New Year-New Me!

[MsRD]

If December is the worst month to attempt a healthy lifestyle, then January must be the best month! It is a New Year, and we are invigorated with the promise of new beginnings. Turn on the television, or open the newspaper, and there are numerous offers of weight loss plans and discounted gym memberships. With all this external support, it becomes easy to make heartfelt resolutions for change in the upcoming year!

That may be where 'easy' ends, as, we all know, that making a resolution and achieving it are two entirely different matters. In order to achieve success in life-altering resolutions, we must have:

FOCUS - We must concentrate on each resolution and develop a detailed plan of action.

ACCOUNTABILITY - And I, for one, am so thankful to have this group of chickies, offering support and encouragement and celebrating each other's successes!

PERSISTANCE - No resolution will be achieved without hard work and total consistency. Every day, we must commit to specific actions....and every day, we must review our actions, their cause and effect.

So, this is where it starts.....commit to a goal, define your action plan, and know that it is all possible!

Together, we can do anything!

[Christian4HIM]

HI! I have a goal already but I figured I would start out here for the new year. LIke you said Jan must be the BEST month to do this so here goes!

MY LONG TERM GOAL- BY APRIL 1ST -30 LBS LIGHTER- I WILL REACH MY 30 LB GOAL!

MY SHORT TERM GOAL- TO LOSE 10 LBS EACH MONTH! ALSO TO EXERCISE AND WORK OUT 3X A WEEK AND DRINK AT LEAST 64 OZ OF WATER A DAY!

I will start writing down everything i eat and drink in my journal starting tomorrow. Mabye this will maye me realize what I am doing. I know that my problem is eating out. I eat out almost every meal of the day. How awful! I know this cannot be healthy. I more than anything want to be healthy so when I get pregnant my baby will be healthy! That is it!

Good luck to all!

[hikein2005]

OK chickies...MsRD already set up the challenge the moment I had posted my last post to the group! Aren't we just thinking on the same wave length/frequency/level????? LOL!!!

So, I PM'd her and asked if I could add some things and she so graciously agreed that whatever I wanted to add was ok with her! She has already touched on the 3 areas that that most of us fail...Focus, Accountability and Persistance!

So....here goes!!! How do YOU want to stay focused, remain accountable and be persistant or CONsistent???

FOCUS - Pick one area to start with. Diet, exercise, meditation, routine, nutrition...you get the idea. Just pick one area and really focus on that.

For me, it's routine. I need to develop a routine of planning my meals, preparing my meals and time for exercise.

ACCOUNTABILITY - This is where many of us lack (me included)! It's nice that we are all here and can post whenever we want or whenever we are doing well. But how does that make us accountable? Accountability is checking in even (especially) when we are at our worst...when we just ate that last 1/2 pan of brownies that we had been trying to find the will power to keep saying "no" to! It's when we have just had a horrible day (mentally/emotionally) and all we want to do is comfort ourselves with comfort food. It's when we GAINED those two pounds that we worked hard all week to take off and felt we deserved to lose! It's taking 20 minutes for ourself to get in touch with someone else who understands how we feel and can say the right thing to get us back on track!!!

I am challenging each of us to find someone or a few someones that we feel comfortable with and really get to know that person. I know this isn't for everyone, and that's ok, but here are some suggestions:

* Set up an IM account and IM each other several times a week for that accountability.
*Join in our weekly CHAT here on 3FC (more to come on that...)
*E-mail someone when you are having a really down day or just come and post here.

I already have my MSN IM set up and will add anyone to my account if you want to IM me! Just PM me if you have questions.

PERSISTANCE - No resolution will be achieved without hard work and total consistency. Every day, we must commit to specific actions....and every day, we must review our actions, their cause and effect.
MsRD said it best, but I would like to elaborate on that.
I challenge each of you to sit down and write out your goals (be specific) and how you will attain those goals (be even more specific). If you want help, there are plenty of us here who can help you with setting goals. I've been doing for a looooong time, now!!! Then, post your goals...maybe even put them in your signature!

I am going to do that with mine

Go on line and find a good website with resources to help you. 3FC has many links right here. Also Discovery Health.com has wonderful articles and resources. If you type in health, nutrition, exercise, diet or any of those kinds of words on your search engine, you will find a plethora of sites!

Alright chickies...the challenge is on! It's time for a New Year...a New YOU!!!

Let's get it started TODAY!

[hikein2005]

I know that my problem is eating out. I eat out almost every meal of the day. How awful! I know this cannot be healthy.

Hi Christian4HIM...I just saw this article on eating out and thought of you. Check it out!
http://health.discovery.com/centers/nutritionfitness/nutrition/articles/eatingout/eatingout.html

If that doesn't work, go to discoveryhealth.com and type in "eating out"

[MsRD]

Good morning!

Julie......Awesome job! It's true! Great minds do think alike......ROFL!

Christian4Him.....Welcome! This is a wonderful group of chickies and I know that we are going to have a successful year!

got folks coming for dinner......gotta scoot, but will be back later!

[Betani]

Hello, everyone!

I'm not home from vacation yet, but opportunity presented itself for a quick post.

Focus: Julie, I'm with you. I'm not going to be able to achieve anything unless I get my routines in order. Both household and healthwise.

Accountability: I have a Yahoo Messenger account with no contacts, so I'm more than willing to add people! Only thing is that I'm not quite sure how since I never have. I'll tinker around the help pages when I'm back home.

Persistance: I'm going to have to think about my goals before I post them. I've never been very specific about them in the past. Maybe that's part of my problem...

Ok, back to the fam. I hope to be back again tonight if there's time!

[miss_elisha]

You know I'm in!

Focus: I think I really need to focus on both eating and exercise at the moment, but the exercise part comes easier (when I actually make myself do it), so my main focus, at least for January, is going to be getting my eating habits back on track. I've been so far away from healthy eating that I'm actually starting to crave salads and water! I have to pay attention to what goes into my mouth, and start saying no once again to the things I know better than to indulge in.

Accountability: I love chatting and emailing, and you all know I usually post here fairly often, but I'm always up for more accountability. I have just about all the IM accounts a girl needs.
AIM: QueenofSemantics
Yahoo: dragyngrrl
MSN: miss_elisha at hotmail dot com
Please, anyone feel free to IM me or email me at any time, or simply PM me through 3FC.

Persistence: Yes, persistence is definitely my problem, and it is definitely the key. I do well for a few days, then blow it all in the next few days. But no more. This time I've got to do well until it's done, and long after. I've already got an entire folder made up with goals, tracking sheets and charts, and if I think of anything else that could help me, I'll stick it in there too. I intend to add helpful articles whenever I find them.

My goals this year are:
1. Lose 50 pounds
Or more, if I so decide once I reach that point. 50 pounds will get me in the healthy range, and I'll see where I want to go from there.
2. Tone muscle
This means EXERCISE! Not only do I want to be slim in that wedding dress, I want to be BUFF! And toning those muscles will help me lose weight and look great.
3. Adopt a healthy diet.
I know perfectly well that I can never completely give up pizza or cheesecake and eat like a dietary saint, and I don't intend to. What I want is to eat primarily to maintain and promote health.

I've got one more dinner ahead of me today--pork and sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and gravy, but there will also be healthy veggies and salads, so there are vitamins involved. Tomorrow, the real work begins.

So, let's get to it, chicks!
~Elisha

[Christian4HIM]

Hi guys!

hikein2005-Thanks for the info I will be researching it! My down fall is also Starbucks. I always get the Non Fat white chocolate Mocha with whip! So i have started getting the smaller size and now i will be going to no whip. I am only going to get this 1x a week and work my way to none at all. The caffeine is not good also especially since I am trying to get pregnant.

Focus: I am going to focus on Exercising and what i eat. I use to be so good about monitoring what i eat. Some how when life is great this disappears for some reason.

Accountability- My yahoo name is Christian_4him but i havent set up Instant Messanger just yet will do though. I will also be setting up an AIM account. I will let you know when i do that. I love being on the internet and talking i just dont have a whole lot of time but please feel free to talk to me anytime i am on. I need all the people i can get to help me!

Persistance- This is my down fall but I WILL DO BETTER starting today. I am also going to make a journal on here so i can actually see what i am eating and doing everyday! I havent done the journal yet so i am not sure how it works but hopefully everyone can check in on me.

Again my goals are as follows:

1. LONG TERM- to lose 30 lbs by 4-1-06.
2. SHORT TERM- to lose 10 1bs a month
3. DRINK 64 OZ OF WATER A DAY
4. STARBUCKS ONLY 1X WEEK WITH THE LIMITS I SET ABOVE
5. EXERCISE 3X A WEEK
6. START A JOURNAL
7. DO MY BEST!!!!!!!

Just an FYI today i had a starbucks. That is all i have had and i am not eating until later around 4 for dinner. Then i will eat a small salad.

What plan is everyone doing just low fat? i am going to try and do low fat low carb. but we will see...i know the carb thing dont work forever and i dont want to lose it fast and then gain it all right back .i want to do it the right way and healty way for me!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE....LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!!!!!!

YIPPy!:carrot: :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

[TBJ333]

\Monrin' everyone.

Thanks to MsRD and Julie for setting up the new challenge.

Is this challenge for the entire year?

By the end of the year:
I want to be consistent in a paln that I can do for the rest of my life. I want to have met my weight loss goal.

Focus: Consistently eating the right amount of food.

Accountability: Counting calories and jounraling food. I haven't lost weight since I stopped journaling.

Persistence: Time to go back to the green/yellow/red days. :) I'm going to set up a new-clohing account. I'll give myself $2 for every green day, $1 for every yellow day, and subtract $1 for every red day.

I'll go shopping at 149, 144, and 135. :)

I'll probably join some other shorter challenges, just cuz I want to get to 149 so badly... :p

But I'm not "cheating" on all of you! :p I'll still be here. :)

[JoyG56]

:newyear: :welcome2: Christian4HIM

FOCUS - Pick one area to start with. Diet, exercise, meditation, routine, nutrition...you get the idea. Just pick one area and really focus on that.

MY FOCUS IS TO BE "FOOD FREE" AFTER 8PM. I think that this is key to my sucess in creating a healthy lifestyle, my ultimate long term goal. In order to focus on that habit there are a number of things I need to identify. The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of the solution.

WHO is ME, when I'm alone after DH goes to bed especially.
How - I will go to bed earlier, or going upstairs to read (I never eat upstairs) if I want some "alone" time.

WHAT is NOT EATING AFTER 8pm.
How - When I eat after 8pm it is rarely a "healthy, well-thought out choice", because I'm tired, alone, not accountable (already posted and journalled). I'm going to put a sticker on my calendar for each day I succeed to track my success - I'm aiming for 100%, but I'm not perfect so 80% (including weekends) will be a habit. So I need to see 25-31 STARS.


WHEN is FROM NOW ON, EVERYDAY, FOR LIFE.
How - I need to pick a day to start, that will be today. I know that I need to be flexible because of our changing life styles and weekends may not see us eating dinner until after 8pm if we're working outside, sometimes things are out of control, such as out with other people or entertaining etc. but I don't want this to be a crutch or an excuse to forget all the work I'm doing, but at the same time I want to definately have it as a "LIFE" focus. My FIL refuses to eat after dinner and he's 87 and playing tennis. As far as the posting and journaling which is "accountability for me" I wanted to mention in this section that I have to make the journal the last thing I do before heading to bed in order to renew my plan for the next day and look at the positive and negative for what I did that day.

WHERE is in the LIVINGROOM & OFFICE and sometimes over the KITCHEN SINK.
How - I need to go back to the "eating at the diningroom or kitchen table only". Incorporating food free zones in the office and in the livingroom. Don't know how to deal with the "kitchen sink thing".

