300+ Club - 100 Days in the Lifeboat

Please join in 100 Days POP! Will it be a challenge - you bet! Can we do it - you bet!

Personalize in the manner that best fits you - make it work for your life after all we are making life changes. Break it up in blocks of time, establish accountability and exercise goals (don't forget to log them in the exercise thread also).

Who's with me - July 5 is day 1.

NOTE: I don't want this to be seen as a competition so I've changed the name of the thread - this is a personal challenge for me/us. I needed something to grasp on to to get me refocused.

Count me in gggirls. Staying 100% OP for 100 days is an awesome challenge for me!

I'm in!
Weight at start of 100 day POP = 244 lbs
My plan is to exercise 4-5 days a week cardio, 2 days a week power yoga.
My plan is to lose 20 lbs by the end of the 100 days.
My plan is to drink 64 oz of water a day
My plan is to continue to track my food with WW online every day and stay on plan.

I'm in!

No soda, no candy.
Protein first.

Hi :)
I am new to the forums.
I am interested in joining but before I commit to anything,...

What is POP? (sorry for the newbie question.. I tried seaching the forums for what it stood for)

I edited the title to better reflect it-- it's Perfectly on Plan

I'm not in the 300lb club, but can I join in anyway? =)

My goals are to:

Keep track of my food every day and stay within my allotted calories.
No "junk" food. All my calories must come from real food, except for a small treat once a week.
Some kind of exercise five days a week, at least one of them being an outdoor activity (hiking, biking, walking, etc).

All are welcome!

Thanks Heather!

I'm so totally here! Thanks for starting this, Carol.

My plan will adjust over time; right now I'm planning on re-evaluating every 25 days. To start with:

1850 calories max
At least 2 servings of veggies
At least 4 glasses of water or herbal tea
30 minutes walking or other cardio daily
Don't miss any of my meds!

Have a great start tomorrow!

Angela

Im in...
weight this morning was 238.
I am breaking it up into 10-10 day challenges. I will increase exercise each 10 days.Starting with 20 mins. I will only weigh every 10 days(that will be a really hard challenge in itself).
Calories- real food only, 1400 calories ( no chips, white bread, crackers, ect)
eat off my small plates and measure everything.
Full gallon of water each day.

Day 1 is here!

I will eat at least 1400 calories - preferably around 1600 - I get in trouble when I go too low.

I will exercise 1 hour/day at least 4 times/week.

And the biggest one for me - I will record each bite that goes in my mouth!!!

I hope to see a new low on the scale come October 13.

I plan to re-evaluate as I go. At first I thought every 25 days, but every 10 days is tempting...

My eating goals:
No more than 1800 calories
Write down EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth
Get in at least 5 fruit/veggie servings daily.

My exercise goals are monthly, not daily, but as part of this I want to get my exercise mojo back, too. So I commit to my monthly exercise goals as well.

Thanks for letting me join in. =)

I plan to break the challenge up by weeks, which will make it uneven, but I can't help it - my brain thinks in blocks of Monday to Sunday!

Good morning everyone,

I'm looking forward to 100 days of being OP and to the results I will get. I have been following Weight Watchers but decided to started calorie counting and yesterday was my first day. I had a very successful day and am looking forward to another one today. I've also decided to not weigh myself daily as I was becoming a little to obsessed with it.

I hope everyone is off to a great start with this challenge.

My goals for July are:

Stay within 1400-1500 calories a day.
Exercise 5 times a week for at least 20-30 mins
Stay off the scale until 7/29
Lose 2 inches off my waist

I'm in too!!

Subject to adjustment every 30 days

I will eat under 1800 calories a day
i will eat under 200 carbs a day
i will take my blood pressure everyday
I will record my every bite
I will try to blog at least 2x a week about my health

Day 1 is in the books!

How did everyone else do?

Day 1 success for me. =)

Day 1 is a success for me too.

Me too!! I'm thrilled because it's the first day I've felt in control in a long time. I wasn't sure I'd make it because I screwed up and ate something before looking it up... plus I'm not used to the self-control. Knowing I had a commitment is what kept me on plan today!

Thanks!!

WTG Carol, Bunneh, Authentic, and Heather!

It took me until now to get all my water in. I'll probably be a late poster every day :) But Day 1-POP for me too.

Angela

POP day for me too. I also got in 10 min of weight lifting. I hadnt touch our weight machine in months. Calories were 1260( a bit lower than I planned).

This is a great idea! I am brand new to this site as of yesterday and this was one of the first boards I checked out! I am so excited for such a greta new motivation! Thanks!

Yesterday was a POP day for me too!!!

I got my time in at the gym, ate my 1200 calories and drank lots of water. And everything I ate was logged on TDP.

Thanks for the continuing inspiration girls!:)

Oh yay! I'm in the middle of a 99 OP challenge, but I'm definitely going to keep my eyes on this thread. Long as that's not a problem to have a million challenges going on at once! :lol: And hey the more challenges, the more I'll want to stay on plan, right?

My on plan goals are always: Stay within my points. Track EVERYTHING. Movement every day. Plan ahead for the things that need planning. No excuses!

My days since July 4th (since this thread was started) have been right on target! Feels great to be on plan!

Day 1 was a success - there are a few things I would have changed to make it an outstanding success, so today I do it all over again.

My protein was first and I did wonderful with the no soda and no vending machine candy. I would like my protein to be twice as high as it was only in the low 50's (grams).

I felt a little panicky in the evening without candy, but made it through!

Day 2, I've planned lunch a bit better and had a boiled egg as a snack.

Hugs to all,
Ratkity

Day 1 was a success for me too. I stayed within my calorie range and I got my workout in. So far Day 2 is going good too.

Day 2: Whooping success

102g of protein (w00h00000!)
NO candy or soda
Carbs under 200g (not really keeping track, but just one eyeball on them)

Hugs,
Ratkity

Day 2... POP! Can't believe how much work is involved in getting my water in ;)

Day 2: better than yesterday!! And I forgot that my garden's going to make it much easier to get my fruit and veggies in -- 7-8 servings a day hasn't been a problem!

Day 2 was great! Short on calories at the end of the day and I know that sets me up for a problem a few days down the road - measured out cocoa almonds and was able to put them back in the cabinet instead of continuing to graze.

Spent an hour at the gym on top of it!

Day 2 was great! calories 1390, 40 min of exercise( increased my walking by a block). I will not increase it today as my knee is sore again. I think I might have pushed to hard yesterday and dont want to injure it more.

Today lunch will be out.Im making a plan and WILL stick to it!!

Day 2 was a success for me. I did an hour of power yoga, drank my water and stayed on plan. I even had a couple of WW points left over because doing the yoga made me not hungry for dinner. (I mean my daily points, I rarely eat my activity points)

Day 2 was great for me too. =)

Hi everyone!
I'm a couple of days late but I would like to join the POP challenge.

My goals:

*1500 cal/day (eat more veggies and fruits )
*write down what I eat in a journal
*30 min to 1 hour cardio 5-6 days a week
*strength training 2-3 times a week
*no soda (diet or otherwise)
*no cigarettes
*spend at least 20 minutes each day reaffirming myself

Wow, am I the first to check in on day 3?? I just finished my last glass of water :) That makes me POP for today.

3 days down. Do that 3.33 more times, and we'll be 10% there! (Actually, I realize my math's off there, but I can't make my head work. I think I need algebra!)

Day 3 good for me too! =)

Day 3 was great. Got all my water in and calories were right at 1400. We had to wait to pick up our mower and stopped at DQ. I allowed myself to get a small soft serve and counted each calorie. It was a nice treat and I didnt feel like it was a cheat. I normally would have gotten a blizzard. So I made a great choice.

Day 3 in the books POP - count it! The weekend is here and I for one normally am pretty challenged - this weekend food is planned and no company coming. Planning is a key to success for me!

Day 3 was a success for me, too! I'm not too worried about the weekend, just have to keep doing it!!

Day three was great for me, and I even ate out for dinner. I had seared tuna and made the waitress tell me how many ounces it was. I substituted spinach for the rice and had a salad, dressing on the side. Yum.

Weekends are challenging for me, too, Carol. DH and I have 2 households and spend weekends together, and he loves to eat out. I know I CAN make good choices in restaurants and compensate for higher-calories restaurant meals by being even more careful at home. I can, and I gotta, coz I'll never get to 100 if I can't get past 4, 5, and 6!

I made it thru day 3!!

Protein 100g
No soda
AND stared down the 8 little hershey minis in my desk drawer that I had forgotten about and let them stay there! w00t!

Carbs are surprisingly low as I up my protein, and not restricting abnormally.

Another surprising thing after 3 days, I've been tinkling much more than usual (less carbs? drinking more?) and noticed the outline of my ankle is less puffy!! I hate my cankles!!

