Biggest Loser 10 Fall Challenge -- for losers and maintainers :)

[tggrrstarr]

Whew! Caught up for the most part! I might try to go back and answer some of the QOTD that I missed.

I had a good week despite my slow down of exercise. I lost 2.2 lbs. My scale has been acting weird though the last two days, I keep getting different numbers, I just end up going with the lowest number if I can get the scale to give me that number 3 times. And if it makes sense due to my activities the day before. Yesterday I had a great calorie and exercise day.

I have been trying to get back to C25k for the last two weeks, I have been adding a minute of running to each of my walks. I am up to 6 minutes. I am going really, really slow since my knee is still iffy. I really don't want to mess it up worse, so I figure I will just make my way up to day 1 and just linger there until my trip.

 

[Rose&Mike]

LINDSAY--where are you? Hope you are doing ok.

Even sweet cereal isn't that bad. Compared to what you could have had, I think a bowl of captain crunch is a good choice. I just picked up some special K chocolatey delight, and will have that as an evening snack sometimes.

Love the plate quote. I'm thinking 9 miles on the treadmill, in the snow, in the sun, in the rain, anywhere it sounds pretty tortuous. Well, except maybe in disney world!! So I know we gotta do the painful long ones at home so we can do them in disney too, huh. Sending pixie dust for ds's interview.
We have a fun weekend planned. We're going out to dinner tonight and then to see the Christmas Carol play. My bro and fam are comiing from western ma. I'm working 9-1 today and will run before michael gets home from school, and then we'll decorate the cake. The past couple years we've made his cakes, mostly from a cake book we got at a fundraiser, and it's fun to do together, and cheaper than buying one. I know I said before, he chose to get an ipod rather than have a big kids party, so we're having the family over tomorrow for pizza and cake, and we went to ac moore to find a craft for the kids to do, and the t-shirts were on sale for $2:19, so we're going to paint t-shirts. We called my niece and nephew who are 13 and 16 to see if they wanted to paint too, and they did, so it will be fun. I love having all the cousins together. I especially love to torture the older ones by taking a group picture.
I am also going to get a run/walk in the am. It will be nice to be able to leave michael home and go. My brother might run with me.

Oh, my saying- NEVER GIVE UP!!!No matter how long and how many ups and downs you may have, never stop trying, be patient and persistant, and you will make progress.

Have a great friday, and weekend everyone. Not sure when I'll be checking in again.

Kathy--love your quote! That really is what it's about. Keeping on. And I agree about the cereal. Captain Crunch isn't great, but it could have been much worse. It sounds like a great weekend coming up! Strangely enough, once I got the stomach stuff straightened out, I really enjoyed the long runs. It was almost like a form of meditation after a while. But the cold air is killing me. I cough so easy. And Mike is still not sure if he can run. He ran a little bit this morning after riding the bike and he said as long as we go really slow he thinks it will be ok. I think we're going to go to the Y and go on the dreadmills.

Has anyone else run a 1/2 after almost exclusively running on treadmills? I know I can do it, cause I've done it before--the 13 miles I mean. But I don't know how much harder it's going to be not running outside all winter.

Two weeks is two weeks, though, and we can make some changes in 2 weeks.

So true! And I try to look at it this way, if I can make it through the holidays without a gain I will be starting off the new year at a really good place!

We definately should have a BL meet for the Princess. I counted seven of us who are going: you, Rose, Kathy (mikamah), Lindsay (mommy2topirates), Jude (jbm02), jenanderson, and me. I'm thinking I'm missing someone -- corinnak?

My training is going great -- thanks for asking. I do 3 miles for my short runs. I feel like I can do a 5K anytime with no problems and all my runs are within the Princess pace. Now it's time to work on increasing the distance for my long runs and keeping my 15 min mile pace.

Rose, an extra for you. I'm sure that you are stronger for having to live through all those trying times but man, what a horrible time. Poor Mike had to live through them long distance and they don't have the internet communication they do now.

I'm hanging onto my number one spot in sparkpoints for now. That will change as I just got a point boost because I finally figured out how to get my points from the book The Spark. It's kind of fun to revisit it anyway.

Have a great day all!

Glad the training is going well, Lisa! Have you heard from jenanderson or Jude? I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately (ever since she called a couple of weeks ago). We all but begged her to come out and stay with me for a week or so when Mike went to sea, but she didn't--we even said we would buy the plane ticket. I think that was the beginning of the end of our relationship. At the same time as all this, Mike's Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers. Why do I talk about this stuff? It really is all tied in to my weight and how I see myself. I think being in your 40s means you have to come to terms with some things, and that's where I'm at. Having said all that, I am really happy with the place I am in now, just working to let go of some of the old stuff so that it doesn't keep coming back to make me sad. And since I am a huge emotional eater, hoping this helps the weight stay off as well.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a great WI today. I was able to hold onto my one pound from yesterday so that's it for me this week. Finally, my jeans are starting to feel loose. You would think after 23.5 pounds, this would have happened awhile back. They still fit well in the thighs but are getting baggy in the waist and bum. They are those kind of jeans with a little spandex in them so maybe that's why it's taken so long for them to get baggy Still need to lose 2.5 more pounds over the next 2 weeks to meet my goal for this challenge. That will be hard for me. I typically only lose about 2 pounds a month! I don't like to deprive myself too much We'll see how it goes. I did some research on running on snow last night. I like what this guy said on his blog:

Running in this snow is very strenuous, akin to running in sand on the beach. With every step, as your foot presses down, it actually pushes the snow (and sand) aside and only a small portion of the energy is used to propel the body forward. That means, you end up with a shorter step and need to take more steps to cover the same distance. Thus you end up more tired.
I also find that since my foot is now buried about an inch or more in the snow, I have to lift it UP and THEN FORWARD – another reason for more energy used and a shorter step. So plan on a slower pace. And swing your arms less, to save energy.

