Ris – You go!! Great job getting in your exercise and sticking to one treat a meal Can't believe it's almost time for that baby!

Ashley – Wowzers you have a busy week!! Where do you live again?! I love Festivals! Happy Anniversary!! Your plans for celebrating sound awesome!! Enjoy all of your outings!

Beeps – As you said, maintenance is better than a gain and you still got a star! And movie popcorn is a TOTAL treat!! I am cracking up at your “I love them but I hate them” comment, haha!! I totally understand that comment!! Honestly, a break from challenges may be just what you need. It has done wonders for my motivation and progress!! Just mentally and physically, it can be so refreshing. We don’t want you burnt out!!

I start teaching 2 new Aqua Zumba classes this week. First one was this morning, I about died. My alarm didn’t go off so I didn’t eat breakfast, thought I was gonna pass out! Luckily I did not! Tonight I lift with my son and I have Italian stuffed portabella mushrooms planned for din...yum!

Here's my date-night supper/dessert, all planned out:

Supper (upscale restaurant)

1.5 cups - Korean Fried Cauliflower, Sesame Seeds, Scallions

4 oz. Pan-Roasted Salmon

1/2 cup Roast Confit Potatoes

1/2 cup Arugula & Corn

1 tsp. Avocado-Lime Vierge

Dessert

1 x Maple-Bacon Cider Donuts (donut-hole sized)

(I have no idea how many calories this is - anybody want to hazard a guess?)

All I know is that I have fasted since 7:00 pm last night, it is now 4:22 pm and I am hungry and READY for this meal!

We didn't eat food until 6;45 pm! So, that means I fasted for 23.5 hours....that's as CLOSE to a 24-hour fast as i've gotten, lol. Woohoo! And, I ate and felt full and went home and went to bed. yay!

Abigail - boo on m-i-l who bring tasty food....wha?? I mean YAY on m-i-l who bring tasty food!!! My m-i-l has not, in the 15 years I've known my husband cooked me a single meal. Ever. Not once. Not ever. True, she lives in the UK (and we've only gone over there 1 time!)....true, she only visits us once-per-year (although, this year, we had her the first weekend in October and she's coming back this weekend....she spent the month of October here in Canada!).

Well my class was not yoga-ey at all. It was more pilates but harder. She did 3 rounds of about 8-10 1 minute drills of stuff with stability ball and weights. I am sore still today and not sure if it was from the lifting Tuesday morning or the class. Probably a combo because my quads, tris and abs are sore in addition to my glutes. It was reasonably challenging. I'm going to bring my 8 pound weights next week. The instructor is super strong. I'm a little dissapointed it's not more yoga centered, but maybe she can incorporate some later. Anyways, I think it will be a good addition to my routine. Most likely I will be lifting only twice a week (which has been standard the last few weeks anyways), doing this class and 2 runs.

Typically I would have lifted this morning, but I lifted Tuesday morning, did the class that night and then ran about 3 miles with the stroller yesterday morning and I was just beat - like sleepy and my body was tired. And I slept sort of crappy last night. Still tired. I may try to get up and lift in the morning and squeeze in a run at some point this weekend.

Beeps, that food sounds yummy.

Abigail, I hate that flabby feeling. You'll bounce back once things settle down, which it sounds like they are.

That's all I can see on this thread. Hope you are all doing well!

Better - that class sounds really awesome! The one downfall of my gym is they just are NOT inventive, at all, when it comes to "group programming". You get your standard "yoga" (not for me), your standard "cycling" (off-times, for me), your standard "step-aerobics" (this I *do* like)....but, anything that sounds "creative" just doesn't sell at my gym. Too many of the geriatric set, to be honest.

Amy - congrats on being 'back to work'! I think the whole WORLD is RELIEVED at the most recent USA financial developments.

How exciting Ris!!! Good luck this weekend. I hope he comes soon! This is your first? Mind came on her due date. I hope the same for you. :flowerforyou: I'll be thinking of you this weekend.

No workout this morning. I was up for about an hour in the wee hours of the morning for the second night in a row. I'm also coming down with something: allergies or a cold I think. So I did not get up and lift this morning. I'll probably try to lift during nap time on Saturday and maybe get a run in Sunday. We'll see how the weather is. The cold tends to make me want to get under a blanket and watch scary movies.....

Have a great weekend ladies!

Thanks ladies! Yep this is my first. I am definitely hoping he comes sooner rather than later! I've pretty much wrapped up everything I need to do at work and I did all the preparation at home I could think of (thank you shutdown), so now it's just a matter of waiting. Beeps--I hope your gf is feeling better now! I feel like it's so hard for some people to tell when they're actually in labor, I've heard a lot of stories of people thinking their water broke or that labor had started just to go to the hospital and get sent back home. I'm hoping to stay at home as long as possible so hopefully that won't happen to me, but we'll see....

I think I'm officially addicted to logging. I didn't log at all during the day yesterday because I was so busy, and I was thinking that I should probably give myself a break from logging for a while (if I'm ever going to do it it seems like now is the time), but then last night I went back and logged everything I ate just to check on where I was. I think I'm hooked on the satisfaction of being under my calorie (which is much easier when you're eating for two). I'll be forced to take a break when all the chaos of labor/delivery starts, but I just think its kind of funny how far I've come--it wasn't that long ago that I had to force myself to log on weekends to keep myself accountable, and before that just to log at all, and now I can't help but check up on how I'm doing.

Ris - I hope you're baby is on the way!

Amy - sorry to read about your Dad...my thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

I hadn't heard that "4-burner" theory from Dave S new book - so thank you for blogging about that....because I find it interesting. It makes more sense the way you are approaching it (i.e. burners can't all be on high at the same time....) and I'm glad you are being patient with yourself as you devote some time to your Dad and his needs.

I hope to hear about a baby from Ris soon!

Amy, sorry to hear about your Dad. You will be in my thoughts as well. :flowerforyou: It sounds like you have your priorities in line. You're right; we can't do it ALL all the time. I struggle with trying to be super everything: super wife/mom/employee/fitness guru/cook/daughter/sister/friend/etc. and sometimes, something has gotta give.

Hope you all had a nice weekend. I was lazy Saturday for the most part. It was rainy, cold, and I have some sort of funk. Got some stuff done around the house, had some friends over Saturday night, and had family birthday for Eric Sunday at his Mom and Dad's. I did get one lift in, but no run as I hoped for. I did start a new puzzle. I'm a little addicted to puzzles. I stayed up till 11:30 last night putting together the Hudson Bay. :ohwell:

I've got plans for a run during lunch today; brought my bag to work. Tomorrow I have my class. Wednesday I'm off so will do a 3ish mile stroller run. Thursday morning I should lift, and then again sometime this weekend and hopefully get in another run. I've got meals planned as well. Have a great week ladies!

No news here:grumble: I've been trying to walk a lot and eat tons of pineapple, but nothing's happening.

Amy I'm so sorry to hear that your Dad isn't doing better. David Sedaris' analogy is a good one, and I think you're right that it doesn't necessarily have to be an on/off situation. Obviously you can't blow off work, but now's probably not the time to try to take on a ton of new projects either. And it's probably good to keep working out and eating healthy if if makes you feel better, but not to try to keep up a regimented routine or be stepping on the scale everyday. I'll be thinking about you and your family! ((((HUGS))))