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

tjradd73

welcome again Meghan!!

a few tips that I have about saving on weekend cals...be sure to burn some extra cals BEFORE you go chill with the friends...this will give you a few more to work with! Try to eat a healthy meal before you go out...unless you are going ot to eat of course. if you are goin out for dinner try to figure out where and see if their nutritional info is online (you'd be surprised how many are). and if you are going out for drinks....pick a place that has activities (dancing, pool, darts, bowling) to burn some extra cals and keep your mind off of eating bar food...and try to stick with vodka/rum and diet, champagne, or light beer

hope these help!

jillybeanruns

Bethany - Coronado IS gorgeous. Went for a stroll there last night, got some froyo and shopped a bit. Not to make you jealous, but I'm going back tomorrow morning for a 6AM run

Tara - Thanks, I did kill it! And even if a race is for "fun", I never treat it that way. I probably should relax a bit more, but it's just not in my nature to not be competitive!

Anita - My marathon is the Rock 'n' Roll in Savannah, Georgia. It's about 2 hours from where I live, a R'n'R event is required for me (as part of my sponsorship), and it knocks another state of my list

mkingraham - That's very cool of your President to do. My company is far too large (45,000 employees) to do that but they do reimburse up to $300 for gym memberships and another $100 for joining fees yearly. Plus lots of other financial incentives like that. This conference is HUGE, and there were over 400 runners this morning.

I'm exhausted y'all. All these 5 AM wake-ups to run and full days of conference sessions (plus lounging in the sun during breaks, of course), networking and having to listen to highly technical schtuff are getting to me. BUT I did get a PR this morning. 5K in 23.48.9, so that's a 7:32 pace. I wanted to run a 5K sub-24 this year, so I am SO pleased. Set my previous PR last August, so I have run over about a gazillion (well really at least a dozen 5Ks since) trying to break it. No more trying to break PRs for me. I would love to shatter my 10K PR, but marathon training is more important to me than getting a dumb injury :happy:

meagalayne

Jill - You're killing it lady. I don't need to tell you on here b/c I post like mad all over your wall, but just thought I'd let it be known. You're a rock star. Probably wise to steer clear of PRs once you start training hard for your Marathon though :bigsmile: Too many balls in the air and you get yourself into some muddy waters with injury, etc. But you know that!

Tara - I absolutely love looking at myself and having sweet, toned arms for once! It's such a killer feeling. Keep on working at it and before you know it - BAM - where did all this definition come from? I've got guns now and it's all just from some limited strength training, weights now and again, and push-ups whenever I can muster the energy and motivation to do them. My arms have definitely become a fave body part, though. And even though I definitely have some reservations about my tummy, having toned and fit looking arms and legs is a pretty stellar trade off. At least I can wear short shorts with pride :laugh: Keep at it!

Meghan - Welcome!! :drinker: what are your goals for the month? I'd love to hear them!

Cait - We miss you too!! I know how you feel though. It's just impossible lately to devote as much as I'd like to all these fabulous ladies and I've been doing way less around here than I should... I'm going to get back to it, just not sure when. Post when you can, deary, and keep us updated. As long as you are being accountable to yourself and staying happy and healthy you're doing a fine job in my books :bigsmile:

AFM - Selfishness... I am racing tonight. 10K Downtown Dash. Night-time races are great but boy do they eat up your whole night. Leaving work a little early, running home to get ready (not literally, of course), and eat something, and then heading out. I should be home by 930pm at which point I basically get my work stuff ready for Fri, devour something since I'll likely be starving once again, and then shower and get ready for bed. Not really planning to set a new PR tomorrow but I am definitely planning to race it. I should be posting a semi-competitive time for myself. Not likely sub-60, but something around there. Aiming for under 61mins. We'll see how it goes! I have no idea what the course is going to be like. Apparently it's fast but you never know with these things :happy:

Food's been OK but I definitely binged some late last night. Stress and exhaustion tends to really cloud my judgement with food. Thankfully I'm racing today and I doubt it's going to result in a gain at all. I'll be weighing in tomorrow AM like usual so we shall see.