I also found the jaxtrax online that you can attach to the bottom of your shoes. I'm still too sore from my fall the other day to think about getting out there but I think it will be doable over the winter. I've seen a lot of joggers around the past few days. Went to yoga today and did a short walk. Then washed all the sheets and remade beds. Now, I'm just being lazy

Shawn

Great quotes! I like the turkey quote! Thanks for sharing about running in snow. Have I mentioned I don't like snow? And woohoo to holding onto your pound! As for the clothes, I have given up trying to figure out what my body is doing when it's losing. It is very exciting when your clothes get loose! Make sure when you are in the states that you try on some new clothes. You might be pleasantly surprised at what new things you can fit into!

This winter is becoming a challenge for me. I can't just go outside for my walk anymore after work, it is way too cold now. Even though I have the gym membership, I hate going there, its usually too dificult to find time to get there. We only have one car, so that is the major problem. I find myself only getting a full workout on my days off.
I am trying to use the Kinect, but I am not able to every day. I am working too many closing shifts, so I just cop out after work. I think sleep is my enemy right now. It seems to be my main deterrent. I am going to try to get past this this week.

The winter is quite the challenge for me as well. I have found that I HAVE to have a plan. Between the sun going down early and the cold air, I just want to hibernate. If I write it down, I am more apt to stick to it. And I try to be realistic. If I think I can only get in a half an hour then I only schedule a half an hour. Hang in there. Spring is just around the corner--I hope!

As for the scale--at the beginning of the year all the scales are on sale. I highly recommend getting a new one at the start of the next challenge. I was having the same issues with my scale last year and when I finally got a new one (about a month into the challenge) I found out my weight was actually 6 pounds or so higher than I thought! It was heart breaking.

I went to the Y and did an hour on the bike and 20 minutes walking on the treadmill. We have gone ahead and last minute invited a bunch of people over for the game tomorrow. I have no plan. I'm going to see how many people are coming and then make a plan. At least the house is in good shape thanks to AT&T.

I'll talk to you later.

 

[liesel]

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a great WI today. I was able to hold onto my one pound from yesterday so that's it for me this week. Finally, my jeans are starting to feel loose. You would think after 23.5 pounds, this would have happened awhile back. They still fit well in the thighs but are getting baggy in the waist and bum. They are those kind of jeans with a little spandex in them so maybe that's why it's taken so long for them to get baggy Still need to lose 2.5 more pounds over the next 2 weeks to meet my goal for this challenge. That will be hard for me. I typically only lose about 2 pounds a month! I don't like to deprive myself too much We'll see how it goes.
for all your struggles the past few weeks. 1.3 pounds is not bad at all considering all the changes in routine you have had. I look forward to the day I can give away all my fat clothes. I am not there yet. I must have been wearing some TIGHT clothes!

Thanks, the funny thing is, when I went to send in my number this morning, I realized that I forgot to factor in that I was down a little before Thanksgiving, so I am actually only up .6 instead of 1.3. That did make me feel a little better. I've been hovering between 20 and 22 pounds lately and would also love to get to 25. I've only dropped 1 size and am so close to another. Its taken a long time for me too. You can do it!

My training is going great -- thanks for asking. I do 3 miles for my short runs. I feel like I can do a 5K anytime with no problems and all my runs are within the Princess pace. Now it's time to work on increasing the distance for my long runs and keeping my 15 min mile pace.

Never give up!

I love the quote! for being able to do a 5K so easily!

I don't know how it happened but I called the ortho office at 10:30 and they had an opening for 2:45. Busy office but after filling out paperwork and sitting for a while they took me in. He looked at my leg. Made me lay down where he bent it (OUCH), and then started pressing points on the knee(OUCH). Thinks I have a torn minuscus and I need an MRI before he can talk about what needs to be done. So I am calling the insurance office tonight or first thing tomorrow and seeing if I need a referal. I don't think so because of the type of insurance I have but I still want to check. he gave me a shot of cortisone to help the pain but it really hasn't helped. I wanted to go to yoga but I may just go and talk to the instructor and come home.

Send plenty of PD If it is a minor tear then it may not need surgery.

Here's hoping you don't need surgery!

Thank you to Dona and Maria for coaching this week.

QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote?

Mine is (and please forgive me if I mess this up):
"You don't throw out all of the dishes, just because you broke one plate!"I come back to this all the time, and found it especially helpful when I started this journey in January. My pattern in the past was too start on the weight loss path and have a bad day, bad week, bad month and quit. I have learned over the past year that I don't have to be perfect--and I am far from perfect, and you know what, that's ok!


Hope everyone has a great evening and a good weigh-in tomorrow!

Good luck to DS! I love your quote. It is a great reminder not to quit after one (or a weekend full of) bad choice.

It's tough. I had some size 18 clothes in my closet that I was scared to get rid of, and I'm in an 8 now. I just had to tell myself that I didn't need crutches, and why on earth would I EVER want to be in that again???

QOTD: I have a few - Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Is it worth the calories? Just keep swimming.

Thanks so much for sharing your pictures. You look fantastic! I'm glad PC is going well for you and it can help fund your Christmas.


Nicole-I love tortilla soup too, its been a long time since I've made it. I'm also a Zumba fan, I try to go at least once or twice a week to get in a fun workout!

I thought I'd follow in Nicole's footsteps and finally try a multiquote instead of trying to remember what I wanted to say.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Off topic--I edited my signature and when I do a preview I can see what I did and I hit save, but I can't see anything in my signature now. Any ideas?

Ok, never mind. I guess I had to actually post something for it to update! Duh!

