Kicking *kitten* In Our Twenties - May Challenge!!

thanks for the positive advice, everyone! I get to move in tomorrow!! woo! And yet it's 4am here and I'm still awake because I slept all day. Not my best idea.
Cait- yeahhh the wedding is super close! 23 days...ahhh! So obviously I'm losing my mind on top of everything else.
I can't wait to have a kitchen and you know... a home again! :happy: hopefully I'll have something better to report VERY soon! Have a great day and weekend if I don't get to catch up with you all some more during all of my moving madness.

Em-take a breather girl!! stress is never a good combo for a wedding!! super exciting!!

Kan-you did do awesome this week!! yoiu are gonna kill it on the scale *good luck* even though you don't need it!

Aly- good luck continuing to find the balance. Just keep listening to your body

Jess- glad they took care of the comp issues for you… that can be SOOO overwhelming. Good luck getting your burn in this week

Tara- im glad you are making it work for you! You are doing such an amazing job and I just hate to see you take away from that by obsessing on the scale. Hope the extra work shift went well!

Leela- sorry I forgot to respond about crossfit the first time you asked … its hard to explain since its still knew to me… but for me personally it brings me back to when I was training really seriously in high school to get in to college sports (before my car accident). Free session kicked my TUSH but in a really good way!!! I think what I like best is that there is only a group of at the most 6 of us doing the workout and then the coach (also the owner) who is there watching and correcting our form… Here are some excerpts from the crossfit place tthat explain its background a bit and what you do there… hope this helps.
McBody- Feel free to chime in here I think I saw that you do crossfit and you also train people!

“CrossFit is a fitness program that combines elements of gymnastics and weightlifting that leaves participants feeling, looking, and moving better. The program began at a gym in Santa Cruz, California and has since been embraced by athletes (high-school, college, Olympic, professional), military personnel, police officers, and firefighters….There is no prerequisite for participating in CrossFit training. Many participants are, in fact, not elite athletes, but average people who are looking for an effective exercise program. At GunxCrossFit, your trainer will help you adjust your workouts according to your own goals and ability level, taking into consideration any pre-existing injuries or limitations.
CrossFit workouts are short, intense, and varied. One WOD (Workout of the Day) might have you rowing, performing Olympic lifts, and doing pushups; the next day you might be performing lunges and jumping on boxes. The constant variation of these full-body movements helps you to maintain a well-rounded level of fitness, while also avoiding boredom. Some of the workouts are timed, which enables you and your trainer to measure your progress.”

Shannon- I am going to call you out again but ONLY because you said it first… stopped being a scared weenie!!!! :bigsmile: You are TOTALLY ready for a 5k… I actually did one before I had officially finished my C25k and didn’t think I was ready at all but guess what I was even more ready than I thought. It totally pushed me to the next level and forced me to get rid of the mental “Im not ready for this” and listen to my body which was totally ready for it. As for the fun part… just sign up for one race. I personally think that you will get sucked in to the adrenaline of the day (races can become very addicting!) Its just so much fun to be around all these people that are just as pumped and nervous and excited as you are! If Im wrong then at least you can say you did one and realize its not for you… but I have a strange feeling this wont be the case!

Meag- honestly I don’t talk a lot about my diet and eating on here because there can be so much back lash and strong disagreements against it. A lot of people see it as being too restricted and getting rid of an entire food group. I find that it is easier for me to eat this way than it is to count and obsess my calories. Around January, J and I switched to a more “Primal” way of eating ( I actually found him through nerdfitness!!!) . We had already been eating pretty clean but after doing a lot of research and reading we were ready to take it to the next level for us. It just kind of made sense everything that we were reading so we figured we would give it a try and see where it took us. For anyone that is interested here is a good website to read about it http://www.marksdailyapple.com//welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/ or http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-the-primal-eating-plan/

