Team Mickey - Biggest Loser "No Excuses" 2012 Challenge

[dumbo_buddy]

Dropped the ball on coaching today. Sorry friends. My hands have been full all day. Hoping for some mre DIS tomorrow. Did manage to get to kickboxing this evening. Only thing that was kicked was my butt!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Almost done. . .

My name is Ami and I'm a 34 year old wife to Gary and mom to Alex & Evan. I work and attend college full time while chauferring my children to their various activities. My life is crazy busy and I wouldn't have it any other way!(most of the time) I started on my life changing journey in August of 2010. After being denied private health insurance and seeing my young Dad's health decline, partially from excess weight I realized I couldn't put it off any longer. That became my Aha! moment. I was still healthy enough to exercise and do what needed to be done, but I would need to do everything it took to get healthy, no cutting corners. It was a rough first couple of months but I had a lot of support from everyone. Once I started seeing results it got a lot easier. I'm also incredibly stubborn and like to finish what I start. And heaven forbid anyone tells me I can't do something! I started out at 285 pounds(I'm 5'7"). I had to get down to 221 pounds to be able to get health insurance. I am proud to say I was able to get my health insurance in April of this past year. I am currently at 171 pounds and my goal is 145. I'd like to reach my goal weight before our long awaited vacation at the end of March but I've hit a major plateau the last month or so. Even though I'm doing everything the way I think I'm supposed to the weight loss has slowed/stopped. I'm researching various websites to try and tweak things and get things started again. I have a very simple plan: I count every calorie I eat and stick to a certain calorie count each day. I also work out 6 days a week for at least an hour. Right now, I've alternating between Richard Simmons(fun!) and P90X and this week I'm adding jogging/running. I try to switch things up so my muscles won't get used to a schedule and not cooperate. I also try not to burn myself out on any one thing. Well, now that I've completed my novel(sorry!) I'll sign off for now. Good luck everyone! I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone.

! You have come a long way--Congratulations!

I was reading up on stuff last year about varying your calorie intake otherwise your metabolism adjusts to the amount you are getting and stops losing. There was a name given to a specific "plan" that had you varying your intake on certain days but I can't for the life of me remember it now. I think it was a girl's name. Now that will bug me for the rest of the night! It is likely that your metabolism had adjusted to your intake and you may actually not be eating enough. You might look into actually getting a few more calories and see what happens. I also think that if you have been doing one plan for a long time with great results but then hit a particularly stubborn plateau then it may be time to try a different eating plan. Again, I think our bodies get used to what/how we are eating and adapt to it to keep things even.

this accountability thing must be getting to me...GOOD!

i skipped my workout this morning and i felt the need to confess. i'm just really not feeling good -- queasy, weak, fatigue...typical for post-op pituitary surgery but ugh i just feel crappy. i'm trying to push through, i have an appt at 1 so i did shower and i'm heading out the door for it and a stop at trader joes. i could really talk myself out of it, but maybe the sunshine will perk me up

Remember that exercise is only PART of the equation. If you feel too crappy for it then just put your focus on the other parts-- your eating and water consumption. Don't get discouraged that you can't exercise, be encouraged by having a healthy on plan day with lots of water that you journal. Everyday can't be perfect so we have to work with what we can. You can do it!

And keep checking in here!

My feeling about eating out is that there are plenty of healthy options if restaurants didn’t think salt is a food group.


Thanks! The chicken enchiladas were a disaster. They tasted okay, but they looked horrible. Mom drama ensued, etc. I am still frustrated about it. I could probably vent for an hour or more about it. Then, I ate and ate and ate a bunch of stuff with milk in it and I’m feeling awful. Mom drama is such a

I love that! It sure does seem true to processed foods doesn't it? i just don't understand why either.

Sorry about the dinner/mom drama. As far as I am concerned as long as something tastes okay it is a success! We have a joke in our house that food can't be beautiful. I made a Pot Pie a few years ago that was GORGEOUS! It looked like Martha Stewart had dropped it off. Everyone said "oh that is beautiful", then I served it and it didn't go well. When I asked what everyone thought I got told "Well, it IS beautiful" -- so ever since then any food that is beautiful has to taste horrible.

O
I'm still soda free, I still crave it sometimes but my resolve is pretty good there. I'vs also just about given up the carmel macchiatos and have switched to hot tea.
I need to up my water though.

