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

emmarie1630

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I actually did not get a migraine last night for the first time! woo!

jenn- I will have to look into that! I HATE getting migraines... it controls my life once I feel one coming on. I can't do anything but lay in the bed!
shannon-the carbs/blood sugar thing very well may have been the problem. I noticed all day that I was going to be over on my carbs that day-- which I wasn't thrilled about at the time but NO HEADACHE! It could be a coincidence or that could be the solution. I'm going to aim on the high side for carbs again today and see how I feel tonight after boot camp.
meag, mkingraham and cait- I figured dehydration could be playing a role after the first time or two but I've been REALLY good about my water lately. I always have my water bottle with me and I usually drink at least one full bottle (24 ounces) before boot camp to try and avoid this. I'm still monitoring that and I'm going to pay attention to the correlation with my carb intake. Hopefully I'll figure out the solution soon!

Thanks, everyone! Crossing my fingers for another migraine-free day!

amandamcphee23

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this site and application etc.
I've been on sites before in the challenge to loose weight and have always been successful. I've been off with an injury the past 6 months and have gained about 15 pounds
I'm hoping in the next few weeks to start implementing fitness back into my routine and get revved up for the summer/fall season of running.

Past history: Lost 25 pounds and completed a 5k & 10k in August 2009, then injury, out until March 2010 then I trained for my second 5k and second 10k and completed them in June/August 2010 respectfully and was gearing up for a 1/2 marathon when the old injury flared up. Since September I haven't run and have gained 15 pounds. I'm pretty sure since I have gone through this journey 2 times before that I can do it again. It's all about goals and motivation. I'm hoping to offer some motivation and/or even advise and hoping to get some here. It's frustrating to reach your goals and get knocked down, but I keep getting back up and aiming high and because of this I'm hoping the third time is the charm. I have extra motivation now as I'm getting married in May 2012 so I've got to look good!

Here are my goals for April

1. Eat clean, 2. Stay within calorie range, 3. Have interval running incorporated into my walks (up to 5:1's run/walk) 4. Get my partner motivated 5. Keep coffee consumption to 1 cup a day.

Good luck all!

Amanda

meagalayne

Evening everyone... Just updating the list for all the new members. Trying to keep things orderly around here

