Pixies Power

[Aqua]

Hey Lil... you can suck with me. ;)

[maddy]

I think I'm having sympathy PMS this week. If I could gouge my boss' eyes out with a toothpick I would. I mean, I'm sure I could do it - I just don't think he's worth spending the remainder of my life in prison.

[osuche]

maddy, want me to do it for you? I bet we could get away with it. :D ;)

Oh...and Lil...can I have some Oreos, too? :D :)

[fzzy]

LOL at all of you!!!

thanks Lil for your positive energy and thoughts ... it is sooooo very appreciated.

sending hugs to osuche, Lil and maddy .... sorry you're having a rough time of it currently .... I feel your pain and know my time is coming in another couple of weeks again... hope you enjoy those oreos too!!!

maddy and osuche .. maybe we could work a deal in this .... rotate the bosses and it would be that much more likely we could all get away with it :D :)

ending my day well again ... and I am still so grateful ... don't know how this is working so well for me this time around, but I'm more than happy to accept the good fortune! had just over 1700 calories for the day, did half of my usual exercise routine because it was also my laundromat day and by the time I finish that there wasn't much time left ... I'm proud of myself for doing anything, since this is the first time I've managed to do that ... also added some steps into my day again ... still not much, but I'm trying to be consistent at least!

Aqua .. always good to see you peaking in on the thread!

[IAKaraokeGirl]

Well, I just returned from my appointment this morning. I was expecting my regular three-month bloodwork, but the doctor wants to hold off until June, since I just stopped taking my diabetes medication in March. If my numbers (which, according to the doctor are "terrific for a NON-diabetic person") hold out, I'll be on a six-month check-up rotation, and I may only have to check my sugars once a day.

[osuche]

((((IAKG)))) ~~ congrats!! I am so happy for you, Ms. Non-Diabetic. :)

fzzy -- I figure the least I can do is help with your boss, too. :p

As for me...ended the day just under 2000 calories (which is good for a pre-Hut day) and I also worked out...a light day at 450 calories at the gym. But at least it's better than nothing! :)

Got some bad news yesterday...seems the blisters in my mouth are form an impacted/infected salivary gland(s) which an ear, nose, and throat specialist told me will need to be removed. I'm scheduling my "surgery" (outpatient) today and I'll update you all when I know more.

Hope everyone has a great day!

[jennaflower]

Hello Everyone :)

Sure have missed this thread.. have been away from the pc for a few days... and am playing catch up. :)

Lil... Glad to hear that your Doc was pleased with your loss... and I am sure that their encouragment helped to keep you motivated and on track. I am looking forward to the first Doc visit... tho I think I will wait until I have lost another 25 or so before I schedule. I want my Doc to do the "double take" looking at me.. then my file... then me.. then my file. LOL I look forward to it.

Osuche... (((Hugs))) the HUT is never a good thing... add to it the stresses of weightloss and our own self imposed restrictions... it is no wonder that women can't use dieting as a legal defense. LOL Thankfully it only arrives once monthly... Good luck with the blisters.. OUCH!! Be well... and soon..

fzzy... I think that you are completely on the right track... consistency is important... not always easy... but hey.. if the tortoise beat the hare, anything is possible :)


IAKG.... that is fantastic news... it is amazing what weight loss and eating better can do for your health.. the process is slow but I do believe it is worthwhile.... Not to mention... think of all the money we will save with fewer prescriptions and fewer doc visits :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow... I am sending everyone Skinny Vibes... happy thoughts...

Hugs...

[fzzy]

Good to see you back jenna!

I was a bit out of control this evening ... went over by about 300 or so calories, gratefully, I've been doing good the rest of the week, so it averages out ok ... just had a couple of hours when I was feeling really hungry and couldn't seem to get past that ... then when I did ... i was stuffffffffed! I guess it's like that sometimes. Anyway, tomorrow is another day and I'll do better! Hope you all have a great GOOD FRIDAY! :)

[maddy]

I'm off for a week long vacation this evening. I won't have the opportunity to check in on y'all. This week hasn't been the greatest for me due to my lack of planning. I now have confirmed to myself how important planning is for me.

I had a shock on the scale this morning. It dropped about 9 lbs from where it has been all week. I had to pop the battery out to get a more accurate reading. I think it might be time to either get a new battery or a new scale if it keeps this routine up. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the number but thought it wasn't likely I lost 9 lbs in 24 hours.

Good luck for the next week everyone.

[IAKaraokeGirl]

I think I would faint if the scale showed me down 9 lbs. overnight. :)

My weigh-in this morning has me down 2.0 lbs. from last Friday, 0.5 lbs. down from the Friday before that. Of course, last week I was just entering the Hut, so that was understandable. I'm trying not to be down about this week's reading, as I went to the gym four nights and walked during lunch two days, but it's difficult. I know I'm at a plateau, and I may have to break into the Wendie Plan soon (or something else, although I don't know what) to get moving again.

[osuche]

I am down two lbs this week myself...and it's Hut week! I have to think that it's a phenomenon I've noticed...that my weight reflects much more what I did LAST week than it does what I did THIS week. I think my body (and mind!) are on a one week time lag. :p

Other than that, I was bad again...2100 calories. Mostly because I ate two lunches (3 hrs apart). I just couldn't get full.

Hope everyone has a great day.

[Steph]

You guys are doing so well!

I'm also in the Hut but h ave managed to lose weight, too. I've been walking a lot more. I have to prepare for my 20,000th post. ;)

[osuche]

Well, OK..the 2 lbs I lost this week are back on the scale today, and I HATE the Hut. <sigh>

Next wek will be better, right?

Hope everyone else is doing well.

[fzzy]

man have I missed pixies the last couple of days .. I was totally misbehaving over the weekend ... overate every day ... now I'm back on track today though ... started good yesterday, but didn't finish the way I should have ... but like I said ... today is a better day ...

osuche, hope you've recovered from the end of last week!

hope you all did better than me ... I think it was something about Easter that threw me ... traditionally for me, there are 3 big holidays for food, of course T-day and Christmas, but Easter is as well, the problem is that for Easter, it's all about the goodies ... oooopppps!

Hope you are all great! so glad to have our Pixies back on line!!!

[osuche]

I'm still up about 2 lbs, but otherwise doing well. I hope to be back on track by the end of the week...my period is set to end on Thursday.

Hope no one fell completely off the wagon while Pixies was on hiatus.

Glad to see fzzy is back on track. :)

[IAKaraokeGirl]

I *appear* to still be on track, although Easter was pretty difficult on me, and tomorrow I have lunch with my sweetie. We'll see how Friday morning looks.

Did I mention how much I missed this place? :)

[dicksbro]

Actually, my cold helped to keep me from over eating.

[Lilith]

OK I've been goofing off but now I am facing surgery and need to drop some more weight pronto!!!!!

I have to be better about fitday. I got lazy. Which is really the entire problem:)

[fzzy]

Welcome to our thread DB!

Ooooo Lil ... hope the surgery goes great when it happens! But it does sound as if it may be a major motivator!

For me, yesterday I was still a little off, but not by much ... was over my range but by less than 100 calories, so it wasn't too bad. Looks like to today I'll be able to end well within my range ... will report on if I did it when I'm getting ready for bed .. still a few hours away from now.

[osuche]

I was kinda bad today...ate a piece of cake and a cookie, but I redeemed myself by having a small lunch.

Tomorrow is another (better) day. It's also time to get back to the gym -- I took the past 2 days off!

fzzy -- you continue to be my inspiration

Lil -- Best of luck on the surgery

[fzzy]

finally ended a day within my calorie range ... just over 1600 calories to be exact .... it's taken me almost a week, but I'm there again.

osuche, I'm glad you feel that way about me ... I feel the same about you, so great about being off the pain meds ... and you do such a great job in your workouts!!

Of course all of you inspire me, IAKG ... with the great loss and doing so well without the diabetes meds ... Lil just keeps working at the process ... it's hard to do that and making progress with the blood sugars as well. maddy and the treadmill work ... jenna, consistency and having lost a lot so far, aqua and wildirish with working on soda/coffee consumption, steph keeps walking the walk (pardon the pun) sugarsprinkles, back on track again ...(hope I didn't miss anyone!!) I think we all are inspiring ... just doing the day to day work at trying to make healthier choices, that's not so easy .... so let me pat you all on the back and I'll enjoy the pats I receive in return ... I love you guys!!

Oh, and by the way, went down to a lower bra size and lower pant size just this week ... and they are both feeling loose in places again already! I love that!!!

[Lilith]

Can we get a total pounds lost from the inception of this thread so we can see how as a group we are making progress?

Me currently 17.5

[IAKaraokeGirl]

Depending on how my official weigh-in tomorrow goes...I'm somewhere between 29-30.

[osuche]

Me currently at 9 lbs. :( I *had* made it to 12, but in the past 3 days I seem to have picked up 3 -- and my Hut visit ended yesterday!

<sigh>

Back to work. :(

[fzzy]

Don't know the answer to that Lil .. but at a guess probably between 40-50 lbs for me (figuring from my conservative educated guess of my starting weight) ... I have a scale now, but know that I still am well above the maximum capacity .... will hopefully be able to start using it in June or July. Sorry I can't be more exact!

[Lilith]

Holy Guacamole!!!!! You are so awesome fzzy!!!!!! What an accomplishment. You must feel so good and proud!

[fzzy]

LOL ... Lil it sounds good, but when you know that I need to lose over 300, it's not so great! .... but it's a start and I intend to keep at it this time! And yes, I'm thrilled with the results and pleased with my progress to this point, but know that there's a long way to go yet.

[Lilith]

It's more than a start! It's a huge step towards being a healthier, longer living you!!!!

[fzzy]

Well, I'm ending my day at under 1700 calories, so it's been another good day ... now I know I really am back on track ... at least through today. :)

Lil ... the 17.5 pounds for you is a big chunk out of the 70 (if my memory is correct) that you've set as a goal for this..... congrats on that!!

IAKG ... wow... what a great accomplishment ... you are doing so great!

osuche ... you are doing great as well.... congrats to all of us!!

and happy Friday everyone!

[IAKaraokeGirl]

fzzy, I, too, am amazed at your loss. What a wonderful, satisfying achievement!

And Lil, fzzy's right. It's all in perspective, you know. And remember that your sugars *are* better. From everything I've read, even losing 10 lbs. can be helpful for diabetics in controlling glucose levels.

osuche, as has been said before, you've had some unique challenges since beginning your program. Stick with it--you're doing great.


As for me, the "official" weigh-in has me down 29.5 lbs. since 12/30/05. That leaves me 18 more to go if I want to get to my goal weight, the weight it'll take me to have a 25.0 BMI. Funny, but as soon as I rounded the 50% mark of my progress, the whole thing seemed more real, like, "Wow! I really AM doing this!" Of course, I had some stray thoughts yesterday about when I do reach goal, if it's going to be difficult to get out of "loss" mode and into "maintenance" mode, since this has been a minor obsession for me for nearly four months. :)

[Lilith]

I am having some other health issues right now and the Dr. called saying I'm severely anemic. When I started trying to eat better to lose this weight I added an echinachea or 3 a day and complete multivitamin( with 100% of iron). I knew weightloss can rob you of some nutrients but this is an additional problem. I have to figure out some high iron snacks. I eat tons of dark greens and spinach on a weekly basis but I was wondering if any of you have any good high iron ideas?

