. I haven't been to Olive Garden in over a year and I really do love their foods.

SS, I recommend taking a look at their website before you go and see if they have their nutritional information available - that way you can make an informed decision before you even set foot in the restaurant. It's been my savior for dining out.

thanks Lil .... I think I may have mentioned this before (a couple dozen times or so) but this is the first time in my life I've been able to consistently stick to the plan for any length of time, so I'm happy, but recognize that it could so easily change to the wrong direction with me if I do not keep pretty firm control on myself ... I just have such a long way to go that I am trying to focus VERY much on keeping within my personal limits so I don't fall off that wagon....

Good job with the calories yesterday osuche ... and the plan for the pilates today!

maddy, that's wonderful about the weight loss and the clothes ... I'm so pleased for you!

SS ... have fun at Olive Garden, it sounds like you have a plan going for that!

Me, I've been having an interesting day ... had to take my car in for a tune-up, etc., left the house this morning just before 8:30 ... no time to eat anything and I didn't want to take a snack pack with me, cause I knew that would just get me wanting to eat more ... the work on the car and another errand got me home about 2:30 was feeling pretty hungry by then, so I've hand my lunch and a snack with it and hopefully I'll be able to keep myself in sufficient control ... I wouldn't have done that, but the car has been needing the tune-up for a long time and I was starting to get concerned that it wouldn't keep running if I didn't fix it soon ... and you know how Saturdays are at car places ... BUSY! Anyway ... $550 later, the car is running really GREAT ... so it was worth the time and money I guess.

Cross your fingers for me. Income tax check is in and I'm hoping for this nice elliptical machine :D I need to excercise off the weight and the stress.

I've crossed my fingers for you Lilith. I think the elliptical is the devil though. I can't stand that machine and commend anyone that uses it.

What don't you like about it???? I've only tried it in the store. Am I making a mistake??? I chose it because it seems to be joint friendly. Am I wrong?

It's an incredible workout! I think my problem on it is I can't find a good pace, I end up going too fast and being tired after two minutes. It reminds me of a much friendlier to the body stair stepper and I never liked that either.

OK I loved the Stair Master so maybe I'll be ok. Mr Lil said he's happy with me spending the $$$ on something that will help me continue to feel better.

Lil...if I could cost-effectively do it, I'd ship you mine. I bought it at Sears (it's a Nordic Track) and it's great.

I got one tonight. Let's just say stamina is an issue :p

Lil .. I'm still a long way away from being able to do that kind of a workout ... even a short one, but it's what I'm thinking I'll get once I get to that point .. (primarily because of the joint friendly issue) ... I'll look forward to hearing reports about that issue.

Right now, for me, I'm just trying to incorporate some extra steps into each day ... I do 45 minutes worth of totally non-impact and not really aerobic stuff 4-5 days a week, it tones and at least I'm doing something, but the just started this week with working to start toward building my capacity with some walking (and I do mean a few extra steps at this point)!! :D

Yes I think this is a great idea, I have alo seen on other site's and it has worked wonders for the site.

fzzy~ I lost 70 pounds once a long time ago after baby #1 and I did stretching and floor excercises like leg lifts and pelvic thrusts for the first 30 pounds.

Well...ended yesterday just over 2000 calories, which I guess isn't too terrible. We went to PF Changs and got take out...was yummy.

I plan on working out today and also doing some much-needed errands. I'm going to try and target 1800 calories. Let's see how it goes. :)

'Grats on the elliptical machine, Lil. I hope you like it!

I'm so envious, Lil, of your new purchase! Like maddy, that thing kills me--but I'm determined to build up my stamina on it over time.

I also made a purchase this week--a heart rate monitor. I opted not to get the one with the chest strap--I wasn't sure I'd like that. So mine is a watch type, and, unlike most doctors and nurses, it finds my pulse pretty darn easily. Today was my first intense workout with it, and I loved it. Mine has the option of a 'calorie countdown,' which basically means, since it knows my weight and resting heart rate, it counts how many calories I burn during my workout for me.

I did almost 4.5 miles on the treadmill and seven minutes (LMAO!) on the elliptical after that. I burned closed to 500 calories.

However, my main concern was my after-breakfast glucose reading. I'd had a bigger breakfast than I had planned. While my fasting was in the range I wanted it to be, I basically shoved the kids out the door as soon as I finished eating in order to go to the gym and hopefully counteract what I feared was going to be a bad, bad reading. It worked--much to my relief.