Hope you folks are doing wonderfully. Sorry I couldn't reply to more! Will try to catch up by Friday since the boy is going camping for the weekend. Much love

mkingraham

Cait- I MISS YOU!! But I am sure you have been kicking serious butt, I know you have with your intense training routines. I am glad that you have found this new part of the lifestyle because you are just seeping happiness!

Bethany- sounds like you did a great job of making good choices at your mom’s party. Like you said now she just needs to hurry up and leave so you can get back to doing exactly what you want to do!

Tara- ½ an inch already! That is amazing and you should be super proud of yourself. I am not that surprised about you not dropping the lbs because you are sooo close to your goal weight and you are going to have to fight for every last ounce plus with shred you are probably working your muscles in ways you haven’t ever before!

Meghan- Welcome to the group!! I love it and I hope you will too!

Jill- your 5k time is fantastic and I am very impressed! I don’t think I will ever run that fast, but I am ok with that Like Meag says, be careful not to over do yourself as you concentrate on your marathon training and not racing. I use to live only 2 hrs south of Savannah, and its really pretty so you should really enjoy your race!

Meag- I am sure you will work off those extra cals today in your race, but I also struggle with that sometimes. Luckily I just refuse to keep junk in the house so I am not tempted. Last night I definitely would have hit some ice cream hard if we had any the house and I’m to lazy to drive to the store so it works out nicely for me

AFM- Did bootcamp this morning and burned 602 cals! Haven’t had a burn like that in a while. It felt really great and while it was hard I could definitely feel how much my fitness has improved from the first time we did that same workout. It feels good to actually physically feel the differences. Of course dropping 43 lbs helps some too right I am going to start training for a 15k next week. I printed out Hal Hidgon’s training plan but my race isn’t until December so I am going to do each week twice. I think this will help me feel more confident about the distance and being able to accomplish it. The race is the Hot Chocolate 15k and its sponsored by Ghiradelli and at the end of the race they have chocolate fondue and other deliciousness! I haven’t officially signed up yet because I am hoping to find some sort of coupon for it since its $65 but I am planning on signing up in August. I never thought I would be seriously considering and training for something that is 9.3 miles. YIKES!

XOXO
Megan

mkingraham

man- some serious crickets in here

GuamGrly

Happy Thursday Lovelies!! I apologize that yesterday’s post was only half of you and didn’t have much content but I was being rushed and then had to change desks real fast and didn’t want to lose what I had already typed so I just posted it. So lets try this again…

Megan – I struggle to get out of bed every morning. I really wish I was a morning person cause I would be able to get so much more done in my day. But that’s all about to change. Mom is leaving today for Arizona and my life is becoming mine once again. I will update more a lil later. Have fun with your training!! That race sounds amazing!! What motivation!! I think my aunt that is not a runner would still find her way to the finish line with that kind of motivation waiting for her at the end.

Miriam – your workouts sounds great!! And great job doing them after indulging in your donuts, although I am sure they were delicious. I used to crave them all of the time when I was pregnant with my son. Funny thing is that I never did indulge when I was pregnant and its been years since I have had one.

Tara – great job on losing inches!! You have been at this long enough to know that lost inches are worth more than lost pounds any day!! I know we think that the number on the scale has to reflect a particular number for us to be happy but losing inches is so much better!! Keep up the great work girly and don’t get discouraged cause you continue to kick *kitten* each and every day!!

Meghan – welcome to the group!! Stick around for a tons of encouragement, motivation, and just a great group of lovelies that you can really talk to about anything. We are happy to have you!! And I think I tend to do better on the weekends because I don’t have outside influences that persuade my eating of not-so-healthy things (well anymore). Its just me and my kiddos so I’m in control of my food. I would say plan out as much as you can beforehand, make sure to get in some exercise when you know you are going to be going out and indulging, and then try to make the best choices you can when you do make it out.

Jill – I wasn’t a runner when I was out there but I would definitely be motivated to go for a run there. Its such cute little town. And something about that bridge amazes me too!! I hope you are enjoying your stay here in Cali…even though it is for business. And great job with the PR!

Meag – hope you had a great time at your race!! And what I loved about your post is that you may have not had an amazing food day but you seemed to be ok with that. That’s not just steps for you but leaps. Great job girly!!

AFM…my stepdad left for Arizona on Tuesday and my mom is leaving tonight. Of course, we had to go out for one last feast together and the food wasn’t really worth it. But I am slowly gaining control of my life and food choices once again now that her departure is getting closer. I am very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life. It seems as though I have closed a few chapters in my life these past few months but the possibility of the upcoming chapters is so exciting to me. I thought I was going to be able to workout Mon-Fri and have my weekends off but I’m not sure that will work. I plan to do C25K training on Mon, Wed, and Fri which is going to require me to work the early shift (I am so not a morning person) so that I can make it to the gym before having to pick the kids up from daycare. I was going to do some workouts at home on Tues and Thurs but I think I am going to make Tuesdays my date nights with the bf and Thursdays are concerts in the park with the kids. But I have my goal of hitting it hard before my one year anniversary with the bf (Aug 28) because I am planning some sort of getaway for us. I would love to be a slimmer version of me by then. But as you lovelies have shown me, when there is a will, there is a way!! So my new workouts will begin on Monday. I am hoping to sit down this weekend and get some meals planned and some grocery shopping in.

So here is my pledge to you lovelies and most importantly, myself…I will be logging any and everything that passes my lips, keeping my scheduled workouts, and enjoying this new chapter of my life. The fun begins Monday and I can’t wait!!!

QOTD (question of the day) – we haven’t had one in a long while and we have a bunch of new people so lets get this back in full swing…what is one song that makes you feel like you are on top of the world and can conquer anything??

M_lifts

hey ladies!

had a bad day today! baby shower at work and work dinner tonight! eek! never mind, tomorrow is another day! im going to lower my cals for the next couple of days to make up for it! lol! couldnt get any exercise in either! so will try do the shred and run tomorrow! plus my mother in law is coming on saturday! argghhh and she wants to go out to a pub lunch on sunday. i'll be sure to cook first thing saturday morning so there's no more deviations!

sorry to be so quiet on the thread, busy with work and life in general
.

keep up the good work ladies

MandaLee8908

I have been MIA for a day or two...and not just from the thread. Pretty sure I left my head somewhere around Monday...

It's been a stressful week for decision making. My husband and I looked at a house a few weeks ago, decided to bid on it, then last minute he talked me out of it. So we didn't bid. Actually, NO ONE did. The house didn't sell at the auction. The owner called my husband and I SPECIFICALLY and wanted us to buy this house. Wow. He doesn't know us from Adam and Eve...but he wanted us to own the house he grew up in.

Let me go back. This is a 2 story house built in 1860 (remodeled some in the 1970's) on a double lot with a two car garage. it was appraised at $96,000. How much does the guy want us to pay, you ask? *drum roll* A whopping $45,000.

Yes, it needs work. We have to move the bathroom, rebuild the stairs, paint, lay down new carpet, new tile in the kitchen and remodel the upstairs. But at $45,000, this house is a steal!

I am afraid to get excited. Afraid of being disappointed if something doesn't work out. Afraid. Period. But I'm going to go look at the house again tomorrow. And pray it's what God wants because I am a little giddy about a big house. :laugh:

On top of that we have several other things happening this month that I have mentioned in my blog...my friend is still dying...my work is still stressful. I think I might end up comatose in August.

And yet I'm still encouraged by everyone's stories and updates here on the thread! I'm impressed...everyone seems like they are doing so well! You go gals! You all deserve a big round of applause! Keep up the posting...I'm finding strength in every word!

-Mandy

lalonmeg000

Hi everyone, thank you for the warm welcome!


Meag- do I need to repost my goals with the other list? I have them typed in my siggie. Also can't wait to hear about the race!

Megan- thank you ! I am sure I will. To answer your question of the day, I would have to say Defying Gravity, a little cheesy lol but I can belt that one in my car and feel like I can accomplish anything the rest of the day.

Bethany- Thanks, that is a great idea, I will try planning out what I am eating this weekend, as I know I will be eating out.

