***Breathe a Little Easier Challenge***

[hikein2005]

Ok gang (and anyone else who might want to join in)...
It's a new month. The month of May. Which is also "Clean Air Month"! So...what a better way to get this challenge going than to challenge ALL of you to breathing easier this month! Of course this involves exercise...what did you think???;)

First of all...pick an exercise that you enjoy (walking, biking, aerobics, WATP, etc.) Just figure out how many minutes you think you might do them during the week. (We will break this down into weeks) and then post that. For each following week, try to increase your previous week's minutes with more minutes or intesity (or both) by any amount. Based on that, figure out how many minutes you will exercise the whole month of May and post that.

As an example, this week I will exercise 130 minutes. (week 1)
(Week 2) 145 minutes
(Week 3) 150 minutes
(Week 4) 160 minutes
(Week 5 is only 4 days, so I will probably only get in 2 days of exercise) 90 minutes (which is still increased because I upped it to 45 minutes each session)

By the end of the month, I should have in 675 minutes of exercise. That's 11.25 HOURS of exercise! What would I be doing with those hours if I'm not exercising and trying to breathe a little easier??? Something to consider.

If you'd post your weekly/monthly exercise minutes each week, I can try to do a tally based on who is participating in the challenge.

BREATHING EASIER also includes having pants fit a little loser, doesn't it? Which might include some of our eating habits...SO, if you want to join me to not only get our metabolism boosted with exercise, but also to start making healthier choices with food, then let's start that today as well!!!!

I'm joining Weight Watchers on Tuesday!!!! I know that for me, posting my food journal is just part of the deal. So, I am going to try to post my "menu" here each day as well as my "real" food eaten. If you'd like to join me with the food challenge, I'd love the support. Elisha...I know you already do that, so that will be fun to join you with that! If anyone has another idea for the food/weight loss, then I'd love to have you share. I just know that for me...

"breathing easier" is so much easier when done with friends!

[ArtsyGirl]

I would like to joing you in this. I am having a bad day and not really in the mood for explaining what all has happened today, but I've been looking for a place to keep me accountable for my exercise. I hope you don't mind me jumping in. I am aiming to get 3150 minutes of exercise during May. I want to spread this out evenly instead of increasing each week as I am starting to aim at maintaining weight instead of losing. (Plus I can't go much over the daily amount of time I'm at now.) Thanks for giving me a place to come post my progress.

[JoyG56]

Hey Julie... I'm copying you... because it's easier that way and besides if you can do it ... I can do it! :o

(Week 1 )130 minutes
(Week 2) 145 minutes
(Week 3) 150 minutes
(Week 4) 160 minutes
(Week 5) 90 minutes
I intend to do some walking... but given the time of year some exercise must come in the form of lawn mowing and yard work... otherwise I'd have NO time to register. I'd like to start WATP again a few times a week too ... So, I guess I'll be - what they call = cross training. :lol:

I will weigh in and measure tomorrow morning .. it won't be pretty and it won't be rewarding... but I do need to start being accountable.

The other day I decided that I'm going to begin to challenge myself to do things that I fear or I have trouble with rather than quitting or demeaning myself.... first thing I challenged myself to do was.... I was driving the truck which is a standard to work (the van is an auto and I usually drive it) and I usually go a particular route to work... but when I drive the truck I get nervous (panicky type) about a small hill with a light and so I drive 2-3 miles out of my way..... Well Friday I just said I'm going to face the hill and not be afraid and I did.. and it was NO PROBLEM.

Sorry... bit of a tangent, but I'm hoping that this new attitude will give me some empowerment and self esteem. I know I have all the knowledge and all the tools to do this ... I'm just missing the believing in yourself part. I am going to challenge myself to find out why I don't allow myself to loose the weight and be successful in this next month before my 50th birthday.... I have said for two years that I want to be to goal by now and still I am at my heaviest.

Too many truths for tonight... :cry:

FIll in the rest tomorrow.
Joy

[hikein2005]

OK all you sleepy heads...time to rise and shine!!! :D

I'm glad we have found Joy again!! Sure seemed empty and lonely around here without her! Maybe we can find a few others who have wandered from the fold! :^:

Joy...We are here for you! Whatever you need. You KNOW you can do anything you set your mind to and we can do this together. My goals are lofty, but I am feeling good about it right now. I really really need to do this! My 45th birthday is in July and it would just feel nice to be down to a decent (not goal) weight by then! My whole body has changed since I have gained back the weight...I bump into things now with my butt! :o My back hurts more, I have less energy, etc...So...this is it for both of us! Let's just DO IT!!!!

Artsygirl...We're glad to have you! Sorry about the really bad day. Feel free to find this place a good place to vent! Yea for you on being able to maintain your loss! May I ask how much you lost and how you did it?

OK...gotta go get ready for my day. I'm feeling like it's going to be a whirlwind! Oh boy.........

[ArtsyGirl]

Good morning ladies-I'm sorry about starting with such a bad introduction yesterday. I had my truck window smashed in and my purse stolen yesterday. It happened in my church parking lot and of course no one saw/heard anything. I didn't lose a huge amount of cash and got all the cards cancelled right away, but I have been going through a lot of bad emotions and feel very violated.

Well, I'll try to let ya know a bit about me. I am a piano teacher/church organist/glass artist/jewelry maker. My degrees are in music, but I've been doing more with art in the last few years. I am blessed that I usually enjoy all of my jobs. I will be 33 on Wednesday. I'm married (10 years in Nov.) and have 2 dogs-no kids. I've lost around 40 pounds since January by watching portion sizes and doing LOTS of cardio (usually 2 hours a day). I've just in the last week made the decision to switch to maintenance so I'm working at adjusting everything just a bit. It is scary because I KNOW how to lose, and of course I know how to gain, but I'm not sure exactly where the fine line of maintenance lies.

My exercise goals for the month are:
WEEK 1: 700 minutes
WEEK 2: 700 minutes
WEEK 3: 700 minutes
WEEK 4: 700 minutes
WEEK 5: 350 minutes
most of my workouts will be walking, spinning, kickboxing, running or softball

Joy-Isn't it great when we challenge ourselves and try something we're uncomfortable with and realize we can do more than we thought?! Glad you had sucess with the truck and I wish you the best as you work to bring that challenge into the personal realm.

Julie-thanks for the welcome. I so understand about your entire body changing with weight gain. I used to need to take an afternoon nap because I lacked energy all the time. I also used to knock into things all the time and then I felt so ashamed of myself.

I've done a 4 mile walk in the misting rain this morning and it helped calm me and start my day off right. I want to do a kickboxing workout in a bit, but I am very stiff today and not sure if I'll do it or not.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all. Have a great day

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

Brandy: :welcome2: It’s always good to add a new face to the group! You’ve done a wonderful job so far! Such an encouragement for the rest of us! I’m sure you will figure out maintenance. And once you do, could you please let us all know for when we make it there? :lol:

Julie: Posting my menu helps me stay on track. Yeah, I log my food in my DietPower every day, but no one sees that but me, and it’s not going to yell at me if I eat a cheeseburger instead of a salad. Posting helps with accountability.

And just for the record, any time anyone wants to comment on my food intake or make suggestions or ask questions, please do! This “learning to eat healthy” is an ongoing process, and I will take all the advice I can get.

Joy: Good to see you again! :wave: Yard work definitely counts as exercise! I will get getting some of that in too, now that I have a yard to take care of. I might actually plant something! :lol: I understand completely about challenging yourself though, and I think it’s a wonderful idea. I don’t avoid roads because of a standard (I drive a standard, and in WV there is NO way to avoid hills), but I do avoid roads I’m not familiar with, even if it takes longer.

OK, so, goals for this month:

Week 1: 210
Week 2: 225
Week 3: 240
Week 4: 255
Week 5: 160
Lose 6 pounds—I want to get to or below 210 by my birthday (29th)

I’ve been slacking off a bit with exercise for the past week, and now I’m feeling guilty, so as of today it’s back to it! I got up this morning, weighed in (216.0—down 1.2 this week!), and measured (everything’s about the same), then took Ella for a quick 13-minute walk. I’ll do my Yourself!Fitness after work tonight. No exercise Friday (day off), Saturday was a 30-minute walk with Steve and Ella, last night was bowling and weights and stretches. No cardio yesterday, because I was busy from 7:30am on, but then I felt guilty about slacking and did my weights and stretches while watching Big Love.
Also, I need to drink lots of water today. I tried to be conscious of it over the weekend, but that didn’t work so well. So I’ll be chugging it today.

Food this weekend was ok. Friday night Steve’s parents took us to Pizzaria Uno, and I really wanted a big, cheesy, deep dish pizza, but I was good—I had salmon, roasted veggies, and a tiny bit of cole slaw. Yay me for making better choices! Saturday and Sunday I didn’t eat the healthiest foods, but I ended up having a big breakfast, no lunch, and a reasonable dinner both days, and calories came in at a decent range.
I didn’t get enough sleep this weekend though (surprise surprise, eh?). Friday night I was up until around 3:30. A couple of Steve’s best friends have a band—a very good band, actually—and they’re splitting up, and Friday was their farewell concert. It was sad. I’ve gone to all of their home concerts for the past 6-7 years. Lots of memories. They do a cover of the Muppets’ goodbye song at the end of their shows, and the entire band and at least half of the audience was in tears by the time they finished. It was sad.
So anyway, I was up way late, and the rest of the weekend was busy too. My goal tonight is to get to bed as early as possible.
But I did get a lot done this weekend, so it’s all good. We did our wedding registry (or at least 1 of them, there’s at least 1 more we’ll do) and went over a bunch of other wedding stuff with my mom and maid of honor. I got all my laundry done and some meals cooked for the week. We got new curtains for the bedroom and put them up (finally figured out a decorating scheme). And we figured out a few next steps that we want to get done around the house. So a rather productive weekend.

OK, menu for today:
Breakfast:
2 c. coffee w/FF vanilla creamer
½ banana frittata w/pecans and light syrup
This was soooo yummy! I got the recipe from AllRecipes (just search for “banana frittata”) and altered it a bit to make it even healthier (use my LF vanilla soy milk, egg substitute, and no oil). I thought it would be weird, because it’s something like a banana omelet, but it tastes more like a banana pancake. Yum yum yum.

Lunch:
Whole wheat penne w/LF Bearnaise
Sautéed squash, peppers, and onions
Tuna

Snack:
LF Yogurt

Dinner:
Spaghetti Bolognese
Salad
Probably a piece of toast (because I can’t have spaghetti without some form of bread)

OK, I’ve got to get cracking. Have a good day, chickies!
~Elisha

[DewCan]

Hi
I'm hoping I can join you ladies, I'm a SAHM with 2 boys, one is almost 3 and the other is 4 months. I'm going to think about how much I'm going ot walk and then I'll get back to you. As I'm having a busy day today.

[buckneram]

I'm totally in. I need something to "challenge" me to exercise more. I didn't work out at all last week because I was so busy. My goals are:
Week 1: 120 minutes
Week 2: 130 minutes
Week 3: 140 minutes
Week 4: 150 minutes
Week 5: 120 mintues
Total Minutes: 660 minutes
Total hours: 11
I think I'm going to be doing aerobics and walking. I am so excited to start again this week! Lots of slimfast and salads and healthy dinners too!
Brandy-nice to see you here!!!

[DewCan]

Hi
I'm back and have a bit of time now. Had to take my baby in for pics. Was only 4 min late, not bad.
okay:
week 1: 240
week 2:300
week 3:360
week 4: 420
week 5: 180
total: 1500
my only sticker will be if it rains
I hope to lose 11 popund this month, I know that's a lot, but I'll try. Rhat's my mini goal, to reach prepregnancy weight :bb:
Maybe I should go get started as I'm being very ambitious :D

[**Jennifer**]

I'm in! I have got to start moving this body...I am already feeling the effects from this weekend, just schlepping & dealing with everything in the new house. Arrrgh.

Hubby's office is up & running, but we did have to take my computer down to make it happen. I'll catch everyone up in the morning, and that gives me time to come up with my goals and plans.

