Kicking *kitten* In Our Twenties - January Challenge!!

meggonkgonk

Hey guys:

Prepare for a Meag length post here, lol ( uuuuuu meag)

So I’m gonna propose something to help out the newbs to tell who we are all referring to (since we use our first names in replying to each other). So I suggest either signing the end of our posts (like I do “~Gonks” or like Meag and Megan do) or popping the name you’d like to be called in your signature (like Jill and Allie do). For now I’m just going to write First Names I know (followed by the username in parenthesis) Thoughts/comments/questions/concerns?

On a completely unrelated note: Anyone see Rachel (Rai) recently? I haven’t heard from her in a bit…

Cait (Finncmh)- I hope you have a great time shopping (today I think?) Good luck with the C25K

Spellbinder-This goes a little against the grain but I would suggest trying to log even when you go out to eat. Even if it’s not perfect, it gives you an idea of what you are working off and/or how to keep going out in moderation. The boy and I go out proly 1-2 times a week- but with special exceptions I usually end under my cals for the day and I find as I go, my appetite when we do go out is getting smaller. Anyway, just a thought. Good luck with your C25k training as well!

Tara(tjradd73)- lovely job as usual- do you have any challenges coming up?

Meag (Meagalayne)- I’m sure things will work out for the best. Keep us posted. <<hugs>>

Allie (allie7383)- The year has only just begun! You will get on track – good luck with getting going over the weekend). Maybe get the working out started slowly? I find that kind of snowballs- once you start it just gets addictive…

Mkingraham – many of us sneak online here at work (me among them) so reading every 20 min…well its not out of the realm of the possibility. Thanks for the tip about the greens- I always need fiber so yay!! What do you usually eat them with?

Melissa (Wardmelissa) – You are brave to sign up for the ½ already!! How have you been feeling about your training?

Meredith (Stuartme123) – I find that planning meals out is a BIG help in keeping fast food and restaurant food in moderation. I always start with 1 thing I want and then build my meal around room for that!

all I can think about is how i feel like I will NEVER be able to run like some of you do... and I want to eat all of meags bread!... maybe i need to eat before i try to concentrate!

KanCrav: I hope you believe me when I say you totally can run…EVERYONE who started running started thinking “Who can run like that? That’s insane.” Like seriously. Everyone.

I started C25k (couch to 5k) last year in March. It was 6 weeks to building up to running 30 min- I repeated in Idk how many times- stated, stopped, started again etc- and eventually it just clicked. I’ve celebrated all my running milestones on this site- from finishing 30 min in a row, to finishing my first 5k distance (40:02), to actually running at a speed that the treadmill recognized as running (as opposed to walking ) and more!! If you do want to run, I would suggest starting with a jog/walk program and in the first few weeks, run SLOWER than you feel like you can/should so that when you get to the longer times, you will already have the feel of the rhythm down. Let me know if you want a program to follow I can send you the link to the one I used.


AFM: Pretty good week- down 1lb, though somewhere I got stuck on like a half lb (like 152.4, 151.4, 150.4) and I know it’s not a big deal at all, but it grates on my pseudo OCD like crazy. I got in ALL of my workouts this week so I’m feeling really great about my ½ training. 8 miles is my long run this week, I’m going to curb my urge to make Slim Shady jokes tho…

Also mini announcement for me this week: I have adjusted my goals a bit. 1lb a week had my cals at 1250, and I’m just not comfy aiming below 1300 so I manually set it for 1350 which is around .75lbs a week rate. I wasn’t ready to drop all the way to .5 lbs either. So I am planning to hit about 148 this month (which I think was my original goal anyway, so that works out).

Tomorrow is a rest day and for tonight- groceries are calling my name and maybe get some thesis work done…

Good luck everyone and enjoy the remainder of your weekends!

Peace :happy:
~Gonks

tjradd73

Gonks-thanks! and no real challenges this week besides my own personal goals for water and exercise! ifIi dont lose at least 6lbs this month I am making my diary public and taking a 5 x week cardio challenge from someone else though!! LOL yikes...I hope I hit it!! I may try something with saturated fat again though...whatcha think? what so you have the hardest time with nutritionally? I think that mine is carbs and sodium!!





~Tara~

meagalayne

Really, really quick before work because I just can't help myself!