[IAKaraokeGirl]

Lil, from http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/healthy_diet/iron_deficiency.htm:


"As you’ve already discovered, liver and liver products such as pate and black pudding are good sources of iron, as are eggs. However, as you don’t like these foods, it’s important to find other rich sources of iron. Red meat, especially beef, is a great source and it’s also reasonably low in calories and fat. In fact, an 8oz grilled rump steak provides just 289 calories and 9.6g fat, but 4.1mg iron – that’s more than a quarter of the iron needed by most women. Mackerel, sardines and other oily fish also contain iron, and although they’re higher in fat and calories than white fish, they’re packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fats making them a good choice for slimmers and healthy eaters. In fact, the Food Standards Agency recommends that everyone should eat at least one portion a week. Other good sources include bread, green leafy vegetables, peas, lentils, dried fruit and breakfast cereals. All these foods are low in fat and can easily be incorporated into a weight loss plan, making them good choices if you’re slimming.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the iron in animal foods such as red meat and oily fish is more easily absorbed and used by the body than the iron in plant foods such as vegetables and bread. Vitamin C also helps the body to absorb iron from food, so you should eat vitamin C-rich foods and iron-rich foods together eg. a glass of orange juice with a bowl of breakfast cereal or a tomato with an egg sandwich. In contrast, the absorption of iron is reduced by the presence of tannins in tea and phytates in unrefined cereals such as raw bran. This means you shouldn’t drink tea with meals and avoid sprinkling raw bran onto breakfast cereals."

And this site lists some foods that better inhance absorption:

http://www.healthcastle.com/iron.shtml

Hope that helps!

[Lilith]

Thanks! I will definitely look closely at that info this weekend. I swear I am going to have to measure and weigh the benefits of every damn thing I let pass between my lips.

What's the iron content in spoo?:D

[osuche]

(((Lil))) on the iron deficiency. I suspect that your real problem is processing the iron you do take in -- sounds like you have a healthy diet. Might want to talk to the Dr about whether there's any better way to increase absorption of iron. BTW -- I put my husband on Geritol (liquid) for this specific problem...and it seems to work for him. However, it tastes like ass. :p

IAKG -- I understand about the obsession. When I lost nearly 50 lbs 2.5 years ago, I *was* obsessed...I think it's part of what makes you successful in the weight loss process. Don't worry about it now -- I suspect you'll find a way to channel your energy into something else later.

I just *knew* that fzzy had us all beat by a long shot! She's been so conscientious and careful.....congrats! What an amazing accomplishment.

This morning I am down a pound, but I'm still up 2 overall. I hope it's something to do with a post-Hut water weight retention...but who knows? I haven't exactly been an angel this week....I've averaged 2020 calories (which is about 100 high for me), although I have gone to the gym 4 times.

Some weeks the weight just doesn't come off of me...I think it has a LOT to do with stress. And this week has been stressful as Hell!!!

[fzzy]

Lil ... my dad used to prescribe a handful of raisins a day to his patients with iron deficiencies ... I've spoken with several of those people years afterward and they swear that worked better for them than any other thing they tried ... don't know if that will help you or not ... but I know that strawberries are also an iron rich food and the added plus with them is they already have the vitamin C to process the iron in your body ... IAKG is right about that tidbit ... off of the tip of my memory it seems like only 50% or less of iron is absorbed in the system without vitamin C also being present. .... but don't take (or eat) anything that is rich in vitamin C within a few hours of taking asperin ... the two together are really bad on the lining of your stomach and can cause ulcers and/or bleeding ulcers.

You guys are so good for my ego ... sometimes I think I'm moving very slowly through this process... between getting close to being 50 years old and having thyroid deficiency problems, the weight just doesn't seem to be coming off at the pace that it used to in my younger days ... even the water retention doesn't come off as easily ... I'm just grateful that something seems to have clicked in my head this time and disappointment isn't equating to discouragement and quitting! Heaven knows, I don't think I'm really working at it any differently then times I've tried in the past.

[maddy]

((((pixies)))) I have missed you all so much while I was away. I've gone back and read all you have have posted since I have been away. I also stepped on the scale as soon as I got home today. I didn't have a scale to use for the past week. I also wasn't active and didn't eat incredibly well. I was prepared for disappointment. Much to my suprise, I have a 4 lb loss and I know I'm typically .5 - 1 lb higher in the afternoons than in the mornings. How excited am i? ESTATIC!!!

I saw Lil asking about how much each of us has lost since we started - since 1/1/06 - 29 lbs. I was very disappointed that none of my family (haven't seen them since Christmas) noticed the missing pounds.

It's incredibly good to be home, where the temptations are lacking and I can be more in control again.

Lil, good luck with the surgery. Please keep us posted as to when it will be. I have no good advice about the iron, sorry.

[Lilith]

Liquid Geritol does taste like ass. LOL Thinking I should ship Aqua a case :D

I appreciate all the tips and ideas. I will keep them in mind.

[Aqua]

LMAO @ ^^^ :p

[osuche]

Have I told you lately that I love you guys?

The comments about Geritol had me LOL in my office...and after today I really needed a laugh!

[fzzy]

maddy ... so glad you're back with us .... congrats on the loss!!!! and don't let the family's reaction get you down ... maybe they just love you so much that they think of you as being thinner already! :)

LOL @ Lil and Aqua comments ... you two are so funny!!!

(((osuche))) - it's always good to laugh isn't it!!

Did ok yesterday ... at least ended the day within my calorie range ... not a lot of room to spare, but still within the range! Hope you all have a great Saturday!

[osuche]

(((fzzy))) -- Congrats on another successful day


I've been bad this week...mainly due to stress, I think. Just too many work and school responsibilities, and Mr. Osuche not being around. :( I'm really burned out, and tired. And maybe a little bitchy. :p But that's no excuse...and I know it. I know that I'm eating because I'm stressed, and it's not a positive sign.

All of you ladies are my inspiration ot get back on track...I am the underperformer of the group, and I need to stick with it now more than ever. 11 lbs down and I have about 25 more to go before I will *start* being pleased with myself.

But tomorrow is another day...I haven't completely fallen off the wagon yet, as I still am only averaging 2040 caloris/day and I worked out 4 times last week. But I know I can do better!

[Lilith]

osuche you are not the underperformer. I have struggled for months now and have lost little and even gained some. My health is in poor condition and I have absolutely no energy to exercise with. And everything I just said are excuses and excuses are the reason I'm getting nowhere. I manage and control so many aspects of my life well not to mention other people too but this is one area where I fail myself repeatedly. I just try to gather the courage to admit I fucked up today and try to focus my energies on waking up and starting again. Like Mr. O my behavior specialist says, the fights not over til I refuse to get back up.

[osuche]

(((((Lilith)))))) ~~ if you're like me...you dream of having a day...just one...without responsibility. Keep picking yourself up, it's worth it.

[fzzy]

ending my day within range ... which is a good thing since I wasn't even close for either Saturday or Sunday .... but they are over and I'm back to the plan again ... I love weekends, but don't seem to be able to keep myself under control with so much unscheduled time and being near the food source ... going to have to figure out a solution to that eventually! :)

Lil ... I have to say that I've asked myself that same question for most of my adult life and even before adulthood ... I manage to be in control of every other aspect of my life ... why not the food ... only the last couple of years it wasn't just the food for me ... it graduated and I felt like there were very few areas that I was able to have control of ... and I'm not talking about other people in my life or stuff that it may only seem like you have control over, but it's not really true ... I'm talking about my life and my decisions ... I think that is one of the reasons it is so important to me to stick to this (at least most of the time) to get things back into some semblance of control in my life again ... I'm still battling with all of that, but I'm making some progress ... I see it in you as well, you are making progress, sometimes it just takes awhile to get in the right mindset - it's taken me years to get here ... and I make no guarantees about anything beyond this day even still ... hope you are having a better week now! And yea for you for continuing to get back in the fight!

osuche ... I love your upbeat attitude all the time, hope your week is going better as well.

[fzzy]

man ... it's that day - 2 days before I step into the hut and I just get so hungry ... and then even when I've eaten way too much, it takes forever for the signal to hit me that I'm full ... and by then I'm soooo full I'm almost sick ... needless to say, I ate more than my calorie level today ... I'm trying to pay close attention so I can learn from this, hopefully someday soon I'll figure out a coping mechanism that will work and get me through the time without losing control ... but it didn't happen this time ... I'm glad this isn't a long lasting event for me, usually just this day and about half of the hunger level will still be with me tomorrow and then it seems to go away usually, so I'm going to do my best to get through without doing TOOO much damage! Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!

[Lilith]

For me I do a salty/sweet back and forth things that ends up getting me. But I live in the hut now so I could live off chicps and chocolate.

[WildIrish]

*snackboy restocks the tray with chocolate dipped salt licks*


While on vacation, we ate out damn near every meal. I think I gained ten pounds and felt really good about it. It's always been very difficult for me to put on weight and keep it on. I've been very active in the past so I tended to burn the calories I consumed with ease. Whether my metabolism is changing or it's the result of not practicing martial arts regularly anymore...I don't know, but I am ok with the weight and hope I can hold on to it.

Mrs. WI has been going to Curves twice a week and paying closer attention to her caloric & fat intake. Over vacation, she thinks she lost weight. Her meals were much healthier and we walked miles and miles. Since arriving back, she's gone to Curves twice already and can't wait to go a third time this week. The vacation seems to be a real springboard for her. I think it's really more of a mental boost than a physical one.

Oh yeah...I drank way too much coffee too, but I'm back at home and back off the bean.

It really does a body and mind good to read through this thread. I'm so glad to be able to witness it all.

[IAKaraokeGirl]

WI, it's so good to see you hear and to read all the positive things you have in your post. I know we keep you in our thoughts often.

I am having a rough week, personally...I am up on the scale for the week so far. I know some of it is water retention (I forgot my medication at home Sunday night while in CT) but some of it is simply life. I'm sans children this week, it's Staff Appreciation Week at work, and I'm enjoying things a bit too much, I do believe.

I am determined, however, to get back on track. Sometimes I think that's half the battle.

[Lilith]

I went to the Dr today and my blood sugar is down by almost a whole point!

[maddy]

I'm a blood sugar idiot, but am certain that it going down is a good thing - excellent for you Lilith.

I'm actually having a good weight week for all the wrong reasons. I caught a stomach bug that had me eating virtually nothing for about 36 hours and I think I expelled all of that plus anything from the previous 24 hours at the same time.

I'm going for a visit to the dr tomorrow, it's just too bad it's a new dr that won't be aware of my accomplishments.

