200+ Slimmin' Down in Spring!

ct1986

anvy1221- I haven't really done anything particular. I tend to get bored so I change things a lot. I currently have a membership at Curves and really enjoy doing the Curves Circuit with Zumba. I also use the Wii fit some and enjoy TurboJam. It just kind of depends on the week. Beyond that it's kind of just been about being aware of the food that I'm eating.

WIChelle- I don't know that what I do would really be considered low carb. I have to be aware of my carb intake since I have Type 1 diabetes and give insulin for it though. It's a bit different for me but I've been working on making better choices in which carbs I eat. (more complex carbs versus more simple carbs).

Laceylala

Morning everyone. Today I am taking myself the The Running Company and doing the whole treadmill thing and getting a good pair of shoes. I got up at 5 and did yoga but had to stop because my heels were hurting so much. I don't know WTF is going on, but hopefully the shoes help the overall feeling of my heels. And if not, then I guess I have to go see a doc maybe? Ugh.

I might even get some yoga shoes or lighter weight ones to wear too.

I'd like to reply to everyone but I'm slammed at work so I've got to get movign!!

akasullengal

Good afternoon all!

I updated the chart for our last challenge, but didn't get a chance to post it this morning. I will do so when I get home tonight as well as post everyone's starting weights for this challenge. If you want to be included and haven't posted your starting weight, please do so.

Welcome to all the newbies! Please just jump right on into the posting!

I'm in trainings all day at work, so it makes for an interesting day, as I'm working, but not "working." They are on the medical campus today and there's no parking anywhere, so I ended up parking downtown in a deck, which allowed me to get even more extra walking in today. Way to spin it at as a positive.

Last night I attempted another run with Emma. 1.8 miles with little problems. She darts here and there occasionally, but overall, she's doing well. It was pathetic how winded I felt running. Only felt like I was starting to hit my stride in the last quarter mile or so. The plan is to continue to up that distance with her. My shins are hurting a bit today, but I'd like to do our evening walk as a run again this evening. We'll see though. I feel like I'm getting so much more exercise when I'm running.

I weighed in at 182.4, which I'm uber pissed about. It was my weight at the start of the new year's challenge. I'm actually sort of shocked I didn't gain weight, because my eating has been horrendous, so I guess all that walking has at least been mitigating things a bit. I can feel it in my clothes though. They're a bit snugger than before, and as I was walking today, I just felt FAT. It's amazing what just a few more pounds than your lowest so far in this journey can feel like. I do NOT want to feel this way.

My goals for this upcoming challenge:
-Log food every day. I got out of this habit, and I know it's absolutely crucial for me to do so to lose weight. Start measuring out portions again, which I also slacked on.
-At least 3 walks with Emma a week should be turned into a run.
-At least 2 additional forms of exercise a week outside of walks/runs with Emma, be it a long run on my own, or a video or trip to the gym
-Post once a day to this thread. When I'm slacking off, I don't come here either, so this helps me be accountable
-Step on the scale at least 5/7 days of the week. Why? Same as the last goal. It's to be held accountable. I won't freak out if I'm up a pound or a two, as it's often due to something I've eaten the day before (i.e. high sodium content), but when I know I'm eating badly for a while, I won't weigh in, as I don't want to see the damage. This way, I can't shy away from it.
-Lofty goal of 10 pounds lost... So 172.4 as a goal. It's hella lofty for me, as I only hit 10 pounds lost in the first challenge, but I'm committing to this sucker. I'm sick of waffling right in the same 10 pound range. This is not my final weight. I've still got like 40 pounds to go!

Any thoughts on those?

Again, I'll post our final challenge numbers tonight for our last one and the starting weight chart for this challenge.

Glad to see so many people checking in and so many new faces. Please stick around! We get sad when we get attached to new folks and then they disappear!