smashlee1984-curb fastfood eating, complete ripped in 30 (6x/week for 4 weeks), make an effort to be thankful and happy and make healthy (fitness and lifestyle choices)
wardiemelissa (Melissa)-continue to maintain weight between 120-125 lbs; exercise routine 5 days running, 2 days strength, 1 day rest (long run 10+miles on Sundays), continue to test out new recipes (including new fruits and veggies), and making more time for my family
alwhisler-drink 64oz daily, lose 5 lbs, work out 3x/week, no beer.
halina20-lose 5 lbs, finish insanity, stay away from jammy dodgers, run 30 mins straight, drink lots of water.
kvr414-Lose 2 lbs, continue limiting fat intake to >45g/day. Increase a low carb/low GI lifestyle. stay committed to this thread!
mkingraham (Megan)- Lose 7 lbs, strength train at least once a week (we're going to start easy), and run 3 times a week.
springstorm: Lose 7 lbs, drink water 64 oz/day, exercise 3x/week, No binges, log everything, sacrifice soda.
crystalfaith: workout at LEAST 4 days a week, continue progressing through the C25k challenge, drink more water!
ngoat: (nancy) lose 3lbs, work out 3x/week and drink more water
spellbinder25: (1)Lose 4 lbs, (2) Run 3 times/week, (3) Run 3 miles on the treadmill by the end of April, (4) Do strength training 3 times/week.
shannonaufman: lose 6 pounds, walk 50 total miles, drink 64+ oz of water daily, continue C25K, run an entire 5K
meagalayne- maintain between 125-128lbs; continue with YogaFit once a week; increase my H2O consumption to at least 6 cups a day; quit my job by May 1st; take time every day to feel happy and enjoy the journey!
Rachellynch83: drink at least 64oz of water a day, keep up with c25k, finish 30 Day shred, increase outdoor family activities
missjaygraham87 (Jay): Lose 7 lbs, do pilates 3x/week, walk the dog daily, start C25K, drink 7 glasses of water daily.
edryer123-GW 138, and to get in a 10 minute mile by the end of the month.
tjradd73-to lose 8lbs, drink 70ozs of water/day, 3 days/arms, 3 days/abs, >90minutes cardio/week.
hroush-break 190, workout 3+ days a week.
yvalcaraz-(Yolanda)-Complete 30 day shred, Run for 3 miles w/o stopping, 1000 crunches 3x week, Lose 8lbs, Weight lifting class 2x week
silhouetted25 (Samantha) -1. Go to the gym at least 4 times a week, but would like to hit 5 times 2. Cut out most white flour products/pastas/breads & eat mainly whole wheat or gluten free 4. Eat more grains and lentils 5. Go on a hike 6. Balance work and working out effectively
terrilien21 - Drink at least 5 glasses of water a day, get in at least 4 workouts a week, have one cheat day a week (saturday), no beer, stay positive!!
fitmommy2012- lose 6 lbs, P90x everyday, at least 6 cups of water a day, be happy with self, stay motivated
Sambloid - Lose 10 lbs and be able to do 50 push ups
Meggonkgonk- To reach 137lbs, to run my 10k course at least 1x, Run my 4m run at 9:30
Allie7383- start and stick with ChaLean Extreme, bust out of the 150's, continue to work on my running, cook more often, and stop making excuses!
Finncmh- loss on scale, get back to lifting, run 2-3 times a week, complete 5k April 17th, walk to work at least 3 times a week, better presence on thread than March
lizzymaez - eat healthier/watching calories, start riding 2-3 times a week, cardio/running at least 3 times a week, and yoga at least twice a week.
jennro7781 to lose 10lbs
lemmyhead: log everything every day, exercise 3x week (this doesn't include my walk to work every day), sign up for and start training for the 10km run that will be held on June 19th.
WanderLaura: Lose 10 pounds; Eat meat a maximum of 1 time/ day (no pork or beef); Jog 3x/ week for a total of 24 miles/ month! ; Do strength-building exercises 2x/ week! ; Be able to do 5 push ups with no knees by May 1st .
emmarie1630-lose 5 pounds, bootcamp 3-4x/week, more sleep, less stress, tons of water
shelsab- lose 5 lbs. run 3xweek. limit my sweets.
JessYas-100 PushUp Challenge and lunges at least 3x/week, and get down to a scale weight of 133. Also, I'm cutting out alcohol again! Yes!
mikmakmom- Get into the 130s (lose 4lbs)
rai8759: 162 lbs by 4/25, 150 min cardio per week, drink 8 cups of water a day and eat at least one fresh fruit or veggie per day
Goffb28: Lose 5lbs & job on treadmill for 20 minutes straight.
kayakawaii- lose 5 pounds; eat fruit EVERY DAY; and not drink AT ALL this month
fromaquizer- Reach first GW; strength train 3times/week and run 2times/week; ake my food everyday (no emergency takeaways!)
amandamcphee23- Eat clean; Stay within calorie range; Have interval running incorporated into my walks (up to 5:1's run/walk); Get my partner motivated; Keep coffee consumption to 1 cup a day.

Fab goals everyone!! Keep it up :drinker:

WanderLaura

Hey guys!! I love reading all of your posts on here! I just wanted to share a little success I've had in the past couple of days!

Yesterday, I jogged for 50 minutes, only taking about a 5 min break for walking quickly.
Today, I jogged for 30 minutes!

Here's the kicker. I ran a 5 k about this time last year at about 15 min/ mile... yep.... slow! Yesterday, I jogged at 11.5 min/mile and today I hit 10 min/ mile for TWO MILES!! I was so excited!

Sorry, just had to brag a little... haha

tjradd73

emmarie-the only thing that I could think of is exercise induced hypertension...you probably don't have a blood pressure cuff at home...but I would try to get to a drug store around the time that you think the headache will be coming and seeing what your BP is during that time.