Love that saying! Today on the Team Donald thread we are sharing quotes to motivate us, inspire us or keep us going.

My favorite one that I think may have originally been posted by Worfiedoodles (?) is "Hunger is NOT an emergency" I tell myself that all the time. I also like to tell myself that those feelings that I think are hunger when I just ate are really my body burning fat. Especially at night when I KNOW that I have had a full and healthy meal and that my body does not NEED anything else.

We went to Immediate Care and I was discharged with a knee sprain. The knee cap is where it is supposed to be and there is no ligament or tendon damage. There seems to be some swelling under the knee cap which is why it's temporarily popped out of place a bit. They gave me a prescription for anti-inflammatories and told me to rest as much as possible.

Hope you are feeling better quick. You know if you get a pair of crutches to keep weight off of it you can board the plane first. . .

You may want to get one of those braces you can buy at the drug store. DD16 has some minor joint issues in her knee and finds that if she wears a brace for PE and Marching band or lots of walking it is much more comfortable.

Those pesky calories, they're the opposite of the brownies who do good deeds! Anyone remember them from Girl Scouts?

I really wish I could find some brownies that would do some good deeds-- all the ones I have found just have the pesky calories in them!

I need someone to talk me down.
I just got into a shouting match with the principal. I lost my cool, but I'm sorry it was justified.
There is a kid at school that is a trouble maker and he gets away with murder. I'm so over it. Today he hit my kid. The school is saying it was an accident. Every freakin' day it's an accident, just today it was my kid. Blah Blah Blah, he's impulsive. Kids frontal lobes don't develop until their teens. Yada Yada I'm sorry I've raised 3 boys, one with impulsive behaviors, guess what, he knows how to control himself when the need arises. Don't freakin make excuses and stop drinking the Blinkville kool-aid.
Oh and to the teacher who called the principal down to the cafeteria, bite me. Yes I told my kid to gather up about 8 of his friends and kick your precious pet students butt, he needs it. This would be the same teacher who hid the precious student when the rest of the damn school was in lock down because he ran away.

OK gotta go cool my jets, I'll be back.
Oh and FWIW, I am pulling DS11 from this school tomorrow and sending him to Catholic school with his brother and sister. I had planned on doing it at the end of the week, but today was the nail in the coffin.

Thanks for letting me vent. I don't want to sound like some horrible person who hates kids, especially those with disabilities, on the contrary my youngest boy has ADD and we suspect Aspergers but that's no excuse for poor behavior. This kid can control himself, I dealt with him as an assistant for the cross country team. He just knows I won't put up with his BS or his brothers and that's why they behave when I'm around. They have the school snowed, I hate this because as many of you know I have dumped years of blood, sweat and tears into that building and to having to leave like this on such a sour notes just sets me off.
I've had board of Ed members and other parents texting and calling since I left school. That's what happens when you live in a small town, the whole work finds out in about an hour that your kid was punched in the face.

That really stinks. I would be angry too. Have you or anyone else he has hit ever called the police and pressed charges? That is assault and maybe some legal intervention will get the school and parents to pay attention.

 

[inkedupmomma]

Tried and failed miserably at drinking water today. Funny thing is, I LOVE WATER!! I didn't drink anything else today besides coffee either... I should really drink more!

On a plus side, I stayed within my calories

 

[Rozz]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I did it again tonight! Went crazed and ate and ate and ate!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Whew! I think I am done. Thank you all for not making the thread 10 more pages while I was trying to catch up.

So, yesterday sucked. I felt like death on toast. I hated everyone and everything because I felt so crappy. So what did I do?

I'll take "Really Bad Decisions" for $200 Alex
The answer is "Eats junk food all day."
BUZZ! "What LTS does when she feels crappy?"
That is right! You have just won 1 pound and an upset stomach!

So I am feeling better today. Went to bed early and slept well. Slept late today to try to catch up. I just have that sort of crappy day yesterday hangover today.

Went and got the rest of the things that I needed to organize my cabinets. Now I am on to my Pots and Pans cabinet. My whole family is cursing me because they can't find anything! I moved things to different drawers and it will take some getting used to. But it is all so neat and pretty now. Anyone want to start the pool on how long it will last?

