Motivation, Success and Frustration Sharing!

Hey, all! Welcome to all the newbies...

You guys are amazing! I don't post often but read your posts nearly every day and you are all so inspiring! Everyone talking about pros/cons of going w/o booze has been interesting...I can't seem to fit it in on the calories...cheetos or wine...cheetos! Since I broke my foot, it seems harder to stay in my calories...of course, drinking with pain killers is a big no no, so I'm better off booze free for now. The vodka and crystal light sound interesting...but the past year or two, I've been hearing reports that mixing alcohol with aspartame can be dangerous/hazardous? You might check. Not as bad a alcohol and aceteminophen dangerous, but still.

Thanks so much for all the well wishes on my poor broken paw & exercise suggestions. It is healing. I would say it is hurting less, but the past couple days it's been a real kitten. I'm really lucky--the injury is one they typically put pins in and I don't have to do that. When I do something, I go all out...and I do it well. No half measures for me.

I went to the office two days this week (I'd only been in one day since Dec 20th) and not having it elevated resulted in swelling & complaining. I'll keep it up all weekend & Monday...but it's back to the salt mines Tuesday. I'm so spoiled by being able to work from home that two days in the office back to back is...argh. And Wednesday I have to teach. Then I'll get a progress report from the Dr on Thursday...

Not being able to walk much or do much is killing me. I'm living vicariously through all of your great stories of pole dancing, roller skating, gyms, yoga, treadmills, etc. Didn't think I'd miss exercise so much (or doing dishes!). Committed to doing 10 minutes of bicycle crunches every day a couple days ago...for about 5 minutes. Done some light stretches for leg but not much else. Need to!

My husband has been amazing. He's been terrific about cooking dinners (putting them in the crockpot if he won't be home until late...funny story on this in a bit), making me breakfast, making sure I have all my work stuff at hand and fruit to snack. We hit Thursday and he typically gets this desperate look...and we get take out. I've always done most of the cooking so this is a big change. When I'm sick, it's pretty frequently all takeout all the time but he knew from the get go six weeks of takeout was NOT happening. The other day he was working a late night, so he went in late, several hours after I left...he put a meal in the crockpot for me. I got home and he had forgotten to turn it on! Fortunately it was one of my vegetarian meals (Mushroom Spinach Stroganoff...oh, yum!), so I just turned it on and ate a frozen dinner. Lots of lovely lunches!

A couple of my posts back, I talked about a cranberry cooking spree...I'd made a cranberry-blueberry sauce that had a lot of cinnamon and a slightly gritty texture...wasn't sure I liked it. Found a way I LOVE it...in plain yogurt. Just a couple tablespoons sweetens the yogurt a little, adds some fruit, and the creamy cuts the gritty cinnamon texture and it is so nice! Now I have a reason to make it again. Of course, it will be November again before I get through all the cranberry sauces I made anyway! Yes, they keep well in the fridge, just like jams & jellies. All three have substantial sugar and two are full of booze, so no worries. And there I go with the food porn again...

Rachel, I think we must be related...your pizza sounds just like mine. We're having Pizza tomorrow (with a salad!). People look at me crazy when I say turkey pepperoni...but seriously! Less fat, less sodium, fewer calories. Tasty! I don't eat pig of any kind and my husband likes bacon and pepperoni, other that that he's cool with no pig so we find compromises on the things he especially likes...beef or turkey bacon, turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, etc.

Janetay...I hear you on emails. The days I have a lot to do, it seems like people cannot leave me alone. I leave for a day and you'd think the world was ending. Gone for a week...let's not talk about that!

ShyCush...the calendars are a project! I think I spend 8 hours setting up layouts, choosing captions, picking and uploading photos and such. I did spend some of that time doing some pretty silly photo editing when I learned you could put photos on calendar days (I put birthdays on the calendar and a photo for the people I had photos for). And we spent a good chunk of time running around taking the bear photos before that. The looks you get when you start putting stuffed animals of stuff (or random people) and take pictures are hilarious. & love your memes...Speaking of memes, I've one to add.

Kaavery...You talked about prelogging; sometimes I prelog and sometimes I don't. I'm not sure if it helps or not for me. What do you think? I tend to decide I don't want that breakfast or my husband decides he can't possibly cook because it is Thursday and wants to order takeout...and then I have to juggle it anyway. And, way to go on soda...when I gave it up, I think it was hard but now I don't miss it. I'll have one very once in while but it just doesn't taste that great anymore. I call my husband an addict...he's always desperate for a soda. Welcome!