Happy May, chickies, and a big Welcome to all the new faces!

[MsRD]

Happy First of May!

It sounds like we are all off to a very enthusiastic start! I made some good food choices today.....totalling 1300 calories!......and have already done 30 minutes of WATP (Obviously I have been away from exercise a little too long, as it took me the first mile just to get the muscles warmed up!)

Julie.....Thank you so much for settting up this challenge! I really smiled when I saw the 'breathe easier' title.......I was out weeding the flowerbeds this past Saturday and found that bending and breathing at the same time was nearly impossible! This challenge is going to change that!

Brandy.....Welcome! Zounds.....what a great pic.....you look fabulous! You are going to be our Maintenance Trailblazer.....you get it figured out and we will all be right behind you! You are from Southeast Michigan? Julie and I are from the west side of the state!

Joy.....It is sooo nice to see you post again! WTG on facing.....and conquering....your fears! We can do this together!

Elisha....Wow....you really got a lot done this past weekend! Doesn't that give you a great sense of accomplishment!

Diane.....Welcome! You are going to love this group.....so supportive and encouraging! You want to lose 11 pounds this month?......that sounds like a lot, but I bet you can do it!

Angela.....Welcome! I know how hard it is to fit exercise into one's busy life! But you have to be good to yourself and schedule it in.....just like any other appointment!

Jennifer......Great to hear DH's office is up and running.....that sure smooths his life out. It will take some time to get totally settled into the new house.....just living in one place has got to simplify your life!

Today was incredibly hectic at work.....AR statements and assorted month end reports, insane and/or hysterical co workers, and a line of people outside the door who needed stuff done 'yesterday'. I think the most important stuff got done.....and the rest will be waiting for me tomorrow (is this what they call job security?)

[hikein2005]

OK...this is just for the first day accountability, but since I don't start Weight Watchers until tomorrow, does this really have to count?? LOL!!!

Exercise...20 minutes with DD after work...soccer in the yard...it was more like 30 minutes, but the hard part was more like 20!

Water...Not enough!

Food...
B-fast: 2 egg & turkey & cheese burritos with salsa wrapped in flour tortillas
Lunch: 1 slice cold veggie pizza, fruit & marshmallow fluff!
Supper: 1 serving leftover spaghetti (with meat sauce), 3/4 cup cooked broccolli & carrots with butter
Snack: one whole bag of microwave popcorn w/ cinnamon sugar sprinkled (I was very generous!)

I know this is going to come to a screeching halt after tomorrow's meeting at WW. I am excited, but a little nervous since it's been a long time since I did any "formal" meeting weight loss. I'm dreading weighin in because it could be much more than I "think"! I really need to stay accountable and stick with the "program". I'm such a rebel and so stubborn that I often set myself up for failure before I even start (like I have for the last....oh...year!) But nonetheless, I am excited and looking forward to starting this journey (again). I can envision my body where I want it to be and am suprised sometimes when I see myself in the mirror or in pictures...especially below the waist and above the knees! Makes me cringe!

I really don't like to be so negative, but lately I've really been feeling badly about myself and how far I've let this weight issue just get out of hand! It's disappointing! But hopefully I will see some success real soon! I'm hoping for at least 3# the first week, which means I will have to kick some serious butt this next week! Ya!

It's great to see some new faces and some lost sheep from the fold...:D Ihope we can really all stay motivated this month...until the END of the momth! HA!

Elisha...glad you had a loss this month. That's great! We are both going to kick serious butt this month, though! I'm going for 10# this month! Think I can do it??? That's a lot for me!

Jennifer...looking forward to hearing from you and having you join us this month. I'm so glad you are finally all moved! YEA!


To all the newbies...keep posting. I'll eventually comment, but I am getting heavy eyed right now and it won't make much sense!

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow! Wish me luck!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

:welcome: Diana and Angela! We’re glad to have you with us!

Yesterday was a good day. I don’t remember exactly where my calories came in, but they were in the 1600-1650 range, I do believe. Water was good, though I would have liked to get in another 10-20 oz. I got a soda on the way home and it lasted me all evening (I drank water during my workout). Food went as planned, except I had lasagna instead of spaghetti and skipped my afternoon yogurt. Exercise was a 13-minute walk with Ella in the morning and 30 minutes of Yourself!Fitness after work. And I really pushed myself during Y!F, so I got a great workout. But it felt good, and I felt good about it.

I did get to bed a little early, but then I laid there and watched Honey, We’re Killing the Kids on TLC. Have you seen that show? It’s pretty good. They take a family with bad eating habits and give them 3 weeks to change their ways. They show computer simulations of how the kids will look at 40 if they keep the same diet and exercise habit, and then at the end they show a new simulation of how they will look if they keep up the good habits. It’s interesting.

But anyway, I woke up at 5:15 this morning feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. I went back to sleep until 6, and feel a little better. Tonight I will do either 45 minutes of Y!F or 30 minutes Y!F and a walk with Ella.

Menu today:

Breakfast:
2 c. coffee w/FF vanilla creamer
½ banana frittata w/pecans and low-cal syrup

Lunch:
I have to go out to run some errands today, so I’m planning to get one of those Frescata sandwiches from Wendy’s. I’ll research it a bit and see which one will be the best choice, nutritionally. I’m not going to get any fries though, just the sandwich. Since I haven’t been eating fast food, the greasy fried stuff—especially fries—doesn’t sound remotely appetizing anymore. But I would like to try one of those sandwiches.

Snack:
LF yogurt

Dinner:
Sautéed squash and peppers
Whole wheat penne w/Bearnaise sauce
Maybe some salmon-dill cakes, depends on if I feel like cooking

OK, my co-worker is out today, so I’ve got lots to do. I should probably get started. Have a good day, chicks!
~Elisha

[lisa girl]

Hello to everyone...Julie, Jennifer, MsRD, Elisha, Joy! And, also, hello to everyone else that I don't already know......this is a terrific bunch of ladies for sure!

I just wanted to stop in for a moment. I have been MIA due to baseball, baseball, and more baseball. With 3 boys playing, each having 1 practice and 2 games/week, we are constantly on the road. But, all is well. I am learning a lot about the sport, as well as how to best get grass stains out of the baseball pants...LOL!!

Amazingly, I have met my weight loss goal...actually surpassed it by 2 pounds. I'm now at 138 pounds. I have a lot of toning to do though. Gaining 75 pounds with that last pregnancy really did a number on my body. Losing the weight has helped my back problems as well as my arthritis. I really want to keep the pounds off. I have been doing Weight Watchers here at home. For some reason, WW is the only program that works for me it seems!

I went back and read through some of the posts..it's good to be here in a familiar place :). I would love to join in this challenge...I need to get my exercise/toning routine started. You have always been so motivational to me!! I look forward to getting to know all the other new faces here too! I hope you all have a great day!!

[Betani]

Third time's a charm, right? Maybe this month I'll actually follow through!

Let's see... I know I can maintain 30 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, so I'll start with that as the base, and try to add 10 minutes of light strength training each week.

Week 1: 150 minutes
Week 2: 160 minutes
Week 3: 170 minutes
Week 4: 180 minutes

For a grand total of 660 minutes.

Ok, I'm getting side tracked. I'll post again when I can devote more attention.

[buckneram]

Good morning everyone. Had a real good day yesterday. Today is going to be even better! I'm going to do WATP 1 mile and start counting my calories. I need to so I know what I am eating. Also gotta clean downstairs. Sounds like everyone is doing great. Great job! Well, ttyl later. I'll post my results tonight!

[**Jennifer**]

:hug: Hey chickies!

Long time getting here today- many distractions, and had to cover the front desk from 1-2 for the receptionist's lunch. A free hour of reading the "Cathy" cartoon page-a-day calendar. ;)

Ok, after much mulling over, I kick started my food back into some semblance of order. breakfast was 2 cups of Capt. Crunch. Lunch was a small portion of baked ziti. 1 100-calorie pack of wheat thins for snack. Dinner tonight- haven't thought that far in advance. Water has been good, but I need to change my allocation. Used to be I'd try to get in 96oz before leaving work...well, that was fine with a 5 mile commute. Not so much anymore! With an hour ride, I can't be pulling over to the side of the turnpike for emergency potty breaks. last beverage consumption of the workday is 2:30, with me leaving at 4pm. Then when I get home, I will pour a large glass, and start working on that. And be within running distance of the potty! :^:

Exercise needs to be formalized soon- right now, with the unpacking, and the dealing with boxes, and soon, the clearing out of the old house & dumping of debris, clearing out storage, etc, I'll have a lot of strength training / cardio, but not if clearly defined workout periods. Once I get the VCR unpacked, and find my WATP videos & DVDs, then I can work on a more formal schedule. Basically, any extra movement counts, and I need to be doing it, pronto.

I had a nice surprise this morning. The scale has been sitting on the bathroom floor since I dragged it to the new house 2 weekends ago. When I stepped on it then, I was NOT a happy camper, and figured I'd start my counting over from that point, since I've been giving 5% effort for most of the last 12 months. Not proud of that at all. But, hard to make time for me, and put forth the effort to plan, and follow through. This morning, feeling achey, and sore, I stepped on the scale. With all the work in the house, I am down 11 pounds. :o Yes, the stress, the aggravation, sweating my butt off in a 95 degree garage/sauna- not the best way to lose weight, but heck, I can finally change my tracker! :carrot:

Um...other than that, it feels good to be focusing more on what I need to be doing. I'm starting to feel less tired. In another 20 pounds, I'll start to move easier. Then, as I build momentum, I'll fall back into a groove, where things just start working, and I want to eat better, and I want to exercise, and it is habit to work on my health, and doesn't feel so much like work. I need to get my head back into that place.

Ok, comments galore!

Julie- thank you for the May challenge. Hope your first day at WW goes well- come report in with all your news! :) You can do it, chickie!

Brandy- Welcome! 3150 minutes is darned impressive! You are definitely setting the pace, and inspiring us to move our tushes!

Joy- so glad to see you back! Congrats on overcoming your anxiety with the hill. Your success will start to spill over into other areas...and believe in yourself- I already know how amazing you are- time for you to see it, too.

Diana and Angela- welcome to the group!

Elisha- what colors did you decide on for your decor? And that show- I saw one where the older son was trying to run away on his bike, and his mother stopped him. I wanted to yell at her, let him go, and then drive after him- it's exercise!!! but then again, that's just me being snotty while laying around like a lump myself. ;)

MsRD- I know all to well your Leslie suffering. I'm thinking of leaving that box until last, when I come across it. Just tuck it into a dark corner of the garage & act like I didn't notice all that exercise stuff just languishing there ;) Ok, ok, I know, I've got to get back at it, but sometimes you just want to throttle her, don't you? If I hear one more time about Linda being a grandmother..... :dizzy:

Lisa- Congrats on being at goal, and surpassing it! We miss you! Come around and poke us & prod us- we need all that extra support, and you're just proof positive that it can be done. And with those 3 boys, if you can find time to do it, then I think we can all manage to find the time to spend on ourselves to make this happen. Love you, chica! :hug:

Betani- glad you're back at this, too. 3rd time better be the charm- I don't know how many times I can keep regaining this weight without getting more fed up.

I'm hitting the road- have a great night! :)

[DewCan]

Hi, thanks for the welcome, you're a friendly bunch :hug:

Jennifer, WOOHOO :carrot: :bravo: :cb: That is just fantastic, 11 pounds is lots. Almost as big as that baby of mine crying in the next room, (don't worry he's just starting to fuss a little). And he gets heavy after a while of lugging hijm around. That is no longer on your body!!! I really wish I could say the same for myself. Congrats on your new house. We just got a new one on Nov 30. None too early as we had a baby a month later.

MsRD, yes I know that 11 is a lot for one month. I'll set a much lower one for June, I just need a good kick start. You mentioned your coworkers, the insane ones are the ones I really don't miss since I've started with my kids. :bb:

Julie, I'm starting WW tomorrow as well. I already signed up on-line, so I ahve to go. Don't get me wrong, I want to go. I understand your disappointment with yourself as to how far the weight issue has gotten out of hand. It's something that amazes me everyday, and it makes me so sick. But I know that if I don't do anything about it right now, it will only get worse.