Leela-thanks for the nice comment to us all!!

Rai-I don't mind yardwork...and I love DYI network, so the deck would def be a fun project for me!! Sounds like you are right on track with your food and exercise...WTG!

fromaquizer and kayakawaii and Amanda-welcome to the group!

Megan-thanks girly!! I will keep my fingers crossed for your WI on Monday!! You are doing fantastic though so I bet it will be good!!

Melissa-you are doing great with your maintenance so far...keep up the great work! I can't wait to be at the point that you are at!

Cait-thanks!! I am hoping that you break through your barrier soon!! you def deserve it after all of your hard work!!

Shannon-no worries girly...I weigh every day too, to each their own! you've gotta do what works for you:) great job on your c25k!! good luck for your WI!!

Laura-great job on sucha a drastic improvement on your pace!! that is really great...and you should be very proud!

AFM-still doing geat...I have decided to have a bit of a cheat day today...and will have to be sure to kick it for the rest of the week, to insure a good WI next Wednesday!! I didn't go too overboard and I def did enjoy it

mkingraham

Happy Friday!!

Tara- Sometimes you just have to have a cheat day. I was desperate for Thai food the other night so I had some. I know that it was more cals then I wanted and obviously way more sodium, but it was delicious and I felt satisified and ready to keep going. Keep up the great work!

Laura- that is awesome! you should be super proud of yourself for accomplishing those goals. It is definitely way more difficult then most people realize getting up there and running for 30 minutes without stopping.

amanda- welcome!

Cait- You are sooooo busy!! I'm sure that can make getting everything accomplisehd that you want a difficult task. Especially between wedding planning and all of the other planning you are having to do at work! Sounds like fun though!

AFM- Spin this morning followed by a mini-bootcamp that consisted of box jumps, star jumps, and pull ups. I really suck at pulls ups. As in I can't do an unassisted pull up at all. I guess I need to start really working on this by doing the assisted pull up machine at the gym every day and as I get stronger use less weight to assist me and then hopefully I can do a full on pull up by myself. We did four sprints to end class in spin and then the mini bootcamp had more sprinting. My hamstring has been really tight and sore so I need to be sure to keep stretching it throughout the day and I am taking tomorrow off before my first outdoor running attempt since I have gotten into running. Wish me luck! I'll check in with you ladies later! Have a fantastic friday!!!

Megan

amandamcphee23

@Wanderlaura: Congrats! Oh I remember how rewarding running can be! keep it up. Walk breaks arn't bad either! I used to run 10:1's (10 mins running 1 min walking). When I started doing this I actually got FASTER. Just a suggestion.

@megan: Good luck on your first outdoor run. There’s nothing like it if you can get a trial instead of sidewalks and lights and such. Enjoy!

AFM: Day 3 ick. haha. I did well last night. Went to dinner with my fiancé and had a wonderful salad and didn't feel hungry so I'm happy with that! I may attempt a walk/jog tonight but we shall see how my feet are feeling.

Have a wonderful Friday!

rai8759

Megan – pull-ups?!! awesome goal. At some point I'd like to be able to do some of those 2. Have fun on your outside run. I really love running outside. Totally beats the treadmill any day.
TGIF!!!!

TJ – glad you enjoyed your treat day!

Laura- !!! great job !!! one of the biggest reasons I love running is because you can really track your progress. It is so motivating! Keep getting out there and giving all you've got! A 10 minutes mile is something to be proud of.

Amanda – welcome

Em – Glad you had a session headache-free. Nothing makes a work out suck more than feeling yucky.

Shannon- Props to you! You can absolutely finish C25K.