Yes we eliminated pretty much all processed carbs (I get my carbs from veggies, fruit, and sometimes sweet potatato, and the occasional glass of red wine or super dark chocolate). And we consume A LOT of healthy high fat foods (coconut oil, avocados, nuts, etc.) As you can see looking back on my diary I am not always perfect with it… there are still days when I crave a big greasy piece of pizza and guess what I am going to eat it- this is about finding a balance that works for me and so far this has! But the cravings come less and less because my body just doesn’t love it anymore like my mind does. The most important thing for me is that I read the advice and what they say and then I just work on listening to my body. I don’t agree with everything the paleo/primal world says but I do know that I feel a whole lot healthier than I did before. I’ve eliminated several weird reactions my body was having for no known reason (crazy hives all over my body for the past 2 years). I don’t ever feel deprived… in fact making this move has forced both J and I to think really creatively with cooking and eating and we have been making some of the most amazing dishes the past few months. I hope this answers your questions. I would be more than happy to talk to anyone who is curious. I by no means am an expert but I am figuring out what works for me.
PS- YOUR dress looks SMOKIN hot! I am sure its going to look INCREDIBLE on you!!!

Emm- awww try and enjoy it as much as possible! So exciting!

AFM- not too much new to report. J made these amazing BLT sandwiches last night… Took two chicken breast butterflied them and then grilled them. Then we put lettuce, tomato, bacon, and avocado on them and folded the breast so that it was like the bread. SOO SOO good and easy and quick! Mmmmm I want more haha!!!

-Cait

Thanks Meag!~!

my dearest darlingest healthiest pals!

how have you been? i hope you have been GREAT! :bigsmile:

this has been a pretty crazy week for me so this is going to be a selfish (therefore short-ish) post :laugh:

the week started out fine and great and healthy! i had brunch all day with a bunch of the ladies, and made a point to go to my turbo kick class beforehand so i could fully enjoy the day - guilt free! the difficulty of the week was mostly emotional and unrelated to my physical health altogether. my best friend has been in a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend for over 2-years. it's a roller-coaster relationship with lots of fighting and i am always the one she comes to when she's upset. i finally realized that i was going to start being a terrible friend if i didn't talk to her honestly about my concern for her and that seeing her so unhappy so frequently was really taking a toll on me, it's just so hard to be around that negativity all the itme she really believes that she will be with her boyfriend forever and that he is the one and all she wants is my love and support of them, but i had to tell her it's just so hard for me to do that when she comes to me saying she is miserable and wants to escape :ohwell: anyway... we sort of got in a "tiff" on tuesday online (which i tried to avoid) and i ended up talking with my other best friend (the three of us are bffs) and her bf all night about the situation, as they are also quite concerned about the roller-coaster relationship. finally my friend was willing to sit down and talk to me last night, so we had dinner and some wine and were incredibly honest with each other - and as a result it was probably the most productive conversation i've had in a friendship... EVER :happy: although we still have things to work out, we both have to figure out what we're comfortable with when it comes to talking about her relationship and being present for their fights, but that will come in time.

it was both trying, exhausting... and uplifting! it has been a difficult week because of that, but i am feeling more hopeful and have more faith in human relationships than i have in a while i love when people can actually work THROUGH issues, rather than avoid them or explode them

anyway, sorry for the super selfish post! i promise to be back to my normal proFIT self asap!!

happy thursdaying!!!! :bigsmile:

OMG...I think 5 pages have passed since I checked in last. Just wanted to say howdy to all you lovelies!! Hope to check in a lil more thoroughly later tonight!!!

