40-Somethings - Official Thanksgiving Goal Thread

Thought I'd be bold and start it off.

:turkey:

Thanksgiving is right around the corner - 11/26! A little more than three weeks. Let's figure out our goals and maybe in the spirit of the holiday include something we are grateful for (like a NSV)!

I am at 179 and am looking to lose 5 lbs - which would put me at 174. I am grateful for this group and the fact that I miss checking in!

:happ3:

Ash

i weighed myself this morning at 236 and id loooove to be 225 by thanksgiving but for goals sake ill say i want to be 230

im thankful for this cold weather in texas :) and for my bed.

inthemidst - thanks for getting us started!! I'm shooting for 156 and couldn't be more grateful for this website and for thedailyplate - definitely the reasons that this time, it's working! If I make it to 156, it will be very exciting as I don't think I've weighed that amount in 10 years and can barely remember what it looks like on me.

Count me in! Starting off at 152 - looking for 148 (again) by Thanksgiving. More aggressive than my typical rate and will require a bit more rigor.

Didn't make the Halloween goal but I'm not giving up. This time my goal will be to stay at 1400 calories a day and get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. I'll take any loss that comes with that! As for something I'm thankful for, today we had sunshine. We've had so many days of rain, I've almost forgot what it looks like!

Start Weight: 227.5
Goal for Thanksgiving: 225.5
I seem to be a half pound a week loser. I wish it were faster, but there it is. I'll work with it!

I'd LOVE to be under 150 by Thanksgiving!

icu - with all that swimming, you've got this!

OMW - that's a great approach - do the right things and the results will come! How nice to be slimmer for a big holiday.

gardener joy - half a pound a week is so very much a trend in the right direction - imagine your results if you keep going at this rate for 6 mos, or a year!

nrz - 11lbs is a lot in a few weeks, but, hey, we'll be here to cheer you on!!

Yes! Count me in too. I am 220 and I would like to be 213 by Thanksgiving. I made my Halloween goal and I am happy for that. I also plan to walk more at home and keep up the walking on my breaks at work.

I am thankful for my boyfriend, Pete, he has been very supportive on my weight loss journey.

congrats again, Hydra, for knocking it out of the park in the last challenge!! Sounds like you have a good plan for thanksgiving - looking forward to seeing you blow it away again!

ICU - when are we going to 'C' 'U' again? That avatar doesn't have as nice a smile as you do! Hey, did you ever get the ipod/iphone/itouch that you were shooting for? Can't remember.

151.0 today as the weekend bloat peels back off. :rolleyes: 1500 clean calories yesterday at most (estimating a bit with a pasta casserole), and about 60 minutes of swimming.

Is it too late to join?

Currently I weigh 186, but would love to be 180 or below by Thanksgiving.



sw: 187
cw: 186
gw: 130

Tiredofthis, It's never too late to join in here!

Today is day 8 of getting back on track. I'll be exercising tonight while I watch Biggest Loser! I've kept within my calories. The scale is moving in the right direction and I am back to my ticker weight. I'm hoping (or should I say planning) to see more movement in the downward direction soon!

Stick with it chicks! We can do this!

icu - woohoo for the return of 151!

OMW - congrats on 8 days! It must feel great to be moving the dial again! I'm a little stuck right now so I may have to live vicariously through you ;)

tiredofthis - welcome! Glad you could join us!

I'm in for maintaining and not gaining this Thanksgiving Challenge.

Suki - are you taking a break or do you have lots of stuff going on between now and thanksgiving that makes dieting too hard?

151 again and still on plan. TOM showed up a little early (what a pleasant surprise - NOT) and that explains a couple of things.

dancer - yes, I did get my Touch! Love the little bugger ... it's an amazing tool/toy and I've already loaded 3GB of music onto it. Not quite sure what's up with the avatar - a pic that I used before won't load. So I guess I need to get a new one up there. I'm kinda overdue - the other one was from June. :)

Off to the pool tonight.

