Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

@skinnyjeanz and @kaye - I'm glad to know I'm not the only one! And I'm glad I had time alone driving to figure out what I was afraid of at this point. I'm in for a 3 way pact to rededicate ourselves to reaching our goals. When I set up my profile 9+ months ago, I picked a tag line that reads "If not now, when?". Well, it's now for me. No more later. I am unwilling to spend any longer than I have to in a body that could do and be more. So I pledge to remember each and every day why I started this journey and how important it is to stay the course. I pledge to do what I know I need to to succeed.

I'll be back later to do more personals. I have no internet and hate to post on my phone.

But, I do have to report that as of this morning, I've lost 100.6 lbs!!!!! Go me!

Monday check in. The weekend was okay, but not perfect. I have to come up with a new plan now that my husband is home on the weekends. It was much easier to stay focused on my calories when he was here on Wed and Thurs nights. Weekends were a struggle for me before and now that he’s home…definitely need to chat and figure this out.

@Tanya…I’m so jealous of the space you have in your house and the plans you have. I’d love to have an exercise room. Quick do it before you change your mind!! :devil: As far as the trainer goes, we met with her on Tuesday. She wrote everything we did down on a notebook and told us to repeat the workout on Friday or Saturday. We will meet again on Tuesday. Our ultimate plan is that we would do her workout 2-3 times a week and then supplement it with other things. Like this week, I did water aerobics on Wednesday and a walk on Friday. Now that sports are over for Emma, I should be able to get back into a better swing of things.

@Kaye…I woke up to snow too…in fact a raging blizzard that is expected to dump up to 12 inches in 24 hours. :grumble: Because I’m based out of Sioux Falls, where there is no snow today, I do not get a snow day (one of the downfalls of working from home – ha ha). But my kids are out of school and it could be tough to keep them in their rooms and out of my hair all day. Congratulations on crossing your legs – that’s a great NSV! And Idaho is still on my “to see” list, so someday, I might just show up to visit.

@Kelley…sounds like a wonderful vacation.

@hansea…congrats on the weight loss and the need for new jeans. Whoo-hoo!

@Laura…I love the “brain in a jar” expression. :bigsmile: Balancing all our needs at once is hard and I think it will be a good idea to give yourself a break from the scale as it seems to cause a bit more stress at a time you don’t need anymore. Just get through this time and focus on the small things…that’s what I’m trying to do right now…

@L2T...WOW!!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

AFM…As I told Kaye, we are in a blizzard here in central ND. We have about 3 days of cold weather (thankfully only one day of snow) and then we should be back to our spring temps. Normally tonight I would be headed to my Gum Paste and Fondant class, but the college has called off all classes due to the weather so I will be home all day. That should allow me to get some more “stuff” done at home. I did get the laundry done yesterday, but there’s always something isn’t there? Today I will:

• Drink my water
• Stay under calories
• Clean my bedroom
• Clean my bathroom

Suggestion for April. There’s a lot of talk about rededication to this process and they say one of the best things to do is create a habit. Maybe we could each pick a 30 day challenge for the month of April. You can find a bunch of them on line or even here on MFP and lots on Pinterest if you do that. They have challenges for arms, squats, burpees, overall fitness, no equipment needed, butt etc. If you wanted one and can’t find it, I’d be more than happy to search for one.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Monday -
I think my Fitbit is seriously messing with me. Last night when I completed my diary I was over by 9 calories. Fitbit logged my calories burned at over 400. When I woke up this morning I noticed a big red -46 from yesterday's diary. When I looked at exercise it gave me 382. I did not eat anything after completing my diary and am puzzled why this number magically changed. Can anyone explain this to me? The same thing happened last week too. I am so confused.

I went back to my Gilad workouts yesterday. It was rainy and I was stuck inside. The Firm workouts are only 20 minutes and I wanted a longer workout. I previewed a few of my newer Gilad ones to see what they consisted of and what equipment I would need. I decided to do Cuts and Curves, a 60 minute workout. It used a combination of resistance tubes and weights. I loved the workout. It was challenging but I was able to do it.

I woke up this morning to see snow on the ground. WTH?!!! There were no weather reports of snow and my weather app did not predict it either. It predicted rain for today with sun and temps in the low 50s for later on today. Right now it looks like I am going to have to get outside and shovel before I go to work. I just hope I can get to the shovels. My entire dining room is in the garage along with a few garbage cans of broken tile waiting to be thrown out. :ohwell: On a happier note, all of the remnants of flooring have been removed. My house was so dusty from yesterday's removal job. Brian and I spent the evening cleaning everything. My poor kitties were going stir crazy from being locked up and tried to break out of the bedroom. I felt bad but didn't want them walking in all the dirt since there was a few sharp pieces that could have cut them. Brian picked up the tile yesterday for our bathroom. I am not sure when the flooring will be ready to be picked up. Things are moving along and I am quite happy. :happy:

Tom - I love the picture of you, Susan and Laurie. Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear you had a good time.

