Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Before I begin, I will warn you...some of the things I am thankful for are meaningful and lovely and others are a bit shallow and/or humorous. There, I've stated that, now I can continue. :devil:

Today I am thankful for automatic start on my van. We had freezing rain yesterday (a nice slick coat over all vehicles and sidewalks and roads) and will be covered with a projected 6" of snow today and tomorrow. I do have to venture out so I am very thankful that I can start my car from inside and at least some of the scraping of windows will go easier.

@meister...I agree, protein shakes are a great way to go and they are filling.

@karenleona...ahh to be young again...If I went on a weekend like your son, I'd have to recuperate for a month. :grumble:

@Robin..hope the cortisone shot helps and I'm glad you listened to the doctor.

@Michelle...sorry to hear about your brother. It's hard to shut off those thoughts when you have time to spare...is there a positive item that you can focus on to distract you when you have those moments?

@Susan...yes, sorry we missed each other. We had a good time. My friend and I are very used to travelling together, but it was a different dynamic with our husbands. Fun, but definitely different. We made it out to see Hoover Dam on a tour (buy one get one free from our hotel) and we're glad we did, but we wished for about 45 more minutes. We saw a dueling pianos show, burlesque show, got to Pawn Stars and had fun just seeing the sights. I really like Carnaval when I was there, but our hotel room was right above it and didn't like it then...:laugh:

@Kaye...sorry to hear about your brother in law needing surgery and your dad needing a care facility. I had to watch my parents deal with those types of decisions and its never easy. It sounds like it might be short term, so that's one thing to focus on.

@Laurie...great ideas/hints.

@Karen...what is Christkindlmart???

@Jnettie... ugh, what a day!! Yes, I think bed is the only thing that can heal one of those days...hope today is better, :flowerforyou: And congrats on the NSV!

@kah...great reminders that we need to remember to look at the big picture and not beat ourselves up for one/two "mess ups"

@p1xy...remind me where you are located? I am in ND and we are going to get to -24 plus windchill in the next few days. However, it looks like the teens next week (I think we get those super cold spells so that we can say "It's not cold, we're at 18 degrees." :bigsmile: ) Tough and hardy right??

AFM: I went to the chiropractor yesterday and was told to not do any squats or deadlifts this week. He apparently doesn't want me to put my back out of whack like it was...boy it feels better today!! He also fixed my "popping" shoulder. It never hurt, but whenever I benched (even just the bar), I would get a clicking noise. Yesterday I met my calorie goal, missed my water goal, but did okay with salt.

I know this is long winded, but I have to share a few items that my daughter had on her Santa Wish List. She handed it to me in a "made" envelope already addressed to Santa at the North Pole. She did not share with me any of these items, so I thought quickly and told her we couldn't use her envelope and I would have to take her list out while she was at school and put it in a "regular" envelope. Off to school she went. Her list is 20 items long!!! She requested 3 animals (we live in an apartment that won't allow them), 5 dolls/stuffed animals (she doesn't even play with the dolls she already has), an iPod (no!), a laptop (no!) and miscellaneous items. The three that really stand out to me are 1. Every won to have a happy Cristmas 2. a letter from Santa (she's at the age that she's starting to question) and 3. to be good. We'll see

My exercise plan:
Monday - Water Aerobics (DONE)
Tuesday - Lift
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Lift
Friday - Cardio
Saturday - Lift
Sunday - Rest

I hope you all have a great Tuesday night!

Tracy

@robin--I'm sorry that your condition is so serious, but thrilled that you at least have an answer and a course of treatment. Keeping my fingers crossed that the antibiotics work and you don't need to go the surgery route.

@tracy--loved the story about your daughter's letter--so cute! Here is a description of the Christkindlmarkt I'm going to on Friday: "ChristKindl Festival is an open-air event during the holiday season featuring authentic German food, drinks, fun activities for families and kids crafts, live reindeer, carousel & train rides, even Santa's house." There's a really big one in downtown chicago as well at Daley Plaza that I may also attend--depends on weather and my schedule over the next few weeks. My friends and I mostly go for the German food and drinks, as well as the music and holiday atmosphere.

@p1xy--congrats on the 3 pound loss. My scale was also shockingly down today--we'll see if it sticks. We are also due for a deep freeze beginning on Friday--not quite as cold as your projected temps but down into the teens and perhaps single digits. :ohwell:

@holly--so happy you decided to keep the puppy!! He's so cute in the pic! I looked into getting a Rottie, but I read so much about how dominant they are and that you need to really know what you're doing with training. Decided to NOT go that route for our 1st dog. Of course, then I ended up with the most dominant dog on earth--my gunner. He's half German Shepherd which accounts for his "big dog" attitude. He's really good with me, but won't behave well for anyone else.