Bluepoppies...you should not miss Colorado...it is gorgeous. Estes Park is amazing. Vail is lovely (if commercial). And I've heard other, more southern areas are amazing as well. A coworker moved to Durango (I think) a few years ago and raved about it. Give Glacier National Park a go, too (Montana). Amazing. I still need to see Yellowstone!

June...I suspect what you call a yankee gift exchange is what I've heard called a white elephant. No idea why, maybe because the gifts you give and get are as attractive, convenient and useful as a white elephant? Don't know. I actually got some very warm slippers in one several years ago...hideous but lovely on the paws.

jdelroy...sorry about the car, that always sucks. Why do heaters go and cars stop on the coldest days? Those muffins sound good. Love blueberries anything (husband likes them plain but not in things...doesn't like his food touching other food-eye roll). Your competition with your sister is funny...and motivating. So cool.

God, this is long. I'd say more but it's time to quit...So glad everyone's new year is going well!

I GOT A TATTOO!!!!
I've been going through a very tough personal struggle for a few months and this has been my mantra "one foot in front of the other"

@brown_eyes74 - welcome!

@gemwolf110 - great new fridge and yay for wedding bands - how exciting! Dress shopping is so much fun - definitely I would start sooner rather than later.

@melaniedscott - sounds like you are being looked after really well by your husband. Good for you on getting back into the office - I love my option for working from home but there are days when I just need to get in to the office and talk to people! Do you know when you might lose the crutches - or is that up for discussion when you see the Dr on Thursday?

Shy - hang in there, it sounds like you are doing everything right and that will result in a good loss eventually - these things never happen as fast as we would like.

@larry9171 - welcome!

Joy - ha it's funny that you talk about baby number 2! My husband and I are undecided at this point but I'm not getting any younger for it (40!) and we have agreed that we'll come to a decision later this year. A lot of it comes down to that simple question of whether we can afford it - we would have to time it so that Alistair was starting school by the time the second one started nursery. But beyond that, who knows!! I think it's safe to say that if it's going to happen, it will be sometime later this year . Agree with you that January is going far too fast for my liking - I don't approve!

Rachel - hope you had a lovely date night

Jen - that's a tough situation. How far away are they both moving? Can she/you arrange for her to meet up with them, get them set up on Skype and that sort of thing. You hope that they are good enough friends to her to stay in touch and that if they don't they weren't worth it anyway (harsh I know) but that's very hard to understand when you are in her situation and feeling like a great chunk of your world has shifted. And I can't believe your family member just didn't turn up again - I would be having some harsh words (with her direct or through your other half) - that's just downright rude!

Well, I've started the week with another .2lb loss - it's small but I'll take all the little losses that I can get! Lovely weekend here but I'm really not sure where it went, it was Sunday evening before I knew it . I'm so busy at work right now (despite taking my time out to be on here briefly that I don't know which way is up and the days are just flying by. Hope you all had good weekends and Monday treats you well.

Hi, I have been a member here too and dropped out as well. But I'm back and more determined than ever. I need to lose around 60 pounds. I just turned 50 and I need to do this for my health. Anyone please feel free to friend me, the more the merrier. Good luck to us all!

@jdelaroy I'm glad your daughter is feeling better and that her friend was able to get out of that situation. I'm proud of you for not eating your feelings!

@pudgy1977 Beautiful tattoo!

@gemwolf110 congrats on the new fridge, it's beautiful!

@larry9171 Welcome!

@bluepoppies777 I wouldn't be able to give up sugar either! Any ideas what your new goals are?

@melaniedscott Glad you're back and that your husband has been a good support system. That is one heck of a break! Bicycle crunches are a great goal!

@shycush6 Don't worry about that gain. I always retain a bit of lactic acid when I increase the intensity of my workouts too

@janetay01 Congrats on the loss!

@kballard1966 Welcome!

So I had an absolutely fantastic date night. The restaurant had a fabulous scallops dish and fun 1920s coctails. Afterward we met some friends at the hockey game and had so much fun! Saturday I got to see a friend I hadn't seen in 5 years and we talked for 5 hours straight!

Sunday...all I did was lay around and eat. I seriously need to reign in my weekend eating but I'm having a hell of a time doing it. Today my goal is to be back on track and this weekend I will make sure to keep busy so it's not just me and the fridge. Happy Monday everyone! I'm lucky to have it off so I'm snuggling with my dog on the couch now

Oh,also.... I did the Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD yesterday. My legs are sooooo sore from so many squats!