I'm down 1 pound. It is so nice to finally see the scale moving down instead of up! :)


sw: 187
cw: 185
gw: 130 or 135 (I would be thrilled to see either number again!)

tired - woohoo for a pound lost!! Nothing is as inspiring as seeing the dial drop!

icu - I have a feeling the 140s will be yours again in a flash. What's your next planned reward? Just being gorgeous or do you have something else in mind?

way to go, tired!

dancer - no more planned rewards, lol! Just going to get to the end of the ticker and see what's there, and then work on holding onto it. I've already got the best reward in the world - I FEEL GOOD AGAIN. :)

ICU - I hear that! Even though I still have another 15 or 20 (or maybe more?) to go, getting dressed in the morning or getting ready to go out is fun again and no reward can beat that!

Hey CHickies,

Just finished a big project for school and feel like I can breath. Have definitely NOT learned how to eat healthy when I am stressed by school. The next 3 weeks will be a challenge.

My new goal is to do the best I can and not get sucked into the "feeling discouraged so I am just going to eat myself silly" vortex. NOT THIS TIME!

Thinking about all of you. Will write personals tonight.
:carrot:

Glad you got a moment to rest, Midst! Sometimes it does require a little departure from the path to help us see how good the path is - I can relate to that completely. I think you've got a really good goal for this challenge, given your school situation, with working on your head game. If you conquer that one, you truly will be setting yourself up for a lifetime of progress, and the body stuff won't be able to do anything else but follow along!

Back up to 152 again - likely a product of the swimming last night, TOM, and 3 nights of crummy sleep. Taking comfort from my journal ... this will all turn around in the next four days if I do exactly what Midst is doing. :)

I'm discouraged today - my knee is bothering me just when I'm starting to get on another running kick (small break last week due to snow). I'm dogsitting so I think I'm going to take the dog out for a quick walk to see if I can turn this mood around. Hope you all are having happier days than I am! :)

My goal for Thanksgiving....I'd like to be to 205 at least.

Also, I'd like to be able to resist the urge to pig completely out!

I'm thankful for my family and my health and the people who believe in me even when I don't.

I'm jumping on your bandwagon ladies. I need all the support you can muster! I'll set my goal as losing 5 pounds before Thanksgiving.
Remind me that this isn't all about losing weight and that we are also striving to live healthier lives.
*sigh*

ROCK ON CHICKS!!

:D :dust::trampo:

My Thanksgiving goal is five pounds. My short term goal is to get through this weekend in good shape. We've got family coming to town, can't wait to see them, but I am anticipating lots of challenge. I grew up in one of those families where food was always the centerpiece of any get-together, celebration, or crisis. Goodness, we love to eat. I am trying to detach myself from this way of life! I am steeling myself and committed to making healthy choices this weekend. I can do it!

20 days to go! I must have been at this a while. I felt like I absolutely pigged out yesterday, but when I totalled it up it still only came in around 1830 calories. I don't like to go that high more than once a week, but given how I was battling the munchie monsters yesterday, I suppose I ought to just be grateful it wasn't worse!

dancer, I hope your knee is feeling better!

Some aggressive goals here - good luck everyone! Of course, we all know it doesn't have much to do with luck!

Welcome, new folks!

Wow - 20 days! I'm stuck in a bit of a plateau and with my knee issues I doubt I'll be able to do my usual run-like-a-crazy-woman until the weight is gone approach this time around. Somehow I just can't get that inspired with the elliptical or the rowing machine. I have a bunch of stretches and exercises to do that should help.

What's everyone doing this weekend?

I've got a bunch of friends coming over for dinner (I love to cook) and I'm taking it as a personal challenge to make the dinner diet friendly but not in a way that they'll notice. At least this way I have control of the food options - my biggest worry these days is having meals at other people's houses. Restaurants are okay since you can almost always find something but at a dinner party, that can be really tricky.

dancer - agree with you on the dinner party thing! DS10 is staying overnight at a friend's house, and we've all been invited over there for dinner prior to the festivities. I'm thinking I'll beg off, because dinner's not til 6:30 and I need to be in the pool at 7:30 (urp!). Piano on Saturday morning, then meeting a friend for lunch. Supposed to be fantastic weather this weekend so I expect to be doing a lot of yardwork. Great weekends in November are kind of a rare thing and I really need to get all the leaves up and mow one last time. Plus, pull in the drip irrigation, and "deadhead" all the perennials, and check for places that need caulk ... should be busy!

wow - busy and calorie-burning, it sounds like! BTW, nice to see your photo back! Are you seeing some cool changes in your body with all this swimming? I love it when I flex my quads and they feel rockhard :) It's the little things, right?

