My binge moments are generally motivated by a sense that I want to indulge or treat myself. They're almost always accompanied by trashy TV and wine (pre-pregnancy) and happen when my husband (and before him, my roommate) isn't home. For some reason the peer pressure of having other people around keeps me from going overboard by eating to MUCH food when I'm at restaurants or parties, although like Abigail I have a hard time making good choices when there's yummy food in front of me.

I'm jealous of you all with gorgeous weather! It is just plain gross here. Kind of rainy, but not the hard rain that clears everything out, just that misty kind of rain that hangs around forever. But my friend and I had a walking date this morning and I got in another walk at lunch so I'm still managing to get in some exercise. I have a running date tomorrow morning and that's always a good workout.

I am due November 5.

I typically binge when I am stressed and I just don't even think about what I am doing and then afterwards I'm like why the heck did I just do that?! My other overeating tends to be in social situations. Like when we get together for dinners at friends houses we will always have a bunch of appetizers and stuff and I will just keep picking and by the time the dinner comes I am not even hungry.

I tend to binge less when the weather is nice, so I am hoping with summer coming it will all get under control.

Alberta, Canada = cold.

BUT - we will be in Hawaii and San Diego in August! (Plus, I'm doing a weekend in Las Vegas May 30th...)

Some FUN/HOT stuff on the horizon!

Hmmm, I can binge when I'm bored, drinking, it's the weekend, I didn't eat enough all day, it's baked goods (because I don't bake much), if there's good stuff in front of me...really no reason at all :grumble: But the biggest reason would be emotional. When I am stressed or upset, I eat :ohwell: Chloe, I agree...when it's hot outside, I am not as hungry and am more inclined to eat "lighter".

I live in Omaha, Nebraska. Typically, we have four seasons, but mother nature didn't get the memo this year. It's been cold and only "Spring" - like the last couple of days, just enough to tease us before we get more snow tomorrow or Thursday :sad: Fall is definitely my favorite here as the summers are humid and winters are cold!

Little side note, I took sick leave this afternoon (aka mental health time) so I could get to the gym early and do weights before I taught my class because I didn't lift yesterday and if I didn't lift today, I wouldn't get my three lifts in this week! So, although I have been inconsistent with the nutrition, the last week, I have stuck to the weights!! Yes!!!

Alright, here's my 16-month progress pic, taken this morning:

4" off at my hip-bones and about 3" off at the widest part of my bum, Amy.

i do have ALL MY STATS, written down, every single month, from when I started 16 months ago.

Current measurements / What I should aim for (VI)
Weight 143.0 lbs. / ~138.0 lbs.?
Waist 26.50" / 25.98"
Hips 39.00" / 36.89"
Shoulders 42" / 41.75"

If I have learned ANYTHING in Venus, it's that POSING IS EVERYTHING! (Notice how my legs are placed in the 2nd photo....notice how my arms are placed in the 2nd photo....)

Proper lighting would have actually made my musculature "pop", but I didn't have time for proper lighting.

Tanning would have made my skin smoother and better pics - I haven't tanned.

So, I'm learning HOW to position my body so that my "assets" pop and my problem areas (saddlebags/hips) are less noticeable.

Also, notice the bottoms???? Someone told me, for PEAR-shapes, to BUY string-bikini bottoms! (I just learned this this week!) I thought, "no friggin' way....not with THESE HIPS". Alas, I folded my underwear down, this morning, and the DIFFERENCE it made in the shot is just INCREDIBLE.

It's posing, Amy....

I live in Washington DC. We get all of the seasons, but fall and spring are very short and our winter is pretty mild. We get cold weather, but not much snow. It's great for walking and running; there are lots of trails everywhere and my near-daily lunchtime walk is on the National Mall which is pretty cool.

Beeps--I'm due October 19. And great progress! I can't see the picture at work but 4" off your hip bone is definitely impressive!

Ashley--Hope you have a fun day at the track!

Amy--I love soup. When I was trying to lose weight for my wedding I used to have it all the time--like you said it's really filling for the amount of calories in it.

Abigail--That's so cool that you play piano! It's a great talent.

Ramalem--Welcome! There are two challenges going on. The ongoing one is that each of us (more or less) comes up with a few personal goals for the week, which can be anything (eat X grams of protein, exercise X number of times, lift X pounds, whatever you want). On top of that, we have the "star" challenge, where you set a goal for the week as to how many calories you're going to eat (on a net basis if you eat back your exercise calories). You get stars based on whether you hit your goal or how much you're off by:

1. If you eat your weekly calories - you get a GOLD STAR.
2. If you eat BELOW your weekly calories - you get a PLATINUM STAR.
3. If you eat 1 - 500 OVER your weekly calories - you get a SILVER STAR.
4. If you eat 501 - 1,000 OVER your weekly calories - you get a BRONZE STAR.
5. 1,001+ - you get NO STAR.

You can either make your goal to NET 9,100 calories (Food - Exercise = Net, so if you burn 1,500 calories during the week, and you eat 10,600, your total net calories would be 10,600 - 1,500 = 9,100, and you will have hit your goal), or to EAT 10,600, whichever you prefer. Most people who eat back their exercise calories (i.e., they would only eat the extra 1,500 calories if they actually burned 1,500 exercise calories) use the net number.

Bah!!! Beeps - can't see the pic at work I'll be back later tonight after work and gym!! Smooches!