My goal for week 7 is also to not let myself get discouraged when the scale doesn't move. I've been exercising religiously. I take between 8 to 10 zumba classes a week, walking a mile 4 days a week during my work break and keeping track of eveything I consume. I've managed to drink 13 glasses of water a day which is huge because I hate water lol.

I have neglected my weight training lately and this morning I made myself do a 15 minute kettlebell routine. I need to work on fitting it into my day.

I have not lost anything in 2 weeks but I haven't gained either which is good I guess. I am working out like a maniac and not seeing results on the scale is discouraging. I am trying to deal with it by knowing my clothes are fitting better. I bought a size large dress from Kohls last week that I finally tried it on this morning and it fit.

So my goal is to stay motivated and positive and to throw in more weight training.

My goals for this week are to reassess where I am and to keep moving forward. To bring everything back into balance.

Several things became clear over the past two weeks. The first is, I tend to take on too much and then it catches up with me. Since I came back from the RT convention in Chicago it has been go, go, go nonstop. Everything came at me at once. First I had a May deadline for my third book which had to be in and my editor told me at RT that she wanted it in ASAP (it was April when she told me this) so the time I thought I had and had alloted for was squeezed in and the pressure was ramped up.

Then there was the Shimmy Mob event in Memphis, which I was in charge of. I'd signed up in Jan. for this and had planned and scheduled for it, but i had not planned for my assistant to quit just two days after I was home from that convention. This doubled the work and again the pressure was ramped up.

I started staying up till 2 am almost every night to do the things that had to get done. Even though I knew what I was supposed to be doing health wise, with sleeping, eating, exercising and drinking enough water, every single area became a challenge. The simple fact is I was trying to do too much. Yet neither of these two jobs are jobs I could have quit had I wanted to.

Fortunately I got the book turned in (in May, as planned not ASAP) and the Shimmy Mob events are over so all that remains is sending out the videos and pics and turning in a check to the charity. Hopefully that can be tied up tomorrow so that chapter can be finished and filed away.

Friends and family have been kind of concerned about me overdoing it, so hubby took me this weekend to his brothers lake house. No TV, no radio, no computers, no internet and spotty cell phone reception. I went completely unplugged and turned my phone off.

We swam, napped, ate and read books. Quiet and peaceful for two nights and a whole day. Nothing we had to do.
I'm home now and still feel like I need a nap. lol

The time away has been good and it reminded me what I have known after working for two years at a yoga studio but haven't been practicing. It is good to be still, to be silent, to meditate and to rest. The mind, body, spirit needs this.

I admit I felt a little bit bad about not getting the fitness friday blog up for the past two weeks. I won't just throw one up there for the sake of throwing something. I usually do a bit of research on the topic first. Like everything I do, I put a lot into that.

The lesson this weekend was to slow down. To be instead of always doing, doing, doing.

So I am going to focus on some different aspects of weight loss and healthy living for the next six weeks on my blog. I'm going to focus on that mind/body/spirit connection. And I will redirect my fitness practices as well.

It's time to get back to doing yoga and meditation every day. Along with healthier eating, getting enough sleep and drinking enough water.

Wonder what the scale at the gym will tell me on Tue?
I did shrink enough that one bathing suit no longer fits. I only have one two piece left. So shopping for a new one is on the list for this week.

I had a rough few weeks a while back but im back on track my goals are to keep up with my water intake and to keep up with my 8 hours of sleep I see that alot of people are doing great I hope we keep up with the great work

This is for jenifer315....
I'm definitely not a professional, but I'm wondering if you're building muscle and that is why you haven't lost. Regardless, you are doing a great job and I envy your water intake and your exercise routine!!

I go a couple of weeks without losing then finally a pund or two. I was discouraged but I realized when I figure how many days I've been doing this, divided by 7 and my wieght lose is in fact a pound a week. Of course I can't weigh in on days I eat out. The salt causes immediate water retension.

If any of you have been reading my posts, it's been a struggle for the past several weeks. Dealing with medical issues can be a real drag. However, I think everyone is doing a fantastic job. 400lbs is an amazing achievement. I am attempting to stick with all the goals I have set fore myself, and my team is doing the same. Bless them. Especially Kathy, who had been a huge supporter on our team. She is a real inspiration. I have lost a total of 24lbs since starting the competition, and am looking forward to going out to boogy when I get under the 200 mark.

Time constraints have been the biggest issue. Much like Debra, I take on too much on a regular basis. This month alone, I have three manuscripts that need to be edited and back to the publisher ASAP. One book was released, and I'm working on promos, and I am prepping for the release of another at the end of the month. All this while working full time. Neither are really something that I can just "not" do. At least not yet.

For the past week I have been having some serious stomach pains, and my doctor thinks it may be allergies to dairy and wheat that may be causing my enflamed psorisis as well. He is cutting those two things out of my diet to see if they help. We'll see. I shall lament the loss of bread products, but I'm sure it will be worth it for the weight loss.

Overall, I see this competition as a positive experience, and would love to do it again next year. I will definitely be continuing with the MFP to keep track of my continued weight loss. My goal is 150lbs. We'll see how it goes. Only 63 more punds to lose.

Serena Zane
http://www.serenazane.com:flowerforyou: