Weight loss for Wishers and becoming Leaner Meaners!

[Cindylou]

Hello Lean Meaners.

Maria: Great work getting your notebook all in order. That should be a great tool for keeping you on track. Enjoy your time off work this week. Once last gasp of summer.

Jeanne: Congrats on engagement #2. Very exciting. Keep up with the training you are doing great. Very excited for you with all the NYC stuff. I hear you about the increased appetite. Just make smart choices for fueling your body. You can treat yourself after Nov. 1st.

Beth: I ran out of time to make the oatmeal last night, but hoping to get to it tonight. The sloppy joes are in the crock pot so hopefully we'll have an early dinner tonight and I can find the time after dinner. How exciting for the new TM. Every little thing helps and it sounds like it has some good features. It's good you're not getting crazy about the spa challenge. Just finish strong and I'm sure you'll be happy with your result.

My eating has been better the last 2 days. Not stellar, but trying to make good choices. After my speed work yesterday my hip started hurting a lot. I'm not sure what it is or why. I'm taking a lot of Ibuprofen now and it's starting to hurt my stomach. I hadn't planned on running today and I skipped my lunchtime walk. Not sure what to do about tomorrow's run. Just when I decided I was going to buckle down and do every workout as planned...ugh!

Have a great day everyone.
Cindy

 

[Creativebeth]

Cindy: My hip was bothering me yesterday too? Maybe we are related? I think I tweaked mine lifting weights on Sunday. I ran the TM in the morning with the ???? about the hip, but then by evening I was really worried! I have a 2 1/2 marathons coming up and I thought it was going to be an issue. Seems to have worked out though.... the TM this morning was ok. A little pain but nothing like last night! Serves me right, lifting weights! I hope your hip works out too!

AFM: I ate too much today.... I seemed to have lost a little mojo! I am hoping to finish out the day without eating to much more...and stay on target tomorrow! Weigh in for the spa challenge is only 2 more Thursdays!

I had to make cookies for dh.....and of course the baker always has to try the bake goods! (BTW they are good!)

Maria: How was yoga at work? Interesting!

Beth

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Morning, Lean Mean Brigade!

Beth -- What type of cookies did you make? I've been eating pizelles (Italian pressed cookies). They're 23 calories each, so I can have a pretty good snack with 5. Of course, I am definitely not creating them!

Cindy -- How is your hip today? I really hope you and Beth are feeling better. It's so disheartening to decide to work out and then have it be painful!

I had a little incident with the company and Mike's Pastry in the North End -- those pecan caramel brownies should be outlawed! It is indeed the last gasp of summer. I'm not sure what we're doing tomorrow -- maybe take a ferry to the Boston Harbor Islands. I guess we'll see how energetic everyone is. We're talking about doing the "Ghosts and Graveyards" tour at night after dinner at the No Name on Fish Pier.

Nothing exciting to report for me. I did yoga at work yesterday (very good for stretching out my poor muscles), and slept like a baby. The company went to explore the White Mts in NH today, so who knows when they'll get back. This could be good, I may get a workout in this evening. With my luck, they'll show up just as I get home

I'm having lunch at P.F. Chang's today. I plan to keep it simple. dsmom was in charge of dinner last night. I thought she'd cook something, she ordered Chinese -- so I'm not really feeling a craving today!

Oh, I meant to post yesterday -- until I walked in and found my boss not so on vacation! Not only was she here, she had things I had to do right away She's supposed to be gone now until Monday -- not doing me much good since I won't be back at work until Tuesday -- but hopefully I'll get a little time to post from home. I say a little because tomorrow is our last full "just family" day, Friday I have to get ready and host the "Wizards" party, Saturday I'll have one of the kids left from the party until she's retrieved -- it's dh's cousin's daughter and she lives in Maine, so she's staying over. She's also MR, so even though she's 12, mentally it's more like 6. Sweet kid, but also has a host of issues, so it's a bit of a challenge. Her parents are also notorious for picking her up late, so I can't really count that as our last family day since I don't know how late she'll be here, and we probably aren't going to be able to do much.

On the bright side, ds is really great with his cousin. He knows she can barely read, so he always makes sure to help her out in a group setting. The older they get, the harder it is to integrate her with his friends for a party. She delights in announcing, "I'm in 7th Grade!", but it's clear she's not on that level. The other kids aren't mean, but they also don't treat her like one of them. It doesn't help that they see her once or twice a year, so she's not their buddy. She also doesn't really watch tv (her family doesn't have cable), so she's never heard of this show. She may end up off in a corner playing -- I guess that's ok. She'd rather play with stuffed animals, so I guess if she's happy...anyway, one of the activities from House Party is a treasure hunt, and the kids have to read the clues and figure out what they're seeking. I told ds I wanted to make sure his cousin is on his team (he understood why w/out any explanation), and he suggested we rig it when we draw for teams. I normally wouldn't do something like that, but I was touched he suggested it because he doesn't want her to be uncomfortable. Sorry about the TMI, sometimes I just keep typing

Maria

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning! How are the Lean Meaners!