My advice to you is to read up on techniques to make sure your puppy knows from the start that you and your son are the bosses. There are lots of little things you can do that I never knew about, but they work like a charm. For example, people eat first and dogs eat second. This teaches the dog that you are the alpha--in the wild the alpha dog always eats first and the rest of the pack gets the leftovers.Another is just randomly taking a toy and putting it away out of the dog's reach. The toys belong to you, and you just let the dog play with them, but they are yours.

I know you didn't ask for my advice, but I wish I had known some of this stuff when we first brought gunner home--it would have made those initial weeks a lot easier. You also have the advantage that your dog is still a puppy and very trainable. Okay, done now.

@kelley--sorry about your back. :grumble: Glad those test results came back looking good! :drinker:

@pyro--welcome! :flowerforyou: I'm not really shy at all, but I don't like to ask for help b/c I'm very stubbornly independent. :laugh: I also have used google quite a bit to learn about exercise equipment and routines.

@nettie--congrats on those push ups!! :drinker:

@tom--oh, that picture was just perfect! Especially since the IL legislature is currently debating a pension reform bill that is completely unconstitutional. Even if it passes, it will be contested in the courts which means a couple of years down the road we will be back to square one. Why do we pay politicians to waste tax-payer money spinning their wheels? :mad:

Tuesday Goals:
This is my second day in a row that I've been extremely hungry but had no time to exercise. I know part of the problem is eating the wrong foods (mini donuts use up a lot of calories and--*shocker*--they do really fill you up :ohwell: ). However, even with the junk my macros aren't too bad and I'm still well under maintenance, so my goal is just to hang on and make it through this week without doing any damage. I may add a visit to the gym tomorrow, but I have a feeling my "shorter" meeting will turn into a longer one.

I keep forgetting to post my gratitude post. I'm thankful for a wonderful mother. She was loving when I was a little girl, and she's never stopped taking care of all of us. Now she's a wonderful grandma to my beautiful niece.

Grading goals:
1. 17/73 AP essays
2. 40/73 AP journals

Exercise goals:
Mon--walk gunner DONE
Tues--rest day (meeting)
Wed--walk gunner (shorter meeting)
Thurs--walk gunner + gym (lift and HIIT)
Fri--going to Christkindlmart after school
Sat--walk gunner + gym (lift and HIIT)
Sun--walk gunner + gym (cardio)

Exercise & Weight:
Bench press = 80
Dead lift = 85
Squat = 90
Overhead press = 55
Upright row = 50

Overhead tricep extension = 25 (dumbbell)
Bicep curl = 15 (dumbbell)
Lat pull down = 100
Tricep pull down = 90 :

Hey all!!

My Tuesday goal is to stay on plan. Feeling a little discouraged today.

@Robin~I am SO happy that you got a second opinion and wow, what a diagnosis. I'll continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers as you continue with your recovery.

@Karen~There is a Christkindl Market here right now also, through mid-December. I'm doing a Volksmarch through the one here this weekend (weather permitting - threat of ice/sleet :mad:).

@Holly~Yay for the new puppy!

Hello nice people,

I'm new here and I'm excruciatingly shy but lately I'm forcing myself to do all sorts of things I'm uncomfortable with, so here I am.

Briefly, about a month ago some stuff happened which made me seriously evaluate my life, especially what aspects of it I could and could not control. And I decided I could take control of what I stuff in my face and what portion of the day my butt spends on the couch. It's been a rough month, like most of them lately, but I walked into a gym and joined it and I've been going there semi-regularly since. I have anxiety and other bad brain stuff, so I don't know what I'm doing there and am terrified to ask anyone, but I'm going. I even did internet research on what the heck an elliptical thingie was and now I love it. It's like jogging without the impact!

Today I fooled around with new buttons on the treadmill control and decided I would just do my utmost to complete the "weight loss" routine. Promised that if I did I could get an iced coffee. I drink it almost black and no sweetener at all, so it's the $3 I fuss about, not the calories. I'm wicked cheap!

Anyway, I found myself gabbing away about to my best friend, who is a reasonably fit guy a decade younger than I am, and while he is ultra supportive and loves me, he's never weighed 350 pounds or been a 39-year-old woman or struggled with anything like this. I realized I need to get out of my comfort zone -- AGAIN?! -- and makes "health buddies." (350 was 15 years ago, I'm much less now.)

Um. So. Hi. I'm very friendly, I swear, I'm just bad at it. I'm happy to be here.

Today, a few days before my period is due and right after Thanksgiving, I decided to step on the scale and use that scary horrible number to motivate myself. "Remember, Pyro, you are probably back at square one because you missed the gym for five weeks. Brace yourself."

It was DOWN?! I burst into tears, which kinda confirms the PMS thing and I should be bloated like a beach ball, but... Jeez, I feel so accomplished! I look forward to getting to know you nice folks and sharing your happinesses too.

Tuesday goals: Log every mouthful and go to the gym every day this week, (2 out of 5 so far!), keep eating less and moving more over the weekend.

Hey Pyro!! Welcome to the thread. You've found an amazing group. If you stay with us, I think you'll really come out of your shell. This group is amazing!! I've been on here since August 2012. I haven't followed any other thread except this one. I've have some major ups and downs, but they've pushed me through. In the past, I would have completely given up like I did all those hundreds of times. Not this time. I'm hanging in there and slowly working my way down the scale. I'm probably completely opposite and can basically hold a conversation with a stranger. Poor taxi drivers - LOL!!! Good for you and getting out there. Joining a gym can be very intimidating, but you did it. Some gyms will offer 3 free sessions to teach you the machines. I would ask about that. If not, just keep doing what you're doing. You'll find machines you like better than others. So proud of you!! This thread moves pretty quick during the week, but much slower on the weekends. I try to check daily if I can, but you'll feel welcomed I'm sure. I have the same mantra - eat less and move more!!!!

Wed Wish- That the snow would have passed us by for now...no such luck. I am still trying to get caught up on posts I started with the newest ones and am working my way back that way I can stay current at the same time.

@Karen- Thanks for the advice it is appreaciated. I am getting him signed up for puppy classes and we are working on the Come Here Command... I have been taking away toy and food (cause he shovels it in) randomly. My friend has have Rot/Coon Hound that is 2 so she has been helping me a little also. I will do some reading up on how to train a German Shepard tho.
@Robin- I am sorry some of my posts make you sad but I am going to learn how to be happy with just me cuz you never know what God has in store.
@Nettie- I chuckled because we weighed the pup last night at 4-5 months he weighs 22lbs my son said Riley you need to go on a diet your to big.

Wednesday Wish - My agency put out posting for a potential new case to begin after the holidays. I put in that I have availability and can pick it up. I hope the case is definite and they put me on it. It would give me 15 more hours per week at my current rate of pay. The extra hours and money would be awesome and help me pay off those pesky student loans even faster.

My gratitude: Yesterday when I walked into my school I stopped and was chatting with the greeter before walking down to my classroom. I heard a child screaming and instantly thought to myself "That sounds like one of my kids." Sure enough when I arrive to my classroom my boss (Our district BCBA consultant - who happens to also be my boss through my agency) was blocking the door and the student who I thought was having a major tantrum. He has autism and has a difficult time with transitions. The few days off for Thanksgiving really threw him off. He flipped out when he realized he was going to my classroom instead to the bus to go home. The tantrum was intense and lasted for 40 minutes. My heart broke for this child as he was throwing himself on the floor and screaming at the top of the lungs. He was a complete sweaty mess. I just wanted to pick him up, hug him and comfort him. When he gets into these "moods" there is absolutely nothing you can do to calm him down. You have to just let him get it out of his system and self regulate. My boss had to step out of my classroom to clear up something. Later on she returned to check in and was amazed to see the little boy was sitting next to me and working on his art project. Since we were ok, she spent the rest of the day helping out in the other classes. Later on she saw us in the gym and commented to me how much better he was doing. I proudly bragged about all the wonderful things he did for me since she left. Out of all my students, he is the one who has come such a long way since September. I am super proud of him and beyond pleased with his progress. Even though my job can be exhausting, challenging and difficult, I am so grateful when I see the progress that each of my students are making. Knowing that I am able to reach these children and make a difference in their lives makes the job so worth while. I absolutely love it.

All of the children in my class are on the autism spectrum with varying degrees of autism. One boys is very verbal and higher functioning than the rest. Yesterday I asked him to go get his snack out of his backpack because after washing his hands he began to head straight for the toys. He turned around, looked at me and said "Mrs. F., will you just calm down already?" I had to turn around and walk away. My aides and I could not stop laughing. He is such a funny boy!

Mnwalking - Sorry to hear you had a rough time over the holiday. I hope things get better. I love to veg on the couch with a cozy blanket and watch Christmas movies! Congrats on the puppy. I am glad you decided to keep Riley. He is absolutely adorable. I am a sucker for puppies!