WHY is BOREDOM, HABIT, BEING TIRED
How - I KNOW that I am tired when I start to graze at night, so I need to plan on getting to bed by 9-10pm on work days. Nothing on TV is more important than getting my rest, I need to get a VCR so I can tape and watch whatever it is later so I don't feel like I'm missing something. They are so cheap right now - maybe that will be my reward for meeting my 80% of goal. I also eat out of habit, so I need to set up some peramiters for eating such as the "food free zones" I identified in the "where".

ACCOUNTABILITY - This is where many of us lack (me included)! It's nice that we are all here and can post whenever we want or whenever we are doing well. But how does that make us accountable? Accountability is checking in even (especially) when we are at our worst...when we just ate that last 1/2 pan of brownies that we had been trying to find the will power to keep saying "no" to! It's when we have just had a horrible day (mentally/emotionally) and all we want to do is comfort ourselves with comfort food. It's when we GAINED those two pounds that we worked hard all week to take off and felt we deserved to lose! It's taking 20 minutes for ourself to get in touch with someone else who understands how we feel and can say the right thing to get us back on track!!!

I think I am guilty of most of the above... Most of the time I don't post if I'm off plan which, I KNOW, is non-productive. You are all so supportive and I need to open up and not be a "fair-weather friend". I think that in order to keep my computer time down and get to bed earlier, I will limit comments to ALL for weekends and post "ME" stuff during the week and PM or IM (if I can figure out how to do it and if my "old" computer is capable - Windows 95) for my buddy(s). I'd love to chat, I hope that we can set up a time where I can be available (I'm in the Pacific Time zone - about 3-4 hours behind the rest of you).

PERSISTANCE - No resolution will be achieved without hard work and total consistency. Every day, we must commit to specific actions....and every day, we must review our actions, their cause and effect.

I have established my "stars" on the calendar for tracking my success as a visual I look at everyday. Gotta add buy stars to my TODO List. I think that I'll have red stars for not eating after 8pm and then next month I'll have a different colour for my next focus - probably either staying OP or Exercising daily.... I'll be thinking forward during the month ... OH and ahem, of course, my ultimate long term goal "To be size 10 by Elisha's Wedding."

Okay, 'nuff about me ......
I'm off to change my signature now....

[hikein2005]

I'll probably join some other shorter challenges, just cuz I want to get to 149 so badly... :p

But I'm not "cheating" on all of you! :p I'll still be here. :)

TBJ...DiscoveryHealth has the body challenge that I am also doing, so I don't feel like you "cheating" on us! We gotta do what works for us! And I am soooo ready to shed these pounds!

Thanks for the note about Diamond Head. I actually hiked that a couple of times when I lived in Hawaii. It was fun! Of course, I was probably in the best physical shape of my life at that time. Did you do the cave/tunnell?

Have you found my old apartment yet? I'm stillholding out for those pictures! HA!

[MsRD]

Hi!
Back again, and ready to commit to the rest of my life!

FOCUS - My focus has got to be diet and exercise EVERYDAY NO EXCUSES!

ACCOUNTABILITY- what a great idea to keep in touch with each other other than here in the forum. No more 'unexcused absences' just because we are having a bad day! Anyone can PM me here at 3FC......and I can give you my email addy there if need be - I just don't want to post it here for the entire world to see (maybe I should be working on the paranoia too LOL)

PERSISTENCE - Consistency (or the lack thereof) is the reason for my failures in the past. I know that. This is going to be the key to my whole program.

Betani.....HOpe you are having a wonderful vacation! And I am really glad you have signed on for this challenge!

Elisha.....Whoa! Looking buff in a wedding dress has got to be the happiest inspiration! Have you set the date?

Christian4Him....You have already started incorporating your goals into this challenge and are doing great! Maybe when you get this Starbucks thing down to once weekly, you can make it a reward when you have been very very good!

TBJ.....I really didn't mean for this challenge to be for an entire year, mostly because I need that little kickstart at the beginning of each month. Setting an annual goal is still a good idea though....with smaller goals for this month. A clothing allowance! As we all melt away, new clothes are going to be a necessity!

Joy.....Ok, I am with you on the no eating after 8pm! This is going to shave a lot of calories out of my day!

In the past, I have never been good at setting goals and following thru......but this year, I would like to lose 40 pounds by years end. And that is little more than 4 pounds a month! That sounds sooooo doable!

[Forestdawn]

focus is going to be on my diet. I overeat so easily and that's not good!

Accountablity - Well im happy to join the weekly chat when you have it.

Persitance ... I'm determined to succeed and not lose interest after 2 weeks like I usually do!

[lisa girl]

Hi :)! It's me..an old friend dropping in to see if I can join in the challenge. I've not done too well over the holidays. I am sure I am up at least 10 pounds, but I think more. I am going to do an official weigh in tomorrow.

I really look forward to meeting everybody. I sure need some support here..I'm drifting back into some really bad habits. I was so impressed to read everyone's goals and thoughts. This sounds like a terrific group :).

My goal is to lose 15 pounds. I really want to focus on eating healthy, with lots less red meat and sugars. I am going to follow the WW plan primarily. I have already started some exercise this week- exercise is another goal for me, in addition to upping my water intake. Also, I would love to chat with you guys- that would be terrific. I hope I can be an encouragement for somebody!

I'm really excited about the challenge!!

p.s. The weight ticker below is wrong..I think I weigh around 155 now..I'll update it tomorrow when I weigh in!

[Christian4HIM]

Lisagirl-Hi. It looks as if we are close in current weight. i would love to have a new buddy..Interested?

I did well today! I had a salad and blackeyed peas and rice for dinner. i only had 16 oz of water though..but it is a work in progress...

[miss_elisha]

Lisa! Welcome back! We've missed you!

We've all done... ahem... not so great over the holidays, but now we're all ready to get back on track.

Glad to have you with us!

~Elisha

[**Jennifer**]

anyone have room for a lost chick returning to the fold????

Let me sum up the last year- stress, stress, more stress, add some extra stress to that, and time pressure, 2 hurricanes, 1 leaving us with roof damage, and no power or phones for more than 2 weeks, hubby being partially out of work due to the hurricane, and me having to try to make up for things. It's been a year of chaos, and the easiest way to deal with this was unfortunately the worst for my health. The weight is back, so I'm back at square one after so much effort.

The good news: On Friday, 12/30, we closed on the new house. Barely squeaked it in to 2005, but we now have keys. There are a few areas that need touch up, and repair, so it will be a few weeks before we officially move in. We did spend New Year's Eve in the new house to start off things right. With the new house comes a new, huge kitchen, and plenty of space to work on healthy meals and prepping.

I need to get back to what worked- planning, prepping, follow through, accountability, and support. Calendar is already set up for the new year, complete with shiny stars for days when I meet my water, food, and exercise goals.

Happy New Year, chickies, and Happy New US!

[miss_elisha]

Jennifer, welcome back! YAY! It's good to see you! Glad everything is finally starting to turn your way once again.


OK, let's see...

This morning I’m off to a good start. I didn’t even use the sugary, flavored coffee creamer (I didn’t feel like making more coffee). Breakfast was right on plan. Granted, that’s as far as I’ve gotten, but at least I got it right.

I reset my DietPower software. I haven’t used it in well over a month anyway, so I figured I could go ahead and make a clean start. I’m going to reset my profile in Yourself!Fitness too, so another clean slate there. I weighed in this morning at 217.4. Not great, but that’s where I’m at. And I recorded my measurements in my Project: Me folder. I’m ready to go.

Today I need to put away laundry, clean my desk, and clean my room so that I have space to exercise. I feel the need to be clean today. I’m going to go ahead and clean things while breakfast is digesting, then I’ll get right to the exercise. That way I’ll be able to relax this evening.

Hmm… I don’t really know what else to say today. I feel good. I feel ready. Calm and peaceful and prepared to do what I have to do. I’m not angry, or resentful, or overly excited. This is just the way it is. And that’s ok. Because it’s all about to change.

Steve says we can work on picking a date today, and he just told me to look up Disney vacations while I'm online (he told me months ago that we could have a Disney honeymoon). I don't think he's going to go for my Dec. 30th date. :( Oh well, we'll figure something out.

Oh dear, I need to get moving. I've been online way too long already. I hope you're all having a great day!
~Elisha

[TBJ333]

G'mornin'.

Well, today I'm going back to the g-y-r days of journaling. Part of my accountability will be letting all of you know what color my days are. :p

I haven't decided what to use for a money jar. For Christmas, my mom got me a limited-edition Darth Vader watch. It came in a pretty (well, um, geeky and bad-*** is a more apt description) black box decorated with a Vader mask and some flames. :twirly: Think that would be a good piggy bank? It's small, so I might have to use something as a token rather than paper dollars... Maybe pennies.

***

Elisha -- I didn't mean my siggy to be competitive! :lol: But as soon as you set a date, I'm going to figure out how much I need to lose per week... :p Right now, if your wedding is on December 30, 2006, I need to lose .43137 lb. per week over 51 weeks...

Jennifer -- Hi! Glad things are settling down.

Christian4him -- What are black-eyed peas? Other than the band... Do they taste any different than green peas?

Lisagirl -- Eh, the holidays. :o Now they're behind us. You and I are near the same weight. I'll cheer for you. :cheer:

Forestdawn -- No kidding about sticking with a plan. Maybe you can put the two week mark on your calendar, and then come back and post to say that you've made it? :D

MsRD -- Yeah, 4 lbs./month TOTALLY is doable. :yes:

Julie -- Blarg! I forgot about your old apartment! :doh: I deleted your PM with the address... could you pretty please send it to me again?

Joy -- Wow, you've put a lot of thought into your plan. :drill: You definitely know what you have to do...

***

Anyway, I set up all my xcel spreadsheets this morning. :dizzy: For simplicity I used .5 lb. per week... that makes my goal of 149 due on April 7. I have an overall chart, a monthly chart, a chart for my goal of 149, and a long-term weight chart... Not that I'm nerdy or anything. :cool:

Happy Monday. :D

[MsRD]

Hello!

I had the day off, so we went out to breakfast AND lunch .....I really tried to keep the portions within reason and the calories down!.....didn't do too badly, but not exactly stellar either. I still am not hungry, so dinner will be something light.....will have to forage in the fridge.

ForestDawn....You aren't the only one who loses interest 2 weeks into a challenge! Consistency has got to be our word of the month!

LisaGirl.....I am soooo glad to see you again! I think the holidays were really bad for weight gain, but we are ready to buckle down and make this a good year.

Christian4Him....If it helps, we consider 'water' as any sugar free and non-caffeinated drink.

JENNIFER!!!......We have missed you! Sorry you had such a crappy year, but it sounds like 2006 is already turning around in your favor!

Elisha....Your post seemed full of determination.....wow! I'm right behind you, chickie!

TBJ.....Charts, charts,charts! It may be nerdy, but I bet it is effective! Will have to break out the Excel and see if something like that will keep me on track!

I am going to weigh myself more often for this challenge.....apparently, not weighing in didn't have any positive effect....so that should keep me more mindful.
Will try to post this now.....we are having some tremendous thunderstorms here!

[lisa girl]

Hi again :). Thank you all SO MUCH for the warm welcome back. It is much appreciated. Today went well for me. Eating was on plan (WW), and water was good also. I am sitting here typing and glancing sideways at my recumbent bike..it's just that I am realllyyyy sleepy! LOL! Alright, alright, you all talked me into it-I'll hop on after I post this :LOL:. You are all already motivating me.

Elisha- I read backwards through the posts, and I see congratulations are in order! Yay for you! I know you are so excited..I can't wait to hear about the wedding plans-I love that kind of thing. I can hardly believe I have been married for almost 12 years. It has just flown by.

Christian4Him- Sure, I would love to be buddies! Sounds terrific. It's these last pounds that are killing me..I don't know why I sabotoge myself EVERY TIME I get close to my goal. It's nuts :). Anyway, I really look forward to getting to know you.