I have only been gone for like less than a day and I already feel overwhelmed with the amount of commenting I have to do. I think I am going to wait til the morning so my friend Cafe Kandace can help me. For now, I will just enlighten you all on how my day has been. (you know, cuz thats what you are all DIEING to hear about..lol)

I had a VERY good date with my scale this morning! 2.5 pounds in a week. I know its a big loss, especially after 2 pounds down last week as well, so I need to remind myself to not expect such a loss next week. I am half a pound away from my May goal. My June goal is 135 though and I had originally wanted to hit it on the 19th (my Bday) but I dont know if that is going to happen. That is 4 weeks to loose 8 pounds. I know its possible, but I dont want to get my hopes up an get disappointed. I am going to be "ok" with just making 135 by the end of the month. So I am not going to stop trying my but off when I hit my may goal, I am just going to start working on Junes pounds!~!~!~!

I have been doing REALLY well eating this past week as well. I cut my carbs down significantly and have been eating much leaner meats. I am eating ALOT of fruit and veggies since it has been hot so I am also trying to leave out suger everywhere else in my diet. I feel really awesome and I my abs REALLY apreciated it. lol. The only thing about cutting out the sugar is that I am CRAVING it horribly. (thats a bad thing for an early recovering alcoholic cuz candy helps trick the body with the simple carbs is was used to in alcohol) So I treated myself today and had Icecream!~!~!~! I dont even know how to log it. I was sooooo good. I cant even explain it. Germans and their Icecream are mircale workers.

Well I guess I have rambled on enough. Thanks for listening. I hope you all have a fantastic healthy and safe Friday night.

Kandace- pretty sure that’s your name hehe. I have to say I love your black and white dress. That is totally something that I would wear! I am not completely sold on the pink one. If it was me I would send it back and buy some hot shoes for the other dress hehehe. Great job on your Loss! I am sure you are very happy about it and you should be proud. I can’t wait to hear all about your cruise!

Meag- I never got to properly say how great that is with your employment opportunities. I know this is a tough decision but I know you will make the right choice for you. Good luck with everything!

Jenelle- Sounds like you are working things out for yourself and keeping your friend in mind. It is tough when you have an emotionally draining friend. I hope everything turns out ok.

Everyone!!- Thank you so much for the complements on the pink dress. It comes in the mail on Monday and I am really excited. I really hope it fits and I didn’t buy the wrong size. If that is the case I can always head to the mall after work and exchange it. So excited for our engagement party!

AFM- I have been feeling really good the past few days. I upped my protein and it has made a world of a difference. I need to figure out how to get more protein in my oatmeal without adding too many calories…. Yogurt maybe? I had a fantastic run last night on the treadmill and followed it up with some weight training. I am really hoping to see a difference with the 2 days of weight training I have added. I have to buy a new scale this weekend and I think I am going to have Wednesday be my new WI day for a while and see how I like it. The new month starts on Wednesday so it sounded like a good day to try. My headaches have gotten better, but I have been super moody towards the love of my life. O well this happens to everyone. Tonight is a swim after work then hanging with some friends. Have a great weekend everyone!

~Believe... Frist of all I LOVE that you love walmart. lol. I still buy some things there even though I am in germany and I have to wait 3 weeks for them to get to me. lol. You are doing so good with your workouts!~!~! Good Job!~! And way to go with the running. Me and running have not been getting along, I think I just try to hard and I over think it. ITS JUST RUNNING!~! Im glad you got a hold of it!~! Keep up the *kitten* Kicking!~!~!

~Meag.... ok, I am dieing over here!... I need to know what your thinking about your jobs... lol. I dont know why I feel so involved in your life but I am hanging on the edge of my seat here!

~Aly... Thanks for the input on the dresses. I got them from Kohls (online for me). They have TONS of dresses for like $40 and they are all pretty fancey! I LUV dresses in the summer. The cruise isnt until July so I still have lots of time to prep. I found a long clingy black dress at a thrift store for A DOLLAR, lol. I am going to try that on and take a pic too (if it fits of course) Thanks for the kudos on my loss, I am very proud of myself~!

