Motivation, Success and Frustration Sharing!

PhedraJD

@janetay01 I believe it will get opened up sometime today. Not sure when though.

Locolady98

Hi, count me in! I'm back. I lost 70 lbs over the course of 2 years a while back, and ended up getting into running as part of my journey. Becoming a runner helped me maintain for several years... and then I had a couple of injuries last year, got side-lined temporarily. But now I'm good to go again, the running shoes are back on, and I'm here to take off 20 lbs that I re-gained. Let's do it! MFP rocks!!

janetay01

@clicketykeys - and anyone else interested, the link to the Hogwarts challenge!

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563559/hogwarts-weight-loss-challenge-term-15-8-week-challenge#latest

@Locolady98 - welcome!

@HGSmith0920 - hope all is going ok at work . Sounds good that you are in a better branch now with a better team - those sort of things make such a difference to us!

The positive from yesterday is that I logged all my food and was honest about it - even when it went way over calories. Let's see if today can be better! We've just observed a minutes silence at work for those who lost their lives in London on Saturday following the latest terrorist attack - three in the UK this year and apparently a further five foiled by the police. What is our world coming to? I wonder sometimes what we have introduced our little boy to by bringing him into the world - it makes me want to go home, grab hold of him and never let him go. Sorry - slightly depressing but there are just days when it really hits home.

Anyway, hope Tuesday is good to us all. It's pouring with rain here and I'm going to be brave and venture out at lunchtime to buy cake for the team. Hmmm...not going to help me stay on track is it??

HGSmith0920

@janetay01 Thank you for posting the Hogwarts Challenge. I'm all signed up and really excited! I only worked at that branch yesterday. I'm back at the Point Plesant branch today. But I only have until the end of June, and then I will mostly be at the Brick branch(the one that I love). I just have to make it through the next month!

@Locolady98 Welcome welcome! Enjoy your stay! This really is an awesome group!

So I'm back at the Point Pleasent branch today(the one I dont like) and have a meeting with my Market Manager and my Branch Manager for a follow up for my write up two weeks ago. I can already tell you it's going to go poorly. I did a major screw up on Friday that will definitely be brought up. So who knows what will happen. Everyone has been talking to me like I'm not going to get fired so we'll see what happens. The DH has said that he'll stand by me no matter what, so that is a nice feeling. So send me some prayers if you will. They would be much appreciated.

I ate like total rubbish yesterday, didnt log it all, worked late and couldn't get a walk in because it was pouring out. So work was great but everything else was pretty bad. I just have to make it through my five-hour shift at work today and then I am off until Thursday! I have so much I have to do around the house tomorrow. I want it to clear up so that I can get a walk in and that it's not so dreary out. I like the bright sun and happy skies. Lol. Not this yucky rain! It's been a super wet spring, which is good for the wildflowers but not so great for us. Lol

Well have a great day everyone!

ngolden3320

@Evamutt I am praying that your DH health continues to improve. A take time for yourself. I should definitely practice what I preach.

@HGSmith0920 I will keep my fingers crossed that everything goes your way during your meeting today. It sounds like you have a great weekend.

@clicketykeys 3 spoons of ice cream is great. A couple of weeks ago I had a bowl of ice cream for breakfast.

@jdelaroy im still here. I have been logging my food for the most part and haven't made it to the gym as much as I would like but I have been doing a lot of yard work. I will send picks as soon as I get the mulch down, tomorrow I think.

Well today is the gym, tomorrow is mulch and the rest of the week is gym. I am going to be very good with logging my food this week so I can cheat on Friday. Friday is one year since my dad passed away and my girls are taking myself and my aunt to Carrabba's for dinner. that is where he always wanted to go. And I intend to celebrate his life, so if I go over my calories that is why. This whole month of June sucks. My stepdads 8 year since he passed was on the 2nd then my dads 1 yr on the 9th and then Fathers Day is coming up. SUCKS!

I am trying to fit keeping up with everyone here but work keeps interfering. They should know I need time to catch up with MFP friends. What's the matter with these people?