Okay, newbies and oldtimers, it's getting kind of quiet around here and with only a few weeks left before thanksgiving, that's not a good sign! ;) What's everyone doing to meet their goals this week?

I have had a good food day. My bad time is at night and I want to snack so I am determined to not eat after 7 and have lots of water. My weekend will be spent sewing costumes for a show in a couple of weeks and to start on some kitchen cushions for a friend of mine. Going to hear the orchestra tomorrow evening with my daughter.
Also, going to get into the pool. Ever seen a hippo swim? ha ha

ICU - thanks for the inspiration in the water! It's great exercise, isn't it?

Dancer - how can you run? I have always wanted to be a runner. It looks so fun and freeing! good for you!

Hang in there ladies!!

healthy mom - people of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels can be runners! If you're interested in getting started, I'd recommend going to a running store (not a more general place - the experts really know what they're talking about) and getting a good supportive pair of shoes. You can always use the shoes as walking shoes, etc, if you decide it isn't your thing after all. A lot of people on this board have used the Couch to 5K program (C25K) - google for more info - but you can also start by slowly jogging a few blocks, then walking until you recover, then jogging, etc. Hope that helps...

Thanks Dancer!
I just looked at the C25K site and the concept looks good. I live in Ohio and I don't know if now is the right time to begin running for 9 weeks or longer! Snow and cold are coming. any thoughts? Maybe I should stick with swimming for a while til spring? Or maybe do the run/walk combo on the nice days. Lord knows today is gorgeous and 60 but it'll be 28 in no time.
Where are all the Thanksgiving ladies?

Healthymom - if you're up for it, go ahead and get started. If/when the weather gets in your way, and if there's not too much snow to make it to the gym, you can substitute with swimming. Those are very complementary activities since swimming isn't high impact and is gentler on your legs. You are going to be in great shape in no time! And what a fun thought that you will be a runner by the time it gets warmer again!

Hanging in here. Trying to set a new goal for myself of 15 minutes exercise a day. I did go to Pilates on Thursday. I find myself in the vortex that inthemidst mentioned. Teaching special ed is hectic and I struggle to find balance in my life during the school year. Right now I am in the middle of parent-teacher conferences, plus annual meetings for kiddos(which requires tons of paperwork), early in on mornings and late nights this week. Not to mention I still need to plan/prepare lessons, teach 'em, go to committee meetings, monthly medicaid billing paperwork, report data conferences, oh...yeah....I have my own family too! Sorry I got off on a major whine...I apologize.

A positive....I bought myself 3 pairs of a smaller size jeans for myself from ebay and they all fit!!!!! A little tight, but dh is okay with that! ;)

We did take time to celebrate our anniversary of our first date this weekend. It has been 20 years.

Wishes to everyone for a successful week!!!!

I want my scale to say 22-something before Thanksgiving. I'm tired of looking at 2-3- whatever. Fortunately, I should not be on call again between now and then. I go back on call on Thanksgiving day so I should be able to get to my pilates and yoga classes. I signed up for a yoga workshop this weekend too so something a little extra there and I have my meals all planned out (I've become kind of obsessive about this.) Let's hope its enough.

Hi everyone! Still no losses to report, but maintaining is OK too. :)

Man, the holidays are closing in, aren't they???

Hello, I'm brand new, I just went for my consultation this past Friday and will get my menus on Friday(13th).
I am excited and afraid all at the same time but I am going to give it my best.
Your threads are very encouraging.
I look forward to seeing results.

Thanks,
Sexyrene

Sexyrene - what plan are you following?
sukie and midst - It's definitely crazy time. Me too!
dancer - how's the knee doing?
petra - I know how you feel with the decade-change - I really want to get back to the 140's again. :)
healthymom - yes, I love swimming because it takes care of the upper-body stuff at the same time! And don't knock them hippos, lady - hippos are incredibly graceful in the water! Fun fact - did you know that more people worldwide are killed or injured by hippos every year, than they are by sharks? Cute AND dangerous!