Maria: What a sweet kid ds is!! I love the empathy that he shows to his cousin. Bless his heart! My ds#1 is the same kind of guy, and I feel blessed every day that he was 'given' to me. I can always count on him to do the right thing. Give your ds and hug from me......he has a gift that you can't teach them.

Good luck with the party.....I know how much work something like that is. You will feel better once it's over!

Yes, I believe what your bakery is doing is illegal and should be addressed! It's the one thing I can't withstand.....baked goods! My speciality is chocolate chip cookies. My own recipe, not shared, not even with bribery! It's a great cookie, and very addicting. I usually try to stay away from them, b/c one always leads to 2 or more (as it did last night, with a glass of milk!).

AFM: as if I wasn't there already......I did 5 miles on the TM yesterday, and then did the new Shape workout with strength training and 1 minute intervels of running in between. It wasn't easy.....the family kept interrupting for no reason at all.....just to bug me.

Today, was 5 miles on the TM with interruptions to get the kids ready for school in shifts. DS#1 goes early and ds#2 gets up after he leaves. It's annoying to keep getting off the TM to get everything else done. I might have to get up even earlier to get it done before anybody gets up for school. UGH! That means 5:00 for me.....don't know if that will work for me!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Beth

 

[Cindylou]

Good Morning everyone.

Beth: Weird about your hip. Maybe we are related. Mine is feeling much better. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and he adjusted my usual back issue then went to town kneading all the knots out of my hip/butt. It felt miraculously better for about 2 hours then started hurting again. I used the foam roller last night to stretch it and now it's feeling good again. I am so happy, I get really cranky when I can't run when I actually want to. I don't mind a little pain, I was just afraid I might do more damage.

I love that you have a secret recipe for your cookies. Since you won't share your recipe you'll have to bring some cookies with you whenever we finally meet up so that I can test them. My MIL makes some pretty good cookies, but she just follows the recipe on the Nestle chip bag. Not sure why they taste so much better than when I make them.

I loved how you say DS was given to you. That's how I feel about my DS. Coaches and teachers always tell me what a good kid he is and I always say that it was a gift from God. When they misbehave it's my fault, the good behavior comes from a higher power.

I never did get to make the oatmeal last night. My son was covered with red spots that haven't gone away in the last 2 days so I brought him into the doctor's office when I got home from work last night. They think it's a reaction to the Amoxycillin he has been on for the last week for a sinus infection. Added stress, but I'm glad it's not something contagious as I'm sending him off to my sister's house today.

Maria: Your DS is a gem. It's so good of him to take extra care with his cousin. I hope you enjoy your family day tomorrow. Lots of luck with the Wizard's Party. I'm sure it will be fun. Yum, Mike's Pastry. Haven't been there in a while, need to keep it that way. I hope you can get your workout in tonight before dinner.

I moved my run to the AM today since it's supposed to be so hot at lunchtime. It was such a glorious morning. My pace was a bit slower than I wanted it to be, but I'm not usually as fast in the early AM as I am later in the day. Too bad so many of my races start so early. My hip felt a bit tight, but didn't hurt me, so I'm thankful for that. I'm going to try to make an effort to stretch and use the foam roller a lot. I got on the scale for the first time in 2 weeks today. It was pretty much what I expected, up a bit, but not as bad as I'm sure it was a couple days ago. My eating has been a bit better this week. Still eating too much, but I've cut out a bit of the sugar I was eating. (OK, confession, there's no more chocolate in the house.) I've got some hopefully yummy Kielbasa-Bean soup cooking in the crockpot so I'll have a healthy meal waiting when I get home.

Well, I guess that's it for me today. Once I get started....
Have a great day everyone.
Cindy

 

[MouseDogMom]

Week 1 as an Empty Nester... who knew that an 18-year old could send so many text messages, call so many times, and chat on Facebook so much? I think she consumes as much time away from home as she did at home... in her defense, she's dealing with a lot of extra stress. Her boyfriend's grandfather has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and extensive malignant tumors in the spine and brain. She's trying to cope with her boyfriend and his family while adjusting to life as a college freshman.

New computer is almost functional now; at least the important things work. Can't balance the checkbook, but I can talk to my friends!

I have run TWICE this week since Saturday's 10 miler. Jeanne - Bill and I went out to Cary/Apex tonight and ran the ATT section that we did in December. Had a great run! This is the first time in MANY weeks that I've managed 2 workouts. Unfortunately, I've probably offset the positive with the triple chocolate torte that I split with DH last night at the happy hour for our running group (along with the 2 beers), but I'm telling myself I'm moving in the right direction. Meal planning and grocery store may come next week. Baby steps.

Will be back later to check in with everyone!

Jackie

 

[Creativebeth]

Jackie: Long term solutions are built with baby steps! You have the right idea! A shared dessert is a great way to have a treat......I have to practice sharing though! When my dh 'steals' a bite of something I have, I am immediately on the defensive! (((((thinking of course.....'get your own!'))))) I am bad that way. I think the beer sounds even better!

I think having a menu for the week is the best idea all around. It always saves me money, limits waste, and is so much easier to get supper on the table. I do it sometimes.....but I really have fallen off the menu wagon. I need to get back to it. Thanks for the reminder!

AFM: I ran 4 this morning, and sending ds#2 out the door for school soon. I have to get ready to weigh in.....wish me luck!

Beth

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hey Lean Meaners! Hope everyone is doing well! Looks like it's been my turn to have some computer/internet problems. Our connection was knocked out on Sunday evening and was just restored last night. I think we had some router compatibility problems when we recently upgraded to a faster service. At least I think that's what it was ... doesn't matter because access has been restored!!

Beth - Good luck with your weigh in this morning! I love maple syrup with my oatmeal too. I use the sugar free kind as well. I'm going to have to look around again for more syrup since the supermarket I go doesn't seem to carry it anymore. Thanks so much for printing out the motivational tips! I've printed them out and will pull them out to reread the next time I'm feeling the clean eating blues.

Jackie - Sorry to hear about DD's extra stresses. No fun while you're trying to adjust to a new enviroment. Good luck with the meal planning Let us know if you come across any yummy recipes.

Cindy - Hope DS is doing better today! My PT showed me a really great exercise/stretch for the hips but I can't remember what it's called. It reminds me more of a dance than a stretch. I'll ask him tonight.

Maria - Good luck with the Wizards party I've had those little "surprises" where I thought my manager was suppose to be away for the day but then had a change of plans.

Sarah - Congrats on your continuing weight loss!! Is the 20.5 lbs since the BL challenge started? Sorry to hear about your job stress. Have you heard any updates yet?

Jeannie - Wow! Two weddings?! It's going to be a very exciting year I get an increased appetite too when my mileage increases. It's a delicate balance which I haven't quite figured out yet. I just tend to want to eat everything in sight some days.

AFM - I did my 15K on Saturday evening. I managed a 1:34:52 which is a PB for me. That beats my McMillan time by 5 minutes and I'm happy with it because I had a nasty calf cramp the morning of the race. I did a race report here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2263490

The eating has been okay. Lots of sugar cravings so I think I'll go back to a no refined sugar diet until October. I really want to lose some weight and get a cute dress for my birthday

I also scheduled some minor dental surgery for next week. The dentist goes to the same gym as I do and she's told me she's going to use a laser so it should be quick. I figured I'd better do it quickly before I chicken out or before I lose my job or insurance I've heard rumours of layoffs in October. So we'll see.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[deekaypee]

Hey, all! I'm back.

Beth: GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR WEIGH-IN. You've been doing so well, you've earned every success, and I hope the weigh-in reflects your accomplishments. In catching up on the posts, I'm sorry to read that these last pounds--so few, so stubborn--have been sticking around. How frustrating! And you're right, even though you know that sometimes the loss doesn't post and weight loss is a game of inches and small steps, it can be so darned de-motivating when that happens! You've been working more than hard enough and deserve to post those losses, and your weekly mileage makes me slightly dizzy. (I mention your miles to DOOD, and he raised his eyebrows. That means he's impressed.) Small comfort, I know. Your approach to the spa challenge is right on. You're already the biggest winner!

Woo hoo on the new treadmill. It sounds like a monster! But those big ones can be quite stable and that's a very good thing. And you're certainly putting it to good use, mileage-wise and program-wise. I'm sure Barry is glad the TM went to a good home. Kudos to both him and DH for getting it upstairs. And now I need to look into the Shape's newest workout. Sounds like a booty-kicker.

I have to admit, I had a DQ Blizzard (thin mint) during my trip. Worth every calorie. I loved reading your motivation tips, especially the distinction between desire and willpower. I've never thought to parse out those distinctions before, but the difference makes a lot of sense to me. And I agree with you that Master Your Metabolism is very motivating. I think I might try a 2-week experiment with her, too, veggie-style. Even though that means saying goodbye to the soda. (Ooops, did I say that out loud.)

P.S. Thanks for the oatmeal recipe. I love my daily oatmeal. I could, and sometimes do, eat it twice a day.

P.P.S. Ditto on what Cindy says about the cookies. No need to pass along the recipe--better for my temptation level--but I'll want to try them out sometime. Just to confirm they're as good as you say, of course.

Maria: Your father and his wife sound like perfect visitors to me, doing all sorts of household chores and spoiling your DS. Although I also have to admit that having someone doing all that work would stress me out or make me feel guilty. Boy, do I have issues.

I love the fact you went to North Shore Mall and was able to combine a family outing with some shopping tasks. Great way to be together, creating memories associated with the mundane realities of everyday life, and to offset back-to-school stress. Multitasking at its best!

I may be late to the journal gig, but how about including in your motivation section the good things you've accomplished each day--whether those things are fitness/nutrition or not. (An extension of Beth's Motivation Tip #8.) For instance, the variety you include in your WOs, eating that salmon burger, finishing up your grants or being a good host to your family. I think it's easy to forget all the good things we do all the time, and then we can get down about ourselves, leading us to do stuff that undermines our goals. I also really like Cindy's suggestions of tricks and rewards. Having all that stuff in one place is a great idea!

Good luck with all busy-ness. How much longer is the family visiting? Through the Waverly Place party, it sounds like. That party, btw, sounds like such a good time, and the treasure hunt will be a big hit! And add me to the list of people who want to pat DS on the back for his sensitivity toward his cousin. That's quite a gift, and speaks well of your parenting.

Oh, in totally random news...I'm going to P.F. Chang's tonight for the first time. We're meeting some of DOOD's colleagues for a pre-semester gossip fest.

Cindy: "Mine in 2009!" I love that mantra! We're so alike--I don't have much problem getting in a run or a WO, but that "eating is fuel" idea is so much harder for me. I hope the WW program will work for you (and Maria--you can be online accountability buddies, as you suggested). Let us know how the sugar-free days are going. I'm always curious. And like Vicky, I have to have the sugar all out of the house or I'll eat it, so I understand about eliminating the chocolate in the household. That's my downfall--I'm an all or nothing kind of person, and working to revise that approach. You definitely seem to be back on the wagon.

I suspect that you did indeed need a break, a new routine to shake things up. That, and the post-tri blues (do you experience the blues after an event? I do), and a series of bad/skipped WOs all snowball together. Some good runs in this slightly cooler weather and you'll be back in the game in no time. I hope your hip cooperates with you--Beth's, too--and think you're doing the right things with resting, shifting your workouts to the A.M. and stretching. P.S. Ibuprofen can give me a sensitive stomach, too, after an intense workout. Wish I had suggestions for that.

I read the toe-tapping and circles advice while I was away, and tried it on Monday's run. It seemed to help. Thanks! And I agree that I've probably been compensating for the tight calf--it's always good to hear that others suspect what I do; makes me feel less like an idiot.

Vicky: Congratulations on your PB with your 15K, especially with your pulled muscle and then calf cramp. I just read your RR and I know think your personal race mantra should be, "Don't let the fairy beat you!" And to clock in any amount of distance of 6:34 mm makes me dizzy.

Good luck with your upcoming dental surgery. I think you're brave to go through with such things, promises of laser-like quickness and (hopefully) painlessness notwithstanding. And PD to you on the job situation. I certainly hope you don't get laid off.

Thanks for your advice on my calves, as well. Sounds like you've had quite a bit of experience with those aches and pains. For some reason, the stretching is a continual struggle for me. I tend not to stretch enough, especially in the hips/quads. As for your former trainer's advice not to worry about ankle pain, well, I might have thrown a shoe at him. I brought the Yoga for Runners DVD with me, but didn't use it this week. (It's very useful, but all I did was run this trip.) I need to keep up with such XT.

Jackie: Woo hoo on the new computer! And for the empty nest! I know you miss DD, even though you're in close contact with her (sending her PD for freshman year, her BF's GF's situation, etc.). But you and DH might be having a little 2nd honeymoon period now...that's got to be exciting. Hopefully, your work weeks will pass by quickly--it's got to be a blur being so busy--and that after this next four weeks things will get back to normal. In the meantime, you deserve a big pat on the back for not only finishing your 10 miler but getting in your mid-week runs! Great job and those baby steps are the way we start to walk (and then run), right? Menu-planning is always sooooo hard for me, so let us know how that goes.

Sarah: Oh, my! Your job situation just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it? It's almost like a cat-and-mouse game, the way you're being toyed with. The not knowing is sooooo hard. I just hope you can get settled into a job-hunting rhythm that you can do on the dime, although that's not much of a silver lining. Speaking of silver lining, congratulations on your loss. I know it's stress-related, and thus not entirely in your control, but a loss is the lesser of two evils. I hope you've had the time to process this news and get back some eating and exercise equilibrium. More PD your way.

Jeanne: Congratulations to you on the TWO WEDDINGS this summer. You'll get to be both a mother of the bride and a mother of the groom. What fun! And what a busy, busy year coming up! A year of family celebrations! And you'll be kicking off those celebrations with your NYC marathon. I can't believe you're already at the 20 miler stage. Wow, your training is just flying by! One-derland is just around the corner, I'm sure, and you're doing the right thing by losing slowly while training.

As for me (warning, long post): In Lean Meaner news, up 2.5 pounds. I wasn't in vegetarian country, the stress of the visitation/funeral/traveling, etc., etc., etc. I drank far too much & carbs and fats were my best friends. One example: We ordered a pizza after a 2 1/2 canoe trip--long story in itself, involving my BIL and his friend, a classic Slurpee girl--and I ate four pieces. Four! And that didn't include the drinking and appetizers.

I did manage to get my b2b runs in on Friday/Saturday (4.5/9 miles). Friday was rainy, and thus I ran on a rickity TM, which reminded me why some people call them the dreadmill. Saturday was a beautiful, shady rails to trails run, though. Too bad our decision to do a Saturday LR "disappointed" DOOD's mom, as they had invited people over to the house to write thank-you notes for the memorial donations and had volunteered our services without asking us. We made it back for 1/2 the letter-writing session, but it was tense.

I also ran on Monday, but had some back pain which got worse after the car ride home. (I think I pulled a muscle Sunday while helping to load the canoes on the truck.) And so I skipped yesterday's tempo run, XT today, and will see how the b2b runs are this week. Cut-back weeks, so a total of 9 miles on Friday & Saturday.

As far as the funeral/vacation went, it was stressful. Funerals in that neck of the woods are big socializing opportunities, so between the visitation, funeral, luncheon, house tour, thank-you notes, etc. we were very busy. Odd traditions to note: the visitation was held in Ruth's home, with the casket in the living room. And after the funeral, burial, and luncheon, the family went back to the house to "explore" the rooms and start to lay claims to items. (Very creepy, the latter. The "outlaws" (inlaws on the margins) like myself hung out on the porch.)

And in personal relationships... It turns out, as I discovered through several random conversations, my ILs had implied I might not show up. And when I was introduced to people, they referred to me as DOOD's "friend." Mind you, he and I have been together over 11 years.... When word got back I had learned my presence was "unexpected," DOOD's mother said there must have been a misunderstanding, that she doesn't know how people could have gotten that impression. She speculated that some people are just "conservative" and are reacting to DOOD and my unmarried status. (Little does she know.) Hmmm, yes, I wonder who those "some people" are. She did apologize if anything anyone (else) said had hurt my feelings. Anyway, I responded that this was not the time to worry about such things and, that regardless, "it is what it is." Yes, I really said "it is what it is." I know, the phrase means nothing--that's why I said it.

There, it's over with and the visit is now off my chest. I'll try not to go into more detail about the real ickiness--the fighting over the inheritance, etc., and will post some fun stories/good news over the next few days. There is some of that, I promise!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Debra - WOW! That's the only word that came to mind after finishing your post. DOOD's mother is a piece of work. And I am reminded once again of how grateful I am that my siblings and I were so easygoing when it came time to split my parents' belongings!

Quick update on my world - finally got up the nerve to get on the scale this morning, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I'm down a total of 5 pounds. I'd lost 4 initially, but had started putting it back on during all the stress at work. So now I'm not only back to where I was, but I'm ahead too!

DD's life gets crazier by the hour - BF's mom took his sister to the ER tonight with appendicitis, so DD and BF are at the grandparents' house sitting with them. Meanwhile, she isn't acclimating to college life at all because she's spending all her time with his family, so DH and I are struggling with when to put the foot down and say "no more" and insist that she spend some time in the dorm. The only person she knows on campus is her roommate, and she's been there a week. Looks like it could be a long fall in our household!

Jackie

 

[Creativebeth]

Oh Debra, I am sorry about the whole funeral/family situation. I figured it would be like that, and I was sorry before you even went! I am also sorry about the snarkiness that you encountered. People can be so hateful.......I never understand it. Really? People just want 'something' in the end, don't they? I would rather get NOTHING than put up with that crap. Who cares? Not me.

I am glad you're back, I miss you! Thanks for the good mojo on the weight loss thing....down a pound today, and I am very happy with that! Total this year is 34/ and down to 154 pounds! I only have 4 more to go till goal weight! That's the good news......bad news is that it is really HARD to lose right now. I think that my body is done......it seems 'happy' here! If that's the case, I will be happy too! No sense fighting it for 4 measly pounds, if you know what I mean! "It is what it is!" ((((LOVE the saying, even if it doesn't mean anything!))

Vicky: Good luck with the dentist next week! ((((I hate the dentist!))))

Gotta go!

Beth

 

[bunnyfoo]

Happy Friday Lean Meaners! Anyone have big plans for the weekend? We're expecting heavy rain on Saturday so I'm hoping I'll still be able to get in the 5 miles. I really don't want to run it on the TM.

Beth - Yeah, I hate going to the dentist too. I never got any cavities until I was in my twenties so you can imagine how bad it was for the dentist to fill my teeth WTG on the 34 pounds this year!! I am in awe Maybe you still will lose those 4 pounds - it could come off and be replaced as muscle.

Jackie - for DD. That's a lot for one person to deal with at the start of the school year.

Debra - We missed you!! I've been DF's "friend" on more than one occasion too and I won't even tell you how long we've been going out for. How about just doing introductions by name And talk about drama at the funeral! Sheesh - it sounds like a bad comedy but what can you do? As for inheritance... I say spend it all while you're here Anyone pull out a Post-It note pad and pen? I guess it's one way to see a person's true colours. I'll bet the 2.5 pounds is just water related. I don't think a couple cheat meals will cause you to gain weight especially with the running the canoing you did. It will probably come off once you start drinking water again.

And I have no idea how people run that fast for a whole race. I think that short little distance was my limit. Btw, did you get your Garmin working?

Cindy - I asked my PT about the hip exercise we did. It's called The Grapevine or karaoke.

AFM - I realized that I mixed up two of my dining reservations. We're eating at dinner Epcot on an EMH for MK and eating on MK on an EHM for Epcot I'm trying to switch them around but reservations seem hard to come by with free dining. We'll just go with the flow if they can't be changed.

I went jeans shopping today. I got an email from The Gap for 40% off. Not that I really needed an excuse but discounts are always nice I'm happy to say that I can fit into a 0. I know it's not really a 0 but it's nice that the 0 is just a single digit now.

Have a great evening everyone!!

 

[jeanneg]

Jackie: so sorry about all the stress Annie has to deal with......as if freshman year isn't hard enough. I take it her BF's family must live fairly close to her new campus? On a happier note, congrats on having a successful run at the ATT. Our 20-miler last year was.......interesting! OK, so it wasn't fun, but we sure got to bond!

And no, Deb, I'm not even close to 20 miles right now. That must have been Jackie.....or Wendy. The most I have done so far is 12! Sorry that the funeral was such a bad experience, but from all that you posted before, I'm really not surprised. And please refresh my memory.....i know you mentioned it once before, but exactly why are you still keeping the marriage a secret from DOOD's family?

Beth: how did your challenge go? Did I miss your outcome or is it not yet over?

Vicky, Cindy, Maria:

ASM, this is a combination fall-back taper week for the DL half, so all I have is a 6-miler. I plan to do it nice and early tomorrow. John has some business to take care of in the Richmond area this weekend. I know it's only about 3.5 hrs for Nancy and Norm so I called them up and guess what......we're meeting! Now that's really something to look forward to. We'll be spending the night in a hotel and then returning on Sunday. So excited to see them again!

That's it for now.....gotta throw some stuff in a bag and get to sleep. Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

A quick post -- crazy-busy weekend, as you all know. The Wizards party went very well. The kids had a blast and enjoyed the movie, the parents didn't mind sitting in the rain -- we had our canopy up and chairs set out around the table filled with dips and chips, and the conversation flowed nicely. My sleepover guest will leave about 1, the company is leaving tomorrow morning. By tomorrow afternoon, I will have my life back. Hopefully the tropical storm will have blown through by then, 'cause it is seriously rainy right now.

I am really looking forward to getting the final touches done to have my notebook ready to go, reading Jillian's book, and being able to use the TM whenever I want to. This is going to be a great, losing Autumn, and I am ready!

I promise to do replies tomorrow or Monday, when things calm down -- still have to finish getting ds ready for school, and I'm 99% sure his book report index cards are not up to muster...

Maria

 

[Creativebeth]

everyone, be sure to wish my wonderful wife, creativebeth a happy anniversary as we celebrate our 13th anniversary today.

She hates when I call attention to her

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Happy Anniversary, Beth!

Congratulations on 13 years! I hope you celebrate in style!

Maria

 

[deekaypee]

First up, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BETH! What a great day to celebrate, and your DH is an absolute sweetie to share this news with us. He rocks, almost as much as you do!

Jackie: WTG with the continued weight loss--that's one downward spiral you can definitely embrace. It's especially hard to lose weight when so much stress is coming at you from so many directions, so your accomplishments are work, like, double! The situation with DD is a hard one, because acclimating to college is so important. Then again, there's the tragedy in Wes's illness and her desire to be there for her BF (and herself). I know you and your DH will make the right decision on when to nudge her, so I'm just sending PD your way.

Beth (back to you): See, one of the things I love about reading your weight-loss journey is that you're so...so sane about your loss. You're only 4 pounds from your goal, but you're listening to your body. You know those pounds are hard and if 154 if your happy, sustainable weight, you'll not do extreme unhealthy things to get to 150. You choose strength and health. That's so admirable, I can't even begin to tell you how happy reading your perspective makes me.

Vicky: Wow, a size zero! You know, if it were anyone else I'd probably go on a rant about sizing. You've been working hard, and consistent, and are less concerned with the number than the fit, and so just a big congratulations! I'm really, really proud of all you've done, and you deserve the new clothes sizing to show off your new muscles. Did you get a pair of Gap's new premium jeans? I hear they've been redesigned in most fitting categories.

There WERE Post-It notes pulled out to tag items the day Ruth after died for thing her side of the family wanted. (Seriously, my MIL's sister had a list and stickies--she was very aggressive in laying claim to things and the whole surreal scenario traumatized my MIL. In this, I really sympathized with my MIL.) And the Garmin is working--I used it last weekend for my LRs and it is now my best friend. I have named it George, and will love it and hug it and kiss it (after the runs.)

Jeanne: I must have gotten last year's ATT 20 miler mixed up with your training this year. You'll be hitting 20 miles soon (much sooner than me ), so I hope your 6 miler was refreshing and put you in good spirits for DL. DL is, of course, its own anticipatory excitement. And great news that you get to meet up with Nancy and Norm--send them my love.

As for the secret marriage, it was a JOP affair that coincided with our relocation to Pittsburgh (health insurance purposes). Our marriage took place at approximately the same period as my BIL's marriage (now defunct), and we didn't want to steal their thunder. We'd intended to do another, public ceremony to help people get over the disappointment and disapproval, but, well, we're just not that organized. And so it remains a secret from my ILs. (My parents know.) Don't know quite what we're going to do about it. Probably nothing.

Maria: Congratulations on being a great host--with your DF and stepmom, your family, the party guests (adults and children). That's no small skill to have, and I know you pulled it all off with aplomb. Double congratulations on having your life back--I'd certainly be happy about that! It sounds like your notebook plans are all in order and hopefully DS will follow in your footsteps. Is he looking forward to school starting?

As for me: I haven't weighed in for a couple of days--letting my weight stablize so that I'm not as upset as I was. (At me and my poor decisions, btw.) I did my cut-back b2b runs yesterday/today of 3/6 and boy, was it harder than last week. I'm still having some calf issues, but strangely enough, it's now leg cramps instead of tightness. Stretch, ice, and stretch some more, I guess.

Now I'm in the coffee shop so I have DIS/internet access, drinking a latte and undoing the good work of the morning. *sigh* Baby steps, right, Jackie? My appetite has been near uncontrollable as I try to cut back to a reasonable amount of calories and types of food. Carbs, sugars, fats, caffeine...so evil and addictive. I can, and do, eat the good stuff now that I'm home, but the physical and psychological cravings have been particularly strong. I've been chewing gum like crazy, and that helps a little.

I hope everyone has a Lean Meaner rest of the weekend--I've felt the first stirrings of fall in the air and that means race season is on!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hello Lean Meaners! Not as much rain today - in fact it was a little sunny at times. Definitely not what was forecasted. I ended up sleeping in. I'll blame the alarm on my phone, I'm still trying to figure that one out So I did 5 miles today and will be back out for 10 miles tomorrow.

Beth - Happy anniversary to you and DH!!! Congratulations on 13 years!! I can't wait to hear about the celebrations!

Debra - Yup, it was a pair of Gap's 1969 jeans. I'm not a real jeans person - so I couldn't tell the difference between Gap or Rock & Republic jeans. The denim is softer than my ON pair but the fit is about the same. Someone else asked me about the sizing on the jeans and my weight. I doubt they're a true 0 and yes I am eating IfToo much of the bad stuff but that's another post, another day ... I talked to my PT a while ago about how much work I'd have to do to maintain a fitness model physique. It was more curosity than anything else and it was more work and effort than I was willing to put in. He said a lot of them will bring their own food to parties, not touch sugar and other foods and are constantly grouchy.

Wow on the Post-It notes! I don't even know what to say about that. I heard a story about that a while ago and I can't remember if I wrote about it here on on the HK team thread. Basically, an elderly woman who was deathly ill in the hospital made a recovery and went home without telling her relatives. She had dropped something on the floor, bent down to pick it up and noticed there were sticky notes all over her furniture. Her relatives had come over to lay claim to her possessions, thinking she was going to die in the hospital. She called up her lawyer, changed her will and left everything to charity.

Keep stretching your calves! Also try alternating ice and hot packs. I'm told that can help to improve the blood flow to the area. And I have the increased appetite too - I wonder if it's because of the cooler fall weather and the increase in mileage.

Maria - Glad to hear the Wizards party went well. All your notebook talk has me thinking I should get one too

Have a great night everyone! I'll check back in tomorrow

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning guys! Thank you all for the nice anniversary wishes! Greg is funny......I didn't see 'my' post, and I kept saying "how do they know it's our anniversary!" He was laughing at me....until I saw his post! He can be sweet sometimes! I think that was better than a card ((((BTW, we didn't exchange cards....we usually do, but my idea this year was to go card shopping together and pick a card, give it to each other to read, and put it back!!!!))))Great money saving idea, wasn't it? Greg's daughter thought it was insane!

We went shopping alright.....Greg's daughter works at White House/Black Market. I ended up with a pair of jeans (okay, skinny jeans! ha....even said it on the label!!!! in a size 8) Who would think? Man, I held them up to look at them, and they look SMALL! There will be some work involved to stay in them I think! I got a dress to go out last night too....very nice little black dress! I am thankful that there was a 40% discount involved, or there would have been NO purchases. The store is expensive! Love the jeans though!

We went to dinner at a favorite place in Harrisburg, called Spice. It is really good, not bad pricing, and the servings are big! I did well getting Tilipia/crabmeat entree, but blew it on dessert! It was a 'sampling' of 6 desserts to share....they were amazing!

We ended up going to Hollywood casino....but didn't win much. We had fun though!

Maria: I am glad you made it through the party festivities! Sounds like they had a blast! To bad about the rain, but good you had a tent! Good thinking! How's the notebook coming? I think it's a great idea to keep one....motivation at your fingertips! I actually bought a notebook, but using it to arrange all my recipes from the internet! ((((Something wrong there....you are using one to lose weight, and I am using it to cook!)

Debra: I hear ya on the sugar/carb/fat intake. That is the hardest thing to get under control. My body gets used to them so quickly, and then really misses them when I refrain from eating them! If you ask my husband, he just calls me 'pyscho'!

Weight loss/or maintenance is 85% mental....when my mental game is not there, neither is the weight loss. Maybe borrow Maria's idea for a notebook? I love new 'organizers'! I miss back to school shopping for myself! The problem was I always wanted the more expensive notebooks...now I am the mom saying "you don't need that!" Takes the joy out of it! Boy/hiss Mom!

So, still dissing from the Cafe? Nothing wrong with that I guess!

Vicky: Size 0????? Wow! I am impressed! I will never be there, but you certainly deserve it! You have worked really hard for it@

A big Sunday shout out to all the Meaners! Hope you have a nice weekend. I might endulge in a workout with Jillian's Making the Cut!

Beth

 

[MouseDogMom]

Beth - I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can make your goal. But I think you're very smart to recognize that 154 may be your ideal weight. You've done a fabulous job so far and have so much to be proud of. And a belated Happy Anniversary!

Vicky - Congratulations on the new jeans. And a size 0 at that! Not that I put much faith in sizing from either Gap or Old Navy, since I think they exist in their own little worlds, but a 0 is small in any universe!

Jeanne - Yes, Annie's boyfriend lives about 10 minutes from campus. It's one of the main reasons she chose ECU, though initially she claimed it had NOTHING to do with her choice. Mom and Dad knew otherwise! In some ways I'm glad she has them for support, but this past week has been extremely difficult with their demands on her time. She's actually home this weekend because she felt she had to get away, and for the first time in a year and a half is questioning her relationship with the BF (not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion, but very stressful for her nonetheless). And Wednesday's run on the ATT was much less stressful than my last one, although it didn't have quite the lasting memories. I will always remember that one as a remarkable bonding experience, and still don't know how you managed to get Wendy and me both through without having a breakdown of your own! Hope you're having a fabulous weekend with Nancy and Norm and enjoyed a "short" run of your own.

Maria - Just reading about your life exhausts me! Hope you've sufficiently recovered from all your entertaining this weekend. I am seriously considering the notebook idea (am supposed to be journaling for my women's group at church but can't seem to get started on that either, and am trying to combine all in one now)

Debra - Seems it was a weekend for hard runs. Leg cramps were a good portion of mine as well, both during and after. I actually cried during the ice bath at how badly my feet hurt, both in and out of the water. Bill came home and found me sitting on the side of the tub trying to get up and take a shower, but unable to muster the energy at the moment. He ran 12 miles, then left to go coach his boys' soccer team and had no idea how tough a run I'd had.
Thinking back on my parents' deaths, my siblings and I were much more civilized. We actually sat down with them beforehand and discussed what we wanted while they were still alive. So many of their possessions had stories behind them that we weren't fully aware of, so we wanted to be informed before we made our decisions. Seemed a little weird, but at least our parents knew what would go where! Then we bartered afterward for what we hadn't predetermined. "Since you really want X but don't really care about Y, and I don't care much for X but really want Y..."
And as for secret marriages, my sister has 3 anniversaries. My dad was a Protestant minister, and her fiance was Jewish. They were in Thailand when they met, so before they came home for the wedding they were secretly married at the American Embassy so that if they got home and either family started giving them a bunch of trouble they could just call off the "official" wedding. They had the "official" church wedding with my dad officiating, then went back to his hometown and had a Jewish ceremony as well which my parents never knew about. To their dying day, my parents only knew about the church wedding. I've known about all 3 for many, many years. Is their such a thing as a truly functional family?

As for me - Goal for this week is to run twice before Saturday and get in one day of Pilates or some core workout. I've felt strong on runs so far, but I felt the midsection getting really lazy this past run. I also desperately need to go to the grocery store, which means some sort of planning on my part, preferably today for a Monday afternoon trip. Beyond that, I'm not going to be too aggressive with my goals. Baby steps. That's my motto for right now.

Jackie