Everyone have a great day.

PhedraJD

@clicketykeys I hope you are enjoying your “Weekend”.

@hgsmith0920 Thank you! That M is still too tight, but I will make it to a comfortable M one of these days. Yeah, I hate when I can’t walk at lunch too. The break room is indeed boring. I try and keep a book with me for those times. Glad you will mostly work at the branch you like.

@evamutt some days I am just exhausted. I think we forget how much stuff we really do.

@janetay01 I remember that feeling! I worked in emergency services during the terror attack at the World Trade Center (9/11) Believe me I came home and held my daughter so tight and so long. For many days, she was my saving grace from that terror. Cake sounds delicious! Maybe just a small tiny piece?

@hgsmith0920 Prayers sent. Good luck today. Come back and let us know how it went.

@ngolden3320 I am glad to hear you are doing okay. Good job preplanning for what sounds like a lovely dinner. I love that you are going to celebrate your dads live, rather than mourn his passing. Work is always interfering with everything.

Yesterday, I did 2 workouts! A walk around the lake in the morning, and a walk during lunch. Plus our power was off at work for 5 hours, so I did a little more walking in my down time. My whole job is on the computer. I wish they would have sent us home, but they didn't. I also, managed to not snack too much. By time I got home from work I was exhausted! I managed to make dinner, but after that I was done. Went to bed the same time my little kids do and slept great. I am sore, but feeling so much better.

Rachel0778

Welcome @Locolady98 !

@jdelaroy Fitting in to a medium is a fabulous NSV! Glad you were able to catch up on sleep yesterday!

@janetay01 Happy Almost Birthday! I'm glad you had a fun time celebrating this weekend!

@ngolden3320 I'm sorry June is such a rough month. Going out to your father's favorite restaurant sounds like a great way to celebrate his memory. I hope work calms down for you

@HGSmith0920 I hope the work meeting goes well today! Sending positive thoughts your way

@clicketykeys What are you having made? I hope you have a fabulous "weekend". I'm jealous about your time at the pool, I miss swimming but I have no one to go with

@Evamutt I hope your husband recovers quickly so you can get out and about again. How were the personal trainer classes? They sound amazing!

Rachel0778

This weekend was rough. I literally went to the worst bachelorette party I've ever been to. Everyone was so uptight and uncomfortable and I had to babysit my drunk friend. Between that and poor food choices, I got 4 hours of sleep and way too many calories.

Sunday was much better, I had a great day celebrating my SO's birthday. But with birthday's come eating out for every meal of the day with various friends, alcohol, and cake so I was way over there too. Summer is seriously my hardest season for not gaining weight.

Monday my system needed a serious recovery day. I worked out, grocery shopped, cooked, cleaned the house, walked the dog, and got to read for a bit out on the patio. It was fabulous. I got a ton of sleep and woke up this morning ready to tackle the day with a kick butt workout! I hope everyone had a great day!

Evamutt

I didn't make it to any personal training classes yet. Best time for me is late morning or late afternoon. They have one at 5:30pm also. I may check out that one. The problem is I'm usually tired by that time. My other class they discontinues was at 11:30. They have one at 9AM also but I'm out with the dogs at that time. This morning I got up early, at 6:30! watered the grass. I was out with my dogs for 1 1/2hrs. first, bike run with my big guy then a long slower walk, then a shorter walk with my 2 older slow dogs. Getting ready to go work at animal rescue. Have a good day everyone

clicketykeys

@janetay01 - Woot! Signed up! Hoping I get into my house Good for you for being honest in your food diary, even if maybe it wasn't fun to look at those numbers.

Hi @Locolady98! What got you into running?

Keep us posted on your job news, @HGSmith0920. We'll have our fingers crossed for you!

Fortunately ice cream isn't a weak spot for me, @ngolden3320. I like Halo Top pretty well, though, so I'm able to satisfy my sweet tooth without being too tempted to go overboard - and even if I did, it wouldn't be terrible. Sorry to hear about June being a rough month. But I think if you manage your calories so that you can eat more later... that isn't actually cheating, is it?

