Wow, great news, Michelle!! So pleased you have reached your mini goal. I'm on my way toward reaching mine, too, because as of yesterday I have got serious about my weight loss again. I'm doing great so far. You may remember me telling you that hubby started this elimination diet with me, and has been losing weight - - - well, he has lost 12 kg!!!!!!!! and I have lost 1. 
I haven't really found out any more about my diet, because I keep cheating! I know I'm intolerant to milk, because whenever I have milk I spend the next day sleeping. That was the main thing I wanted to fix, anyway, so if that's the only thing that I manage to confirm, it will be ok.
Crocs are great, Merissa! I have a cheap imitation pair, but they are so comfy that I've done a lot of walking in them.
Thanks for the suggestion. I can't wear crocs at work. Florida health code says that the shoes worrn in restaurants have to have backs. I am hoping that my new arch supports will help. The pain has lessened, anyway, and I am able to get through most of the day before they start hurting.
I haven't been near a scale for about a month now, so I am not sure how my weight is doing. I am still losing some inches. I have a shirt that I got (a youth size medium) that was tight and yesterday I put it on and it is getting looser. I just have to get rid of this gut of mine.
Glad to hear everyone is doing well.
Talk to you all later,
Karen
Karen, crocs come in all sorts of designs now. There is a type with backs in them.
I'm going to weigh in tomorrow. I've been doing well!!
Glad you've been doing well, Sonia!
My feet have been feeling much better now with my arch supports. I do have to shop for a new shoe wardrobe, though, to fit the supports into.
I am going to start the Flat Belly Diet in a couple days (I have to wait to get some money together to buy the foods). I'll let you know how the diet progresses for me as I go along.
Karen
Woohoo!!! I'm down 2.2lbs since Monday! That's the best I've done in ages! And I can actually tell my jeans are looser.
Karen, I haven't heard of the flat belly diet - what's that one about????
Hi Ladies,
I have been lurking the last couple of weeks trying to keep up with everyone. Just not much extra time trying to get back in the swing of working full time. Sounds like everyone is doing good on their goals. Yeah! I finally weighed in, cause I had been afraid since I started working in the bakery and sampleing way too many varieties of this and that, that I had gained. But still at 165, so far so good. Not losing but still in my 10's.
Karen I wear the crocs too and I love them. Havn't seen the ones with backs yet, but once you try them you;ll love them.
Let us know about the flat belly diet.
Good morning everyone!!
Hope all is well with you. I had a lazy weekend, sort of. No workouts, but playing with a 4 and 1 year old. Helping to baby sit all weekend. It was fun.
Back to it today though!!! Got up and did my 2 miles and will do MFC tonight. I also need to get a grip on my eating, did not so good this weekend!!
Have a great day everyone.
The Flat Belly Diet is from Prevention Magazine. It it supposed to help with bloating and flab around the belly (my exact problem). I started on the 4 day anti bloat plan on Monday. It's too soon to even see a difference. I'll let you know of progress as it goes along.
Karen
Hi Strangers.....
Sorry I haven't been around - for awhile I was reading but not replying then I just stopped coming on here. I WISH I could say I've been working out but I haven't done anything in like a month and a half.
My motivation has been absent for awhile now hoping to find it soon!
Good to see a few back with us!
If it works, Karen, you'll have to let us know the secrets to a flat belly!
I haven't been quite as good as last week, but going ok. I weighed this morning and am down from last week, but will weigh officially tomorrow.
Morning, everyone!
Glad to see you back, Connie.
So far, so good with the diet. Today is the last day of the anti-bloat portion of the program, and I am seeing less bloat around the middle. Of course, it is that time of the month, so it is hard to tell, really, just how much regular bloating is gone.
Tomorrow will be day #1 of the regular diet. The premise is to eat every four hours (kinda hard, what with the job, but I've been able to do it so far). Also, they add what they call a MUFA to each meal (Mono-unsaturated fatty acid). Each meal is around 400 calories. I'll keep you all updated on my porogress.