 

[50sjayne]

Worf:

"all you can eat bird of prey buffet"

tggrrstarr:

I am scared to put them on with Boo bouncing off the walls like a Tigger on crack

.

Ok where is the tag fairy when you need her?

We have 3 kittens this year and have decided not to put up any fake trees as they destroy them. They have kitten energy and the boys are huge.
Not to mention Harvey--the ringleader.
He thinks those kittens are his. He actually calls them with the mama trill and they--come. He teaches them bad habits too like knocking my mouse off behind my pc in the cabinet...

I'm still at 128. Doing ok. my skin seems to be improving quite a bit actually between exfoliating, exercises and cocoa butter. Trying to drink a lot of water too. I'm kind of mad at myself for not thinking about getting a good coat this year--my other coats are all too big to keep me warm. I'm so picky now it's hard-- what I buy now I plan on fitting in for a long time y'know. Think I'll just break down and spend $55 on a good one at Costco. I really do like it-- that is just so much for me to spend on any article of clothing....

 

[lisah0711]

I'm kind of mad at myself for not thinking about getting a good coat this year--my other coats are all too big to keep me warm. I'm so picky now it's hard-- what I buy now I plan on fitting in for a long time y'know. Think I'll just break down and spend $55 on a good one at Costco. I really do like it-- that is just so much for me to spend on any article of clothing....

The Precious is too big for you? Or it's not warm enough?

Since you are at maintainer status and have been for some time you are safe buying yourself a nice, warm coat, even though you don't want to spend that much on yourself. You're worth it!

 

[Cupcaker]

just a quick post to tell you all I made it to a new decade....120s!!!! I have been exerising like I should be and eating within my calories. I am 1.5 away from my BL goal! I'll be back on later tonight. Have a good friday everyone.

 

[mizzoutiger76]

DH is doing well here at the Rehab, although he is anxious to get home. We should get a "plan" this afternoon about how many days they anticipate his stay and such. That will be so nice to know so that we can start making some plans about home care and such. issues, etc. Plus I'd like to find 30 minutes to order some christmas gifts online. I don't trust the wireless network here with my credit card information.

I'm very glad to hear that!

We are supposed to run 9 Saturday and it is supposed to snow! Nine miles on the treadmill sounds tortuous, but 9 miles in the snow doesn't sound good either. Oh, and I almost forgot--DS has an interview on Monday for an internship this summer in DC. He's very excited, but very nervous!

OMG! 9 miles I never thought I'd be up to 2 miles, but 9 miles, you rock!

While they were cooking, I went to get Sophie, who had napped late at mom's. On the way home, she started talking about Daddy, when could she see him again, was he happy, did he miss us, why did he die, did he want to leave us. KILLED ME. I was in tears, trying my best to put it in 3 year old terms. Got almost home, and it started snowing. Not much, but it was pretty. Somehow, it just put things right. Like a sign from Daddy or something. Dunno. But it calmed my spirits. One of those memories I'll never forget.

This lead me to come home and look through pics. Want to share, in case anyone is in need of motivation. I am!

Thank you for sharing your special moments It gave me goosebumps. I'm really glad that you are finding some comfort during these difficult times.

And may I also say that you are one hot momma Thanks for posting your pics! I'm only about 20lbs lighter than your heaviest, so I've got a long way to go, but your pictures have motivated me!

Going to invite some friends over to watch the SEC championship game tomorrow!!!! Can't wait!!!

If I don't check in over the weekend, I hope you have fun!

We have a fun weekend planned.

I hope you guys have a great weekend and Happy Birthday to Michael!

I lost 2.2 lbs. I have been trying to get back to C25k for the last two weeks, I have been adding a minute of running to each of my walks. I am up to 6 minutes.

Great job on both counts Running can be so hard on the body, so be sure to take care and continue going slow...unfortunately I learned the hard way, ended up with plantar faciitis, tendonitis in a toe, and the sides of my feet hurt I went to the dr but he didn't seem concerned so I just keep going

Shawn - let me see if I can PM you the recipe for the soup. If anyone else wants it let me know. It's an awesome "throw everything in a crockpot" recipe.

Today has been pretty good so far! Got my 33 minutes of running during lunch done and over with and almost done with the water. Eating hasn't been so great, but only because of the lack thereof. I had a Healthy Choice lunch that I didn't particularly enjoy nor finish most of, so I'm lacking some in the calorie department which may lead to a headache this evening. I did have a banana about 30 minutes ago and so far so good.

Nicole

 

[mizzoutiger76]

just a quick post to tell you all I made it to a new decade....120s!!!! I have been exerising like I should be and eating within my calories. I am 1.5 away from my BL goal! I'll be back on later tonight. Have a good friday everyone.

Congrats! That's wonderful!

 

[lisah0711]

I also found the jaxtrax online that you can attach to the bottom of your shoes. I'm still too sore from my fall the other day to think about getting out there but I think it will be doable over the winter. I've seen a lot of joggers around the past few days. Went to yoga today and did a short walk.

Shawn, hope that you are feeling better. Are you freezing there? Thank goodness this bad weather is happening now instead of when you are getting ready to come home! You are a trouper for thinking about getting outside the in the bad weather!

Are the jaxtrax soft I wonder? I've thought of getting yaktrax -- maybe they are the same thing -- but I always worry that anything hard will make my plantar fasciitis flareup.

I had a good week despite my slow down of exercise. I lost 2.2 lbs. My scale has been acting weird though the last two days, I keep getting different numbers, I just end up going with the lowest number if I can get the scale to give me that number 3 times. And if it makes sense due to my activities the day before. Yesterday I had a great calorie and exercise day.