AFM- Still sick. "It" has spread from my nose into my chest. :grumble: I hate being sick AND on top of that I hate FEELING sick you know? I keep wanting to get things done around the house and to run errands.. when I really just need to veg. Have to work overnight tonight though and am wondering if I can really swing this. If I call out sick I'll have to use my Paid Time Off and I'm saving that for maternity leave sometime in the future. :happy: so that is out of the cards... just going to go in there and see if I can stick it out. I will def take call if they offer it to me!! But slim chance of that since I took it this Wednesday.:ohwell:

Ate to much yesterday, but I'm not to upset since I kept it under 2000 calories (about maintenance). Really can't wait til I can get to work out and kick some *kitten*. Still haven't decided what to do for a reward, but I'm still working on it.

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

meagalayne

Happy Friday everyone! I'm having a busy/productive day today with LOTS of cooking, house work, and errands. Love it! I feel really productive :happy:

Rai - Really hope you start feeling better soon! That illness sounds terrible!! If you are really not feeling well, time off is definitely the most important. Rest up and don't go to work sick - the last thing you want to do is put everyone else at risk!

Amanda - Let us know how your walk/jog went! And great job w/ dinner :drinker: Love those meals and always feel so much satisfaction afterward knowing I'm doing something great for my body!

Megan - Spin PLUS a mini bootcamp?! :noway: You're a machine! I should pay you to come and train me! Fab job lady. Be careful on those hammies and remember to stretch LOTS. My hams are always tight and it's hard to get a really good workout when your muscles are feeling super tense. Ever tried yoga? It's great for lengthening out... And the stress relief is wonderful!

Tara- Cheat day! Enjoy girl :happy: I hope you have a bunch of really fresh, delicious and somewhat sinful food :happy: And heck - HAVE SOME ICE CREAM FOR ME! hahahah!

Well my weekend is back with a vengeance - which is basically my week - Thurs through Sun in allll it's hectic, sleepless misery. Last night at work was decent but I was even more exhausted and cranky than usual. I actually ended up telling a bunch of customers that I was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to them. Very unusual for me, but drunks are just so intolerable when you have zero patience to begin with and they all want to be your best friend. Just was fed up I guess.

Today I was up super early again (830am after getting to sleep around 4am) because the nerves in my foot were just agonizing. Decided to make the best of my day and got a ton of food prep done (still with some dinner stuff to do). I made some rustic ciabatta loaf (altered from http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/12/no-knead-ciabatta-074-recipe-012.html), and then tossed the following recipe into my slow cooker:

Mexican Pulled Pork - Serves 6, adapted from http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/3464469-slow-cooker-mexican-pulled-pork

2 - 1lb pork tenderloins
fresh ground pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onions, chopped + 2 onions, sliced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp ancho chipotle chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 cups diced tomatoes (no salt added)
200grams fresh pineapple, chopped

In a large bowl, combine jalapeño, garlic, chopped onion, spices, tomatoes, and pineapple.
Use an immersion blender to bend to a chunky sauce-like consistency.
Layer sliced onions on the bottom of your crock pot and top with tenderloins. Season with freshly ground pepper.
Pour sauce over pork (you’ll use about 3/4 of the amount of sauce you use), making sure you coat the pork on all sides. Set the remainder of the sauce aside – you might need it later.
Cook on “Low” setting for 6-8 hours. The pork will fall apart when it’s done.
Remove pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat gently with two forks, spooning some of the cooking sauce over it.

Since you won't likely be eating all the sauce, the values are somewhat exaggerated. But for 1/6 of the recipe here's my breakdown:
Calories 256
Fat 6
Protein 34
Fiber 4

Will be serving it with bread and corn tortillas (depending on who wants what), a huge spinach + veg salad, and possibly some homemade coleslaw. We'll see! I have no idea what to top mine with, really... Wish we had some pico or avocado in the house, but this will have to do! I'll let you guys know how it turns out!

Decided that I won't be logging this weekend. I think I might start taking weekends off to ease myself into being less obsessive and controlling about my food. I weighed-in today at 124.3lbs, which is still slightly under my maintenance range but 0.2lbs up from last week. I know I'm doing well at this and I can manage it. I just need to trust myself. So I may just take the weekend off from logging food and see where that gets me. Also frees up a lot of time....