Hugs,
Ratkity

Day 3 was POP for me too! I had a great day. Got all my veggies in, drank lots of water, and recorded everything I ate.

Day 3 was perfect for me and today should be good too. Congrats everyone for staying OP!

Think I can safely put day 4 in the books as POP--all I have to do is not eat again today :) I planned so that I could eat what I wanted at dinner and juuust stayed under my calorie count. Did my walking early. Wish I could do that every day.

Think I will head to bed while day 4 is in good standing!

I can't believe it.. Day 4 was a success!!

Why don't I believe it? Well, I felt like I might not have gotten enough protein in, but when I did my evening tally, it was GREAT!!

102g protein
Carbs under 200

Still tinkling a lot! I'm the widdle piggie that went wee-wee-wee all the way home! LOL (not said in any derogatory way). One soda bottle tried luring me in Best Buy, but I ignored it. Then I practically walked by the candy stuff with both eyes closed.

Way to go all!! Keep up the great work!

If anyone wasn't successful or lapsed, keep going. Don't give up. It's ok to drop some of the demands to make your goal more accessible.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Struggled today, but still got by alright. =)

day 4 was great for me.
I had to much sodium, so will increase water today to make up for it. Hubby grilled chicken legs and used a salty based rub. We had a garden salad made with bell peppers and onions from my garden. Had tomatoes from a friends garden. We are having so much rain that my tomatoes are just not doing good.
Had to take a break from walking because my knee was bothering me. I did 20 min of upperbody workout. I can feel it today!

Debbie -- yay on the garden salad!!

I had a POP day 4 too... well, I didn't get in 5 servings of fruit/veg (more like 4), but every other day has been 7 or 8, so that's okay. The challenge for yesterday was dinner. Every week or two, hubby and I have cheese, crackers, veggies and wine for dinner. Last night I entered the food in before I ate it! Then I knew exactly what I could eat. It was a lot less cheese and almost no crackers, but I did drink wine.

My days have being going as plan.:carrot:

My days have been quite POP =) Glad to see everyone doing so well!

So far so good!

Today I took a break from the gym, and went for a two hour hike through our local municipal park system. Had a great day so far!

Great job everyone on staying POP :bravo: I've done very good and am ending day 5.

Strange occurrence for me today, especially on the weekend. After dinner I logged all my food - all 900 calories of it - WHAT! Weighed out some cocoa almonds - still more to spare - we'll see how the rest of the evening goes.

Day 5 lookin' good for me too. I must say, though, that without the challenge today would NOT have been POP. I would have eaten too much at lunch (we were at a Mexican restaurant) and I would not have gotten all my water in. Might not even have exercised. I really had to force myself to do all these things, and it was checking in here that helped me motivate myself. So thanks again!!!!!

Well, I'm going to make it calorie-wise day 5. Still didn't get in the 5 servings of veg, but I vow to get in at least 7 tomorrow.

But to stay on plan, just now I had to kick hubby out of the bedroom. He came up with his night snack of popcorn, and I know it would have been hard to resist. He was a very good sport about it, at least.

So, no more temptations, and I end the day reasonably under my calorie allotment (though not like Carol!)

Day 5 wasn't the smashing success of 4, but not too bad...

60g protein
No soda or vending candy

Carbs were surprisingly under control, but I was totally hungry and had more calories than I wanted - mostly due to this yummy avocado that I put on my low carb/gluten free burrito that I made.

Did have some tortilla chips. Might play havoc on water retention. Drank lots!! Was hot today.

Hugs,
Ratkity

I had a okay day 5. I went to the shower and had a center peice of cake. I counted it in my day but to be honest between the nuts and cake and some fruit it totaled up alot higher than i expected and I had to make it fit into my day. I had alot of protien for dinner but still went to bed hungry but came in right at 1400 calories. Im proud to say without this challenge the shower would have throw me off the wagon and I would have eaten the rest of the day and again today.
I so want to step on the scales but wont till friday. Wow thats a long time away, so maybe I will have a good solid weight loss. I feel lighter and that bloated feeling is gone!!

My day 5 was good and I did my weekly weigh in this morning, and I am down a pound.

Day 5 went superbly with LOTS of activity for me.

Day 6 is currently going well, too. Got in my walk nice and early, and not having any problems staying within my food points. :)

Day 6 is ending well for me. I had 1278 calories today. I wanted to go low today since I was on the high end yesterday.

