*** Supportive Friends -- Looking to Release 50+ Pounds ***

@Jane, yes, surprisingly enough, my boy made it home with all his stuff. Congrats on proper pushups! They are tough! Hoping work goes better for you. Have you finished the project where the deadline was moved up?

@Tru - The "dead" bunny story is great! I think though, that I will never have one as a pet. When I was really little my older sister had one, and that thing was vicious! Bit me till I bled...
I'm surprised you're able to type after all that weeding. I need to go do some, but I'm totally dreading it. I'm always so sore afterward.

@Ron - no, I did not blindfold my babies! Silly man. As far as running in that heat goes, I think it's part of why I was so exhausted yesterday. I just had NO energy at all. Sat around and did nothing all day. But I'm up and at it again today, and extremely thankful that it's only in the 70's today. By the way, congrats on your awesome NSV for your trip to Germany! In India, take lots of pictures of cool stuff and share them please.

Today is a not crazy day. Love it. Tomorrow, craziness picks up again. Going to see my husbands latest play, and taking our children (should be interesting, 4 year old has never been to one). Hoping my parents come to see it so I can have a little help with him.
Thursday, Independence Day! Yes, I still celebrate it, even though I'm an honorary Brit. Spending the entire day out at my in-laws tribal firework stand (where you can get the good stuff that's illegal elsewhere).
Friday, driving down to Oregon, Mt. Hood National Park, overnight camping & and hike to Ramona Falls on Saturday with about 20 other people from my family. Four plus hours driving each way.
Sunday, probably a trip to Tacoma with my sister and mom, Babies-R-Us! We'll probably help her get a registry started.
Monday. Hm. I think I'll do nothing on Monday. That sounds good to me. LOL

So with all this madness going on, I'll probably not be commenting here for a few days! Hope you all have a good rest of your week, and good weekends!

Just joining to see if I can finally motivate myself to eat right and get rid of this weight. I have 70lbs to lose. Gosh it's tough to have to admit that. Got a walk this AM and had a good breakfast. Now if I can only avoid the 2pm munchies and after dinner dessert cravings.

@srwinks - Welcome aboard!

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday!

@tru - yep super busy - but not too busy to come on the board and say 'yay, it's weekend'!!!!!

I'm back on track - have done my session on the cross trainer this evening and will back with the ferocious Jillian Michaels workout tomorrow. Going to pick up some Friday fish and chips in a bit then we are going to the cinema in Brighton to watch the new Superman film. I'm spectacularly unexcited about it as a film but husband wants to see it and there is nothing wrong with a friday evening cinema trip. Have my parents coming round on Sunday - we offer them tea and cake and in exchange I get a couple of hours work in the garden from my dad - and advice on what else I can do with it. Seems like a fair deal!

Have a good weekend all

@Jane - It's great to hear that you are back on track! And doesn't it feel great? I always find when I am in a funk I kind of half-heartedly make my way through workouts, but when I am back in the groove, it feels AWESOME!! I'm actually starting to love that Jillian. Who would have thought?! Glad to hear you are back with her as well! How did you like "Man of Steel"? I have yet to make it out to see it, but have heard very good things. Agreed, tea and cake in exchange for garden work is a spectacular deal!

@Steph - So glad to hear you are feeling more positive! Great goal! I am not a runner, so any running is very impressive to me. Throwing in hills? You are a rock star! Please don't ever feel deflated for attempting a challenge. That's why it is called a challenge. It is suppose to be something that you have to work at and eventually conquer. Imagine how great it will feel when one day you run the hills as though they are flats!!! Were you are at now is just a starting point. What level you take your fitness too is completely up to you. You just need to commit. You can do it! As for the munching, just make sure you keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand. I've recently re-discovered baby carrots and hummus. Easy to travel and very tasty! How did the pamper session go? 5-hour training session sounds awesome! I hope you go for it!

I spent 2.5 hours at the garden yesterday. It was 36C (96F). So, I must be doing something right to have lasted that long. Although I must remember to bring along more water. Thirsty was an understatement! The tomatoes and beans are blossoming. Is blossoming the correct term? Anyways, the peas are climbing higher and higher and then lettuce is out-of-control (in a good way). The carrot tops also look good, but I'm not really sure how you know when the carrots themselves are ready. So much to learn!

As far as challenges go, I thought I add a little note. Never be afraid to try. If you fail, so be it. Make that your starting point and progress from there. The important thing is to never give up. Try again. There are no rules on how quickly you have to progress nor how quickly you need to conquer a challenge. And sometimes you learn your limits and realize you can't conquer said challenge, that's okay too. But trying your best is what matters. So please, always have faith in yourself, listen to your body, and aim for your personal best!

All the best! Have a wonderful Sunday!! xo

Hello lovely people! I'm back from the wilderness. Literally. Friday morning, after running and yoga, and packing up my car, I drove myself and the boys 3.5 hours southeast to Mt. Hood in Oregon. Set up my tent, helped my aunt set up hers, built a fire, herded cats (children), roasted hot dogs & marshmallows, inhaled too much smoke, explored the campground, went to bed, and stayed awake half the night. It was fun until that last part. I am not built for sleeping on the ground!! I even stole my boys sleeping mats to add to mine (they're young, they can handle it!), and it was still 3 a.m. before I fell asleep. Woke up at 5:30, had to go to the bathroom of course. Then couldn't get back to sleep, and my older son woke up shortly after I did, so we got up and made a fire, heated up water for hot cocoa & coffee (lots of coffee!) and had our breakfast. It felt somewhat weird, but I did yoga outside while waiting for my hot water. All standing poses so I wouldn't get dirty. After a while, boy two woke up, and had breakfast, and spilled his hot cocoa and cried, ate a marshmallow and was happy. Sent boys one and two to hang out with my aunt and cousins while I broke down camp, then drove to the Ramona Falls trailhead. Most of the rest of my family who had planned on being there was there first, and we headed out at about 10:45 a.m. About a quarter mile in, I realized I had forgotten the Northwest Forest Pass in my purse, so had an impromptu half mile run. Then we continued with the hike. Boy two is 4 years old and 37 lbs fully clothed, and I spent about 1/3 of the hike carrying him on my back. It was incredibly difficult! But between my dad and I, he made it up to the falls. I'd say the hike is relatively easy, if you're already in shape. 7.2 miles round trip. But not being in the best shape of my life, and adding herding and carrying my children to that, on not nearly enough sleep, it was not easy! But it was fun, because I did it with my family, specifically my aunt, who has recently lost 66 lbs, and my brother in law who is lighter now by 80 lbs.
I did not get home until 10 p.m. yesterday, and I was originally planning on a shopping day with my mom and sister today. That did not happen. I got up at 8, put pics of the hike on facebook, went back to bed for an hour, got up, had some toast, planted my backside in the recliner, and didn't really get out of it until 2:30, at which point I went to bed and slept for an hour. While my husband used the weedeater beneath our open bedroom window! lol, I am really tired! The rest of my plans for today include sleeping some more, and maybe sleeping again later. I'll catch up with you all later!

Hi all,

Don't have a lot of time to post, but I've written my first impressions of India into my blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ron2e - more to come later plus pics.

Keep going you wonderful people!!

@Tru, I used to be built for camping, did it many time growing up. And on into adulthood. I think it's the part where I had to sleep on the ground, instead of using an air mattress. I drive a really small car and was trying to be economical with the space I had to pack. That's not happening again! lol
Glad to hear your garden is growing well, and I hope it's not too weedy when you get back to it. And you're right, the eye thing sounds painful! I hope you heal up quickly.

@Ron, pics please! Read the blog, sounds like an interesting place to be...

@Jane, I'd like to try your peach jam! Sounds yummy :happy: Hopefully your weekend was relaxing enough to make the work week bearable! Hope things get better at work soon.

@Steph, you may not like running outside, but it makes you a stronger runner! I have only once run on my treadmill since January when I got started with this. I just hate using it. How was your pamper session, good I hope? And did you go to the 5 hour (!) training session? That sounds intense btw.

So here it is Thursday afternoon. Spent Sunday recovering from my hike on Saturday. On Monday, I baked 8 loaves of bread, paid my bills, went to the grocery store, and ran 4 miles. And my husband came home with a 32" flat screen tv for our bedroom. Not sure what I think of that one yet...
The rest of the week has been pretty mellow. Other than hitting a major goal in weight loss! Now officially 1/3 of the way there. 50 lbs gone forever.
And yesterday, I ran 5.65 miles! I did the first 5 without stopping, but I was getting pretty tired that last little bit, and stopped about 4 times! lol! But I should be able to make it through the 8K I have coming up on the 20th. I plan on doing another long run on Saturday morning.

Been thinking about the changes made in my life in the past 6 months (tomorrow is my 6 month mark), and I think just a year ago I would have laughed out loud if someone told me I'd be running 5+ miles on a regular basis. Or planning on running a marathon before I turn 36 (which is 2.5 years out still). Glad I'm sticking with it this time!!