Grats on the workouts @jdelaroy!

@Rachel0778 - My costume is going to be the animated version of Maleficent. The designer suggested layering fabrics to get some cool effects, and I said that could work well, and I trust her judgment, but I also want to make sure that it moves well. A swirling, billowing black cloak is kind of iconic for villains and anti-heroes: Darth Vader, Snape, Batman... you know? Sorry to hear about the bachelorette party. But it sounds like you enjoyed yourself on Sunday and got back to good habits on Monday! So good for you

Let us know how you liked the class if you make it @Evamutt!

Met up with the trainer at Planet Fitness for an ab class. YOWZA that was hard. I couldn't do most of it, but I tried, so... it's not nothing? lol! Plus I got my regular strength training in, which was good. After the ab class we went over my progress and tweaked my plan a bit. I've got rehearsal tonight for Hairspray - choreography. Kind of nervous. But since I'm an adult, I'll probably be in the back. Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow I've got an 11-hr day at the amusement park, and then it's employee night on the water slides. Already got my water gear packed and my food pre-logged and in the fridge waiting to go into the cooler!

HGSmith0920

@ngolden3320 I'm sorry for your losses! My DH lost is unborn daughter when he was 17 in a car accident so Father's Day is a hard one for him too. Best thing I can do is spend some time with him and help cheer him up throughout the day. Have a blast at dinner! Remember his life and all the awesome memories you have!

@jdelaroy That's a lot of walking! That day at work sounds terrible! I hate that. When I worked at the convenience store, the power would go out we would have to put all the perishables in the coolers and then keep the doors closed, but we were never allowed to go home. It was terrible. We havent had any power outages at the bank yet! Although, we did have a family of mice in out night drop box yesterday. Lol. That was a new experience.

@Rachel0778 That party sounds terrible! We had a camping trip for me and my girls. There were only four of us, because I had a tiny wedding. But it was a nice time to just be together. We snuck a few bottles of alcohol in with us so that definitely made it nice too. Lol. I'm glad your monday went well! That's my day tomorrow. I'm gonna do a lot of cleaning and relaxing.

So...where to start about today. Lol. I didnt get fired. In fact I didnt even have my meeting. It got postponed by two weeks. My Branch Manager's oldest son was in a terrible accident last night and the prognosis doesnt look good. So she flew down to Florida(where he lives) late last night and the last I heard, she may not be back until July. But I had a GREAT day today! Seriously! It was a great day! It was nice and calm, peaceful and totally stress free. I learned a few things and didnt get any hostile looks or backlash for asking questions or looking over peoples shoulders to learn. I didnt do a single screw up or anything wrong. It was just a simple, easy day.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Evamutt

Glad you had a good day HGSmith. I know father's day can be hard , I'm so sorry for your losses I lost my father in the 90's. He was an alcoholic all my life. He wasn't mean, he would just have "fantasies" while drinking & put it on me, like he would read in the paper that teenagers are taking drugs & he would think I am. Things like that. Also he would say things to hurt my feelings, "imply" things. Hard to explain. He made our lives pretty miserable but The Lord gave me some understanding of him a few years before he died & I felt reconciled to him. I don't think he knew how much he hurt me tho. I can't say I really miss him. I do have some good memories. He would sing & tell me stories alot. He loved me in his own way. After my mom died, we were there every week taking him grocery shopping, mowing his grass, etc. One night he said there were gypsies in the closet. We all ended up moving in with him, since he always asked that he never be put in any kind of home. Me, DH, 4 kids & 2 dogs moved in. He was in bed most of the time. He passed out once & DH did CPR on him till ambulance got there. We were there a month when this happened. He never came to at the hospital. He was 78. I guess I got carried away thinking about him

HGSmith0920

It's okay @Evamutt We all have our stories. I'm lucky enough to still have both of my parents. They're still pretty young though. Mom's in her late 50's and Dad turns 60 in October. I cherish every second I get with them!