[Lilith]

((((maddy)))) hope you feel better. The Lost boys have been passing around a flu too.

[osuche]

I'm holding ground now at 12 lbs lost...I had a very difficult and stressful week, and at this point I am happy just to survive. :(

Next week, I hope, will be better...if only because I am determined to improve my attitude and outlook...and spend less than 12 hours a day at work, every day.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

[fzzy]

Yay osuche ... holding your ground is a positive thing!

Lil ... great that the blood sugar level is moving downward ... that's always worth celebrating ... but sorry to hear about you not being able to get out of the hut .... NO FUN!! ...

maddy, hope you are feeling better, but glad that while not feeling great it has a positive side-effect with your weight!

Me, I'm a little confused at the moment ... not been making good food choices the last couple of days, pre-hut is going on a little too long ... and I'm wondering if I'm just using it as an excuse to indulge?!?! :) Yet, the clothes are still getting looser and I'm not having as much of the usual bloating ... I know, however, that won't continue, so I'm getting back on the wagon and will be much stricter with myself for the weekend and coming week.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

[Lilith]

I have got to drink more water!!!!

[Lilith]

I believe Special K Snack Bites are made from crack :D

[osuche]

Was down yesterday, I am up today. I HATE the yo-yo scale!

I may have to break down on Sunday and buy myself some newer, smaller pants...I'm starting to look like a clown.

Lil -- I personally think the same thing about Kashi Go Lean Crunch (the Crunch is importnant....the other stuff tastes like ass). I like it dry or with milk!

[Lilith]

LOL* Aqua's new diet: liquid Geritol and Kashi Go Lean Crunch

[osuche]

ROFLM -- Ass -- O


BTW...I am having apersonal high on my willpower this afternoon...Mr Osuche wanted pizza for dinner -- I am watching him eat it and having *nothing*

Well, a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. :)

[fzzy]

LOL at all of you!!!

Yay osuche ... way to have willpower ...

me, I'm struggling to get mine back ... am ending today inside my calorie range goal again (finally)... hope you all have a great Sunday!

[Lilith]

I'm stressing about something I can do nothing about for a month and if I don't straighten my ass up I'll have gained 50 pounds by then.

[osuche]

((((Lil))))

I spent my day in class, having a GREAT gym workout, and then shopping for 2.5 hours. <sigh> I *hate* shopping. But I did get 3 new pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shoes, a bra, a pair of panties, and a dress shirt...all for about $175. I wasn't too unhappy with that -- especially since almost all the stuff is name brand. It seems like I have good luck at Nordstrom Rack when I go...despite the long lines and the haphazard arrangement, they have nice stuff.

So anyway...I dropped 2 pants sizes and 1 shirt size (although I didn't buy many shirts). The bad news is....I am down to a B cup again...I'd crept up to a C when I gained the weight. Why does it *always* come off my boobs first??? <sigh>

[fzzy]

lol osuche ... always starts from my top and from my feet first as I lose ... I think the water comes from there first ... and of course the boobs are very high fat levels for women, so just think of it as burning fat ... :) Congrats on the moving into smaller sizes all around ... YAY!!!!

If I stick to my plan until bedtime, I will end my day just inside of my calorie range again ... 2 days in a row ... and weekend days at that ... how wonderful is that after being out of control for several days! ... keeping a close watch on myself to maintain through til bedtime!

sending hugs to Lil ... hope the stress lessens .. it can be so difficult to deal with sometimes!!!

And can you all stand it ... end of April and for many of us ... 4 months working at making healthier choices. YAY for all of us!!

[maddy]

I felt myself slipping in the past week, so I'm ready to get back on track starting today. I've had a lot of unusual opportunities as of late that were fun, but were hard to plan my eating around.

I saw people I have not seen in months this weekend and people were very generous with compliments. It was a great boost to my ego, but also a detriment at the same time. My mind works in mysterious ways - as people were telling me things like "you look great" my mind started to think, if I look great NOW then I can QUIT. I don't need to go any further. The reality is that I still have about 90 lbs to go.

The other unfortunate thing that happened (not sure if I mentioned this before today) was at the dr. I found out that I'm shorter than I wanted to believe. When factoring in the shortness, it meant that I had another 10 lbs to lose to be at the very top of my healthy weight range.

[osuche]

((((Maddy)))) ~~ the dr tells me I am shorter than I thought I was, too. Maybe it's a midlife crisis kinda thing. :p

I am yo-yod up again today those 2 lbs I thought I'd lost last week. But this week will be better!

[fzzy]

(((((maddy))))) ... sorry about the height thing ... great that others are noticing and complimenting ... maybe remind yourself that you're not doing this just about how you look (or at least I assume you aren't) ... but about being healthier as well... hope you had a great day and that this week continues to go well for you!

osuche ... way to keep the positive attitude going ... you are doing wonderfully!!

me ... third day in a row of being inside my calorie range .... it's been a little challenging for me mentally ... want to be able to go back to that old style of thinking where I eat what I want, when I want ... in the quantities I want ... working to change that thought process ... suspect there will be times that I want to do that for the rest of my life ... that doesn't mean I have to give into it though ... so I'm working on figuring out alternatives to eating when I'm in this mode... I just keep reminding myself that if I don't keep moving forward the backward slide will be much faster than the time it has taken to move forward and then I'll have to start all over again .... don't want to waste any more time in that cycle!

[Lilith]

I went on a sweets fest and so I am working to get back off the sugar.

fzzy you need to keep looking forward and not worry about back sliding. You have made remarkable progress. I am going to ask myself some serious questions each time I put something in my mouth. Is this food? Am I using it for nourishment or comfort?

You guys know I have breakfast issues, I just tried the "Oatmeal on the Go" bars and they feel like lead but taste pretty good. I had the banana bread. They are high calorie but for breakfast it's not so bad.

[maddy]

I read an article yesterday that suggested we should be eating within 45 minutes of waking each day. It also explain that breakfast received it's name because it is the meal that breaks the fast we go into each night as part of sleeping. The same article suggested during the waking hours we should be eating some meal or snack every 4-5 hours. This concept of fasting each night actually made sense to me given that we should have nourishment every 4-5 hours. I was most intrigued by the name breakfast and where it comes from.... so I thought I'd share.

Now speaking of fasting - do any of you know how long you are supposed to fast before bloodwork. I can't remember if my dr told me to not eat for 12 hours or 8 hours. Therefore I haven't gone in for my bloodwork yet, but need to do so this week.

[osuche]

maddy, I have no ides ont he bloodwork..I have some vague recollection that the dr told me not to eat breakfast, so I guess it's 8 -- but it might be best to check with your dr office.

I'm headed in for my annual this morning. I hate being poked at! But last year I had some "abnormal cells," so I have my fingers crossed that everything is fine.

Fzzy and Lil, I think you're both too hard on yourselves. Some days we need to go on sweetsfest...and I agree with Lil that fzzy is unlikely to backslide at this point. Simply too much positive feedback fromt he weight loss. :)

As for me...2 days back on track. Under 1800 calories, BIG workouts, and good food choices. This evening I am going to a sushi house with a friend, so we'll see how it goes. Of I follow the Wendee plan, perhaps I am due a night of high calories? :D

[Lilith]

My Dr says 10 hours.

[fzzy]

You are all the best!!! ... Lil .. thanks, I try not to be hard on myself, but also try to find that delicate balance of what you don't acknowledg .. you can't fix ... today I wasn't as good as I would have liked, but still basically on track ... tomorrows another day!

osuche, hope the physical went well!

maddy, my memory is that it's 12 hours, but I'd guess that Lil has a better knowledge directly from her dr. and hope the testing goes well.

Lil ... good luck on the getting off the sugar ... I think that's one of the toughest battles that I face as well ... I like my sweet treats! :)

Happy Wednesday everyone!

[osuche]

I was bad, bad, bad yesterday...2300 calories an dmost of it was food. But I had a fun lunch AND dinner out with friends. So today I have vowed to be better. I am down those 2 lbs I gained.

I'm starting to loose momentum a bit, I think....I've gotten so many compliments it's easy to think I look fine. But then I look at myself in th emirror, and I know how far I have to go. I just have to keep those images top of mind, lest I lose my drive.

[jennaflower]

Hello everyone :)

I hope that everyone is doing well... and feeling better. Why is it that Fat goes on so quickly and without effort... but it takes so long to take it off? IF I had only not taken being skinny (and healthy) for granted... and I swear that when I get there again I won't make that same mistake again..

I haven't been around again much lately... been sooo busy staying active... I am now working out 3 times a day... 6 am Curves work out... a lunch time Leslie Sansone 15 minute Mile Walk DVD (lesliesansone.com).. and a mile (building up to 3) walk in the evening... I am still on Weight Watchers... will be 3 months coming up on the 8th... and so far I have now lost 29.2 pounds...

I finally broke down today and scheduled a doctors appointment... tho scheduled it far out (July 27 & 31st) to give me more time to get further down.. would like to hit 60 pounds by then... I figure if I have lost just about 30 pounds this past 3 months I stand a good chance of continuing..

My deepest hope is to hit my ultimate goal on February 8th 2007, just in time for Valentines Day..... and HOPEFULLY by then I will have a date in which to celebrate with.

Hugs all... sending each of you skinny thoughts... and I will check in with all of you soon. Keep up the inspiring work :)

[Vigil]

Good Luck everyone.

I'm on the LAMS diet.

Less alcohol, More sex.

Some way to go to get back to my old fighting weight - but I am getting complete and eager support!

[fzzy]

YAY Jenna... great job!!! always good to see you on the thread/boards!

osuche ... I know what you mean, struggling a bit myself as well with maintaining some momentum ... at least with sticking with my goals in eating and calories ... but tomorrow is another day ... and it will be better! :)

Vigil ... sounds like an interesting weight loss program! LOL (that could be Lots of Luck ... or the usual LOL) :)

[IAKaraokeGirl]

Checking in after my regular Friday weigh-in. After a rough couple of weeks which saw an actual 3.5 lb. GAIN (Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr--I don't want to talk about it) I lost 3.0 of that off again this week. That still puts me at a net 29.0 lbs. lost.

I have tried not to overly obsess over what could be partially water retention and/or scale fluctuations, in addition to some sporadic poor choices. This week's results, though, will help me maintain my focus and determination.

You all are such a source of inspiration to me--I appreciate it greatly.

[maddy]

do NOT try the baked cheetos. They are just as addictive as the regular ones. *sigh*

[Lilith]

I made rice tonight with cilantro, salt, and lime. It was delish and no added fat. Just passing along a tip :D

[osuche]

Sounds good...we ate out at a BBQ and it was all I could do to stay away from the chips and cake...but I did have both a hotdog and hamburger. I fogured these were at least filling choices, and not entirely empty calories.

Hope tomorrow will be a better day!

[Vigil]

This may sound a little weird but - try eating only with chopsticks.

The problem for many of us in the West is that it is just too easy to shovel the calories down.

So never eat food that you pick up with your hands - think about these types of food - they are usually bursting with calories and junk. Oysters are my exception that proves this rule.

