Weight loss for Wishers and becoming Leaner Meaners!

[Creativebeth]

Maria: Sorry the hear about the crappy day......but good news on missing the gang case! Who needs that? Hang around here awhile.....there is alot of motivation to go around! I hope things look better tomorrow!

Beth

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I'm already feeling better -- I think I just needed to relax a bit and take stock. I was thinking about feeling tired, then I thought about how I'd feel if I'd been stuck on that jury -- it turns out I am quite lucky!

I need to get back into a workout and eating schedule. I've been feeling out of sorts without the TM, and now I need to buckle down and do some serious work. The arrival of TOM is not helping, but at least I know why I've been feeling blah the last few days. I have to start weening myself back to my earlier bedtime and awakening. I'm firmly in bed at 10 tonight, hopefully that will help me arise, go forth, and conquer!

Oh, and Beth -- fabulous PR! Losing weight is hard work, and you are doing it. You are an incredible role model. I hope you give yourself credit. You and the other Meaners inspire me every day!

Vicky -- If you come up with a magic or viable cure for TOM gains, please share! I actually saw my stomach bloat. It is so discouraging. I think I am officially staying off the scale until next Friday. Well, I guess I have to weigh for the other BL Challenge, but I'm extremely tempted to skip it. Right now I feel like a sausage that is about to burst.

Maria

 

[getnthinr]

Beth -- Looks like you're proving out that whole "weight loss = faster pace" theory. Congrats on the PR -- and on not puking. I have a closetfull of clothes I hope to wear and really relate to the "shopping in the closet" phenomenon. Good for you!

Maria -- Glad you escaped jury duty on the gang violence. Scary stuff. And really glad your TM is up and running. Sorry the stars seem to be aligned against you -- At least you can rejoice that as soon as you're ready, your TM awaits.

Vicky -- Congrats on the weight loss while dining out! You must be making some great choices! Good luck with DF's birthday.

Cindy -- Congrats on the tri! You must be a very well-rounded athlete to have done that well. Swimming kills me!

Hi to Jeanne and Debra and all the other Leaner Meaners!

AFM -- This week will be tough. We have missionaries from Italy coming to dinner on Saturday with their family (5 folks). As my housekeeping skills are nonexistent, my family of 5 tends to live in squallor, one step away from Social Services coming in to take my children away. That means every night since I learned we were having guests I've been staying up late (and getting up early) to try to reclaim the house from the mounds of clutter. It is both exhausting and depressing and I tend to get overwhelmed and feel very sorry for myself. ("Woe is me! Why don't my kids help? Why doesn't my husband help? Poor, pitiful me!") Add to that that I should be working on my presentation (that I am thrilled to be giving -- don't get me wrong) and all I feel like doing is whine, whine whine. And what goes well with self-pity??? -- Stuffing my face, of course! Now intellectually I know things aren't that bad and "this too shall pass." It's just a stressful week. It's a blessing to have a rare visit with good people -- and once they are here, the condition of the house will pale in comparison to the great company, food, and conversation. So here I am giving myself a good swift kick! Back to work!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Back on the TM for 4 mi this morning, and I feel fantastic! It was a really great workout. Plus, I bit the bullet and got on the scale to see how bad it is. I'm looking at about 2.5 extra lbs, which is good for me with TOM. I should see that go away over the next few days if I drink extra water and keep the workouts up -- at least I hope so. I'm really hoping to not have a gain to report on Friday, but I think I may.

Wendy -- are you familiar with the Flylady system? I only ask because I think her "crisis clean" might be a good thing for you. I use it anytime I have company coming. You spend 15 minutes each in the kitchen, living room and main bathroom, then you rest for 15 minutes. Then you do it again, as I finish one of the main rooms, I peel off and make it 15 for the dining room, other baths, guest room, etc., until I have the whole house presentable. This sometimes takes days, since I can't just stay home and do it. But if I keep track and just keep hitting the rooms, it all gets done. Plus, the breaks really do help. I feel like I have more energy and am more efficient for them.

Ok, Meaners, I have to finish gettting myself and the family ready for the day. Everybody have a great one!

Maria

 

[Creativebeth]

Wendy: Yes, Fly Lady has a book too.....Sink Reflections that is very helpful to keep a handle on household chores. I was really into a few years ago, but like everything else I got obscessed with it.....that was all I could do. With the start of the 'healthy living' and exercise, I no longer had the patience to keep up 'flying' the Fly Lady way. I do wish I could have kept some of the habits though......I, too, live in a trash heap. I try to keep a handle on it over the summer with my dear sister coming over to watch the kids, but it's all I can do is to have a handle on the worst of it. It too depresses me.......I clean it up, they mess it up. It's a never ending battle ((((just like this weight loss thing)))). I guess the secret is not to get to upset over it. (((easier said than done))))

Maria: WTG getting up and getting it done! I know how good it feels! I had a real hard time getting up today. Most days I don't have much of a problem getting up, but the last few have been a challenge. I am extra tired right now......I think because I am running so many miles in a week, it's bound to catch up to me. I will be tapering off since my next 1/2 marathon is on August 2nd! I only got 4 in this morning, and hoping to catch some more miles tonight......we'll see if that actually happens or not. Wishing doesn't make it so!

AFM: The scale is up a little from Monday, but I expected that since my long run was on Sunday. I think it's still down from last week's weigh in though. We'll see tomorrow how well my week went!

This is my last day of work till my vacation week in Chicago! I am psyched! Can't say I am looking forward to running 13.1 miles, but I am looking forward to seeing Chicago since I have never been there!

Beth

 

[getnthinr]

Ooooooo... enjoy Chi-town, Beth! Wish I was gonna be there with you WISHers! I know you'll have a great race!

 

[Kameron H]

Hi,

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[Worfiedoodles]

Another 4 mi this AM, and still feeling great! It's so nice to start to get back into my rhythm.

Yesterday was a nightmare of work coming down, and all the while my boss kept saying, "I'm on vacation next week, but Maria will be here." Still, gainful employment is good.

I have to leave work a little early today to get home because dh is doing a 5K -- it's the Harborthon Island 5K. They take you out to one of the Boston Harbor Islands on a ferry, you do the 5K and have a barbecue, then they bring you back. Me, I'll be with the offspring.

Beth -- Now that that pesky work is over, you can concentrate on getting ready for your vacation! I've been to Chicago a couple of times, and really enjoyed it. I think you will all have a blast! But who will keep the thread going? I guess we're going to have to step up and post!

Wendy -- What are you serving the missionaries from Italy? That's what would be making me crazy, hoping they would enjoy the meal. I know you'll have something yummy!

Ok, gotta get the family moving -- can you see a theme to when I post?

Everyone have a great, Lean Mean Day!

Maria

 

[bunnyfoo]

Morning Lean Meaners!

Maria - I think I read your other post a little too quickly. All I saw was "escaped... a gang shooting..." I was like OMG! (I keep the IE window really small at work). I have no cures for TOM gains. I am a little embarassed to say that I ate 1/2 a bag of baked cheese chips a couple of nights ago. I've been drinking lots of water to compensate so we'll see. Good for you for getting in those 4 miles this morning!

Beth - You were my inspiration last night to go out running. I didn't feel like getting in those 3 miles. I felt bloated and yucky but I remembered how you posted about getting in 40 miles a week so I figured I'd better get out there and do it! I won't have 40 miles but at least now I can add an extra 3 miles to this week! Thanks Enjoy your trip to Chicago and good luck on your race!

Wendy - Sounds like you're going to have a full house! I have no advice about housework as I tend to put it off myself.

AFM - I woke up early today - 5AM! Not bad huh? I was ready to go but it was raining outside and not really lightly either so I had to skip the run. Maybe it's a sign? Just kidding! I also picked up my iPhone last night from the UPS depot. I really dislike the UPS service in Toronto - they only seem to have one pick up location and it's about a 20-30 minute drive from my house and it closes at 7:30. So it's not the easiest to get to. Plus, there's always a line up of angry people because the trucks are always late. But I'm excited to have my new phone and will play with it more tonight! After going to the gym though ...

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Creativebeth]

Hey Gang!!!! I am in a great mood today!!!! I weighed in this morning and was down 3 pounds!!!! I am truly happy with that. I worked hard for the week to have the scale go down, and really feel like I deserve this one! I am down to 156 pounds at this point. That is 32 lbs since January, and a total of 75 from the beginning. I am the lowest weight I have been since I was in my 20's. Yippee!

Vicky: I am glad to have inspired you to get out the door and get your 3 miles in! I had to inspire myself last night......I only got 4 miles in yesterday morning ((((I got up a little late)))) so I needed to get a few more in last night. I ended up with 6 more for a total of 10 miles yesterday!

I am running alot of miles right now......it's pretty hard to get them done. I certainly don't recommend 40miles/week to everyone! It's tough on me and I am pretty tired. I did work my way up to it pretty diligently though.....I didn't increase my mileage more than 10% a week, and it took several months to get to 40! I am looking forward to Philly Distance Run being over in September to back off the mileage a little bit. I have Chicago, then VA beach, and then Philly. I have a bite of a break then until Vegas!

Maria: I am glad your life is getting back to normal! And, you certainly have your morning Mojo back. I am so glad....you deserve it!

AFM: My goal now is 4 more pounds in two weeks.....that will give me a 10% loss since the spa challenge started. My total goal though is 6 more pounds. 150 was always my goal, and never reached it. I want to reach it this time. I am pretty motivated! I will need motivation to lose weight during vacation! That is never easy.....but I am determined!

Beth

 

[DuffGT06]

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[Creativebeth]

Sarah: Thanks for the encouragement! I can use all of it for the next 6 pounds!

Recipe: I found this somewhere on the WISH boards...... for a treat like ice cream.....

Freeze a banana in pieces.
Put the banana pieces in a food processor with several small strawberries and puree! The outcome is very much like ice cream/frozen yogurt consistency. It was delicious without any sugar or sugar subs! It passed muster with both kids and my dh! ((((that is really hard to do around here))))

You could use other fruit with the banana.....whatever floats your boat!

Beth

 

[deekaypee]

Just a brief post. We switched to a new internet carrier, and it's considerably slower than our other one (considerably cheaper, too). It works fine for email and Facebook, is much slower with library/databases searches, and times out on the DIS. We're working to resolve this issue, and I'll try to post from coffee shops this weekend. But I haven't been able to do much other than read your posts.

I'll try to squeeze in a full response tomorrow, but I'm volunteeering to help set up an expo for a local sprint tri. So if not tomorrow, Saturday for sure.

I haven't forgotten my Lean Meaners! I'm sorry to be so MIA, especially since you're there's so much going on.

 

[getnthinr]

Vicky -- An iPhone! Wow! I know you'll enjoy that. I can imagine dealing with the crowds was not much fun, though.

Beth and Maria -- Thanks for the Flylady tips. I'd heard of her and visited her website many, many moons ago. I'm happy to say we're making some progress. (My teens and DH have pitched in, so I feel much less hopeless.) Oh, and Maria, the funniest part of all this is that I'm not much of a cook and the missionary mom is a chef -- really! Everyone raves about her 7-course European meals with tiramisu -- A really wonderful cook! So what I'm doing is Thanksgiving dinner (because I can do turkey and dressing and corn pudding and yams -- which are all fairly simple) -- just because it is a tradition they have not experienced before. So it may not be the greatest meal they ever ate, but at least it will be unique and fun. The real reason for their visit is not the meal, but because my 3 kids want to play Wii with their 3 kids. And of course, as you might imagine, they are very interesting and engaging folks with lots of stories to tell about their life's work.

Beth -- Let me echo the congrats on your weight loss -- That is such a huge accomplishment! You've just kept at it and now the payoff is here. Those 40-mile weeks have served you well and I'm sure you'll be ready for Chicago and Virginia Beach and Philly. BTW, I love frozen bananas as a primary component (blended with ice/fruit or milk/fruit) of my milkshakes and smoothies -- they sweeten and add a great creamy consistency. It works out well all the way around, too, because we never throw away a ripe banana -- just peel it and freeze it until we're ready for a milkshake. They'll keep for months in the freezer.

Debra -- Sorry about the Internet carrier woes/slows. We know you're with us here in spirit!

AFM -- Gotta go to bed so I can get up early tomorrow and hit it again. Time is growing short!

 

[DuffGT06]

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[jeanneg]

Ooops, sorry for not posting all week. I actually thought I had done it to congratulate Cindy on her great performance in her tri....I could have sweared I posted, but i don't see it. So I know it's a little late but.....
WAY TO GO, CINDY!
That was an awesome result.....and you were so scared going into it. I hope you thought of the "final victory lap" as I suggested!

And while I'm showering kudos......
GREAT JOB, BETH!
That goes for both your awesome time and the super duper weight loss! I'm looking forward to shopping in my closet....someday! Let's see, I have pants from size 14 thru 18W. Only recently did I get rid of my 10's and 12's. I took one last look at them, said "in my dreams!" and hauled them off to Goodwill! If I ever get into a 14 again I will be thrilled! I keep waiting to drop a size, but it's not really happening. I can now fit into my 18 regulars and my 16W, but some of them are cut so large I wouldn't call that progress.

Wendy: Relax, I'm sure your guests will have a wonderful time. Thanksgiving in July sounds wonderful! And just to put you at ease, I've been to Italy and take it from me, they don't try to be pseudo-Martha Stewarts over there. This obsession with picture perfect homes is an American thing. Your guests will love you. And hey, they can always spend time on the stair-climber if they get tired of Wii!

Deb: sorry about the internet problems. I have noticed problems with the DIS lately also. My internet is generally fine, but it takes forever to open up anything on the DIS and oftentimes i just give up.

Sarah: sorry you didn't like Harry Potter. Normally I would see the new movie as soon as it was released, but I think I'm over the whole HP thing. We'll catch it, but in our own good time.

Vicky: enjoy your iPhone! Sorry about the poor UPS service.

Maria: you are so good for getting up early and getting those workouts in. WTG, girl!

 

[Creativebeth]

Sorry I am so late with posting.....so much work around home. Some start of vacation!

I don't think I posted the latest home drama......we had yet another 'water' incident. This is probably the 5th time we have had a water drama....I am getting so sick of it.

We had water in the basement.....I have been cleaning up water for two weeks......we thought it was coming from the rain......oh, no. We had a high pressure issue with the new water heater. It kept 'over-flowing' on to the floor. So, we again have damage in the basement. A big dumpster in the driveway, unloading ruined things into it. A contractor has been here fixing the walls (again). We have dug up the brick patio out back to lay concrete. My house is a disaster zone, literally. UGH!

We cleaned up the basement. Now we are getting use out of the dumpster....with cleaning up the yard and trimming bushes, pulling bushes, and get rid of brush. ALL DAY LONG! I haven't run yet.....now it is pouring rain. Can you sense my mood?

I am exhausted. I don't know how I will manage getting on the TM tonight. The exercise streak may end today! The kids will probably make me run.....they love the whole idea of the streak, but we only talk about it when it is possibly ending!

Wendy: Good luck with the dinner. Thanksgiving dinner is a great idea! Something quite different for them probably, and they will have a blast! You are such an interesting person yourself.....they will love your stories!

Jeanne: Yes, the shopping in my closet lent itself to a big cleaning of the closet. I had so many sizes in there, and most of the clothes I have been wearing didn't fit in the closet. I took matters into my own hands, and took everything out and tried stuff on. I have to say, I had to get rid of alot. I did put some things aside to keep. Mostly the size 12's..... 12's to me are a 'normal' size. I can be a 12 at any minute! So, I did put them all into a bin to keep. For some reason (really don't get sizes any more) the size 8 pants fit the best! (An 8????? Who would have thought.) Most of the 8's weren't worn very much....I didn't stay there very long, but I certainly bought alot of them (what was I thinking?) I did also put a donation pile together to send off to the Salvation Army.

I didn't change sizes much on this journey. I stayed in the 12's most of the time. Not until this last 12 pounds did I drop sizes. I had to buy some 10's about a month ago, and now some of them are too big. It's a viscious thing. I would rather stay a 10.....more choices and I feel comfortable in them. But, alas, if I want to lose 6 more.....it looks like 10's won't do it eventually. I am not too happy about that. I know all you wonderful ladies want to lose dress sizes (and I totally support that) but I always have an eye to the future. Will I stay in the 8's????? I don't know....makes me want to stay in the 10's for security!

Don't worry that you are not losing dress sizes.....maybe it will happen all at once for you, like me. I sort of liked that! I felt like it was a drastic change! Kind of a 'make-over', you know? Just sit back and enjoy it. A 14 is a great goal! I feel like you have alot more choices at any store when you wear a 12-14. You will love it!

So ladies......anybody posting their weight losses this week? I can't wait to see the totals!

Sarah: I am so glad that you seemed to flourish with this challenge! And WTG with the 10 day exercise challenge! Soon you will be right there with me with the 'streak'! I have workout every day this year!!!(except one, 1/24/09 traveling for dh birthday). I will tell ya.....it certainly eye opening! (and tiring!).

So, I will wait for your totals girls!

Beth

 

[jeanneg]

I knew i forgot something!

Yes, put me down for 209....another pound!

I will have to add my points and get back to you. I missed quite a few this week, but I did track them. Be back in a jiffy......

 

[jeanneg]

Only 43 points for me this week.....told you I missed alot! Better luck this coming week.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Evening Lean Meaners! I apologize for the short post but we had some heavy rains yesterday and DF's basement flooded. Yecch! So I'll be helping with clean up duty.

As for the BL challenge, I weighed myself today and I've lost 1.5 pounds for the week! I think that's the most I've lost while on TOM. Hooray!

Anyway, back to cleaning

Have a great weekend everyone!