So the whole eating healthy and exercising was a total bust today. I cant seem to get back into the swing of things after last weekend. I think it might be because I dont really have any yummy healthy treats to eat later in the evening, so I end up snacking on chips and random other things, like bagels with cream cheese or pb&j sandwiches. Just totally random things that I would never expect. But that might also be because I'm bored a good chunk of the time. As much as I am loving being home at night, I'm still not really used to it. For years and years I worked the graveyard shift at a convenience store, and then I moved onto the second shift which was usually 2-11, so I wouldnt get home until 11:30 and wouldnt go to sleep until 1 or 2. Plus I would snack a lot when I got home too because I'd be hungry after work. So I'm still getting used to my new normal. Lol

But anyway, completely spent for the day. Gonna get off in a few minutes and just pass out!

gymprincess1234

I'm frustrated how slow the process is. But can't speed it up, cause I already have enough stretch marks.

clicketykeys

Today's going to be a longish day - after an 11-hr workday we have employee night, so I get to go on the water slides! So I'm going to prelog my food and exercise for tomorrow before I head in, cuz lord knows I ain't gonna want to do it tonight, lol!

What are some "yummy healthy treats" that you might pick up at the store next time, @HGSmith0920?

Weight change not being linear definitely adds to the frustration, @gymprincess1234. Being able to look at a progress meter over the last several months helps. It's easy for me to forget that two months ago I was feeling the same frustration at not being able to get below 185, and now I'm feeling that about 175!

Oh, and we're heading to Dollywood next week. I'm kind of worried, because you're not allowed to bring any food into the park... which means you either have to eat park food, or just, like... not eat. And, uh, screw that! hehe But I haven't found much in the user database about their food, so I'm liable to be guessing. I'm just going to have to do my best

gymprincess1234

@clicketykeys True. Patience is the hardest muscle to train.
I just feel bloated at the moment as it's TOM, can't wait for it to be gone, so I can step on scales. Quite annoyed I can check my weight progress only like twice a month

Rachel0778

@gymprincess1234 I totally understand the feeling! But at least those 2 times a month really show the results then!

@clicketykeys Your costume sounds fabulous, what event are you gearing up for? Employee night sounds like a blast! I bet Dollywood sells healthy options too, I'd be shocked if they didn't since they're a big enough place.

@HGSmith0920 Your bachelorette party sounds perfect! I'm glad you had a good day and work and the branch you are at is being supportive of you learning. They can't expect you to succeed while being in fear of asking questions. Boredom is a tough thing to combat. Is there a fitness class or group you can meet with in the evenings to help break up the night? I second picking up healthy snacks, air popped popcorn is a great one for volume munching.

@Evamutt I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, I'm glad you were able to reconcile before he passed away. I hope you're able to adjust your schedule so the class times work!

I am SO sore! I did a workout DVD before work yesterday thinking I wasn't going to make it to derby, completely forgetting it is the first day of fresh meat (newcomers) so I got a double workout plus some! My glutes are screaming today, and I pre-booked a pole dancing class, which might be a bit rough.

My coworker made homemade gourmet cupcakes for the whole office yesterday and I stopped at 1! I feel like I should get an award! I did bring one home so I could enjoy it as a treat tonight too, I had to compromise with myself somehow since there were 6 different kinds of flavors I wanted to try.

Work is gearing up to be busy today, I hope you all have a great day!

PhedraJD

@rachel0778 Sorry about the party, Great job getting back on the horse though. You make me tired just listening to your days.  Good job on the cupcake. I award you an award for resisting the cupcakes. It is an invisible medal you can hang on your wall.

@evamutt Hope you find a class that works for you. I have the same problem with my gym. The classes they offer don’t really work with my schedule anymore.

@clicketykeys Yes just going and trying counts for something, and I bet if you keep it up those abs will get stronger. How was employee night?

@hgsmith0920 Glad your day went well, and you aren’t fired. Keep up the great work.

I had a great day yesterday! Made almost all my goals. My BF texted me right before I left work and asked if I wanted him to pick something up from work instead of cooking. I told him that would be great. He knew I was irritated at work, and with cooking the previous night. So went home, and instead of making dinner, I cleaned out the dang pantry that has been driving me nuts. He picked up McDonald's. He was pretty good, he got me the grilled chicken with none of the sauce on it (How I order it.), the unsweetened tea, and fries. Normally, I get the fruit parfait. He even refrained from getting himself a shake so that he wouldn't be drinking it in front of me. I ate my chicken, no bun, and half the fries. So made it work. Even had room for Sorbet afterwards. Having a great support system is such a blessing.

HGSmith0920

@gymprincess1234 I completely understand where you're coming from. I lost 10 lbs in two weeks and then seem to get passed that. Although, I havent really been keeping up with the exercising or eating super healthy, so that may have something to do with it. Lol.

@Rachel0778 You go girl! Only one cupcake sounds amazing! And the second one to bring home was a great idea. I probably would have ended up giving the second one to the DH because he would have been all sad faced that I didnt bring him one. Lol. You know how men can be! Lol

@clicketykeys I hope your shift is going well! It's kind of dreary and cold out here at the Jersey Shore today. Definitely not beach weather. I hope you enjoy those waterslides! I was never a big waterpark person...the idea of all of those people in one small body of water kind of grosses me out. Although, natural bodies of water dont. Lol As for the healthy snacks, I buy Half Naked Popcorn, organic fat free chunky strawberry frozen fruit bars, chocolate peanut butter protein bars, random fruits and veggies. Just stuff I enjoy eating!

@jdelaroy Congrats on making your goals! So proud of you! And the BF sounds like he is really helping you along! It really is awesome to have a great support network! I have a great one too! I've only been to McD's once since I started changing how I eat and I got the grilled chicken bacon ranch salad which was actually really good and a nice portion size. I definitely have to stay away from the fries though. They are my total downfall. I can eat a whole large fry in about 5 minutes. I usually eat my entire large thing of fries by the time I make it home from the restaurant which takes about 5-6 minutes depending on traffic. Lol.

I have such a huge list of things to do today! But I got to spend the morning hanging out with the DH. He closes his store tonight so he wont be home until probably 10:30pm. Right around my bed time(which kind of sucks) but on the rare occasions that he closes it's nice when it works out that we get a full morning together. We even got up around 9am too. Hung out in bed, I made coffee for us, played with Panda(our cat) and just hung out. Matt played his games and I paid some bills. We ended up hitting Wawa(a high end convenience store chain on the East Coast) because DH needed caffeine(he's an energy drink addict Lol) and I wanted good coffee and a few snacks. But now, I have to finish the laundry, do some cleaning of the house, hit the gym for a while, plan meals for next week and shopping list for Friday morning and if I'm not too spent by the end of all of that I'll work on formatting my book to get it ready for publishing over the weekend.

Evamutt

I can relate to your prior shifts HGSmith. I was always a morning person & used to get up at 5:30, before my kids did. I used to go to bed at 9pm. When I first started working at the hospital, I started at 5:30am & loved it, but got on full time in ICU & switched to 3-11pm, mainly so I have the morning free to take my dogs out. Stated getting up at 8am. I lived a whole day before work. dogs, cleaning & cooking & did that for 15yrs.I'm still not a night person but still go to bed at 11-12 mn. I would run to bed when I got home & went right to bed.

janetay01

@HGSmith0920 - I'm feeling tired just reading what you needed to get done yesterday! Hope you managed to tick things off your list. Your lazy morning sounds lovely - I miss those mornings! Hope things are settling down for you at work.

Jen - good for you having such a good day. You are absolutely right - whilst we can do this on our own, having a great support system makes such a difference.

Rachel - well done for stopping at one cupcake. I took cake into the office on Tuesday and was somewhat less successful about stopping, no willpower! Hope your muscles are recovering!

@clicketykeys - sounds like guessing a bit is going to be your only option. But it's only one day and if you are sensible about things, it won't throw you off track too much. We have to have room in life to enjoy things whilst doing this otherwise I think we would all go mad. I agree with @HGSmith0920 - there are some really good popcorn options available these days which won't bust your numbers for the day. Hmmm....and now I want popcorn, sigh!

Nicole - I know! Work just doesn't seem to understand that we have a social life to keep up with on here - it seems like I miss one day and there is so much to catch up on. Good to see you are still with us!

Had a lovely birthday yesterday. My husband bought me a swanky new fitbit to replace my old, rather less swanky and unreliable one. We went out to see my parents for a cup of tea and ended up staying for a totally unexpected and really nice lunch with them. Then got Alistair out of nursery early and brought him home to help us eat birthday cake . But back to work today. It is general election day here today so I've been out to vote - double bonus as it got me a good walk in before I started work this morning. Really not sure if I voted the best way but at least I did - none of our political parties inspire confidence right now but I believe that we should all do our bit and that way, at least I can say that I made my view clear. Ho hum, we'll see what happens once the votes are counted! Hope today treats you all well - need to get some more work done then pop out at lunch and buy some milk!!

clicketykeys

Morning everybody!

@janetay01 - Welllll... a day and a half. We're doing a dinner show the first evening, and then it'll be breakfast and lunch the next day, and probably dinner on the way home if not at the park. The buzz is that the dinner show overfeeds you, so my plan is to bring a cooler, pack up some of the dinner, and raid the ice machine at the hotel. Then hopefully that will keep until the next day, and we can nosh on that instead of eating out on the way home. Good on you for voting! I know sometimes it doesn't exactly inspire confidence. *sigh*

My shift at the amusement park was GLORIOUS yesterday, @HGSmith0920! It was low-80s and mostly clear, just a few puffy clouds floating across a blue sky. It might have been uncomfortably warm, but there was a good breeze all day. The crowds were light, I didn't have to do too much rule-reminding, and when I did, people changed their behaviors without a fuss. I got to walk around in the section of the park that has loudspeakers all day, so (a) I got in about 25k steps, and (b) I had music all day! Then after the park closed, the water park was opened up for any employees who wanted to stay, so I changed into my swim gear and rode water slides for about half an hour. I only did the big one once... it was a lot of fun, but dear sweet baby Jesus that was A METRIC BUTTLOAD of stairs! But I got to go on all the other slides at least once, and I rode my favorite one three times! Congrats on the book! What's it about?

@jdelaroy - Employee night was super fun, even though I didn't stay the full hour. My legs went "WE ARE DONE. Go home now and give us a hot bath with your Epsom salts!" I was kind of bummed that nobody else from my department (security) stayed, so I was there with a bunch of people I only knew a little bit. Maybe I would've stayed longer and been more social, idk... as it was, I was laser-focused on getting in my slide time! And what a lovely treat from a lovely fella! It's so awesome that he remembers what you get and how you get it, and that he went without a treat just out of thoughtfulness for you! Sounds like a special guy ^.^

Well @Rachel0778 it's not an event per se... I'm something of a Disney junkie, and Maleficent has always been my favorite villain, so I think it'll be a fun costume to have. I'll probably wear it to every convention and Halloween party I go to for the next several years, hahaha! Did you make it through the pole dancing class? I know what you mean about screaming muscles... it's two days after my abs class and I'm STILL sore! Good on you for striking a balance between strictness and indulgence. That's so awesome! Which flavors did you decide to try?

Amen, @gymprincess1234! I've never been the most patient person, and trying to lose weight just seems to make me even more impatient than usual ;D

So it's back to the pool this morning, and play practice tonight! And in between I've got to try to get the laundry and dishes finished up, because I've got long (12-13 hr) days at the park tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday's only 9, but that will probably be the day we get packed, because Monday we head to Dollywood!