Well, I decided to totally go against January accepted practices-- you know this month everyone has their resolutions so they start health and exercise programs and join gyms to try to get in shape. I Quit mine today! Nothing wrong with it but let's face it, I haven't been in over 7 months so I am just not going to go. It is really too far away for me to get to in a very inconvenient part of town. Groupon has a great 3 month special for a place right up the road by Walmart, where I am several times a week anyway. And I will probably only go for the 3 months anyway. I am going to work on trying some things at home and see how that goes. If I go there a few days a week and do things at home that will be a good start for me. Since I am walking better I am thinking about seeing if I can do Walk Off the Pounds without too much pain.

QOTD: As GRETCHEN heads off to our favorite place today for the college program, why don't we provide her our favorite healthy eating tip at Disney World. That way some of us who have trips scheduled (or dreamed about) can try to incorporate these tips into our vacations too!

WATER!! Not just for those trying to lose weight but everyone at WDW needs to remember to drink plenty of water. By the time you feel thirsty you are already behind. Getting in 64 oz should be no problem and on those hot days you may need even more.

Well I have been here for way longer than I should have been so I need to go spend time with DH. Have a great night everyone!

 

[dvccruiser76]

Here we celebrate our progress and recognize our superstars.

Reminders:
-after 3 weeks of no reporting, you are dropped from the challenge & can re-start at any time, though
-if anybody knows they will miss weighing in, just PM and let me know and you'll be marked excused


First some stats

MAINTAINERS:
(staying within 2 lbs of their maintain weight is successfully maintaining!)
# of Maintainers Reporting In & Successfully Maintaining: 0

LOSERS:
Current Participants-------------73!
not reporting in for 1 week-----2
not reporting in for 2 weeks----0
not reporting in for 3 weeks----0
Excused--------------------------0
weigh ins-------------------------71
gains-----------------------------3
maintains------------------------25
losses----------------------------42
new or returning members ----1


Biggest Loser Fall Challenge Week 1!
This week’s group loss = 102.2 pounds!
Average percentage of weight lost 0.74 %
Total group weight loss so far 102.2 pounds!

AWESOME!

Retention Rate (compared to the 72 participants we had sign up for our start week on January 1st)
99% (this includes the Losers, Maintainers and Excused people!). Let's keep sending those weights people!


Before the weekly superstar list comes the disclaimer. I am human and I make mistakes. If you have any questions please contact me. For your reference this is the magic percentage of weight lost formula - weight loss for the week divided by weight for last week times 100, that gives us the percentage. Now let me test that with my numbers for week 1, click, click, click goes the calculator. Yes, that agrees with the percentage on the magic spreadsheet. (btw if its been more than 1 week between weigh-ins, then the % loss is divided by the number of weeks, to keep everybody on the same basis)

Now let's get to the good stuff. Who were our superstars of week 1?

The WISH Biggest Loser Spring Challenge Team Mickey Week 1 Superstars!!
#10- 1.63% - MelindaRuns
#9- 1.65% - DisneyHeather
#8- 1.75% - tigger813
#7- 1.78% - FunkyFunBuckets
#6 - 1.89% - Candlelady
#5- TIE - 2.03% - Debbie & debrapagliasotti
#4- 2.23 - bambii
#3- 2.46% - Mrmrezg
#2- 2.99% - groovygirl927
and now
The WISH Biggest Loser Team Mickey Spring Challenge Week 1 Biggest Loser is:
#1- 3.63% - Buckeye Fan

Quote from Dare2Dream: How is your week going? Are you OP (on program)? Are you exercising? Drinking that water? You know what to do to make the magic happen. Get on the wagon. We are all here to help you on the journey. We can do this one day at a time. One bite at a time.

Have a healthy day!
Congratulations Buckeye Fan!!!

What a great week you had. Keep up the good work. We have a very special clippie reserved for our weekly Biggest Loser. Wear it with pride this week! :

This is our weekly reigning Biggest Loser clippie. We have the large version

or use this
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/31040weeklyBLsmall1.jpg
followed by

or we have a medium version

or use this
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/31040weeklyBLmed.jpg
followed by

and we have a small version

or use
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/31040weeklyBLsm.jpg
followed by


Thanks to ohMom-Molli for these clippies. They were used for a previous BL but we can recycle. Don't they look great!

 

[dvccruiser76]

NOW FOR THOSE OF US WHO SET A GOAL FOR THE CHALLENGE!!!

NOTE: This list includes participants who have reported in within the last 3 weeks, once someone misses 3 weigh-ins they are dropped from this report.

How this works: You set your goal for what you want to lose in the challenge. Then I calculate your weight loss in the challenge divided by your goal to get a % to goal.