Day 6 was a great no soda day. I did have bday cake, but counted it.

58g protein
No soda
No candy

Hugs,
Ratkity

Day 6 went fine, though I'm just having my last glass of water now :)

wow its day 7 already. Day 6 was great for me. Lots of garden veggies. :) Worked in my yard for an hour. Worked up a good sweat.

Sorry for not checking in - been struggling with the impending arrival of TOM but still sticking to plan.

ALMOST let my husband get me cookies last night, but stayed the course.

Breezed through Day 6 POP. Under calories and something like 9 servings of fruit and veg!!

Day 7 going okay!

Hi everyone!

Days 1-4 successful except for the exercise because I had to wait for my doctor to give me a go signal. I got it yesterday.

I am currently on day 5 = I started off with 45 minutes on the treadmill at the gym downstairs.

It was a little nerve-racking on my part to go to the gym. I pass it every single day and see so many fit people but today I put my insecurities aside and did it. I feel good about myself and I feel accomplished when i look at my sweaty t-shirt. :) It's a good start.

What an awesome day! Had a substitute trainer tonight that kicked my tail! Feels so good having 7 days POP!

7 out of 7... yay!

Great to see so much commitment... you're doing great, ladies!

Yay for all!

I had a rockin' day 7. Kept to my calories and ate a BOATLOAD of veggies from the garden (peas, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash!).

At some point I may need to up my protein, but I'm feeling really strong right now!

Let's bring on Day 8!!

I have a side challenge going on in sarge's boot camp for 100 days on plan. I figured why not come and post and get support here too? Good luck to you all! By my calculations my 100 days will end 2 days after my birthday..ouch. That one will be hard LOL

I struggled a bit last night at dinner. I wanted more potatoes and meat.I didnt allow myself to do it.It was a real fight within myself. Glad I survived the meal.

Today Im going with hubby to his dr appointment in a town over an hour away. I know it will include a meal out. LORD help me make good choices! It feels so good to have a week of eating right behind me.

7 out of 7... yay!

Great to see so much commitment... you're doing great, ladies!


WE're doing great and I too love the commitment we've made to ourselves.

Day 7 went great, but I left my tracking sheet at work LOL. I'll see how much protein I made when I get there this morning.

Day 8 off to a great start!

We are AWESOME and iamworth, you go girl! You can do that gym!

Edited: Found Day 7 sheet: 75g protein yay!!

I have been POP so far, but went a wee bit high on my sodium yesterday. I usually aim for 1500 mgs, but yesterday ended up at 1750. Not bad considering we were guests at someone's house.

O.K. Carol I'm in. I love a POP challenge.

Yay, Learn!

And a note for others, you can join anytime! (Right, Carol?)

So far so good today! Have a nice dinner planned, and took my walk earlier while laundry was going.

Just have to focus on getting in a little bit more water this evening. Not a hard thing to do on a hot summer day!

All welcome ALWAYS!

Learn - thanks for joining us - there is great energy here.

Day 8! Good!

Well, I actually don't know how many calories I ate at dinner. We went out for Mexican. But before dinner my calories were very low. I did have some chips and salsa, but avoided the rice and beans, and ate 3 small corn tortillas. I didn't stuff myself, drank nothing but water, and brought home leftovers.... so I think I'm going to call that a success!!

Day 8 was full of tempting stuff at the food drop off spot at work. I did get rid of those evil mini choc bars.. yay!

72g protein w00t!

Hugs,
Ratkity

No soda, no candy

Almost broke my streak today due to neglecting veggies, but caught up with some carrot sticks this evening :) Day 8, lookin good.

Im only on day 3 :\ But thats cause I started later. Day three was good though! Lets do this all!

Yesterday was on the money POP with eating and exercise.
Even did some experimenting in the kitchen and came up with an awesome cole slaw (no mayo or sour cream). So I treated myself (a planned treat) to 2 all beef hotdogs (no buns) w/ mustard and cole slaw for dinner.

Today is gonna be fantastic! Right Gang!

I had a good day out yesterday. I ate out twice, didnt make the best choice at lunch but it worked calorie wise. I was shocked when I looked at the sodium content of the roast beef sandwich 1990mg of sodium. WOW Dinner was a fruit and yogurt parfait from Mcdonalds. Barely got my 20min of walking in yesterday.
Looking forward to my weighin on friday.

Day 9.... today I'm eating lunch out... don't know where yet. But I have confidence I can make a good choice!!

i wish u guys all the best, i'm a perfectionist with an eating disorder. Trying to stay perfectly on plan for 3days will drive me crazy cos i won't be able to and i'll end up gorging uncontrollably in frustration and you know how the story goes. For me it's more one-day-at-a-time. Wish i were that strong.

Good morning everyone,

Great job to all those who have stayed POP :carrot: I've had 8 POP days and am working on 9.

Have a great day ;)

Jumping in late. I have been POP for the past 3 days (yay!). Had a hard time waking up this morning to get to the gym, but today is going great so far. I got my 30 minute workout in this morning and now headed to make a healthy pita with turkey and guacamole!

Have a great day everyone!

Ahh! Forgot to check in again.

Still doing good though. =)

I've completed day 9. Congrats to everyone else for staying OP!

Well, I walked to work and back (2 miles each way), and am POP so far. I'm hungry and haven't eaten much, so I will be having something else to eat, but I'm not worried about staying on plan!

Know what I realized today? I haven't had anything sweet since I started this. And my cravings are so much better!! I wouldn't say I'm eating low carb, but I'm eating low grains, and no sweets. I think I have to finally admit I'm carb sensitive. Thus ends years of denial...

I forgot to check into this thread the last couple of days, but I am still on plan.

Heather, I am not sure if I am carb sensitive or not either. I just added a few carbs back into my diet such as fruit and oatmeal and kashi golean cereal after going without them for six months and I was shaky the first week , (in a blood sugar/insulin sense) but did not eat over my plan. I am retaining a bit more water because of the carbs, but my cravings are about the same. I find I am a bit hungrier throughout the day. I have had carbs back in my diet for about two weeks. My weight loss has been constant at about 1 pound to a pound and a half a week. I figure its summer and I really want to enjoy summer fruits before its too late. I will switch it up and go back to lower carb at the end of the summer.

I'm totally carb sensitive. So much so, that it always surprises me when I get rid of so much water weight by just going under 200g of carbs and keeping all of those complex ones and eliminating 90% of simple carbs.

POP today!

89g protein!! w00t!
No vending candy or soda.

Maybe carb sensitive isn't the right term, because I'm definitely NOT low carb (eating between 150 and 220 grams during this challenge). But I'm eating less bread/pasta and no sugary desserts...

Day 9 was okay. I was certainly on plan. Within my points, and I got in my walk.

day 4 complete wtg everyone!

Day 9 POP. I'm glad I set my water goal low. Every night I have to wait until I drink another glass or two of water before I can post here.... ;)

Another POP day!

Got bloodwork this morning, so no breakfast for me. Oh and no coffee. They can put a man on the moon, you'd think they could invent a bloodtest that could see through coffee. UGH!!!

Today is day 10 for me - and it feels so good. I do have a couple of challenges facing me tomorrow - a surprise birthday/cocktail party that I need to make a quick stop at (hope to make it "too quick to nibble") and then the 12 hour Relay for Life overnight - a number of our team has dropped out - I think there are only 3 of us left but we are strong and determined (not to mention a bit unhappy they quit last minute) - we will walk every lap and do the first and last together - we'll show 'em. Lots of exercise minutes for me tomorrow and it's my first session with my trainer since the elbow injury.

Learn -- Agreed about the coffee!!!

Hubby is out of town today and tomorrow, so I'm on my own. Often this is a recipe for disaster for me. I don't know why, but I eat more when he's not here -- usually grazing.

Today I remain firm in my commitment and am not worried about this issue.

Day 10 for me is here.I get to step on the scales finally tomorrow. I know I tend to hold about 6lbs of water weight so anything more than that is a true weight loss.
Im amazed at how much better I feel.
I also get to rework my plan every 10 days. Not sure how Im going to change it.

Arg. So, I had a mishap last night, consisting of a few cookies for dinner. =/

(I will NEVER go grocery shopping hungry and tired again.)

I had calories left when I ate them (about 500), and worked out for a second time to try and off-set any overage. But the cookies were bakery and didn't have nutrition info, so I don't know where I ended up.

Am I out of the challenge or can I dust myself off and keep going?

Oh, you must keep going!!!!!!! This isn't a competition! This is all of us trying to change our lives! Get back on plan!!

Oh yeah, pick yourself up, dust off the cookie crumbs and get back on POP!

Day 9 was great and I resisted some coworker who put donuts and cookies in our party spot.

Good news is that I am down 2 lbs!! This is after a 6 month no loss/no gain plateau!!! I still can't believe it and don't wanna jinx myself (silly notion, I know).

Thanks for being here for me all.

Hugs,
Ratkity

PS Day 10 is off to a great start, despite being overly hungry at breakfast.

Thank you. =)

I am back on plan now, and will endeavor to be POP for the remainder of the 100 days! (Well, and after that too hopefully, but you get my drift. ;))

Dust off those cookie crumbs and back on it - YES! Maybe a challenge is the wrong choice of words - I know I was struggling and needed something to bring me back POP and this is working.

Rat - YES!

Carol -- I think challenge is a good word -- but I think of it more as an internal challenge than a competition....

10 days POP... lots of other things are not so great, but I feel good about having done something good for myself for 10 days in a row.

I'm sure it wouldn't catch on, but I like "lifeboat" instead of challenge. I feel like it's safe in here with you all, and if I fall out, I definitely want to climb back on board!

Angela

Great POP day for moi!
Got my pool time in and danced with the vacuum cleaner for 45 minutes, top that off with a great day of healthy low carb eating. Woo Hoo it feels good to be POP.

Now on to the next day!

today was my day to step on the scales. I made it 10 full days without weighing. My scales were nice and gave me a 9lb loss. WOO HOO! Know we all know that most of that was water weight. I think maybe 2 or 3 was true weight.

I am going to continue eating the same for the next 10 days. I will weigh whenever I feel the urge but will only record the 10 day weighin. Exercise is going to be the same 20 min a day.I dont think my knee is ready for much of an increase yet.
Carol thanks so much for starting this challenge.Its amazing how much better I feel and how my brain is in the right place.

Some great posts to read first thing!! Go go go!!

Angela -- I love the idea of lifeboat too!!

I had another POP day yesterday, too. It wasn't my intent, but I haven't had anything "sweet" in that time -- other than fruit. I think I'll continue with that a while longer. See what happens. I do think I don't have the same cravings, so it's worth exploring further.

Day 11, here I come!!

Ohhhhh - I like lifeboat too! This is a personal challenge for me rather than a competition.

Did great yesterday, planning for another great day today.

Need to remember the key for me is: Plan ahead, prepare/cook all my food.

I like lifeboat too! =)

NOTE: I don't want this to be seen as a competition so I've changed the name of the thread - this is a personal challenge for me/us. I needed something to grasp on to to get me refocused.

Angela thank you again! So happy to be in the lifeboat with each of you.

Great! I really didn't think it would catch on, was just the image that came to mind. I guess English teachers can be good for something in "real life" after all :)

As I expected, I'm not really quite ready to up the ante, so I think I'll hold off on changing anything right now. I know I probably need to reduce calories a little more, but I don't feel ready to do that successfully. I also know I need to reduce fat--I've been relying too much on foods like peanut butter and cheese to keep me full, and I need to change that, but again, I think if I tried right now I'd just be setting myself up for failure. Maybe what I will do is just start trying out some alternative strategies for avoiding hunger.

What do you ladies do? How do you deal with hunger when it strikes at an inopportune time?

Angela

Methinks I'm losing track of days here.

Yesterday was especially fabbo at 80g of protein - anything over 70g of protein is a great day. Also no soda or vending candy.. w00t!

Today is going well. I can feel the want for something carby and am fighting it. It's not overwhelming (yet).

Hugs,
Ratkity

Yay for the title change! (Carol used her new mod powers to change it! :woohoo:)

Angela -- I find I do better when I can get busy doing something else. Lately that means heading into the garden. The tough part for me is when I get hungry when I'm doing something I can't stop -- like writing. Drinking something seems to help, then.

:rofl: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the title change! :lol:

This is SO a lifeboat!!!!!

I've had a great couple of a days, and plan to stay POP over the weekend!

:grouphug:

Day 11 - Going okie dokie so far =) Almost dinner time.

This will be our second weekend. We can do it!!! Im heading to the veggie stand in the morning to load up on squash and other veggies. Its so much easier to eat right when you have it in your own house.
I eat alot of low fat cottage cheese when hunger hits and its also a great breakfast or lunch.

Hello everyone - I'm still plugging along and day 11 is done. I got in a nice 3 mile walk this evening.

dgramie - You're right, it is so much easier when your have the foods you need in he house

I hope everyone makes it through the weekend okay. I'm determined to stay POP this weekend.

Yep, so much easier! I've got lots of fresh produce to choose from, and more coming every day.

