Motivation, Success and Frustration Sharing!

@gemwolf110 - glad to hear you had such a good break. Hope going back to work isn't too bad and that they can speed up the start date a bit for the new role.

Shy - liking the new look. I got mine cut a couple of weeks ago and I love the different feel that I get from it - and how much easier/quicker it is to wash and dry! Great picture of Bentley

Rachel - good to hear that Lobby Day was good and that you are feeling reenergised. Now if you could just send some of that feeling my way!!

@Evamutt - glad you are feeling better.

@isotoner - welcome back!

Jen - hello fellow Gryfinndor student!! Glad to see you on the challenge - it looks like fun and I'm hoping that it will start to kick start me back into gear. How is the rest of the week treating you? Have you signed up for the competition at the gym?

Rest of the week has gone better here for me and I'm very glad that it's Friday! Got a slightly odd weekend coming up as my husband will be working for much of Sunday so it's feeling a little short! Going swimming with Alistair tomorrow and then (weather permitting) go out on Sunday with a friend and her little boy (who is good friends with Alistair). Not sure what the plan is but I think likely go to one of the local gardens that are open to the public - let the boys rampage about and then stop in the café for a cup of tea and maybe a small slice of cake!! I've joined up to the next Harry Potter challenge on here which I'm hoping will sort me out - if only I could make up a spell, wave my wand and be the perfect size and weight . Have a good weekend all.

I'm actually so happy this morning. I got on the scale to see I've lost 15lb so far. I still have a long way to go, but hey, that's a start now. I need to lose another 20 to have hernia surgery.

I've been walking around my property (17 acres of wilderness) and up by this nearby pond. It's full of fish, and my little dog, Skittles, seems to be curious about the fish. He tried to get in the water yesterday. Now, he's never been swimming or around a lot of water. It seems he has no idea how to swim. He gets in the water until it's up to his chest, which isn't high since he's part dachshund, and then he takes his paw and tries to dig and push the water away. If it splashes him in the face, he bites the water. LOL. I'm taking my camera next time.

Morning, ladies! (And gents, if you're still hanging around...Brian (dog Bruce Wayne's dad) and...don't remember now, there was another one a month or two ago...why don't the guys stick around?)

I'm not going to post to anyone specifically 'cuz there's just too much. Everyone has been so busy and everything! So motivating... Loved the memes the past couple weeks! Welcome all you new ladies!

So, I'm doing PT for my foot and it seems much improved. I've still got a bit of a limp but when I ride the stationary bike, it nearly disappears. I'm not quite brave enough yet to ride a real bike. In addition to around the house/office walking, I'm doing laps at an indoor track (1/8 of a mile; 4-8 laps). Trying to get in 20 minutes on the bike once a day or so.

April-June is a crazy time at work and next Monday will kick it off...and I found out yesterday I messed something up royally the day before. I create modules and frequently copy one to use as a template. I copied the wrong one and then deleted about 80% of the real one...soooo bad. And so much work to rebuild. And that on top of ordinarily scheduled insanity, a stupid vendor research project and...well, life. So not looking forward to the next three months, work wise. Vacation in June is always a big plus. People ask why they 'let' me take vacation in the middle of the worst month of the year for us, since I am mission-critical...my response is that they 'let' me to prevent homicide. By the time my vacation rolls around, I'm about half crazy (or half crazier than normal), so vacation is a really important piece of sanity. Sturgeon Bay, here we come!

Headed to friends' today to play Oregon Trail with a 6 year old and the new Dresden card game (based on Dresden Files by Jim Butcher...no, I don't expect anyone to recognize it...though, really good series--wizards + detective noir).

Dumped some beef stew in the crockpot this morning...we'll keep most of it but will drop some off for the in-laws. We try to drop off a home cooked meal once a month (they tend to exist on pizza and hamburgers). I'd be happy to increase what I cook and share more than that but when the offer was made, they didn't seem interested. I don't get it, home-cooked, delicious, healthy food vs. bad pizza and hamburgers...that's a pretty obvious choice, to me but whatever. They got corned beef and cabbage last month after our wine tour and (turkey) ham and bean soup a month or so before that. I think I did another stew a couple months ago as well. May and June will be Mother's/Father's Day breakfasts (yes, I'm clinically compulsive. I plan this crap out months ahead...my dinner planning schedule goes out to May 20 with grocery lists...). Since the weather has gotten chilly again, the stew is super tasty-sounding. The chopping and browning the meat bit is a pain in the butt, but it is SO worth it.

Anyway, enough with the food porn...hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Always room for more! Welcome!