Elisha, I like that you plan your food a whole day ahead of time. I think that would be a good idea for me too. Especially once Is start WW. I've seen that show too. It opens my eyes too. :eek:

Lisa, congrats :woo: that's fantastic that you got there!!! I know all bout those baby pounds, I have 11 more to go myself.

Betani, interesting Johari thing, I might just do that.

Angela, doesn't it feel good to have a good day. It makes the next day a bit easier for some reason. A sense of accomplishment does a person good.

Hope I didn't miss anyone, if I did, I'm sorry.

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi everyone-Thanks for all the welcomes!

First of all exercise-I did a 70 minute walk yesterday and then a 50 minute TurboJam workout. Today did my 4 miles in 65 minutes. I am very sore so I skipped a second workout today (thats kinda unusual for me, but I'm worn down from stress and need to listen to my body.) I'll more than make up for it tomorrow. I am celebrating my birthday with TONS of activity (spin class, walking, and a softball game!) It is truly a great year to celebrate because a year ago I couldn't do half of what I'll do tomorrow!

Jennifer-:dancer: Congrats on your 11 pounds! Thats terrific. Sure sounds like you have been incredibly busy moving. I hope your life starts to return to normal soon. It looks like you've thought out a terrific plan to kick up your healthy lifestyle!

Angela-Glad to see you here! It sounds like this week is off to a terrific start! :carrot: Great job. I hope you figure out the calorie counting thing-that still baffles me to a certain extent.

Betani-good plan! What kind of exercise do you like to do?

Lisa-Congrats on meeting your goal! I hope you're enjoying all those games (even though I know with that many going on it gets overwhelming) My parents did it for me and my bro. and sis. from my 1st grade to my sis's graduation! On the plus side, it instilled a love of playing and both my sis and I play together on 2 recreation leagues now-good fun and exercise!

Miss elisha-what is yourself fitness? I'm always on the lookout for new workouts to mix into my routine.

hike-:hug: please try not to let that negativity get you down. I let it hold me down far longer than I should have. You are not a weak person for letting your weight get out of hand. You are strong and can take control-You being here proves that you're headed in the right direction. Remember that we all feel a lot of the same emotions no matter how much we have to lose on our journey.

MrsRD-Thanks for the compliment. I'm doing my best to figure the maintenance out, but at the moment I'm just guessing a bit. Gotta start somewhere and I think it's a bit different for everyone so I really need to play around a bit to feel like I know what to do for me.
Well, I'm off for the night. Hope you all have a wonderful evening.

[MsRD]

Hello all!

DH is taking a nap, so I will slip in here and do the puter thing. (Once he wakes up, I will have no excuse to not get on with the housecleaning!)

A quieter day today.....but got quite a bit done at work. Co-worker made lemon-poppyseed bread for us, so I indulged.....but the calories tallied up today at 1400, so still acceptable.

Julie.....Today is your day to join WW. Tell us how it went! Weighing in may be painful, but you have to have a starting point.

Elisha.....I am so glad you had a good day! Little Ella is getting you out every day for walks.....have you posted a pic of her yet?

Lisa.....Welcome back! I am so glad to see you again! Congratulations on exceeding your weight loss goal! It is good to have chickies here in different stages of this journey.....it gives me a totally different perspective (like maybe this is actually do-able!)

Betani.....You sure have a lot of exercise minutes....so I know you are going to be busy!

Angela.....I do WATP too! I generally do the 2-mile (30 minutes)......I have not exercised in the last 3 weeks, so it is like starting all over again! If you sit down and journal your food everyday, it helps to count those calories.....also to highlight if there are any nutritional problems too

Jennifer......Great job on losing those 11 lbs! Perhaps you have hit on a new weight loss program there....lifting and toting eleventy-four full packing boxes for your health!

Diana.....New House! New baby! You have had a busy year! And you are so right in joining WW now.....doing nothing about your weight is the worst thing you could do!

Brandy....Happy Birthday! And you got the best present ever.....a healthy new body!

Well.....Leslie.....and the vacuum cleaner await!

[hikein2005]

WW tonight and I am disappointed with my starting weight, but not shocked as I was pretty sure the extra 5# have crept on in the last month or so while I was feeling sorry for myself!!! Grrrr!!! 185!!!! I told my husband and he was shocked! He said "Weren't you down to 165 not that long ago??" Well...it was 2 years ago that I was at my lowest weight (in 20 years) of 165 (which I only stayed at for a few months), but I have gained the last 15 or so since last summer, and probably 10 of it since Fall!!! It just disgusts me, but there's no turning back. I just have to move forward and start getting a more positive attitude!

So...I'm a little in a funk with this new "system" of Weight watchers. I haven't been even counting calories, but the thought of counting points is a bit overwhelming for me! I know I will get the hang of it soon, though! I just feel very disorganized right now. I want to get a notebook and do my own spreadsheet, so I can plan my meals and count for them easier! I'll get it figured out, but....when??? LOL!!!

OK...well I won't go into my (food) today, but let's just say it was a last Hurrah! It could have been much, much worse, so all is not lost! I did work out this morning on the bike for 25 minutes, so I will add that and the 20 from last night to my totals! I'm going to get up tomorrow morning early and bike again! It felt good...AND (drum roll, please)...my foot doesn't hurt near as bad tonight! I've been stretching it again both in the morning before I get up and at night before I go to bed! That seems to be making a difference along with the workout! YEA!!!

Comments everyone!

Diana...Yea for you on your weight loss and the baby! So much work, I remember (mine is now 6.5 and into everything!!!) but so worth it!
Maybe we can tag team on the WW program. I'm doing the points system because I think it will just be easier for me at this time...I may switch down the road once I lose a bit, but I need that "flexibility" of being able to sneak a piece of chocolate in now and then! ;) My goal is to lose 5# this week! Did I just say that???? If I do, you will be hearing screams from this chickie! And then, my overall 10% goal is to be down 20# by my birthday in July!

Jennifer...Yea for you on losing those 11#!!! I am very proud of you!!! Now let's get cracking on the exercise! Where are your goals??? I'll be hounding you until I see them!


Brandy...Thanks for the feedback. I will try to improve this attitude I have right now. I'm not usually so negative (am I girls?) so this will definately change! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! :hug: You are a great inspiration for this "old" (in reference to those of us who have been with each other for a while, now) group! I'll be glad when one day I can say I'm doing even ONE hour of exercise several times weekly!

MsRD...Glad you are here! Post your anticipated minutes when you get a chance. It only keeps us accountable! Go you with the WATP!!! :carrot:

Lisa...Now there's a familiar face! :D So glad you are at your goal! That must feel wonderful! Hope you are staying healthy and keeping those boys out of trouble!!! You'll have to pop in whenever you have a free minute! We miss you!!!!

Betani...Yea...so glad you made it here! You will do just fine this month...and yes...3rd time's a charm!!! LOL!

Elisha...You are doing so good with your calories AND your exercise. I'll be suprised if the scale isn't good to you again this next week! How was that sandwich from Wendy's? They look good on the commercial!

Angela...Glad you are with us. It's always nice to have new "faces". Your goals look great! Looking forward to reading how your day went later!

I think I included everyone, but if not, it's not because I didn't try! ;) This post took forever to finish. I started around 7:30 and it's now almost 10!!! That's what happens, I guess!

So far we have a grand total of 8410 minutes or 140.16 hours of "pledged" exercise. May I just say how incredible that is with nine of us!!!!!! You chickies rock! But, we still don't have Jennifer or MsRD's totals yet! So that will be even more awesome!!!

So chickies...we are off to a grand start this month! Let's just keep up this mojo!!!! :D

[buckneram]

Well, I thought I was going to have a good day, but this afternoon I got hit with the flu. I have been throwing up all day and have a fever. I don't feel well at all. I am going to take it easy all night and tomorrow so I can recooperate. My bf had it so I must have caught it.
THANKS for the warm welcome everyone!

[ArtsyGirl]

Angela-:hug: Feel good soon!!!

My b-day is off to a great start. We did 4 miles in 65 minutes this morning. My truck window is fixed so I can get to spinning class later this morning for another hour of exercise, and softball tonight shouldn't get rained out!!!! Thanks for all the well wishes.

Hike-I love biking! Haven't been able to get out in a bit over a week, but love being out. I live kinda in the country so travel lots of dirt back roads to avoid the traffic problem. We don't have any really close trails to use unfortunatly. Good luck on the WW!

Have a great day everyone!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

Wow, what an active day this board had yesterday! It’s great to see all of you chicks here!

Comments first!

Brandy: Happy Birthday! :woo: Sounds like you’ve got an action-packed day planned. Yourself!Fitness is a virtual personal trainer I use on my computer (it’s also available on PlayStation and Xbox). The trainer, Maya, tests your fitness through a series of calisthenics at the beginning and after every 10 workouts, tracking your progress. She also asks during the workout if it was too hard, just right, or not hard enough so she can adjust the rest of the workout and future sessions to your fitness. You can check it out online (just google Yourself!Fitness), or you can get one of those Go Active meals from McDonalds in the next few weeks—they’re offering a 15-minute Y!F DVD with them, a different one each week. They’ll be a little different from the actual program, I’m sure, but they would most likely give you an idea of what to expect.

Angela: Hope you feel better soon! Make sure you drink lots of water to rehydrate your body!

Julie: You and I reached our lowest weight at about the same time, and we’ve been gaining those pounds back together for the past 2 years. Let’s take this opportunity to turn it around once and for all! You will get the hang of it soon and will be on your way to a thinner you! Good job on the exercise! And it’s great to hear your foot is finally feeling better—keep up that stretching! The Wendy’s sandwich was ok, pretty good for fast food, but I kept thinking that I could make something better at home with less calories. I guess that’s what I get for forbidding fast food! :lol:

MsRD: Did you go walk with Leslie? I sure hope so! Good job fitting the treats into an acceptable calorie range. I don’t know how you do it. Treats always send me way over, unless I’ve planned my day around them before eating anything else. I posted a picture of Ella at the bottom of my post, and one of our cat Maggie when she was a kitten, just because it's an adorable picture. :D

Diana: A new house and a new baby—wow! I don’t know if I could handle that. We just bought our first house in February, then we got a dog, and those two things are about all the stress I can handle! :lol: Good luck with WW! Let us know how your meeting goes!

Jennifer: Great job on dropping the 11 pounds! That’s a whole new middle number in one fell swoop! Now it’s time to build on that great start and really get your system working for you once again (we know you can do it!). As for our decorating scheme, we (meaning I) decided to go with the brown/tan and light aqua combination that’s so very popular right now. I was thinking of painting the walls aqua but now that I’ve got the curtains up I really like the plain beige walls, so I’ll probably just accent with bright bits of color. Perhaps I’ll post a pic one day, if I ever get it finished (and cleaned! :lol: )

Betani: Welcome back! Have things settled down for you a bit? Your goals for the month look good!

Lisa: Good to see you again! Congratulations on reaching your goal! I think it’s great that you want to start a toning routine. We have to have something to work towards to keep us motivated.

Joy: Where are you? I know you’re out there somewhere! You should be posting!

OK, let’s see…

Yesterday was an ok day. Water was ok, but not great. Food went pretty much as planned, but I had some Baked Lays with my sandwich at lunch (didn’t know they offered those at Wendy’s!) and no salmon cakes for dinner as I didn’t have room in my calorie budget. Calories were already a bit high yesterday, and I came in around 1950. Exercise was 45 minutes on the bike with reading the new 3 Fat Chicks On A Diet book! :D The scale this morning was down to 214.4. Yay! I even made it to bed around 9:30 last night and feel like I got a decent night’s sleep. Or that could just be the cappuccino talking! :coffee2:

This morning was decent. I thought about going for a walk, but then decided to get on the bike instead. I did 20 minutes at a higher level than usual, so that’s a good start. I’ve admitted to myself that I come up with excuses to not go for a walk because I just don’t really like being outside. Yeah, I know I’m a big weirdo. I don’t know. I’d rather just be inside in my own private little sanctuary where no one can see me. It’s my comfort zone. There are about 10 days out of the year when I feel like going outdoors, and today is not one of them. And I don’t like taking Ella for walks in the evening because there are so many people out in their yards or on their porches, and Ella is such a sociable dog she wants to go visit every one of them, and I really don’t want to deal with that many people. And when I do take her for a walk, I’m trying to get some aerobic benefit from it, and she is either dragging me along or trying to get away from me, and it just frustrates me and I don’t get much of a workout.

But before anyone complains, she is NOT being neglected, because Steve takes her for a walk every day, and he’s just as social as she is, and he’s not much concerned with getting an aerobic workout.

OK, menu for today:
Breakfast:
1 c. coffee w/FF vanilla creamer
1 cappuccino w/6 oz. skim milk, 4 oz. coffee, and 1 teas. chocolate coffee syrup
1 hash brown (made with NO oil)
1 fried egg (made with 1 teas. oil only)
2 sl. whole wheat toast (NO butter)

Snack:
Small can of low-sodium V-8
I ate breakfast early this morning, around 6:15 instead of my usual 7:15, so I know I’ll be hungry well before lunch. In fact, I’m already getting hungry.

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Glazed Turkey Tenderloins w/whipped sweet potatoes (yummy!)
Small salad w/2 tbsp. light ranch dressing

Snack:
LF key lime yogurt

Dinner:
Chicken of some sort. I picked out a few recipes to make, but I haven’t decided which one I’ll go for tonight.

Anyway, this post is already way long, and I need to get some work done. Have a good day, chicks!
~Elisha

22761

22762

PS. I just saw these new icons and just had to post them because they amuse me.
:frypan: :kickbutt: :drool:

[**Jennifer**]

oh, poop! I just spent 35 minutes writing a post, that I just lost with a single keystroke. Grr! I'll have to come back later & update. Grr!

Angela, feel better soon, sweetie!

Brandy- Happy Birthday!

Longer comments later, when I don't have to worry about losing this again. Did I say grr?

[MsRD]

Happy Wednesday!

I took the dog for a walk in the woods after work today. We have had spring showers for the past couple of days and everything is green and beautiful! All of the wildflowers are out......the woods is just carpeted....purple and yellow and white and pink flowers. (I know....it started out to be an aerobic walk, but I just had to stop and admire the flowers!)

Julie.....I am so happy you have joined WW. They will give you some structure and get you back on track! I forgot all about my exercise minute challenge, so put me down for;
1st week.....120 minutes
2nd week....150 minutes
3rd week......180 minutes
4th week.....180 minutes
Do we do anything with the final 4 days of the month? If so, add another 120 minutes in for that one. I started out slow as I have not been exercising and need to ease myself into it (and not pull any major muscle groups!)......but already I have done 90 minutes, and it is only Wednesday!

Angela......Take it easy for a few days. Pamper yourself if need be. And get better soon!

Brandy.....It sounds like you are having a wonderful birthday! Hope your softball game doesn't get rained out!

Elisha.....That is a beautiful pic of Ella! What a sweetheart! You keep kicking up that exercise....inside or outside doesn't matter.....just do it!

DH told me this morning that we would go out for dinner tonight, so I took it easy on the breakfast and lunch calories (and no snacks!). Then, he called and said he didn't feel well and could I bring home Burger King.......so my calorie count is only 790 for the day! I think I will go forage for something semi-nutritous to fill up the emptiness!

[buckneram]

I've had such a bad day (again). Found out that I need to take out another student loan (like 10 grand isn't enough debt for a 22 year old already). plus, my depression is doing a number on me. I'm bipolar and since the weather has been nice i've been really depressed. i think it's cause i only go to school and not much more. i babysit sometimes and clean, but i think i need a regular job. i know that i wouldn't be able to handle a job and school so i guess it's just school right now. anyways, eating wasn't so bad today.
Lunch: lean pocket
Dinner: pasta and meatballs
Snack: handi snack
lots of water and gingerale!

[ArtsyGirl]

Good morning gals-Had a great day yesterday-my exercise totalled 190 minutes for the day!!! I had so much energy I freaked out one of my piano students!! Today I've done a kickboxing workout and have spinning scheduled later. My body aches are finally gone so I'm ready to go.

Angela-Hang in there girl. I know you've got it in you.

MsRD-You are so lucky to have such a beautiful place to go walking. Makes me want to jump in the truck and drive somewhere to hike. Glad you got to enjoy the incredible signs of spring.

elisha-Y!F sounds cool. I may look into it more. Good job on all the biking.

[hikein2005]

This morning I am feeling very emotional and having a really hard time turning off the tears. DD and I had a unique conversation last night about her birth mom (she's adopted from China, for those of you who don't know) and I am just feeling sad about all of it this morning. When I am done here, I will try to at least do some sort of exercise and maybe those endorphins will start to kick in and help me feel better! I really don't want to go to work today, but I need to...

Alas...yesterday was a good day food wise! :) I am allowed 24 points with 5 extra points for flex points each day (or 35 a week). I used exactly 24, so that made me happy, although I didn't follow what I had planned at all. Life gets in the way some times and I really need to be more dilligent about planning AND preparing my supper meals! I was pretty grouchy by almost 8pm when I ate supper last night! DH always gets the brunt of it and I gave it to him good last night! I warned him, though! ;)

I need to change my minutes on my tally. I have worked out every day for at least 20 minutes since I put that up and will hopefully do something today! :carrot: DD's afterschool activities are infringing on my exercise time in the evenings...She has soccer practice and horse lessons and with my WW meetings, that's 3 nights a week! UGH!!! Oh well...I know she is enjoying her activities, so that makes it easier! :)

I have nothing planned today for food. I need to go grocery shopping! Don't have much time for that either! Good thing my work has slowed down a bit or I'd be a basket case again!

I'll make some comments later tonght to everyone. I just dont' have time right now! Hope everyone is having a better day. Thanks for being here for me to share with you all! You are the best!

MSRD...I will add your minutes to my tally!
Jennifer...Are you going to have minutes of exercise this week and for the rest of the month?? You probably put them on your post that you lost, right??? LOL!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chickies!

This is going to be a quick post (for me anyway), because I have about a zillion things to do at work today.

Well, yesterday was a decent day for me. Water was good, like 124 oz. good. Calories came in at 1804, which is a tad high, but I’m not too worried about it. And I got in another 25 minutes on the bike last night, plus my weights. The weights were almost too much for me as my arms were feeling heavy, but I forced myself through it. I think I’ll skip any weights this evening and give my arms a chance to rest. The scale is up to 215.4 this morning, but whatever.

This morning was another 26 minutes on the bike, and I’ll do something different this evening. Food today will be fine, as will water.

Breakfast:
2 c. coffee w/FF vanilla creamer
2 sl. ww toast 2/1 T LF mayo, 1 sl. FF American cheese, and 1 sausage patty (blotted for grease)

Snack:
LS v-8

Lunch:
Healthy Choice Country Breaded Chicken
2 mini Snickers

Snack:
LF yogurt

Dinner:
Dunno. Lots to choose from at home. I’ll find something.

OK, I’ve got to get moving. Hopefully I’ll have some time this afternoon to stop back and comment. Have a good day, chicks!
~Elisha

[lisa girl]

Good morning chicks!

I am so glad to be UP this morning! Yesterday, my middle DS and I spent the day vomiting! Yuck! I was so sick that I could barely take care of him, not to mention that my 3 year old was home and feeling great! DH couldn't take a vacation day because of a special event at work. What a nightmare!

Anyway, I have lots of comments, and I was so excited to read this morning and see everyone that posted yesterday. I really look forward to getting to know everybody! I will try my best to get back on here tonight and leave comments...I'm still feeling dizzy.

Thanks for the warm welcome everybody! That really made my day :)!

[**Jennifer**]

got a meeting at 9:30, but if I don't get this entry in, I'll be in biiiig trouble!

(Week 1) 150 minutes
(Week 2) 225 minutes
(Week 3) 300 minutes
(Week 4) 300 minutes
(Week 5) 240 minutes

** this will include formal exercise, as well as yardwork, unpacking, etc, over the next month. ** Then, when I have all my poop in order, we'll set up a WATP schedule, and bike schedule.

Will post more after the meeting, with my updates & comments. Happy Thursday!

[DewCan]

Hi all, sorry I missed you yesterday. A crazy day it was!!
I joined WW iwth a friend yesterday and today is day #1 of it. I'm doing the points program and think it will work as I'm a lmath person and the points will be good. I'm oign to give myself some reward for sticking with it for a week. Maybe getting my eyebrows waxed, I'm getting a little wild in that area. :eek:

Brandy, Happy Birthday (Iknow I'm late) hope it was a fantastic day. Sounds like your'e getting in lots of exercise minutes! Your'e amazing with 190 in one day!

Julie, glad to hear your foot is getting better. Dont' need any reason to not exercise :lol: I can always come up with some. I totally understand how it feels to be disappointed with a regain of weight lost. It's very disheartening. I always tell my DH when I lose a pound but never when I gain. He must wonder why is she not getting any smaller, :lol:
I'm doing the points as well. I can't cut certain foods out of my diet altogether, I'd never stick to it then and would for sure go back to them and gain everything back once I get ot goal. How are your points coming along for today? I'm doing okay. I have 18 left and it's 2pm. I'm saving them for tonight as I always have a special snack for Survivor. I'm a diehard watcher. Check out the WW stuff on this site, and other websites, there's lots of good stuff out there. I'm a chocoholic so I will purcahse the 2 point bars next week as I need a bit so I dont' go out of control and binge on it. Sad as it is. At least I admit it to myself, :rollseyes: I woudl love to lose 5 pounds as well this week and my goal is also to lose the 10% for July when we have a family campout. We're on our way there and we'll do it!!!

Oh Angela, do get well!!! This is not good. It dampens the exercise spirit severely. I hope it'a a short bug. :hug: Student loasns suck but they're worth it in the end. I've got mine paid off now had $22,000, oh my, that sounds like lots now. What are you taking? Best of luck to you. Is your school year done now?

Elisha, yo umade me laugh when you said there were only 10 days of hte year that you felt like going outside and this wasn't one of them. It really got a chuckle out of me. I like you're commnent on the bottom of the post about being happy, that is so right. Yesterday at WW the goal weight they gave me was 137, and I thought I would be just peachy happy at 147. I have to bring a Dr's note to change it, and I think I will. I don't want ot be scrawny. Good that you didn't get discouraged with the scale this morning, it would've been a bad way to start the day.

Jennifer, that suck so bad when a post gets lost. I hope I don't lose this one. Oh great now I've jinxed myself :lol:

MsRD, yes it was (and is) quite busy with new baby and house. But I'm enjoying it. I like the WATP as well, good for rainy days. Where do you live that you get all the pretty flowers? Sounds like a dream :cloud9:

Lisa, sucks that you were sick. And being sick at the same time as a child is the WORST THING EVER!!! I'm glad your'e feeling better :hug: Once your'e not dizzy anymore get back at the exercise!

We get our yard sodded in 2 weeks and then I get ot start doing all the garden stuff, which I love, that'll make me busier and on the computer less!! Good thing, as my eBay bill keeps getting higher and higher. Well, I hsould go do something to clean up my disasterous house, oh yuck, how unfun is that.

[buckneram]

Diana-I'm taking human services. i love it. my school year is done may 21.
Lisa-glad you're having a better day! i'm sure sick kids aren't fun.
Well, I exercised 40 minutes today. the second time this week. I'm not going to meet my goal, but that's okay. I also ate pizza-yuck. It didn't even taste good like I thought it would.
Thursday:
Cereal and milk
lean pocket
pizza
1 pastry

[MsRD]

Hello Chickies!

Just tallied up the calories for today.....just under 1500. that may sound good, but there were a lot of bad choices.....with waaaaayyyyyy too much salt......so I will be gurgling the water tonight to flush out my puffy little system!