Ty and I are cycling downtown tomorrow to have our bikes tuned up and have his retrofitted with a bunch of gear. I'm not sure how my foot is going to be cycling that far but I am hoping it will hold out. And at least it's a decent workout :happy: Hope you folks have a great weekend! I'll be on when I can, but who knows how active I'll be. Take care!

shannonaufman

Hooray! It's the weekend (here in Memphis, at least!)! It's been a great week. I set a goal for myself to do cardio 6 days this week (from Sunday to Saturday). Well, I got my 6 days in -- so tomorrow is rest day! :happy: I've also been really good with water this week, drinking between 10 and 12 cups of water per day. I feel like I see more of the bathroom than my desk! :laugh:

I weighed in today -- 173!! Down 2 pounds from last week! I ate really well this week and all the cardio has been great, too. Tomorrow is my 'cheat' day... We have friends coming to stay with us this weekend, but they are on a weight loss journey, too. So maybe my 'cheat' day won't be too over the top!

tjradd73

Megan-Def loved my cheat day yesterday, and I only ended up with 1500 something...4 cals under my goal (with working out)! very excited for that!! I never did have a lot of upper body strength so that will be very cool when you get the first pull up on your own!! They say that push-ups are truly the best way to work your triceps:) Great job with your awesome workout again!

Amanda-great job on your choices at dinner the other night...this is all about the "lifestyle" change and every good choice that you make in the "real" world is getting you closer to that change! Keep it up!

Rai-sorry you aren't feeling well still!! I will keep my fingers crossed that tonight goes well for you!! I know how night shifts feel...I do it every week! Call would be cool though...getta leave early, still make some dough, and hopefully not have to go back in...altho the extra ching is always nice

Meag-thanks girly!! Didn't get the ice cream in but did have some really delish food...unfortunately high in sodium!! But I made my beer dip with fat free everything and ate it with pretzels...so that dulled it down a little bit as far as fat and cals, and I only ate one brat instead of my normal two! Also had ZERO rum last night...even though I was playing cards! so all in all, pretty good "bad" day!! Congrats on the productive day, and emjoy your ride tomorrow!

Shannon-congrats on the loss for this week! 6 days of cardio def deserved it!! Have fun with your friends and don't worry too much about 1 cheat day...you are still killin it!

AFM-pretty much said everything ^^^up there but it is still going well, and I am really working hard to get my water in...sometimes when I am on my weekend and busy running around all day...I have a kinda hard time...bf has been really great about reminding me though, and altho I didn't get my 9 cups Thurs, I made up for it with 13 cups yesterday woohoo!! Have a great weekend everyone

Sweetlux

This is my LAST year as a 20 something, but I am excited to enter my 30's and I plan on doing it right

finncmh

Happy Saturday everyone! Walked to work again this morning but did it a bit faster at a 15min mile pace. Other than that not too much. Had the day off yesterday. Went to look at dresses for the wedding for my mom and tried on a few dresses for the rehearsal dinner. Didn't find anything but it was actually fun looking. Just another day at work. Going to try and either get a run in this evening or a walk home from work. We shall see how it pans out.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

-Cait

meggonkgonk

Hey everyone:

Just Saturday check in. No weigh in this week- I've moved to bi-weekly weigh ins just because I find it chills me out a bit.

Got my first softball practice in a couple hours- can't waaaaaiiiit. It's going to be dead (it's in brooklyn on a Saturday- all the people in my office live in Manhattan so they are whiney and many of them wont show- but a chance to get a glove, some swings and toss the ball around a bit- I'm there even if it's just me!)

But I wanted to share a super dorky inspiration of the week with everyone. I rented Kung Fu Panda from Netflix this week (I know you are all dying to see where this is going, right?) and Po (the Panda) is ready to quit being the Dragon Warrior- his master and fellow students all hate him and he feels like a failure and everyone wants him to fail) and Master Oogway, the turtle, the only one who believes in him talks to him:

Oogway: So why are you upset?
Po: *Sigh* I probably sucked more today than anyone in the history of Kung Fu. The history of China. In the history of SUCKING!
Oogway: Probably.
Po: Man you should have seen them, they totally hate me.
Oogway: Totally.
Po: How is Shifu ever going to going to make me the Dragon Warrior? Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles.
Oogway: Quit...Don't quit. Noodles... Don't noodles. You are too concerned about what was, and what will be.

I'm not sure why, but Noodles... Don't noodles has been very inspiring to me this week- it's been stressful at work, with friends coming and going, opportunities caught and missed, and this dopey kids movie made me inordinately happy to be anything.

Ok I gotta run. Will check in later ladies (and guys, if any of you are left )


Also remember "There is no charge for awesomeness."

edryer123

thankfully I maintained my weight despite no workout time this week. Did lots of walking around but I have not counted much if any ofit.

tjradd73

sweetflux-this is my last MONTH as a 20-something!!! I wonder if I will be allowed in this group after my 30th?!?!? LOL either way...let's kill it, and show 30 who is boss!!

Cait-it is always nice when you can actually ENJOY shopping for clothes isn't it?! I am sure the perfect dress for your mom and for your rehersal will make their appearances soon!! and love the new pic btw

Gonks-NO NOODLES for you!! LOL actually though....that is a great saying and if everyone took life like that, it would be a lot smarter and happier world so very cool saying....thanks for sharing it with us

AFM-I have learned a valuable lesson ladies...when you drop 40+lbs in 6 months your alcohol tolerance will not be the same as it used to be!! LOL Mine has apparently cut in almost half....lesson learned, hang over gone, and ready to get my butt on the wii!!

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone...and can someone tell me, will I be kicked off this thread when I turn 30 next month?!?!? LOL

mkingraham

Tara- NO DON"T LEAVE US!!! We will never kick anyone to the curb!

Gonks- Not cheesy at all. Sometimes it takes simplicity to remind us how to keep on going

Cait- I remember hunting for all of that stuff! It is fun and stressful sometimes but hopefully you can keep the emphasis on the fun!!

AFM- About to plan out my course for my outdoor run this morning and then hit the trail. I'm not entirely sure how far I want to go because I'm not sure what to expect when I get out there. I am probably going to map out a little over 3 miles and believe that I can do it and then power through. Last night the hubby said he wanted to join so we will see if he still does, but either way I am going. It was suppose to be a little bit warmer and sunny but I will take 50 and cloudy. I'm sure while running 50 will feel very nice! Have some more yard work planned for today. We spent yesterday tearing up all the old crap and prepping the beds. Now we just have to plant and I want to plant some stuff in pots for our deck. And our girlfriend is coming over for brunch and then we want to get mani/pedis. I'm hoping she is still game because that sounds nice and relaxing! Hope you guys have a great sunday!!

Megan

finncmh

Shannon- Sorry don’t think I ever responded. That IS a mouthful but it sounds like you really know what you want to do with it which is awesome! Congratulations on the wedding! Its craziness right?

Gonks- I *heart* you! Your post definitely made my day yesterday! Loving that the pig picture is back too! How was your first softball practice?

Erica- sometimes maintaining is the best thing ever!

Tara- oh silly lady! Of course not wont. Rehearsal dress shopping was actually fun. I was able to wear a few styles I wouldn’t have even attempted to try a few months ago. I hope that the weather holds out of your hike with your son.

Megan- cant wait to hear about your first outdoor run!

AFM- walked home from work yesterday since it was so nice out so that was a good 3 miles round trip! Holy hills though on the way home. It was definitely a nice walk. Not much else going on here. Maintained again. Its frustrating but fine at the same time. Just have to keep trucking.

-Cait

meagalayne

Morning folks!

This weekend has been fabulous so far, despite work, and I am so excited for today. The weather is incredible - FINALLY - and it's warm enough to spend time outside doing all the activities we love for once, so I know that logging in here and being present on the boards is going to wane a little. Yesterday we had an awesome day in the city. We road our bikes downtown (leisurely 20 min ride) to get them all gussied up at a super reasonable local bike shop and then walked around the downtown checking out music and tee-shirt shops, stopping at our favourite cafe for some much needed patio relaxation and a snack (which we packed!), and then took the bus home. Ty made me dinner while I got ready for work (d'awwwwwwwww!!! :blushing: best boyfriend ever!) and we just hung around being awesome all day. It was great.

I didn't log but I know that I didn't eat as much as I usually do during the weeks since my weekends tend to be busy and my schedules all over the place. I think that while not logging my food makes me very anxious at times, I should get into the practice of not logging on weekends to force myself to feel more comfortable and to trust myself a little more to make healthy choices without knowing the exact calorie count and carbs/protein/fat breakdown. I know I had a totally awesome day yesterday food-wise, so it's definitely possible!

Today is supposed to be a high of 22C, which is AWESOME, and it's finally the day I quit my job! Notice is being given today - no excuses! I'm very, very worried about my boss' reaction, but I know that I need to do it and I'll feel so much better once it's over with. Can't wait to be done with this awfulness... It was the only thing that helped me get through yesterday's shift. After that I'm planning on having an awesome day with my family and my boy. Great great great weekend!

Tara - Promise I won't kick ya to the curb! You're a great motivator and we love having you here. You can Melissa can be our senior caucus or something :laugh: Just kidding ladies! ya

Megan - Hope you enjoyed your first outdoors run! I love running outside - so much better than the dreadmill - but it's not all that different from an actual running perspective. I personally find that I run a lot faster outside than on the TM because I'm distracted a little and don't notice how tired or fatigued I'm feeling. It's so easy to spend the whole run at the gym talking myself out of pushing my hardest, but outside I just run. Run run run. And I push myself much harder than I normally intend to in the outset. I also find that having an application on my phone which tells me my time and pace in set intervals helps to push me a little harder. When I hear my pace speeding up at each and every interval it pushes me harder to negative split my run. it's just all good :happy: Anyway let us know how it goes and enjoy your bunch/spa visit! Relax! You deserve it!

Gonks - Noodles? Pssssht ... do you know how many carbs are in those

K - Off to start my fabulous day! Have a great Sunday and enjoy the weather I know I will!

rai8759

Meag – Sounds like your non-logging weekend went well! Did you wind up resigning? Do you have another job lined up or are you in the process of looking?

Shannon- Great Job this past week. 6 days of cardio is awesome, and it is always encouraging to see a loss on the scale. I'm not sure what weight you started at, but I wonder how close we are since I started at 175 and am planning to end around 150-155ish. Hope you enjoyed your weekend with your friend.

Tj – sooo much water! Dang girl! And don't even joke about going away after you turn 30.. not cool

Sweet – welcome!

Finn- Shopping... what can I say...love it. As for my wedding dress I knew “the dress” when I came out of the dressing room and my mom and grandma cried, lol. Nonetheless it can be really grueling so I'm glad you had fun!!!

Gonks – Kung Fu Panda is a pretty awesome movie. It's true that I often stress about what will be waaaaay too much. Sometimes I think its really good stress because I'm motivated to make the change now instead of just saying... oh.. I can start it tomorrow. If it starts to really weight on me I know i'm in the wrong mindset. God is in control. Jesus says in Matthew 6:30-33 (MSG)

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

I always have to remind myself that this weight loss journey DOES NOT define me or decide my value as a human being. Knowing that I can chillax in the face of life's craziness.

AFM – Feeling much better today. I would say I'm at about 70%. Wind up calling out Friday night and spent some of my precious PTO. Hacking up a lung in front of patients never looks good. I'm excited to get back into the groove exercise-wise.

Didn't do well food-wise on Friday and Saturday. Gave up mid-day both days after making some poor choices, but I'm back on the horse today.

I'm going to try out my new reward system this starting today through my next weigh-in. I can put a dollar in my jar if I meet my goals daily (eat between 1200-1510 calories, eat a fruit or veggie, get a work out in). Any money in that jar can be spent on something fun after 4/25. Wondering if I should take dollars out if I don't meet the goals?? I don't know if I'd be responsive to that kind of negative reinforcement.

Happy Sunday to all!!