If you try the chopsticks you will see that you eat better food and smaller amounts in each mouthfull. This will help you digest properly and get rid of that bloated feeling.

Give it a go before you call the asylum.

[maddy]

I'm checking in from the tail-end of the weekend. I don't know what got into me this weekend, but on Saturday I could not stop eating. I tried to justify eating half a jar of peanut butter by slathering it on apples. Alas, it tasted most delightful but was not what I needed to be eating.

I'm feeling better about eating today and have done a lot better. I made kabobs for dinner and barely could finish one. I have the remainder of the cooked kabobs in a dish for dinners this week - quick, easy, healthy! I also stocked up on some fruits (strawberries are looking good again after a month or so of looking like crap!).

I've stayed relatively stable in my weight for about three weeks now, but I'm ready to move onward and downward again. I've not been exercising regularly - I need to get back on the treadmill again, starting tomorrow! I dug up two pines yesterday and pulled out a bunch of other crap that was growing outside - my legs ache! I'm also getting my bike later this week. It's been sitting in the basement of my parent's house for years, but it's being delivered to me this week and I look forward to getting my fat butt back on it.

My birthday is about 11 weeks away, and I have a goal in mind... it involves 29 lbs moving elsewhere and no longer having to shop in the "plus sized" section of the store. Oh how I long for sizes that exclude X and W.

[osuche]

Been doing horrible this week -- too much stress, not enough time at the gym, and it's getting close to my monthly d-day -- which means I am constantly hungry. I have been failing, and checking in at an average 2150 calories a day.

My one saving grace is that the weather is getting noce and Mr Osuche and I have been taking 30-90 minute walks every night.

Life will be *much* better this time next week, when I get a week off in between classes. :)

[fzzy]

I've been struggling a bit over the last couple of weeks ... not been horrible, but not been particularly good either ... I don't think I've really lost any ground, but I haven't really made much progress either .... part of the problem is that when I get home from work I'm feeling hungry and yet it's not really time yet that I want to fix dinner for a couple of hours ... I've always been a later in the evening eater when it comes to dinner ... I'm not looking to change that either, because when I've done that in the past it's created more problems for me then it solved ... anyway, I get home and then eat the snack packs .... too many of them ... so beginning tonight, I'm making up a very large pot of veggie soup ... mainly cans of various items, ... mushrooms (of course), artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes w/ onions, chicken broth, 1 can of hearty chicken veggie soup and then a bunch of various frozen veggies (calif. blend and french cut green beans this time) ... that way when I come home at night I can throw some of the soup in the microwave and have it with maybe 1 of the snack packs (or not) and I'll be satisfied without eating a lot of stuff I should be limiting ... also it will get a bit more veggies into my routine .. something I always need to do! ...

I'll keep you up to date on how it is working for me .... I'm ready to get really serious about this again and make more progress again.

[Lilith]

Great solution^^^

[maddy]

I've found myself to be a quantity eater lately (whole box of 100 calorie packs yesterday - first time I EVER did that!), and as such am going to pick up the 94% fat free packs of microwave popcorn. That's a lot more quantity for a lot less calories.

Excellent solution fzzy - if only I liked soup :)

[fzzy]

Did I mention, I put lots of black pepper in my soup .. I love black pepper ... maddy ... I can take or leave soup for the most part, and veggies are never going to be my favorite thing on any menu, but I made the soup with the veggies I like best and just that little bit of chicken from the one can of chicken veggie soup ... it was quite tasty actually ... I didn't make a HUGE pot this time, wanted to kind of get the blend down first ... but there's probably enough for the rest of the work week ... then on Saturday I'll make about twice as much as I did tonight and freeze in single serving containers ... that should work nicely ... and it gets me eating a couple more servings worth of veggies ... which I really do need to be doing ... if it also gets me through this period of snacking too much on the high carb snacks, then it will be a wonderful solution .... Like all of the other stuff ... the changes seem to work best for me when I incorporate one or two at a time and then let them kind of become part of the routine ... so this is a new change ... have to keep moving forward! :)

All the same, I'm ending my day pretty much within my calorie range, so it's a successful day as far as that goes! :D

[Lilith]

I some times puree a can of white beans in the food processor or blender to thicken soups. You may like that.

[maddy]

I finally got back on the treadmill. I only did about 25 minutes before American Idol came on... I know I need to get my priorities straight ;) I walked like a madwoman though for those 25 minutes.

I was home today, and I have sunk back into boredom eating while at home. I got all my fruits and veggies in today, which has been challenging as of late. I also drank all my water, which has been presenting a challenge to me as well.

My bike will be delivered tomorrow - I have absolutely no excuses not to exercise - treadmill, bike, beautiful weather...

I have got to seriously lose some weight for my health and I am the only one that is standing in my way.

[fzzy]

good idea Lil .. thanks, may wait awhile to try it ... beans/legumes are high carb as well as protein ... and my carbs have been so out of control lately that I'm going to work at getting that under control for the moment.

When I got home this evening, I heated up some of the soup in the microwave, put in a little bit more black pepper (just in case i didn't get enough in it last night LOL) and enjoyed it emensely (sp?) and I've only had one of the snack packs ... I'll be fixing my dinner in about 30 minutes or so, so I think it has worked (at least today) ... I also got back to my regular "exercise" routine tonight (after about 2 weeks of being a slug) .... it feels good to have accomplished something again!

Yay maddy, so glad to hear you are doing well! :)

[Vigil]

Exercise is essential as it helps to keep your metabolism ticking over. Minimum twenty minutes a day getting that heart pumping and that sweat running. Sorry I know that ladies glow rather than sweat.

[fzzy]

ending the day in my calorie range ... that makes me very happy today!

[Lilith]

Superb fzzy!

I am working on busting down 5 that I put on in cookies when I first found out about the surgery. Funny the cookies didn't change things I still have to do it :D

Note to self: Cookies are not medicine :D

[osuche]

I got to the gym yesterday, and ended my day at 1800 calories...which is better than I had a right to expect. I checked my weight at the gym on the digital scale -- I am not up...but I am not down. I guess I should thank my lucky starts that I haven't gained weight.

fzzy, the soup is a GREAT idea. I may try this next week when I am solo. :) I tend to eat my extra calories at lunch (I work downtown and there are lots of good restaurants) so if I bring soup I may be better. :)

Lil -- Try making oatmeal cookies with applesauce. They are low fat and high fiber and fill you up faster -- but they're still sweet. If you're interested I could post a recipe. :)

[IAKaraokeGirl]

All right...I went on a "bender" yesterday. I didn't necessarily eat things that were BAD for me so much as I ate a lot. I realize it was stress, and I also realize it was an inappropriate response to trying to fill a void of another sort. I've played around with the same three pounds for about three weeks now, and it's getting annoying. Back and forth, back and forth, like some playground swing. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Rant over. :D

[Oldfart]

osuche,

oatmeal cookie recipe sounds good.

[osuche]

Original recipe yield: 30 cookies.
Prep Time:25 Minutes
Cook Time:8 Minutes
Ready In:45 Minutes

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce (can also use 1/2 cup prune puree instead)
2 tablespoons water
5 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I use 1/2 cup, or 1/4 walnots and 1/4 cup almonds)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Make a well in the center and pour in the canola oil, applesauce, water, egg whites and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and apricots. Scoop cookies using an ice cream scoop, or roll into golf ball sized balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets and flatten to 1/2 tall with wet hands. These cookies do not flatten very much while baking.

In the preheated oven, bake 8 minutes for chewy cookies 10 to 12 minutes for dry cookies. Cookies will not get crisp. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

[fzzy]

ending my day at under 1700 calories today ... I'm very pleased with that!

osuche ... the cookies sound great, but I know myself well enough to know that I'd sit and eat several of them (if not all) ... so I'll keep the recipe in mind, but probably won't use it for awhile yet ... although, for those with a whole lot more will power then me, an idea might be to make it like a freezer/frigerator dough .... my sister used to make oatmeal cookies and freeze them in a shape kind of like the slice and cook cookies you get in the milk area of the grocery store, and the dough would keep for 6 months or more like that, so it may work to even freeze them in the individual serving sizes and then just bake a couple at a time ... an idea anyway.

IAKG ... hope that you manage to get off the "swing" soon ... you've done great!!! I know for me it seems like every once in awhile I need to kind of stop for a short time to kind of catch up mentally with the physical changes that have been happening.

Lil ... have I told you lately that I love you! and all of the rest of you as well) thanks for all being here in the journey we are going through!

[Lilith]

I did much better yesterday. Staying swamped at work helps.

[osuche]

I did well yesterday, too. Maybe Lilith was sending me positive vibes.

When I bake cookies I bring them into work, or send them to school with Mr Osuche. I'll keep 4-5 at home for me....of course, last time Mr Osuche ate those too...and I didn't even have ONE. But I guess it's good for my diet.

[fzzy]

yay for both Lil and osuche on good days! I'm ending another day in the "black" (so to speak) under 1700 calories, the veggie soup seems to be working great for me ... at least for the time being ... so I'm sticking with it ... and it is really helping me to get more healthy food into my routine!

[osuche]

Yesterday I intentionally had a Wendee plan day -- 2100 calories (when I'd been closer to 1800 for the week) and kinda splurged. A tough week at work and an upcoming final made me decide to let off some steam.

fzzy -- congrats on another good day. Glad the soup is working for you.

[maddy]

I am really not coping well when I am at home all day! I can't justify going out "shopping" anymore, my checkbook can't take the damages. And the weather isn't cooperating at all with any outdoor plans.

I really have been lazy in my efforts but I woke up with a resolve today that I would get back to my journaling as I'm eating - not waiting til the end of the day to do it all or not doing it at all. It's the only thing that will keep me honest and on track.

I hopped on the scale this morning and I think I managed to do something right this past week, but I will confirm tomorrow morning on my official weigh in day.

I feel like all (or nearly all) of us are hitting a slump at the same time. We have done so well and come so far... let's get it back together and recommit ourselves to the resolves we made 5 months ago.

[osuche]

Guilty as charged on the slump, maddy. But the journaling is a step int he right direction -- I've been staying loyal to my Fitday.

I'm down about 1.5 lbs this week, which is funny because I'm *supposed* to start my stint in the Hut sometime soon.

[maddy]

Great loss osuche. I'm impressed you keep up with your journaling.

I'll be meandering into the Hut this week as well. I think it's part of why I'm putting an end to my laziness today. If I don't do it now, the week will spiral out of control before my eyes.

[Lilith]

My upcoming goal is going to be to not consume anything containing high fructose corn syrup. I am very curious to see how that affects my sugars. For now the stress of the impending end of the school year and the surgery has me all over the place. I need to live on coffee just to remain functional. OOPS! WI don't read that.

[Lilith]

It's so nice and cool here that I went for a long walk to the cow pasture to see the baby cows. Found a huge patch of blackberries as my reward.

[maddy]

I'm glad to hear you got a nice walk in Lilith - and berries as a reward - how lucky!