KendalBeee

still around....still taking time off from eating right and exercising. I'm hoping I've "shocked" my system a little in the past week and a half and it'll kick start weight loss again next week.

startingoverca

Anvy,
I started walking a few days last week. I work at a public school campus and we had a short week- so I walked on Tues & Thurs. then we had friday off and my daughter and I walked on Sunday. This week it is quite rainy and I don't have a decent raincoat! I am in CA though- so it should hopefully clear up soon! The walking went much better than I had expected- It naturally breaks into segments- to work is 1.3 miles, then I walk to another job- approx 1 mi each way, then to my daughters daycare is maybe 2 mi, then home is just over 1 mile but we walk right through the 'town green' area and my daughter always wants to stop and play... The way I am looking at it is that I used to drive 30 min to work, now I could be there in 5 min if I drive, or I can give myself 30 min and walk... Once I get that done, I am there without a car and pretty much stuck with walking anyway

kimmrdodge

Good morning everyone! I decided to treat myself to Chalean Extreem today. Has anyone done it? I almost hate to ask but is anyone else doing a lower carb plan? I have type 2 so there will always be some type of carb control.

Amy what a funny dream! Hope you feel all the way better soon!

Nowic how exciting!!!!

Sarah how nice of hubby!

Ct186 Howdy!

Hey there welcome all the new people, as for the low carb plan I watched some videos on YouTube a little over a week ago and have started incorporating a lower carb diet, so far it's working great. After only losing 2 lbs last month and 4 the month before I figured I needed to reassess something. Last weeks weigh in I lost 3.5 lbs and this week so far (my weigh in is on Friday) I am already at a 1.5 lb loss so whatever I am doing seems to be really working

I'll post the links to those videos later for those that are interested, I'm on my iPad right now so posting is a little annoying. They really made me understand blood sugar and I didn't realize that you cannot burn fat while there are increased insulin levels in your body, so really really good information. I'm not sure what level of carbs I'm going to stick to the trick is finding your own bodies level.

startingoverca

Okay, so I just weighed myself... I don't have a scale, and I wasn't able to access one at work until AFTER I'd eaten lunch... And I weighed 277. Way too much for me (I am 5' 11")... but I weighed 173 before the holidays... I know, I don't weigh myself much. I am going to weigh myself every other week... I am worried if I start weighing myself weekly I will become obsessed with the number (it's happened in the past)... Good luck to everyone!

akasullengal

Okay, firstly, here is the chart for our New Year's Challenge:

Name/Starting Challenge Weight/Ending Challenge Weight/% Weight Lost, Pounds Lost

Note: If you didn't weigh in this week, I took your last weigh in as your final challenge weight.

Kristina / 182.4 / 182.4 / 0%, -0
Amy / 220 / 211.2 / 4%, -8.8
Kim / 203 / 196 / 3.45%, -7.0
Kendal / 219.6 / 217.6 / 0.91%, -2.0
Sarah / 210.8 / 205.8 / 2.37%, -5.0
Karen / 266.8 / 255 / 4.42%, -11.8
Lacey / 210.8 / 206.6 / 1.99%, -4.2
Victoria / 189 / 192 / +3
Amber / 246 / 237.5 / 3.46%, -8.5
Bethany / 188 / 188 / 0%, -0
Debra / 216.8 / 215 / 0.83%, -2.6
Sara / 212 / 204 / 3.77%, -8.0
hmfishy / 238 / 232 / 2.52%, -6.0
sarathes / 244 / 241 / 1.23%, -3.0

*drum roll please*

Our winner of this challenge, in both the total weight lost AND total percent body weight lost was....

Karen!!! She lost 4.42% of her body weight in 6 weeks and lost -11.8 pounds!!
In a very close second for percent body weight lost was Amy with 4.0% lost--- see.. have faith, you're getting there!

akasullengal

And now... starting weights for this six-week challenge. I used your final weight for the last challenge if you're a returnee OR your last weight you registered for the challenge. If you did NOT weigh in for a final time for the last challenge, I did not include you on this list, unless you're a long-time (more than one challenge) group member, who we know is good to come back, even if they take off a week or two. Please let me know if you'd like anything corrected.

I'll keep up with this chart, posting everyone's numbers. If you don't check in for 2 weeks in a row, I'll remove you, just to clean up the peeps with just active participants:

Kristina / 182.4
Victoria / 192
Kendal / 217.6
Lacey / 206.6
Kim / 196.5
Amy / 211.2
Karen / 255
Amber / 237.5
Bethany / 188
Debra / 215
Sarathes / 241
officernice / please post your weight. you didn't in your intro post
nowic / 272
blessedmommy2 / 231
wichelle / 218
jamielr84 / 247
ct1986 / 217
startingoverca / 277
myatac428 / 227

As you can see, we have a nice range of weights, so you're not alone, and some of us who've now hit ONEderland, were once where you were, so keep it up!