Finally, a move in the right direction! I wondered how long it was going to take. Now I can be a little more optimistic about Thanksgiving!

I'm jumping in here too if you don't mind. I weighed today 186 and by Thanksgiving i would like to lose 5 or 6. My goal from this day on is to get some exercise in everyday too!!

welcome, kimi! That's a very aggressive goal, but you have plenty of good company! Sixteen days to go!

My movement coach/personal trainer asked me to set a goal and I've just been too far away from the laptop to post it.

I want to see 299.anything while dressed in my work out clothes on the medical grade scale at the gym with my trainer on Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

That means at home I need to weigh in sans work out attire at 297. I'm allowing 2.5 for scale difference + clothes. I haven't seen a weight below 300 since I found out I was pregnant in January 2005, so this will be a 5 year low. I've got two weeks left until then and 5.6 pounds left to go. Glad everyone's already in the Thanksgiving goal groove here at 3FC.

I'll also try to post more this month. I keep falling asleep too soon after my kidling is asleep, not getting all my chores done. However, I am losing 8.75-10 pounds per month, getting stronger by the week and finding new abilities I never thought I'd see...like on Saturday, drumroll maestro, XXXXXXXXXXXXX for the first time in my life, I ran. :carrot: It was an accident, I'd only intended my usual hike with my daughter and my dog. I was going faster then I usually do and then I was running. I was more relaxed then I can ever recall being, my joints were fluid and I finally got why some people love to run. Wow! I literally believed my body could never do that at any weight and there I was, weighing over 300 pounds running and I felt great.

:thanks2:

Hooray! Lots of ladies to talk with! I need all the support I can get!

ResiliantWoman - Good for you running! Good luck reaching your Thanksgiving goal! I did my first day of running yesterday. I am trying to C25K method - Couch To 5K. Any special things you're doing to get down 8-10 pounds each month? Please share if you're willing.;)

Petra and ICU - I am there too. So want to get to the 180's part of the scale. Was there in June... Thanksgiving goal!! :crossed:

ICU - You are an inspiration. Love your pic, you look so happy! :D

Sexyrene - Care to share your menu plan? :goodscale

Kimi - how are you doing exercising everyday? That would be a good challenge for all of us. Good luck. :goodluck:

For me, I have been good for 3 days by not eating after 7pm. This is a big issue with me.

Have a happy day!

and PS - ICU - thanks for the info on hippos! hee hee

To All: I had 3fatchicks change my user name from healthymom2009 to realme2010 since i wasn't a very healthy mom in 2009!

My scale finally moved this morning! Hallelujah! I didn't see a 2-2- yet but close. It was 230 I'm not changing my ticker until Friday though. You guys must be rubbing off on me already. Tonight is pilates. It is at 5:30 which is tight for me for work so sometimes I make it and sometimes I don't. I packed my clothes today so I can go straight from work if I get squeezed for time. I've never done that before. The dogs will survive if I don't get home until a little later-they have lived through worse.

Hey Petra!!! Way to go!!! Congrats!!! Did you get to pilates???
Your Thanksgiving goal is within reach! Keep going.
How are the doggies??

Yes, I made it to pilates. And the scale still said 230 this morning so it must be real. Maybe I'll get my wish tomorrow.

Good morning everyone! :wave:

Had a few low moments in the salty/crunchy junk arena yesterday but am "in recovery" and re-inspired. :D

ICU - I had the same issue on Wednesday! Salty and crunchy.... and the thing is, though it did taste good, I didn't really enjoy it! Does that make sense?

Petra - Thanksgiving goal will be reached!!! Keep up the good work!

I saw the wonderful 2-2 on the scale this morning. I have decided that I am going to reward myself for every 15 lbs I lose this time so when I get this lb off, I am going to get a massage. I've never had one. They have a certified massage therapist at the yoga studio. I see a massage in my near future :D

YES Petra! a massage for you is a wonderful treat for 15 pounds! You Go Girl! I hope when i weigh in on Monday I have good news to share.
Where is everyone?