Day 11 went well and is in the books!!

Day 11 - amazing day 127g protein - no soda or candy!

I was craving carbs all day. I would just have a greek yogurt. Probably TOM sneaking around the corner.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Thanks, Debbie and Heather for your staying full tips.

Wow, day 11, done.

Good work everyone.

day 12 is here and we have company. Our oldest daughter is here with her baby. Im making oatmeal for breakfast. She loves her mommys oatmeal. Hubby said something about getting doughnuts. I said fine but im not eating them!
It feels good to have that much control of food again!

Well were the heck did the week go?
It seems to have been a great week for all of us in the Lifeboat.
My weekend menus are planned out along with my exercise. I'm actually looking forward to WI tomorrow morning.
Let's all have a grand day!

Learn

Morning!!

Learn -- the week snuck out the back door while you weren't looking!

Today we're getting together with friends for a mid-pm meal and then going to a minor league ball game. I actually know what I'm going to eat at the restaurant and am not really worried about the ball game. I do love this feeling of control!!

I made it through the Relay - each bite recorded and with not a single chip! But I did come out of it with blistered, sore feet - I managed a little over 8 miles.

Dinner is planned tonight - another day in the lifeboat!

Got in a solid evening walk while browsing different channels.

I had an experience with a big bowl of cereal today. I poured out what I would've eaten before without thinking about it, but this time I weighed it... it was just enormous. Tasty, but enormous. I was QUITE full after eating it.

I'm still within my points for the day, and will be having a late night on-plan dinner.

No soda and no candy! w00t. I think this is day 12. Protein was 95g.

And a plus... I took a 7.3 mile bike ride. Haven't had any energy to ride much this season plus the weather has been hatefully hot. Was nice to get on the bike!

Hugs,
Ratkity

Managed to stay on target with calories despite going out to lunch AND a baseball game.

Though, I think I only got 4 servings of fruit and veg --that's okay, though. I'll make up for it tomorrow.

Yesterday was a great eating day. Hit the produce stand and got more squash. Bore worms got mine this year. I also got fresh green beans and corn and tomatoes. It will be another week before my tomatoes are ripe. Im going to fix a veggie meal on monday. YUMMY!
Challenge today..going to logans roadhouse for lunch. I have plan like heather said and I should be fine. Plan is cut the meal in half and get a box at the get go.
May even take my butter spray in my purse.LOL

Another fantastic day in the Lifeboat. Today was my official WI day and since last sunday I lost 6.5 lbs (3.5 I gained on my vaca).

I am now offially out of the 280's (by 3 lbs.). Me so excited! Good by, good riddance, adios and astalavista baby. I don't want to see your face around these here parts again.

Have a great sunday!

Look at all this! Great things are happening here in the lifeboat!

Rat - I love it when my protein hits triple digits - maybe twice a week is all but there is a halo on those days surrounding my head - do you see it?

Heather - fantastic job!

Learn - that scale is moving on down. Have you been shopping yet for new clothes?

Debbie - did you plant the squash in the same place as last year? An old farmer told me never use the same place two years in a row - especially if you've had squash bugs or worms. Have fun today.

GettinFit - how's the weekend going for you?

Angela - hope you got your water in easier these past few days.

Lovely - isn't it amazing when you weighed that bowl of cereal - for me it would be at least 2 servings if not more.

I think I'm recuperated from the overnight walk. I see a pedicure in my future the next few days - they really need some TLC for the great job they did!

So glad this is a lifeboat.

I feel like yesterday wasn't the greatest day. I followed the letter of the plan, but not the spirit of it, if that makes sense? Dipped into my Weekly Points last night for the wrong reasons. Didn't go over my Points (which is good), and got in exercise, but I know that I can do better for myself than that.

Today is better. Had good sleep. Ate a solid breakfast. Letting my food settle and then it's off to treadmill and chores. Lots of water today.

Better choices. Spirit of the plan. :yes:

Forgot to check in yesterday, but day 12 went fine. I'm not making an official change to my plan yet, but I'm going to start tracking cholesterol this week and make it a sorta goal to do yoga at least twice in addition to my cardio.

Learn: WTG! Can't wait to join you!

Heather: Good job at the baseball game.

Carol: Woot woot on 8 miles!

Lovely: I'll take the letter of the plan over off plan any day. Good for you for recommitting yourself, though. Hang in there.

Angela

Day 13 was on plan, but just. I let myself indulge a little bit more than I should. Still, I'm pleased with how things are going. Weigh in is tomorrow!