Angela......Those final few weeks of school are always hectic.....trying to pull everything together for those exams! When will you be done.....as in totally graduated? Do you have a summer job lined up?

Brandy......Your total minutes of exercise in a day totally blow me away! I always complain about there not being enough time in a day.....and yet you seem to be able to find time! What is this spinning you keep talking about?

((Julie)).....I can only imagine your conversation with you DD. How do you explain to a little one that their birth parents gave them up......without making them feel rejected? Personally, I think she is a lucky little girl to have found you and your DH for parents.....celebrate your good fortune!

Lisa.....You forgot the first rule of motherhood: Mommies never get sick! Yeah.....right. I think your DH owes you one! Take it easy today.....or as easy as you can with kidlets to care for!

DewCan.....You have a great idea in rewarding yourself for accomplished goals! It makes the journey all the more pleasant. I am in west Michigan.....where the wildflowers are blooming.....and yes, sometimes it is like a dream (you will notice I am not mentioning 90 degree July days with 98% humidity and mosquites the size of sparrows!)

Julie......add 30 more minutes to my exercise tally and.......WOOHOO!.....I have made my first weeks goal and it is only Thursday!

[hikein2005]

got a meeting at 9:30, but if I don't get this entry in, I'll be in biiiig trouble!

And it's a good thing you got them posted! Now it's official...except for Lisa...who may or may not be joining us for exercise after a day of vomitting!!! :p

[hikein2005]

thank you very much! :)

Just a quick announcement...:coach:
OUr total for minutes of expected exercise for the month of May is 10,075 which is 167.92 hours of exercise!
Let me just say...we could kick some serious butt by June, chickies!!! :kickbutt: :high:

And then we will all be :belly: Woo Hoo!!!!

OK...and onto my day!! My eating was good today, again! :) I was within my points range and so am happy about that. Only used a couple of my flex points today, but really could have stopped at 24. I let DD pick out some Fudgesicles tonight at the grocery store and had one tonight (2 points).

I exercised again today. 25 minutes walking! That was after working all day (and I'm on my feet ALL day), taking DD to horse lessons, stopping at the grocery store, cooking dinner and eating dinner. I laid on the couch for about 20 minutes to rest my feet and then I decided I had it in me to go for a walk. So I did. I'm glad I did. TOM is here and I just have felt yucky all day. It's early, too which sucks! But that walk just made me feel so much better. I ran out of time this morning to get in any exercise and I'm sure that contributed to my "sour" mood all day!

I probably got in 80 oz. water today which is good for me. I was chugging all day. I got one of those Propel waters today which was good. I get tired sometimes of just plain ole water (I drink it from the tap, so it was a nice diversion.)

So glad tomorrow is Friday! I am going out with my girlfriends for dinner and probably a glass of wine or two. I've been looking through my WW book to see what I can have and planning my day! Fruit seems to fill me up, so I need to eat more of that! And I need to stay away from the crackers and get some rice cakes, although neither of them have much nutritional value. Any ideas for a crunchy/non veggie mid afternoon snack? I won't eat raw veggies and low fat dip in the middle of the afernoon...or anytime usually! Something I haven't had in a while is ricecakes with peanut butter or a little cream cheese. That sounds good. I'll add rice cakes to my grocery list! Oh yea...when will I get to go grocery shopping?? I am busy until...forever it seems! aaaaaaahhhhhh! ;)

MsRD...YOu are really going gangbusters with the exercise! Good for you...and thanks for being so sweet to me...always! You are good for what ails me! (((((((MsRD))))))) Yes to Michigan in the springtime. This week has been especially pretty with all the spring blooms! And they smell so good, too. Now, if I could just find some motivation (and time!) to work in my garden!!

Angela...You concentrate on your studies. I remember how this time of year always stressed me out when I was in school...financially, emotionally, and physically! So I can relate! At least you got some exercise in for yourself! Hang in there and keep posting. That's what we are here for!

Diana...I do the same thing with my DH as far as when I lose and never when I gain, so like I said, he was suprised at the weigh in!!! LOL!!! I'm a huge Survivor fan also! We watched it tonight. I like that Cirie! She is really getting that game in her favor!!! I'm glad they finally voted off that idiot, Shane though! He should have been gone a loooooong time ago as far as I was concerned! We could talk about Survivor for a while, but I won't!
Thanks for the tips on the WW sites. I will check them out!

Lisa...Sorry you and little one have been ill! At least you won't have to worry about carting him to baseball tonight!!! ;) Hope to hear from you soon! We need to catch up on things, anyway!

Elisha...Kick butt girl on that exercise! :kickbutt: You ARE going to be slim and trim by your wedding! Check it out!!! :belly: (I love that smiley!)

Brandy...Your 190 minutes (IN ONE DAY A)of exercise is really setting the bar here! I can't even do that in ONE WEEK!!! You rock!!!!

[lisa girl]

Good Morning Girls! Yep, it's me- the Queen of VomitLand reporting in!! Lord help me, I still feel like I have been run over by a bus. All is quiet here this morning...all the kids are at school/preschool, and I am thinking about going back to bed for a bit...but I really, really shouldn't. I spent yesterday trying to clean/disinfect our house, wash linens, spray Lysol..it was a day-long project. I slept so hard last night!

Julie- I really like the WW forum for recipes here. I get a lot of ideas from over there! BTW, girl, I am so proud of you for joining WW. You are really taking charge of your weight loss, and I know you are going to do GREAT! Also, you are doing so good with the exercise!! Let's catch up soon! I miss you!

MsRD- Hi! :) I often find myself going overboard with the salt intake. Good for you with drinking the extra water. And, you did well staying under 1500 calories, even with the bad choices! At least it wasn't a 2000 calorie day with bad choices.

Angela- Way to go with the 40 mins. of exercise! Yall are making me look really bad! LOL! Oh, and I know you are excited for May 21st to get here! It's nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel!! :)

Diana- Yay for you..for joining WW! We will have to share recipes and stuff! I really like counting points..I've done it forever, and it is not as tedious as it was when I first started-it's like second nature or something!

Jennifer- Hey girl! Hope you are well! Did you get those meetings in???

Elisha- How are the wedding plans coming along? That must be really exciting! Doesn't seem like 12 years have gone by for me...surely it was yesterday I was making those birdseed bag thingies for my wedding! LOl!

o.k...I can't see past this page of posts, and I know I missed somebody to reply to. I'll try to catch you later if I did. Hope you all have a great day. I will try my best to get my walking in today. Maybe if I just have a teeny little nap I could feel better...........

[miss_elisha]

My Horoscope for Today
You know you need a change for the better, but your frustration with the amount of time it's taking is tempting you to slide back into some old patterns. [How true is that?] Don't. This transformation will happen at the right time, not before.

OK, so yesterday was… eh. Work was so incredibly busy, and I ended up staying late, and I didn’t want to do anything by the time I got home. I ended up heating up some leftover spaghetti and making some toast and a salad. Calories were a bit high—1885, and the scale is at 215.6 this morning. Water was decent, and I did another 34 minutes on the bike, for a total of 60 minutes yesterday. That brings me to 193 minutes out of my goal of 210 for the week.

Today is my day off from exercise, but I think I may go for a walk with Ella and Steve this evening. I slept in until almost 6:00 this morning, but was awake before my alarm. How disappointing.

This weekend will be some cleaning and some relaxing :yoga:, and hopefully some cooking. :chef: If the weather is nice I might replace a small stump in our yard with a small flowering tree, like a dogwood perhaps, and put a little flower bed around it. Don’t know if I’ll be that energetic. I need to scrub both bathrooms and the kitchen, plus we have to clean the basement. We haven’t done anything to the basement since we moved in, except take a few boxes down there for storage. We had the basement blocked off from Ella so the cats would have a safe haven, but we took it down this past weekend so the dog and the cats would just get used to each other. I miss my cats! But anyway, Ella was finding random things in the basement to chew on—like nails, screws, small pieces of wood, etc.—so we blocked it off again until we can get it cleaned up. We don’t want her choking on something, or tearing up her insides by eating something she’s not supposed to. So we have to clean the basement this weekend, and hopefully just throw out all of the crap that was left down there (like cheap plastic Xmas decorations from 1967, really just a bunch of random junk), so we can open it up again.

We’ve got our last night of bowling league on Sunday, and I’m really not going to miss it at all. Sure, I’ll miss our partners, but the league we’re in just gets progressively screwier ever week, and they’re really just making us all mad and taking all the fun out of it. If we join a league this fall, it will be at the other bowling alley in town. But Sunday we’re having a big league dinner. I’m sure it will be completely unhealthy. I’m taking a pasta salad. I’m planning on eating before we leave and maybe just snacking on some veggies and my salad.

Menu:
Breakfast
1 c. coffee w/FF vanilla creamer
1 cappuccino w/4 oz. skim milk, 4 oz. coffee, 2 tsp. chocolate coffee syrup
1 fried egg, no oil whatsoever :D
1 hash brown, also no oil (the last one, which is probably a good thing)

Lunch
Healthy Choice Turkey something or other
Mini rice cakes
Mini Snickers

Snack
Yogurt

Dinner
No idea. We’ve got a few things I can just heat up, but I’m not really in the mood for any of them. Perhaps I’ll cook something. I really feel like just ordering a pizza. We’ll see.

Julie: YAY! on the exercise, and the water, and staying within the points! You had a great day! Have you tried the soy crisps? They’re pretty similar to rice cakes (found in the same section), but have a bit more nutritional value. The barbeque ones are yummy! Popcorn is always a good crunchy snack too. Or some LF graham crackers. Or those 100-calorie packs of… well, just about anything, as they keep coming out with more of them! :lol:
And hey, I thought you were going to start posting your menus? Well? Huh? You're supposed to be planning! You know it helps! :drill:

MsRD: Water water water. Closest thing to a diet miracle drug we can get. Drink up and flush out that system!

Angela: Are you feeling better? Good job on the exercise! Are you drinking plenty of water?

Diana: Ahh, the beauties of rewards (or the rewards of beauties!). I’m all about bribing myself to do well. Of course, I usually end up indulging in things like that anyway, so it doesn’t always work out for me, but hey, it’s worth a shot, right? ;) I’m used to the scale going up and down daily. I tried going without weighing for a while, but when I do that I don’t pay as much attention and end up way off track. I try not to get too upset over daily fluctuations, and Monday is my “official” weigh-in day (and therefore the only day I change my tracker).

Jennifer: Lots of exercise for you! But I know you’ve got a lot to do with yard work and unpacking and so forth. But it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you’re moving. That’s the whole point, right?

Lisa: Sorry to hear you were sick! You’re feeling better now, aren’t you? You’ve got too much to do to get sick!

OK, that’s all I’ve got time for today. Not nearly as busy as I was yesterday, but there’s still lots I need to be working on, so I’d better get to it. Have a good day, chickies!
~Elisha

[DewCan]

Hi all,

my day is going great. Best thing is that I know that I stayed within my points allowed yesterday!!:carrot: I saved some for my evening snack as I enjoy eating then when I relax. I should learn to do domething else when I watch tv though. I need to finish a quilt os I could cut squares for it then and sew during the day. Yes, I'll have to do that.

my neighbor got a paint sprayer for the day and is painting our fence as well. How awesome is that!!! It's a new neighborhood and we have fantastic neighbors. They have kids and are very chatty, and overall nice. I live in an oil boom town and there are huge subdivisions popping up everywhere. The city grows like 10% a year or something rediculous. Lots of young families so it's great. I have so much to do today it's not even funny. Grocery shop (with two little ones it's always a real chore), laundry, clean house, and go for a walk tonight. And of course the regular stuff, take care of the kids, make supper and spend a bout 2 hours pumping, I know that's waaaay too much info but it takes a good portion of my day. :eek: that's way too long of a list. Oh life was easier when baby would just breastfeed like normal babies do. He decided at 3.5 months that he doesn't like me, grrrr....

Angela, how many years is your program. Pizza is one of my favorite foods. One thing I'll find really hard with WW.

MsRD,
Woohoo, way to go on the exercise goal met. And on Thursday!!! I though t we had the worst mosquitos in the world in northern Alberta, but sparrows, now that's huge :lol: :df:

Julie, way to go on the points:flow2: There are 1 point fudgsicles out there, in case you get more. Great for summer and those evil chocolate attacks:devil: Survivor: I like Cirie too, but I think she should have kicked off Danielle followed by Aras. She has a better chance in the final 2 with either Shane or Terry. That's justd my theory :idea:

Elisha, are you getting married? someone just said so, and if so congrats:frypan: best keep him in line :lol: jsut had to use the frypan smiley somehow. That's a real motivation, a wedding! You talk about gardening, how fun. I need to plan my yard for gardens and where I want the sod. Yuck cleaning out basments is not fun, but hte more you get rid of the better. You'll be so happy when you're done :dancer: I weigh daily too, and change the tracker once a week as well.

Lisa, yes, recipes would be good. I need low point carb ideas for the evening snack. Yesterday I had shrimp adn sauce followed by gingersnaps for my Survivor night. I ws happy with that. I had saved points throughout the day for it. I think I'll like the points. Just figuring them out for casseroles and stuff will be hard.

Well, I had best get at my to do list :kickbutt:

I just saw this smiley, how cute :preg: NO I'm not pregnant, it's just cute.

[ArtsyGirl]

Hope everyone has had a beautiful Friday. Mine has been good. I did a 4 mile walk this morning with my neighbor, then came home and did a 30 minute turbojam workout. Got my hair done :gossip: ran lots of errands and then hung out at the bead store that I teach at for more :gossip:.

I actually got some weeding done in my garden today too! It looks a mess and we're having a picnic out by it on Sunday :o. I got about half way through and needed to stop. Hubby and I took the dogs for a walk up to the bank for an afternoon diversion. All in all its been a great day.

DewCan-Congrats on staying within your points! It sounds like you have your hands full with your little ones. I only get small doses while babysitting my neice and nephew (I have them a few days a week) and its very hard to get anything done with them around.

Elisha-Good luck attacking the basement! How old is Ella? I have 2 adult dogs and it is amazing what they still find to chew on! One of them loves the tiny screws that come off of computer cases, and my hubby is a computer geek who's always leaving those things where the dog can find them!

Lisa-Hope you got some rest. You need to stay healthy to take care of everybody.

hike-Great job on the exercise and the water! Glad your walk helped you feel better. It always seems to set the day in the right direction for me.

MsRD-Water, water, water, water. I've been having some trouble with my food choices this week too. We'll both get back to being good very soon!

Angela-16 more days!!!!!:D You're doing really well with exercise this week! :carrot: I'm so happy for you.

Sorry if I missed anyone. Have a great night.

[hikein2005]

I just got back from a hike at the local state park on Lake Michigan. I love that place. One of the women from our church has started a monthly women's hiking group and this was our first hike. I'm so out of shape! But I plugged along with the other 3 and it was rather enjoyable! We brought a little lunch with us, sat at the beach and ate it and then hiked back. I'd say it was probably one hour round trip, so I get to add 60 minutes to my weekly minutes!!! Yea!!!! I forgot to add in one day this week, so I'm also adding in another 20 minutes...I'll have to go back and check for sure on my posts!

OK...I need to shape up with the food today because yesterday I had 40 points!!! It was good until I went out to dinner...and then came home and had a piece of pizza (Pizza Hut PAN pizza)! It's a good thing they allow us those 35 extra points a week because I would not have made it through the week! It didnt' help that I had 2 glasses of wine (2 pts. per glass) but I did have a salad (with too much dressing, darn it!) and only ONE piece of bread as an appetizer (it was loaded with cheese! YUM!)

I'm really trying to get in 5 fruits and/or veggies a day, so I am going to only snack on those the rest of today. Tonight DD and I are meeting my office partner and her neice for pizza and then going to see Beauty & the Beast at the local theatre! Hopefully, we will both be rested!

I am also chugging the water today! One gets thirsty on a hike! :running:


Elisha...I still haven't had a chance to sit down for any length of time to figure out my menus, but I do try in the morning before I leave for work, it's just that I don't have time to figure it out, write it in my book, then post it. Life is pretty crazy for me righ tnow, so I'll try to be more organized this next week. Next weekend we are going camping, so that will be fun to try to plan healthy meals. Actually, we try to avoid the "snacky" food when we camp and buy lots of fruit and veggies to snack on. DD likes them and we do too...dont' know why we don't eat them at home more often...actually, we are trying!

DewCan...Someone told me about cinnamon lf graham crackers. You put some lite cool whip on them and freeze them! I tried one today. They are good and I think only one point! And yes, I know about the one point fudgecicles, but we were in a hurry at the grocery store just picking up a few things and DD saw them and I said sure! You know how it goes! ;)

That's all I had time for comments for today. I'll be back tomorrow, though. DD and I are running off to a horse show for the rest of the afternoon. I think a nap will be in order before the big theatre event tonight...for BOTH of us!!! LOL!

[hikein2005]

...and I EXCEEDED my goal for exercise minutes this week!!!! :carrot:

[hikein2005]

Just a quick entry here.
Yesterday was another "over the points" day, but I think I'm back on track today. Still working on menus for the week! I wish my family wasn't so picky! DH asked me what I wanted with the Salmon tonight (that he's grilling) and I told him I wanted asparagus and a sweet potatoe. Neither DD or DH like either one! But he asked......

I have to go into work for a few hours today, but I'm planning to go do a little yard work or check on the camper (we are going camping next weekend) to see what we need! Plus I have a ton of laundry, vacuuming & all the other sordid housework that needs to be done before I go back to work tomorrow! What is a woman supposed to do?????????????

Hope you all are having a super Sunday!!!

[buckneram]

Okay, sorry I've been MIA for a few days. It's been crazy around here. Well, I'm going to start over with a clean plate, like I did 2 months ago and actually lost weight. I'm following my plan from the dietitian. I haven't really cared the last few weeks, but now I realize I only have about 2 months bf my mom comes home for the first time in a year and I don't want to look like a fat cow! LOL! If I could loose 10 pounds, I would feel much better. So, I am going to make a scrapbook of my weight lose journal. I'm going to put my pics, measurements, food diary, everything that pertains to loosing weight in this book. It will be great motivation, especially since I love to scrapbook!
Today I'm doing very well. Ate cheerios for breakfast and honeydew for a snack. Gonna have lunch soon. Maybe some soup or a lean pocket. I also have cleaned and done my homework. The rest of the day is for planning meals and working on my book! And, can't forget, practicing guitar. I have my final tomorrow. I'm playing Since you've been gone (kelly clarkson). I love that song.
Julie-housework equals buring calories! YEAH!

[MsRD]

Hello All!

I hadn't weighed in for the past couple of weeks and thought it was about time.......bad choice. Stepped on the scale Saturday morn to find I had gained back 3 pounds.....and the weekend kinda went downhill from there. I felt that wherever I went, people were staring at me, pitying the poor fat lady......good god! Life hands me enough crap to deal with......why would I go paranoid and create my own?? I came back home, popped in WATP and did a brisk 2 miles, took the dog for a walk, and then spent the next 4 hours pulling weeds in the garden......SO THERE!

Julie......You get a gold star for exceeding your exercise minutes this past week! And doing part of it at the state park must have been beautiful!

Angela.....You are a music major? Did I understand a final exam in guitar? At any rate, I love Kelly Clarkson!

Brandy......Hope your picnic went well.....potluck or did you plan the menu?

DewCan......Great job on staying within your points! Keeping your hands busy quilting is a good idea.....what pattern are you working on?

Lisa.....Hope you are recovering from your bout with the flu, and that your DH could give you some relief from some of your responsibilities, so you could get some extra rest.

Joy......Hope you are having a great day! Check in with us.....I miss you!

TBJ.....Hope you are recovering well from your last surgery.....are you back to jujitsu yet?

Kids were down for dinner today. It was so beautiful today (and there was no NASCAR race on), so we spent the majority of the day outside......walking thru the gardens, playing hopscotch, and helping DGD perfect her softball swing.....AND, best of all, I sent all the leftover dessert home with them!

[Alexa_candice]

hi my name is Alexa and i am new to these forum things. i am 20 years old and am just looking for a bit of support as i endevour to lose the few extra pounds i am looking to lose. i started at about 180 pounds over a year ago and am now weighing around 145. i know it does not sound like much but for my height and frame it is.... i am hoping to get down to 130 pounds and would like to do it in under three months.. i will be happy to write in about the things that are happening with my eating and excercise and with some support be able to drop those few extra pounds that just dont seem to want to move.

[buckneram]

MsRD-i am a human services major, but i have to take a music class for school. I decided to take guitar lessons because I kind of played, but not good!
Alexa-welcome!

[hikein2005]

OK girls...I'm ready!
I sat down last night and planned my supper meals for the week. Sort of...
At least I have today's planned...or did until I woke up and discovered that DH had taken the crockpot to work with him!!! Grrrr...I think there's another one in the basement somewhere! How annoying!

My job for today is listen! I woke up this morning just asking for some guidance with my life and the words that kept coming back to me were "listen"! So...I am going to listen..and not react verbally to what I hear! That will be a job for me today! Maybe part of that is listening to what my body is telling me...like when I am hungry...or NOT! And I did some gardening (pulled some weeds and worked on the pond) yesterday for a bit and my back started really hurting. I did some stretches and all the things I learned, but it's still a bit sore today, so I am going to watch that too! I may go for a walk when I take DD to soccer practice tonight! It's at a nice park where they have some trails, so I will do that!

I need to go get my shower and then put that stuff in the crockpot so supper will be waiting when I get home today! Then DD and I can just fly out the door to practice after we eat! Does anyone else get really annoyed that their DH just doesn't GET that we have to clean up after ourselves even if we are not asked????? Just a thought-provoking question for the day!!!

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

Alexa: :welcome2: Just jump right in wherever you feel like, and if you need help navigating the site, all you have to do is ask!

Julie: A couple of weeks ago I was complaining about having to always do all the cleaning and Steve said that I just had to tell him what to do and he would do it. I said that I shouldn’t have to tell him the dishes need done, and when he asked why I replied, “Do you not realize that the dirty dishes need to be washed?” Apparently that was the wrong thing to say and he got really mad and said I was calling him stupid. *rolls her eyes* But he has been washing the dishes occasionally, and I’ve been leaving him notes asking him to do little things for me. Today’s task: put the laundry in the dryer. That’s it. Will it get done? That is anyone’s guess. ;) Good job planning your meals!

MsRD: Great job on the exercise! That’ll teach that stupid scale!

Angela: I think if we could lose 10 pounds, we’d all feel a lot better! :lol: Good job getting back on track. Have fun with your scrapbook!

Brandy: Ella is almost 2 years old. I hope your picnic went well. I can’t wait until we get our yard in good enough shape to have a picnic!

Diana: Yes, I’m getting married in October. I love the cute new smileys too. :D How’s the WW going?

OK, so how about me? This weekend was… eh. I bought myself a few large cups for the house so I drink more water. It just seems easier when the cup is bigger. So water wasn’t too bad. Food could have been a lot better, and my weight is up this morning. I think I may change my official weigh-in day to Tuesday, since I’m always up on Monday from the lack of water and too much salt, but Tuesday morning I’m down about 3 pounds! So yeah, the scale was up today. I did get in quite a bit of exercise though, so that is a good thing.

All day Saturday we were working on various projects, the biggest one of course being the cleaning of the basement. We still have a corner full of junk that we need to take to the dump, but we have to wait until we can borrow my dad’s truck to do that, so perhaps next weekend. But we got the junk corner blocked off from the dog and the rest of the basement cleaned, and now the cats have no place to hide! Well, except behind the microwave or under the couch, which is where they were when I left this morning, and probably still are.

We did get a lot of things done this weekend, and my plan for the week is to put away one more box of stuff every night. I still have a ton of boxes sitting around, mostly little shoebox sized boxes, that I need to go through. If I do just one a night, it won’t take me that long and I’ll have it done in a week or so. Getting things done feels so good.