Skinny - Thanks. I told Brian that I feel like a bit of a floor snob for going with Bamboo. I always see the designers installing those floors on the home makeover shows. I am so excited to have the floors installed. Right now we are down to concrete and it looks ugly.
I think that is one of the reasons I like Gilad so much compared to the other instructors on dvds. Even with the new workout yesterday I was able to keep up and not feel confused. Quite a few times during the workout Gilad walked over to the people in the background and pointed out their form. He also gave verbal cues on what to do and what he didn't want. (IE drop shoulders down while doing the exercise instead of raising them)

Lives and Karen - What did you think about TWD last night? Personally, I was a bit disappointed in the finale. After all the hype I heard about it I expected something bigger to happen during the episode than what did. I didn't hate it but wanted more from it.

cjen323 - Welcome to the group. Please do not feel discouraged at all. You lost 9lbs in 5 weeks. That is a great loss. Remember weight loss is not always linear. Sometimes you lose more weight than others. Your first week or so you will see the greatest losses. From my experience this is mostly water weight coming off. Then things start to even out and you will see smaller losses. That is perfectly normal. It happens to everyone. So don't give up or feel discouraged. Stick with it and you will see a difference in how you look and feel.

Tracy - That is exciting that you are looking into building. I hope you are able to do it. Brian told me about the tile that looks like wood. We saw some in Lowes and it was intriguing. However the color options they had for it were much lighter than what we were looking for.

Robin - Thanks for the advice on the stilettos. I don't see that being a huge problem for me. I typically wear flats, flip flops, sneakers or my slippers. Flats have become a staple in my wardrobe because I need to be able to run after my elopers at work. It is much easier to catch them when you are not running in heels. On occasion I will wear something with a heel if we are going out or entertaining. I certainly keep that in mind though for those occasions.
I am so glad to hear you are feeling great after exercising and are looking forward to getting back in the pool. It is great to have the old Robin back! I hope things just keep getting better and better for you lifting your spirit. :flowerforyou:

Tanya - Sounds like you have a good plan with your house. We have a long list of things that we want to do to the house eventually. If only I won the lottery then I would have the extra money to do everything I wanted.
Karen (Skinnyjeanz) posted the recipe for quinoa. I don't remember what page it was on though. Sorry.

Kaye - Wahoo for being able to cross your legs at you knees. I still can't do that one yet. Great NSV.

Kah - Thanks. I am glad Brian is being very supportive. I just feel bad telling him I would rather run alone. :ohwell:
Sounds like you had a really good method to deal with the buffet on the cruise. I will have to remember that strategy. I really like it. I loved reading about your adventures on the cruise. It sounds like you had a fantastic time.

Happy4Real - Welcome!

Monday Check-In: Life is good. I had an awesome weekend, but it was jam packed. As you’ve seen our post, Friday night was dinner with Laurie, Tom, his beautiful wife Amy and Laurie’s friend Sheila. Saturday was a drive through Red Rock and a little hike with Laurie. Dinner down at the Monte Carlo with Laurie and a couple co-workers of mine. Sunday was a BIG hike. I’m so proud of myself I have to brag just a little. 2 hours, 40 minutes. 8 miles. 18,250 steps. We hiked along Lake Mead from these really cool railroad tresses to Hoover Dam. The wind was nuts yesterday so that caused a lot of resistance, which made me work pretty hard. I had groceries and others errands so my day ended over 22,000 steps and 10+ miles. I’m a bit exhausted today so it’s a rest day for me from exercise. Laurie and I had some great conversations and I’m so thankful for the added encouragement to get me focused and energized. Thank you Laurie!!!!!

Also, tomorrow is April 1st!!! Have we talked a challenge at all?

@ Nettie – The new floor sounds like it’s going to be so nice. Definitely share some pictures once it’s done. Regarding exercise, I do the same thing and it’s hard to break away from routine. The Firm can be pretty tough, but a nice break once you get the hang of them. Is there a timeline on the jobs? When will you know? Keeping my fingers crossed the summer school position opens up for you.

@ Tom – Yes, we did have a good evening. I just love Amy. She’s a ball of energy that’s for sure. I think it was so late because of the crazy traffic. I totally forgot about March Madness so I think everything was a bit hectic because of that. I’m glad we all got together now I need another outing with you and Amy since we live so close!!