Jennifer- Hey girl! Long time no see..and a big welcome back (((HUG))) from me!! So glad to be starting this with you. I want pics of the house ASAP!!!!!

TBJ- Yes, we are practically the same weight!! I am glad to hear you will be cheering for me..I'll cheer for you too!! :cheer: What eating program/plan are you doing?

Joy - I was really impressed with your last entry. You have put a lot of thought into your goals. I am really proud of you Joy :). Way to go!!

MsRd- Hi there :wave:! We were having bad weather earlier too. We had some hail and are still under a tornado watch. I'm with you on the weighing in. Over the holidays, I guess I thought that the scale was hidden, and so I could eat whatever-LOL!

ForestDawn- Hi there to you too! Hope you had a terrific day :).

Well, girls, I did weigh. The results were not as bad as I feared. I was up to 150.4. But, boy my pants are tight, and my face is all swollen looking. Yuck! I am motivated to get back on the wagon! Who wants to climb aboard with me????????? :)

Have a terrific night chickies! I'm rooting for all of you. Hugs and blessings to you all.

[Betani]

I finally figured out what to aim for this month:

My goal for this month is to set up a routine to put me on the right track for lowering my cholesterol once and for all.

The first step I'm going to take is to schedule when I eat my meals and snacks. Once I've got myself trained as to when to eat, I'll work on balancing fat/protein/carbs within each meal/snack.

I hope to spend a few minutes each day researching which foods to avoid and which foods to eat more of for LDLs, and how in the world to raise HDLs.

I also intend to start over with the Flylady babysteps for household routines, in hopes that my stress level will go down.

***

MsRD-- The fact that you weren't as hungry for dinner shows that you chose your calories wisely for breakfast and lunch.

TBJ-- Your spreadsheet system will never cease to fascinate me. DH said he'd teach me how to use Excel months ago, and still hasn't. I bought the full version of Fitday, though, and that's pretty useful. I stopped using it when I was majorly stressed out a couple months back, but I hope to start using it again this month.

Elisha-- I remember date-picking being tricky. Too many variables! Gotta pick a date that is good for the both of you, both of your families, and even if everybody wholeheartedly agrees, it depends on the Church, reception hall, caterer, paperwork proccess, etc! Not to worry, though. It all falls into place eventually.

Jennifer-- Wow, you've had quite a time! After all that, losing the weight should seem fairly easy ;) Fresh year, fresh start!

Lisa-- Glad to have you here! WW did wonders for me. It got me through my first 20 lbs. I'm more or less just calorie counting now, but I still use WW points as guidelines.

Joy-- Good to see you again! No food after 8 is a great idea. I love the "size 10 by Elisha's wedding" goal ;) Maybe I'll shoot for that too!

[hikein2005]

We've been busy little chickies today, it seems!

I started my new "program" yesterday. I am doing the challenge on Discovery Health.com. If any of you are interested, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.

Anyway, it's so nice to have some "old" familiar friends with us this time around. It just seems "right"! Welcome back Jennifer & Lisa! We have missed both of you!!! I'll get with both of you later!

My day today was ok. I really tried hard to fend off the afternoon sugar attack and gave away my candy that was in my drawer in the morning before lunch...but saw that it was sitting at the nurses desk in the afternoon and a resident was pawing through it...I just couldn't let that happen to good Ghiradelli chocolate!!! So I took it back!!! And ate 4 chocolate drops! Can you believe it? I just need to go cold turkey with all of the sugar stuff, but the day was not a total loss!

I ate my planned lunch...at 10:30 because I "forgot" to eat breakfast! How does one "forget" to eat breakfast!!!??? :dizzy: I had a SF homemade Latte for Breakfast, I guess. :coffee: It's nice having a Latte maker! Sure saves me some $$ every week...and they are just like Starbucks! In fact, DH bought me the Starbucks coffee and SF syrups, so they are exactly the same!! That's only 100 calories for the milk...so :p

So at lunch, I was hungry again and got chilli from the neighborhood burger place! I figure about 200 calories for a cup of chilli. So, not too bad!
I made up "boiled dinner" (I roasted it in a small roaster) with keilbasa for supper tonight. It's not exactly on the menu for the body challenge, but it was a good substitute. I used Turkey keilbasa which made the calories even lower! I think maybe the salt wasn't a good idea, though! I'm sure thirsty! I had lots of cabbage and carrots!

And....wait....I worked out too after work tonight!!! :ebike: I tried for 30 minutes, but have I mentioned how out of shape I am? I did about 24 and was about done! I don't think I got my heart rate up for long enough either, but I did try! One has to work back up to these things at my age, you know??? I keep forgetting that I'm not 24 anymore!!! LOL!!!

OK, well...I've had a successful day (almost, probably a yellow day on TBJ's scale) and I still have a few calories to spare even with the woops! Maybe I'll go eat a yogurt! I really want something else, but....I PROMISE....I'll be good!

I hope that I can stay the course here. When I'm not working (weekends) I feel very motivated, but by the end of a work day (like today) I am very tired and unmotivated! But hopefully the exercise will help with that! :^:

It's good to see all of you here. Are you being accountable with your "buddy" today? I see I've received a couple of PM's today...and will respond!

I need to end with something positive. I'm grateful for all of you and am looking forward to getting to know you each a little better this challenge/year!

I'll update my goals soon...I promise!

[JoyG56]

So sorry, Lisa, I didn't officially welcome you back... But you know I DO. :welcome3:

Seems everyone is going great guns. You all make me so proud!

I've had some good and some not so good outcomes today. Breakfast was big.... 2 slices of fried ham and a waffle with SF syrup. I skipped lunch because we had breakfast at 10am and then succummed (sp) to 4 nanaimo bars UGH and a couple of cups of Munchie mix. Then I went out for dinner and had a small greek salad, a baby lazagna & 1 of DH's beef ribs and a glass of red wine. Good news is I was too full to eat anything after 8pm. Really thirsty tho... I must have drank about 4 glasses of water since I got home. Must have had lots of salt in the food????

As for exercise today... hmmm... I cleaned out a small flower bed and spaded the grass back from the sidewalk for about twenty feet, put away the outdoor Christmas decorations (blow up type) and picked up some tree trimmings. Was out there for about an hour and a half. Not aerobic but steady.

I have advised DH that I am going to start watching what I eat tomorrow. He came up with a funny comment... not too supportive ... but funny... he said ... "what ... you're gonna watch to make sure it doesn't run away". Anyways I told him no more cookies and sweets for me, I think he''s on board. He's gained a lot of weight back too.

I was thinking I'd do WW, but probably counting calories is easier with using fit day. I'm still trying to figure out how many I should eat, given my size and my level of activity (sedintary lots of the time).

I will go for a walk at morning coffee tomorrow. We need to pick up new leash and muzzle for my dog, they have gone missing. Did I tell you all that my old dog passed away on Dec. 23?.

Oops... it's 10:44 ... enough about me ... I'm off to bed :yawn:

Joy

[miss_elisha]

Morning ladies!

Well, today is back to work for me (I'm already sitting at my desk), and I'm not too entirely thrilled about that. But it is nice to have a zippy internet connection, and I doubt I'll have much to do today besides chatting, playing online trivia, and planning my Disney honeymoon, so I can't really complain. I only got around 4 hours of sleep last night--I just could NOT get to sleep--yet somehow I pulled myself out of bed fairly easily after only 2 minutes of my alarm, whereas I can usually sleep through the thing for an entire hour, and I was bored sitting at home so I came in to work 30 minutes early. Perhaps I will take advantage of that and leave early too... that would be nice!

Let's see... yesterday was a good, solid, OP day. Calories came in at 1396, and that's with a few treats. Only 70 oz of water, and most of that was in the form of SF caffeine-free tea, but that counts, so it's all good. And today I will have more water, as water at work is hardly ever a problem for me. And yesterday I reset my Yourself!Fitness software and did the Physical Challenge (about 10 minutes) and a 30-minute workout. I started to do a yoga session when I was done, but my body just didn't want to move like that. I guess I'll have to work up to it at bit. I've really slacked off. But that's ok. I'll be back to where I was in no time, and then I'll be even further along.

Today I'm all set up to do just fine. Breakfast was good, packed lunch is good, snacks are fruit. Tuesdays are my scheduled day off from exercise, since we're likely to go bowling on Tuesdays (I'm not positive if we're going tonight or not). But I feel like I should take today off anyway, since I didn't get nearly enough sleep and I think I slept in a funny position, because my back is killing me this morning.

Oh dear, I have a meeting. I'll come back in a bit for comments, unless I get some unexpected work. :)

Have a good one, chicks!
~Elisha

[hikein2005]

Oh please don't tell me that I'm already giving up!!! Ahhhhhhh! Why does this get harder every time I start a challenge? I am ready to do this, really, I swear! But my mind is trying to play tricks on me and tell me that I'm too tired, or too hot or have worked too hard, etc. Someone PLEASE tell my brain that I am just fine!!! :p

Food was good today, although the evil :devil: candy is still looming at work and trying to get the best of me. I added up the one or two little "nibbles" I had from it and it came to around 122 calories! Harmless, right? While someone is talking to my brain, could someone else please make sure everyone gets the memo on KEEPING TEMPTING FOODS AWAY FROM JULIE!!! My office partner (after she placed the box of chocolates 2 ft from my desk and I was whining about them being there and NOT on HER desk) had the nerve to say "You just need to get some will power!" I wanted to strangle her!!! She was just a bi**h today!!!

But I'm still doing well with calories, regardless of how much people want to sabbotage me! I will continue to persevere!!!!!!! :drill: Someone, quick, find that tazer!!!!

I need to do my toning exercises yet, but since DH is not home yet, I'm thinking about taking a cat nap so I can get all of the other "chores" done on my list tonight after everyone else has gone to bed! I'm sure not as young as I used to be...

OK...chickies...keep upt he great work! Let's keep each other motivated!
Hope you all get a chance to post today!

[miss_elisha]

Julie: ZZZZTTTTT!!!! Consider yourself TAZED! And you'd better get those toning exercises done tonight or expect another zap first thing tomorrow! :drill: You can do it! Be tough!

Joy: I'm sorry to hear about your dog. :( That is always sad.
Red wine is good for you, and it always makes me thirsty. And any alcohol makes my weight jump like 3 lbs per glass for a couple of days, until I can get my system good and flushed with a ton of water. I hope your hubby stays on board with you... it's always easier with support.

Betani: If you find any good tricks for lowering cholesterol, please let me know! My HDL is fine, but my LDL's need some work! I plan to get on track with FlyLady once we get in our house. Still waiting for that to happen...

Lisa: Thanks! I already can't believe I've been with Steve as long as I have (about a year and a half). I'm so excited, and I know this year is just going to fly by! But it will be a good one, and I'll enjoy every minute! Even the minutes when I'm counting calories and doing my cardio! (Hey, a girl can wish, can't she?)

MsRD: You know I can't live without my scale! I would go crazy and gain way too much if I stopped weighing myself. I've tried it a number of times, but it never works. Eating out is a problem for me too, even when I plan... I'm always tempted by the smells in the air and the pictures on the menu!

TBJ: Hey, if you're nerdy, so am I! I've got an entire folder made up of charts and forms and so forth. I say do whatever works.

Everyone else: :wave:

OK, I get to go home now, since I came in early this morning! Yay for leaving work early!
Have a good night, chicks!
~Elisha

[MsRD]

Hello all! :wave:

Wow! I had a super busy day today..:dizzy: ..had to leave a list on my desk of where to start off again tomorrow! Food today was great.....around 1200 calories....water good......and I even did 30 minutes WATP (And did that ever kick my butt! Hard to imagine that a mere month ago, I didn't think it was intense enough!)

Lisa.....I pretty much know where I am, but will have my 'official weigh in' Friday at the doctors. Yes....time again for the ol' annual grease job and oil change. :p Whatever possessed me to make the appointment for January......after I have just eaten my way from one holiday into the next??!!! Doctor is going to have a fit!