Gonks - No offense taken! hahah Great post And thanks for the hugs. I know it'll be OKAY :happy:

Great day today but I didn't run, which is frustrating. I had Ethiopian food and a way less healthy breakfast than I normally would. Sticking with my no-sweetener goal though and generally feel OK. A little off still, physically. Wondering what is UP with my body.

Snowed like crazy today, did tons of errands and stuff, and tomorrow's a new day. Working tonight til 3am (for the newbs I'm a total badass bouncer - pretty much the coolest person you'll ever meet... LOL jk!), then push-ups because I owe it to myself to get back on track. Long run planned tomorrow, then laundry and shopping for interview clothes (weeeee!!!) and then a healthy dinner and going to the boyfriends to settle this mystery once and for all. Tonight before work there's a winter social event for my baseball team from the summer and I can't wait for them all to see my rockin' new bod - muscular, fit and 20lbs down. I am expecting some double takes for sure! :happy: Love days like today!

I'm going to reply to the newbs and the rest of mah ladies later. Much love!
Meaggers

meggonkgonk

Tara- I have a hard time with sodium for sure, and though I go over on carbs...I like carbs so I don't stress about it too much either.

I don't want to butt in, but are you sure you are eating enough? I read above you aren't eating your exercise cals, and while I think that makes a lot of sense when you are heavier, you are getting closer to your goal, it might be time to start eating them, or just eating more of them. I know it can seem counter intuitive (and there are a *kitten* ton of very heated debate about it) but from my understanding the calories you burn from exercise aren't really meant to add much to your deficit on a daily basis, so much as aid in 1) overall health, 2) Increase your resting heart rate and burning rate. Idk- that's just my thoughts. I mean you are also making a pretty big dent in your weight loss, it might just be time to slow down a bit from the 2lbs a week. Just food for thought (:laugh: )

Tonight before work there's a winter social event for my baseball team from the summer and I can't wait for them all to see my rockin' new bod - muscular, fit and 20lbs down. I am expecting some double takes for sure! :happy: Love days like today!

BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER MEAG!!! Baseball is my fave sport. (Incidently- the boy and I went to Toronto a couple years ago to see round 1 of the Worl Baseball Classic!) I grew up playing (my dad actually fought the town so I could play in the boys' league) and then in high school had to switch to softball to get scholarships. I played pretty competatively in both my high school and on various travelling summer teams and am trying to worm my way onto my corporate team for this year. :happy: I'm not sure if baseball is *quite* as big a deal for you, but I just saw this part of your post and couldn't resist gushing...

Here's my link to the pics from the WBC trip...cuz I'm a dork:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112320&id=19601628&l=c9bbfc2f1d

tjradd73

Gonks-I do eat some of my exercise calories on occassion but my workouts arent that taxing on my body! i really only do like 30 minutes a day, 3 days per week! I do know that I am getting closer to my goal but i still have over 40lbs to go!! I think that the closer that i get the more i will have to adjust what i am doing...I still have been losing 6-8lbs per month with what I am doing now though so I am gonna stick with it until I slow down a bit as always, thanks for your advice/concern and it will definately be in my mind when I feel that i may need it

as far as the sodium challenge...sounds great!!! get ready it'll start on Wednesday!!

meagalayne

Tonight before work there's a winter social event for my baseball team from the summer and I can't wait for them all to see my rockin' new bod - muscular, fit and 20lbs down. I am expecting some double takes for sure! :happy: Love days like today!

BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER MEAG!!! Baseball is my fave sport. (Incidently- the boy and I went to Toronto a couple years ago to see round 1 of the Worl Baseball Classic!) I grew up playing (my dad actually fought the town so I could play in the boys' league) and then in high school had to switch to softball to get scholarships. I played pretty competatively in both my high school and on various travelling summer teams and am trying to worm my way onto my corporate team for this year. :happy: I'm not sure if baseball is *quite* as big a deal for you, but I just saw this part of your post and couldn't resist gushing...

Here's my link to the pics from the WBC trip...cuz I'm a dork:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112320&id=19601628&l=c9bbfc2f1d

HAH! Serious? I played from age 7 to age 16, including school teams, but have never been super good or competitive at all. I just play for fun - but definitely my fave sport of all time. And when I was 12, we drove to Cooperstown on a family vacation and spent 3 straight days at the National Baseball Hall of Fame :laugh: My dad coached and my brother and I both played for most of my childhood/adolescence. I played this past summer in a co-ed "beer" league, minus the beer for moi. TONS of fun and I can't wait to sign up next year! When I say baseball, I really mean softball, but yea - LOVE it. The boy plays soccer and we joke about what a nancy sport that is :laugh: I'm such a jerk. Who knows why he stays with me! haha

Perhaps we were separated at birth? :huh: I blame the American government. That sentence probably put me on some Homeland Security watch list, but wtv. I deserve it.

Taking the train into the city (Toronto) to watch the Jays play is one of my all-time favourite dates. I absolutely love it! Wish I had a rad female friend that liked baseball around here and wanted to join me. I didn't go even once this past year :frown: Frown!

meggonkgonk

HAH! Serious? I played from age 7 to age 16, including school teams, but have never been super good or competitive at all. I just play for fun - but definitely my fave sport of all time. And when I was 12, we drove to Cooperstown on a family vacation and spent 3 straight days at the National Baseball Hall of Fame :laugh: My dad coached and my brother and I both played for most of my childhood/adolescence. I played this past summer in a co-ed "beer" league, minus the beer for moi. TONS of fun and I can't wait to sign up next year! When I say baseball, I really mean softball, but yea - LOVE it. The boy plays soccer and we joke about what a nancy sport that is :laugh: I'm such a jerk. Who knows why he stays with me! haha

Taking the train into the city (Toronto) to watch the Jays play is one of my all-time favourite dates. I absolutely love it! Wish I had a rad female friend that liked baseball around here and wanted to join me. I didn't go even once this past year :frown: Frown!

Yea- def my fav sport, and a bonding issue for me and the boy. Our first "vacation/adventure" ever was to drive up to cooperstown (I also have pics of that!) and our vacays are kind of baseball centric (i really like to travel, and we both love baseball, so our goal is to see a game at every MLB stadium. We started with Rogers Center, but would like to go back since we only saw the national teams not the Jays). So far we've done the WBC and Chicago- let me tell you Wrigley verges on a spriritual experience for the fan of the game. There is like no bad seating, the entire town gets into the games, and even though it was a game with nothing at stake, it was still the best game I have ever been to. Also I bought a T-Shirt that says: "The Cardinals can stick it in their Puljous" With a cardinal illustration. It's far and away the crudest thing I've ever owned and im damned proud of it! I wore it to a softball game in Central Park last summer (the first time I've met some of tom's friends) and it was a rousing sucess of grossing people out.

Tell me something...do you have the necessary Canadian crush on Matt Stairs? I must know.

~Gonks

meagalayne

Yea- def my fav sport, and a bonding issue for me and the boy. Our first "vacation/adventure" ever was to drive up to cooperstown (I also have pics of that!) and our vacays are kind of baseball centric (i really like to travel, and we both love baseball, so our goal is to see a game at every MLB stadium. We started with Rogers Center, but would like to go back since we only saw the national teams not the Jays). So far we've done the WBC and Chicago- let me tell you Wrigley verges on a spriritual experience for the fan of the game. There is like no bad seating, the entire town gets into the games, and even though it was a game with nothing at stake, it was still the best game I have ever been to. Also I bought a T-Shirt that says: "The Cardinals can stick it in their Puljous" With a cardinal illustration. It's far and away the crudest thing I've ever owned and im damned proud of it! I wore it to a softball game in Central Park last summer (the first time I've met some of tom's friends) and it was a rousing sucess of grossing people out.

Tell me something...do you have the necessary Canadian crush on Matt Stairs? I must know.

~Gonks

Ha! I actually don't... I have no team affiliation and don't usually care about the individual players, or who wins any given game. I just love the game itself. I don't have the competitive spirit for the whole team-love thing. Never have - I don't think it's in my nature. I did have a major crush on Aaron Hill for a season though... He was a great reason to go see the Jays in action, even from the 500s :laugh: That is one fine lookin' 2nd baseman (I played 2nd base and pitcher until this year, when I started playing in the outfield).