I weighed in officially this morning and lost a pound since last week. Hopefully I'm finally done "maintaining" as I have pretty much stayed stable since mid April. I'm at 30.5 lbs lost since 12/31 and I have 26.5 to go toward my next goal at the end of July. That's a lot, so I had better get my butt in gear!

On a highly positive note, I'm just about shrunk out of my jeans again. I don't have any "next size down" ones to go into so I will have to go shopping soon enough to find some more jeans. I also probably need to find some shorts. I haven't worn shorts publicly in a few years because my legs are fat and ugly. And now the shorts I have are all baggy and ugly. In the meantime I have some cute capris that I can run around in.

[osuche]

Well, I got blood drawn this morning for both blood sugar and triglycerides and I am curious what the results will be. :) I keep a close watch on blood sugar because my dad died (at 36) of type I diabetes.

Other than that, I had a day slightly over my calorie range, but I did have a fair bit of physical activity. I'm also headed to the gym in about an hour (my normal lunch time routine).

Lil-- I love taking walks, but it's hard to get myself motivated without a companion. Cudos to you.

Maddy -- You've come such a long way and I'm so proud of you!! You are one of my inspirations here....if only I could have lost 30 lbs in the same timeframe. I think you give yourself too little credit

[maddy]

*skipping* I pulled my jeans off tonight when I got home - without undoing the button and zipper... wiggled them right down over my hips. It's the sure sign I need a smaller size.

[Lilith]

Superb maddy! You have made such remarkable progress!

[fzzy]

Yay maddy!!!! congrats ... great job!!!

osuche you are doing so great ... you exercising efforts are such a great example to me! thank you!

Lil ..great goal with the HFCS ... some of the reports I've read on it are really interesting on how it so negatively impacts our bodies! And great job with your walk and get the berries as well!

My weekend wasn't nearly as good as I would have liked, but I'm in my calorie range as I end the day today and amazingly I didn't seem to do any lasting damage over the weekend.

[Lilith]

Excellent fzzy. One rocky weekend doesn't mean it's all over!

[maddy]

thanks osuche, fzzy, and Lilith... it's another wet day in New England... and I'm chugging down some liquid poo before I run out the door for an appointment. I'm feeling the need for something greasy and bad for me... can you say pre-HUT?

[osuche]

I hope all of you get some lovely weather soon and can take lots of walks. Me...I'm picking up Mr Osuche's bike this afternoon. And I *might* just have to give it a test ride tonight. :p My bike is still MIA -- I am close to reporting the EBay person I bought it from for lack of communication. :(

I spent lots of time at the gym Sunday and Monday, and I am *very* sore from weight lifting. My behind hurts so bad, it's hard to get up and down from a sitting position!

Other than that, 1850 calories yesterday and I still got some "treats" -- Indian food for dinner. Today I will try to do better, but I am going out with a friend for dinner...so who knows? I need to be more committed to this diet, and less to my social schedule. :p

[fzzy]

Ending my day in my range ... It is so much easier to stick to the plan when I'm at the office during the day!!!

[dicksbro]

*skipping* I pulled my jeans off tonight when I got home - without undoing the button and zipper... wiggled them right down over my hips. It's the sure sign I need a smaller size.

Good for you ... although instead of new jeans, you could just get us pixie guys to come and cheer you on. :)

[maddy]

thanks db :)

I committed a food sin today. And as of this evening I'm in the HUT. I knew that is what was making me a mad woman for chocolate of any form today. I at least made up for some of it by getting on the treadmill for a bit tonight.

[jennaflower]

I went to weigh in tonight... last week I had gained (for the first time since 2/8) 2.6 pounds... needless to say I was a bit discouraged. I went tonight... and I lost 5.8 pounds this past week.... down a total of 32.4 now... very excited.. and it has given me a much needed boost in my determination :)

This sure is a long road...

Hope all of you had a wonderful day :) Skinny thoughts!

[fzzy]

maddy ... I empathize ... I keep telling myself at such times that this is a journey and there will absolutely be times during the journey when we step a little bit off the path .... as long as we manage to get back on the path fairly quickly, then we are still headed toward success!!! So way to recognize the moments and keep yourself focused toward the ultimate goal!!!

YAY jenna ... wooooo hooooo!!!! ... great job ... it's hard to have the discouraging times, but you obviously kept working at it ... sometimes there will be those weeks of water retention and they lead us to a false conclusion ... way to keep at it so you could get to the true forward progression. And I know what you mean about this being a long road ... for me, I have to just look at the choices and changes I'm making as being about choices and changes for the rest of my lifetime ... never want to get back to the place I'm leaving behind!

So having said all that, I had another good day and stayed within my calorie range goal...that keeps me happy!

[osuche]

I stayed inside my calories, but I didn't get in enough exercise yesterday, and I may not today either...I have a big meeting at 1 pm, followed by a 5 pm "interview" for consulting work...and I probably shouldn't be sweaty for either one. I'd work out after, but I have a 7 pm meeting with the homeowners association. <sigh> Some days are just cursed.

I am up 2 lbs, but I don't know what to think...this happened last month too post-period. I think I get reverse bloat now! :p

jenna and fzzy -- your determination continues to inspire. :)

jenna -- WOW -- oyu've had wonderful progress! :D

maddy -- Now that you're in the Hut, you should be safe. But think of it this way...you pulled the jeans trick while pre-Hut. Pretty impressive. ;)

[jennaflower]

Thanks fzzy & osuche... It helps me to know that so many here are going thru the same process... and reading about everyones experience... their struggles.. and successes is a great motivator for me... not to mention that each of you have given me great ideas to incorporate into my own journey...

[maddy]

I don't know how you ladies survive the hut on a monthly basis. My visits are less frequent, and this one has been particularly rough. I want to eat EVERYTHING in sight, and I think I pretty much did.

I did the grocery thing today and restocked my kitchen with fruits and vegetables, so hopefully I will again find the will to snack on veggies instead of ice cream. I also stocked up on Lean Cuisine as they were on sale and hopefully that will relieve some of the boredom I've been having with my food lately too.

I'm expecting to be down a bit this week thanks to losing some of the water I'd been retaining pre-Hut.

Hope everyone else is having a great weekend - we are actually seeing the sun in New England - what a treat!

[osuche]

((((Maddy)))) ~~ congrats ... sounds like you had fun trying on smaller clothes this weekend, and "purging" the bad stuff.

I've been struggling a bit...not with calories, but with finding the motivation to go to the gym. I only went 3 times last week, and I really need to go today...but I can't seem to make myself yet. Some of it's lack of motivation, and some of it is boredom. Maybe (should the weather hold out) I'll take a bike ride.

[maddy]

thanks osuche :)

I've been going to the gym this week and have found that I have no muscles that I use consistently - particularly in my core. This translates into abs that ache and realizing that I have no good balance. If I can stick to it, I know only great things will come after the aches.

Eating is a bit better now that I am beyond the hut. I'm trying to make sure to have at least one fruit/vegetable with each meal and it's working. Essentially I'm going back to day one to a degree. I know how and what to eat to get full and not waste calories, I just need to be serious and accountable again.

I'm still getting comments about my weight loss from colleagues which is entertaining, mostly because the scale has really slowed down. I'm probably about 5lbs away from another change in pants in my wardrobe (that would make change number 4!).

[Lilith]

I've gained 983457239857390857349578239057 pounds.

[osuche]

I'm down about a pound, and I've been *much* better about my calorie intake. However, I've been awful about working out...done it twice in the last 7 days. We've had parties and commitments, and I've started class again...but the real reason is lack of motivation.

<sigh>

So...How do you all get motivated when you're just tired?

[Aqua]

(((Jenna, fzzy, maddy)))... Great job on your continued success!

((((osuche and Lil)))))... Keep at it and don't give up! (or I'll have to come visit each of you and chase you around ;) )

[wyndhy]

success!

((((osuche and Lil)))))... Keep at it and don't give up! (or I'll have to come visit each of you and chase you around ;) )
uh...'scuse me! what's the incentive, then? :p

pixies power has done such a tremendous job in helping you all stay focused and fessing up when you aren't at your best. the support, kudos, and friendship i see you guys offer each other in here brings a tear to my eye.

good job, all of you!!!!! (((hugs)))

[maddy]

osuche, I know where you are at... I've been there very recently. What has worked for me is I finally let someone talk me into going to the gym with them...and was truly honest with myself that I have too many excuses not to use the treadmill. I know I shouldn't depend on someone else to drag my lazy ass to the gym... but whatever works, right? So there's my suggestion, is there someone that goes to the same gym as you that you can buddy up with?

[fzzy]

maddy ... you are doing great ... yay for you!

osuche ... you also are doing great ... I've been having that exercise motivation issue myself for awhile too ... actually a little longer than a week or so, but I know where you're coming from and I don't always manage to get myself moving nearly enough.

Lil ... man oh man that's a big number .... :) hope you are able to move forward as soon as you're ready!

wyndhy and aqua ... thank you both for your kind words and positive thoughts!!! They make a difference!

me, I know I haven't been reporting in as much lately ... not been being perfect, but not been TOOO bad either, most days I fall within 100 calories or so of the top of my range, which considering just how much weight I have to lose, is still a very positive outcome ... still losing inches and feeling more energy and ease of movement ... which is really what I started this whole process for, so I'm happy that I'm moving forward in my goals still (just a wee bit slower at the moment then I was doing at the beginning).

[osuche]

fzzy -- glad to see you're continuing your quest. I was wondering...

I've not worked out since Monday -- and I have this horrible cold....bonus is that I haven't been eating as much so I'm down another pound. :p

[maddy]

I was wondering about fzzy too... she's been such a faithful poster ... glad to hear you are still hanging on fzzy.

osuche, I think your poor body is trying to rebel over the stress it's been going through. I hope you get to feeling better soon and can find time to slow down now and again and let your body rest.

Lilith, I think you are exaggerating ;) and I know once summer hits in a day for you, you will be able to do much better too.

I suggest us pixies spend some time figuring out how to de-stress and then we should hold seminars for everyone else - charging a great fee... what could be more fun, making money and working with other great pixies spreading a message across the lands for stress freedom ... okay just smack me, I'm going off the deep end.

[Lilith]

I suggest us pixies spend some time figuring out how to de-stress and then we should hold seminars for everyone else - charging a great fee... what could be more fun, making money and working with other great pixies spreading a message across the lands for stress freedom ... okay just smack me, I'm going off the deep end.

who will bail us out when we get picked up for soliciting?

[maddy]

Ummm, IAKG has lawyer connections :D

[osuche]

working with other great pixies spreading a message across the lands for stress freedom


Stress freedom or SEX freedom??? ;) :D

[WildIrish]

I've gained 983457239857390857349578239057 pounds.


How many dollars is that? :confused:

PF?????




I like maddy's idea about roving pixies solving stress issues. Stress causes so many problems in our lives, and disguises others. If we can manage stress, the rest would fall in line. I know that for a fact. If stress is capable of stealing my erection...it's a powerful foe! We should meet at my place to cum up with a plan of action. :D

[maddy]

I didn't eat the best today, but right now I'm simply stuffed and don't even think I could eat another bite.

I went to the gym for the fifth day in a row. My abs ache but I'm ever anxious to minimize my middle so I do more ab work and whine through it.

Hopefully I will see the rewards on Sunday when I take an official peek at the scale.

For now I'm just trying to find things to occupy me for the long holiday weekend.

[maddy]

I went out and bought a new scale yesterday as I'm losing hope with mine. It's a Tanita with body fat and water monitors. I think it's last year's model as I can't find it on their website. It was easy to set up and I stepped on it and then my old one. My old one only weighs in 1/2 pound increments and the new one in 1/5 pound increments. They were actually fairly consistent. So this is a new game I play, try the new one, then the old one. This morning the new one showed me having a loss for the week of 4/5 pound (hey, I'll take any loss!) and the old one showed a gain of 1/2 pound. That's nearly 1.5 lbs difference!

I also picked up a Salter food scale. It's something I've been toying with getting for sometime. I've never been good at portion control and I think it's part of what's been slowing down my weight loss lately. I've been lying to myself about eating one portion of lean meat, when in reality it has probably been closer to two-three portions. And I know even my cereal serving has been creeping upward in size.

Hope everyone had a good long weekend... I just wish I would have done something fun rather than be at home lazy the whole time. Maybe the next time a holiday rolls around I can make a plan!

[osuche]

maddy -- try mixing up the types of food and the types of exercise. My bodt seems to plateau when I get into a "habit" -- that's when I pick a few days to go on a nut craze or a high fiber craze or a vegetarian week. These changes seem to spee dup my weight loss.

Me? I've been bad the past week -- and blaming it on all the parties and also my cold. But we took a 2 hour bike ride in Monterey yesterday and it didn't kill me completely...so I think I am on the mend.

[fzzy]

yay maddy and osuche ... me, I've been behaving badly and now it's time to get back to healthy lifestyle choices again, don't want to backslide any further than the week or so worth I have ... thanks for being here all of you!

[fzzy]

Well I've made it successfully through today ... in some ways it's almost like being back at day 1 again ... the cravings, wanting to have a treat ... but time to be an adult again and make adult decisions ... at least until the next time anyway! :)

[osuche]

(((((fzzy))))))) ~~~ good for you!!

I was a stress eater all day today, and tomorrow is destined to be a disaster.

[Lilith]

excellent fzzy!!! I have to start back at day 1 too. And it won't be today. Stress and poor planning having taken their toll, I have to start putting me first. Or at least in the top 25.

[WildIrish]

(((Lilith))) In my mind...you're always on top! (Well, almost always) ;)

Fzzy - Did you ever think you'd be such an inspiration?

osuche - stress is only harmful if you ignore it. Keep your friends close...and your enemies closer. Stress is your enemy, so remember what stress makes you want to do, and don't let it win. Stress makes me head to the coffeepot, and then makes me into a recluse. When I'm in stressful situations, I have to make a concerted effort not to shut myself off from the world. Ignoring the email or phone message only feels good for a minute. The second email or message compounds the stress tenfold. Now, I tell myself "This sucks...but if I don't do it now, it's gonna suck way worse. Just do it." Good luck, and reach out if you need to.

maddy - The food scale is a wonderful thing. I never realized just how big the portions I cook are. I knew we ate way more than "human size portions" and 3 ounces of steak looks so damn small! But cooking proper portioned meals satisfies the hunger, and doesn't make you feel stuffed. Good job!

[fzzy]

LOL WI ... I've been an inspiration before .. (not often) ... but never for proper eating!!! ... truth is, I'm just trying my best to hang on with every single day, the habits of a lifetime .. especially when you're lifetime is rapidly approaching the 50's mark, are tough to break! The funny thing is that almost all of the treat/goodies that I was allowing myself a lot during this month of May, most of them didn't taste anywhere nearly as good as I thought they would ... you'd think that would be enough to stop after indulging once, but nope, just kept wanting those treats ... sometimes (as a good friend of mine would say) I'm dumber than a post! :D

Lil ... I'll be thinking positive thoughts for you ... hope you know I love ya and want you to be well up on that list of yours!!! (((((Lil)))))

osuche ... thanks!!!

I love all of you and so much appreciate who you are and how you are! :daisy: :cabbagep:

[maddy]

:grope: Good to see more posts on this thread again.

I've been feeling the gym, in all the muscles that I don't use that is! Today was a two mile walk followed by 50 sit ups and another 25 ab crunchers. My legs ache from yesterday and today. Who knows what I'll do to my body tomorrow.

Amazingly enough, I'm finding with the workout I'm eating my lunch a bit later and lasting much longer into the evening. I really am beginning to think the working out bit is curbing some of my boredom grazing. I have a hard time believing that my discipline is spiking to a high again.

Lilith ... WildIrish ... osuche ... fzzy ... and everyone lurking on the thread... chin up, we are all doing great!

[fzzy]

maddy ... you are doing so great ... I've got to get myself into doing more physically active things, but at the moment, I'm focusing most of my spare energy just on keeping with the proper eating .... and I've now ended my new day 2 successfully ... hopefully each day will continue to get easier a little faster than the last time! :)

[Lilith]

OK today is new day 1 for me. I'm slurping coffee and getting my head outta my ass (quite a trick I might add) :D

Today I will go pick up some fruits and veggies. The crisper drawer is empty but the junk cabinet is full. I need to fix that first.

[osuche]

I've been SO bad this week...cookouts, fast Chinese food, and very little exercise except for walks in the evening with Mr Osuche

I am going to try and get myself back on track this weekend.

[fzzy]

Yay Lil ... hope you had a good day and the crisper drawer got fed! :)

Osuche, I think it's great that you are getting walks in with the mr. ... hope your weekend goes as planned.

I had another good day ... though pre-hut munchies are starting to hit me with the cravings .... I made it through today and plan to do so tomorrow by simply not having any options in the apartment that will sabotage my plan. Have a great Friday everyone!

[maddy]

I joined a challenge as part of the WW message boards. The challenge is to be OP (on plan) every day for the month of June. I figure that ought to kickstart my butt back in gear. So on day 1, I'm presented with a dining out challenge by having an out of town visitor for dinner (unexpected!). I managed. I was drooling the whole time over my visitors bbq ribs, but I stuck to chicken and vegetables. I've also kept up with the gym yesterday - it kicked my ass, but I sweated it out. The scale has me up almost a 1/2 for the week so far, but I'm pretty sure it's water.

I have an event to go to in three weeks and I am hoping to be down another 7 lbs by then. I have some serious work to do, but it's possible.

[maddy]

Well, I survived Saturday with ease. Today is a different story. The weather is gloomy, I had no plans outside the house, and I've been eating non-stop. I tried two new to me chicken recipes today. One of them I absolutely love, the other not so much. I jumped on the treadmill today to try to counteract my food fest. I only last 15 minutes before my foot was cramping. I'm not sure what that was about!

Tomorrow will be better for me. I will go to the gym and eat better.

[osuche]

I completely suck. I've been kinda bad about calories...but the worst thing is that I haven't been to the gym in about 2 weeks! :( While I have been taking walks with Mr Osuch almost every night...it's not the same thing. So tomorrow I have to get back on the bandwagon.

((((maddy))) ~~ thanks for bunping the thread and keeping us all honest. :)

[maddy]

osuche, are you back on the wagon today? PLEASE say YES. I don't want to get lonely on the wagon all by myself!

I did pretty well today. Home is still my downfall, I tend to keep eating out of boredom. In a few minutes I'm going to climb in my bed and read til I go to sleep. There is no food upstairs and I won't be compelled to have more string cheese or watermelon.

On a different note, I swear to someone I am going through puberty all over again. My face keeps breaking out with those deep zits that form a bump and may or may not actually burst through the skin. I know that I sweat when I work out, which is why I'm dilligent about making sure to wash my face afterwards. I try to keep my fingers off my face too. I don't wear any makeup so I'm pretty sure that's not my problem. And to top it all off, I am on birth control to attempt to control it and it seems to be getting worse. I'm curious if my body is resisting the birth control impacts now that I have been on the same prescription for over two years? I'm open to any and all suggestions!

[fzzy]

maddy you're not on the wagon alone ... I wasn't as good as I wanted to be on Saturday and Sunday, but I'm basically still on the wagon ... like you, time at home is my biggest problem. On week nights it's do-able for the most part because I can kind of space out my eating times .... I have my veggie soup right after I get home and then after I'm finished with that I wait about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before I fix my dinner (I've always been a late in the evening kind of dinner person) and then if I feel like I have to have something then I will indulge in a snack pack or something like that about an hour before I go to bed ... (I know all the thoughts about eating late, it just doesn't work for me to try to not do it).

the breakouts I don't know what to tell you ... I know sometimes when I'm working at eating right and my body is getting rid of all the built up toxins that have been in my system ... sometimes it seems like there are so many toxins and just not enough outlets through the usual routes and I'll get the really painful ugly pimples ... and they usually show up on my chest or legs .. not so much on my face (gratefully), but I don't know if that would have anything to do with what you're experiencing.

[osuche]

maddy -- I am on the wagon!! I'm at 1500 calories for the day and I am eating only grapefruit for dinner! Then I plan to do my pilates before I go to bed. (((((maddy)))) you are NOT alone. :)

As for the breakouts...the only thing that works reliably for me makes most people cringe. I pour a bit of rubbing alcohol on a swab and scrub my face with it. If I do this for 4-5 days, the pimples seem to evaporate.....for quite a while.

However, this strategy is not recommended for those who are into face moisturizers and other such things. But it does seem to work.

[Lilith]

I am not on the wagon yet but I am chasing it

[fzzy]

LOL Lil ... that sounds like a good descriptions of how my weekends are ... chasing after the wagon .... maybe it's better exercise for you then it ends up being for me! :D

[maddy]

Yah! I hate to feel lonely. Today was a hectic one and I didn't get my lunch until late in the afternoon, and I just didn't have time to eat... so I munched on veggies. Of course I was like a fiend when I got home and dove right into dinner.

I didn't get a cardio workout at the gym like I had planned. Instead I did weights and ab work. I need to do something to these flabby arms, so I'm not complaining too much.

[Lilith]

I finally ate one of those fruit salad things and McD's and they are to freakin die for. I did not eat well but I walked. I know after my surgery the nerves will be settled and I'll be more focused.

[maddy]

Do you have a surgery date yet Lilith?

Is that the apple/grapes/yogurt salad? I wasn't crazy about it because I don't care for plain yogurt or green apples or red grapes. Yes, I'm well aware I'm picky. Nonetheless, it sounds like you made a healthy choice in a less than healthy environment.

[Aqua]

I'm trying to get away from the Dew again. I've been back to two a day weekdays and 548954809384 on the weekends. I also have a Y membership that I could put to better use.

[Lilith]

I go to see the surgeon tomorrow.