Betani......You have some great goals there chickie! Great idea to break it down and take it step by step...:cool:....sure to be a success!

Julie.....OK, knock off the 'giving up' talk right now! No negativity! :drill: Kicking the sugar habit is really tough. I usually give myself a week to kinda 'ease' into it.....it allows me a few slipups without losing sight of my goal.

Joy.....Your food choices were really good! And working in the garden is the most fun kind of exercise! I was really sorry to hear about your dog...:hug: ...these pets just wrap themselves around our hearts and it is so hard to lose them.

Elisha.....You are right OP and I am proud of you! :sunny: Planning ahead (and you included snacks too!) is such a great idea and will keep you from going too far astray!

I am really tired tonight, so got to scoot and get my chores done and get to bed at a decent hour!

[Betani]

Let's see...

I got all my water today. I stopped eating around 8pm. I found a promising looking website about cholesterol control. I almost followed my eating schedule (flubbed up before dinner when DH had to run an unexpected errand). I got a couple walks in. And I shined my sink.

Overall, not bad. I think I get a star on the calander today.

***

MsRD-- Isn't it funny how that works? At least it means you'll never truly "outgrow" a DVD.

Elisha-- I haven't explored it thoroughly yet, but goodnewscholesterol.com looks helpful and user-friendly. I hope to look at it more tomorrow.

Julie-- "ATTENTION JULIE'S BRAIN: JULIE IS DOING JUST FINE. NOW STOP TEASING HER AND GET TO WORK PRODUCING ENDORPHINS OR SOMETHING ELSE USEFUL!" There. Hope that worked.

Joy-- My DH is like that. If the door opens for a good line, he'll barge right in and think about the consequences later. Nutrition.about.com has a very informative calorie counter. I don't remember the exact link, but it's under the Women's Nutrition Guide section.

[lisa girl]

Hi everyone :wave:! Just wanted to check in! Last night, I did ride my bike for 30 min. I was proud, and then I don't know what happened to me..I just had a little eating episode..well, not too little- took 15 of my flex points! Anyway, today I rode again for 30 min, and ate really, really good. I'm still on track. It's the "mind trick" of the flex points that helps me get back on the wagon. I am still OP. I have 20 flex points left if I need them-and I am hoping I WILL NOT!!

Betani- Glad to hear about your star! You did great! I, too, am thinking about cholesterol. Mine is a bit high, and I need to address it. Thank you for reminding me :). Oh, and you shined your sink!! Flylady..way to go! That's another thing I need to work on..keep posting about it, so I can see it can be done.

MsRD- Yay for your good day too! WTG with the WATP! You are awesome :). In no time, it will not be challenging enough for you once again.

Elisha- Did you enjoy leaving work early?? I know that was a treat. How is the Disney vacation plan coming along? Sorry for all the questions..LOL!! Hope you had a good day.

Julie - Girl, you CAN do this. I know you can. You are doing great. Just like MsRD said..you may need to ease into the sugar limitations. I am proud of you..go Julie!!

Joy- Thank you for the welcome :). I, too, was sorry to hear about your dog. It's amazing how our pets become just like family members. As far as the weight loss issue, I am trying my best to get my DH on board with me..our doctor told him he needs to lose at least 50 pounds, even 75. I worry for him so much. But he won't listen to me..stubborn guy!! LOL! Doesn't he know I am always right :)???!!!

Alright, it's off to bed with me........that darn alarm clock rings so early!!!

[**Jennifer**]

Morning, chickies! I'll come back later & catch up & comment, but the day has already kicked into full gear! :) I'm enjoying my diet coke (I will not give up my caffeine, I have given up everything else!) and a Zone bar. Once I get to Publix in the next evening or two, I'll have my cottage doubles to go with it, and have my mornings all set. Then, I'll need to start cooking & prepping my baggies to have quick & easy lunches ready to grab. Gotta set up my safety zone.

Last night I got to catch up with 2 really good friends, and kinda talked out my plan. First thing I need to do is to get my fitness level back. It'll take me a while to lose all the weight I need to, but even when I was fat before, I was able to move quickly, and not have all these aches & pains & stiffness. So, for me, exercise, and building up my cardio capabilities will be my first target. When I plan, and prepare, the food & water fall into place, and the weight comes off, but I really need to focus on the exercise, the motivation to do it, finding time to fit it in when I would normally waste time, thinking I deserved "15 minutes" to sit down & relax, and it becomes 2 hours.

I'll be back- hope everyone has a great day!

[miss_elisha]

Morning ladies!

Jennifer: Boy, do I ever know what you mean about 15 minutes becoming 2 hours! Last night I sat down to read for a few minutes after dinner right at 7 then the next thing I knew it was 9 and I was falling asleep! And I'm having the same problem with my body not wanting to move quite right. When I exercise consistently, it hardly bothers me at all, but if I slack off--BAM!

Lisa: Good job staying OP! I never really got the trick of the whole "flex point" thing. I think that may be why I never really wanted to try WW. It always seems like there are a lot of flex points to use, and I know I would want to use them all all the time, and that would kind of defeat the purpose. But I know the system works well for a lot of people, and if it works for you, more power to you. :)

Betani: You had a great day! I had to chuckle at your message to Julie's brain! :lol: I will have to check out that site while I'm goofing off later today.

MsRD: Good job staying OP, and even getting in the WATP! It seems so hard to work up to that level, then we stop for just a little well and all of our hard work gets wasted so quickly, all the progress gone. But Lisa's right, in no time you'll be thinking it's not challenging enough once again.

OK, let's see...

Yesterday was good. Calories came in at 1370, but I think I may have forgotten to add in the 2 oz. of pork that was in my stir-fry (I'll have to check), but that won't put me too far over. Today is going ok so far, and packed lunch is good, snacks are fruit, and there will be lots of water. Water yesterday was 90 oz, plus a can of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper at lunch. I didn't exercise, but I had planned to take the day off anyway, so it's ok. And it's a good thing I did, because my back just kept getting progressively more sore as the day went on, and by the time I sat down I couldn't move so well. I'm still a little stiff this morning, but that typically works out over the day, so I will exercise tonight.

There has been a change of plans involving the wedding: the date has been moved to September. I'm not sure what day in September, but that's the only month we both had no objections to. I didn't want to make it any earlier than that, because if I had I would surely be overwhelmed with everything I have to do and hyperventilate almost daily.

But, hyperventilation has been avoided (at least for today). I just have to work a little harder and faster, and be more persistent. It also means that I need to find something else to do for a honeymoon, since I don't really want to be going on a Caribbean cruise smack in the middle of hurricane season. Perhaps Disneyland--I've never been to the west coast--or a lovely fall drive through New England. I don't know. I'll investigate today.

Oh yeah, and I weighed in at 215.8 this morning, down from 216.6 yesterday and 217.4 on Monday. If I can lose 0.8 pounds every day, I'll be buff in no time! :lol:

OK, now I've got another meeting to go to, so I'll wrap this up for now. I hope you're all having a wonderful day!
~Elisha

[TBJ333]

Aloha Chiquititas -- (Any other ABBA fans out there? Who wouldn't like a man named Bjorn? :p )

First day "back on track" was like the race horse jumped OFF the track and ran off to Krispy Kreme for a mixed dozen. :o: Yellow day. And then yesterday was an "I'm sick of studying" red day. :( My Darth Vader penny jar is at 0.

Tonight I'm going back to jujitsu. I miss it too much to give it up for six weeks. It's really changed my life. And, when I was practicing my attempt at a handstand, I realized that I'm just plain old to darn heavy to lift my body with my arms and shoulders. In the back of my mind, I've known that for a while now. Since I dig the jujitsu so much, I really should commit to working harder.

***

MsRD -- Good for you for keeping those restaurant portions under control. We can't avoid restaurants all our lives; may as well conquer them now. :) Yeah, xcel does keep me on track. Not only does it let me see patterns in where I fail, but it also rewards me when I do well. I see the green days stack up, and they're kind of like the visual reward system that casinos use in slot machines. :p

Lisa -- Hey, another biker! Julie and I try to keep each other motivated in biking. We're working on a bike-training schedule. Can't say I personally have done too well... maybe a third lady in the group would help? ;) Hey, 150.4 is so close to 149... soon you will be in a new "decade." It's always fun to see the scale drop that middle number. As for a plan, I used to do WW, and did have success. But I moved out of state, and I am so busy right now that finding a meeting and attending is not practical. So I count calories and exercise... I also use a tracking system for how well I'm doing, but I won't bore you with the details. :)

Betani -- Hey, the cholesterol-lowering diet must be good motivation. And if you want, you can PM me (isn't getting to know each other part of this challenge? :) ), and I'll give you a step-by-step guide to xcel. :D

Julie -- Sounds like you're having success. :cheer: I invited Lisa to join our bike training; hope you don't mind. :) Sure, tell us about the DiscoveryHealth program. Any idea whether it's vegetarian-friendly? And OK, per request: "Brain of Julie, thou art just fine." :lol: Omiogod, your partner was a jerk. Tell her not to say stuff like that anymore.

Joy -- Sorry to hear about your dog. :( Sometimes men can be a little self-conscious about the diet thing, since culturally, diets are marketed to women. His comment was funny, though. :p

Elisha -- Welcome back to your zippy connection! :D And, seeing how much fun you tend to have on the internet, check out weddingchat.com. The website tends to build up a large community with lots of posts. Recently, they crashed, but they re-opened on Jan. 1, and already they're hopping. I joined five years ago, and I still visit the boards even now that I'm married. :o: Check it out...

Jennifer -- Apparently you have great supportive friends. :)

***

Well, I'm going to record the bad news on my spreadsheet now. See youse tomorrow, hopefully with better news.

[**Jennifer**]

hey chicklettes! What a day! After my post this morning, one of the 3 people in my area QUIT. Turned in her 2 week notice, but since she is going to a competitor, they told her she could collect her things and consider today her last day. Nooooo- there's too much crap being shoveled onto my desk- she HAS to work the 2 weeks. Well, no sign of that happening. I had to work through lunch to weed through all the stuff and figure out what closings were happening in the next 2 days so that I wasn't surprised when her equity line clients show up & no one is ready for them. Sigh.

Food started off good- lunch could have been better, but since I was trapped, I ordered in a turkey breast & swiss cheese sandwich. Came with potato salad (one of those little dixie cup sizes for salad dressing & stuff) and I did eat that, and the melty cheese. Full fat, but hey, it was better than hitting a drive through & getting crap, or skipping, and coming home to scarf down whatever got in my way. Dinner was a chicken breast with BBQ sauce, and a plain baked potato. I didn't have a single veggie in the house- and the fruit is all in the fridge at the new house. This is going to be a little more complex than I thought for the next few weeks. Not a horrible day. No exercise, though, and that has to be fixed. And water- I need to keep tracking on my calendar again- and 4 32oz glasses each day before I can leave for the day. No excuses! :)

ok, catching up on comments:

TBJ- these 2 particular friends are amazing- they are my lifeline, and so much more. I know that I can always count on them to be there for me, through thick & thin, & thick again ;). I don't know what I'd do without them, and without the supportive chickies here. I'm not successful at this without them.

Elisha- chickie, tonight- the SAME thing- sit for a 10-15 minute recap & post, but the site is busy, then down, then busy, forums closed, lemme just hang for 5 more minutes & refresh a few hundred times, and then the site is back, so you know how it goes! Congrats on the upcoming wedding! :) Can I come stay with Mary & come crash the wedding? ;) I'll bring that darned treadmill I'm still trying to unload. Maybe when I move, it'll fall off the truck!