This morning I got up and did just under 16 minutes on the :ebike:, but then I had to run intervention between the dog and the cat. I’ll exercise more tonight. I also drank a glass of water this morning, so I’m off to a good start.

Menu for today:
Breakfast:
1 c. coffee w/FF vanilla creamer
1 cappuccino w/3 oz. skim milk and 2 T ½ n ½ (I know that’s not good, but I made it way too strong and had to add something, and all we had here at the office was ½ n ½)
1 tortilla w/1/2 c. egg beaters, ¼ c. LF cheese, and 1 T salsa

Snack:
Strawberries

Lunch:
Chicken breast w/1 T LF chive-cream sauce
1 c. spinach
1 apple
1 LF cookie (I made them yesterday morning)

Snack:
LF yogurt

Dinner:
Spaghetti
Italian bread
Some sort of veggie

OK, my train of thought is gone, and I have a bunch of random things to do today. Bleh. I hate my job. Anyway, have a good day, chickies!
~Elisha

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi everyone. Glad to see so many minutes done by everybody!! I went over my weeks goal by a bit.:cp: I've gotten my walk in (4 miles) and done an hour of turbokick so far today. I think I'm going to try a 15 minute run today. I am going to try to get myself into a running program so I can try out a triathalon. We'll see if the ankle will hold up to running. :?: That'll the the determining factor.

My eating was horrid this weekend. WAY to much food. The picnic was wonderful. The weather was beautiful, the garden was weeded, and the sangria was flowing. ;) Back on track today!

elisha-You must feel so good about getting that basement cleaned out. Hope the dog and cats start to get accustomed to each other. Bringing a cat into my house is not an option with my beasts. God only knows what destruction would result from that chase! Congrats on the upcoming wedding. WOW! You've got a lot of excitement in your life right now.

Hike-You're off to a terrific start of the week with the meal planning. I hope found that days I listen to my body, everything seems to go better. It seems like such a simple thing to do, but when my body is tired I have a terrible time letting it get the rest it needs. Congrats on exceeding your exercise goal last week. :carrot:

Angela-You sound like you are getting things all together to make a huge jump in your weight loss journey. I think the scrapbook is an awesome project. It will be so motivating, and in the end so incredible to look back upon. I hope your diet is going well today. Good luck on that guitar final!

Alexa-:welcome3: What kind of exercise program are you following? Glad you're joining us.

Have a great one everybody!

MsRD-4 hours!!!!!:dizzy: I needed to stop after 2! I thought I was dying out there. Great job getting rid of the stress through exercise!!! I'll bet you fealt better after you did all that (if you still had the energy to feel anything!) Sorry you had a bad day out :hug: Hope you're feeling better about yourself now.

[DewCan]

Hi Alexa,
Nice of you to join. Are you a walker, or what exercise do you do? I'm a walker myself. It's easiest with kids.

Brandy,
I'm always impressed with how much exercise you get it (and a little jealous :lol: ) Wow, a triathalon. That's a fantastic goal :running: Be careful with that ankle, you need it.

Julie,
The hiking group sounds like fun, what a great idea. The flexpoints are great, I haven't used them yet, but I've been itching for a blizzard from dairy queen, and that'll use up lots. :( Pizza is something I love, so I'll really have to watch that one. Congrats on exceeding your weekly goal :cp: How do you prepare the asparagus. I jsut bought some for the first time. I totally understand the housework thing. My DH helped me do it all on Saturday. This isn't very often, don't worry. I'm usually the one complaining about DH not cleaning up after himself. It hasn't been done this well since baby was born, 4 months ago :o

Angela,
hey, where's your Mom? The scrapbook is a good idea, it should be a real motivator.I'm not into scrapbooking myself, but theresure are lots of you people out there. Starting over is always better than not. I started over on May 1. so far so good, and it's going well.:dance: I have a guitar and lots of good intentions to learn, yeah, that's all I have, intentions :lol:

MsRD,
Sounds like you had a wonderful Sunday. Grandkids, how fun. How many do you have?
It's too easy to get down about a gain and just start wallowing in your own misery. I do the same thing. Then I start to self sabotage:dizzy: . Thank goodness you got your head back and did all that exercise (and got weeding done too):running: Oh I'm just making a baby quilt with basic squares for my baby who's 4 montha already :o I'm a bit behind on that.

Elisha,
getting married, how fun, stressful :stress: and motivating that nust be. It's an amazing commitment, but definitely worth it. Wow, you did great with your basement. You're almost motivating me to do it, :lol: the one box a day is a good idea. Maybe I'll start with that. Maybe, maybe not :dizzy: Yuck.


Okay, now I have a question :?: What days do the weeks run. Sunday-Saturday? Do I count last Sunday for week one (April 30)?

I had a great weekend! Got in some walking with the family. I'm really excited that 'living better' is something that my whole family is getting into. My DH is training for his annual bike race. And I'm teaching my boys that exercise is a normal part of everyday life. My sister also started this on May 1, and is doing well battling the food addiction as well. And my brother has been doing thid for a while and has lost some weight. He went to the doctor a couple of years ago who said he should try to a "kinda Atkins diet", what a quack. You can't kinda do Atkins. My brother took it to mean eating like he was, just adding more meat (any man's dream). Yeah he gained more. But now he's doing great. I'm doing well with the WW, the points is totally easy for me to keep track of so far. I even went out for supper yesterday and stayed within my points. I think this is something I could do for quite a while. I am beating this weight problem/food addiction :boxing: I've lost some weight already, but Wednesday is my official weigh in day. So I get to change my tracker then:carrot:

Well, I should get going, lots of stuff to do today, like always.:kickcan:

[buckneram]

Diana-my mom lives in NC. She moved last summer and this will be the first time that I've seen her in a year!
Well, I got an A on my guitar final. I'm so excited.
Today is my 3 year anniversary with my bf. I am making his fav dinner and I made choc covered strawberries and pinapple for desert. I also got a lotto ticket and attached a tag that says I hit the jackpot when I found you. Then I got a fish and put You're the only fish for me in the sea. Plus, I put I love you in hershey kisses on the coffee table and decorated the table with roses and candles! I can't wait til he gets home from work. It's going to be a great suprise. Well, enough about me, ttyl!

[lisa girl]

Angela- Congratulations on your guitar final! WTG! And, your dinner plans sound soooo romantic...I hope it is a really special evening for you :).

Diana- I really like walking too. I have GOT to get back in the swing of doing my walking again. How many children did you say you have? I have 3 boys, ages 8, 6, and 3. I really enjoy reading your posts, by the way!

Brandy - You are so motivational to me! Reading about your exercise makes me see where I am really slacking. I so want to keep this weight off...part of maintaining includes exercise..I just gotta do it!

Elisha - Hey, tell me about those lf cookies...were they yummy? I love cookies!!! Got a good recipe?

Julie- Hey there! How did the crockpot recipe turn out? I am so proud of you..wtg with the planning. How did your points go today?

Alexa- A BIG WELCOME TO YOU!!!!!!! PLEASE KEEP POSTING :).

MsRD- Your Sunday get together with your family sounds really nice. I love spending time with my family (that is my DH and my boys). My extended family is not a group I choose to spend a lot of time with...not really a good situation, and very hurtful to me usually. Good job with your fighting back with exercise...you go girl! Just keep on popping in that WATP!

Well, today was a pretty good day. Busy, as usual..with baseball tonight. Last night I had an awesome toning session (at least 45 min.), and I have done part of one already today. I am doing a good job with the toning, it's just the cardio I am slacking with. I need to kick it up a notch...I just keep on blaming my schedule..and to be fair, I am running around like crazy. But, enough excuses! Everyone is busy, not just me!!

Hope you all have a great evening! Talk to you soon!

[hikein2005]

ARGH!!!
This day sped right by! Zoom! And because of that, I made some "not so good" choices relating to food (lunch on the run, even though I had spent time packing a lunch today...guess I will eat it tomorrow!). A grilled chicken burrito at Taco Bell is NOT Weight Watcher friendly!!! AFTER I ate it, I figured out the points based on the nutritional guide I asked for at the window...and it was a 12 point burrito!!!! OUCH. The only thing I have eaten since is a quick snack (frozen graham cracker with cool whip-1pt) before taking DD to soccer practice...and my supper that was already figured into my points for the day. OK...that's a really long story, but the bottom line is I was 5 points over with a total of 29 and I didn't have any to spare today! But...I did better than the last 2 days, but I doubt the scale is going to show much of a loss if any at all on my first week! :(

Now that I know what I really need to work at, hopefully next week will be easier! I do have to plan better and NOT EAT OUT!!!! So...my personal goal for this next week is no eating out for the rest of the week! I have plenty of deli turkey, avacados, veggies and fruit that I shouldn't have to eat out...just need to plan better!

Exercise was good today. :) Went for a 15 minute walk during DD's soccer practice with another Mom and then we went for a 20 minute bike ride after dinner. It was not "maxing-my-heart rate" exercise, but I'm counting it. Then I went to the grocery store after that! Phew! I'm bushed!

Water:p ...not so good! I'm still chugging, though at this late hour, which means I'll be up all hours of the night peeing! :p Whenever I drink a soda (diet, of course) with my lunch, I never get in enough water! There's that planning thing again!!! ;)

Who asked about asparagus? Oh yea...Dewcan... You first snap off the "tough ends" and then...My sister marinades it in a ziploc baggie with some soy sauce and maybe a little brown sugar and ginger or garlic...I'm not sure, but experiment with that. Put it on the grill (very low), spray a little oil spray on it and grill it for just a couple of minutes and turn it! Yummy! I think she "blanches" the asparagus before she marinades it. It's good cold that way too after it's grilled! I usually just steam it. I break it into smaller pieces (about an inch or two if I do this) If you don't have a steamer, put a TBSP or two of water in a microwave dish and microwave it for a couple of minutes. It will come out really bright green. A little salt or even lemon salt and you are good to go. If you want to spray a little butter spray on it first, that's good!

MsRD...What you said about not creating more problems for yourself stuck with me all day! I do the same thing, maybe not related to my weight, but to things I say or don't say or don't do...always feel like someone is going to criticize me...just for being ME!! Grrrr! Why do we do this? Perhaps if we can find the answer to this, we would not be in the predicament we are in, right??? Glad you are back on the bandwagon, chickie! :hug:

Lisa...Busy, busy, busy! Glad you are all over the crud!!! :hug: Oh yea...the crockpot recipe...it was ok. I added rice and substituted mandarin oranges for the pineapple. Remind me not to use rice (even long grain) in a crockpot recipe...it always comes out mushy!

Buckneram...Your date with your BF sounds VERY romantic. You are so creative. Today was my sister's birthday and her husband sent her on a "Amazing Race" adventure and she ended up shopping for a dress and accessories and meeting him for dinner at a fancy restaraunt...that was AFTER she had a massage, manicure & pedicure!!! What a nice day, huh? I should only be so lucky!

Artsygirl...Your picnic sounds wonderful and all that work! You must have been exhausted!!! I was LOL at your dog chase!!! OUr Siberian Husky likes to chase cats too! This one is not as bad as our male we used to have...he used to terrorize our cat! Poor kitty!

Elisha...I just HATE interruptions when exercising!! Grrr...those darned animals! DD always used to have a way of coming in the middle of my workout to ask me to do something for her (when her Daddy was perfectly capable!) I finally made a rule: When Mommy is exercising, there is not interrupting unless there is an emergency!!!
Your menu today looks wonderful! That's how I want mine to look everyday!!! LOL!

Here's what mine looked like:
B-fast: 2 cups coffee w/ 3 TBSP Low carb vanilla creamer
1 slice pizza (whoops)
1 cup Kahsi Go Lean (on the fly)

Lunch: Well...you heard! That 12 point burrito! and a diet pop!

Snack: Graham cracker thing

Supper: Roast Pork (about 4 oz) w/ mushy rice mixed with cranberries & mandarin oranges, green beans!