I've just mentioned starting this diet to a couple people at work and I am getting some pretty poor reactions. Tyrone asked me if the diet was to GAIN weight. Marsha is talking about middle age spread and saying that diet won't work. I am just thinking that I need some sort of structure to my eating because otherwise I won't eat. I picked this diet because my belly is the one area where I really think I need more work. Next I will get the Flat Belly Workout DVD.
I am going to the grocery store today so I shoulld be close to a scale to just step onto to get my starting weight.
I'll check in with you all later,
Karen
Well, I'm a bit late, but here I am with my weigh in. I'm down to 166.2, a loss of 1.1.
Karen, don't worry about what others say. You know what works for you! Everybody has their different ways to successfully lose weight. If you're losing, then keep at it!
Hello, all!
I won't be doing the flat belly diet after all. We went shopping for the first week's food and spent over $75. That is for ONE person for ONE week. Way too much to spend on food.
Hubby was feeling left out so we have both started the T-Factor Diet. That is a low fat diet and has helped us in the past. Today is day #3, and I have been entering all of my food in Sparkpeople. Hubby won't use Sparkpeople. He says it is too hard. Go figure.
Glad to hear of your loss, Sonia.
Hope everybody is doing well. Check in with you later.
man oh man I have not been here in awhile! Sorry! I have gotten really busy with cakes. I guess that is a good thing, but I have been needing to get up early and stay up late many nights to get stuff done. I feel guilty since my 3 year old is a home full time. So my workouts have suffered too. I did go this morning since I hadnt been in 2 weeks. I can tell I already took a couple of steps back. I think I may have to limit the number of cakes a week to just a couple in the summer. It's a bummer because I really love doing them and we could use the money, but I just can't see ignoring my workouts, children, husband, and sleep.
I hope everyone is doing well. Congrats on the losses everyone! I will try and remember to weigh in tomorrow to see where I am at. I think I am about the same, but who knows!
Oh, Merissa, I know exactly how you're feeling!! Last week I had a wedding cake and 110 decorated biscuits also for the wedding. I was in my kitchen ALL week! The kids would come home from school (bus drops them at the gate), they would come in, walk past me, get their own afternoon tea and go back outside till dark. I feel so guilty about it, but I had so much to do!
Well, I haven't weighed myself yet, but I certainly haven't been as good this week. My son had a birthday yesterday, and I ate more than I should have 
WEll I weighed in at 162. I guess it could have been worse. I pretty much have been maintaining for a few months now. I think at this point my dreams of 135-140 are out the window. right now I would easily be satisified with 150. I was thinking, I wonder what would happen if I didn't really go on a diet, but I just tried to eat more natural food. You know, stay mostly away from foods in boxes and packages and eat more produce and lean meat. Like eating foods where there is only one ingredient? The only thing in carrots, is well...carrot.
That might work, Merrissa. Just cutting portions and knowing exactly what you are eating is always helpful. Know what your portion sizes are or should be.
I'm weighing in today at 165.8, down another .4! Only a small loss this week, but at least I'm heading in the right direction.
Where have I been? 
Busy with the last week of school and cakes I guess. I havent really been in the groove eating wise. I have been to the gym 2 so far this week (I did get a personal best on my run though! down to 29:14 for 3.1)
It was my b-day the other day, so I went out to red lobster and ate too much.
I was just wondering where EVERYONE was. I bought a scale and weighed in at 146.6. That is down 2 pounds since the doctor a couple menths ago (last time I weighed myself). My size 8's are getting big on me, too.
The diet is going well. I am using Sparkpeople every day to plan my meals. It is still hard for me to come up with the calories and carbs that I need, but I have been adding foods to bring the calorie counts up to what Sparkpeople says I should have, while keeping my fat count low. It is easier to keep the fat low than the calories up!
Hubby has also lost 2 punds, but his is just this past week. He is really getting serious about this weight loss, too. He talked to the doctor today about running on the beach and we got a yoga tape for the two of us today.
Great Karen! You are doing well! Keep it up!