Just a quick check in to see how everyone is doing. Had a nice weekend - didn't get up to much - far too warm!! Got a man coming round this morning to talk to us about wood flooring - all good but he's late so I've had to go to work. Left my husband at home grumbling about the fact that the guy is stuck in traffic - why didn't he leave earlier etc etc!!

Anyway will check in later properly - have a lovely Monday all!

Another quick check in - pics from my India visit on my blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ron2e

Great trip back, got an upgrade to Business with air miles so had a seat that converted to a lie flat bed, the best way to travel long haul! I weighed myself when I got back Sunday afternoon and was the same as when I left which was great news as I knew, if I followed the normal pattern, I would lose over the next two or three days, and sure enough, as of this morning I'm down 1.8 lbs since Sunday 7th, with hopefully more to follow tomorrow!! Thinking at the moment I should get a body fat analyser scale, first I must persuade my wife to get rid of her ancient scales (non electronic!) and put my current 6 month old ones in her bathroom!

@alliek23 - welcome to the thread! You've certainly come to the right place for support and motivation - stick with us and we'll try and help you along! What are you doing at school? Nice to have a fellow HR person here - I've recently moved over to a Learning and Development role which gives me a very different view of the world - the UK world of HR that is!

Ron - sounds like you had a good time in India - well done for coming back in one piece! And congrats on the continued weight loss! What sort of body fat analyser are you going for? I got a set of Weight Watchers scales that measure body fat - not totally sure how accurate they are but they certainly seem to do a job.

Meg - hope your litlle one is feeling better now. Good luck with the race at the weekend - hope to see some pics!

Happy Tuesday all - hope everyone is having a good week. We are experiencing something of a heat wave here in the UK - lovely during the day but I wish it would cool down so that I can get to sleep at night! Predicted to last until the end of the month apparently - can't complain, it's doing wonders for the tomatoes and beans in the garden

@alliek23 - Welcome, you will find plenty of support here!

@jane - I've ordered this one - http://www.withings.com/en/bodyanalyzer - should be with me today. I've also pre-ordered this - http://www.withings.com/en/pulse - to go along with it, though that is only released in the UK on 16th August so I'll have to wait for a bit! They're probably OTT but I am a gadget freak and I think I deserve a little treat!

@_tru_ - glad you like Rory, he was an awesome guitarist! I have a boxed set of CDs loaded in the car. Don't like the sound of pickaxes, rather shoot them!

Well, India was a blast. I have to admit that I was expecting not to like it but it was great, the people were friendly and welcoming and the food was much better than I had hoped for, very tasty. I look forward to going back for another visit, probably in six months or so. The Indians have a quaint old english saying "I will do the needful" (I will do what is necessary) which my colleague and I hijacked, so when he went for a smoke he was "doing the harmful", meeting in the bar was "doing the drinkful" and so on :laugh:

Now I'm back down to earth with a German project, probably over there week after next but still to be arranged. This is a difficult time of the year with lots of necessary people on vacation so it's either work around them or wait. Next week is travel in the UK for two days so not so bad.

Life is good, and getting better with every ounce lost!

Forgot to mention, I've posted some more pics on my blog.

Ack! Feels like forever since I've posted in my favorite thread!

@Steph, you're so close to that 100 lb mark that you'll be there in no time! And hopefully the DOMS aren't too terrible. Have a fun weekend with your cousins!

@Ron, I took a look at the India pics, looks like a very interesting trip. And you've been "doing the needful" really well lately, congrats on the weight continuously falling off!

@Tru, love the quotes you've been posting lately! And I hope your skunk incident wasn't too stinky...

@Jane, glad your garden is doing well in the heat, has is cooled down for you yet? My little guy is all better. I did take to the doctor on Monday, she said he had something called torticollis, a virus of some sort, but it goes away in a couple days. Common in little kids, but not very contagious, which is good, because he was around a bunch of other littles right before he got sick.

@AllieK23, welcome! This is a lovely bunch to hang out with :bigsmile:

I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for the 8K race tomorrow. I know I'll probably be one of the last runners in, which I'm fine with, I'm just hoping I have the strength to run the entire thing. Been having a little trouble with my right calf/heel.
One thing I have discovered, I am not ready for minimalist running shoes. At least the pair I got was only $22.50, and I'll hang on to them for when I've lost more weight, and maybe go do some trail running.
My 9 year old comes home today from camp. A friend of mine from church was working there as part of her job this week (my hubby actually used to work with her, he hired her for her current position with his tribe), and she texted me some pictures during the week, so I was able to keep up on how he was doing, which I was really glad of.
After my race tomorrow, going to go visit a friend, and see the house their in the process of building. Hope she doesn't mind me showing up in my running clothes!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

To those having problems sleeping in the hot weather, I learned from living in Africa there was only one solution outside of air conditioning. Firstly, don't wear anything (other than your sleep monitor!) to bed, secondly pull back the covers/duvet/whatever and lie on top of the bed uncovered. This will seem a little strange at first as you feel vulnerable, but as long as you have checked the closets and under the bed for monsters you should be OK. You will find in the morning, at some point you will have pulled the covers up as the night got cooler, you seem to be able to regulate your temperature even though asleep. It never fails for me and I have been doing it for many years in hotter temperatures and higher humidity than we are having currently. A quiet fan set on very low just to disturb the air can also help.

@Jane - Pimms jelly sounds interesting but isn't there a lot of sugar in it? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

@Meg - good luck with the 8K, I do admire your determination! Just don't overdo it, if you have problems with your calf/heel, pat yourself on the back for the bit you've done and retire gracefully rather than give yourself a more permanent injury!

@Steph - glad to see you more positive and getting back to your 100 lbs under! Kettlebells sound like an affliction "The doctor has diagnosed a severe case of kettlebells, so I have to stay in bed for a week".............

After having to return my Withings WiFi scale which was clearly faulty after less than a day, I am very pleased with my new Omron analyser scale which is consistent in its measurements, agrees with my previous scales to the fraction of a pound, and confirm that my weight continues to drop. The minor downside is it doesn't have the WiFi capability so I've got to manually enter my measurements onto MFP!! I guess I can count the calories that takes as non exercise........... I'm also getting used to my new Fitbit One and really like the apps and website that go with it so I'm sure this is going to help my motivation, not that that's a problem at the moment, but you never know!

Hopefully going to have a quiet weekend, apart from doing some expenses for work and possibly a visit to the bottle bank, I have nothing major I have to do which makes a change!

Wow! It has been awhile since I have been on here.

Ron has been having an affair with his FitBit. Meg ran 8000 miles and back again. Jane is kicking butt as always. Steph is swimming her way to Australia. And AllieK23 has entered the mix. Sound about right? lol

Glad to see that everyone is doing so well!!! I have been busy with life. All good things, just too many at once. Finally, after many false starts, I have started the project at work for which I was originally hired (over 6 years ago!), so much learning, training, and brain overloading going on. Keeping up with eating healthy and moving more as much as I can. Unfortunately, the hot, sticky weather does not help for motivation.

Great (and odd) NSV for me (and possibly Mr. Red Shorts?). I have been feeling much better about myself which in turn shows as greater confidence. I went for a walk yesterday morning and Mr. Red Shorts came running past from behind. About 20 minutes later he came running from the other direction and just as I was about to say hello, he motioned to me, smiled and said hello first! Swoon! His smile melted my heart. I had a 2.5 second love affair with him. Alas, it was not meant to be and he jogged out of my heart as quickly as he ran in, but it made my day all the same!

Our garden is crazy filled with veggies now - beans, peas, carrots, beets, and lettuce. Still waiting on the peppers and tomatoes. I had forgotten how tasty fresh veggies from the garden are. I'm so in love with produce again!!

I have not had anymore skunk sightings, but there has definitely been some spraying going on. Thankfully not at my front door. There is still a little smell lingering and with the heat it really isn't pleasant. Eesh!

No sure if I mentioned, so please forgive me if I am repeating myself... I purchased a little bird bath a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure if it was being used. Everytime I looked, no birds. Then one morning I looked out and Yay! a Gold Finch flew in to drink. He came and left several times (or perhaps it was several of them?). And, there was also some bugs/insects/bees that were coming in to drink as well. Not as crazy about that, but at least it is being used. And THEN, the Robin. He cam and perched himself on the edge and there he stayed. He didn't drink or bathe, but certainly staked his territory. He was there for about an hour. Crazy Robin, bird baths are for everyone! lol

So, here's something. I don't have an exact answer (and never will), but I do have a theory. Let's play 20 questions and see what we can all come up with...

Scenario: I woke up this morning and ventured into my garage. There, right smack dab in the middle of the floor, lay my work safety goggles. How did they get there?

Have a wonderful night!! xo