I have been trying to get back to C25k for the last two weeks, I have been adding a minute of running to each of my walks. I am up to 6 minutes. I am going really, really slow since my knee is still iffy. I really don't want to mess it up worse, so I figure I will just make my way up to day 1 and just linger there until my trip.

Take care of that knee! Great loss!

Has anyone else run a 1/2 after almost exclusively running on treadmills? I know I can do it, cause I've done it before--the 13 miles I mean. But I don't know how much harder it's going to be not running outside all winter.

Glad the training is going well, Lisa! Have you heard from jenanderson or Jude? I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately (ever since she called a couple of weeks ago). We all but begged her to come out and stay with me for a week or so when Mike went to sea, but she didn't--we even said we would buy the plane ticket. I think that was the beginning of the end of our relationship. At the same time as all this, Mike's Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers. Why do I talk about this stuff? It really is all tied in to my weight and how I see myself. I think being in your 40s means you have to come to terms with some things, and that's where I'm at. Having said all that, I am really happy with the place I am in now, just working to let go of some of the old stuff so that it doesn't keep coming back to make me sad. And since I am a huge emotional eater, hoping this helps the weight stay off as well.

I'll be interested to hear what people say about running a half after doing most of your training on the TM.

I haven't heard from Jude or jenanderson but I'm hoping that we will hear from them when the new challenge starts or maybe even with the BL alumni thread. I'll probably start that thread next week. I always miss people when we haven't heard from them for awhile.

I'm so happy to hear that you are happy with where you are now -- I think that you are truly in a place where you never go back and have made the lifestyle change!

Thanks, the funny thing is, when I went to send in my number this morning, I realized that I forgot to factor in that I was down a little before Thanksgiving, so I am actually only up .6 instead of 1.3. That did make me feel a little better. I've been hovering between 20 and 22 pounds lately and would also love to get to 25. I've only dropped 1 size and am so close to another. Its taken a long time for me too. You can do it!.

Go, Lisa, go!

just a quick post to tell you all I made it to a new decade....120s!!!! I have been exerising like I should be and eating within my calories. I am 1.5 away from my BL goal! I'll be back on later tonight. Have a good friday everyone.

Woo! Hoo! A new decade! Great job, Jeanette!

If I don't check in over the weekend, I hope you have fun!

You have a great week-end, too, Nicole!

Off to do my long run and pick up DS from chess. Have a great evening all!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Thanks, the funny thing is, when I went to send in my number this morning, I realized that I forgot to factor in that I was down a little before Thanksgiving, so I am actually only up .6 instead of 1.3. That did make me feel a little better. I've been hovering between 20 and 22 pounds lately and would also love to get to 25. I've only dropped 1 size and am so close to another. Its taken a long time for me too. You can do it!

.

Woohoo for dropping a size!! Very exciting!

my other coats are all too big to keep me warm. I'm so picky now it's hard-- what I buy now I plan on fitting in for a long time y'know. Think I'll just break down and spend $55 on a good one at Costco. I really do like it-- that is just so much for me to spend on any article of clothing....

I say buy the coat!!! You are going to need it for a long time!
And I sent you a pm!

just a quick post to tell you all I made it to a new decade....120s!!!! I have been exerising like I should be and eating within my calories. I am 1.5 away from my BL goal! I'll be back on later tonight. Have a good friday everyone.

Woohoo for a new decade! Congrats!

OMG! 9 miles I never thought I'd be up to 2 miles, but 9 miles, you rock!

Great job on both counts Running can be so hard on the body, so be sure to take care and continue going slow...unfortunately I learned the hard way, ended up with plantar faciitis, tendonitis in a toe, and the sides of my feet hurt I went to the dr but he didn't seem concerned so I just keep going

Shawn - let me see if I can PM you the recipe for the soup. If anyone else wants it let me know. It's an awesome "throw everything in a crockpot" recipe.

Nicole

Nicole--we have a BL recipe thread in the Healthy eating section (I think that's what it's called) which is at the top of the WISH boards. I haven't bumped it in a while, so hopefully it's still there!

You are very smart to go slow on the running. I am a huge believer in cross training. I very, very rarely run more than 3 days a week. But most weeks I work out 6 days a week. If I can run 13 miles, anyone can! It just takes patience and putting in the time. Have you been fitted for running shoes. Especially when I first started, I had to change my shoes frequently. I could tell I needed new shoes when my feet got sore.

I haven't heard from Jude or jenanderson but I'm hoping that we will hear from them when the new challenge starts or maybe even with the BL alumni thread. I'll probably start that thread next week. I always miss people when we haven't heard from them for awhile.

I'm so happy to hear that you are happy with where you are now -- I think that you are truly in a place where you never go back and have made the lifestyle change!

Thanks Lisa. Sent you a pm.

Well, looks like we are going to bag having folks over, except maybe our friends we go out with a couple times a month. It was too last minute and everyone had plans for tomorrow. Haven't talked to our friends yet so still might see them. All this introspection has me fighting with being sad today. But I was proud of myself--I had a luna bar instead of peanut mms. Oh and forgot to say earlier--squeaked just under my high end of maintain. I was really sweating it. I need to kick it into gear so that I go to Disney on the low end so I have some wiggle room!

TTYL

 

[Worfiedoodles]

QOTD for Friday--Since we have a couple of new people, I thought we should share with them some of our favorite quotations. This can be something that someone in the group said or something someone "famous" said. So what's your favorite weight loss/ healthy living quote?

Famous is relative for this one, but I like the quote, "There's plenty of time to solve this thing, but you got to stop using your mouth and start using your brain!" -- Joe Flanagan as Major John Shepard on Stargate Altantis

My other quote (of course this is not about weight loss, more about becoming a Jedi ) is, "Do or do not, there is no try". When I am focused and motivated, that's my mantra!

Rose -- I do 70% of my training on the TM, and I find it is harder running outside because my brain is not used to looking out for other people, track issues, weather, etc. It does slow me down a little -- but that's just because I am so rarely outside. I think with the amount of training you normally do outside, you will be fine

I went ahead and did my 10M this afternoon. I need to take ds Christmas shopping tomorrow, and I want to get an early start. It was a little weird (since I always do my long runs in the AM), but I kind of enjoyed it. Knowing I have my Saturday free is liberating.

I've been doing the new WW PointsPlus since Monday, and I cannot believe the loss -- but keep in mind I also had TOM end, etc., so some of it is bloat leaving. I also have been kind of floating along waiting for this new program. I am really hoping this continues. I'll keep eating that fruit whenever I want a snack!

Ok, gotta track down dh so we can decide how to sanction ds. He brought home his progress report today and instead of the A+ he had in Music Theory last quarter, he has a D He says it's because it's only based on one pop quiz -- needless to say that is not acceptable, and now we have to figure out how to motivate him and at the same time allow him to participate in church youth group, and our family holiday activities. I think this might call for surrendering the I-pod Touch for awhile, or some tv-less nights. I told him he couldn't use anything electronic until dh and I discussed it. It's been less than 2 hours and he has no idea what to do with himself. I suggested homework or reading, but apparently that is much too old-fashioned

Maria

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

Good evening Ladies.....sorry I have been MIA for a few days. I have been reading along and tried to post a few times but the week was just busy and everytime I got started with replies I got distracted.

Taryn- The conversation with Sophie must of been hard for you. My pop pop passed away in march and when we were trick or treating Nicholas my 3 year old pointed to a bright star and said...oh theres pop pop. I was like what do you mean? He said pop pop george went to heaven and now when I see a star thats him. Then he was waving and saying hi pop pop...miss you. Needless to say I was in tears. I have no idea where a 3 year old came up with this. It amazed me and now when we see the bright star out at night the boys always yell hi pop pop. So i think its true that no matter how young they are they will always carry those special people in their hearts.

The story of AK and her project was so heart warming. Im glad her and dh bonded over it. I loved hearing about my older relatives trials and tribulations growing up. It was neat to relate to some history lessons on a more personal level.

Ok now you are going to think I am crazy but as I was driving home tonight I was thinking about how awful I have been eating this week and how much I am struggling this challenge. For some reason you popped in my mind from a post you did recently about how you still had some pants size 18 and are now in an 8. I thought wow that truly is amazing....I wish I could see before and after pictures because to me that would be even more motivating then even your story alone. I would have never asked you to post before and after pics because for some of us that may be sensitive. I come home and go on here and they it is....your before and after pics. Is that not freaky or what. So thanks for sharing. You have showed me that it can be done and I am ok and still we eventually get to my goal. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! You looked beautiful then and now you are beautiful and healthy looking! So proud of you!

Ok now that I wrote my book to taryn.....lets move on. (see what happens when I dont post for awhile)

Rose- I too had issues when Ryan was born. I was so anxious I made myself sick. I actually even called 911 one night because I thought he was having an anaphlactic reaction to an antibiotic. It made for a miserable first year. He overall was healthy but dealt with bad eczema, wheezing with colds frequently due to daycare, and reflux. It drove me crazy...literally. I made it through without taking meds or seeing a doctor but it wasnt pretty. I understand how you may still feel negative thoughts about that time. I luckily had another child and Im not sure why but i was totally different...laid back and not neurotic. Im glad I was able to experience it with more joy. Either way you have to look at it that you raised a great boy...those years are behind you....and you like and feel proud of the person you are today. Those struggles have made you who you are and I believe that you are stronger because of it. Hold your head up...your an amazing women!

Thanks for asking where I was....I feel so loved. As for the treadmill I have been worrying about this since it got cold. I remember before I got running outside consistently I always used the TM. I felt pretty good doing 5K's on it. Then I ran outside and I could barely run a 1/4 of a mile without dying. The slightest incline made me feel like I was climbing mount everest. Im not sure how it will be if you use it sparingly but I am trying to brave the cold and do as many runs outside and leaving the TM days for days with snow or ice. Everyone is different though. I would do some TM runs then try and outdoor run and see if you notice any difference. But I am no expert in running so you might want to take my advice with a grain of salt.

Shawn- I lost 36lbs and some of my jeans still fit comfortably. I said to my dh the other day that my pants before must of been super tight. Great job on your loss. Thanks for keeping us motivated.

Lisa- Thanks for your motivating words too. I too hope we here from jen and jude soon. I hope they are ok. I also miss hearing from them. has anyone heard from Cam.....cam if your reading check in and let us know your ok!

Kathy- I hope michael has a great party with the family. The craft sounds like fun. Have a good weekend.

cupcaker. on the 120lb. Great Job!


Tonight we went through lights in the parkway which is basicall about a 3 mile drive through a christmas village set up. At the end they have a barn with crafts and santa. The boys loved it and while we were driving and listening to xmas songs ryan sang along. Here are his words:

Im dreaming of a "wise" christmas and "Elise" Navidad. We were cracking up.

The best part was we got a raffle ticket to fill out to win a 3 night disney resort vacation airfare included for a family of 4. Wouldnt that be nice to win. Cross your fingers for me.

Plans for the weekend include. A 4 mile run, , and cleaning. Nothing too exciting but its the last wkend of peace before the hustle and bustle begins.

Have a great night!

 

[my3princes]

Hi all

Husband worked tonight so I came home and got our new mickey mirror hung on the kitchen wall. It looks great. There is enough room for a couple of mickey sconces too The Disney site is out of sconces so I won't have to spend any money for a while.

 

[50sjayne]

Thanks LisaH. I'm gonna go get the coat tomorrow....

Shawn- I lost 36lbs and some of my jeans still fit comfortably. I said to my dh the other day that my pants before must of been super tight.

My rear end--the last to go...

 

[flipflopmom]

I have found that grief and sadness comes out whether we want it to or not, if that makes sense? I honestly don't recognize myself. It just makes me sad because I only had one baby and I was pretty miserable and really didn't enjoy it. Add to that Tom was failure to thrive for a period of time. How on earth did you go back to work a week after gallbladder surgery?????

Sadness hits me, and as you know, I sometimes can't claw out of it. I have learned coping mechanisms over the last year, then relearned as many turned to food. I'm still working on it, but I'm just ready for the weight vest to fall off. Kinda like what they put on you in the dentist office before an x-ray? Usually, coming here to vent makes a big difference. With the few friends that I would actually share this with, one honestly said to me right after Daddy died, and I appreciated it so much "I have no idea what to say, I have no idea how you feel, and I have no clue how to help you. Can you tell me what you need?" Usually, just an ear, get it off my chest.

AK had failure to thrive, too, such scary stuff. Of course, my MIL blamed on my breastfeeding, and told DH to start sneaking her bottles before I killed her. Talk about support!

As for going back to work - I had no choice. I had taken 2 unpaid weeks of maternity leave to get to stay home 8 weeks, since I only had 6 weeks built up, which we had saved for. We pretty much depleted our savings and days off with the infertility stuff, anyway.... You do what you gotta do. Thankfully it was winter, and there were snow days sprinkled in...

Tomorrow is his b-day. Can't believe he's turning 9. The time flies. I am definitely blessed. Poor little Sophie. Three is such a sweet age full of wonder, and amazement, but so little to truly understand. My niece was 3 when my mom died, and she lived with her, so after she kept going into mom's apartment to see if Grammy had come back from heaven. Love the pictures. You truly do look amazing.
We called my niece and nephew who are 13 and 16 to see if they wanted to paint too, and they did, so it will be fun. I love having all the cousins together. I especially love to torture the older ones by taking a group picture. It will be nice to be able to leave michael home and go. My brother might run with me.

Sophie made the whole thing a lot harder to deal with, just with her not understanding. She would ask so many questions...like "why didn't Poppie want to stay with us? Can't we just get in a plane and go see him?" AK did a lot of avoidance tactics, which has just blown up and come to a head recently....... I love that you are torturing the older ones. That's the great fun of having a 7 year split with my kids, the older friends and family jump right in and pretend to be 3 with Sophie. I hope Michael has a WONDERFUL birthday, and the party is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

My training is going great -- thanks for asking. I do 3 miles for my short runs. I feel like I can do a 5K anytime with no problems and all my runs are within the Princess pace. Now it's time to work on increasing the distance for my long runs and keeping my 15 min mile pace.She is a perfect example of how people live on in people's heart because she probably doesn't remember your Dad very well, yet to her he's still part of the family, just not around where you can see him.

I am almost desperate to keep the memories alive for her, she still talks about feeding the birds with Daddy in the mornings, picking apples, how he taught her to eat green beans, etc. So we talk about those things often, hoping she can hold onto them. There was such a special connection there, seeing him 3-4 times a week. I am firm believer that God gave me my children when he did for that purpose. Daddy had just had triple bypass, and was suffering from the depression that is common afterwards, when we found out I was pregnant with AK. He kept her 2 times a week by himself for about 6 months before mom retired. Then he had to have knee surgery, and stint, about the time I UNEXPECTANTLY became pregnant w/ Sophie. Again, she brought him around. The day she was born, he said "I've lived to see all my grandchildren now." My girls were his world. GREAT JOB WITH THE TRAINING LISA!!!! You are going to do great!

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a great WI today. I was able to hold onto my one pound from yesterday so that's it for me this week. Finally, my jeans are starting to feel loose. You would think after 23.5 pounds, this would have happened awhile back. And, THANKS for sharing the photos - WOW!!! You look so different,wow! That is very motivating for me. When I get to 25 pounds lost, I am going to post pictures too.

Shawn, I found it was almost 25 pounds before my clothes didn't fit. In fact, it was about 1 size for every 20 pounds. I would get so mad at the commercials "dropped 6 sizes and 40 pounds". Once I hit 160, it was one size for every 10 pounds. I will also add that when I was looking at pictures, I found one I would have shared that was taken on a girls' night out after I had lost 36 pounds. I FELT like I looked thin. I was getting lots of compliments. UNTIL I saw the pictures. I couldn't tell ANY difference in the pictures. It was very, very disheartening, so be careful with pictures!!!!!

Instead of setting me up for losing 30lbs, I sent in 40lbs! Well, that gives me two weeks to lose 14 lbs! It all makes sense now! I am scared to put them on with Boo bouncing off the walls like a Tigger on crack. This is her first Christmas. Those pics are awesome! You look fabulous!

I love that about Boo!!!! That's funny about your numbers. THINK BIG or small, as the case may be! And congrats on the loss! That's a great week!!!!

I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately (ever since she called a couple of weeks ago). I think being in your 40s means you have to come to terms with some things, and that's where I'm at. Having said all that, I am really happy with the place I am in now, just working to let go of some of the old stuff so that it doesn't keep coming back to make me sad. And since I am a huge emotional eater, hoping this helps the weight stay off as well.

So much of the emotional stuff is tied into our weight and health. I KNOW! Remember, NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION! It's time to stop giving her that permission. She holds no power over you now, you've overcome the crap that you were given, you are a strong, wonderful, amazing woman that your husband and son can be very, very, very proud of. As hard as it is to let it go, just remember that you are stronger now, and you have a great support system! LOVE YOUR NEW SIG!

I'm kind of mad at myself for not thinking about getting a good coat this year--my other coats are all too big to keep me warm.

GET THE COAT!!!!!!! You need to be warm!!!!

just a quick post to tell you all I made it to a new decade....120s!!!! .

That is so amazing Jeanette! I am so very proud of you for getting back on plan, and seeing the results!

:Thank you for sharing your special moments It gave me goosebumps. I'm really glad that you are finding some comfort during these difficult times. And may I also say that you are one hot momma Thanks for posting your pics! I'm only about 20lbs lighter than your heaviest, so I've got a long way to go, but your pictures have motivated me! Today has been pretty good so far! Got my 33 minutes of running during lunch done and over with and almost done with the water.

That's so great that you can run during your lunch! You are on a roll, Nicole! When I first joined the BL challenges, Corinna posted her before and afters, and I couldn't believe the difference. I was amazed and motivated. Not trying to brag on me, b/c I still feel big and blah, but the pictures do help me see how far I've come! Especially when I see one that I am in and don't recognize myself.

Well, looks like we are going to bag having folks over, except maybe our friends we go out with a couple times a month. It was too last minute and everyone had plans for tomorrow. Haven't talked to our friends yet so still might see them. All this introspection has me fighting with being sad today.

GREAT JOB on sticking with maintain and foregoing the m&ms!!!

So i think its true that no matter how young they are they will always carry those special people in their hearts.:h For some reason you popped in my mind from a post you did recently about how you still had some pants size 18 and are now in an 8. Is that not freaky or what. So thanks for sharing. You have showed me that it can be done and I am ok and still we eventually get to my goal. has anyone heard from Cam.....cam if your reading check in and let us know your ok!
Im dreaming of a "wise" christmas and "Elise" Navidad. We were cracking up.

Told you we were cut from the same cloth, or something freaky like that. I had a compulsion to post those yesterday. Twilight Zone music in my head. That was a 10 month process for me. I'm still a work in progress, though. Keep on keeping on. I started in January. I think the holidays are such a hard time to focus on weight loss. I was lucky in that I had no major tempting holidays until my WDW trip, It was nice to just say no, and keep saying no. Now, it's too easy to be tempted, and I am that type of person that once I slip once, I kinda keep slipping. KWIM? Kinda all or nothing mentality. Plus all the financial issues of this time of year are messing with me, too. I love the new Christmas music lyrics! You'll sing that for ever more! I know you are a country music girl, but there's a pop song that says "Now I'm feeling so fly like a G6." A friends daugher starting sing "Now I'm feeling so fried like a cheese stick" That's the way we all sing it now. YOU CAN DO THIS LINDSAY. You've already proven it. I am so proud of you, it would have been so easy with all that you have going on to bag this challenge, yet you are here, and you want to be successful. Pull on your determination pants, and get going!

My other quote (of course this is not about weight loss, more about becoming a Jedi ) is, "Do or do not, there is no try". When I am focused and motivated, that's my mantra! I'll keep eating that fruit whenever I want a snack! Ok, gotta track down dh so we can decide how to sanction ds. He brought home his progress report today and instead of the A+ he had in Music Theory last quarter, he has a D I told him he couldn't use anything electronic until dh and I discussed it. It's been less than 2 hours and he has no idea what to do with himself. I suggested homework or reading, but apparently that is much too old-fashioned

Can't remember his age, but an electronic free few days hits home for AK. She gets soooo bored, and disconnected from friends, it's really miserable for the poor thing. I love the Jedi quote!

Husband worked tonight so I came home and got our new mickey mirror hung on the kitchen wall. It looks great. There is enough room for a couple of mickey sconces too The Disney site is out of sconces so I won't have to spend any money for a while.

Sounds cool!!!!

Thanks LisaH. I'm gonna go get the coat tomorrow.

Good for you!

BRB

 

[flipflopmom]

As you can tell, I'm pretty emotional this morning. Yesterday was a horrible, no good, very bad day. FEEL FREE TO SKIP, I JUST HAD TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST! HONESTLY, I PROMISE!

1. After my morning musings here, I was running late for work. AK forgot to take her meds. Thankfully, we live 2 blocks from school, so when we got to my classroom and she realized it, I handed her the house keys and told her to run home and take them. DH was here, he had just gotten up. Kinda funny, he was in the bathroom in his "pjs" she accidentally rang the doorbell trying to open the door, and he was..... looking for something to answer the door in.

2. 15 minutes later, the principal comes to my door angry. One of my parents told her while dropping off her daughter that another student cut her hair yesterday. This girl has GORGEOUS long blonde hair that is usually in some kind of cool braid or something. I noticed a shorter section right in front the day before, and asked her about it. "no, I didn't get it cut, no one cut it" Are you letting it grow out? Yes. The culprit is one of the main heathens, and I LET HIM HAVE IT! I asked the principal later if the parent was really mad, and she said "not half as mad as you were".

3. Called DH at lunch, he and FIL were cleaning gutters and I wanted to make sure everyone was okay. Sophie and the puppy had been awful all morning, he was in a foul mood, money came up, and he snapped at me. BADLY, said some really horrible stuff.. MY TA walked in, and said "I'll go get your kids" b/c I was sobbing. He later apologized, and felt REALLY REALLY BAD, but I'm still a bit.... tender.

4. 30 minutes later, I was checking on one of my kids from last year. His father died during the school year, and he had a lot of anger and emotional stuff. We did a lot of mourning together. The teacher said "I talked to his mom, and she and I agreed that he's NOT GOING TO USE THAT AS A CRUTCH ANY LONGER." So I started introspecting whether or not I'm using Daddy as a crutch. Took me until writing this to realize that he WAS my crutch, so no, I'm not. I don't have a crutch. You all have filled that void of going to him w/ everything, getting support, etc.

5. 1 hour later, AK comes crying that her back is hurting. She's got a muscle knot or something right at her shoulder blade. I'm stressing if it's a tumor, cyst, or just a garden variety muscle knot. She's been to my room every day for a week around 1:00, she says by that time it feels like a knife. I almost want to have it checked for peace of mind. I massaged it, sent her back to take her spelling test, and told her to come back when she was done. She had a sub, got the classwork, I called dh, and she came home and sat on a heating pad and massager, which she said helped.

Now that I have written my book, I also have to report that I am back on the losing team. I finally bit the bullet and weighed, and it wasn't pretty. I'm over my maintenance range, so here we go again!

Going to the tree farm today, Christmas parade that Sophie will be in, and ACC champs on tv tonight. It's supposed to snow, and the host of the PC show I'm doing tomorrow has let the ball drop, and only at this point has 2 people coming.

On a good note - IT's SATURDAY! The only heathens I have to deal with today are my own! ENJOY YOUR DAY!

 

[cclovesdis]

Just going to post today's mini-challenge now and then I'll try reply a little later. I have no plans today. Probably a good thing since I threw up around 10 last night. According to the new WW, I ate 0 points yesterday. All I had was 3/4 of a small apple. I did drink plenty of water, so I'm not dehydrated, but I'm also not exactly calling that yesterday a good day. (I threw up at work too.)

Anyway, I'm feeling better this morning. I've been asleep pretty much since 6 PM last night.

I've been reading, so today's mini-challenge is influenced by some of what has been posted.

Mini-Challenge for Saturday, 12/4: Give someone a longer than usual hug today.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[dvccruiser76]

DVCcruiser- Im glad the surgery went well.

dvc I am glad that ds's surgery went well. MY ds had surgery when he was 4 and he did the same thing when he came out of surgery. I hope he is feeling better soon.

Glad that your DS came through his surgery with no problems. Sorry it was so rough on the parents. Sounds like you did well weight wise and will be back on track soon with the exercise.

So glad ds did so well and you all made it through the day. Hope you all slept like babies last night.

Yeah for a succesful surgery and post-op. I agree much more stressful on the parents. DS had hernia repair at 9 months and we were basket cases.

Kick that 1/2 pound to the curb!

Hoping it's looking up and he's recovered nicely now! The stress can definitely get you down.

I'm glad the surgery went well and I hope you are feeling better.

Glad to hear your DS is doing well. My DS had ear tubes and an adenoidectomy when he was about 7-ish... and I don't think has had an ear infection since! It was tough to see him like that, but he recovered very quickly and it was definitely worth it!

Thank you all for your nice thoughts. Dylan is doing great. I can't tell if he's hearing any better yet, but hopefully it'll make a difference in the long run. One of the nurses said that he may actually eat more things now that he's had the surgery. I guess it helps people taste things better too. I never thought of that. Now, if I can only get him used to his ear plugs before bath time

Nicole & Beth!

Kathy, where do you get your tree? We're going to try and cut one down tomorrow and were thinking of checking out a place in Beverly, but we aren't sure. I'm going to send you a PM.

Pamela so glad tha your DH is in rehab and closer to home. Hope he recovers nicely

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

Please PM those weigh in numbers to LuvBaloo, if you haven't already!

Rose, enjoy the SEC championships today!

I've been doing the new WW PointsPlus since Monday, and I cannot believe the loss -- but keep in mind I also had TOM end, etc., so some of it is bloat leaving. I also have been kind of floating along waiting for this new program. I am really hoping this continues. I'll keep eating that fruit whenever I want a snack!

Woo! Hoo! A great loss! Glad that you are having a great start to the new WW plan! I know that you have been waiting for this.

about DS. There have been some adjustments and some bad grades at our house, too -- like zeroes for homework that was done but not turned in. I tell myself it is better for them to figure it out now than in high school or college but it is not fun to watch.

The best part was we got a raffle ticket to fill out to win a 3 night disney resort vacation airfare included for a family of 4. Wouldnt that be nice to win. Cross your fingers for me.

Plans for the weekend include. A 4 mile run, , and cleaning. Nothing too exciting but its the last wkend of peace before the hustle and bustle begins.!

You sound pretty smart about running to me, Lindsay! that you win the raffle trip and enjoy your run!

Hi all

Husband worked tonight so I came home and got our new mickey mirror hung on the kitchen wall. It looks great. There is enough room for a couple of mickey sconces too The Disney site is out of sconces so I won't have to spend any money for a while.

Your new Mickey mirror sounds nice, Deb.

Thanks LisaH. I'm gonna go get the coat tomorrow....

Yay!

On a good note - IT's SATURDAY! The only heathens I have to deal with today are my own! ENJOY YOUR DAY!

But they're your heathens! Hope that you can do some relaxing this week-end, Taryn.

CC, hope that you are feeling better soon!

Now, if I can only get him used to his ear plugs before bath time

I had forgotten about that part! We used the bright orange wax because it was easier to see when it fell out -- which it always did The ear plugs fell out on a regular basis, sometimes we wouldn't even notice until after bath was over, and we never had any problems. I think as long as he doesn't stick his head under the water alot without them that you will be fine.

I think Lindsay's point about being more relaxed when you have another child is a good one -- this hen with one chick thing can really wind you up at times! I worried about so much stuff with DS that never came to pass. I try to remind myself about that when I'm wound up and clucking around!

Yesterday's long run on the TM was a stinker. Next week I will try the walking track or maybe we will have a thaw for my long run. I don't mind the shorter runs on the TM.

Off to do grocery shopping and . Have a great day all!