AFM...Today I actually feel good about my eating. It's my roomies 21st, and I bought her a cake and so did her mom! So we have 2 cakes sitting in our house BUT I only had 1 super small piece, just enough for 2 bites because they are the best (1st bite and the last are always better than the middle bites...so if you only have 2, then you had the best!) I went to the gym and slipped on some water and fell on the side of a treadmill and slightly bruised a rib nothing serious, I will be better by morning, but I wasn't super up to much after that. I have bootcamp tomorrow evening, and monday before I head to my vaca week, so last chance workouts this weekend are a must!

keep up the good work everyone, and I am looking forward to getting to know everyone a little better

meagalayne

Race was awesome today! New PR - 10K in 57:34 !!! :drinker: :bigsmile: :drinker:

Huge PR for me and I feel amazing. Thanks for all the support ladies! Will post more when I have some time. Off to bed for now :yawn:

anitanz

Hi Ladies,
Sounds like you are all doing well

Betthany- Good luck with killing it before Aug 28th! I think it's great that you are making a schedule so that you can get your workouts in as well as quality time with the BF and kids.

Jill- That is a super fast 5K time, good for you!!

Maria- Hope that you get through the pub lunch OK. Just steer clear of the Yorkshire Puddings LOL.

Mandy- Wow you really are having a busy time. I hope that the house works out for you if you want it to. Do you live in the states? That seems like a really reasonable price!

Megan- I like what you say about the first and last bite of cake! My problem is that I can't stop with the bites that come in between first and last. Hope your rib is feeling better tomorrow, hopefully it wont effect your training too much.

Meag- Awesome time for your 10K! You are really nailing it girl!

Are there three Megans on here now??? Getting confusing!

AFM-I'm feeling a bit run down and depressed because of gross women's problems (my nemisis candida returns aaaargh!!). It has also been raining heaps and our room has flooded again, my clothes and shoes aren't wet (the main thing really), but there is a big puddle by the door and I'm just annoyed because I think it's gross and we shouldn't have to live like this :explode: The builder is coming around tomorrow so hopefully he will get it sorted. Man I am just counting down the weeks 'till they finish building our house and I can move out from the in-laws, I am going INSANE!

Sorry guys that was a bit of a rant.

Just got back from the new Harry Potter film, it was brilliant! Skipped the popcorn and lollies, juist a glass of wine for me tonight, well it is Friday and a girls gotta live.

xx take care ladies. I can't wait for tomorrow morning to come becuase I'm having carrot cake porridge, Yum!

Oh and my top o' the world song? Crazy in Love by Beyonce x

x Anita

allie7383

Oh i miss the QOTD!

just dropping in to answer lol.. ok when I run, esp in a race, I start out with Kings and Queens, by 30 Seconds to Mars, as it sets me at a good pace, and makes me feel like I'm running across the finish line in a movie or something lol..

Otherwise my powerful woman song right now is The Queen, from the new Lady Gaga album!

glad to see everyone is having successess all over the place!

AmberJenay

Hello Ladies I feel like I haven't been on the message board in forever and its only been a week lol. Wish the phone app had that capability. Thanks for all the warm welcomes! I feel like I've been a part of this group for a while and its barely been a week. I haven't had a chance to read and see how all of you girls are doing (probably will when things get slow at work today ), but I pray all is well and if its not I hope it gets better! :happy:

Anywhooo Selfish post time, I fell off the health wagon last week. Had 7 family members come to visit and we had a fish fry (that was delicious, but I couldn't stand to log that day...didn't want to see that damage). However I am somewhat back on track and I am happy to announce I am officially dating a new guy who is not only a vegetarian, but also an avid runner and has a few triathalons under his belt so I now have a partner in health lol and he is super supportive of me wanting a healthier lifestyle. I can only see good things coming from this or at least I hope. I want to get in better running shape, but the hours as a student and working in a hospital make it difficult to schedule running times so I'm gonna have to figure something out. Anyway I am kinda thankful my scale is low on batteries and I am currently in no rush to change them lol but I do want to see if progress was made.

I will check back soon. Stay motivated!

aprhinehart

Hi, I just sent you a friend request.I need motivation to continue loosing weight.

mkingraham

Bethany- I really like your goals. I feel like you are going through the refocusing process that I did in June. It really helps to have that period of time to just remember why we are doing this. I reminded myself and it has been a great July so far! I am sure that you will find that same renewed resolve! As for your QOTD-Seven Nation Army by the White stripes.. “A Seven Nation Army couldn’t hold me back” AMAZING!