Anybody can change their goal at anytime (or add a goal) – all you have to do is send me a PM.

Since the goals are an individual thing, the list is just in alphabetical order to make it easier for everybody to find their own name. If there are any questions or suggestions please let me know.

We have done 1 out of 21 weeks, so the challenge is 5% complete.



aamomma - 0.00
Alex&Evan'sMom - 0.00
Annette_VA - 0.00
bambii - 20.00
BernardandMissBianca - 0.00
BMC423 - 6.00
Buckeye Fan - 23.33
debrapagliasotti - 23.08
Disneywedding2010 - 9.00
dmslush - 14.00
dthouge - 0.00
goldcupmom - 9.00
groovygirl927 - 30.40
inkedupmommo - 0.00
jodi90 - 0.00
Katy Belle - 8.33
KristicMc - 5.00
lovetoscrap - 10.00
mickey&arielsmom - 0.00
mommoyof3princess27 - 0.00
mousehouselover - 0.00
Mrmrezg - 10.17
myweegirls - 0.00
NHmomof2boys - 9.33
Princess Nancy - 4.00
PrincessParty - 5.36
Rozz - 13.33
RutgersAlum - 4.00
scrapbookingmanda - 3.33
ScubaD - 0.00
sue and co - 6.38
sunshineminnie - 0.00
swift - 6.67
thunderbird1 - 2.91
tigger813 - 18.67
wdwmomOf3 - 0.00
Worfiedoodles - 0.00
yanni2 - 9.60



I find everybody on the list an inspiration and everybody who participates in this challenge is an inspiration in and of themselves. Whether you post, lurk or just pm your weight and check results on Tuesdays, you have made a commitment to yourself. And that is the biggest inspiration of all!BY Octoberbride03

 

[dvccruiser76]

.

 

[KristiMc]

Congrats to Buckeye Fan and all of the top 10!

 

[dvccruiser76]

This week's winning team with 50.22% is Team Donald!!

Team Mickey was not far behind with 50.20% for the week!

Additional stats for the week!!!!

Buckeye Fan won for Team Mickey with 3.63% this week and was the overall Biggest Loser!!

Congrats to frndshpcptn who was Donald's Team winner with 3.46%!

Team Donald lost 103.3 pounds this week
Team Mickey lost 102.2 pounds this week

Team Donald leads the Total Weight Loss with 103.3 pounds, can you believe how close the results were this week?????
Both teams together have lost 205.5 pounds!!!! Amazing!

Keep reading, keep posting and most of all keep losing and continue learning!!!!

Have an OP week

 

[pjstevens]

Thanks for the warm welcome and encouraging words. I so wanted to get here this morning so I wouldnt be 'behind' but life as usual gets in the way. Mom had a bad day and Dad called me early needing help. I start back at school this week and had to go by my books (which took much longer than I had planned). ugh. But I did finally get here to catch up (at least from where I started).

My name is Ami

welcome Ami.

Patty! Love your pictures! You look great!

Btw, where is your friend Cam!

Cam has been a bit out of commission with her knee and her very hectic life, but hopefully when she gets back from Disney she'll soon be here (hey she might ever be on Donald, but I didn't check). I miss her terribly, we've both been so busy.

 

[myweegirls]

Wow! The losses this first week are amazing! And so inspiring. Look what we can do! I love how close the teams are, too - what a great start!

I have been very curious about those places but have never been to one. I think we have one that opened recently not too far from me. But since DH does the majority of the cooking he would think it was a total waste of money to do. I would love to try one though.

I think they really vary in quality. We've had a number of the build/freeze-your-dinner places here, and only a couple have survived. The one I'm using now seems really good, and the per serving cost ends up being very low. The thing I like most about it (besides how easy it makes dinners!) is that we can try new things without committing to a pile of ingredients we might not use much (whole bottles of spices, etc.). They have a lot of coupon codes and deals, too; I don't think I've ever paid full price for a session.

In other news today, our kitten is off getting spayed. We told DD7 and DD5 that she was having an operation and would need to stay overnight at the vet tonight. They were cool with that and didn't think much of it. Until...at dinner, I told the family that the vet called as soon as the operation was done to let me know that Sofia was doing great and to talk about her follow-up care (we pick her up tomorrow). The girls thought that was great, and then DD7 looked up and said, "So...why did Sofia need an operation?"