KaeChelle

Okay, firstly, here is the chart for our New Year's Challenge:

Name/Starting Challenge Weight/Ending Challenge Weight/% Weight Lost, Pounds Lost

Note: If you didn't weigh in this week, I took your last weigh in as your final challenge weight.

Kristina / 182.4 / 182.4 / 0%, -0
Amy / 220 / 211.2 / 4%, -8.8
Kim / 203 / 196 / 3.45%, -7.0
Kendal / 219.6 / 217.6 / 0.91%, -2.0
Sarah / 210.8 / 205.8 / 2.37%, -5.0
Karen / 266.8 / 255 / 4.42%, -11.8
Lacey / 210.8 / 206.6 / 1.99%, -4.2
Victoria / 189 / 192 / +3
Amber / 246 / 237.5 / 3.46%, -8.5
Bethany / 188 / 188 / 0%, -0
Debra / 216.8 / 215 / 0.83%, -2.6
Sara / 212 / 204 / 3.77%, -8.0
hmfishy / 238 / 232 / 2.52%, -6.0
sarathes / 244 / 241 / 1.23%, -3.0

*drum roll please*

Our winner of this challenge, in both the total weight lost AND total percent body weight lost was....

Karen!!! She lost 4.42% of her body weight in 6 weeks and lost -11.8 pounds!!
In a very close second for percent body weight lost was Amy with 4.0% lost--- see.. have faith, you're getting there!

Wow, I can't believe it! Thanks so much for all the encouragement! I'm so glad I found this group and had a fresh start for the new year!

akasullengal

:drinker: Go Karen!! :drinker:

*twirls*

suzieqdiva

I would love to join in. Seems like this is a 6 week weight loss group to stay focused & supportive to achieve the results we want.

SW & CW 191; GW 125. Not sure what else you need.

Laceylala

I'm now the proud owner of some Mizuno running shoes...gonna go try them out here in a minute at the gym. They're pretty basic, white, grey and aquas. I might buy a pair of Nike Lunars just for some flash and color...under the guise that its better to switch shoes out every other day :laugh:


I'm also thinking of changing one of my goals, but need a day to think it over. My idea is this: rather than shoot for a 1500 minute goal, just work out long enough to cover my calories that I KNOW I am going to eat. I'm not tracking the morning exercises so much, so I've still got some wiggle room in there, but its hard to get to the gym for that long each night right now. Other than that, my other goals will be the same.

akasullengal

Suzieqdiva- welcome! If you look at my first post, you can learn a bit more about the challenge, but we're a friendly group. Just jump in and start posting! I added you to my spreadsheet I'm keeping track of. Check in again Friday through Monday morning for the weekly weigh in!

Lacey- yay for new running shoes! Break them in slowly!

I ran 2.2 miles this evening with Emma with an 11:20 pace. Pretty impressive for myself, as it's not that off my time I was running 5Ks, and I thought she would slow me down. I actually was probably running a bit faster than that, cause it doesn't factor in the time we stopped for quick "pees" and cars. Glad I ran instead of walked this evening. Might not do every evening walk as a run, but it certainly makes me keep more active.

UM has their ActiveU tracker (a tracker to log your exercise) as mark of their MHealthy program. If I log a certain amount of weeks, I get $50. I'll take it! Several employees in the department are all on a team together.

suzieqdiva

Kristina - thanks for the shoutout! Much appreciated. I am also glad I am in the list as I do need accountability & a public forum to get my a#@ kicked about:-)

- suzie

Laceylala

Wow. WOW! My feet barely hurt anymore after only wearing those shoes for about an hour and a half tonight!! Its amazing. And I ran on the treadmill off and on for 20 minutes and didn't get shin splints or anything. PRetty awesome!

Purplebunnysarah

Active thread today!

Congrats Karen and Amy for your stellar finishes in our last challenge!

suzieqdiva: welcome to the group!

Lacey: The new shoes sound fabulous. Stylish and comfortable--can't go wrong with that.

Kristina: Sounds like you and Emma have a lot of fun on your runs. That's a pretty impressive pace!

Work is still pretty hectic. We're not going to be getting a new receptionist for at least 6 months and the main person covering reception was out sick today so I got to spend 2 hours covering. I didn't bring enough work downstairs with me and of course I was stranded down there so I wasted a bit of time twiddling my thumbs and texting my husband. Oh well. Had a super quick workout today and then off to the theatre to see a student production of Nicholas Nickleby. Chris had comps as he's teaching a seminar on the play this week with the class he's TAing. It was pretty good! By the time we got home I was starving as dinner was very rushed so I finished the rest of my veggie tray and now I'm having a cup of herbal tea topped with local wildflower honey before bed.

anvy0530

It's so nice to see all the posts when I wake up in the morning! I am taking a new approach to exercise for the remaining weeks of my P90X. I have been doing P90X 6 days a week and then working on a 10K training plan an additional 3 to 4 days a week. The thing is: my weight loss has slowed down the past week-ish and my body is really, really tired. I also have a kind of nagging hip ache in my left hip. I've decided to lay off on the 10K running program so I can focus on finishing P90X strong and maybe get my hip to stop hurting. I'm not going to entirely give up running (I don't want to lose my running fitness and I like it too much to completely quit) but I'm not going to run for longer than a half hour and no more than 2 or 3 days a week while I am finishing up P90X. I haven't run since Friday and my hip still hurts but it looks like the weight might be moving in the right direction (I was 211 this morning).

sarahthes: 2 hours of down-time in a workday isn't too bad, right?

Lacey: It is so great that your new shoes are working out for you! It's really important to have a good pair of shoes that work for YOUR body, especially when you're running.

suzie: Welcome to the group!

Kristina: Way to go getting your (and Emma's) run on! You are rocking it girl! You should totally do that exercise tracker, $50 is nothing to sneeze at. I also think you can lose 10 pounds this challenge if you do the things you've listed as your goals (tracking your food and the exercise). You can do it - and I'm gonna be right here doing it with you (I hope).

I know I missed responding to other people's posts here but I can't see them as I'm typing this and I don't want to lose everything I typed by going back.

Oh - I KNOW I missed saying CONGRATS to KAREN for rocking the last challenge!!! You go girl! :flowerforyou:

startingoverca: I didn't realize that your walk was broken into segments. That sounds like a great idea. Where do you live in CA? I used to live in Monterey until last year when we moved to Germany. I MISS Monterey sooooo much!!!

Have a great day everyone!

blessedmommy2x

Do we post our weight every weekend? When is is this challenge officially over?

I keep reading people saying they want to have a certain "calorie defiicit" what does that mean? And how would that show up on my chart?

KendalBeee

I have a lot of catching up to do, but unfortunately it will have to wait till later. I had a great day yesterday! I got my yearly raise and a bonus, plus I had an appointment with the attorney. I was worried about so many bad things happening but it all turned out pretty good. and I'm so excited because tomorrow the divorce will go through!!! :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

jamielr84

Good morning everyone! I started week 4 of couch to 5k last night and it was HARD! I am pretty proud of myself for finishing it though! I hope everyone has a great day!

WIChelle

Good morning! I got a good nights sleep but sure am groggy! I'll be doing measurement today as sometimes that shows more than the scale!

Amy I do not want to admit how many BB programs I have! I got a copy of P90x from my niece but heard Chalean was a bit easier as I'm not too fit. I bet you are seeing great changes being 7 weeks in!



Karen way to go!!!!! That is awesome!

Kim I'd love to see the links!

CT that makes perfect sense.

I can't remember who mentioned Mizunos. I love love love them. Besides exercise I stand all day on my work days and they are wonderful!

startingoverca

Amy,
I live in Sonoma County CA. I absolutely LOVE it! I spent the past 6 years in NC and apart from not having a very 'walking friendly' lifestyle, I never really adjusted to the climate there- the humidity did me in just walking to my car! But I am here now and making changes that have been a long time coming! I also have family nearby that are very supportive of me and my efforts to lose weight! I don't have a gym membership and it isn't really in the budget right now, but I do have a 7 year old daughter and we live within walking distance to just about anywhere as long as the rain isn't too bad!

I have already lost 30 lbs since the beginning of July without even really trying- doesn't usually happen like that for me- but I think the drastic decrease in stress did wonders as well as no more nights oncall for work- a good nights sleep does wonders!

Thank you all for the support!
Sheri!

anvy0530

Sheri: They aren't kidding when they say that stress and lack of sleep impact a person's weight in a major way. I'm glad you've reduced your stress and enjoy your environment. I also have a 7 year old (although he says he's 7 and 3/4). Congrats on losing 30 pounds, that's awesome!

WIChelle: I am really seeing results from P90X but it took over a month before I could "see" any difference. I have collar bones now and the beginnings of abs even. It's a REALLY hard program but I think it's completely worth it! It has improved my fitness a TON!

jamielr84: Couch 2 5K is a fabulous way to get into running. Congrats on making it to week 4, you're doing great.

Kendal: :flowerforyou: Congrats on the divorce, I know it's been a lot of crap for you to deal with but it is almost over! (Finally) :drinker:

blessedmommy2x: We post our weights Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Kristina updates the chart on Monday so you'll want to get your weight in before then. This challenge just started so it will be over in 6 weeks (I don't know the exact date, maybe someone else around here knows it off the top of their head). As far as calorie deficit goes, MFP builds a calorie deficit into the calories it tells you to eat a day to achieve whatever your weight loss goal is (a pound, 1.5 pound or 2 pound loss a week). MFP suggests that you eat any exercise calories you earn since the calorie deficit is already built into the program. There's lots of feelings both way on this one; some people religiously eat their exercise calories, some eat part of them and some don't eat them at all. I, personally, don't eat all of them but I try to eat a good amount of them. For a while, I wasn't really eating my exercise calories and I wasn't losing any weight at all. I bumped up my calories eaten and my weight loss has picked up so I'm an advocate of eating enough calories to fuel the exercise. I hope this is what you were asking about, if not, let me know and I'm sure someone around here has the answer for you.

I got my dog walk and P90X Plyo workout in today. It was a really good workout! Since I have eased up on the running, I've got the energy to really Bring It for the P90X workouts instead of dragging @ss through them like I have been doing the last week.

pinbotchick

Yeah for having the afternoon off!!! I should be doing paperwork but felt I needed to catch up on MFP... I skipped my run yesterday - I still haven't gotten back into a good sleep routine after my Vegas vacation. I plan to get 3 miles in this afternoon. I'll make Fri and Sun my other 2 run days. This is a rest week for training with only 3 to 4 mile runs. Next week resumes the long runs 2, 6 and 7 miles... So far my eating is going well since returning home and I'm down to 191. I've been pounding the water and feel like I'm living in the bathroom (sorry if TMI).

Kendal - YEAH for a great day and good luck with the divorce!!!

jamielr84 - Great job on C25K... It was the best thing I ever did last year. Remember running is a mental challenge and you can do it - just slow down and breath deeply!!! Week 5 day 3 was the hardest for me but once you get past it, you'll feel great.

WIChelle - P90X is doable as long as you modify, modify, modify. Sorry I can't comment on Chalean's program. I eat everything just watch portion control. I think the best plan is to eat what you plan to eat for life and watch your portion sizes. Adding more fruits and veges is always a plus. Good luck with the diabetes and maybe losing weight will help get it under control or go away.

Sheri - Congrats on your weight loss so far!!! 30 pounds is amazing. You can do this without a gym membership. I started with some DVDs and walking. Progressed to running (after completing C25K). Last summer, I finally bought a bike and P90X. Walking is one of the best exercises...Have you tried Leslie Sansone's walking videos? Even kids seem to like them.

startingoverca - walking to work is a great goal but like Kendal suggested - make sure you work up to it. How far are you walking on a regular basis now? I'm assuming the 10% rule applies to walking as to running. Increase time or distance by no more than 10% per week. Make sure you have good shoes. I see your walks are broken up into 1 to 2 mile segments - that's wonderful!!! Take measurements once a month. Judge overall progress by combining measurements, scale weight and how your clothes fit.

Mirna - getting a bike is a great goal but it's also great exercise that doesn't feel like exercise. I rode for an hour 3 mornings a week all summer with a friend and the time flew by. Getting a bike sooner may help you get to 200 quicker. Good luck learning to ride the bike..