Yes that is the salad. The yogurt was super vanilla flavored. Super sweet. 284758921749271298471293473 carbs.

I had a Y membership but Walmart is buying out the property the Y is on.

[maddy]

Aqua, I gave up Dew about 3 years ago and can't even imagine having it now. I went to Pepsi for awhile and now that scares me too. Give me water and I'm a slightly satisfied girl. :D

I just have this feeling that Dew would be sickly sweet to me now.... but oh how I lived on it (and the caffeine) for years.

[Aqua]

They're getting back at you. :bs:

*Oops, this post was supposed to be right after Lil's*

[osuche]

((((Aqua)))) You can do it. Just make sure you don't chug the Mountain Dew to motivate yourself to go to the Y. :p

(((((Lil)))))) I understand (just a little bit) how nerve racking the wait for surgery is. Please be gentle with yourself now. There's time later for fitness and good food.

((((maddy)))) -- Never feel alone! We're all here with you...and I am chasing the wagon too. :spin:

((((fzzy)))) as far as I am concerned, you are the wagon driver, and what a good one at that.


I am at 1500 calories today...mainly because I had ice cream twice. But dinner sounds terrible, so I think I am safe for another day.

[fzzy]

osuche ... you are doing so great!!!

Lil ... I'll be thinking positive thoughts of and to you for your visit to the surgeon ... hope the news is positive and forward thinking!

Aqua ... yay!!! ... I think we all understand (oh so very well) the need sometime to relax about how strictly we adhere to our program and allow for those times ... but it's great to have you back in the "wagon"

maddy ... great job!!!! Sounds like you are doing great with your workouts!

I've had another good day .... I'm using up all my calories each day, so I end up in the top of the range I've set, but at least I'm in the range.... and trying to motivate myself back into doing a bit more physical activity/effort ... gratefully I finally made it into the hut today ... jeeesh it took awhile, and it seems like I've been in pre-hut cravings mode for way too many days, but I've been keeping it reasonably under control (except for those pesky weekend days). Maybe now I can get back to more motivated thinking/doing.

[Lilith]

Hut stuff can definitely be affected by weight gain or loss. I'm going to put forth great effort today. I think when I stopped journaling at fitday I really started going nuts.

[Aqua]

Thanks for the encouragement... I brought a non-caffeinated soda today.

[Lilith]

You might get a headache from the lack of the goodstuff. You could take some aspirin in advance.

[WildIrish]

With all these sexy people chasing the wagon...I'm thinking the best place to be is bringing up the rear. :brows:

I've been pretty much caffeine free for a while now. I've had a Coke now and again, but not with regularity. I usually reach for Caff. Free cola because I'm so damn sick of Sprite. :rolleyes:

I try to drink a lot of water but it goes right through me.

[osuche]

I am doing well today...but then, I'm not eating much solid food so I would expect to be fine. :)

I'm heading back to the gym tomorrow....I figure one more day to focus on healing then I am back to chasing the wagon. So today I will be happy if I can keep myself under 1800 calories (should be no problem) and I feel OK to walk home.

WI and Aqua.....thanks for chasing the wagon with us!

[Lilith]

I have a surgery date and have less than two weeks to make sure I am at my best to go in to the hospital. I am really going to drink water and try to eat to nourish my body and try to find other ways to feed my soul.

[Aqua]

((((((((Lilith))))))))))))

[Lilith]

Thanks :thanks:

[wyndhy]

here's another (((hug))) with extra determination to be ready, body and soul, for this.

and one just for support ((hug))

[Lilith]

((hugs)) I'm gonna be fine. He's not gonna take out any of the goddess parts :D

[maddy]

:console: Lilith I know you are much like the rest of us on the pixies power thread... you are a do-er and you don't allow people to help you easily ... that being said, if there is anything at all that I can do to help you on the two weeks of prepping or after the fact, please let me know. It's hard to hold your hand from this far away, but I can certainly poke messages at you to remind you to drink your water and eat your fruits and veggies. (((Lilith)))

I done good today! I made a new to me salad tonight that I'll report back on tomorrow before I share the ingredients. I sure hope I like it because I have a rather large bowl! I had a killer workout today. If I can lift my arms to my head tomorrow I will be amazed.

And would y'all stop chasing the wagon and just get on the damn thing.... someone else needs to help power the thing along :wobbly:

[Lilith]

I need new salad ideas so furry up and try it!

And thanks for the support I'm trying not to feel so bad for needing it.

[fzzy]

Lil ... so glad you have a date so you know the end of this particular "torture" ... sending big hugs to you ...

Yay to Aqua, osuche and WI .... great job you guys! And to maddy as well... way to be inventive for your dinner ... hope you really enjoyed the salad...can't wait to hear the details of what it included.

I didn't do so well today ... ate a bit too much ... but tomorrow is another day and as of this moment, I think I'll do good! :)

[osuche]

I'm down about 100 calories on average for the week, and I am now back to eating my "normal" diet! :)

Now, I'll add exercise back in today and I'll actually be *on* the wagon.

Hugs to all....

[Aqua]

Even though I was dead tired yesterday I managed to stay away from the Dew. I had a nap instead. :p

[osuche]

Even though I was dead tired yesterday I managed to stay away from the Dew. I had a nap instead. :p


A nap....and strange fantasies involving aliens and your boss. :p :spin:

[maddy]

Okay, I didn't like the salad, so I will not be telling you about it.

I had a killer cardio workout today - and ran... I RAN! I have not run willfully around a track in years. Nor have I done sprints willfully in years. But I did it, complained, whined, sweated ... but I did it.

After all of that, I found my lunch was ruined and was left with only some fruit and a 100 calorie snack pack. I made up for the lack of lunch at dinner tonight.

The scale isn't indicating much progress toward my goal of 5 lbs by 6/20 which is a bit frustrating. I'm doing pretty much all that I can right now and my body is just going to have to give up the fight to keep all this fat on my bones.

You guys are doing great ... I am very impressed.

[Lilith]

No idea about calories but I ate healthier, had a better mindset and went for a walk.

[Lilith]

Oh and bought some dead sexy, fuck me, never touch the ground, shoes.

[maddy]

I think we need to see pictures of the shoes!

[Lilith]

You will :D As soon as I get my toes painted red ;)

[osuche]

((((Lil)))) and ((((maddy)))) ~~ health and good vibes must be in the air.

I had salmon and salad for lunch, and then worked out (35 minutes cardio, stretching, and sit ups). It's a start!

[Lilith]

It's starting to come back off but sooooooooooo slow. I went to the park yesterday and played racquetball with the kiddo which means I ran a lot.:D

[maddy]

You are doing great Lilith... sometimes I think slow is the way to go, it seems to make the habit stick.

I'm having a good weekend, aside from spending way too much money at the outlets on Saturday. Getting out of the house helped me manage my eating a bit better.

Today was my official day to read the scale and it says I'm down 1.6 lbs. I hope all the time at the gym is starting to pay off. I'm also doing a thorough cleaning this weekend. Last night I vacuumed the mattress and changed all the sheets. Today I'm doing the rest of the vacuuming, including the stairs (I hate doing them!) and a scrubbing of the tiled floors.

[Lilith]

I am headed off to go shopping too. It is hard to face that after all this work to become smaller, one simple operation is going to make me gain at least 2 sizes temporarily. The two sizes I lost :( God Bless Granny Panties :D

[osuche]

((((Lil))))

I've been horrible with the grands in town...and I'd like to say that I'll be better today but I am sooooo tired and I just want to RELAX.

My hat is off to everyone who is persevering...not feeling very positive today myself. :(

[fzzy]

I was BAD, BAD, BAD for several days there ... but now I'm ready to get and be serious about this again for a more extended period of time again ... somehow knowing that my birthday was coming up and that I'd be celebrating (a bit TOOO much) negatively affected my motivation ... so now the day is past and no "excuse" days in the near future ... considering it has been almost 6 months, I have not made nearly enough progress ... so I'm getting in the mind set to push at myself a whole lot more!!!

[maddy]

It was a good'un today. I did very well with my food. Stomped out two miles on the treadmill and did a good ab workout. I'm seriously considering stomping out another two miles on the treadmill yet tonight before I go to sleep.

I got the last of the cheetos out of the house last night so they can't call my name late at night anymore. I really just need to go back to avoiding the chip aisle at the grocery store. I can walk the cookie aisle with no problem, but the chip aisle is clearly a different story.

Okay, got to find some sneakers and get on the treadmill if I'm going to do this... or I'll never sleep tonight!

[maddy]

Yup, fat and lazy maddy was hiding somewhere tonight... I don't know wherre. But this maddy just did two more miles on the treadmill, with short intervals of jogging. I haven't done two miles on the home treadmill, since I don't know when. But since summer tv sucks, and I need something to do with my time other than eat... and I spent good money on that damn piece of equipment that hogs up space in my living room, it's about time I use it ... right?

And as crazy as it sounds... it just felt good. I'm officially back in the groove :)

[Lilith]

/me rubs up against maddy hoping the positivity rubs off

[Aqua]

/me rubs up against Lil's other side... just for fun. :D

[Lilith]

mmm creamy filling ;)

[Aqua]

*now with less caffeine!* :p

Only 3 Dews in the last 8 days and none during the week.

[Lilith]

awesome!!!! Great!!!

[maddy]

That's awesome Aqua. What have you replaced all that Dew drinking with?

[Aqua]

Mostly water. I do still have one pop a day... usually a store brand cream soda or root beer. They're all caffeine free.

[maddy]

Woohoo Aqua!!

Today was a good day for me. I got the eating thing down again. I didn't get my midday workout in so I had to go after work. I had a dr appointment today and my blood pressure was elevated, that is not something I need to add to the growing list of reasons to be running to the doctor. I really sincerely hope it was a nervous thing. I'll be able to test that tomorrow since I'll be visiting another doctor.

I'll be sipping water all night as that is the one thing I didn't do well with today. I didn't drink enough!

[Aqua]

I struggle some with the water thing. A lot of times, and this is so dumb, I just get caught up working and since I don't have a soda to just go grab I won't take the time (like 15 seconds) to go fill my water bottle at the water cooler. :rolleyes2

Not so today though, I'm glad to report. I just finished the water that I put in it today.

Glad to hear you had a good day maddy! Woot!

[osuche]

I worked out today and stayed at 1700 calories! I can't promise I've got my groove back, since I will be in Columbus Thurs-Sunday and won't be able to control the diet....but I am trying.

[Lilith]

Good Job osuche!

[fzzy]

Way to go maddy, sounds like you are doing great...wonderful!

Congrats Aqua ... sounds like you also are really sticking to your plan, YAY!

osuche, you are doing so great ... congrats, and hope you have a ton of fun on your time away from home.

hugs Lil ... Aqua beat me to the punch on the rubbing up against you as you rubbed against our maddy .... but his rubbing was probably infinitely more enjoyable anyway! ;)

I've done very well today ... yesterday was a bit more of a challenge, but I'm still plugging away at it ... working to get back to doing this much more seriously then I have been for the last month or so (at least overall) ... at least I haven't gone backwards so far ... and I intend to keep it that way and make progress moving forward as well.