Today's the last day of my three-day, diabetes medication-free trial. I've already listed out my sugar readings since Friday morning and will give them to the doctor in the morning. I guess at that point it's up to them. They're not as low as I'd like, but still pretty darn good for someone who IS diabetic. I have my fingers crossed.

Lilith, I'm proud of you for getting a piece of equipment in your home. I hope it pays off for you.

IAKG - I'm excited to hear you like the heart rate monitor, now I'm more inclined to get it myself. I was waiting for your review. Is the petite really small around? I'm concerned it would be too small for me, I don't have that dainty of a wrist. And, I hope you get good news about the diabetic meds tomorrow...

fzzy - I'm glad you are starting to move more. Listen to your body it is more than willing to tell you when you are doing too much.

osuche - I'm still amazed that you have found a way to be med free and I think that's a huge accomplishment.

I've been lazy today. I'm eating good but now that I'm feeling better today I really need to get on the treadmill. And I need to run the stairs a few times to get the laundry done.

Although I realize it's probably just water, I am down 5 lbs. It's still an incentive to keep going, even if it's only water.

I had a nice time at Olive Garden last night. I had Seafood Alfredo, but I didn't eat it all. I brought some home and had it for lunch today. Tonight it's stuffed peppers for dinner. I haven't made them in quite some time. And instead of leaving the peppers whole and stuffing them, I cut them in half first. It will still look like a full serving on the plate, but will only be half. I made a lot more than we'll eat, but I intend to freeze the leftovers in individual zip-lock baggies. Should make for quick lunches here and there.

Do you use ground turkey breast?

I prefer it, actually and I would if it didn't cost more than ground beef in my area. I used to use it all the time, but unfortunately, I have to shop according to my wallet right now.

I have the same problem, SS--the turkey is usually more expensive. It's one of the few treats I allow for myself, though, at least for now.

maddy--the monitor really *is* cool. I think the specifications for the petite version are listed (maybe 6-3/4" wrist?) in the details. All I know is that I'm on the third hole in. :) I feel much more comfortable about how many calories I burned today than I normally do--in fact, the treadmill I had to use today (which doesn't have a heart rate monitor/input for weight) showed me as burning at least 100 calories less than the monitor on my wrist.

LOL I did 5 minutes :D My thighs are burning like a bitch from playing with the damn thing yesterday.

Lil, 5 minutes on the elliptical is better than 5 minutes on the couch :) You will be amazed to watch your stamina increase.

Thanks IAKG! I'm going to order one tonight. I think I'm going to go with the more pricey regular sized one though to be safe. I know my wrists are getting smaller but I think my wrist is closer to 7" if not slightly over.

SS, I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner out and are finding ways to modify what you are eating on a budget. Also, a loss is a loss no matter what it was you were losing - and it's a great jumpstart motivator.

As for me, I only did 20 minutes on the treadmill tonight but it was a hard 20 minutes. I need to build my endurance back up.

Yesterday I thought the mountains were "fun". :D

oh! and about turkey, I like to think to a certain extent the $$ is worth it because you don't have the shrinkage like you do when the fat escapes from the ground beef. If you buy regular ground beef you can basically say you throw 20% of it away. I know $$ can be awful. You can always buy a turkey breast and then make the butcher grind it :D They hate that :D

*thinks ^^^ is going to have a lifted butt and toned up body in no time*

maddy's right...your stamina will come, Lil. I mean, I'm up to 4.5 miles at a time now. Not only that, but to keep my heartrate in the right range, I was doing 3.6 mph today on an 11% incline off and on. It's nuts. :D

I had a salad at a restaurant this weekend and it's super simple and very low in fat/ calories.

Baby spinach or mixed greens
craisins
walnuts (could do almonds)
orange sections (could do the little canned things)
feta (could do the reduced fat or even blue cheese)
raspberry vinaigrette (fat free or reduced)

was simple and yum!

Lil, I've found that I really enjoy adding fruit to my salads. I will usually add mandarin oranges, strawberries, or apples. I don't know why I never considered this in the past.

You all are doing great!!! Today was a bit out of control for me .. I think I'll be ending it about 500 calories over my range .... it's the day before my visit to the hut and history seems to be showing me that this day is out of control ... though I at least control what type of things go into my mouth because I don't have anything really bad for me in my house and am tooooo lazy to get up and go buy something when I'm comfortable at home .... so it's a "controlled" out of control ... luckily it is just the one day each month so far, so I'm trying not to get too upset with myself about it ... just don't seem to be able to motivate myself to stop the eating on this one day each month ... but I'm going to keep working at it anyway! :)

great job on the workouts Lil and maddy and all others who keep at it! :)