Lisa- way to go on the biking, chica. I gotta dust off mine- get the clothes, sheets, and stacked boxes off of it. I was looking for some kind of mat to put under mine for the new house, so I didn't ruin the new carpet, and I thought yoga mat, until hubby told me clear carpet runner. Now, I have ANOTHER Home Depot trip to make. They are gonna know me by name. :)

Betani- Go, Flybaby! I signed up for that, thinking I'd be able to modify that, and try to fit it around my work schedule, but on the first day, you get what felt like 400 emails. Put my shoes on. 15 item fling. What??? I can't fling, I'm closing a loan now. What's this? Oh come on! :) It's madness, I say! But in a good way :)

MsRD- Woo Hoo! Great job with the WATP. I tried the 1 mile, and before I got to the half mile mark, I was so out of breath & panting I had to sit down. Now, that's pathetic. We'll get this back, though. Might take a little cursing at Leslie, and some gestures at her during the 82 knee lifts, but we'll get it back. Did you see that there's a few new videos she's coming out with?

Julie- You have far more restraint than I have. I would have been throttling her. Hope things were better today, chica.

Joy- I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. :(


Ok chickies, gotta get my tushie out of this chair before it spreads any further, and see if I can't get a load of wash done. And tomorrow, better planning, and a report that includes water, and some type of exercise besides panting on the stairs. Night, chickies!

[lisa girl]

Jennifer- I can hear the "focus" in your "voice"..you go girl. I'm behind you all the way..Proud of you chica :). Wanna do 20-30 min. or so on the bike tomorrow??

TBJ-Actually, I am very interested in your tracking system-would you mind sharing it with me?? And, yes, I am also interested in biking with you guys-that would be a terrific motivator for me :). Thank you!!! I'm not going to WW meetings either. I'm just doing it at home..for some reason, I do just as good at home as going to the meetings, which does save me some money!! Also, what is Jujitsu??

Elisha- A lovely Fall drive through New England sounds like paradise to me..it really does. What fun to be planning a trip! I am excited for you :).


Everybody else-How are you?? I hope absolutely terrific!

Today was a good day for me. I'm right on with my plan, although no exercise, and I don't know if there will be any. I may take this as one day off. I am so tired and sore, I am shaking. I got up really early, and didn't eat lunch until 2:30, and then dinner at 8:30...I have literally run all day. I think I'll get in the bed and get some rest. You know what? I am really enjoying checking in here every day. You guys are great! I am blessed :).

Have a super evening. Blessings to you all!

[MsRD]

Hello All! :wave:

Things were a lot calmer at work today, and I found the top of my desk again! DH called and said we were going out to dinner......to a neighborhood bar, which has really good food, but a somewhat limited menu. Yikes! I finally settled on 1/4lb burger & diet coke....I ditched the chips, but did have 4 deep fried mushrooms. I had been very good, foodwise, until that point, so the whole day came in at 1200 calories. Now, if I can just keep from snacking tonight......:tape:

Betani......You stopped eating at 8pm? You are my hero! :bravo: That is one habit that has been soooo hard for me to kick!

Lisa.....Did I hear right? 60 minutes on the bike and you still have flexpoints left over? You had one awesome day! :goodvibes:

Jennifer.....I can't tell you how nice it is to see your posts again! you are really doing well managing your food....even when in crisis mode! As for the exercise....just schedule it, like an appointment. I know life has a way of messing up a schedule, but if you had a hair appointment, you would rearrange things and be there on time, right? :yes:

Elisha......That scale is really moving now! :goodscale: You gotta promise to post a 'buff' picture of you in that wedding dress! As for honeymoons......I tend to be a mountain kinda girl......the Great Smokies in Tennessee/N. Carolina are incredibly beautiful.......or, if you really want knock your socks off mountains, look at the Grand Teton/Jackson Hole/Yellowstone area in Wyoming!

TBJ.....Who has the tazer? I'm going to shock/sizzle you back on track....in both the diet and study areas! Come on girl.....you've got handstands to do! And Darth is hungry! :eek:

Gotta go unload the dryer......and meet up with Leslie for a mile or so...:sunny:.

[Loving~Mommy2~4]

OK I want in too please

I am 160 with 40 pounds to lose I want to tone up and lose weight. I have had 4 children that is what i owe my weight gain to. LOL

But I am ready to lose the rest.

My Focus is going to be to lose all 40 pounds by end of the year if not sooner I want to be 20 pounds lighter by May 1st. I have started WW as of today but incorporating the WP. My first time I lost 27 pounds on the WP.

I also want to exercise 3X a week starting On Monday 1/9/06.

I would love to get to know you all more and maybe even gain a buddy.

Thanks

[hikein2005]

I just posted a long post with comments to all of you! And zap! It was gone like lightning as soon as I sent it...forgot to copy!!! Grrr!

Anyway...thank you to all of you for your support yesterday! It means so much to me that you all are here and supportive even when I'm having a bad day!

Today was much worse (work related), but we won't go into detail! However, FOOD was ok...haven't added up calories. I did get in my toning which I was supposed to do yesterday! Water has been great! I hope tomorrow is a better day for me!

You all are rocking! Keep up the great work! I have a feeling this challenge is going to be great for everyone!

[Betani]

Hmm...

I ate at scheduled meal times, more or less, but I made some poor food choices. I stopped eating at 8:45, but I've caught myself hunting for food several times already. I walked library laps (up and down the hall, up and down the stairs, repeat) for 15 minutes at lunch, but I didn't get my official exercise walk in this evening. I did, however find a much better cholesterol resource website than the one I found yesterday. (Loweringcholesterol.net)

So, no star for today, but not bad nonetheless.

***

Loving~Mommy2~4-- :welcome2: Glad to have you with us!

MsRD-- Woohoo! Huzzah for visible desktops! I am impressed that you kept your calories that low even with going out. Good luck fending off the munchies!

Lisa-- Take it easy. Too much soreness is a sure sign to take a rest day.

Jennifer-- :lol: I know what you mean about the 400 emails. I am pretty much just forming the routines, and deleting the emails unless I can do something about the reminders at the time. I've gotten some pretty good tips, though.

TBJ-- I have this bizarre image in my head of a horse with a checkerd face mask picking out which 12 donuts he wants... DH gets one more chance to teach me Excel, and if it doesn't happen soon, I'll take you up on the offer!

Elisha-- DH and I got married mid-October and honeymooned in Pennsylvania at Hershey and the Poconos. Very nice time of year to be out there, and lots of fun stuff to do.

[JoyG56]

Hi everybody :wave: So sorry I've been MIA the past few days.

This "24" addiction is getting serious ... DH & I watched season 2 - 3 episodes last night and 3 episodes tonight and we'll probably finish off the last three tomorrow night.

Tuesday's food was good. 1317 calories, lots of water (gotta get my bladder back in shape, was doing the pee-pee dance all day) and a 15 minute walk. I managed not to eat after 8pm - after tonight it will be 4 days in a row. Today was good until after DH's dr. appt. ... we were driving past a White Spot and of course I suggested (seen as how it was 5:17) that we should stop for a burger. I ate my jalepeno southwestern burger, about half my fries and a diet coke. Calories came in at 1643.... which is probably a yellow day on the TBJ scale. I did get my 15 minute walk in today too.

Betani ... sounds like you're off to a good start with your new habits. If you look back at the day you DID accomplish alot. Maybe you should get a 1/2 star????
Loving~ :welcome3: What is WP? I've done WW too, but counting calories for now... maybe back to WW later. Feel free to PM me for my email address and we can support each other.
Julie Back up on the bike girl, you know how to ride! Get some of that stress out of your system, you need some endorfins. :lol3:
Jennifer Your employers must have great faith in you, have faith in yourself and PRIORITIZE PRIORITIZE PRIORITIZE. Don't go skipping your lunch break ... you need to recharge and you could use it for exercise too, with 2 water bottles for weights! :hug:
MsRD I found the top of my desk at work on New Years' Eve and am determined to keep it that way.... so far so good. Good for you ditching the chips, I ate 1/2 of mine. I did make a compromise with my drink too, I would have loved to have orange pop (which is my favorite) but chose diet coke because of the calories. See we are making good choices!
Lisa WTG - you're on plan. Maybe I need to dare you to an exercise challenge for next week??? :kickcan:
TBJ Knowin' you ... knowin' me..... ah haaaa aaaa Now you... get back on that horse and I know you can ride (like I told Julie). I have a vision.... I can see "green" in your future.
Elisha Keep on... keepin' on doing what your doing.... .8 a day... I'd take it. How about coming to Vancouver and doing a cruise to Alaska for your honeymoon. I'm thinking we need a mini exercise challenge to get us off our a$$e$.... what do you think?
Well off to do by bedtime routine :yawn:
Joy

[thincruiser]

Hello all!
Id love to join the thread! Really need a new me---or an old me however you look at it! My name is Becky and Im hoping to lose weight for an upcoming cruise and also for mysisters wedding this summer. Started on Tuesday with low carb, lots of water , and exercise. How is everyone doing?!?

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

:welcome: thincruiser and Loving~Mommy2~4! It's great to have you with us! Always glad to see some new faces, we are indeed. I look forward to getting to know both of you, and best of luck in your weight loss goals.

Joy: You had a good day! I think I need to join you and Betani on your "No Food after 8pm rule." I'm starting to see a nighttime eating habit form... not good. I am up for an exercise challenge though, of course. What do you think? A minutes challenge for next week?

Betani: You didn't do bad today. "Library laps" are a good thing to do, since a major part of this battle is learning how to incorporate more activity into our lives. I need to start walking around the building at lunch... but then that would mean I would have to stop wearing uncomfortable shoes, and we can't have that! :lol:

Julie: Don't you hate it when that happens?! GOOD JOB on the water, the toning, and keeping the calories in check! You're on the right track now! As for bad work environments, you know we're here for you. That's what friends are for, right? :hug:

MsRD: I don't know how you do it--you go out to eat, and still manage to keep calories to 1200. I tell ya, if I go out to eat, that *meal* is about 1200 calories! Hmm... maybe that's why I'm here... As for honeymooning in the mountains... I think it's a bit of a different situation when you actually live in the mountains. I could go fishing in my front yard, and camping in my back yard, quite literally. Besides that, neither Steve nor myself is really much of an outdoorsy person. Unless it's lying on a beach somewhere. :beach:

Lisa: Yeah, I think shaking is a sign that something isn't going right. I hope you got some rest, and woke up feeling energized and raring to go this morning! You're doing so well! Keep up the good work!

Jennifer: I noticed that with the forums too... what was up with that? But you made decent choices in light of a stressful situation, so that is good. There are many people here at 3FC who will tell you to focus on one thing at a time, so that it's habit before you try to add in another part of the equation. If the eating part is the easy part for you, get that working first--start prepping those foods for easy grabbing!--then work on getting your water and exercise. You KNOW how to do this, and you know that you CAN do this. It takes a little while to get up and running, but once you do it's easy.

TBJ: Do I need to zap you with the tazer? Don't think I won't--just ask Julie! It's good that you've found a new passion with jujitsu, and that you've come up with a way to keep it in your life during the stressful time of studying. Now get back on track and start having GREEN days once again!

OK, well now, time to talk about me! :D

Yesterday was good. Calories came in at 1392, water was 102 oz., and I did 30 minutes of Yourself!Fitness with a weight loss focus. I was going to spend some time on the weight machine after that, but I pushed myself during the Y!F session and was completely beat at the end of it. This morning the scale says 216.0, which is up 0.2 from yesterday, but ToM showed up this morning, and I did have some pretzels and hummus around 10 last night (I know better than to eat so much starch that late!), so I'm not too worried about it. However, I am going to try to curb the late-day carbs, and I'm also going to set my calorie goal a bit higher today--1600. I've actually been hungry in the evenings, hence the snacking, so I'm going to eat a bit more at dinner in an effort to curtail the evening kitchen raid. Also, I'm aiming to be in bed by 10 tonight, as I'm not getting enough sleep. I'm already back to not waking up with my alarm, and that is not a good thing.

So today will be decent. Exercise will be 45 minutes of Y!F with a weight loss focus, and maybe a set or two on the weight machine. Lots of water, and some extra sleep. Yeah, that's the plan.

As for the wedding... I'm sure the plans will change more. I'm going to make Steve sit down and go over a few things with me this weekend, like a date, and an approximate guest count, because there's really not much I can do without those 2 things. Today (you know, while I'm not really doing anything at work) I'm going to make up a cheesy wedding website so I can keep track of things and keep everyone updated. Also, I'm going to update my personal website this weekend and put up some of the house pictures I took this weekend. That's the plan anyway. But I have some other stuff to do this weekend, so I might not have time. We'll see.

Anyway, I should get moving. I've already written you a novel. :D
Have a wonderful day, chicks.
~Elisha

[StarAngel2528]

HEY GIRLS!! I've been MIA for quite some time now. I've been so busy at work with the holidays and now the returns are rolling in! I've been maintaining over the holidays, well weightwise, but I'm down into a 12-14!!! can you believe it?? I can wear clothes now that I've had stashed away since Jr. High!

Elisha - Wow, your setting a date! Now don't pick September 30th cause that's my date :-) jk. Where did you end up getting a house?

Everyone else seems to be doing pretty well. I have a lot of reading to do to catch up with everyone!

I hope everyone had a great christmas and new years! Well, I'm gonna start doing some reading. I'll post again later. Bye!

[**Jennifer**]

ok, enjoying a late lunch after having my review today. Woo Hoo! 4% raise! :) Sweet! That should make the commute a little bit easier to tolerate. ;) Since I didn't have any leftover chicken from dinner last night, today's lunch is: Leftover Hurricane Supplies. It's a Beefaroni lunch bucket nukeable thing- 210 calories, plus I am having a cup of Earl Gray tea with splenda. Yummy. Not chicken & veggies, but it sure isn't McDonalds fries, right? Gotta consider that a battle won.

In the journals area, I posted pictures of the new house, and I'll add a link here to where the pics are. :) The kitchen is what sold us on this house, and after 18 loooong months, it's done. Whew! And yes, everyone is welcome to come. I am accepting Swiffer cleaning products, and Windex as housewarming gifts ;) since there is so much more house to clean.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/journals/index.php/weblog/comments/37245/

More later, chickies. And it's already Thursday!

[TBJ333]

Aloha, everyone!

Jujitsu rocked last night. We practiced kali, AKA Filipino stick fighting. More precisely, we practiced how to defend ourselves against ravaging crazy people who might want to hit us with a hard bamboo stick. :p I now know a couple of ways to disarm a rampaging stick-wielding violent attacker.

Rolls and falls are improving, even though the improvements might be imperceptible to any onlookers. :) I am a little more stable and do not feel any pain when falling.

And, best of all, yesterday was a green day. :D Darth Vader gets two pennies. Now I don't have to fear a force choke... <heavy scary breathing> "TBJ, I am your diet buddy."

***

Jennifer -- CONGRATULATIONS on your raise. :dance: Maybe if I spray some Windex from over here in Hawaii, the Windex will land on some glass in your house? :p

Star Angel -- Hi there. Good to see you around.

Elisha -- OK, tazer worked, yesterday was green. And I read in your journal that you're pushing your date up to September -- eek, now I have to re-do my spreadsheet! Or did you push it back to September '07... give us lots of time to get to a size 10. ;)

Thincruiser -- Welcome! We all seem to be doing pretty well... looks like our little group is back on track. Many of us were having a hard time over the past six weeks or so, but now everyone seems pumped. :strong: You picked a good time to join. :)

Joy -- Your vision of green proved correct. :p Could you please have another one? :lol3: Eh, you did pretty well with that burger... and a walk, too. :) Good job!

Betani -- OK, just let me know if you'd like help with Xcel. Laps at work must be a good way to stay motivated throughout the day. :yes:

Julie -- Yeah, it does seem like this challenge is helping everyone. Maybe we've all gotten over our slumps? :grouphug:

MsRD -- Wow, 1200 calories even with a burger. :bravo:

Lovingmommy -- :welcome:

Lisa -- OK, <deep breath> here's the explanation: my plan is limiting calories and exercising. I keep a spreadsheet with the dates, number of days that I've been tracking, calories for each day, exercise, and weight once per week. I classify the days as green (on program, for losing weight), yellow (not OP, but under the number of calories I'll need to maintain my goal weight), and red days (number of calories that will make me gain weight once I hit goal). Just by looking at the pattern of colors, I can tell where I've succeeded and where I've failed. For example, the week before TOM, I see a lot of yellow and red days, followed by no weight loss, and that data shows me that PMS eating is a problem for me. On the other hand, when I have a long line of green days, the green in the spreadsheet is like an immediate reward. I feel good for accomplishing the color, and I don't have to wait until weigh-in day to feel like I've made progress. And <another deep breath> ... jujitsu is a martial art. It uses leverage and momentum, rather than strength and size, to subdue an opponent. The goal is to use as little force as necessary; for example, putting someone in a joint lock that forces him or her to either stop attacking you, or else break a bone. Techniques mainly emphasize joint locks, throws, and grappling... There is also weapons training, a few strikes, restorative massage, and meditation. Principles include modesty, not fearing a larger opponent, not picking on a smaller opponent, going with the flow rather than resisting, and community service. I could go on and on, but my comment to you alone is probably making this post way too long. :)

***

A few people are up for an exercise challenge... maybe we should start one soon? Friday?

[Christian4HIM]

Hi. oh boy.. i have been doing awful.:( i really dont feel as if i have really started this thing yet. I hate to admit that. I cant get motivated enough. I have never been like this. I cant stand the weigh i look you think that would motivation enough. I will be weighing in tomorrow so I am going to try my very hardest starting tomorrow. I guess i am just going to watch what i eat low fat kinda thing. I dont think low carb will work for me i think it will be really difficult. I probably would lose weight though because i wouldnt be eating and i know that is not healthy. so wish me luck..join us in the 10lb challange thread, we weigh in on fridays. good luck everyone! :carrot:

[MsRD]

Hello All :wave:

Grrrr.....I broke the 8pm rule AGAIN last night. It was only 2 cookies but still! I wonder if maybe my calories are a tad low (1000-1200) and that is why my body tells me to eat more......or maybe that is just an imaginative excuse on my part?

LovingMommy.....:welcome2: So glad you have joined us!

Julie.....Zounds! :bravo: The food, toning, and water all came together for you! I knew it would! How is your foot feeling nowadays....is it giving you any more problems?

Betani.....Library laps is such a great idea! :dancer: Just getting out at lunch and moving is good physically.....not to mention the mental break too!

Joy.....I laughed so hard :lol3: trying to picture your 'pee pee dance'! That water sure works wonders, doesn't it?

Becky.....:welcome: It is great to have you here! It seems like I am starting over at square one for the umpteenth time.....but somehow I feel this time is going to be different. :crossed:

Elisha......Pack those walking shoes when you leave for work and change into them for a lunchtime walk! A little fresh air will clear your thoughts.....and leave less time for eating! :smug:

Jessica......It is great having you back! You maintained over the holidays and wear a size 12?!! You are incredible! :woo:

Jennifer.....congratulations on the raise! It is so nice to know they appreciate your efforts! :cloud9: When are you moving into your house?

Christian4Him......Taking that first step is always the hardest! Start with just one thing.....something that may be easy for you.....and concentrate on that change for a few days before you add something else. :carrot: I know you can do it!

Calories today were only 1000.....water was over 60-oz.....and I have already done 30 minues WATP. wow! i really feel like I have accomplished something today!
Did I hear somebody say exercise challenge? Commit to whatever minutes you want.....and keep track of your own minutes......and we can start Monday!

[lisa girl]

Hi :wave:! Just wanted to take a minute to check in. I love to comment, but I don't have time tonight..darn!! I have had a fun evening shopping with a friend..boy did I find some DEALS!! Woohoo!!!! I am tired, and I am going to hop on the bike anyway. I took yesterday as a rest day. I'm not sore any longer, thank goodness! Tomorrow morning, we are getting up really early as a family, and going to breakfast before school/work. The kids are excited. But, that awful alarm clock will be going off at 6:00..so this girl has got to get in the bed pretty soon!!! I read all the posts, and I want to say how proud I am of everyone!! WTG!!! I had a good eating day today, and a very busy day..whew I cleaned house like a whirlwind!! LOL!!

Well, just wanted to check in and let you all know I am thinking of you, and rooting for you! Have a good evening and a terrific Friday!!!

[hikein2005]

I am going to try to remember to copy this before I send it today!

OK...late night last night, so I am going to post and go to bed!

Work was a bit better today, although my office partner is still a b***h!!! I really wanted to smack her today but instead I just punished myself by eating TWO pieces of chocolate that are still sitting 2 feet away from my desk! If they are there tomorrow, I am going to throw them in the trash as soon as I get into work (before she gets in!) That was not the only "treat I ate today either"...I had two small tootsie rolls at Bingo (for those of you who do not know me, I am an activity director in a nursing home)

So, I really need to total up my calories here!

2 squares chocolates 120 cal
Latte- 150 cal.
No breakfast
Lunch: leftover chicken & rice slow cooker dish (around 300 cal.) SF jello (salad 25 cal)
Supper: Logans Anything & Everthing salad minus tomatoes & walnuts with honey mustard dressing. (My guess is around 600 calories total) with water...oh and a roll with a tsp. butter (probably 200 calories) and WATER to drink!

Total calories around 1400...so not bad!

I also got on the scale today. Remember that "challenge" at work that I joined back in the fall??? Well today was the official weigh in day! I gained ONE pound since the beginning of that, but I'm sure it would have been more had I weighed in on Monday! Phew! So my weight today was 177.75 and that was with PMS bloating...so I'm quite happy with myself to date!

As far as exercise goes...I didn't get any intoday! Sorry gang to disappoint you. Some days my life doesn't allow it. I got up late (up late last night) rushed to get DD to school, headed to work, worked til 4:30, rushed home to meet DD & DH for Logan's, then off to take DD to a skating thing for Brownies...then home, put DD to bed and here I am! I'm bushed!

Comments for all...sorry about yesterday, but I will copy this one tonight...I promise!

Christian4HIM....Welcome! It's great to have a new face! You will find the inspiration and motivation you need here with this group. This is a wonderful bunch of chickies!

TBJ...I love that you have teamed up with Darth Vader! You rock, girl! Go with that jujitsu!!! And that handstand will come with time!

Jennifer...well at least you took time to eat lunch today, which I did NOT yesterday! Good for you...have I mentioned I'm glad you are back with us?

StarAngel...Good for you on that clothing size reduction! Sometimes the weight has to "shift" around in our bodies in order for those clothes to fit just right...maybe toning and working hard has helped you!

Elisha...Sounds like you have the food down to a science now! Stop obsessing about the weight...it's just a blip! It will be back down again tomorrow...I promise! You are doing it girl! (I've lost 2 lbs since Tuesday even with TOM)

Becky...Welcome! We'd love to hear a little more about yourself and your goals. This is a great group of chickies!

Joy...DH has the same "24" addiction! He has gotten all the DVD's from the last however many seasons and recorded them on DVD...and watched them all like a Marathon...AND he DVR's them...every show...just in case he might miss one! OMG!!! I think you share the same addiction! LOL! And yes...the bike is on my schedule for tomorrow...along with NO treats (read above)!

Betani...still...you are making progress...making changes! Atta girl! Keep at it! You are doing a great job!

LovingMommy...Welcome to you too! It's nice to have you with us. Just ask away and you will get lots of responses! This is a great group!

I'm going to go to bed!
Hugs to all!

[hikein2005]

I've discovered that if you log in on the big screen at the center of the page, 3FC doesn't "time you out"! But I still copied my message...just in case!

That's all...have a good night!

[Betani]

Oy!

Lousy day.

Major stress out day.

3 slices of extra large pizza day.

Yesterday at work we ran a little process to renew the standing orders the library gets for the new year, so we can invoice and receive them without creating a whole new purchase order. We ran the renewal process, corrected a few problems, and everything seemed hunky dory. That was yesterday.

Today, after day end processing had been run, things started to randomly fall apart. It will take months to catch all the errors the renewal process caused. We will have to go through well over a thousand items one by one, and there are several errors in each copy of each title! The programmers of this system have a lot to answer for!

Anyway, the pizza was the worst of my eating today. I just had 1/4 of a cantaloupe for my last snack at 8pm. Breakfast was oatmeal, orange juice, tea, water, and a fiber shake, lunch was soup and a low fat cheese stick, snacks were mostly fruit, but also a bowl of Kashi and some baked tostitos and salsa.

No exercise today. I really really really need to make sure I get back on track tomorrow, or I might have to give back the one star I earned 2 days ago!

***

Christian4HIM-- Don't give up, just take it slow and easy! Babysteps, chickie!

TBJ-- LOL@vader! Jujitsu sounds so cool. Though I do get this image in my head of an old Monty Python sketch. I keep hearing Eric Idle asking "What if they have pointed sticks?"

Jennifer-- The house looks great! Congrats on the raise!

Jessica-- Welcome back! We missed ya! Fantastic job with the size drop!

Elisha-- I'm with you on the need more sleep thing. This morning was a doozy of an oversleep.

Becky-- Welcome! You'll find lots of great support here. :)

Joy-- Great job with keeping the food curfew! I'm proud of you for only eating half the fries. I would have finished mine and started on DH's. Trigger food, ya'know.

Julie-- Would covering up the chocolates help? Out of sight out of mind? Your calorie count is still impressive.

MsRD-- 1000 calories is kinda low. It's more important to get enough to eat in a day than to keep curfew. Your body really is letting you know that.

Lisa-- Way to go, exercising even when you didn't feel like it! Your body is all the better for it!

[JoyG56]

Hi everyone :wave:

Just a quick check in ... we've finished the first three season 2 24 discs .... so tomorrow night is a night off ... but I have a "Weekender" party to go to. Probably can look forward to the end of season 2 on the weekend. :lol:

Wanted to let you all know that I'm committing to 300 minutes of exercise next week. That's 60 minutes a day for five days during the week, which will be my focus for next week (along with the not eating after 8pm). That's my challenge... who else is in?

:yawn: goodnight.
Joy

[miss_elisha]

Morning ladies!

Jessica: Good to see you back! We haven’t officially picked a date yet, but seeing as how I’ve learned that I know someone getting married *every single weekend* in September this year, it’ll probably be some other time. Steve agreed to come to a decision with me this weekend. As for the house, we’ve found a new one and got it under contract, this one on East side, on Maryland Ave, only about a block from the Subway. I actually like this one better. I’ve got some pictures I hope to post sometime today, and I’ll post the link when I get them up.

MsRD: If I keep my calories that low, I’m always hungry in the evening. I need more food than that! Your body could be telling you to eat more, it’s perfectly reasonable. And my rule is, “If my stomach is growling, I’m allowed to eat.” No matter what my current intake level, no matter what time. If I’m actually physically hungry, I can eat something. My motto: Listen to your body; it knows what it needs. Our bodies WANT to be healthy. Honest they do. OK, so maybe not our taste buds, but if we’re eating tasty but unhealthy junk all the time, sooner or later we’ll get sick of it and start craving something healthy. Really.

OK… so I got my ring back last night. Wasn’t expecting it, so it was a pleasant surprise. I think they do that on purpose, tell you it will be back on Saturday when it will actually be there Thursday, so then it’s a big deal and everyone’s happy. Better than telling you it will be there Thursday and not actually getting it until Saturday. :D

I’m building a cheesy wedding blog, well, I got it basically set up yesterday. I have some pictures of my ring that I’ll post today, and I’ll come back and give you the link when I’ve got it up and running.

I’ll do the same with my house. I’m going to put up a separate photo album for that, but I seriously doubt I’ll do a house blog. At least, not until we get into remodeling projects, at which case I might post a blog with the pictures, just because I’m a big dork.

Well, diet. Hmm… I said I wanted to up my calories a bit yesterday, and I sure did. My best friend called me and needed some emotional support (she’s one of those melodramatic types where every little thing is a major event and she’s stressed all the time—but she’s very amusing about it, and even lighthearted, if that makes any sense, so I don’t really mind) and offered to buy me dinner. Now, she’s also my skinny, pretty, buxom friend—you know, the one who can eat whatever she wants and never gain an ounce. So she bought me Long John Silvers. Have you ever noticed that there is *nothing* healthy to eat at LJS? (Shrimp don’t count, because I don’t eat them. Bleck!) And then as the evening rolled on, I had missed my exercise session, and I cut things off so I could get home around 9. As it turned out, I got home around 8 (I really need to learn to tell time!). So I got in 45 minutes on the elliptical, and that is a good thing. Calories ended up coming in around 1789 yesterday, and I got in 116 oz. of water, so it wasn’t too bad.

Today, however, I feel is going to be a bad day. My weight is back up to 217.4, which is where I started on Monday (but I know it’s from ToM and all the salt and grease last night), I had a rather unhealthy potato sandwich for breakfast, and I’ve got a wicked craving for a big greasy, cheesy pizza.

But, I will not give in. At least not today. Perhaps I will work in some frozen pizza over the weekend.

Tonight the same best friend and I are going to the local bridal shop to play dress up. (We have a good friend that works there, so it’s all good.) I’m going to try on a few different styles to see what looks good on me.

We will also be eating out tonight. I will get either a salad or a grilled chicken sandwich, depending on where we go. I need to have a talk with her tonight about supporting me in my weight loss efforts.

Lunch will be good though. :)

Today is my scheduled day off from exercise, which is a good thing, since I’ll be at the bridal shop for a while, then running around town showing all of my friends my shiny new ring.

And my minutes goal for our exercise challenge is 285 minutes. When do we start?

OK, I have some work I have to get done this morning, and then I’ll post pictures and give you the link the afternoon. Have a good day, chicks!

~Elisha

[miss_elisha]

OK, so here's the link to pictures of my ring, and also a few pictures of dresses I like. The ring pictures are of poor quality, but you get the idea. The camera had a hard time focusing on the ring, which probably means I'm not using the right setting. I'll figure out the camera eventually.

http://misselishab.tripod.com/wedding_related/

And here's a link to the very generic wedding blog I set up. Not much there yet, as there's not much going on yet. But I'll get to it.

http://misselishab.tripod.com/wedding/

And then there's my personal blog, which is very rarely updated. Weight loss stuff. When I get some more progress photos taken I intend to have those posted there, and the blog generally focuses on weight loss. Also, when I figure out how, I'll add in my tracking sheets and charts and so forth.

http://misselishab.tripod.com/blog/

I haven't done the house pics yet, but I'll probably post those later.

~Elisha

[**Jennifer**]

Hey chickies! Happy Friday! :) I think I might be climbing to the top of the pile of "crap" dumped onto my desk earlier this week with what I am now calling the Great Exodus. Down to just a few more issues to make heads or tails of, and by early next week, I should have things under control, and a lot less stress. Today was a Zone bar for breakfast with diet coke, and a lean cheeseburger for lunch. I nuked the sucker to get as much fat out of it as possible, then dried the sucker off. Again, just making the best choices available, and not throwing my hands in the air and saying to heck with it.

I'll be missing tonight, and tomorrow, since we're going up to the new house to do some more cleaning/preparing/ hanging of blinds, cleaning of tiles and bathrooms. I'll be back on Sunday (at least back to internet connection) so everyone, have a great weekend, and eat right, and exercise.... ;)

[thincruiser]

Hi again! a little more about me. Im currently living in Japan with my husband and dog, Shadow. I'm a preschool teacher so i basically am exhauted when i get home but need to change that urge to nap into the urge to go to the gym. I will say this week i have a had a lot more enery! I began Atkins on Tuesday and so far things are going well. Im trying to stay low carb, drink tons of water and hit the gym. My dog always nudges me out the door for a walk so that is a good thing!!

Im going on a cruise in Feb. and my sister is getting married this summer so there is a lot to look forward too and many reasons to look good. Support is what I need and I really need a place to post goals for myself so i think this will be great. hope to get to know you all better!

becky

[TBJ333]

Just checking in to say that yesterday was a green day. Today's food is all planned out -- planning everything really works. Who'da thunkit? :p

[Betani]

I was just sitting down to write this post, when it occurred to me that I didn't walk yet tonight. Instead of reminding myself to do it after I logged off, I got right up from the chair, grabbed my coat and walked out the door. 30 minutes later, I'm glad I did it.

As long as I don't go of schedule with my snack tonight, I may just get a star today. I also did my library laps at lunch for 15 minutes, and eating has been on schedule so far with few questionable foods. As long as I don't screw up tonight, I'll put a shiny blue star on the calander. :)

Motivation was somewhat hard to come by today, as I had to document lots and lots of problems dealing with the Vendor From Hell today. Pretend you sold books to libraries. Now, I order a book from you, and for whatever reason (out of stock, out of print, whatever), you turned around and had to cancel it. If a copy turned up months later, would you send it and bill me anyway, after you told me it had been cancelled and we removed the record from our system and released the money back to the branch that wanted it? I didn't think so. I now have a filing cabinet to store documentation of this happening all over the place, even after repeated complaints from us telling them to stop it. It's all I can do to keep my cool sometimes. It's enough to drive a person to cookies!

***

TBJ-- Huzzah for green days! Planning does make an incredible difference. I'm amazed at how well my meal/snack scheduling had been doing.

Becky-- Sounds like things are starting out well for you. Glad to have you with us! Where will you be cruising?

Jennifer-- I've heard the view from the top of Mt. Crap is spectacular ;) Glad you're getting through it all.

Elisha-- There is ONE healthy item at LJS, and I'm not even sure if all restaurants have it. The baked cod dinner is good for you, as long as you don't eat the cole slaw and pups. Other than that, yeah. LJS is trans fat central.

Joy-- :lol: DH and I had a "Lost" marathon when that came out on DVD. The entire season in one weekend. Definate overdose!

[MsRD]

Hello All! :wave:

I went to the doctors this afternoon.....and weighed in 2 pounds LESS than last week! WOOHOO! I am on the way......

Lisa....You sounds like one busy lady! Shopping is more fun when you can find bargains! A friend and I love to do the outlet malls.....and we are waaayyy overdue for a trip!

Julie....Losing posts is so frustrating! I generally come in here, read all the messages, and then logon and post......and even then I do the copy/paste thing before I hit the button!

Betani.....Sorry about the stressful day. your system sounds like it is creating more problems and solving them.....guess that would drive anyone to pizza!

Joy.....300 minutes exercise! Wow! What kinda of exercise do you do......aerobic, cardio, combination?

Elisha.....Wedding dress shopping is going to be such fun! I'm sure your friend doesn't realize how difficult this weight management can be.....and I am sure she will be glad to help you, if you only tell her how!

Jennifer.....You have really accomplished a lot just in cleaning off your desk! Even though it was a lot of work, it will be less stress for you in the long run.

Becky.....You said you were 'currently' living in Japan......which makes it sounds like you have lived other places as well? Are you originally from Japan....or living there for a short while? When I come home tired or stressed, I find the best thing is to get some exercise.....gets the blood pumping and actually makes me feel better!

My office mate treated us all to muffins this morning.....those oversized blueberry muffins from the bakery. It was delicious.....but blew a hole in my calories today. I tallied it up and it came to 1500! BUT, with those added calories, I really don't feel hungry tonight, so that proves I was cutting back too far and will make some adjustments next week.
Have a great weekend!