@ Tracy – I was wondering if you started with the trainer yet. It sounds like the first visit was a success. Keep us posted!! My trainer asked if I was interested in training with a partner. She’s got another lady who she thinks would gel with me. I had stopped due to the costs, but this could be better economically as well. I’m thinking about giving it a try. Also, I was thinking about the April Challenge too. I know my trainer was doing a Squat Challenge for March that I totally didn’t do (shame on me!!). I did it before and felt great 30-days later. You basically start with 50 and by the end of the month you’re doing 300 (I think that’s the final number). I also like the idea of eating under your calories either all month or say 25 out of 30 days just to give a “little” leeway.

@ Robin – I miss moving my furniture around. I use to do it ALL the time, but my rental is shaped so weird and there’s not many options. I love changing things up. It brings such a different perspective like you’re living in a new place!!

@ Tanya – It sounds like you had a very productive day. Good for you! I know I make better choices when I prepare ahead of time. I made a few things yesterday myself. I’m set for the next 3 days at least and will figure out the rest tomorrow probably.

@ Kaye – Snow?? I just can’t believe the winter weather parts of the country has seen this year. Unbelievable. Laurie shared some pictures of her snow piles. It’s been a tough winter for so many. Woo Hoo!! I loved your NSV. It’s those things we forget because we haven’t done it for so long. Kudos to you!!!

@ Kelly – Thanks for the tips!!! I normally do that at buffets anyway, but will definitely plan on this trip too. I’ll often load up on a nice green salad with as many low calories veggies as possible then add a few extras then hit proteins, but try to limit the carb stuff especially the bread. As far as alcohol, I may have 1 or 2 at the pool, but that’s about it. I’m not a big drinker anyway plus I hate seeing that last bill at the end of the trip. LOL!! Regarding the exercise, I definitely plan to walk or find a class the days were on ship. The port days we’ll do plenty of walking so not too worried about those days. I’ve been getting myself familiar with the ship layouts as this is a new ship, but laid out very similar to our last ship.

Also, thanks for the vacation recap. How awesome!!! I’ve got quite a few friends who have gone to Costa Rica and loved it there. I’ve done the same tour in Grand Cayman and it was a lot of fun. Cyrus really loved it especially the sting rays. I was thinking about the ship tour. I think Cyrus would really like it as well to see everything it takes to make a cruise happen. I know it’s a bit costly, but sounds very worth it. Alaska is on my radar at some point, but I’m so partial to the ocean and warm temperatures. I’m so glad you had a great trip. You deserved it!!!

@ Laurie – Enjoy your day off and try to relax! I really wish I would have taken the day off. I’m pooped out!!! I just keep reminding myself vacation is in 2 weeks. Counting down the days!!!

@ Hansea – I use a dry erase board too. Between my travel and Cyrus’ school stuff plus baseball we have to see it written down for all of us. Congrats on the 20 lbs!!! So proud of you!!

@ Karen – I actually did your chicken sausage recipe as well to have for lunch/dinner this week. I only added about 4 oz of goat cheese, but I think it still came out OK. I did like the consistency it gave the quinoa like you said almost like a risotto. Thanks for the idea!! Like Kelly, I’m not a big fan of goat cheese, but I don’t mind it and tried it this way for the first time. Depending on your taste profile I’m sure feta or even gorgonzola would work too, which I’ll do next time.

@ Rain – Which part of L.A. are you in? I have to go there on business periodically and I would love to get together if we can schedule something. I’m not sure when my next trip is, but I’ll definitely let you know. Hope you got your paper done and good luck on your test. You’ve got this!!!!

@ L2T – Woo Hoo!!! I’m so happy for you and so proud of you! You’ve done an amazing job and worked so hard. How about some before/after pictures? You’re such an inspiration to me and I can’t wait to continue watching your journey.

Have to report a pretty big NSV.... per the BMI calculator, I am no longer obese, but merely over weight. Who knew that could sound like a victory?!?

Good morning everybody.

Meeting Laurie, Susan and Sheila was great we had a good time! I did not realize it got so late until I got home at 10:30pm.

How amazing that you were able to get together. Love it. You all look FABULOUS!

Lin

bump :happy:

Would anyone be interested in a plank challenge or wall sit challenge for the activity portion of the April challenges? Start low and add 5 seconds per day, with a rest maybe once a week if needed. I once got up to 40 seconds of wall sitting, it is not as easy as it looks LOL. Planks are great for core and full body strength. Just a few suggestions.

@skinny: thanks for the recipe again, I will try it with feta cheese.

So...to everyone who wished me luck on the 5k. It snowed here in Ohio, and it was disgusting outside, so the BF and I went to the gym and I ran my 5k on the treadmill. Did my 3.1 in 38.45, which for me, is really good! Poor Aaron felt like his legs were cramping all last night. Poor guy.
Down to 211. Hells yeah!!

Sorry for lack of personals, I gotta catch up!