Love the idea of traveling to all the stadiums!! I am a huge fan of traveling and I really with I could afford to do more. The boy and I love roadtrips and camping and are planning on doing lots this year since we can't really afford a big expensive holiday. We both really like getting away on weekends and doing small side trips. Hoping to spend lots of time in NY/PA/OH and the rest of the North East this year. We're going to consider couch surfing or room & boarding with folks wherever we can find some cheap/free accommodations to make the most of our holiday time, I think. It's all about the journey, and meeting new people along the way by taking unconventional means of transportation and hosteling is a part of that IMO. Let me know if you guys are heading up to the Rogers Centre any time soon I live just a train ride away!

-Meag

KanCrav

Gonks and Tara- Thanks for the support with th whole running deal. My husband is actually trying to cut down on his run time for his PT. He wants be able to run 2m under 12 min. He just got back from a deployment so his PT suffers when hes away. Anyway, he has been going to the gym everyday trying to get his time down... I talked to him abuot my exercise (which a few weeks ago was NONE) We are going to go to the gym together on the weekends and just run (walk or jog for me) and then whenever I can get to the gym during the week I will try also. Right now I take 30 min walks with my dog in the mornings, I have been trying to "speed walk" and I am def a little sweaty when I get back and I have noticed that we are covering more ground than we used to in the same amount of time. So if I stick with it, and it stops snowing, I might be somewhere by the time it is nice enough to jog outside. I am extra lucky becuase we have trials everywhere around post... Germans LOVE biking and running... so I guess I just found a new goal!~! RUN!!!!!

Meagalayne- Me and my husband are from PA and LOVE to camp. There are some really REALLY awesome camp grounds there. Depending on what you want I have a few that are our favorites. There are cabins at Lake Nocomixon (spelled that wrong) they are only like $30 to $40 a night, cheaper if you stay longer. Cheak out PA National Parks online, I have never had a bad experience with any of them.

AFM- I had a good day. I finally made it back to the gym. I did the eliptical for 30 min, it said I burned 270 calories. BUT I was alittle worried about my heart rate. I got up to 200 and stayed in the 180-200 range for the last 10 min of my workout. Isnt that REALLY high?????

spellbinder25

Meggon – I usually do log calories even when eating out but sometimes I am just too lazy to find a close enough match to what I ate. I too have realized that my appetite has gotten smaller but I tend to overeat sometimes when eating out even when I know I’m too stuffed. Not a good thing definitely but am trying to get in under control
Congrats on your loss. You are doing great! Good thing that you adjusted your goals. MFP has mine at 1200 & I to think that’s less. I’ve left my goals the way they are but I eat between 1300 – 1400 cals.

Meag – Hope you had a good time last night! Am sure there must have been plenty of compliments

AFM – The area between my right shoulder & neck had been slightly aching since the past few days but yesterday it got worse & it went around to the left side to.. So, I skipped gym yesterday & ate quite a bit. Don’t know why I kept feeling hungry. Almost resisted the pretzel dog but ended up having it & it was yuck!! And, to make things worse, it showed up as 480 cals on MFP – so not worth it!!

Feeling better after the massage my hubby gave me, so went to the gym & did W6D2 today. Didn’t do the usual elliptical as we need to go & do some shopping. But I’ll be watching my cals today. Hope my cravings stop. I don’t know if it’s the cravings that are not making me feel good ot I’m not feeling good, so I’m having cravings
Anyway, hope everyone else is having a good weekend!!

meagalayne

Hey Everyone!

5.34mile run today... 5 miles was the requirement for my training program, but I was hoping to get in a bit more. But time and life got in the way and my legs were exhausted so I did 5.34 and called it a day. I don't feel let down. Wish things had been different but I am still happy with my run. Took me just under 56 mins and I burned 720 calories, so I am happy with it :happy: Pace was the same as my 10 mile race (10:25ish) and I negative split, running my last 1.5miles at 10:00 even. Not terrible.

Got in my push-ups last night at 4am like a maniac. 53 push-ups and boy is it still a challenge getting them done. My arms/shoulders are always TOAST when I'm finished.

Food is still a challenge every day. Late night snacking is an issue when I am alone. Last night I had a whole whack-load of food post-work and I could feel it this morning. I am normally starving at breakfast and I really wasn't today. I had a few bites of literally everything in the house last night, and for the most part didn't log it because I couldn't be bothered. I know it's OK weight-wise, but it's a mental battle not to binge on things or eat mindlessly and I really am not sure how to curb it other than making sure people are around 24/7 or locking the fridge/cupboards after 8pm. Any suggestions would be great. I feel out of control some days.

My other challenge is that I am trying to switch to a 40%-30%-30% diet, but it is really a struggle to get 30% of my calories from protein. When I work out, it's even harder, because I'm inclined to have carbs pre-workout to sustain me, esp when I'm running. I earned a ton of cals today and even with my protein shake I'm still 60g or so under my protein allotment. That's a LOT of protein to eat. I know it's just a guide and I know I won't hit 40-30-30 most days, but how on earth does anyone? :ohwell: Check out my diary if you are curious. I'm an open book.

Hot and sour chicken + tofu soup for dinner tonight. Low carb and super yummy. I'll be posting the recipe assuming it turns out really well. I think we're going to break some eggs into it as well. I know all about the cholesterol and such, and usually have egg whites, but that's not how this works I don't mess with Asian tradition! haha I'm psyched for it. Haven't had hot & sour soup in a longgg time.

OK hope everyone's good. Keep up the good work ladies and enjoy your Sunday!
Meag

tjradd73

Kandace-running is such a great goal!! i never thought i was a runner either...nor do i consider myself one now...but i have ran in a 10K mud run for 2 years and improved my time hugely from one year to the next with "training" only for like 2 months before each! it really is an awesome feeling to complete a race even if you don't wanna be an avid runner!! sounds like your hubby will be great support for you and getting to the gym so that is awesome

spellbinder-sorry that you are having a hard time with the eating...just try to stay focused! it is a lot harder when you are not feeling well or you cant workout to your full potential cuz of an injury or soreness!! get yourself back to feeling better and then you will kill it for the rest of Jan!!

Meag-snacking it hard...what really has been helping me with night snacking are 2 things....i have been drinking tons of water which in turn makes me so full that i dont wanna eat as much, and then maybe try finding a hobby to keep your hands and mind off of food!! LOL i like to paint, do sudoku, and read...but you also could take up something like cross stitch or learning a new language!! there are a ton of options...and the busier you are the less you will think about eating good luck!!

AFM-1/3 done on workouts for week 2, doing great with water still, and really hoping for a great WI on wednesday and thinkin i may actually get it

meagalayne

Snacking is hard for sure, Tara... Wish that keeping my hands busy worked. Unfortunately I always have snack-attacks when I am dead tired at like 4am after work. The last thing I want to/am capable of doing is busying myself. I think I need to just force myself to go straight to bed instead of staying up, but that means not replying to you all Could be impossible. For the record, I just had frozen yogurt AND a shortbread cookie :ohwell: Fit into my mega cals for the day, but still.

Update: Pregnancy test came out negative. Thank god. Very, very relieved. As was the boy. :glasses:

We joked tonight about wearing matching running outfits for our races this year, consisting of cut off denim shorts, sleeveless tees and temporary tribal tattoos on our biceps. It was a hilariously detailed conversation. I figured at least Gonks might get a kick out of it. Don't worry - I'll still be making time for my barely-there Jagermeister bar-swag racing outfit as well. Boy will that be a sight! :laugh: No shortage of absurdity with me around. I have absolutely no shame, whatsoever.

Hot & Sour Soup was incredibly good and very easy to prepare. I'll be posting the recipe tomorrow for those interested. If you like Asian inspired foods, this soup is for you! Its a bit heavy on sodium, despite being homemade, because of the soy sauce (low sodium, even) and hot sauce, but it's still awesomely good and you can definitely make room for the sodium throughout the day.

Sleep well and happy Mondays!
Meag

allie7383

Hey everyone!! i'm in the process of reading up on everyone, and hope you all are doing well.

Meag- great news on the Negative result. I had a scare once and it was the longest 2 minutes of my life, waiting for that result that fortunately came out. As for the snacking, I think the best thing is def to force yourself to go right to bed. I've learned to do the same with my job. Since I work overnights, I get home and I'm tired, ready to sleep, and unfortunately hungry, and in the past I'd make myself something quick and then eat in bed. (We use the back door which puts you into the kitchen, so temptation is right there ) I've stopped doing that, as hard as it was to break that, and now I just try to have something filling at work like oatmeal so I can make it through, and also I just force myself to go straight upstairs and brush my teeth. Maybe as you're leaving work you can have some gum, or something small in the car? And I can't wait for that soup recipe, sounds great!

Tara- best of luck with your WI, I'm sure you'll see some great results!! You've done such a great job so far!! I love reading about your progress!

Spell- sorry about your aches and pains.. maybe you slept weird? that was nice of the hubby to help you out. Taking a day off was a good call. feel better!

AFM... So my big goal for this year, besides the weight loss is to really get into running and do a half marathon.. I was looking online and saw that registration for the one in Atlantic City was open, so I just said, F*#K it, and I signed up!! Lol, so now I have a definite deadline to get my butt in gear! Oct. 16th, if anyone wants to sign up!! I printed out a 10 week training schedule I found online, so I'm def eager for this weather to pass so I can get back to my non-ice covered park... So far this week, I got in a fun hour of Just Dance, and had a 550+ calorie burn, from jumping around like an idiot in the house by myself haha! I'm determined to get back into the TurboFire schedule, and not letting life get too much in my way. Otherwise, been trying to not eat totally out of control, and got some low calorie snacks for when the cravings hit. TOM is officially here, so no wonder I was a chocolate monster last week. Official WI is today, and I've been maintaining 159-158 this week, so I'm expecting that later on today.
Quick question for you runners... What's your take on socks? My friend told me about this website, which I forget the name, where she's gotten pairs that are apparently good, though they're $10 a pop! Been reading some articles online, but would love to hear from you ladies!

angelsandwolves09

Hey all! Just wanted to do a quick check-in before hittin the hay....

I have been weighing myself everyday. Now I know, that's not the best idea in the world, but hear me out. I want to compare weeks, not days. Like, I will compare my weight from today with my weight next Sunday, so on and so on....just to show myself the changes I am making. As of today, I have lost 3 more pounds, although I'm not quite sure why. I could probably blame TOM for some extra lbs....I did manage to start getting my net cals closer to 1200!! Which is a huge step for me, being I was only taking in like 900 some days due to misunderstanding....I successfully finished Day 5 of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred, and feel AMAZING with it!! Am still working on the push ups though, but I managed to do a total of 6 today! I am planning a "girl's night out" this coming weekend with my closest friend. She and I are kind of in the same boat with our weight and I want to tell her all about MFP, so we are going to go to a small bar in town and hang out, maybe play some pool or dance. I don't plan on drinking; not really a huge fan of it anymore...plus I probably don't need the extra calories as I have already had a "cheat day" this week. I decided to take some "before" pictures of myself(I won't be posting these, but I plan on taking some more and posting them tomorrow), and was appalled at how I looked. I printed one out and hung it on the wall. I also went and bought a cocktail dress to wear for my fiance on our 2 year anniversary(in July) which is a little to small. I hung it next to the picture. They are my daily reminders to get on MFP and to do my exercising as well as eat right. I want so badly to fit into that dress for both myself and my fiance!!

I also wanted to say thanks to all of you for your support and motivation!! I really don't think I would be able to continue on without the help from all of you, especially when it comes to needing answers or advice!!

I was also wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a cheap but reliable HRM and pedometer? I really want something to keep track of my walking distances because I am no good with estimating!! lol

And, Sorry for taking up so much room!! lol

I hope all of you had a great weekend and I pray the week goes even better!!

Nita_Bita

bump. Will post my info later

meagalayne

Recipe from last night: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/150100-hot-sour-soup

Super yummy - And quite easy!

Allie - How much are you running now? Try out a 10k plan before your half-marathon training plan to work your way up. It's still REALLY early to be training for a race in Oct so take it easy! :happy: You can do it! Love that you are setting goals for yourself like that. Wish I could run it as well!

Angels - I wear a timex HRM and I like it just fine. Not sure that pedometers are really that helpful... If you have a phone with a data plan there are plenty of apps you can download to track your distance, pace, time and all that. I use RunKeeper on my Android (also does walking distances) and I love it. Hope that helps!