Maria- We all have those bad days, but we can always take steps to help correct them and not make them as bad when we do have bad days in the future! I hope you can find something that suits your new lifestyle at the pub, probably not, but make the best choice you can! Keep it up!

Mandy- I wish I could get a house for $45k with a little work to be done! It sounds like it could be an amazing opportunity for you guys and I hope it works out! When the hubby and I were buying our house it was so hard because I totally fell in love it and just kept wanting and dreaming about our life there and he was really hesitant. Although once I showed him the mortgage payment would be the same as the rent for a really crappy apartment, that really changed his point of view. Maybe try showing your man the difference. Investing in a home is an investment in your future!

Meghan- Great job resisting the cake! I would have totally killed a piece as well. Chocolate things are my weakness! I hope your rib feels better soon. That sucks big time. If it keeps hurting make sure you go and see a doc!

Meag- OMG THAT IS AMAZING! I bet you were going nuts! You should be so freaking proud of your self because that is a 2.5 minute PR for you I believe which is basically crushing your previous time! Can’t wait to hear all of the details . And I am definitely going to try and find some races that match up with my training schedule for my 15k. I am still really nervous about it, but I am only going to look at it a week at a time. And the first week is running 2 miles which I can totally do!

Anita- there are a bunch of us Megan’s on here now  there is me which is Megan, there’s lalonmeg000 which is Meghan and it appears most others have a short version- I hope you get a perk soon and get out of your funk. I totally understand when those funks get us down though, it totally sucks and feels like it throws off everything! Hang in there!

Amber- don’t worry about last week and just look towards the future! Your new boy sounds super supportive and like he will be a great influence! I know between work and school it feels like there is not time for anything else, just make your workouts a priority and you’ll make it work. It just means less time for all the other fun stuff.

Aprhinehart- Welcome to the group! Feel free to post your goals and read/post at your lesuire! This is an awesome group that I totally love!

AFM- spin today and burned a killer 520 cals- then weighed in and dropped another 1.5 lbs this week. Also dropped 2.5lbs in fat mass dropping into the overweight category in BMI officially! YEAH! Feels amazing! I am also over half way to my goal by 1lb. My bday is in 4.5 weeks and if I can drop 7.5lbs by that time I will weigh 199.5. What a fantastic present to myself! I think if I just keep doing what I’m doing and with my new 15k running schedule that I am starting on Monday I can totally hit that goal if I keep my food on point! Eating clean will be my savior! The plan for this weekend, tomorrow I am going to go for a nice light run. Clean my house, maybe hit up the pool, and then go see Harry Potter! On Sunday my friend and I are going to walk around Georgetown area, so lots of walking there, and then find a place to watch the Women’s World Cup Soccer game! So pumped that USA is in it! I am nervous about the 15k but I am going to just concentrate on one week at a time. Right now the thought of 9.3 miles is overwhelming, but the thought of 2 miles is no big deal, and all I have to do next week is two miles, so look at that, already not worried about the first week! Alright gotta get back to work! Talk to you ladies soon!

Megan

GuamGrly

Happy Friday Lovelies!!

Mandy – sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. Actually you have had a lot on your plate without having to deal with the whole house thing. But $45,000 sounds like a steal but there is also a lot more money, blood, sweat, and tears that need to go into it. I think you know well enough to just pray about it and let things happen as they should. I just hope that you are able to stay sane through all of this cause we definitely don’t want to see you end up in a comatose state. Hang in there girly!!! And you continue to show up and you are still encouraged so we can do this!!

Meghan – I love how you described eating that cake!! I will have to think of that next week when we have cake at work for the monthly birthdays. I usually end up getting more cake than I want. My mind is bigger than my stomach but once I realize that I am forcing myself to shovel the cake in my mouth, I throw it away. Sorry to hear about your slip but glad that it was nothing serious. Anything exciting for vacay??

Meag – congrats on the new PR!!

Anita – sorry to hear about the living situation. How much longer til they are done building your house?? Your porridge sounds yummy!! And I love your song choice!!