I need to get into control of my life! I just feel like I don't have enough time in teh day somehow. I really need to set aside some time to plan meals/shopping/cleaning/cakes.
Thanks, Merrissa.
Sounds like you just need to take a step back and plan your days a bit. Start a journal. Get yourself a day planner and different colored highlighters. Highlight blocks of time for yourself. Use Pink for family time, blue for work time, etc. This is something that we did in Mary Kay to keep our lives balanced between work and family.
Hi all!
Otter, great job on the loss. I use Sparkpeople all the time. I like seeing when I say within all of my limits. I too find it hard to get enough carbs. Do you use it for the fitness as well? I like seeing my calories burned go up every week. Are you part of any of the teams? I admit it can be a bit over whelming if you are involved in too many teams. I really like 3 of them. There is one for daily challenges that I like alot, I just joined one for weekly challenges, still not sure about that one.
Merissa, a journal sounds like a good idea, I like the idea of colored highlighters (thanks Otter). Although I dont have that much going on in my life but I will suggest this to others that I know are super busy.
Sonia, keep up the good work. Every little ounce will add up.
I have not lost anything, I am still at 197. It is a bit frustrating but I think I need to change up my workouts again. I may change my afternoon ones again to two days WATP, one day Turbo Jam and one day Wii MFC. I have a hard time giving up WATP I enjoy them so much, and the afternoons are the only time I can do longer ones. I could try the Turbo Jam in the morning, but those ones are so high energy not sure I can find that much energy at 4:00 in the morning.
Ok gotta go workout so I can start my weekend!
Karate,
I don't use Sparkpeople for fitness tracking, just making sure I get enough calories. I find that my new job is giving me A LOT of exercise, what with running around all morning. I am also not actively participating in any of the teams. It is all I can do to just get on to enter my nutrition information.
Keep up the good work, all!
Karen
Michelle, although you have not lost anything, I applaude your perseverence! Working out at 4am sounds like a huge effort to me!
Merissa, yay on your personal best 
Karen, down 2 is great! Keep at it!
Oops, I've gone up .6 I've just done 4 cakes (those warm cake scraps got to me again!) and I've had my BIL, SIL, and their 3 kids staying all weekend. They are missionaries in the Philippines, and our church had a huge Philippino meal with them on Saturday night. I'll work on getting rid of this extra .6 this week!!
My goals for the week are to drink more water and stop snacking between meals.
Sonia, glad everything is going well. You have to celebrate your family when they are around. Mine should be coming down in August.
I am trying not to keep goodies like cake and other things in the house. I also still have my KA in storage in PA, so I can't even make a cake right now. I have to start making cakes, though, and practicing my decorating. I have a wedding cake to do in August and next year my parents' 50th anniversary cake, and I want to be able to do a good job (hopefully professional looking, even).
I think I am going to be able to buy a second KA and then send one of them to my daughter.
I am so anxious to get everything out of storage, though, and down here where I can use it. If all goes well at work, I should be able to get some things soon.
Well, gotta go for now.
My goal for the week is to start the yoga workout with hubby and continue to track my nutrition on Sparkpeople.
Karen
Hi y'all! I havent weighed in in awhile. I just havent been focused, so I think the journal sounds like a great idea. I was even thinking of just setting aside a little time each day just to plan out a "to-do" list and perhaps some meals. With the kids now out for summer I feel like I am really going to need to get organized!
New personal best of 28:40 yesterday on my run! So at least I keep improving somewhere!
Who's the wedding cake for Karen? I might have lined up a wedding for August as well...but nothing guaranteed! That's okay though, I am still keeping pretty busy with cakes for other occasions!
The wedding cake is for my daughter. She was married in Seattle on February 14th. They are supposed to ge coming down to visit in August.
Hubby and I started our yoga workouts today. So we are moving forward. The scale reading was 146 even yesterday, but Thursday I will weigh in and that will be my official weighing.
The dieting plan is going well for both myself and my husband.
Karen
boy it's only been the 3 of us here for awhile! I miss susan 
I hope she is doing okay.
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