Motivation, Success and Frustration Sharing!

@melaniedscott - hope you got your walk in!

Jen - hang in there, as @evamutt says, we all have bad times. You have come so far and done so much and you have clearly lovely kids who think the world of you. So be kind to yourself - but don't give up girl!!! Happy to listen via PM if you need to.

Rachel - what a great sounding weekend! And well done you on sticking to the goals - it's so good when it just feels easy. I don't get that feeling enough unfortunately but it's better than it used to be. Hope the week is continuing to go well.

@clicketykeys - I'm with you on the strength training, I need to do more of it - need to start to cut down my inches rather than just worrying about the weight.

@evamutt - you've raised 4 little kids of your own, you are perfectly entitled to not want to do it again!!

Not much happening here - working from home and I've got Alistair's 2.5 year development check with the Health Visitor team this afternoon. Not really sure what benefit it is but they check speech development, gross and fine motor skills, measure him and weigh him - just another check box along the way I guess! Happy Tuesday all!

@evamutt Thank you for the encouragement. I hadn’t really planned on giving up on everything, just felt like I wondered if it was worth it. I know it is. I felt much better after I did my weigh in last night. Nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy your time without kids. They aren’t yours, and I am sure you are there when they need you to be, and you love them. You look beautiful.

@janetay01 Thank you! I am not giving up. I am here another day.  I worked way too damn hard to lose those 55 pounds. I only have 30 left to catch up to the BF. He has started calling me ISW. I finally asked him what it meant. “Incredible Shrinking woman.” I also tried picking up our puppy, he weighs about 35 pounds. I could barely do that. Holy smokes, I have lost 20 pounds more than him. How in the heck did I move? Oh weight (pun intended), I didn’t. That checkup sounds wonderful. My oldest had a checkup like that in preschool when she was 4. (Wish I could have done it sooner.) I was lucky, it isn’t something most kids get to do, unless their parents specifically seek it out, it was offered as a service at her school. They were able to diagnose her with hearing/speech and language development issues, and short term memory problems (as in she doesn’t really have any.) Thanks to this test. I was able to get her help with her language and hearing problems immediately, and get her set up on a specialized education plan before she even started regular school. Most kids it takes 3-4 years to be diagnosed with these kinds of issues, unless they have physical ones to go along with them. (Mine didn’t.)

Well this weekend I was bad, I didn't do anything resembling healthy. My weight shows it. I am up 3 pounds. Eek! I hope it is water weight, but I don't think so. Blah, back on track.
I finished the gym competition yesterday and had final weigh in. Overall I did pretty darn snazzy. I lost 9 pounds, 3.1% of my body fat and gained a half pound of muscle. I am impressed with myself. They won't announce the winner until Wednesday night at closing ceremonies. It is kind of cracking me up, there are a few people complaining that they can't make it to the closing ceremonies. (You have to be present to win.) It was clearly announced at the opening ceremonies, all over the rules, and you had to sign a paper saying that you had to be at closing ceremonies to win. Silly people, how did you miss this?

I gave myself the weekend to be crappy, today I am back on the wagon. I lowered my weight loss from 1.5 pounds back to 1 pound a week. I think this will relieve some of the fatigue. I did manage to stick with my squat challenge every day though. (This is my unbreakable goal for the Hogwarts challenge.)

Hello lovely ladies! It's Tuesday... and it's pouring rain AGAIN. We've had some crazy flooding here, and there is most likely more to come with all this rain. I live on higher ground, so no flooding worries for us thankfully. Hubs and I went on a bike ride while our younger son was in tennis lessons yesterday (rain subsided for a few hours!), and the creeks in the area are scary high! yikes!

Eva - you look fabulous in that picture! and your family is beautiful too. Keep resting and hopefully you will feel back to 100% soon. I don't think you should feel guilty about not babysitting the grandchildren every day. I know as moms we want to do everything we can for our kids, to make their lives easier and to help them. But they have to go through struggles in life just like we did. I've talked to my hubs about this topic quite a bit lately, since our older son just turned 22 and lots of his friends are getting married etc. We said we aren't going to be childcare for our grandkids, we want to do things for ourselves once the kids are moved out and grown up. Heck, I didn't even want to be a stay at home mom with my own kids, why would I want to do that with my grandkids?! My parents take our younger son (9 yo) every monday after school for a few hours, and that has given them a really close relationship. We pay for childcare every other day after school. Your kids probably don't even expect that you would do that anyway, so just enjoy the times that you have with the little ones! and offer to babysit on a friday night every once in a while, that would surely be appreciated!

Clickety Keys - my hubs birthday was May 11 too! We went to a fab french restaurant and had a very nice expensive dinner. Hope you enjoyed yours too!

HG Smith - ok, let's talk will power....I have none! That is a big struggle in my life, and of course I love sugar too, and find it very hard to say no to things. I'm working on it, and will be for my whole life I'm sure! I like Rachel's policy of one treat a day. I think if we allow ourselves to have that, and log it, we are golden!

Jane - ok, now let's talk about stress eating... I am totally a stress eater!! LOL! Obviously I have lots of issues! HA!! Lucky that you don't eat when stressed! But honestly, if I think about it, I am en emotional eater -I eat when I'm stressed, happy, sad, excited... you name it. I guess I just love food! trying to still work on that too. Food is fuel!

Rachel - I almost laughed out loud when you asked if anyone gets into a funk with regular routines? HELLO, that is the story of my life right now! I think I'm SO sick of this crappy weather, and really have been feeling like I'm in that movie Groundhog Day. Every dang day is the same!!! LOL.

At least this weekend is a long weekend, and last week I worked overtime enough to take Friday off, so I have a four day weekend! WOOP! I think that should help with the funk! I definitely was in a slump the last while (again... may be the weather or ?). But yesterday, my coworkers and I started up and are helping each other. I am logging and eating healthy, and am focusing on positivity! Hope everyone has a great day. I've got my spin class after work today, so that will kick my butt!

I'm still super sleepy. My nose has been stuffy & ears plugged so maybe it's my sinuses? Hope I'm not getting sick. Today was the first day since last June when I overate & not planned it. I over ate a few times but I planned it & logged it. My sis in law came by to visit & I wanted her to try some of the chocolate covered potato chips with pink salt I got for mothers day, well I had a few then a few more. Then I refried some beans with pork for dinner without weighing it & had more chocolate. I hope I'm not getting sick but it would explain everything.I wish life were easier. I'm glad everyone is hanging in there. Things are always changing

@gemwolf110 So glad to see you! I'm glad the job is a great fit and you're able to work regular hours, it's amazing what a difference that makes! Keep us posted on how the transition is going.

@Evamutt We all have days like that so please don't feel too down on yourself. Not having an unplanned day since last July is an incredible accomplishment! Plus chocolate covered potato chips sound worth it!

@HGSmith0920 That sounds like a horribly stressful day. Shame on them for putting you in that position, only having 2 small errors that were sorted out is a big accomplishment. Way to go on not caving in to smoking or overeating! Enjoying your healthy dinner and going out for a bike ride are both great ways to refresh instead!

@bluepoppies777 Did you send the rain my way??? It's pouring today! Great job focusing on positivity, I bet the 4 day weekend will be a great refresh. I've got to remember that I've got a long weekend coming up and I'm looking forward to the break!

@jdelaroy Keep us posted on how you do in the competition awards tonight, 9lbs is a great accomplishment! I bet most of that 3lb gain is definitely water and you'll see a quick drop now that you're back on the wagon.

Derby did help to cheer me up last night even though I spent most on the night on the ground (I seriously can't stop falling down). I made sure to sign up for a pole dancing class to keep the fun rolling. I did a quick weigh in today to see where I am and I lost .7lbs, which I will take considering I had a 4 day conference of all buffets since the last time I weighed!

It's rainy and dreary today, but that makes it easier to be in the office then when it's gorgeous out. Hopefully the weather turns around by Friday so we can enjoy the outdoor areas of the winery (and I don't have to be trapped inside doing small talk the entire time). Today is going to be a busy day at work, I hope you all have wonderful Wednesdays as well!

Just a quick stop to say hello and vent. I asked my boss last Friday if I could get off 2 hours early this coming Friday for my niece's graduation. I still haven't heard. Plus they are giving me all the projects to do, and I have been working very hard for the last few weeks to get them done. My boss is putting me back on regular hours. (Boo, I was working early and loved it.) And is talking about making me continue it through the school next year. I went to the early shift so I didn't have to pay for daycare. If they keep me on the normal shift, I will have to pay for daycare once school is back in. This will take anywhere from half to all of my check. In which case, it isn't worth working. I will end up quitting and trying to find a part time job closer to my house. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just not something I want to have to do.

Super excited tonight I find out how I did in the competition, and my big sister is coming into town.

Okay back to work, hopefully get something else done.

It was nice to hear from everyone. Sorry another quick post and then back to work. They dropped 3-4 projects they want done this week. My boss agreed to let me go home 2 hours early on Friday, but I have to work on Saturday so I don't get behind. I have already been working through my lunches to make up for the lost time. Grrr I am behind because they keep giving me projects to work on that need to be done now.

I didn't win the competition. Didn't really think I would, but very disappointed I wasn't even in the top part. The winner lost 26.6 pounds and 10% of their body fat. I didn't even know it was possible to do that. (He wasn't even a very big guy.) Sigh oh well.

The rest of the week rain/and snow!

Have a good day everyone.

So I just wrote a really long post and then hit the back button on my phone and lost it all! So aggravating! so let's try this again!

@janetay01 I'm so glad your son is doing well and on track! That must be a relief! I hope you have fun this weekend and a great time on the rest of your time off!

@jdelaroy I'm so sorry you didn't win the competition but don't let that disappointment or the stresses of the job to derail you're progress! You're doing so well and should be incredibly proud of yourself!

@Rachel0778 I went on a reading binge yesterday too! Finished a some beach read in an evening. Lol. Stayed up until 130am though! Way past my bedtime! Although I started the book while I was at the gym I the treadmill. I've found that I can really push myself by speed walking on a high incline for a half an hour to forty five minutes and work up a really good sweat.

So yesterday I went to the gym in the evening and got my laundry done. Ate decent good but didn't log more than half of what I sure or did at the gym! Got totally caught up in a book. The DH closed his store last night so I was home by myself until late at night. So I spent most of the evening laying in bed and reading. With the air on since it was almost 90F! Last week we were wearing heavy coats, now we're all sweating to death!

But today is a new day! I don't know if I'll hit the gym today, I think I might. At least just for a little while. Hit the treadmill again! Might even get the DH to come with me. He's got don't health issues but he can definitely ride a bike! So we'll see.

Hope everyone has a great day!

I wish I could share with what everyone posts, I do read them all, my memory is so bad, I get the names mixed up & have to go back & look, lol. I too love being outside in the nice weather. The hot weather here is around the corner 100+ and during some of the summer it hardly cools down during the night. We have window AC's as well & a small house. We don't have one in the kitchen so it's too hot to be in there for any length of time during those hot days. I am starting to feel better today. I was in such a deep pit since May 7, I think maybe that's why I've been so groggy. My dtr sent me this text this morning:"I pray you feel uplifted and loved and enough today" that made such a difference!! I really helped me to start recovering. She is such a woderful dtr. More than I could ask for. She is very pregnant & due June 17.(she has 2 kids, boy & girl 7&9 & she's had many miscarriages after them) She's been sick with one thing after another throughout. She's had a bladder infection for a while now, she's had bruised ribs too. She lives 3 hrs away. They moved 2 summers ago. When she lived here, we saw each other several times a week. She comes to visit us at least 1 a month. I got hit by a car about 15yrs ago. I was riding my bike to work & a car hit me from a side street & I flew off my bike. Every since then I've been too afraid to drive on the freeway & in general really hate to travel. I'm "ok" with my dtr, son or hubby driving me on freeway but it's still hard. I also hate going anywhere over night. We have 6 dogs I love & care for & I don't want to leave them, they don't know when I'm coming back . Times I did go, hubby was home with them but they didn't eat. It's just stressful so I've only visited her 2 times. I know it's awful of me, but I have such a phobia about leaving. She really doesn't mind driving & her whole family (except oldest brother lives in Texas) lives here & her close friends. She doesn't really have any support where she's at. I made a nice dinner tonight, swai fish fillets, broiled with asian style veggies. That fish is SO good & inexpensive. I'm making a kind of chicken dish with bunch of veggies in crock pot over night so don't have to think about dinner tomorrow. I hope you all have a good evening & can relax after a long day. I do appreciate this group.