Amy - yes, I have a much better idea of what I'm burning. On busy work days with 6 to 7 clients and 1/2 hr ex with mom, I'm burning 2600 cal. If I run 5+ miles, my cal burn is up to 3000. On the weekend when I lazy around the house, my burn is closer to 2200... I was trying to eat 1500 cal before and I've realized that is too little on days that I work or run. I just bought 6 avocados, several kinds of nuts and I've finally found Chobanti Greek yogurt. I just need to eat more good cal in the 1700 range on weekends and 2100 to 2500 range during the week... Those numbers kind of scare me but the Bugg is telling me I burn more than I thought. We'll see if the scale numbers change during the next challenge. I've found stretches with a foam roller really helps decrease hip pain after running. Here's a link to info - the side hip stretch works wonders... http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller.htm or this article http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9911 I highly recommend getting and using a foam roller!!!

ct1986 - great job on your weight loss so far!!!

Lacey - 5 am - EEEKKK!!! You go girl, I'm sleeping in... Glad you like the shoes!!! It's amazing how a good pair of shoes makes a huge difference.

Kristina - I'm soooo jealous of Emma and you having a running partner!!! You'll recover your running mojo pretty quickly. Have you thought about breaking your run up so that you run part with Emma and part with out her? Mom's dog has a 3 mile max limit so I'd run the dog around the block, drop him off and take off for another 3... I like your goals.

Kim - I like your new profile pic!!! I hope you post the links - I'd be interested in them.

Karen - ***Twirls*** Congrats on being our Biggest Loser!!!

Suzie - welcome to the group!!!

Sara - the tea sounds wonderful.

blessedmommy - yes, we weigh in and post our weight every weekend. The challenge lasts 6 weeks - I think it's over in mid march... If you set a goal to lose 1 pound a week, you need to have 500 calorie deficit a day to achieve it. If you set a goal for 2 pounds a week you need a daily deficit of 1000 calories. 1 pound of fat is 3500 calories (500 x 7 days = 3500 cal)... MFP figures this out for you based on your input for activity level, height, weight, and goal. At your weight, I'd aim for 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. Remember slow and steady wins the race. If you take if off slowly, you are more likely to keep it off. 3 pounds is very aggressive and would be more of a "diet" than a lifestyle change. Good luck...

pinbotchick

Amy - do you want more coupons? I'm picking more up on Friday...

Laceylala

Kendal - YEAY on the divorce going through!

Victoria - I ended up sleeping in today till 6. I will get up tomorrow and do the 30 day shred, and Friday. Tonight I'll do a bit more running on the treadmill, cybex machine and soem shred type moves in the weights area to make up for it.

Amy - Jeff has a foam roller thing and it helps him out immensly. I've not tried it but I think I might, he keeps telling me it will help when my back gets all out of whack. I think your new exercise routine was a good decision. YOu don't want to overtrain and if your body is that tired day in and out, then maybe you were on the verge? Who knows.

Sheri - wow great job on the 30!!

Karen - you rock, congrats on winning!

Blessed - I believe our challenge ends March 25th.

jamie - yeay for getting day one of c25k done!

Wichelle - I never have taken any measurements, but I had my hubby take side and front pics of me about three weeks ago. I am going to do it again when our challenge ends and see where I am. Measurements or pics are a great way to do it I think since the scale can be such a douche sometimes.

Man, there are so many people participating in this thread now (YEAY!) that its hard to reply to everyone!!

anvy0530

Victoria: You are a lifesaver! I HAVE a foam roller and I used to use it pretty regularly but I had kind of gotten out of the habit and I forgot about it. I am pulling that thing out right now and working on my IT band. Yes, I'd love more coupons. Thank you, I think of you every time I go to the commissary. Thanks for the info on the bugg, I'm totally in love with the idea of getting one (not as in love with the idea of paying for one but if it helps you to see what's really going on with your body, then it's totally worth it!)

Lacey: It's probably a good thing you slept in until 6 today, you don't wanna get too tired.

akasullengal

Hello ladies!

Today is going well so far. Am logging my foods, as I should, so that's a good start! I'll need to actually measure how much soup I put in my container tomorrow though. Made an easy curried red lentil soup over the weekend, which is delicious!

