The chat thread is the place to talk about your triumphs, struggles, day-to-day issues, and to well, chat. You can post your WI numbers, losses, and g-d forbid gains here but please post those numbers on the "results" thread if you would like me to track your numbers.

We are nearing the home stretch. We are now in our final three weeks for the challenge . . .

Hey everyone - where IS everybody? I need MORE from you - lol!

Well, here I am. Stayed the same this week...again. But I am back on exercise-track, and the eating is falling back into place, mostly. I will start boot camp again on Monday (I'm so terrified - I just know I'll be in agony) I know I'll retain some water, but I need to get control of these thighs!! The running is going okay again - On Wednesday I ran 1.5, then walked for a few minutes, then ran another mile. I'm getting there, but it sure is hard to get back into it.

Looking at the calendar and at my weight loss #s, I'm sad b/c I am just not where I wanted to be at this point. I know I'm better off than I was last year, and I know I'm not done yet, but sometimes I'm just disappointed to not be where I want to be now...right now. I'm sure I'm the only one who hasn't lost a darned thing on this weight loss challenge - but I will not let myself quit.

I did finally see the allergy and asthma specialist. Hard to diagnose anything since I have no asthma symptoms to speak of right now. As for the allergies, they gave me 23 pricks in the arm - no reaction. So they gave me 23 big ole needles full of allergens - and the only reaction I had was PAIN. Bottom line - it doesn't seem that my big ole scary illness was triggered by allergies. So now it's blood tests (yup; more needles - they took 5 vials of blood!) and they're checking for very scary things - auto immune deficiencies and such. Hopefully it's nothing like that. Funny - went to the pool after allergy testing. My arm was a mess w/ all those bruises and pinpricks - I look like a drug addict with terrible aim - and I half expected water to come out of my arm like a sprinkler. Meanwhile, trying to be optimistic about the blood test results.

Okay - sorry for the long post. Hope everyone has a great weekend. I have lots of cookouts/food challenges ahead, but enough activity built in to offset and keep me mindful of my goals.

Cheers,
Sue

Sue- it is so weird that you said this today.


I was saying the same thing a few minutes ago. Here we are heading into 4th of July week and I had expected to have already been at goal. And I was so sad b/c i had the worst wi of all on Wed. But I am so much better off than I was last year at this time, so thats a BIG consolation. Definitely not the time to quit. BULLDOG DETERMINATION!! I will get to goal, I don't know when, but I will get there! I'm glad that you are making some progress to narrow down what is ailling you. I hope you find out soon.

Check back w/ everyone later!

Chris

Hi all. It's been much harder since summer started than it was in the winter/spring. Lots of parties, vacations, and other temptations. I too was up this week 0.6 lbs . . . and, boy, did I ever deserve it. I was relatively good yesterday though and it went back down.

Sue and Chris, I remember a friend's saying that "life is something that happens while you are making other plans." It is hard to be 100% day after day, week after week, month after month. I know that during my thinner times in my life, I'd be 100% for awhile but it was hard to maintain that. I do feel that Jenny Craig is giving me the tools to be able to ultimately keep in a certain zone. We'll keep plugging at it and it will come off - sometimes quickly, sometimes not, but it is do-able especially with each other's support.

Sue, good for you for restarting the running and boot camp. The first few times may be rough but it'll get easier. You have to cut yourself a little slack on the challenge front. Maybe reset your challenge goal for the next two weeks.

Chris, I thought that it must have been salt that contributed to your WI gain this week. My ice cream sure was salty too Ha ha ha. Seriously, we are all in such better shape than when we started. We have to focus on the positives and I like the bulldog image. Tenacious.

you can have more of me, so that I can have less of me

I had some major family drama over the last couple weeks, which really beat me down.

From where I was last year at this time to now, makes me feel so much better.

Hi guys,

I haven't posted much lately but I've been here reading all your updates. I think the last time I wrote was when we returned from Disneyland with DH's niece from Nebraska. We did have an awesome time with her (she's 17, first trip without her family). I gained about 3 lbs on the trip - I started out with this great mindset that I was going to make all the best choices and be sooo good. It's just so hard when you're away from your normal routine and don't have kitchen facilities. We took an ice chest with cherries, carrots and snap peas, FF milk and a few other things. I was good for breakfast but as soon as we got into the park, forget about it! Honestly I did probably pick the best of the bad, but obviously not good enough since I had the gain. Ok, I confess, ice cream every afternoon for snack probably wasn't a good substitute for my JC cheesecake, but dang it, I'm on vacation, and I should be able to enjoy a treat, right???

I also had a little mishap... riding the Splash Mountain log ride I instinctively raised my arms to cover my face on one of the drops to protect from getting water in my face... I got tossed about and hit my ribcage on the side of the ride. Hurt like heck for a little while, and then it settled down and only hurt if I tried to lift something heavy. Well about 4 days later, we're camping and I woke in the middle of the night and had to stretch, I raised my arms over my head and expanded my ribcage, and suddenly heard this popping sound and instant pain! OMG I couldn't even breathe without pain. Went to the Dr when we got home and, long story short, I had a separated rib. Cartilage separated from the bone or something. Not quite as painful as a broken rib but apparently takes alot longer to heal than a break. That's been about 3.5 weeks now, and finally starting to feel better.

Needless to say I haven't done any exercise (except trying to clog!) so I've only dropped one of the 3 lbs I gained on vacation. But, then again, I'm still 1 lb below my goal weight so I'm not too worried. We're going to Florida in 2 weeks, this time for 13 days... if I gained 3 lbs in Disneyland for 3 days, what will happen in 2 weeks! Eeeek, I need a plan. My only thought is, we will be walking all day every day at the theme parks, and with the humidity, maybe I'll sweat out some of the water weight!

Congratulations to the rest of you for staying on plan. I hope you're all having a great weekend.

Luv2clog - OUCH! I was wincing and holding my side just reading your post! Your poor thing. Please take care of yourself. I'm sure you will do great in Florida - you ate really healthy in Disneyland - a few treats are very real-life...enjoy, then move on, get back on track. But for now - just get better!

Here's what's new in my little world: I had my first day back at boot camp today. Ugh! It was tough, but not awful. I did pretty good on the cardio portion - I think my running's been helping with that. It was the weights and core work that was the big challenge. But I paid for the month of July, so hopefully soon I'll be feeling the results of my effort. I've been working on the running lately - I'm now running about 1.5 miles before I have to stop and walk. Then I finish the rest of my workout at a high incline on the treadmill. My goal is to be able to run the whole 3 miles. Food-wise, still a struggle...I start out great through breakfast and lunch. It's that time from 1-4 that I'm just a disaster. I'm working on it.

We're off for a long weekend starting on Thursday, going to see my sister and family at their lake house in NY (finger lakes). It should be fun once we survive the 7 hour car trip. It's a long time in the car with little kids. I get a sore neck from turning around, picking up dropped toys and sippy cups and handing out snacks to everyone. I would rather drive but DH says he'd never survive in the passenger seat!!

Have a great day everyone - Sue

Hey guys, when I saw the words "home stretch" I almost cried, because I am nowhere near where I wanted to be for this challenge. I missed my WI this weekend b/c I was out of town, and was due to make it up last night, and just did not show up. I have plenty of food b/c I am so off the diet, cheated all weekend and I did not want to WI and just get discouraged. Luckily I have no plans for the 4th, and today I am 100 % so far. Hoping I can keep it up and power through to my weigh in on Saturday. Oh, and I am having a problem with drinking alcohol almost every night now. I gave it up for the most part for the first 10 weeks, and the plan was to introduce it back slowly, but I am on the accelerated program it seems. Is it really all or nothing,, or should I keep trying to find a balance. On a good note, I have a few work outs scheduled and put out an ad to look for a tennis partner so I can stay active... well, we'll see. As I read the other posts, I see that I am not alone, and I don't have much else to add, you said it all, and I share in your struggles.

Sue, have such a determined spirit, and have really bounced back from your illness at full throttle. Excellent! I am so impressed that you are running, and going back to bootcamp, even if you are not looking forward to it! I almost died laughing here at my desk picturing you at the pool with an arm full of bruises from being pricked so much.... "a drug addict with terrible aim" L...O...L! ;-) Have a nice, long weekend.

Chris, way to look on the bright side, and stay determined at keeping this up. Haha, after your post, I am thinking about how my English Bulldog will just not give up during a game of tug-of-war. Way to still have that fight in you!

Ready, summer HAS been hard! I didn't expect it, and didn't realize how much I do during the summer and how easy it is to make the choce to be torn away from the Jenny Craig regimine. God knows how much food I have thrown away (groceries) simply because I am not home to eat it. If I could only turn down a few of the BBQ, baseball game, birthday, party invites, I just might make it afterall. Way to get right back on it and lose after a little gain!

Good luck to all, way to pull yourselves up by the bootstraps! Keep up the good work!!

Hi all. Sorry for not being more around. We were away this weekend. Got in only one workout over the weekend so less exercise over this past week (three workouts) but the eating has continued somewhat off track. I'm doing JC for most meals or JC MOMOs but I'm adding in extra snacks. Our summer spot is a short block from Tasty Delight and that's been my weekend downfall. It wouldn't be if I exchanged it but I've been doing it as an extra. My weight was a bit up over the weekend with TOM but then back down today so we'll see. My JC is on vacation this week. Doing my own WI tomorrow and then next week have WI on Fri when she gets back.

Oscar, sorry to hear that things have been rough. You have done very well throughout. Keep your eye on the prize. Just think how you'll feel this time next year when you are at your goal and this time is your comparison.

Hi luv2clog, sounds like you made good choices given your situation. Ouch re: your ribs. I hope you have a speedy recovery. Re: going back to the Disney Theme Parks . . . you can look up the menus of each restaurant and pick the meals/restaurants you plan to go to. You can consider getting a kids meal for a lunch (smaller portion and a fruit) and a side salad.

Hey Sue, way to get back in the groove! I love your determination. Hope you have a great vacation. I do love those road trip games "going on a picnic" and "20 questions" but 7 hours in a car with young kids . . . I say go for the portable DVD player.

Karmen, don't be too discouraged. I tend to get into that "all or nothing" thinking with eating too. Good for you for being 100% today.

Hey everyone -

BC again today. Man was I still sore from yesterday! And let me tell you, it's pretty miserable at 5:45 here - it's already hot and muggy...and those gnats are annoying! "kay, nuff whining.

My weight is...surprise....the same again! I guess my body is comfortable here for now, although I'm not. I know I need to tighten up the food issues. Some days are just harder than others. I need to go back through my Beck Diet book and get remotivated. Do you have that book? Check it out from the library; I highly recommend it. maybe we need to do an online book club!!

Yeah, 7 hours in the car is brutal. I'm wishing that we'd sprung for the built in DVD screens. I am going to try to borrow a portable one from a friend so that the boys can watch Star Wars for the zillionth time in the back while the toddler can watch Nemo for the zillionth time in the middle. I will just be up front trying to tune out all the noise .

I'm looking forward to the weekend - even though I'll be with my totally petite older sister (about 5'6 and maybe 130 pounds!) and her model-looking teenage daughters. I always feel super big around them. Ah well...progress, right?

Hope you all have a happy 4th. Stay away from that nasty potato salad...but enjoy at least one fun treat a day...but just one !

Sue