Hope everyones having a good week end. We had a really good time with our dtr & her 2 kids. She's due with baby #3 in June. She has had many miscarrages, but much earlier on than she is now & baby's doing well. I always feel so empty for a while after she visits then leaves. We are very close. Changed Junibee's spay to 4/12. Tomorrow my hubs has to be at hospital for proceedure by 7 am. I dread getting up that early (5:45) hope all goes well. This past week I went out to lunch 3 times for various reasons & each time i felt sick to my stomach. We never went out too often in the past anyway but i did enjoy it before. Now all I did was feel sick & burp the rest of the day with grease taste, yuck. Guess my eating habits really have changed.I'm staying home today & cleaning up. Went on 3 dog walks this morning & going again at 5. Hubs & dogs taking nap, so think I'll go to gym & go for swim before walking. It's 80 degrees today! Here's pic of my dtr & family:

@janetay01 Sounds like a fabulous weekend, what a great idea to tire Alistair (and you!) out! I'm having a hard time back at my desk right now too

@Evamutt Beautiful photo of your dtr's family! I hope the procedure goes well! I have a hard time eating greasy food too. Fries (or really any fried food) especially make me feel like garbage. Bodies really do adapt to what you put in them

@jdelaroy Sorry you missed out on skating but you're a rockstar for still fitting in activity on the treadmill. Keep us posted on how the competition is going!

@melaniedscott That's wonderful that you help to cook for your inlaws. I'm sure they really appreciate the homemade food! I'm glad your foot is doing much better. I bet you'll be back on that bike in no time!

Welcome @DeDoubleU, glad to have you as a part of the group!

Great loss @lucypstacy! Skittles sounds hilarious, what a fun adventure for him at the pond.

So I totally derailed on Friday...I ended up having 3 servings of cake (eek!) We just had a Dunkin Doughnuts open up in town so a coworker brought a box for a morning meeting and I had to try one. Then my significant other brought me a cupcake from the new cakery that opened up in town so I had it with dinner. Then I go to my friend's party and her friend made her a 3 layer chocolate stout cake...yeah you can guess where my willpower was on that one.

But I treated Saturday like a new day and got right back on the wagon. I worked out all weekend, shopped for healthy groceries, prepped all my weekly meals, and have my workouts for the week booked. And honestly, all the cake was so delicious I don't even regret it. They were all conscious decisions and I wouldn't classify it as a binge so that's a win!

Rachel - doesn't sound like a binge at all, just a conscious decision to enjoy yourself!

Jen - I'm glad I'm not the only one who had to look up team colours! However, now I'm not sure I have any clothes that match them! My good friend Google was a major help when it came to the questions so I would recommend you head in that direction - there are some incredibly informative fan sites out there I did your 5 minute jogging on the spot challenge on Saturday evening whilst the husband played a video game - to say that he thought I was nuts is being kind! The challenge is doing wonders for my motivation right now - I'm hoping it will be the kick up the backside that I need - the team element is good for me as I like gaining points for the team and work harder so as not to let others down.

@rachel0778 Good job getting back to it on Saturday. Some time you just need to have your cake and eat it too!

@janetay01 It is quiet here. Good job hopping back on the wagon. How are you doing on your other challenges? I just PM'd our leader for the Dada questions. I don't have house colors either. I am thinking I am going to get a paper and color it, pin it on. I am so competitive. Which I never knew.

I did pretty good yesterday. We ended up doing a birthday party for my mom, so had cake and ice cream, but I did well. only had tiny portions, and only ate half of the cake. Weigh in today I am down 3 pounds since last Tuesday!

Back at it today.

I'm back again. We went out of town to relatives this past weekend, so no exercising. My 15 year old and I went for a walk after we got home late Sunday afternoon. I've walked Monday & today, so I feel good about that. Another good walking week & I'll start watching calories as well.

Hubby's cardio version put his rhythm & rate back to normal. Hope it stays. I've been doing well eating wise since our eating out. Cooked up a bunch of lean ground turkey patties & been eating that with salad/veggies since then along with peanut butter & 1oz snack here & there. I stopped having a snack at night. I eat dinner later in the day & tho sometime i get hungry if I stay up later but dinner has been my last meal of the day. I'm not on a "keto" diet per say
, but I do feel more alert & just better when I hardly eat carbs. This morning I skipped the dog park & took Grizzly out on bike, then went for 2 walks, took 1 1/2hrs. Then I went for a bike ride with hubby & quick swim at pool at gym. I do hope the dogs enjoy walking as much as the dog park. I'm planing to do that more often. My dogs don't play, they walk around/smell alot at park & my Pearl, who has osteorpetrosis often lays down & watches & doesn't get much exercise but they do get to be off leash, so maby I'll just go 3 days/wk instead of 5. Today we're going to visit my sis in law, who just had her 2nd knee replacement yesterday then eating out (augh) at Applebees, since we have a gift card. I looked up the calories on mfp & think I'm ordering a steak & steamed veggies, that should be ok. This Friday we're having a group meeting & pot luck through a group that used to meet regularly every tuesday for 5yrs, but hasn't met for 6 months. I'm making a pineapple carrot cake to take. I'm not sure what to do as far as eating goes. I may eat at home before i go & have a small sample of something. Junibee is going to her new home tomorrow, her new mom fell in love with her. Have a great week everyone

@janetay01 I know that feeling.

I don't have much time to respond either. Had a not so great day yesterday. Hoping today is better! Do not eat all the food!