Angela - I -definitely- agree with you about that!

On plan and better than yesterday, certainly!

Just sipping on some cool water, and watching a game show. Enjoying the late night evening before bedtime.

Day 13 -- check!

WI for me tomorrow, too, Heather. And the doc, too, so we'll see what their scale thinks :)

Have a great Monday, everybody!

Angela

Here we go, another day in the Lifeboat. Had a great day yesterday and today will be the same.

Carol- No shopping for new clothes yet. Haven't lost enough to make that neccessary yet. Trying to put it off until maybe winter or spring.

Enjoy your monday everyone!

I ate too much at lunch yesterday. I came in 300 calories high for the day. Im not beating myself up over it. It was just a heavier meal than I should have had. I was right back on track at dinner time and didnt feel too guilty over the lunch.
carol- I swap up where I plant each year. I think its was due to the wet spring we had. My son read all about the worm and how to prevent them next year. I will be getting lots of ripe tomatoes in the next few weeks.
Have a great day everyone and keep cool.

Day 13 was great!

Day 13 was a bust, but didn't have soda or candy. What I did was over-do carbs and protein amounts suffered as a result.

Apparently, TOM wasn't just sneaking around the corner, he actually jumped out and screamed BOO!

Doing better today.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Eeps! Keep forgetting to check in.

Still hanging on to the lifeboat though. =)

I've been "fairly on plan" the last couple of days. Yesterday I ate too many carbs vs. protein, but was well within my calorie limits, and didn't overdo my fat or sodium, so I am happy with that.

This is a trend! I didn't stay on calories today, but not because I binged or overate... I basically miscalculated and thought I had more calories than I did. I was off by only about 100 calories though, so will be fine if I get back on track tomorrow! Which I plan to do!!

Went well!

Great workout - Check
Healthy foods - Check
Stayed in Points - Check

Just an overall good day =)

On plan wise a great day yesterday. Even with a short lived stomach/intestine upset which cause a few extended visits to the potty.
Today will be the same minus the stomach/intestine thing, feeling fine now.

Have a great day adrift in the lifeboat everyone.

Learn

I had a great day yesterday, today will be the same. I got 40 min of weedeating in yesterday in 94 degrees. I was doing it at 7pm, no cool down in site.

Heather - that's what it's all about - not straying because of a little mishap!

I had a great day yesterday, today will be the same. I got 40 min of weedeating in yesterday in 94 degrees. I was doing it at 7pm, no cool down in site.


dgramie,
Please be careful, I'm hearing some horrifying heat index temps out there. Stay cool, stay hydrated!

Learn

Yes, Debbie, I keep thinking I'll work outside in the morning, go outside, and then come right back in. My weeds are waiting until it cools down (whenever that might be).

Day 14 went fine. As quickly as the days seem to be going, I find it hard to believe that these 100 days will take us to October.

Mentally, on day 15, I'm a little challenged. In the last few years, I've mostly stayed above 300; I've dipped down close to where I am now, but I've always bounced back up. The last time I was below 290 was a decade ago. So I'm just feeling a bit nervous. I am SOOOOOOOO glad I've committed to 100 days POP. I believe that will get me through this rather perilous part of the journey.

Okay, I'm off to see if I can't finish off this office cleaning job I've been working at for over 2 weeks now. (Can you imagine what a disaster it was?)

Have a great day 15 all.

Oh! Guess what! Yesterday I said I had gone over my calories because I had miscalculated... I thought I had eaten more early in the day -- but I didn't! I double counted part of my dinner last night and was able to take OFF 147 calories. So, I stayed right in my calorie limit! YAY!!!!! I don't know why this makes me so happy... but it does!

I'm getting together with a colleague for a beer later today, but I'm not worried about staying on plan. One beer fits just fine into my day.

Staying afloat in our little lifeboat! :D

Did well today!

Day 15 (wow, already?!) comfortably in the books! I went out for a beer and easily fit it in -- even have calories left over. I guess it's easy when dinner is a mess of sauteed summer squash with an ounce of leftover salmon!

The garden is producing gobs of produce and keeping up is getting challenging. But at least I'm getting my veggies in.

Tomorrow I have yet another "Beer with a colleague" scheduled... academics, summer, go figure!!

Day 15 -- did it!

Exercise tomorrow might be a challenge; I've been working my knees a bit too hard and they protested when I tried to do salsa tonight. