Hey, back in for a moment before we leave for Disney. I'll have time there, I think, to post. And free internet. We're staying at Bonnet Creek.
In for the challenge. Accountability is key - and I've not been accountable lately. Thanks to Cindy, Vicky and all for coming to get me. My weight loss has stalled at 5 pounds and I've been eating like, well, you know. DOOD wanted a pre-Mardi Gras King Cake, but no party, so you can probably tell where this is going...
Anyway, the challenge will be challenge - esp. when I'm out of town w/ no scale, but I'll do my best. Looks like I need to do some crunches tonight. whoo hoo (that's deliberate smaller case).
Maria: Congrats on the Princess. I'm so happy for you, and can't wait to hear the details. I missed your post, but I wouldn't have seen you anyway. It's this weekend we're gone - in time for the lovely ESPN The Weekend.
And WTG on the weight loss! Well deserved and hard worked for! Proof is in the jeans!
Reading all your stuff at once...I'm always struck at how busy you are, how much time you devote to your respective communities. Pretty impressive! How does your church like the new pastor?
Vicky: I didn't even watch the Oscars this year - read up on it the next day. Ugh. That's so not me. I'm not in a rush to finish seeing the films I missed, either. In terms of baking, I love reading about other's experiments, esp. as it keeps me away from the sugar. (You're doing SO much better than I am. No donuts. Or King Cake.)
Congrats on signing up for MCM. I wish I could be there, but I don't think that's possible. I'll be out of town for the first weekend into possibly the next (WDW), Oct. 16 (the Hershey Half), and possibly that next weekend (DOOD's NCHC trip, Phoenix). I don't think I can do another.
I'm so sorry to hear about the work stress. I didn't realize it was so bad. But you're turning a negative into a positive! This is going to be a big year of changes for you!
Tandy: I have a pair of leopard print heels, too. I love them - not that I wear them much!
It's so cool to hear how excited you are about returning to school - and what focus you have! I'd never get anywhere if I needed to know math. And woo hoo for being such a "honored" reader! Your focus is in every post! And I know it's a long time, but I think the 3 years will fly by!
I think the Running Awareness class is a savvy decision. Not just for the easy A, which will be good for academics & give you time to focus on other things. But you're right - you might learn some things, make another running buddy, get hooked into some local events. Really smart.
Frank and Harrison deserve big kudos on their weight loss!? And tell Frank that being a veggie is the way to go, from me to him!
It's good to have everyone in the family on the same page.
Cindy: I hear you on the FT life-work-control balance. I love seeing how you're setting yourself up for balancing things though, with 2 gyms, WW, etc. And Boston, of course, is a phenomenal goal.
Ugh for the trainer though. What a wanker. He sounds exactly like the trainers at my gym - except they text while their clients are doing reps instead of even counting. And if he doesn't know anything about running - he's lucky you didn't throw him under your TM & work off your frustrations.
Jackie: Again, your progress post-surgery has been, IMO, amazing! You're really upping the mileage quickly. (You may not think so, but I've been logging in so infrequently that I can see it.) Oh, I hope your financial setback is temporary or something that you can offset somehow.
Kim: Great job with the freezable meals. Having them available is a smart strategy to keep eating healthy! And I really like auto shows - used to live in Detroit. That Mercedes Benz bling for the 10K sounds sweet. WTG with the overall downward trend on the scale, celebrations notwithstanding. You'll get back on track, I'm sure.
Beth: I'm very impressed by the movement on the scale, especially given your back. Any more definitive news? That numbness in your foot concerns me. OH, and what Jackie said about your determination! I hope you're back to running soon!
Jeanne: I miss seeing you around! But I'm glad your here, and your Mii will soon be smiling! You're a strong soul to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and work on making the Mii be the you it should be. She/Mii will be smiling in no time!
AFM: We leave on Friday and I've done nothing to prepare for it. No packing, no house cleaning, etc. I barely remembered to priceline a car and contact cat sitters. Believe it or not, I'm just not in the mood to go to Disney. I'm sure that will change once I'm there, but it's work for me - vacation for DOOD.
In terms of the challenge, I might be set up fairly well for it. We made minimal ADRs and are planning on eating in most nights. I'll be writing, DOOD will be cooking. (Which probably means take-out or prepared foods, but still...I bet there will be two new recipes. I'll bring a couple of suggestions with me.) Anyway, eating so much in our room is something new for us in terms of Disney, but it's probably good for mostly healthy eating. We'll see if I can stick to it.
Official weight: 145
Goal weight: 125-30; I'm indecisive.
Temptation for the week: Well, I've already failed with the King Cake, as cinnamon goodness is my downfall. So I'll just try to avoid any pastries for the rest of the week, even though I already blew yesterday!
Given that I'll be in Disney from Fri-Friday, I'm going to overlap a bit with the temptations. I KNOW I'll be eating sweets there. And drinking. To not do so will result in an unhappy Debra and a meltdown binge when I get home. But I will also tend to do some unhealthy things when I'm on vacation that I'd like to avoid.
1) I tend to go back on caffeine...esp. with a daily latte.
2) I eat a sugary breakfast - rolls, pancakes, etc - instead of something more reasonable.
3) Several days of ice cream is usually in the cards.
4) I tend to just do cardio, dropping the weights and/or pilates when I'm vacation. I just run and tell myself that's okay. Which then leads to me skipping these things at home.
So I'll let you decide which of these should be my temptation to avoid while at Disney. The daily latte/caffeine, the breakfast, the ice cream, or avoiding the XT. I'll try to handle the rest in moderation, but no promises.
I'm hoping it's because they didn't think I needed to lose enough... but it was depressing nonetheless. Hope Frank stays motivated this time. I would think seeing that kind of number would help keep him going! 
Nothing like spending two minutes holding on to the bars for support... when you're supposed to be balancing WITHOUT the bars. Oh well, one more week...
) steroid shots, or surgery (I REALLY don't want to go there!). I would chose the shots first. I can actually deal with the back pain.....it's the numb foot I want fixed. Pain I can deal with!
No one should be hanging their head! I think sometimes we all need to hit bottom (or top in the weight world) to get that extra kick. Did you make it to the Y? I'm so glad you were feeling our vibes and didn't miss out on day 1. I think you got more points than me and I started the silly thing! 
Oh and before I forget, my temptations are sugary snacks and desserts 
for your glutes - I hate those nagging muscles that get in the way of running. Perhaps a massage is in order? 
WTG on getting in all that water and an elliptical workout as well! I usually manage to drink half a bottle myself on the commute into work but two bottles is awesome!! What's the new recipe you've got? I don't know if I'd go with the label of professional dieter - you're a fantastic motivator and you know so much about diet and exercise. I'd say you were more of a diet and weight loss expert! 
Yes, I'm lazy. And the chicken pot pie was absolutely the yummiest thing I've ever made. Not the healthiest, but easy and good. 3 cups of cooked cut up chicken, a bag of cooked frozen veggies, 1 10oz jar of alfredo sauce, 1 tsp of thyme, all mixed together between 2 pie crusts and cooked for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