Amber – hope you enjoyed the time with your family!! Sounds like you definitely enjoyed the fish fry and oh well…its in the past so now its time to work on the present. And congrats on dating the new guy. I’m sure you will be able to work out some sort of running schedule. I managed with working full-time, going to school full-time, and being a single mom to 2. Its all about figuring out what works best for you.

Megan – congrats on dropping your fat mass and those pounds!! You are on your way to where you want to be. You are killing it!! I love your motivation and attitude!! And no need to be nervous about the 15K are you training and staying on track so I am sure you will do amazing!! Sounds like a fun weekend planned!!

AFM…woke up late (again) this morning but also woke up so excited to start my new life. I think squeezing into my jeans this morning also sparked my ambition to get things going. I also found a cookbook that I had bought a few months back called Cook Yourself Thin. Thought it was perfect timing since I am beginning to plan and cook my own meals. I am excited like I was in the beginning to find new recipes and foods that I can fit into my calories for the day.

Well hope you Lovelies have a wonderful weekend. The internet is down at home apparently but I will try to log in and keep up.

M_lifts

Quick selfish post as im sooo pleased to say that I went out for a run today and managed 5k in 30:06! Woohoo!!

Catch up with you all soon!!

AmberJenay

Quick random post I am gonna get on learning your names ladies so my responses can be a little more personal lol. Will catch up soon!

meagalayne

Hey ladies! Finally a night to myself to actually catch up! And it's already past midnight... Scheduled for a run at 630am so I better get typing :laugh:

Today has been filled with catching up. My body is totally wrecked from this weeks workouts, late nights, and my race yesterday. As you may have seen from my super-short post yesterday, I pushed myself beyond my limits racing yesterday and it felt ah-mazing. I ran faster than I had anticipated and I really impressed myself. I ended up placing 4th out of 13 in my division, and 21st overall in my gender. Pretty pleased with that. It's not the most competitive standing, and there were only 179 finishers, but I still felt like I finished really strong and I am proud of my time/pace. Definitely one of my most fulfilling races to date. Crossing the finish line sub-60 was really overwhelming. I am so proud of my progress, even just these last few weeks. It's entirely a testament to how much harder you can push yourself when you have set targets and goals and you know that your only real limitations are the ones you set for yourself. Knowing that I can do so much more on every run than I tend to expect gives me so much strength and makes me feel like I am capable of overcoming any obstacle I face in life. Each new "victory" is a reminder that I am stronger than I realize most of the time, and that if I am willing to push hard, dig deep, and just be OK with discomfort for a while knowing that "this too shall pass", I can basically get through anything. It's more liberating than I would have ever imagined.

I really cannot express how much running has changed my life. It's been the most empowering and liberating force, and I truly wish I could share that experience with all of you. For anyone contemplating running as a possible hobby, I implore you. It's so, so, so worth it.

Apart from that, work was actually manageable today and for the first time in weeks I took a lunch break! :bigsmile: I left on time and was actually in good spirits at the end of the day. Very unusual for me. It was a great way to cap off the week. Food has been so-so but I am still struggling with maintenance, so I'm not overly worried. Weighed in very light today (post-race, so that counts for something) and am going to just take it easy on the weekend and give myself some room for measured "cheats". We're heading down to the outlets in NY State for shopping tomorrow and I intend to bring lots of healthy snacks and then really enjoy some authentic Caribbean food for dinner. No logging. Back to giving myself a little break on the weekends :happy:

Enough about me! Let's see about catching up....

Amber - Welcome back :flowerforyou: You'll catch up with everyone and learn names as you go. It just takes time. I'm still learning and I've been around since Day 1. There are newbs and veterans always roaming the boards and sometimes it's impossible to keep everyone straight. Just do your best and focus on you - that is always #1 !

Maria - Awesome time! 30:06 was my exact 5K PR for some time! You're going to be running sub-30 in no time, though. Just stick with it and keep logging those miles. It only gets easier (and way, way more fun!)

Bethany - Thx! Felt awesome! Let me know what you're cooking up down there and hopefully we can start inspiring each other on this board once again to make good, healthy meals -- I've been majorly slacking in the food prep dept lately. No time for fun kitchen experiments when other stuff just has to come first. I am very much missing my foodie-time so hopefully I can get my groove back and start experimenting again. Inspire me, Beth!