Dont worry too much about being moody, your right.. it does happen to all of us. I have realized that when I am bit*hy for no reason I try to talk to my husband and tell him that Its not his fault, I am just in a bad mood. If I do that then I at least dont have t feel guilty along with crabby. Also sometimes he trys to stay out of my way or do things to make me smile. So its a win win. Give it a shot. i cant wait to see you in your dress!~!~! Your party is gonna be sooooo fun! Make sure everyone knows that its YOUR party and YOU can have as much fun as you want!~!~! Be a princess!~!

AFM... I am hoping to go to a Knight's Fest today. It is the oldest Knight's Fest in Germany.. so it should be AWESOME. Jousting, gladiators, turkey legs.. and beer (but I dont have to worry about those calories!~!) I am SUPPER pumped to workout. (my mind is scareing me) I dont think I COULD workout right now if I wanted to. I can barely walk without wincing~!~! My plan is to stretch really well before we go out today and hopfully with all of our walking my legs will loosen up.. Then when I come home maybe day 3 of my 30 Day Shred wont be soooooo horrible.

Did I tell you guys I was doing 30 Day SHred???? I dont think I did. My friend has been pushing it on me but I was afraid to make the commitment. Then I saw what her arms looked like after 5 days and HAD to start!~! lol. So today is day 3. Does anyone here have experience with it??? Do I take rest days when walking makes me want to cry, or do I just push through it?????

Have a Fantastic Weekend my healthy lean friends!~!

~Shannon!~!~!>.... congrats on your run victory!~! I totally know how you feel!~! I ran an 11 min mile once and almost died of excitment. I dont know how that happend cuz now they are all closer to 13 min. lol.. Thanks for the tips on 30 DS too. I was in SOOO much pain today trying to do it. I think I will do two days 30ds and one day off. I will just run extra or something that day to let those muslces rest up.


AFM.... didnt go to the fest afterall. But I did go swimming. We went to a swim house, it has lots of different pools. Inside and out. A slide, diving boards, a water calisthetics (cant sepll) room and lots more!~!~! I am not much of a real swimmer so I didnt do laps and stuff. But we played games and talked and walked around the placce and also relaxed in the jacuzzis all day. So I know I burned alot of calories. I also spent a half hour in the water exercise room and I really killed it on the stair stepper and the rowing machine!~!~! But even better than that, I wore my Bikini!~! i didnt feel "fantastic" but I was confident enough to walk around in it without shorts or a tshirt on. I have NEVER EVER worn regular bikini bottoms becuase I was so concious of my leg fat. (even when I was a teenager and THIN) So, I know I have looked better in my life but I have never felt better about myself. I am so proud that I was able to relax and have fun with my friends and not worry about how I looked doing it. AND that was damn near naked ina VS bikini!~!~!~! I think I am doing better than I give myself credit for. MEAG, you were right.... being comfortable in your own skin IS the best NSV!~!~!

Ok kids, im off to bed. Its only ten thirty but I am SOOO SLEEEPY. Have a great saturday night and a wonderful sunday everyone!~!~!

is this a closed group? my old group is somewhat dying off and i need a new one to help keep me on track as maintainance has been very tricky for me! still a learning curve!

im 29 (until september! LOL!) and got to goal a month ago and am now manitaining but doesnt mean that ive slacked off! im still active and am on week 3 of c25k! so if u dont mind me tagging along id love to join in! i see tara is here too!

As far as I could tell here is the most recent goal list! Welcome to the group- just copy and past this list with whatever goals you have for the remainder of the month to the bottom!