[Lilith]

I've lost about 3 of the 10 I put back on but it's not been due to anything structured or organized.

[fzzy]

Good job Lil! Yay for you! ... if it's coming off it's a good thing (at least for those who aren't anorexic)

[maddy]

Progress Lilith!

I'm exhausted today and likely to find my way to bed soon. My legs ache terribly and I didn't even workout hard today. I overate by a smidgeon today because I had an extra treat tonight and then remembered that I had a banana earlier I hadn't counted. Oh well, I only went over my daily amount by a bit, and then the exercise actually makes up for it.

[fzzy]

way to stay strong maddy ... I'm pretty sure that a banana won't do any damage this one time! :)

I did ok for the day ... not great, but ok. Hope all is going great for everyone else!

[fzzy]

I did ok again today ... better than yesterday, not as good as the day before, but still ok in the overall picture. Happy Friday everyone!

[maddy]

Yesterday was a bummer... I had a business lunch that was indulgent and prevented me from getting to the gym. I have a day outside today that will hopefully end with a lot of exercise, but I also know it will be another bad lunch day.

[txgrneyes]

Well girls I am admitting that I will need your help. As some of you know it is my b-day today. I am 35 yrs old. that is half of 70. And although I did get some compliments at work "you dont look it" and was even accused of lyin. But alas I am 35. I am wanting to loose more weight. I have lost about 20 lbs since 02/27/2006 when I had the surgery. But now I need to get my butt in gear and loose more. I am wanting to loose 70 lbs before my next birthday. I didn't put this on in one week so I know I can do it in 52 weeks. I have already been watching what I eat and makeing sure I add more water to my intake which was hardly none. And only grant myself one soda a day. Which I do want to cut out since I hardly ever drink the whole thing. So here I am.

My goal: to look sexy when naked and in clothes!!!!! and to feel better about myself.

[Lilith]

Good on ya TGE! Water is the best way to start.

[WildIrish]

Speaking of water...

The dog days of summer are upon us, and it's all the more important to keep hydrated! Drink up, everyone.

[Steph]

Speaking of water...

The dog days of summer are upon us, and it's all the more important to keep hydrated! Drink up, everyone.

That reminds me of my dear departed Irish grandfather.

Pop: Would ye like a drink, luv?

Me: I've got some water.

Pop: But do ye need something to drink?

Me: Look, Pop, I've got a glass of water.

/Pop faints from not pouring a drink



I spent a lot of time in the Rockies so I knew how important it was to have water when you hiked. I also know the other side of the spectrum where you're sitting in an office. :)

I'm checking into Pixies Power to say I'm here to support y'all. I've slowed down because I'm working & looking after an old dog.

I realize the weight gain is mostly due to slowing it down for him but I'm watching what I eat.

Activity is the key.

My ex-husband always said, "If you're active, you can eat what you want."

I believe that but at the same time, those of you who are counting calories & are doing well -- you rock!

[maddy]

The end of my week was a rough one with some huge challenges. I have increased my water intake thankfully. This next week is going to be an even bigger challenge as I'm out of town for nearly the whole week. I'm still debating if I'm taking two notebooks with me (personal and professional) or if I'll just leave the personal one home. I know last time I considered it and opted against it I got stuck in the airport with nothing to do for a ridiculous amount of time!

[osuche]

((((maddy)))) have a safe trip!

I am chasing the wagon again, as of today. I am back in the saddle after a trip to Columbus, and had a pretty good day....1500 calories, no dinner....and I walked to and from class in lieu of a workout. Tomorrow I will add the water back int the diet also.

Hope everyone else is doing well. :)

[fzzy]

I still need to do better on my weekends, but this one that just ended was the best I've done on a weekend for the last couple of months, so at least there's improvement! :) Doing good again today.

maddy ... travel safe!

osuche ... you do so great ... thanks for that!

Aqua ... by the way, if I haven't said it yet ... YAY for you and your work with decreasing your dew intake!!

txgrneyes...welcome aboard ... glad to have you with our little pixies power group.

Steph ... always good to see you ... hope the dog is happy every minute you're able to spend with him!

WI (and the rest of ya) I've also been trying to increase my water intake .. and my veggie intake is still something I'm trying to increase .. the soup is very helpful with that still ... hope I'll be wanting to still do that as the heat of summer fully settles in ... I've never been much of a fruit or veggie person ... cooked or raw, so when I find something that works reasonably well for me, I try to keep with it.

[WildIrish]

I was watching Animal Planet...of all things...and was reminded that drinking cold water causes your body to use energy (calories) to bring your internal body temperature back up to 98.6°. 12 calories, to be precise! If you drink three glasses of cold water a day, for a year, you will lose three pounds without changing your eating habits or exercise routine one bit! Imagine what it does when eating and moving about in a healthier manner!

You guys are doing great, and I love coming here. Just sayin.

[osuche]

12 calories, to be precise!


So....If I eat a ho-ho a day, I only have to drink 20 glasses of cold water per day to make up for it??? :D ;)

Good deal! :p

[WildIrish]

So....If I eat a ho-ho a day, I only have to drink 20 glasses of cold water per day to make up for it??? :D ;)

Good deal! :p


:faint: :brows: :hot:


:confused:


Oh damn! :mad:




I thought you said "hoo hoo". :tongue:

[osuche]

:I thought you said "hoo hoo". :tongue:


Good suggestion! That would mean aerobic exercise *and* fewer calories!

:69:

[WildIrish]

Is the weather out there ok to walk in?

Up here, it seems to have switched to oppressively hot and humid very quickly and it makes you just want to sit inside and vegitate. I hate that there only seems to be six good weeks a year where you actually enjoy going for a walk. It really makes it tough to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

[osuche]

Yep, it's good. Yesterday it got up to 72F. Today I think the high is 80F, and people are complaining about a heat wave. But it's still cool this morning and I am holding out hope that we don't reach 80F (especially since my building doesn't have AC).

The nights here are cool...low 50's and perfect sweater/cuddle weather.

If you come and visit, I'd be happy to take you on lots of walks. :) I even know of a few with nice views...

[fzzy]

You all bring a smile to my face!!!

Ending my day really well, best day I've had in quite a long time actually as far as my eating goes, I've been working to clear out all of the empty calorie items that I've been allowing myself too much of ... the 100 calorie snacks and such have begun to be a real problem for me, so I'm finishing up the last of them during this week (weaning off of them) and then I'm not going to buy any of them for awhile, get some more progress under my belt ... I've been doing a side step in this weight loss dance for a bit too long and need to start steping forward again ... So here I am again, getting much more serious in the process once again and am ready to make the changes for that ... hope you all are having a good week! :)

[osuche]

((((fzzy)))) ~~ amen on getting bad stuff out of the house. I've been working on that, too. That...and minimizing the eating out. Bread before dinner is my downfall.

Yesterday I had an average calorie day, but I *did* drink more water, and I also went to the gym. Thus, I am celebrating some steps in the right direction

[fzzy]

Stayed on track again today ... staying within my calorie range, although i was a bit lower yesterday, still did well today!

Glad you're doing good as well osuche!

... and can I say, I miss Lil! (Not just in this thread, but in general!!!) sending positive thoughts her way and to all of you as well, thank you all for being so great!

[osuche]

I had a great day yesterday! Just under 2000 calories...but with the gym workout and a few walks I took I managed to burn 650 yesterday in physical activity. That puts me on track!! :D

fzzy...congrats on your good day too!

[Coaster]

Well after bicycling 180 miles over 3 days I lost 2 lbs........... and they've stayed away so far!

[Aqua]

What prompted that ride Coaster?

[Coaster]

It was a fund-raiser............ and I thought I was still 30!!!!!!

[WildIrish]

I don't know that I could've done that! That's quite an accomplishment. Good job, Coaster!

[Lilith]

No weight loss so far but I am still retaining fluid. I walked a lot around the house yeaterday. I am trying to tightly control my blood sugars now. Not much of an appetite so maybe I will lose some when all the swelling goes down.

[osuche]

((((Lilith)))) ~~ be well. Eat lots of ice cream (or your favorite indulgence). This is one time when you can say **screw the weight loss**

LOL

[osuche]

*bump*

Been working out, and trying to watch the diet. I've been better about the working out than the diet, though.

How's everyone else doing?

[Aqua]

I had a couple days off from work and I treated them kinda like a weekend... one Dew a day. I'll be back on track next week though.

[maddy]

The past week was bad as I was travelling. The scale had me up 3 lbs this morning :eek: - I'm back at it today, need to get on the treadmill yet tonight.

[WildIrish]

I've all but given up regular coffee, and am now finding that Iced Green Tea isn't as bad as it seemed to be last summer. I haven't gone crazy eliminating caffeine from my life but I am much more conscious of it nowadays. I don't notice much difference in how I feel, but I'm sure it's a good thing.

[Lilith]

I am starting to pay close attention again to what I let slip past my lips. My body is rapidly changing shape. The fat clothes I bough to fit post surgery seem to be almost wasted in that they are huge.

[osuche]

maddy, WI, and Lilith....I am proud of you for sticking with it!

As for me....bad day yesterday as I ate both pizza and a Quiznos sub. However, I *did* manage to take a walk with Mr Osuche, even though my day was packed with stress.

Today I am headed to the gym after work. Luck, all!

[Lilith]

I want to try the new Quizno's salads. A good salad sounds like heaven since I can't go get one :D

[maddy]

I had one of the new Quizno's salads last week, it was okay, but not spectacular. It was better than most fast food salads though, so I guess that says something. The flat bread was particularly tasty.

[Aqua]

Mmmmm, flat bread.

[maddy]

Alright, I indulged on m&m's yesterday ... too many of them. But tonight I ran/walk intervaled 1.5 miles. I usually walk a full 2 miles, but my poor legs were exhausted after the run/walk intervals. I've never been a runner, but for some reason the treadmill makes me want to run on occassion.

[fzzy]

I'm not even close to being on track this week ... it's like my tummy just won't get full ... I've been trying to be under control ... at least as much as I can manage, but it's not a very successful attempt .... sigh!

[Lilith]

I'm all off track and discombobulated so I am psyching myself out again. I keep brushing my teeth and using mouthwash. Nothing tastes good after that so I just drink more water :D

[osuche]

I've been stress eating..and that's a bad, bad thing. Calorie-wise, I'm only about 50 over my taregt on average. But I need to have more intense work-outs and I need to stop eating so much fat!

I think I'll try Lil's technique today

[Aqua]

I had an odd experience this morning. I had a horrible night sleepwise, and when I finally got up, groggy as all get out, I had a strong desire to get on the treadmill. So I jogged for a couple minutes at 3mph and then bumped it up to 5.5mph for a few more minutes and realized I didn't stretch nearly enough as one of my legs started feeling like it was going to cramp. I don't even think I made it .5 miles, but I do think I will try to use it more often.