Tomorrow is my commuting day (I'm so lucky that I get to work from home four days a week - that one day reminds me every time!), so no morning workout for me. I'll leave the house with the girls by 6am, get them dropped off, pick up my work buddy, and hit the HOV lanes into the city. But tomorrow my WW meeting starts back up at work, and I'm really eager to see everyone again! I think I'm hitting the Container Store on the way back home, and then it's time to pick up the kitty and come home for dinner.

I went ahead and tracked all my planned food for tomorrow - my commute day breakfast is a Luna bar. Lunch is leftover ravioli lasagna and two apples (the entree is points-heavy enough that I opted for 0-point sides!), and dinner is a Let's Dish entree of honey glazed pork chops. The side is sweet potato fries, so I'll just count out 5 of those for a taste and give the rest to the girls. I haven't decided on the veggie yet, but I think I'll do some steamed broccoli with our garlic herb shaker for some flavor...and I'll get extra broccoli for my fry sacrifice. All that leaves me 3 points, assuming I don't add any other snacks - hm, wine or VitaTop?

Commute day means I have to wait until evening to work out, when I'm typically more worn out, but BL is on, and that always seems to get me going. So motivating, and ohhhh, Dolvett!

Hope everyone has a great night and a Terrific Tuesday!

XO
Liz

 

[bellebookworm9]

I went to bed at 10:30 and fell asleep almost instantly, only to wake up around midnight because I was freezing. I haven't been able to fall back asleep. Technically I don't need to be up until 5:15, so I'm playing on Mom's computer until then (mine's packed). We're heading out to the airport at 6 and stopping at Tim Horton's-I'll probably get a yogurt parfait and bagel.

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me from the fall challenge through now, with the application process, the waiting, the excitement over getting accepted, and the waiting for two months to actually go down.

I hope I will be able to meet some of you if you come down to visit, and I'll let you know where I will be working as soon as I find out. In the meantime, I will be posting a lot of blog updates and dining reviews (for today at least) and both those links are in my sig. If you want to see even more pictures, you can friend me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/gretchenf1

I'll pop over this afternoon, since goodness knows I'll have some downtime when I'm chilling out icing my knee and hopefully taking a nap (I hope my room is ready before 4pm ).

 

[Debbie]

Great results, everyone! Congratulations!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Congratulations to all our participants, what a great start we have!

Commute day means I have to wait until evening to work out, when I'm typically more worn out, but BL is on, and that always seems to get me going. So motivating, and ohhhh, Dolvett!

Hope everyone has a great night and a Terrific Tuesday!

XO
Liz

Liz -- I agree, Dolvett is quite motivating. Actually, you have talked me out of skipping the workout I missed this morning. I am going to get on the TM during BL and enjoy the Dolvett view!

I hope I will be able to meet some of you if you come down to visit, and I'll let you know where I will be working as soon as I find out. In the meantime, I will be posting a lot of blog updates and dining reviews (for today at least) and both those links are in my sig. If you want to see even more pictures, you can friend me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/gretchenf1

I'll pop over this afternoon, since goodness knows I'll have some downtime when I'm chilling out icing my knee and hopefully taking a nap (I hope my room is ready before 4pm ).

I hope your knee improves exponentially! And just a thought if you are not working Feb. 26th --the WISH cheerleaders are few and far between for the Princess, if you are able to make it to the course, I know we would love to see you out there! Heck, maybe you can make it to a Meet! I know you are going to be very busy, if I get to meet you I'm going to call it a real bonus!

Maria

 

[dumbo_buddy]

HAVE A GREAT TRIP GRETCHEN! i just friended you! now i can stalk you on so many different mediums

GOOD MORNING LOSERS!!!

first let me congratulate TEAM DONALD on their week 1 win!! i can't believe how CLOSE the results were. makes me wonder if i had just used the bathroom before i weighed in if we would have tied

i have a little moment to share. i fed the baby last night at 9pm and then not again until 3am! woot! so i got almost 5 hours straight (i read for a little after feeding him and awoke before 3 when he was squirming and making piglet noises.

when i get more sleep, i tend to not turn to food as often. when i'm tired i snack...and i snack hard!

QOTD: Speaking of snacks, what are some healthy and satisfying snacks that YOU turn to when you need a little something to get you through to the next meal? Are you a big snacker? Does a small thing like one hershey kiss satisfy you are you more of a bulk snacker (like air popped popcorn)?

and i'm LOVING aunt ann's quote today! : “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” -Tony Robbins

 

[myweegirls]

QOTD: Speaking of snacks, what are some healthy and satisfying snacks that YOU turn to when you need a little something to get you through to the next meal? Are you a big snacker? Does a small thing like one hershey kiss satisfy you are you more of a bulk snacker (like air popped popcorn)?

Most of the time, I'm a huge fruit fan. We keep a bowl on our kitchen table; it's currently stocked with clementines and bananas. The fridge has apples, pears, blueberries, and grapes. The kids know that if they want an off-meal snack, fruit is the first choice, followed by yogurt or string cheese. And most of the time, I am totally cool with a piece of fruit.

But then there are those other times, when fruit just isn't going to cut it, and the sweet tooth is overpowering. Sometimes, it's the salt craving, but more often than not, it's the sweet tooth. So I keep WW mint chocolate cookie mini bars in the cupboard and VitaTops in the freezer. My sister sent me (as usual and much welcomed!) a box of Frango dark chocolate mints for Christmas. I haven't even cracked the packaging yet because I'm afraid of eating the whole box in one sitting. But I think I might separate the box into 2-piece packages and use those for craving snacks, too.

I find that craving snacks are very different from hunger snacks. I can kill the hunger with fruit and feel great about it. But craving snacks come from a different place. If I have too much readily available, it's very hard for me to quit at one serving, or even two. So de- and re-packing things like chocolate and chips really help me stop at the serving size. I've been known to finish off packages of cookies to "get them out of the house," so this is an area where I feel I have to be really careful!

I was worried that I'd have a lot of trouble with snacks when I started working at home, but so far (almost six months in) I've been pretty solidly a meal person. I work on a different floor of the house from the kitchen, which helps - it's too much trouble to get up for food I don't need once I've started working. I bring a 24-ounce bottle of water with my favorite Crystal Light mix-in, and that seems to do the trick.

The alarm came waaaay too early this morning, and I am really feeling the aftereffects of my first Jillian Michaels workout. In my butt, in my abs, ow. I won't see her today, but she'll be back on my DVD player in the morning! I think I'm going to do the first week of Ripped in 30 twice because we're traveling this weekend, and I'll be off the program for three days straight.

XO
Liz

 

[dumbo_buddy]

I hope your knee improves exponentially! And just a thought if you are not working Feb. 26th --the WISH cheerleaders are few and far between for the Princess, if you are able to make it to the course, I know we would love to see you out there! Heck, maybe you can make it to a Meet! I know you are going to be very busy, if I get to meet you I'm going to call it a real bonus!

Maria

YES! great idea Maria! i remember being on the course last year thinking, come on people, somebody cheer for me too! there were alot of family members cheering for their runners but as soon as they ran by (or while they were waiting to see the runner) they just stood there in silence. finally back in epcot some lovely CM yelled out "go nancy" and i almost barfed i was so happy. wait, no, i almost barfed because i had just run 12ish miles so far and wanted to die but seeing that CM gave me some extra oomph!

 

[Sunshineminnie]

Yesterday was a pretty great start. I drank my H2O and did my 20 minutes of exercise. I know that I wouldn't have done either without this challenge. So THANKS!

Today I will start recording my food. I don't get to eat it if I'm not willing to write it down!

Have a great day all. Heading off to let Jillian kick my butt for 20 minutes!

 

[DisneyHeather]

I went to bed at 10:30 and fell asleep almost instantly, only to wake up around midnight because I was freezing. I haven't been able to fall back asleep. Technically I don't need to be up until 5:15, so I'm playing on Mom's computer until then (mine's packed). We're heading out to the airport at 6 and stopping at Tim Horton's-I'll probably get a yogurt parfait and bagel.

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me from the fall challenge through now, with the application process, the waiting, the excitement over getting accepted, and the waiting for two months to actually go down.

I hope I will be able to meet some of you if you come down to visit, and I'll let you know where I will be working as soon as I find out. In the meantime, I will be posting a lot of blog updates and dining reviews (for today at least) and both those links are in my sig. If you want to see even more pictures, you can friend me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/gretchenf1

I'll pop over this afternoon, since goodness knows I'll have some downtime when I'm chilling out icing my knee and hopefully taking a nap (I hope my room is ready before 4pm ).

Good luck today and travel safe. I sent you a friend request.

Congrats to everyone for the great weight loss this week!!