Will either walk or run with Emma this evening. My legs feel a bit better today than they did yesterday, so we'll see what I'm up for. I think if we end up walking instead of running, I'm going to lengthen the distance of the walk at least. Feeling so much better about myself when I'm back on track. The scale wasn't showing it yet this morning (let's just say I didn't start logging my foods again until today).. I was at 183 (up from 182.4), but I know the downward trend is on the horizon as long as I am diligent. I'm on a new wind!

Kendal- a raise, a bonus, and the divorce going through??? OH HAPPY DAY!!! *TWIRLS* So happy for you!

jamie- way to go with c25k... you're haldway there! I think I remember when I was doing it, that was around one of those weeks that was more challenging than usual for me.

wichelle- I would definitely keep track of your measurements, as it's another indication of how you're doing, especially when the scale isn't cooperative. It's helped me going in the past! Though, also just pay attention to how your clothes are fitting. I had some months where my clothes were defintely getting looser, but I wasn't seeing much of a change with the measuring tape. I must have been losing from places I wasn't measuring.

sheri- that's so great about how far you've already come along on your journey. you now know you can do it... especially as you said losing 30 pounds with not a whole lot of effort... just imagine what you can do if you put your all into it!!

blessedmommy2: amy gave most of the information to you, but yes, weigh in sometime between friday and monday morning and I'll update the weekly chart and post how everyone is doing later on Mondays. We have 6-week challenges, and this one just started this week, so this challenge will end the weekend of March 25th. As for the net calorie thing, there are differing opinions on it. Per theory, depending on how much weight you want to lose a week and how active your lifestyle is, MPF will estimate how many calories you need to eat to hit that mark. For exercise you log, you get to eat that amount of extra calories. Some people won't eat any of those calories, some eat all, some eat some. I try and eat some, but not all of them. The problem with not eating back at least some of the calories, is that you don't want your body to go into starvation mode, as you might be netting out way under your calories. A good rule of thumb is to not net less than 1200 calories/day to stay out of the starvation mode.

Victoria- you're just plugging along with your running training. So proud of you!! Woowoo for back to good eating habits. I need to make sure I'm get the 8 glasses in as well. Hello bathroom! This is when I'm happy I'm right next to the bathroom at work. Keep us updated on the BodyBugg data and how changing your caloric intakes to reflect that is affecting your numbers. I have to think about running with Emma. I'm going to keep upping the distance and see what she can handle. She's a pretty active gal, so we'll see where she hits the wall. I'd love to, for when training for the half, be able to take her on my short runs (up to 5 miles) and then run on my own the longer runs, but we'll see. I just feel guilty about leaving her around the house after she's been alone all day, for me to just leave her again, so it's nice to be able to take her with me while I get more of a burn. The runner's high is one of the best things ever. It gives me so much motivation!!

Purplebunnysarah

Wow, this thread got crazy busy today!

Amy: Sounds like you've got a good exercise plan. Always important to listen when your body says 'slow down'. The 2 hours of downtime yesterday wouldn't have been too bad except I'm behind on some stuff already.

Kendal: Sounds like a 'good things come in 3s' kind of day for you! Congrats on the bonus and the raise, and I bet it's a relief to have the divorce over and done with too!

jamielr84: Congrats on hitting week 4 of your program. Way to go!

WIChelle: Measurements sound like a good idea. I've been contemplating getting a measuring tape (as the dinky ones that come with my emergency sewing kits don't go around me) for the past little while as I'm feeling ilke inches are coming off while the scale moves more slowly.

startingoverca: Shedding stress really does do wonders, doesn't it? I found that when I got promoted my job got more stressful (more fun... the highs are better but the lows are worse) and I gained a fair bit just because of that.

Victoria: Woohoo, afternoon off! Congrats on going down a bit and I sure hear ya on the living in the bathroom thing. That's when I know I've hit the right amount of water.

Kristina: The soup sounds yummy. Way to go on logging everything!

I had an absolutely horrible sleep last night and only ended up getting around 4 hours so I woke up in a terrible mood. It was mitigated a bit by a 1lb loss on the scale, but I had a nasty sleep-deprived headache most of the day. Did my workout and felt terrible when I got home, but now I'm going to veg on the couch for an hour or two, My hubby's making fresh bread... should be yummy!