Welcome Pyro - Congrats on stepping out of your comfort zone and joining the gym. Just jump right in and join us. It seems like you are off to a great start! You will find a lot of support here. Be sure to come back and check in with us regularly!

Kah- Congrats on your results. That is great news! Sorry to hear you couldn't get comfortable. I hope you feel better today! I agree with you and Laurie about the treats and having them on occasion. I believe if you restrict yourself from everything you will just be miserable and then won't stick to it leading to failure. IMO allowing yourself treats once in a while, in moderation, is a more realistic goal that can teach you valuable lessons to last a lifetime in portion control and moderation. One winter treat I love is hot chocolate - but I add a peppermint patty to the cup and let it melt. It is so delicious. I love snuggling up on the couch with a cup of minty cocoa and watching a good movie.

To all who asked - I am ok. Thanks for asking. My student pretty much grabbed my neck in the center as hard as he could and pulled my skin towards him. I do have some wicked marks on my neck but at least it doesn't hurt anymore. I ended up wearing a scarf to work yesterday to hide the marks on my neck. I hate having to explain things like that to people. I am not scheduled to see that student again until Friday. I hope by the time I see him again he is in a much better mood. He can be aggressive from time to time (Pinch the fatty part of my arm) but this particular incident was very out of character for him. I later found out from his mother that he had a really rough night and didn't get any sleep. I attribute that to his behavior, plus he is non-verbal so he cannot express himself which is frustrating for him. We are working on teaching him to communicate with an augmentative device to help eliminate his frustration but it takes time to get him to be independent with it. Normally he is my little love bug who you just want to hug and squeeze all the time. Yesterday was a much better day for me at job 2 and I am in a much better mood now. :happy:

Tracy - I am envious of your automatic start on your car. My previous job required me to be in at 6:30 am. There were many mornings with layers of ice and freezing temps that I was cursing and wishing for that automatic start. I love the items on your daughter's Christmas list.

Robin - I am glad to hear there is no cancer. That is great news. So sorry to hear about your infection. That sounds really bad. I hope the antibiotics do the trick and you don't need surgery. I hope the issue with your throat is an easy fix. I am so happy that you went with that second opinion. Wishing you a speedy and problem free recovery!

I hope we all have a fantastic week and stick to our goals. We can do this! :drinker:

Wednesday wish: I wish I could get to 230 by the end of the month, but I'm going to be happy with anywhere within the 230-235 range (roughly 7 pounds to lose.) I am also setting a goal for myself to be under 220 by the end of February. If I can make it to 220, I will officially be at the lightest I have been since high school. I'm hoping my sizes reflect that. After losing 60 pounds, it's sad to only lose 3 pants sizes, but I guess plus size pants go in 20 pound increments instead of 10 pound, like regular sizes.

Today I am thankful for the kindness of strangers. My daughter's bus was early (we had her out there with a minute to spare) and she missed it. (I've called them and reminded them that there is a 3 minute "wait" time) Anyway, I then had to jump in the van and take her to school. We have the 1/2 inch of ice on the ground and then about 4-5 inches of snow on top of that. Unfortunately, Emma's school is at the top of a hill and the car in front of me was stopped so I had to stop. STUCK!! I had cars behind me so I couldn't back up and three people got out and pushed me. I love that people are stilling willing to help out strangers.

@Robin...I am so happy that you at least know what's happening and causing all your problems. I'll be saying prayers that the course of treatment works and that nothing more invasive needs to happen.

@Karen...but they can't have Santa's house there...he lives at the North Pole!!! :bigsmile:

@Laurie...I had an artificial tree that looked realistic and it didn't survive the move. Now I have this horrible tree that is just a step above the Charlie Brown tree. Michael and I decided that we will wait until we are in a home before we invest again, but it sure looks rough. :embarassed: A garden under the tree? I've never heard of that.

@Susan...yes if I would have had to work, my room would have been a different place as well. :ohwell: It really mostly bothered my husband because he would take an early evening nap (he had a hard time adjusting to a day schedule since he works nights). I was only in bed one time before the music stopped. Nights are my hardest time as well...I should just get better at going to bed at a decent hour.

@JNettie...I got the auto start because my office moved. We used to park across the street in a parking ramp...awesome! Then we built a new building on the outskirts of town and it was just a huge parking lot. We get tons of frozen rain at the beginning and end of winter and my husband was kind to me.

Wednesday Wish: That people remember to take precautions if they are in that super cold area of the country this week(end). Our area is suppose to range from -2 to -23 (plus windchills) on Thursday night through Tuesday. That is dangerous and people need to remember to stay covered up if they have to go out and stay in if at all possible. My daughter has two Christmas programs during that time, but we will be very warmly wrapped as we head out.