@kballard1966 Welcome back, and good luck.

@melaniedscott I love hearing from you, post as much as you want. I hope you are hanging in there. That has to be killing you.

@jenhul Sounds like fun, good luck!

@Rachel0778 Fantastic! glad you had a great time. I am struggling with my food as well. Not just on weekend. Snuggle time with the dog sounds awesome. I sure could use some snuggling.

@kaavery120188 I think a lot of us struggle with food choices especially when we are busy and/or stressed. Good job being conscience of it.

@janetay01 I hate those kind of days. He will probably have already forgotten about it, (I know doesn't make it any easier to handle.) Give him a great big hug, and explain even mommies have a bad day, and you are sorry. My sone (7) had a hard time too. He was quietly crying in his bed when I went upstairs to go to sleep. I went in and took a minute to talk to him. He was really, really thirsty and he couldn't get comfortable. So I asked what he should do if he is really thirsty. He decided getting a drink would help. So we went and got a drink of water, I walked him back to bed, covered him up, gave him hug, a kiss and rubbed his back for about 2 minutes. Told him goodnight, and he passed out. Sometimes, they just need a little love. (I don't get that much anymore)

I am having a rotten couple of days, over emotional, not enough sleep, and fighting with the BF because of it. I did alright on my food until yesterday after work. There was a bowl of sunflower seeds in my living room. No shells, so easy to grab and eat. Holy crap, I had no idea they had so many calories. Plus I made apple cobbler for the first time ever. It was in the crock pot with a cake mix. It turned out okay, but not as good as I had hoped. Shoot, I forgot to add that to my food log yesterday.

Today is supposed to be gym day, we will see. Right now, I don't even want to be around the BF. I really just want to go home, put my pj's on and go back to sleep.

I weighed myself yesterday and the scale said I lost 2 pounds, I weighed my self today, and it went back up, and said I only lost a pound. Dang salt! I am blaming it on the sunflower seeds. LOL

Have a better day than mine,

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up and never give up!

Hey ladies, I have been reading the new posts but haven't been commenting! Sorry!!

@BW_NOT great quote, love it!

@Rachel0778 what is derby?!

@jdelaroy chin up, we all have bad days (or weeks!) mine is normally when TOM is in town-hubby knows not to cross me!!!

@janetay01 hope bedtime goes more smoothly tonight!

@kaavery120188 pizza sounds good! Haven't had a takeaway pizza in ages...I had been eating the frozen pizzas but I'm back making my own diy pizza now-on ww pitta bread...it's not take out but it's really tasty for small calories!

Getting on well back at ww-another 2lbs off this week so happy out! This week was all about portion control-some great tips and eye openers from my leader!!!

Maritill wrote: »

Is it too late to join this group? I am just getting back into logging, exercising after a year off because of brain cancer surgery & recovery. It's gone for good we hope.

@maritill it's never too late to join this group! Just log in, share comments, up and downs, we're all on the same path trying to lose weight and get healthy.
Glad you beat the brain cancer-that must have been a very difficult and stressful time. My sister had brain surgery last year (not for cancer) and it was a very worrying time (which of course led to lots of stress eating and drinking!)

@kaavery120188 - pre-logging certainly seems to help me keep on track. I think by logging all my planned meals and standard everyday stuff, it lets me see what I've got left to be flexible with. I'm having a battle at the moment though with evening snacking - I don't think I'm hungry particularly - just very susceptible to grabbing something at 9.30/10pm. Need to keep busy!

@tazzy2911 - well done on the further loss, you are really rocking this right now.

@Maritill - never too late - welcome! That's a lot that you've had to contend with - but great news if it is gone completely.

Rachel - I know what you mean about the lack of activity and routine - it is a lovely idea in one way but it leaves me feeling lethargic if I'm not careful. Boo hiss about derby being cancelled - we've got a delightful combination here of frost overnight and rain during the day, making the roads fairly lethal!

Jen - thanks for your comments. We did bedtime last night and as predicted, he was fine - played me well for a couple of extra stories, then rolled over and was asleep in about five minutes. So sorry you are having a rough time - try and find some time for yourself and recharge the batteries then chat it through with your boyfriend. I had a stupid argument with my husband after 'the bedtime fiasco' (as I'm now referring to it ) on Monday and it was all because I was tired, fed up and grumpy and picked a fight with him. After a decent nights sleep and a better day yesterday, we were able to discuss sensibly and sort it out. Stick with it and hope today is a better day.

So, yesterday was a better day and working from home now for the rest of the week so I get away from everyone at work and hopefully actually get some work done. Hopefully will get a workout in at lunchtime to make up for the total lack of movement otherwise and then I shall finish work a little early and get the fire lit before I go to get Alistair - it's freezing here right now!

Welcome @Maritill! That's great news on your recovery!

@tazzy2911 Congrats on the loss! Derby is short for Roller Derby (I'm part of a local team). UK has got a really good team, you can see a lot of their stuff on youtube if you're curious

@kaavery120188 Week long logging is some serious dedication! Great job on mapping out your week for success!

@janetay01 Glad the rest of the week is at home for you so you can stay away from the terrible commute and awful roads!

@jdelaroy I'm so glad you got some relaxation time to yourself. I absolutely adore GoT! What season are you on? Congrats on your daughter's opportunity, that is so exciting!

I'm having a rough body image day today. I could see very faint new stretch marks on my inner thighs (likely from the holiday gain) and I haven't been able to make any progress in the last few weeks because I keep de-railing myself on the weekends. I'm also still bloated from all the overindulgences I ate on Sunday, ugh. I'm trying to get my head in the game, but every weekend seems to spiral into the same junk food a polooza. I need to figure out why I was able to be so successful last year and what is different right now that is keeping me from getting back into it.

In better news, my coworkers and I signed up for a 6 week challenge through work where they offer us a twice weekly personal trainer and before and after fitness assessments for a nominal fee. It will be nice to have a group to workout with and a trainer to hopefully keep me accountable with both food and activity.

I'm hoping to sneak away for a lunchtime yoga class. I'm hoping it helps with my body love, which is seriously lacking right now.

@janetay01 – Agree, I think pre-logging helps me be flexible with everything else that comes up during the day. As far as snacking at night, I’ve heard brushing your teeth early helps so you don’t want to eat again. However it never worked for me. I just try and keep myself busy until I go to bed by reading a good book, catching up on chores or watching tv. Glad you had a better day and get to work from home this week! I looooovvveee Game of Thrones. I’m dying for the next season to start.
@jdelaroy – glad you had a great day. And awesome about your daughter! She is definitely setting herself up for future success!
@Rachel0778 - sorry you’re having a tough time. Weekends are really hard for me as well. I can’t really say that I’ve figured out a solution yet. That’s great that your work is offering you a personal trainer! Maybe that will help you get back on track! Don’t let yourself get too down. You are beautiful and strong, and you will get through this rough patch!

Yesterday was a good day. Got my boot camp work out in and was under my calorie goal. And I'm not AS sore today as I was after my Sunday work out. I'm trying to do better about not keeping wine at the house because it always sounds so good after a stressful day. Now that I've got a few weeks of logging under my belt, I can tell I am not as hungry between snacks/meals and my body is happier. Weekends are my weakness though. I need to figure out what to do to set myself up for success.

Have a great day all of you beautiful people!

@kaavery120188 You are doing fantastic, keep it up.

@missjazminenicole Keep up the great work. If you are getting discouraged and weighing yourself daily, Stop. Your body will fluctuate between 2-3 pounds a day. If you really want to weigh yourself daily, then keep track of it on a spread sheet or app. What you want to look for then is that the overall trend is showing a decline in weight.
On Sunday I weighed 206.8, Monday 204.2, Tuesday 205.8, Today 205.6. So the general trend is a steady decline where I have a dip and then back up, but not as high, and now I am going down again. Also, as a woman if your menstrual cycle is regular you will hold water/get bloated every other week because of the dumb thing. Other things can also change what you are weighing. How much salt did you eat the day before (more salt=more water retention) If you had a hard workout, your body will hold water to help repair itself, the last time you had a bowel movement. So don't get discouraged. You are taking the right steps, sometimes it just take time for your body to catch up. I am not a crazy health nut. I eat whatever food I want, I guess at proportion sizes, I usually walk every day, but make it to the gym about 1-2 times a week, I rarely do any other exercise. But I am eating a lot less then I used to, I do allow myself to mess up, and I keep going. I told myself that if I go more than 2 weeks without losing weight, and I am doing everything right, then I will start weighing my food, but until then I just do the best I can. Sorry for the book, I just don't want you to give up on yourself.