10 days to go. I have been battling that "increased exercise/increased appetite" bugaboo, and I have not been winning. My food journal is my friend and I will not stray again. I have some calorie room to eat more, but the choices have to good ones.

Everyone please keep posting your successes and how you're doing! C'mon - it's just 10 days! ;) Let's aim for perfection!

I'm down 2 for a total of 3 since the beginning of this challenge. I'm writing things down and that really helps! Keep it up everyone! Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!

Aargh - I've been in maintenance mode for a few weeks - no real gain but some fluctuating. I'm trying to get motivated by playing some games with myself - I can go ahead with remodeling my kitchen (will hire out all the work, lazy me) once I fit into size 10 pants from the limited. Just ordered the size 10 version of the suit pants I'm wearing to work today online and will use them as the official test. Who knows - maybe this will get me in gear! Snow on the ground and knee problems haven't been helpful on the exercise front but I've been getting in the odd run and lots of long walks. Am going to check out a new belly dance exercise video tomorrow - will let you know how it is! Hope you're all doing well.

Oh - small thing - since it sounds like a few of you share my salty/crunchy weakness, my latest favorite munchable is roasted and salted soy nuts - I get mine at Supertarget but I bet most health food stores have them. Salty crunchy and full o' protein.

I haven't seen that 2-2 again so this has been a little frustrating. Still hanging out at 230.

I have to admit, i was too afraid to weigh myself today. Just can't face the scale going in the wrong direction. So, i'll wait.... I am learning to run with the C25K program. I can't wait to mix it with some weights and the pool starting in December. I know I am going to have to join a gym but am holding off on that til the weather is just tooooo cold for me to exercise outside.

Hey, speaking of which, anyone have any good weight lifting programs???

Does the food journaling really work? I guess if you lie in the food journal then you're only hurting yourself!

Petra - Hang in there. You WILL see your goal!!

Dancer - a size 10. Sounds like a dream! I hope your online purchase fits perfectly. Thanks for the soy bean alternative as a salty snack!

Good luck to us all! :D

I have been holding at 220 for the past week. I am certain that I will not make my goal but that is okay. I just hope to lose one pound at my wednesday weigh in.

I don't know if it is the season, weather, or what, but I have been struggling with stress eating and lack of motivation. I need to go back like ICU and read my journal from when I was doing it right.

Sounds like a lot of us are holding steady!

I'm back. I thought i wasn't going to be able to ever get back here. Everytime i tried the page wasn't available! Very weird. Well i've lost 2lbs so far and have managed to get some exercise in but not where i want to be!! I might not get my 6 lbs in by turkey day but at least i'm on the right road again. Has anyone did the Hip Hop Abs exercise tape? I absolutely hate exercise tapes and this one i love to do.

Realme - it does make sense that things can taste good but not be enjoyable; I think we get to points in this journey where we swiftly realize that what we're sticking in our mouths is incompatible with the goals we've set, and when we choose to go ahead and eat it anyway, there's too much baggage accumulated to allow us to be happy about doing it! That's my theory ... Re the weightlifting, many ladies like New Rules of Weightlifting for Women. I like Matt Furey's Combat Conditioning, which emphasizes functional fitness and requires **NO** equipment - it's all done with body weight, so it's infinitely portable.

petra - massages are absolutely incredible - you will LOVE it! Patience on the decade change - it will come! Just makes it all the more sweeter when it happens.

OMW - That little bee on your ticker is getting close to the finish line! It's been a terrific fall for you!

dancer - sorry to hear your knee is still bugging you :( Small size pants should do the trick for the motivation - I remember when I zipped up my 8's - the rush can carry you for days! I love those soy nuts too, but don't have them very often. Pistachios ... oh, them's good! And with the shells, they slow you down nicely. Sunflower seeds in the kernel are the same way.

hydra - Hang in there! Sometimes 10 days can make a huge difference. And there's always Christmas, too. We've been chatting already about what challenge comes after Thanksgiving ...

sukierd - Yup, re-reading the food records from the periods of loss, I'm all over that! There's definitely a common theme: no junk. :rolleyes:

kimi2 - yes, the outages drove me nuts! I didn't realize I'm so addicted to the site. 2 pounds is nothing to sneeze at - you're probably getting lots stronger and never forget muscle weighs more than fat!

