@melaniedscott and @GingerPwr - the top is a sample for my business, I've been slowly designing and setting it up in all my spare time I don't have an online shop up yet, but it won't be too far away.

@debbiewsharpe interesting rainbow brain! Mine must light up a lot, I'm always moving. Also re the transformation - I can kind of see it. I'm trying to appreciate the weight I'm losing this time around without comparing to the weight that I was before I gained a lot back. 25 lbs doesn't seem like much lost when I had lost 160 and then gained back over 100. But it's a good start.

There's a few sayings thrown around like "nothing changes unless you do" and "nothing changes if nothing changes" and I think I've been grinding my gears for a few months. I was tracking fairly accurately and I should have been in a calorie deficit, but it clearly wasn't working well for the scale. Some progress in the photos, but mostly I was banging my head going "but it should be working!!!" (Nobody's perfect!) What it seems to have taken was a combination of patience, and deciding to give up the refined sugars that I was somewhat relying on. It wasn't a lot - some dried/baked fruit, a chocolate covered muesli bar every day - within my calories, but I felt like I couldn't do without it. So I've removed those foods that were fuelling my addiction, and *shock horror* I didn't die. I'm paying attention to macros again, and feel so much better than I did before.

Everything tastes sweet now. Even things that you wouldn't think. Salsa tastes like sugar, even the 'hot' one. Most sauces taste far too sweet as well. So many vegetables are naturally sweet as well. I've always been a sugar addict, although I did manage to cut it out for 9 months last year (it's a migraine trigger) but then I relapsed. I've been thinking that a little bit won't hurt, but damn if it isn't addictive. And it's in everything.

Anyway, that's my musing for tonight. I've always been "everything in moderation" but this journey second time around is still teaching me things.

Have a great day everyone

Sunday check in
Hey team, I had a nice week off from my usual planning, IF and eating routine. The mental break was nice and I really needed it. I pretty much did many of the same things anyway given that I have been doing this for a while. I have a plan to lose the last 5 or 6 lbs in the next 6 weeks or so, and I will stick to my heathy eating & IF routine for that. I have been missing running, so I am going to try some really short runs a few days this week. The psychology of injury is real and I need to really accept that I am ok to run again. I am also going to start up with some weights again too. We put up Halloween decorations this weekend. We are getting some confusing messages from doctors and our local government as to whether trick or treating should happen this year. I figure it is an outdoor activity and with masks and distancing, we should be ok. So I bought some candy and a 5 ft poster tube to distribute the goodies. We will decorate the tube and it should be fun trying to use it if any kids drop by. Thanks so much to everyone for your birthday wishes last week! I am still catching up on posts and missed you all. Hope that you all had a good week!

@xX_PhoenixRising_Xx - You look fabulous and thank you for sharing those photos! I really admire your determination in spite of your health issues. I will be thinking about you as an inspiration as I attempt my runs this week.

@debbiewsharpe - Best of luck with your surgery and sending good vibes for your speedy recovery.

@ljdanny - I hope that you continue to recover nicely, and that your son is doing ok too.

Check in for weekend
Food-not good
water-not good
Exercise-PT

New week-just moving forward. Not too much to report. Let's finish October strong!



@ljdanny I never even thought about sleeping for you! How do you sleep and keep your spine in alignment? I hope you didn't push it too much with cleaning, you are always taking care of others, time for them to take care of you. I Lol'd about your husband staying out, my husband would have been right with him! Lol!
@GingerPwr I think planning is a great way to start and in the long run will make things easier during the week. I know you are super busy being back to school but I really think if you took the time to plan, you will turn things around. You got this!!
@xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Do not worry about catching up or responding, it is nice to just have you checking in. I did read about that metabolic suppression a few years back in regard to the biggest loser show. It is crazy how the body still is worried about starvation although most of us lives in abundance now (I am guessing that is why it does that) As we are going into the cold, you are heading into the warmer weather. Hope you got a cute swim suit! Amazing progress photos!! I love your tank! I originally was going to say it looks like you could have designed it and now reading further, it looks like you did! If I had seen that in a store, I would have thought of you! Lol!
@debbiewsharpe Oh that southern dinner sounded delicious! Maybe that is part of maintenance, balancing things out. You have a meal like that, you need to eat lighter the next few days. Idk, I am not there yet. I am sending hugs and prayers for your surgery tomorrow!
@pacsnc6 I hope you are feeling better and the medicine has kicked in. I am curious if it will work better when you take it earlier next time. I guess just assume you will have the swelling and itching so just take it? I hope you can do that.
@kiane50 It is fun getting new boots! Who cares what the hubs says. My husband isn't into that stuff either but that doesn't mean we need to be boring right? Hope the animals are settled in a little more and things are going smoother.
@mxlaw90 I can see how those lunches would get tiring after a while. I know there are healthy lunches you can prep for the week. Maybe pinterest may have some you would like. I have no ideas and usually look to pinterest for inspiration.
@kandi3570 I know it is not as good as real chicken parm but skinny taste has a baked chicken parm which I think is a good substitution.
@Melzz19 and @mainebeachbum Hope things are going well.
@Cafelelia I am glad that you had a nice week recharging. I am glad you are going to start back to running. I know how you love it! I also like the idea for using the poster board as a tube for trick or treating. I was trying to think of something but was making it overly complicated.

The Green Challenge Percentage of people who lost weight this week. No matter how small the loss the weights are recorded in green. Remember that even if your team doesn’t rank the highest in weight loss for the week you can still be the Green Percentage winner by having the most losses in your team! So keep it up!!

@xX_PhoenixRising_Xx you can see a big difference in your pictures! Even if the scale isn't moving, you can see change.

Also, I agree, when you lose a significant amount of weight, you gain much easier & it is much harder to lose. I lost a good amount of weight many years ago, not sure the exact amount, I never weighed myself before I started my weigh-loss journey, but I would say 70 pounds or so. I am still annoyed I do not know my starting number. I always joke that if I smell food, I gain weight, lol. I have to really stay on plan to not gain.

Hi all,

I did some research around on waist circumference to height measurements and the right number for me. This is another method that you can use instead of bmi. So from the online calculator I will need a 30 inch waist to be at a healthy place. I’m at 37 inch now so a ways to go. Good to know what to shoot for. I will use this along with bmi when determining that I’m ready for maintenance.

In other not-so-great news I made the chewy brownie cookies off the golden crisco box. Just as delicious as you would imagine. And I had more than I should have.

Since my work building is closed now for two weeks I need to make better choices. On the up side I am getting up lots and trying to add a few steps in as I work on my laptop from the kitchen table. I am happy to be safe at home right now. Best place to be.

I’m on pace for my pound a week goal. I also set a new goal of March 21, 2021 for my potential ultimate goal date. I like having something to shoot for. I’m really close to 150 right now. Thinking 125 to start as my ultimate goal. This is subject to change once I see how that feels.

I also started up my weights here at home since I can’t get into my work gym. It’s just hand weights right now.

@Cafelelia we are handing out candy too. Or rather tiny Rice Krispies and chips ahoy snack bags. I wasn’t sure how many kids we should plan for so I got stuff the kids will eat. I forbid any tiny chocolate bars from entering the house. I cannot say no to those!

@xX_PhoenixRising_Xx glad you are feeling better and finding what you need for success.

@podperson1 hugs. Glad you are here.

@podperson1 -

Good to see you back! As for the gain, at least you know you can burn that weight back off. It's not always easy climbing back on the wagon, but the wagon is mostly broken anyway. Be gentle with yourself - you deserve it.

@goingape -

A 30 in waist? How tall are you? I think some of those calculators don't account for anyone gaining any muscle, which is disheartening for those of us who are becoming healthier by gaining muscle while losing fat.

@nikkibrianne64 -

Welcome aboard! I'm Ashley, one of the captains of this group. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to direct them to me! For now, it's a good time to introduce yourself and get acquainted with the group. You won't need to post any weigh-ins until the first week of November.

@CassieGetsFit2013 -

It's always so hard to post a gain. Really takes a lot of courage to own up to it. Even harder to balance physical health with mental health! But since we've started chatting, I can see definite progress in your journey, even if you can't. You're doing a good job, and you know what you have to do - now it's just time to do it. We're here for you

@Melzz19 -

Ooof. I'm not a snow person. At all. Don't know how you do it, and probably don't want to know. Even thinking about snow makes me cold.

@Cuddleme72 -

So sorry to hear about your daughter! Do what you need to do, remember to take care of yourself, and let us know if you need anything. Even if you're not an official part of the group, we're still here to support you.

@xX_PhoenixRising_Xx -

I always pull muscles doing ordinary things too! Had to take Sunday off from spinning just because I pulled something in my thigh IN MY SLEEP. Hang in there, and don't push yourself too hard. It's oh so easy to make muscle injuries worse.

Can your daughter's friend's mother give my mom a few pointers? I tell her I'm trying to lose weight, and she sends me tupperware containers of cookies, claiming she made them slightly smaller than she normally does.