Not so great, eh? Tomorrow, I will not be coming home for work, so I am going to choose a salad at a bagel shop across from where I work! Did I just post that I was NOT going to eat out the rest of the week? I could take my leftovers from tonight for tomorrow night, huh? Anyway...lunch is already in the fridge at work! Breakfast...always a dilemna! Depends on the time I have in the morning!

Alexa...Welcome...and if you go to page 1, you will see what this challenge is all about! You can join in anytime, just add your goals, exercise, etc.

Jennifer...Yoo Hoo! Where are you???

OK...gotta go change my exercise minutes and then head to bed or I will soon be a pumpkin....

[miss_elisha]

Morning chicks!

Today is off to a bad start. I’m just in a crappy mood, I have a headache, and everything is aggravating me this morning. I checked the weather and it said it’s supposed to be sunny and 70 today. Now that I’m wearing my new gauchos it’s cloudy and gloomy and about 55. The dog and the cats were both driving me crazy this morning, and I didn’t get enough sleep. To top it all off, the scale showed a 0.4 pound gain for the week, even after waiting until Tuesday to weigh in. :mad:

But anyway, calories were good yesterday. Don’t remember exactly what, but they were within acceptable range. Water was about 90 oz. Exercise was 16 minutes on the bike before work, 20 minutes after work, and weights. My food didn’t go as planned yesterday for a number of reasons, but it turned out ok.

Oh, and I learned that I don’t get to go to Salt Lake City next week. And I still hate my job. And the boss is coming back tomorrow. *sigh* I think I may seriously start looking for a new job. I’m just fed up with this place.

So I’ve decided that since I’m not losing weight and my eating hasn’t been terrible, I must need to exercise harder. Not necessarily longer, since I’m already doing more minutes of exercise than ever before, but I certainly need to increase the intensity. So this morning I upped the tension on the bike and went for 20 minutes. I tried to push myself harder than usual too. I was interrupted again by the dog, but I put her in the garage and got back on the bike. I’ll do more exercise of some sort after work.

I didn’t get any boxes of stuff put away last night either. But I did get some other random stuff done, including putting on the new duvet cover and putting up the new curtains. Hopefully I’ll get something put away tonight. But the main goal for this evening is to get to bed as early as possible. I need more sleep than I’m getting.

Menu today:
Breakfast:
2 c. coffee w/Southern Butter Pecan creamer (Yummy stuff, like I died and went to Alabama!)
2 sl. ww toast, 1 T. LF mayo, 1 sl. FF American cheese, 1 napkined sausage patty

Snack:
LS V-8

Lunch:
2 sl. toasted Italian bread w/garlic and basil and 2 oz. LF mozzarella (I had this as a sandwich with some tomato last night for dinner, it was so yummy I just had to have another for lunch today. Unfortunately, Steve had to have one too and took the last tomato, so I’m left with bread and cheese.)
Baby carrots
1 LF cookie

Snack:
Apple

Dinner:
Turkey ham, some veggies, perhaps some pasta

OK, I’ve got a meeting, and stuff to do. Have a good day, chicks.
~Elisha

[hikein2005]

Just a quickie.
Did 25 minutes on the bike this morning! Felt good! And I had 10 minutes of "quiet/meditation time", so my day is starting out good.

Will be a busy one. Work all day (go in at 10:30)...Weight Watchers at 6pm, then I have to go back to work for a few hours for Bingo! Home by 8:30, hopefully! Want to watch Idol tonight! It's getting down to the wire! Then to bed somewhat early!

I have a food plan. Let's just pray I stick with it today!

It's sunny and 60 already here this morning! :D But forecast is for rain and gloom the rest of the week! I just hope I keep up my mojo through the rain! :rain: Hope you all have a great day!

[Betani]

Okay, I got my 150 minutes in last week. I did some crunches yesterday morning, but I didn't time myself, so I'm guessing about 4-5 minutes.

The scale didn't move at all, but I still dropped an underwear size! Sorry if that's too much information, but it got me happy ;)

I discovered what my problem with posting is. Each week day before work, I start a post, then run out of time. Instead of just posting what I've got, I close the whole thing, thinking I can get back to it later. So, I'm out of time now, and I'm just going to post this much, even though it's short. I need to start following through on things!

[**Jennifer**]

Morning chickies! :)

Wow, I am so sore today, but it is for a good reason.

After 4 re-scheduled dates, this weekend was the Tony Robbins "Unleash The Power Within" event that we were doing through work. Well, it was the longest weekend of my life, and every muscle of my body feels like it is ready to fall off, but it was definitely worthwhile. :) Lots of stuff to think about, lots of reminders about things I already know, but haven't been doing. Basically, a wake-up call when I really needed it.

So....that's where I have been hiding. Event was 100 miles away from home, and registration was 7:30am daily. Friday it ended at 8:30, Saturday at 9:30, and Sunday it ended at 11:35!!! Then, an hour and a half drive home, and crash, to get up at 5am, and start all over. We had 1 meal break each day- very late in the day. We were told to bring snacks, so I had craisins, and cheese, made a PB&J sammitch to bring, brought shredded mini-wheat cereal for munching on. Water was free at the event, but I know I didn't drink enough. Even with sore muscles & joints, I'm down 3lb from last week. Yeah, most of that is the stress & lack of food at the event ;)

Ok, lots to catch up with here on my desk, but Roid is on vacation. Once I do a closing, I'll be able to come back & make comments and go into more detail.

Julie, can I count 12 hours + 13 hours + 15 hours of standing, jumping, clapping, and interaction as my exercise for this whole week???? ;) No, as much as I hate to say it, the moving around is actually loosening up the tight muscles, and helps. Gawd, did I just say that being active right now is helping kill the pain from 40 hours of physical activity??? Am I nutso! They brainwashed me!!!! :lol3:

Oooh, phone call- guy is running 20 minutes late, so I can type! Woo Hoo!

So, the event was really compelling. And sure enough, it isn't enough to know that I need to get this weight off of me. I MUST do it. I have to make it a priority, and that's what I haven't been doing for the last year plus with dealing with the builder, and then the hurricanes & damage to the old house, and then moving, and work, and offices closing. I have to make ME the priority, and I know that I'm worth the time & effort, and have to find a way to make this happen. So, brace yourselves...I'm back. :D And I'll be annoying as all hell when I'm doing what I need to be doing, and I'm not swayed by the little crap that distracts me now.

Tonight on my way home from work, I am stopping by the storage place and I'm going to find which box has my WATP and my vinyl dipped hand weights. I have to have hubby get the bike, since it will not fit in the Camry- need the Beast for that (the Durango). When I get home, I've got a load of laundry to deal with, and then hubby will be out working until about 8pm- I can get some stuff done before asking him to help me set up the one guest bed that I need his help moving. Then, 2 rooms down, and I can work with more boxes. House at 9pm, and then calling it a night. I'm exhausted!

Plan for the day:
Breakfast:
Meatball & Mozzarella lean pocket
12oz diet coke
32oz water

Lunch:
chicken breast sandwich
12oz diet coke
32oz water

Dinner- TBD
dunno yet.

As you can tell, I didn't post this before the closing showed up- posting now, and calling it lunch. And I need to post faster- 2 plus hours doesn't help! LOL

[ArtsyGirl]

Hi everyone, I had a great day with 2 hours of exercise this morning (4 mi. walk, 1 hr. TurboKick), and just over an hour additional tonight on the bike with my DH. It was gorgeous out here and I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible before the rain comes in tomorrow.

Glad to see everyone doing so well with their challenge! Keep it up!

Jennifer-Glad you found such wonderful inspiration over the weekend. I can't wait for you to be "annoying as all hell". I find I get the most accomplished when I enter that mode. :D Anyways, it sounds like you've been through a lot lately. I'm sorry for that :hug: sounds like things are getting back on track and you're definetly in a good mind set for weight loss:) .

Betani-Congratulations on reaching your weekly goal!:carrot: (And of course on the size change ;) ANY size change is worthy of sharing and celebrating!!

Julie-Great job getting that biking in before your busy day! Hope everything worked as planned food wise. Except for a little bit of dark chocolate I did well today.

Elisha-:hug: to you. Hope your day got better as it went on. You should be proud of yourself for continuing your exercise through the interruption!!!!!

Have a great night.

[MsRD]

Hello all!

Wow.....just catching up on reading all the posts! it sounds like we are a motivated group!

Alexa.......First things first.....Welcome! You are doing so well with your weight loss....and only 15 lbs to go! i know you can do it!

Julie......I ROFL over your DH not cleaning up after himself......I think it is a worldwide problem! After this many years, I find changing him is too much of a hassle. Hmmm.......enjoyed your concept of 10 minutes quiet/meditation time. That is something I need to incorporate into my day.
Also.....give me 30 minutes of exercise today......I ran the dog, worked in the garden and then did 1-mile WATP.

Elisha......So, you asked DH to put laundry in the dryer? You have to be specific dear......did you also ask him to turn the dryer on? :rofl3:

Brandy.....Trying out for a triathalon? That is such a neat goal.....what do you have to do to qualify?

Diana......How wonderful that you have your whole family motivated to 'live better'! It makes the workouts so much more fun when all are involved.

Angela.....Congrats on the guitar final! Hope you have a lovely romantic evening with your BF

Lisa.....Yes, I love Sunday when the kids and grandkids are here. But, like you, there are siblings and nieces and nephews I would rather not see too.....how can one family be so philosophically different?

Betani.....Good job on getting in your 150 minutes last week! What is your goal this week?

Jennifer.....What an inspiring weekend you had! Just the thing to get your kickstarted again......pass on the motivation, chickie, we can all use it!


I have been feeling kinda out of it the past few days.....nothing specific, but just no energy. Think I will go to bed early.....maybe some extra sleep will help.

[hikein2005]

I can sure feel all the energy here with this group! It's electrifying...(reminds me of a song...anyone else???)

OK...so the big news is....I weighed intonight at Weight Watchers and...(drum roll please!)... I LOST 3.5 lbs this week!!!!! YEA!!!! Even with all the added junk I ate, I still lost! I feel so motivated! :carrot: This is so what Ineeded! Funny story...I came home tonight and told DH that I lost. DD overheard me and said "Is that good?" I said "Honey, one lb would be good!" She said "So you did even better, huh?" She's so darned cute!!! Then later, we went for a bike ride and she brought it up again...only this time she said "Did all these bike rides help you lose weight?" I told her yes, that was part of it, but eating better was also part of it. She gets it!!!

OK, so just wanted to report that and update my exercise ticker (another 20 night with DD) I'm racking up these miles...

Food today was pretty much as planned, but I did eat out. This was cool, though...went to a Chinese place (NOT buffet) and ordered veggies (the stuff Ilike) and chicken. When she brought my plate, the sauce was on the side! Now I would never have thought to ask for the sauce at a Chinese place on the side! So...I'll do that again! I used only less than half! So yea me!!! And it was really yummy! I did eat 2 crab rangoons, though! :o Forgot to add them to my points for the day! Uh oh! :o

Oh...and who asked about the weeks...I'm going from Monday through Sunday since that is when the month started (on Monday)! Not sure what anyone else is doing!

Jennifer...your seminar sounds absolutely what we all need!!! WOW!!! So cool. You will have to tell us more about it. I'm glad you will be driving us nuts! ;) I've missed you! Did you get your tapes out or do I need to send you one? Let me know...I have started a package for you!!! LOL!!!

Thanks for all the feed back from all of you! I need my beauty sleep but will be back tomorrow.

[miss_elisha]

Morning ladies!

Yesterday was the worst day I’ve had in a long time. Around 10.30 yesterday morning Steve called and told me he was going to the emergency room because he was having chest pains. He said they weren’t too bad, but he had a severe infection in one of his heart valves a few years back that did a bit of damage, so now he has to be careful with anything concerning his heart, so he wanted to go in just to be safe. So we spent the day at the hospital, and we learned pretty much nothing. He didn’t have a heart attack, so that’s good, but they don’t know what caused his pain. They wanted to keep him overnight, but he said no. He’s got to go in for more tests today.

So food didn’t go remotely as planned yesterday, I didn’t get in much water, and the only exercise I got was the 20 minutes on the bike in the morning.