Megan - Freaking AWESOME weight loss. You are such an inspiration! Def recommend planning your training around a few fun races. When I was training for my 10K and my 10mile races in late 2010, I tried to race once every 2-4 weeks just to keep things fun, take a break from long running, and keep myself inspired. These days I'm racing every 2-3 weeks and LOVING it. It's a great excuse to mix up my schedule, challenge myself, and enjoy some pretty sweet NSVs to keep myself motivated and moving forward. I really love the racing atmosphere too. It keeps me amped up for my final race - helps to remind me of my targets and goals and keeps me focused and on track. It's also just loads of fun. Did I mention that already?

Anita - Too many Meags/Megs/Megans/etc ?! I know! haha There are actually more of us, but a few dropped off in recent months. Gonks is a Meg as well. And I swear there were a few others on here over time... I guess it was a popular name during the mid-80s in North America :huh: Damn my parents and their lack of creativity! Funny thing is, people rarely get my name right regardless. I am always correcting them. Everyone seems to think it should be pronounced "Meeeeg" - who knows! OK way off topic... Sorry to hear you're feeling crummy but I'm glad you feel that you can vent and lay it all out here. I hope it helps! We're always here to listen and support you whenever needed, even if it has absolutely NOTHING to do with health/fitness/weight loss. Sounds like you just need a good glass of wine, a quiet night to yourself, and some R&R - Hope you're feeling better.

***PLEASE let me know how the carrot cake porridge turned out. I'm dying to try it myself! :bigsmile: ***

lalonmeg - I'll add your goals to the list, my dear! Welcome and enjoy the group - Hope you find the support and encouragement you're looking for! :bigsmile:

Updated list for reference:

Allie7383- Finally finish the 30DS, get into the 130's, start and keep up with the bridge to 10k program!
Black_Swan - eat back all exercise calories and keep up with my running plan
Teee2- Lose these next pounds the healthy way with no self harming involved for the next month!!!! (Baby steps!)
marshallj86 - hit 135, ditch the scale, and stick with clean eating (and turn 25! my bday is July 30!)
mkingraham (Megan)- Create a succesful healthy delicious food plan and stick to it, do 30DS with my hubby at least 3 times a week, average at least 6 miles a week of running, own the scale don't let it own me (meaning take my no scale challenge and actually learn and apply the lessons it taught me), get back to my optimistic self!
meagalayne- find time twice a week for strength and make it a priority - don't cut it short!; continue with 1/2 Marathon training plan and make it fit, even when life gets in the way; stop giving myself permission to binge/junk because of training or stress - be accountable and plan out indulgences; drink more water than coffee and sleep >6 hours a night, 5 times a week.
imarunner890s- 155lbs, 10k walkings program, wake up at 8am and get 8 hrs of sleep
guamgrly (Bethany) - no scale!! Focus on the lifestyle, the routine, and meal planning. Work out 3x per week. Drink 8 glasses of water per day. Eat more fruits and veggies
lostalykat- Stick to my calories as best as I can with training, Focus on training these last 4 weeks, Don't worry about the number on the scale but check it weekly to keep me accountable.
Ashleypeterson37- Move into new house on the 15th and wear my HRM, gym 3x a week minimum, try 3 new recipes and drop 8 more pounds, be more active on this page so: post 2x a week!
Mariababe81 (mariam): finish the 30ds and start round 2, zumba once a week and running once a week. once weekly weigh in.allow myself some rest days if i need them! enjoy maintainance!!!
~~KanCrav.... NO SCALE until August 1st!~!~!~!~ Workout 5 times a week, enjoy my trips!
luv_lea~Drink more water-aiming for the general 8 glasses (64 oz.) of water a day, Start 6 Week 6 Pack video and do at least 4 days a week! Continue running 1 mile (or more?) 3 times a week, and lastly, lose 2.5 lbs. for the month of July!
Elmersglue (Ellie): Train for Sept 5k at least once a week, at least 7 hours of sleep 5x a week (!!), no emotional binging (mainly Sunday nights, when life and things tend to catch up), get to know everyone here^^
cmg2008- Finish c25k and continue running at least 3 times a week, finish 30DS, accumulate 1200mintues of exercise, and get down into the low 140s.
tjradd73(Tara)-to lose 4lbs, 30/35 days of 30DS, 10,000 steps/day (Sun-Tue), Tues stretch/yoga, <1400 avg cals,< 4 days over cals total, and try to get <180g carbs, and >60g protein.
tobemotivated - do the 30ds (first day was today!), lose 5lbs, drink more water, eat less sugar!
glitterballv-1. To stop overeating with sweets and cake! 2. Run three times a week, try and start bridge to 10k. 3. Try to get to at least one spin class a week.
Anitanz- Get to 64kg’s. Drink less alcohol. Limit chocolate at work to <100 cals per day.
ComfortFoodAddict: 64 oz water/day, No sodas!, sleep 6 hours 5x/wk, workout at least 4x/wk, drop below 170 *at least* again, log food without omitting anything 6x/wk
Allislefttogain: Start training for my first full marathon; at least 96 ounces of water a day; make initial appointment with a physical therapist; hit 583.33 miles running by month end; at least 2 strength training sessions a week
zerozeta0: Run 40 miles a week. Drink 8 cups of water a day. Limit candies/chocolates to once a week. Limit coffee to 3 times a week. Get down to 105.
emiyr9602 - get through level 3 of the 30DS, lose my last 9 lbs, drink atleast 72oz of water a day, and continue to work through the c25k!
AmberJenay - Lose 5 lbs, workout 4-5 times/week, and continue to build myself up.
annemade- lose 2 pounds per week - therefore 8 pounds this month
lalonmeg000- Drink only water or unsweat tea; Lose .5 inches for each major area of my body; focus on fueling my body by eating throughout the day and not one large meal. ; focus on myself at workouts not the people around me.

PHEW! It's getting late, especially for an early AM run and a full day of outlet shopping (an olympic sport in its own right...)

Last thing - QOTD! Let's bring this back please!
The one song that makes me feel on top of the world? hmmm Nothing comes to mind. I just listen to whatever plays on shuffle and it's all Ty's music lol! I've been enjoying running to the beats of Pheonix lately, though, and I always enjoy running to the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Arcade Fire, I'm From Barcelona, and The Avett Brothers. Not your typical running music, but you know... Definitely looking for some suggestions. Please!

QOTD for Sat (my turn): What's your BEST, go-to method for overcoming negative self-talk or a defeatist attitude. How do you get yourself out of a funk/rut and back on track?

Remember ladies - Only YOU can make today great! So just DO IT. Much love!

anitanz

Hi Ladies,
Just a quick post as I have a few minutes up my sleeve between folding a mountain of washing and getting ready to go out for dinner.
Meag- Funny that there are so many of you, I don't know many Megans at all, but maybe all the Megans in New Zealand are teenagers because trends are always slow to get here. LOL. When I went to India everyone was saying to me, 'Anita, that is a very common name in India', and my Mum kept clenching her teeth and saying 'popular, not common', under her breath. So funny. Anyway, I digress, I am so impressed by your attitude to running!! I love it! It reminds me of the way I felt a few years ago and now I am keen to get back to that. I love how running is so pure, that you can do it without having to buy loads of gear, you can do it virtually anywhere and any time, and your progress is so measurable! It really doesn't take long to see improvements and when you are running and it's feeling light and easy it is really just like sheer joy. There is a reason they call it runners high right? I think you are feeling it right now :drinker: Now I'm inspired to get back to it !!

As for the carrot cake porridge, it was really yummy but I want to tweak the recipe a little. I cooked it on the stove as per the recipe but I think next time (probably tomorrow) I will cook it in the microwave, because I like the consistency of microwave porridge (more glutenous maybe because it doesn't stick to the pot? and less dishes LOL) Also, I want to try microwaving the carrot and fruit with a little water and some spices first, so that the carrot cooks more and gets more caramelised like in a carrot cake. The recipe only called for 1/4c grated carrot, but I reckon you could easily do 1/2c or maybe even 3/4c for a more intense flavor, think tomorrow I will add dates too. Yum!!

See why it's so hard for me to eat healthy? I just LOVE baking!! haha
Take care ladies
x
Anita