K folks - Out to find some new interview wear. Strength and stretch later today. Have a great Monday!
Meag

finncmh

Hey All! Im back to being on a computer again after a crazy weekend. Have been staying up with reading all of your posts but definitely dont think I am going to be able to respond to everyone. Just too much after two full days. Had a great time on Saturday with the girls for the wedding dress shopping. I was worried that we were going to have a hard time finding a dress they all liked. I was even open to them all doing dresses in different styles but the same color. I have such a wide range of sizes but even if they were all the same size they are all SUCH different shapes. I cant tell you how painless this experience was. They all ran around and picked out different styles that they liked and the funny thing is 3 of the 4 picked out this one dress. My cousin walked out of the dressing room in it and both gasped. They looked stunning! So we got all of the other girls to try it on and it just looked great on EVERYONE. I couldnt believe it. They all loved it and it was marked down a decent amount so we went for it. They all ordered their dresses yesterday. Again I thought it was a little early BUT at the same time we didnt want to lose the dress in case it was discontinued. It is going to be in a dark chocolate truffle color. Here is a link to it if you want to check it out :happy:

http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Spaghetti-Strap-Chiffon-Dress-with-Beaded-Waist-F12495_Bridal-Party-Bridesmaids-Shop-By-Color


It was just so nice to be with the women that are most important in my life and for there to be no stress. I am not a drama person and everyone else was just so laid back and we had so much fun. I am starting to get REALLY excited about the wedding now :drinker:

I was also really proud of myself over the weekend with them. I definitely indulged in some wine and some not so great food. BUT I did it really consciously- I made certain choices so that I could share some greasy appetizers with the girls when we went out. At first that "dieter" mentality started kicking in like I was sneaking bad food. And then I had to tell myself "Cait its ok- you are eating a really healthy dinner and made other really healthy choices all do so that you could enjoy what you want with the girls" And the nice thing is after that I felt better about it AND I didnt go overboard. I didnt want to or feel the need to.

So all in all a great weekend and ready to get back to the gym tonight for more RUNNING!!!! Woot :bigsmile:

Missed you all!

-Cait

mkingraham

Meag- Great job of pushing yourself further on your run even though it wasn't as far as you wanted to go, you still surpassed the required distance which is awesome! Enjoy shopping for some clothes (even if they are for interviews)

Cait- Your weekend with your girlfriends sounds like it was AWESOME! My bridesmaids were also very positive and drama free about finding a dress, which made the experience so much better. When is your big day? Also the dresses are really pretty!

AFM- killer workout this morning. Did a bootcamp class with about 10 other people, all co-workers, which really helped push me and I burned 712 cals! WOW! So I have to eat a ton of food today to hit my totals, but weighed in and was really happy with my loss this week of 6.5 lbs. And with our scale at work it also tells you fat mass and I lost 6 lbs of fat mass which is even better since that is where I want to lose the weight from obviously.

Any ways, busy day today in the office so I am back to work, but I hope everyone has a fantastic monday!

Megan

lostalykat

Hey Guys! I know I wanted to check in this weekend but honestly when I have big workouts and so much planned it is hard. I did at least update saturday, and yesterday I fell asleep with the laptop on when I wanted to post, O well.

Meag- Glad the negative result was there, those can be pretty scary. I have had a few times where that happened luckily they were negative too.

Running Socks Question: I am a firm believer that non cotton socks are the way to go. I buy most of my socks at running stores I like zulu's and Balega socks. They are pricy but well worth the money. I have never had issues with blisters on my feet.

Sorry I can't reply to everyone I am tired today and feeling sluggish.

AFM- Had 2 somewhat free meals this weekend, but I also burned almost 2200 calories between the two days so I am going to write it off. Drank some wine but maintained myself and didn't let it get out of hand. I am super tired and sore from all these workouts I did this weekend. 26 mile bike ride on saturday followed by a 15 minute run. Then 55 minute walk run sunday followed by 40 minutes of strength. We went to a friends for dinner last night and I am slowly convincing the boy to try cycling so we can have a sport together. I get bummed out when I come home from training and he has been on the computer all day, I know we are going to do a lot of hiking and outdoor activities when summer hits but I am trying to get him to eat better and exercise with me now, we shall see how that goes.

Today I am back on the wagon with tracking and I feel pretty good. I splurged this weekend but I think I needed extra calories anyways. Tonight I have a friend coming over for dinner so I am hoping we can keep it low key on the drinking(I really only want to have 1 glass but I know how I get with this friend) and I am roasting a chicken and I will pick up some fresh veggies on the way home.

Anyone have any healthy side dish recipes??

Question of the Day:

What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

For me its pickled pigs feet ewwww!