[JoyG56]

Hey everybody :wave:

I'm exhausted tonight... cancelled from the Weekender party. My daughter's gas got turned off today.... she's depressed ... I'm depressed cuz I can't really help her... DH is making her wait and see... I guess I'm stressed and sad. Had a nanaimo bar and a smirnoff ice cooler... but they really didn't make me feel better. I'm determined not to eat after 8pm tho.

Exercise was a no-go today.... I better get that motivation up for next week. I'm not going to make it look like I bit off more than I could chew ... I'm going to do it.

Anyways, enough for tonight,

I'll be back to comment tomorrow.

Hugs,
Joy

[hikein2005]

Morning chickies...
I've really got to get going today, but wanted to quick check in and post to you all about my day yesterday and to tell you that today is going to be productive...and leave a few comments!

OK...yesterday was pretty good, food wise, but there was no exercise involved unfortunately...:( Next week, I promise this will be a priority. My plan is to get my butt up at 6:00 every day and exercise, which means I have to get to bed earlier! I need my 8 hours of sleep every night!

Food came in around 1485 and that's with 2 of my Homemade SF Latte's and a glass of wine last night, so I would say I did pretty good! :)

Water was good! :) I drank around 70 oz. I'd like to see that increase a little, but it seems about what I am averaging without thirst, so maybe that's what my body needs!

Joy...I'm sorry about your daughter's gas problem. It's amazing how we make our children's problems our problems, isn't it. It's that unconditional love! But it can certainly add stress to our lives! I'll keep you in my prayers, chickie! :hug: I'm with you next week with the exercise. Let's make it a priority...no matter what!

MsRD...Those darned office mates! :devil: I guess we also know how to say "No thank you" don't we? LOL! But it's so much easier to place blame on everyone else around us, isn't it? ;) I'm guilty! :o And great job on the weight loss...you really are doing great! And yes...add some more calories...1000 isn't enough, that's for sure! You will still lose at around 1500 and your body will behave better, too! :)

Betani...Hope you got your star yesterday! You certainly deserved it with that kind of dedication to your exercise! Great job! :cp:

TBJ...Way to go on the green day! Of course planning works...now if I could just follow my own advice! ;)

Becky...Wow...you told us alot about yourself in just two small paragraphs! Preschool teacher in Japan...how fun, but I understand about the energy thing at the end of the day! And what kind of dog do you have...we have lots of dog lovers in this group! And a cruise in February...WOW! Where are you cruising to? That's something I have never done, but want to do! And...do you speak Japanese?

Jennifer...Hope you are having a good weekend and getting lots done in your new house! I'm getting excited for you to move in!!! :D We'll catch up with you on Sunday!

Elisha...So much going on in your life chickie! Remember we are here for you! And like MsRD said...remember to let your friends know that you really do struggle with this weight issue. They will help you if you tell them HOW! I checked out your blogs and your taste in dresses is so "elegant"! And your ring is so pretty! You nails look so nice, too! Thanks for sharing those things with us!

That's about all I have this morning! I need to get a lot done today! House cleaning is at the top of my list and I will at least get some stretching/toning done and maybe a bike ride if there is time! The weather here really is DRAB...I am in need of something sunny to help lift my spirits! I know exercise should do it! :sunny:

Have a great weekend all!

[lisa girl]

Hi everybody! This Sat. is going fast already! I can not believe it..I have the evening to myself. DH is taking the kids to a hockey game, and I will have some ME time. Hmmm...what to do??? I was thinking p.j.'s and a good book, but I actually may go do some more shopping (I still have Christmas money!). I literally had, before my last shopping trip, only a couple of pairs of jeans that fit, and nothing to wear to church. Everyone gave me money for Christmas, and it is fun spending it. This may sound awful to you..but we have a terrific Goodwill center here in our county, and it's one of my favorite places to shop. I find the best stuff ever in there! Gap jeans, etc! I get the best bargains ever! Anyway..I am rambling.

Last night, we went out to eat, and I had a hamburger and fries, and so I came home and rode 47 min. on the exercise bike! I felt good about it. I weighed a bit early, and I have lost 3 pounds this week. Water weight, yes, but still encouraging.

Julie- Hi! I'm going to try getting up early to exercise next week too. I hate exercising at 6 a.m...I would rather do it at 11 p.m. I know that sounds crazy. But, I am going to try it again, anyway. I need to get more rest. Hope you have a great day cleaning :)!

Joy- Sweetie, here is a big (((HUG))) for you. I’m thinking of you. Life gets so crazy and tough sometimes, it really really does.

Ms.RD- I love the outlet malls! Can I come up and go with you?? LOL :)! And, I absolutely LOVE blueberry muffins..those sounded divine! Great job on the 2 pounds down..girl, you are ON YOUR WAY.

Betani- Good job on getting your walk in without waiting! WTG! And, I am sorry to hear things are so stressful at work..maybe next week will be better. Here’s a (((HUG))) for you too :).

TBJ- Oh, I wish I could do better with my planning! You are an inspiration to me. Good job!

Becky – Hi, and WELCOME! I know firsthand how those preschoolers can wear you out. I am a teacher, and I work some at my son’s preschool. It’s good to have you on the challenge :).

Jennifer- Got a big weekend at the house, huh? Cleaning must be so much more fun when cleaning a nice, new house :). Hope your weekend is great!

Elisha- I agree with Julie..I really enjoyed looking at the pictures :). Thanks for sharing.

Well, I'm off to work on laundry. Have a blessed day, everyone!

[TBJ333]

G'morning chicas.

Yesterday was another green day. I baked cookies, and limited myself to one. The cookies didn't turn out cookbook-beautifully, but they sure taste good. Hopefully I can continue to limit myself to one. ;)

Jujitsu was stickfighting again. I learned a way to knock a knife out of someone's hand. And... cartwheels are kind of fun... on the right side, that is. :p On the left side, I look like I'm crawling out of a bean bag.

Excersise challenge starting Monday: um, 540 minutes. Heh heh. That's three classes of jujitsu and four bike rides.

***

Betani -- Good work on the walk. :)

MsRD -- Wohoooooo on the weight loss! :D Everybody's different, but fwiw, 1500 calories/day lets me lose at least a pound a week. The problem is sticking to the plan... :p

Joy -- :grouphug: Sorry to hear that you're depressed right now. :(

Elisha -- I saw your blog. You are definitely the Mistress of the Manicure. :p Nice ring.

Lisa -- Ooo, new jeans shopping. That's always motivation. ;) Have fun!

Becky -- :welcome:

***

Today I'll study for the bar, go to the beach, and visit the animals. Got to balance bar review with relaxation. ;)

[MsRD]

Happy Saturday! :)

Just added up the calories for today.....about 1300! And, I might add, that is lunch and dinner out......good calories, but the food was not particularly good choices.....too much fat, too much salt (which will probably be reflected in my fat little ankles and on the scale........gotta gurgle lots of water in the next day or so to flush it thru!)

Joy.....I am so sorry to hear of DD and her problems......and I totally understand your stress in that area (once a mother, always a mother....you just can't turn it off). I am glad, however, to hear your positive attitude coming thru on the diet front.....this stress is NOT going to drive you to eat or not exercise! Stay strong!

Julie....Your food count was good.....water was awesome.....exercise was......well, shall we just say the two of us need to join the exercise challenge for next week? We have now had a record 15 cloudy days in a row with no sunshine....it really does affect my mood!

Lisa......WTG on the 'me' time! Enjoy! and Spoil yourself a little! Hey, there is nothing wrong with Goodwill......DD shopped there in high school to get sweaters to wear skiing (she wasn't about to ruin an expensive sweater, tumbling...oops, I mean skiing....down the slopes!)

TBJ.....Step away from the cookies.....you want to keep this day green, don't you? Yes, i am feeling better having a few more calories in the day! It helps curb the cravings!

Oops....gotta run....

[thincruiser]

Julie--the cruise is taking me to belize, cozumel, grand cayman and costa maya. Im very excited and hope that I can reach ten solid pounds lost by the end of Feb! As far as speaking Japanese--VERY little just enough to get by!
TBJ333-thanks for the welcome!

yesterday I did well went to the gym walked my lab, Shadow and drank lots of water. Today I plan on hitting the gym and walking the dog later!

How is everyone's weekend treating them?

[thincruiser]

Julie--the cruise is taking me to belize, cozumel, grand cayman and costa maya. Im very excited and hope that I can reach ten solid pounds lost by the end of Feb! As far as speaking Japanese--VERY little just enough to get by!
TBJ333-thanks for the welcome!

yesterday I did well went to the gym walked my lab, Shadow and drank lots of water. Today I plan on hitting the gym and walking the dog later!

How is everyone's weekend treating them?

[miss_elisha]

Evening chicks!

This will be a quick post from me, as I have to go exercise NOW before I talk myself out of it!

Food yesterday was ok. Calories were rather high--around 1850, I think--because I gave in to some Belgian chocolate last night. But even though the rest of the day was still slightly over in calories, I made decent choices, so I'm not too upset about it.

This morning I was back down to 216.0. Tomorrow though... I don't want to know.

Today's calories are at 1655, which is a little high, but I don't plan to eat anything else, and like I said I'm about to work out.

When my friend and I got to the bridal shop last night, they had already closed (that girl takes so freaking long to do *anything*!), so Mom went with me today. I tried on a few, but didn't really find anything I liked. But she did take some pictures. Let's just say I'll NOT be posting them anywhere. Not only does my mother not really know how to use a camera or compose a photograph, but they really show every pound I have to lose, plus a few more for good measure. So yeah, I'm exercising my butt off!

OH, and we actually picked a date--October 14. Mark your calendars, chicks, because it's not changing again! And we're working on guest lists, so we should have an approximate count by the end of the week.

So tomorrow I'm going to get up early to exercise, then going to spend the day with my grandma (she hasn't seen my ring yet, you know), and then going bowling tomorrow evening. I'll have to chug lots of water and eat healthy stuff, because Monday counts as my "official" weigh-in. But I know Grandma will encourage me, so it's all good.

OK, now I'm going to go climb on the elliptical, and make use of the weight machine. Have a good weekend, chicks!
~Elisha

[Betani]

Wanna know a trick to stop eating? Put on mud mask. I got a huge breakout from the stress at work, and I can barely blink or open my mouth through the thick mint julep clay which hardens pretty quickly.

My food choices could have been better today, but I did stick to my schedule. I cut my walk slightly short, but I did get 25 minutes in, plus I did some wall push-ups, crunches, and squats. Today was pretty much Flylady day, with a shiny sink, 3 completed loads of laundry, and 4 cleared "hot spots" to show for it.

***

Elisha-- October 14, cool! My anniversary is October 17. We did the Sweetest Day thing. Have fun exercising!

Becky-- I've been seeing lots of magazine articles that say people with dogs will have an easier time losing weight, playing with them, walking them, etc. Sounds like a fun way to go about it!

MsRD-- Salt is the bane of my existance sometimes. I'd need a keg of water to flush it through if I could eat as much as I wanted!

TBJ-- You can eat just one cookie! WOW!! Great job :)

Lisa-- Congratulations on the loss! Even water loss is encouraging. Have fun shopping. Having clothes that fit is a great motivator!

Julie-- Get up and get exercising, chickie! That combined with your good calorie counts will make those pounds fly off!

Joy-- *HUGS* That helpless feeling when you want to help someone like that can really zap you. You're in my prayers!

[thincruiser]

elisha--- how exciting . congrats on picking a date! We just celebrated our
1st anniversary on August 28th. My sister is getting married in July so im still in wedding-mode if I can be of any help.......as far as dresses...you'll know it as soon as you put it on!:)


So far my sunday as been great--- walked Shadow and went to the gym. had a salad for lunch and Im over half way to my goal of 64 oz of water for the day.

My goal for this week though is to cut out the diet soda! I swear they make me hungrier!

[TBJ333]

Hi everyone!

Becky -- Sounds like your Sunday is going fabulously. :) What workouts do you most enjoy at the gym?

Betani -- :lol3: about the mud mask. :p Did it work?