We did not lift last night. My back still hurting and my sister had a migraine. What do you do? I have a pretty hectic schedule today, but I'll see what I can sneak in to make up for the rest day yesterday.

My exercise plan:
Monday - Water Aerobics (DONE)
Tuesday - Lift (NOT DONE)
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Lift
Friday - Cardio
Saturday - Lift
Sunday - Rest

It was a crazy day at work today, so just now getting a chance to check in.

@Tracy~We've been having wonderfully warm weather that is about to change overnight - from the 80s to the 40s and they say it won't be above 30 on Saturday. :frown: I couldn't handle below zero temps, I can barely handle the 30s! :laugh:

@Nettie~I admire you for the type of work that you do, that takes a very special person. I'm glad that you had a better day and are able to get through to some of your students. :flowerforyou:

Wednesday Wish~I have two. That if we are going to get the weather they are predicting, that it holds off until Friday night or Saturday - I really don't want a treacherous commute on Friday morning. I am also wishing that my promotion comes through before the end of the year.

AFM~Back is feeling a little better and its a good thing too - trainer had me on battle ropes and kettle bells today.

Exercise Goals:

Sunday~Gym, training session DONE!
Monday~Gym, cross trainer DONE!
Tuesday~Rest Day
Wednesday~Gym, training session DONE!
Thursday~Rest Day
Friday~Gym (hopefully), meeting friends for HH (weather permitting)
Saturday~10k (weather permitting) or gym for running drills

Finals week... crazy busy, but wanted to stop in and say hello! :drinker:

My trainer is awesome- LOVE her bunches. I hurt my hip and she helped me with some yoga stretches for it AND adjusted my routine. It didn't hurt at all to work out - but it was still HARD. I've never logged such crazy calorie burns before this. I also joined that cheap-o gym again. They gave me $19 a month without joining fees. I'm just using the treadmills on the days I can't go to my little private gym with the trainer.

I didn't get yoga class this week, but I DID get over 10,000 steps yesterday- thanks to the treadmill at the cheap-o gym. I think it is less stressful going there since I know that the cute little trainer guys can't talk me into a trainer. I have one. :bigsmile:

I hope you all are well. RobinsEgg- glad you have finally figured things out with your health. While the treatment sounds long- at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thinking of you.

Thinking of you all!

I got through all the posts finally. Sorry some of these personals are a little late.

@Nettie- Your MIL crazy story had me chuckling but I bet it gets annoying. Glad your neck is feeling better. I use to work with high functioning mentally disabled adults with behavior problems I was always coming home looking like I got beat up.
@Robin- Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. First, Glad no cancer was found and that you got a 2nd opinion so you know now what is causing the pain. It sounds very scary to me but I am glad you feel your doctor is very good. Prayers continuing for you.
@Grandmakaye- 29 people wow. My entire family grand kids and all is only 5. Love your new pic.
@Jtconst- I agree 100% with sitting in the dark with the Christmas tree lights on. I always sit that way in my home at Christmas time our old cat use to lay under the tree and look up at the lights. I think in his former life he was a pot head cuz he liked florescent lights and cat nip.
@Tlh0407- I love the 3 things you shared on your daughters list. Now Santa is going to have to write her back
@Nacto- Good luck on Finals...It is my finals week too.

What I am grateful for today- Is for the loving people that God has put in my life.

Good Morning.

Brrr…its crazy cold for Texas and only going to get worse. We’re under a winter storm warning from now through Friday, threat for us is always ice (up to 2”). This always brings the threat of power outages. :grumble: Yuck! I just want to be home under a blanket with Zoe.

@Karen~I used to be one of those nerdy students! I’m glad you enjoyed your day yesterday and great job for grading and gym on the same day!

@Nicole~I’m so proud of you for working with a trainer and love seeing the calories you’re burning. You’re doing awesome!

@Laurie~What great Christmas traditions. I come from a German background and had similar traditions growing up.

Good luck to those preparing for finals!

AFM~Not sure what today/tonight will bring, my late meeting was canceled today so may be able to make it to the gym (weather permitting). I’m glad I have an elliptical at home, just in case I'm stranded for a couple of days. Plan to stop by the store to get some things in the house that don’t involve cooking – just in case I lose power. Ridiculous you have to be so prepared for something that may or may not happen, meteorologists were so far off base last time I feel like they are crying wolf.

Have a great day!

Nettie- We can do it. 3 weeks 5 days left of the month. I'm hoping for 2 pounds each week, which would put me at 235.