Oh, and I'm going to tryyyy out some ab exercises at the gym. We'll see how it goes. I'm ... well, let's just say I'm not setting my expectations super-high XD

PinkBuffalo

Hi All - would like to re-introduce myself. I'm a 50+ gal who has 'suddenly' found herself in a huge hole. It's hard to imagine I've really let myself get this far into this hot mess, but here I am. I'm a super hard working professional who travels a lot for work and have found myself enjoying the wonderful foods and wines of my respective destinations. That and hotel rooms put me in a horrible sedentary lifestyle that doesn't really feel 'like me' though I live in an outdoor conscious, active area. I decided to make a huge change at work and will be reducing my work load later this month. So it's time to get started....

My goal is to lose 65 pounds by Sept 2019, which seems totally reasonable, but I'm six months into the goal and have gone the opposite direction.

Not to be so negative, but I'm truly in my worst shape ever... and my mind and heart do not seem to be in the right place for this effort either. Yet, here I am. I've done this once before and did super well... until I didn't. Now it's all back and then some. I cry almost every day I'm so bummed out. It's like I just woke up and found myself in this giant mess.

I'm super good about checking in to a community like this... that's how I did it before (on South Beach). So you can count on me to be a good cheerleader, commenter, supporter, etc. I'm just reaching out to get some encouragement to start this daunting project... ;-) Looks like a great group, and that's what is giving me some motivation to get started. Thanks in advance!

Rachel0778

@PinkBuffalo Glad to have you in the group! Juggling weight loss and frequent job travel is definitely a big undertaking, it's tough to have to eat out constantly!

@clicketykeys I went with vanilla oreo and butterfinger cupcakes: both were 100% worth it! Today I have the cupcakes out of the house so it's back to my regularly scheduled programming What kind of conferences do you go to? I attend our local version of Comicon every year and love it! I did make it to pole and I'm so glad I did. I hope you're able to fit your ab workout in.

@janetay01 That is exactly how I felt about our last election, but I agree that voting is important no matter what. I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday!

@Evamutt I used to work a 12-8 shift and loved having that full day before work. I would almost rather go back to that schedule that what I am now

@jdelaroy Great job adjusting your intake so that you could fit in the delicious fries and sorbet! I'm glad your SO is being so supportive!

@HGSmith0920 You're publishing a book? That's amazing! What is it on? It sounds like you had a fabulous relaxing morning. I hope you accomplished everything you set out to do for the rest of the day

I went to pole class last night and accomplished a new move I've been working really hard on, I was so excited!!! Today my day is filled with appointments and meetings (groan) but I decided that tonight I'm going to stay home, do laundry, read my book, pack, and relax solo before my crazy busy weekend. I'm heading up to spend a night at my girlfriend's and then a night at my Mom's before heading back down for a volunteering event with my SO. I literally went through my calendar and booked "me" days since I have been so overbooked lately I haven't been making time for myself. I love everything that I'm doing, but all put together it is just too much! Balance has never been my forte so I'm working hard to add it in and make it a reality.

PinkBuffalo

@Rachel0778 Wow! You've got a LOT going on. Balance is tricky but it sounds like you've realized a limit, so good for you. And it doesn't surprise me that you had something to say to many of us here (thank you). You know what they say about giving things to a busy person because they know how to get it done!

PhedraJD

@hgsmith0920 I am envious of your time with the hubby. I get to see my SO every evening, but most days he is to worn out to do anything after work and the weekends, all it seems that we do is go go go…

@janetay01 Happy belated birthday. Sounds like you had a great time with your parents. Great job voting.

@clicketykeys Sounds like it was a great time. I dislike it when I don’t really no one, and I am super shy so that would be hard for me to do. Looks like you have a busy week ahead of you. Good luck.

@pinkbuffalo Welcome! You can do this. It sounds like you set a very reasonable goal for yourself. Start with baby steps. Remember no one is perfect, it is just a matter of getting back up and doing it again. I once lost 50 pounds and gained it all back and then some. Now I am down 55 pounds! I have had some really bad weeks since I started trying to lose weight, but here I am still working on it.

@rachel0778 Those sound yummy! What move did you accomplish? Great job! I love that you have scheduled in some “me” time.

Had a pretty good day yesterday. Took it easy, as I have been working really hard, and I don’t want to get burned out. Checked our official times on the 7k, turns out I beat my previous time by almost 6 minutes not 3! Woo, that means I am 6 minutes from less than an hour. My goal for the next 7k is to run it all and be below 1 hour.

Evamutt

HGSmith, I'm glad about your job. I'm very sorry about the son getting in an accident. Seems like if they wanted to fire you, they would have already done it. Keep us posted. Yesterday I did extra at the gym. I've been walking a 20min mile on the treadmill, I did an extra 10min. Went out to lunch with my best friend today. I don't like to eat out or the calories or trying to figure out the best thing to order that's good but we go to this breakfast /lunch place & last time I ordered a salad with turkey breast instead of the breaded chicken on it. Had one egg, some bacon & cheese & I got balsamic dressing on the side. Normally a salad doesn't fill me up, but this one does, so I order this when ever we go out. I also discovered non fat half & half. It tastes great to me. I use unsweetened almond milk in my smoothies, but normally I only drink milk or have cereal once in a great while & when I do, I like half&half in it. This one is only 20cal for 2 tbl. So along my journey I'm finding things I can substitute instead of giving them up forever. We looked around at Target & I found a cute bathing suit on clearance. It didn't have the bottoms but I have some of those speedo shorts that matched at home. It was SO nice fitting into a L size suit instead of a 1 or 2X. My bras are a bit too big too, so next shopping day....honestly, I haven't bought any "nice" clothes for years. I wore a uniform to work & at home I wear clothes I've had for years & hardly every buy clothes but now that I'm a size 12-14 instead of 18-20, I like trying on clothes. I really want to lose the last 15lbs so I've upped my gym workout. I don't want to eat less than I already do. There's another thread on here about volume eaters. That's what I am. I like to eat enough to last me 5hrs so I've been eating my snack along with my lunch/dinner & have just a little snack at 8pm, usually 1/2 cup of yogurt with fruit

janetay01

Sigh - so the UK wakes up to a hung parliament, a governing party in the minority and months more of political and economic uncertainty and upheaval whilst a desperate Prime Minister tries to restore her credibility. And all this whilst we try to extricate ourselves from Europe - what fun

Anyway, it's Friday!! Husband is working both mornings this weekend so Alistair and i have a couple of playdates lined up and we will go swimming on Saturday afternoon. Hope Friday is good to you all and that you have lovely weekends lined up.

clicketykeys

Every morning I make tea and sip it as I fix breakfast. This morning I was getting out ingredients, poured the almond milk into the blender, making sure I had the right amount, measured out the chia seeds, and spooned them into my tea.

*sigh*

Hopefully the day will improve... ;D

Rachel0778

@pinkbuffalo Too true-got to fit it all in!

@clicketykeys Chia seed tea, sounds like a new health food craze lol

@janetay01 Think on the bright side, at least you don't live in the US...

@Evamutt That is a huge drop in size! Congrats!!! Sounds like you deserve some cute new clothes

@jdelaroy I did a tuck during my climb prep so I'm one step further on getting all the way up the pole. And 6 minutes off is a huge accomplishment, way to go!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! So glad it's the weekend. I'm going a bit stir crazy to get off work today to head up to my friend's house for our girls night but I'm trying to be patient. I woke up early this morning to get my workout in and I'm currently trying to plan a fun trip for my SO and I for later this summer. It has to be a weekend since he can't get anymore time off, but I'm thinking maybe booking a room at a casino with the waterpark/swim up bar and a river cruise. It sounds like the perfect amount of exciting and relaxing (and I really want to play in the water this summer!). I realized that it's already June and I've barely done summer things yet. Next on my list is scheduling a kayaking date! I've never been but have always wanted to go and we've got a rental place in town so I have no excuse! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!