Leela30: comment more on this month's challenge; eat at least 80g of protein a day
Believeinmagic: To lose 13 pounds; eat more vegetables and do more strength training
Meggonkgonk: To reach 133lbs; to run my 10k course at least 1x, Run my 4m run at 9:30
Allie7383:get out of the 150's finally, continue with the 30 Day Shred, work on increasing my running distance, and overall feeling good about myself!
SpaceCoconaut: To lose 2-3 lbs a week and stick to my experiment.
Shannonaufman: lose 4 pounds to hit 169. Drink 64+ ounces of water 25/30 days. Finish C25K. Start One Hour Runner. Stick with 30DS.
~KanCrav~ Reach 143, Jog at least 3 times outside,follow WO schedule, incorporate Low GI foods into my diet.
rai8759: GW 160.4, One day off per week (tracking food), WI on Friday, JM should kick my *kitten* 5-6 days a week, Cardio 3-5 days a week x 20-30 min., Tracking every day except day off, Eat less processed sugar
wardiemelissa (Melissa)-continue to maintain weight between 120-125 lbs; exercise routine 5 days running, 2 days strength, 1 day rest (long run 10+miles on Sundays), continue to test out new recipes (including new fruits and veggies), and making more time for my family, AND try to post at least ONCE a day!!!
pixycats: lose 5 pounds, continue C210K at least 3/week, stay under calorie goal 6/week, rest one day/week
finncmh- not focus on the scale loss! keep working on running plan that I came up with for the 5k in June. Start the push-up and squat 6 week challenge
lostalykat- To get back to 169 by June 1st. Work on headache prevention and be mindful of what I am doing and eating. Focus on my new training plan and enjoy life. Stress less, yoga more!
WannabRN10- get out of the 160's!!! Work out at least 3 days a week (piloxing class, hot yoga class, and weights class). Eat Dairy Queen only twice (it is my fav!). Stay in a positive mind set and not get over-stressed with school.
alwhisler-Increase my run to 45 minutes non-stop, get down to that lower pant size instead of being in-between
sarahmay25- Complete an ab circuit every day of the week except rest day, and decrease my finish time of a mile by the end of every week.
mkingraham (Megan)- get down to 208, strength train at least 2 times a week, run 3 times a week
eleanoreb (Eleanore or El) - improve 10k run time, stay in bottom part of weight range, face food head on and not give in to temptations (rather than just avoid)
MamaMango: Lose 7 pounds,keep my portions under control, do HIIT 3 times a week,strength train moderate-heavy 5 times a week,do some form of low to moderate cardio every other day,eat more fresh greens and less starch and grains!
jyopchick: get back to 130lbs, only allowed one day to go over cals (and within reason), and MORE WATER!!
crystalfaith: continue to workout at least 4 times a week, drink tons of water, finish the C25k program, and break into the 140s
LisaRid - lose 10 lbs, drink 8 glasses of water each day, exercise 4x per week, and curb my dessert eating. May is the month!!!
emmarie- do the best I can!
shelsab-keep up my 10k running schedule, lose 5lbs, strength training 2x week, 3 yoga classes.
k_ewilliams - log in everyday and keep out of the red, lose at least 5 pounds, run 3x a week
spellbinder25: (1) Lose 4lbs to reach 133.5, (2) Do 30 Day Shred 5 times/week, (3) Count calories everyday, (4) Update on this thread at least twice a week.
meagalayne - get back into my maintenance range and stay there, log food no more than 5 days/week, complete weeks 2 and 3 of the push-up challenge, make it to 4 spin classes, increase H2O consumption, and find ways make each day great!
nausicaa11-lose 6 pounds and try to reach the 8km/h mark on the treadmill.
McBody- actually rest on rest days; incorporate yoga; get back on a running schedule for race
carro585-workout 4x/week, average less than 200 beverage cal./day, don't fall too far off the wagon while on vacation
yvalcaraz-(Yolanda)- Run for 3 miles w/o stopping, lose 8lbs, 1000 sit-ups 3x wk, post at least once a week to the group
tjradd73(Tara)- to lose -5.4lbs to put me at 100lbs lost total, 8 cups H20/day, 3 days of my strength plan, 3 days of cardio, no more than 4 days over on my cals, and >20 under on my sodium.
stuartme123- finishing and passing my thesis, and cooking dinner more often
maddyguru - Build up endurace at the the gym and go at least 4-5x a wk, lose at least 5-6 lbs
Adrianamdelacruz(Adriana) - lose 5lbs., workout atleast 30mins.3 x/day and drink atleast 8 glasses of water a day
aoifebr - run 5k be under 85kg
noobiegotbass- lose 12 lbs, drink at least 5 glasses of water daily, walk 3x/wk, begin my first round of p90x, increase protein intake
dodier01 - Start 30DS, loose 8lbs by the end of the month, Complete Week 4 and start week 5 of C25K and drink lots of water!
kafoteh(Kristin)-Input ALL my meals/foods...even the bad ones. Lose 2-5 lbs. Exercise at least 3x/week
heather_miller - spend more time on mfp and less time web surfing. no fried food, no exceptions. lose 4 pounds.
justbreathe418 (Jess) - drink 8 cups of water daily, strength train 2 times a week, increase potassium intake and lower sodium intake, make 1 new healthy recipe a week
nolachick-work out atleast 5x a week (which is doable since i usually do 6x). tomorrow starts my second week of bootcamp and I need to stop sleeping in and wasting money (Its quite pricey).

Mariam-you better believe it girl!! I have been with this group since October...and no worries about it dying of anytime soon...they are all great! Welcome and glad to have ya!

Meag-CONGRATS again on the job offer!!! And enjoy your weekend...seeya during the week when you are back

Kandace-LOL thanks girly!!! I may have lost a bit more than you did TOTAL...but it is all about how you have changed in all of the other ways...and up until recently I had only changed the outside of me...you are a true inspiration to all of us...not many (if any) could accomplish all of the things that you are/have, and for sure not all at once!! Keep up the great work :flowerforyou:

AFM-still haven't weighed...today will be considered a "hard" day for me with it!! Geesh! I am eating well, and I got in another decent workout (30min advanced wii fit, and my tricep routine) but I just don't FEEL like I have lost anything this month...I have decided that I will be totally devastated if I end up with anything less then 4lbs lost for this month (I know, I know...I should be proud of what I did and the scale will catch up)...unfortunately I do NOT want to hear that right now, and I would hate to feel like I wasted a whole month if that's the case :grumble: Sorry...little dramatic over here tonight!:mad:

~Maria... I hope you have a good day at work, even though I know you would rather be somewhere else~~~!

~Tara... Thanks for the confidence boost!~! I know its a bad thing to KNOW you will be disapointed if you didnt loose 4 pounds but I totally understand. For the first few months I was so upset with myself cuz I was only loosing one pound a month and MFP said I would loose two if I followed what they said. Then I realized that even those one pound a week pounds add up to a pretty nice number! I dont think you have anything to worry about. Im sure you lost at least 4. Honestly, at this point for you I think it would be hard to "feel" 4 pounds. You will do great!

AFM.... its early, well 1100 for me. I am getting ready to have lunch with my sponsor (and talk alcohol stuff..lol). I finally got up at 6 this morning and did my 30DS. I have been slacking hard core in the mornings. I get so nervous after lunch if I havent done some kind of exersice, and today I finally got up and did it! 30DS Day 5 and then a 20 min walk with Cody.

I am thinking about going to spin tonight, but I am not sure. I really love the class but the woman who teaches never starts on time and never ends on time. It should start at 5 and be over at 6 but one day I didnt get out of there til almost 7!~!~! My fam was starving to death!~! Its dinner time, let us leave lady!~!~! It really sucks to get frustrated with a class I like so much. I just wish she would stay on time so I can enjoy it more.

......... I hope you all have a great monday to start off your week!~! ..........

Hey Ladies!

I'm really sorry I've been MIA. With the boyfriend here and all of my finals/projects are right around the corner, I've just been really swamped. I haven't really been tracking and if anything it's all the drinking that's going to kill me. He's here for another week and then we go off to a wedding. I can't let these 2 weeks ruin me!:frown: I promise I'll be around everyday in about 2 weeks when I'm done with school.

I hope everyone has a rockin Monday!