Had a good day yesterday - ate well and got in a decent swim. Today is planned rest, although I'll be up and moving around for a couple hours tonight while I get the place decluttered :lol: and I'm on track with a good list of eats. I'm still weighing every day, and I'm still ON the ticker!

Howdy, girls! So nice that the site is back up and staying that way!

ICU - sounds like all is well in your world and you're being super disciplined! I'm so impressed - I'm hoping I can follow your lead and get on the right track through the holidays. Am heading over to the park to run at lunch. Will report back (so that I make myself do it!).

kimi - woohoo for 2lbs!

suki - Okay, since we're stuck in maintenance - let's get out of our rut and do it right the rest of the week! Are we on? :)

hydra - we'll be sending positive thoughts your way for the weigh-in!

realme - you are closer to those 10s than you realize! C25K is a great way to get there - how is it going?

petra - you've got this - hang in there and you will see it soon!

I'm in dancer.....I was good yesterday, went out for lunch and had a potato, salad, and iced tea. For me that is a very good start.

On track, and a little more optimistic about getting back under 150, my Thanksgiving goal) in the next week. I've had 3 pounds (obviously, water weight) fall off in the last two days, and am right back to 150.5 again. It occurred to me that there are only about 7 1/2-ish weeks left in the year, and I would really like to wrap up the "losing" phase of this effort in 2009, despite the minefield of the holiday season.

sukie - I share your enthusiasm for the potato as an entree! I haven't been eating many of them lately, but now you've rekindled my interest. :drool:

dancer - how'd that run go yesterday? Knee holding up?

icu - love the drooling smilie! I ended up walking yesterday instead as it was still pretty snowy but am hoping that by tomorrow at lunch I'll be able to get in a short run at least. WTG on your 'water' whoosh! I doubt you're giving yourself quite enough credit on that one but whatever ;) Good point on the weeks to go in this year. I have to keep reminding myself that I'll be on a beach in a bathing suit in TWO(!!!) months - you would think that would get my butt in gear, literally! I'm going to stay focused more on measurements than on pounds for a bit and see how that goes.

suki - woohoo on the good start! How's it going today? I've decided to go back to tracking calories strictly on the dailyplate no matter what through thanksgiving.

YES!! Back across the decade threshold! Would you believe 4.5 pounds in 3 days??? Chalk this up as another example of how fickle our weights are and how wildly they can swing ... and how forgiving our bodies can be if we get back on the wagon soon enough. I have no idea what tomorrow is going to bring, but I intend to keep doing what is working - which is 1500 +/- 100 calories of mostly unprocessed food, thoroughly documented. 7 days to Thanksgiving, and this time I'm going to still be in the 140's.

Dancer, my old HS BF posted a picture of the snow around Denver. I can appreciate why walking would be a better choice!

ICU- way to go! I'm with dancer, you don't give yourself enough credit for your hard work! Maybe all this extra tie in the pool is finally paying off!

Dancer, I'm not looking forward to snow! Makes me want to stay inside with a nice warm blanket!

Sukie, Day by day, that's all we can do!

I'm down another pound today, for a total of 4 since the start of the challenge. I'm very happy about that.

Thanksgiving feast today at school. Watching 3 and 4 year olds prepare food is enough to turn anyone away from eating! I'll only pretend to share what we have made this week, way too many germs for me!

Have a great day everyone!

It's official! I'm at 229.0 this morning and Friday is the day I count.

Glad to see everyone else is being so disciplined. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself about not being married, having family here etc. but sometimes it does make my life easier. I don't have to deal with any food minefields for Thanksgiving. I'm working since I'm here and I already know what I'm eating that day-totally OP. Now, when I go home for Christmas, that will be another story altogether.

