Hi Sophie! Hope you're doing well. I'm so glad you gave yourself a reward. I just went clothes shopping myself and was determined to just enjoy the experience instead of moaning about what size I am. . . and I DID! So I highly recommend clothes as your next reward. It feels good. Plus I'm so bad at clothes shopping it felt good to just get out there and do something fun for myself again!

I kinda fell off the WLF train for a bit, even though my exercising and eating hasn't been horrible, but I'm determined to keep in touch with everyone's diaries! I hope you had a great week

I haven't been on in a week, which is pretty frightful, but my week has also been frightful--I've been working sixteen-hour days. Happily, that's done now, but it was horrible while it lasted. My weigh-in this morning says 257.8, which I take to be a freaking miracle, given the amount of utter crap that I ate because I didn't have time to stop for something else. But I'll take what I can get, certainly! Going to make some time for at least a little exercise today.

Heather, thanks so much for stopping in. I'm so glad you got to enjoy clothes shopping. It makes sense, doesn't it? When we know we're on track and losing, it's so much easier not to worry about where we're at in the process.

16 hour days....YIKES! You're a machine!

How is Australia? That must have been quite a move! Are you finding it hard to stick to your old diet stand-bys or are you finding new and exciting options?

Suerte (luck) from Argentina!

Bleh. Another week without posting much, but thanks to my horrible week of working far, far too hard, I got sick. And I seem to be having symptoms of some kind of repetitive stress injury in my hands. This is all really delightful. But, thanks to a week's diet of soup and juice, I'm down to 256.6, so I can be grateful for that, anyway. I'm going to try and be better about being around and checking in on you guys this week, though, even if it's only intermittently.

Elle, I wish I were a machine--it would make teaching while ill much easier!

We all have these downs, honey. Don't worry over it too much. Thankfully though this weeks weight is something that is making you feel better. It's always nice to have something that can pull us out of our rut of stress.

I hope you feel better this week, sweetie. Just keep remembering that this time will pass. Things will get better. Everything goes through a difficult stage before it gets less stressful. In time, you'll be A-okay. You'll see!!

Hey Sophie! I hope you're striving to take care of yourself in the face of all the work you're doing. Sounds like things are pretty stressful. Take care of yourself and your body and get well soon! Hoping things get a bit less time consuming in the near future

So...I somehow gained six pounds over the last week. I'm sure not all or even most of that is fat, since it went on so fast, but this is definitely my wake-up call that I've been getting too slack with myself. So from now on, we're back to checking in every day with every single thing that's gone into my mouth. I just can't do this right otherwise.

I'm feeling so disappointed and like a failure, but I know the best reaction is to get that anxiety out on the elliptical and go make myself a healthy breakfast.

Rachel, you're right about the downs, and I should have realized sooner that mine (and my old, bad habits) were going to start taking their toll. Time to start really focusing on what's important again.

Heather, plainly I wasn't making time to take care of myself! But as of today my schedule's a little easier, so it's back to exercise, five-a-day, and really looking after my body.

Sophie's Detox Day:

Breakfast -- whole-wheat, low-fat (fresh) blueberry pancakes spread with apricot cherry preserves, soymilk with coffee
Lunch -- lentil salad, melon, green tea sweetened with melon juice
Snack – apple
Snack—low-fat yoghurt
Dinner -- kidney bean and corn chili, green salad with snapea crisps
Snack – tofu and almond butter pudding

Did 20 minutes on the elliptical and some core-strengthening exercises. Exercise is complicated right now, as I'm dealing with carpal tunnel and also some really wicked blisters that prevent me from wearing my running shoes. Still, I'm trying to do my best. And working on the elliptical actually helped my shoulder, which has been stiff for a couple of days.

Hi Sophie, thanks for stopping by my journal. Just been reading your journal. Wow, you have really done well. The difference in your diet and exercise routine are a real inspiration. If you ever feel down, just go back and see where you were when you started all this and you will be your own inspiration. You asked about my exercise routine, well I swim mostly, about 3-4 times a week for about30 mins a time. I also walk, especially at work. I have a gym routine, but as it sets off an old back and neck injury, I dont do it often. I have been thinking of adding in some weight training and will have to speak with the trainer at the gym to work out some sort of programme. Well, keep up the good work, you are doing great.

Hey Sophie - it's interesting. You and I both started around the same time and we're both experiencing similar 'bumps in the road' at the same time! I'm glad to see you back, and you're giving me inspiration to pick up my own motivation and run with it because I've definitely been frustrated and kinda down about all things weight loss recently. I'm letting myself finish this weekend without worrying or tracking, but I think Monday is going to be my "detox day" as well. I hope your weekend went well!

Breakfast – breakfast burritos with two low-fat, low-carb tortillas; one egg; tofu sausage; spinach; avocado; chopped onion; and salsa
Lunch -- kidney bean and corn chili, fresh melon
Snack – apple, half an ounce brie, one square chocolate
Dinner – whole-grain pasta with low-fat sauce, peas, and chorizo
Snack – small portion tofu and almond butter pudding

No exercise today, but absolute bushels of housework, which counts for something, I suppose.

Soupdragon, you're very kind, and it's good to know that my trajectory looks better to other people than it does to me. I really should try and read through my whole journal soon to see if that will help me get back my mojo.

Heather, we seem to be weight-loss twins! I hope we're both out of our bad periods now, though, and can get back to shedding the excess pounds!

Hey Sophie! We are indeed weight-loss twins. Hopefully you have found your motivation again! I think I've relocated mine as well. Your menus are wonderful to see again, I love your food choices!! Here's to seeing those pounds come off again!

Breakfast – one slice whole-grain bread with pate; one grapefruit sweetened with agave nectar; two cups coffee with skim milk and one tsp sugar
Snack – banana and one wedge Laughing Cow light cheese
Lunch – leftover pasta, chorizo and peas; half an ounce brie; fresh blueberries; small portion fresh spinach; one spicy cabernet caramel Chocopod
Snack – one bite brownie, half an ounce smoked almonds, two small plums
Snack—100-calorie packet blueberry muffins
Snack—Lara Bar
Dinner – one cup roasted corn and red pepper soup with eight mini-crackers

Did twenty minutes on the elliptical this morning and then my core-strengthening exercises. I know the snacks above look weird, but I was teaching till 9:45, so my snacks replaced most of my dinner. Ah, well.

Heather, yay for motivation. Right now I'm "paying" myself for every day I eat well or exercise, and I'm planning to use the money for some new clothes when I hit my next mini-goal.

Yesterday's Record:

Breakfast—coffee with skim milk and one tsp sugar; two slices whole-grain toast, one spread with apricot-white cherry preserves, one topped with a poached egg; fresh melon
Lunch—lentil salad; spring greens with mango and two tbsp almonds; four olives; three cubes Laughing Cow light cheese; one whole-wheat roll; one Three Musketeers mint mini; one serving POM light tea
Snack—one banana, half a cup milk
Snack—Clif nectar bar
Snack—half an ounce smoked almonds
Dinner—roasted corn and red pepper soup with a handful of mini-crackers
Snack—cup of cocoa with half a marshmallow

God, I was absolutely starving all day yesterday, even with all those snacks. Well, I'll get a good meal tonight, anyway—I've got a planned splurge, since my father is in town and is taking me out for barbecue.