OMW-I know we all like to think that all that exercise has a lot to do with our weight loss but study after study has shown that it is 95% what you eat. Exercise is a very small piece of the puzzle. It certainly improves your health overall and tones you and improves your mood. Lots of good reasons to do it, but people overestimate its benefit when it comes to weight loss.

petra - CONGRATS! I know that was a milestone you wanted to hit ... and decade changes feel SO good! The Maintainer's forum agrees with you about diet being key during the weight loss phase, but the universal consensus is that once you get to maintenance, activity is critical ... unfortunately along WITH the food diligence. I didn't start swimming until just last month and it's been difficult to not rationalize eating more. One 3FC on the support forum has a terrific signature: "Diet helps you look better in clothes. Exercise helps you look better nekkid." I concur! :D

ICU - wowza - you are doing awesome! I'm so happy for you - that's great news. It must be so fun getting dressed in the morning!!!

petra - :dance: :dance: :dance: - woohoo! way to go!

omw - congrats on your progress - you are doing great!

I'm sticking to my calorie counts really carefully this week although I'm missing the calorie burn of the longer runs. We're going to try to get in a fall hike on sunday so I'm hoping a few hours in the mountains will help me with the whole calorie deficit (and looking good nekkid!) thing!

Happy Friday all!

ICU-I agree with you about the "dieting to lose and exercising to maintain thing." I think they have it right. I'm glad I've found a form of exercise I enjoy so I will have something to stick with when I get there. Going to a yoga class tonight in fact.

Swam again last night. Day 3 of being back under 150 - can I hold it over the weekend? :shrug: Will do my best!

I saw the lowest number on the scale I've seen so far this morning. 227.6. I'm sure that won't stick but it was still nice to see. I go on call on thurs and we can usually dress more casually for holidays, weekends, etc. I have a pair of size 16 jeans I keep putting on. I can get them on but not quite zip them up. I'd like to be able to wear them this weekend. Don't know if that's realistic or not but we'll see. A lot of my other clothes are getting so big I really can't wear them anymore. If nothing else, I'm sure I'll be wearing those jeans home for Christmas.

Wow! I miss a week and I miss a lot!! I had a crazy crazy tech week doing costumes for a show. Still haven't weighed myself but HAVE stayed on track with my C25K and finished my second week yesterday. Please keep posting you guys. I need your inspiration and PMA comments. Too bad you can't call me in the middle of the day and say, "YO! Are you being good??" :callme: :s:

Petra - HUGE hugs and congratulations with your weight loss and your numbers!!!! :cp: :congrat:

Dancer - what beach are you going to be on in 2 months?? I am jealous! Cold weather and clouds and snow.... get me out! (and it hasn't started yet!) :sunny:

ICU - you're so cute! how was the thanksgiving meal at school? hee hee Also, thanks for the weightlifting ideas. Although the one you prefer where it's done with my own body weight.... have you seen how much i weigh???? Are you kidding???? I'll look into it though.... :cb::cb:

Hope to talk to you all this week!! When is our official weigh in???

152.5 today, despite the calorie control. I knew it was coming because of the type of things I was eating, and I know I can get it back off by Thanksgiving without a problem. :)

Realme - Not kidding at all! Furey's program breaks things into smaller pieces for the beginners, and makes lots of suggestions about modifications. I still do back bridges over my fitness ball just for the secure feeling. Look at it this way - you're already doing body weight exercises, and you're probably very, very strong just from the moving around you do now!

151.5 - 3 complete, on-plan days before Thursday morning's weigh-in ... c'mon everybody! Go team! :D :goodluck: :cheer:

The 220's appear to be here to stay. I was 228 this morning so I'm a happy camper.

ICU - you will be back in the 140s in no time with your discipline, I'm sure!

petra - you are doing great - woohoo!

realme - we're headed to costa rica for some sunshine and sand (and sloths apparently :) ). Good for you for staying on track!

So, according to my new digital scale I've lost a few pounds but the new scale is still showing above ticker so I'm just going to leave it there until I catch up. Bummer that the old scale made me think that I'm skinnier than I am but whatever - I'm going to focus on how my clothes fit in the meantime :)

Hope you all nail your thxgiving goals! (I won't but my clothes are looser than when we started, and not from stretching out ;) ).

dancer ... I was checking the Chicks for a Challenge thread yesterday (never been there before), and I see you recently got a big promotion! :cheer: Yay, you! Congratulations!

Hovering 8oz above ticker - 150.0. These swings of 3-4lbs up and down are getting tiring ... I wish I could figure out exactly what it is that makes me blow up like a frightened puffer fish. It's something besides salt. I have some suspicions about artificial colors - going to have to investigate.

Dairy and wheat are common culprits.

petra - thanks! I did a full-blown elimination diet a couple of years back when I started the Ultrametabolism program, and happily didn't have any issues with those. I did an IgG (I know, not totally reliable) and it came back "sensitive" to strawberries, kidney beans, and garlic of all things. None of the readings were significantly high, but I do look for those when I have this water spike. I think ... I've been eating organic/unprocessed for so long, that I'm getting sensitive to artificial junk! Which is kind of cool - I can use the negative reinforcement! :lol:

lambchop - safe travels, and good choices!

ICU - thanks! you are a sweetie! How interesting about your water retention - I am curious to hear what you figure out. Do you find the water retention makes your clothes fit differently or is it so spread out you barely notice?

I've been a pescatarian and eating clean for 14mo now and I can't eat anything processed anymore, It does not agree with my stomach. Which is a good thing, it really prevents you from even wanting it.

What a wild swing - 148.5 this morning! Not changing ticker yet - this is too good to be true. We'll see what Friday brings ...

Dancer, I can usually see it in my eyelids, fingers, jawline, waist, collarbone. So I'd have to say it's almost like a layer under my skin. Wonder what my poor internal organs are subjected to? Thank goodness going back to clean takes it right back off!

Fruitlady - wholeheartedly agree with you. Not to mention that most of the time it tastes pretty bleh too - nothing but salt and chemical aftertastes.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

With all the technical issues on this site, I thought I better post my weight while I got the chance. 228.6 this morning. Have been in the 220's all week so it seems to be official. I'd like to be about down 1 lb more but I'll take it. Have a good holiday everyone. I have to work today. Someone has to take care of the sick people on the holidays, you know.

Petra, congrats! How come nobody's taking care of sick servers??? :)

Well, I'm at 150.5 this morning, likely because of the hard workout. Only had 1600 clean calories yesterday, so that wasn't it. Disappointed, just a smidge, but it's just a date on the calendar. Ah well. Good behavior today, and then on the Christmas.

Hi Chickies,

It's been a rough road the last month. BUT I am pleased to say that I have maintained at 179.

You all are doing great!!!

My goal now is to show my face on the new challenge thread everyday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do we have a new Challenge thread?

I think we should probably wait until the turkey is cold.

One postscript from Thanksgiving: I may not have seen a number on the scale this morning that represents what I wanted ... but ... I have returned from the dreaded Thanksgiving dinner, and I brought the day in at 1550 calories. :D

ICU-that's awesome. You did better than I did on calories and I didn't even have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner!

Can I count my weigh-in this morning for my Challenge? Get this - I LOST 1.5 last night. 149.0 - maybe late, but even sweeter in its own way!

Hi all.

ICU: :congrat:

I am still calling 179 a victory as I have maintained and not gained.
Yesterday's goals were to drink my water and not overeat. Did well on the water and didn't overeat too much. Filled my plate full and left 1/2 of it. WooHoo! Even left the mashed potatoes. That's a new one for me.

Hope you all are well and enjoying the holiday.

I posted a couple of pictures in the Weekly chat that I took this morning. I downsized the side view a little too much ... oops. I know everybody likes pics. :)

I'm going to start a New Year challenge to get us THROUGH, not TO, Christmas. Hope you'll join me!

midst - WAY TO GO! Maintaining is most definitely a win - and great job leaving some on the plate! I can't do that - I have a lot better luck with controlling it before it gets that far. :)

Hi All! I lost my 5 pounds by Thanksgiving and am excited to keep going. At the moment I have swine flu - can you believe it! So I have to stay in bed for a few days. I already miss my 3 mins of work out and my "learning to run" program I have been doing. I did get signed up for lap swims so....
ICU - i wanna do your New Years Challenge! I'll go look for it. Hope to see you guys there!!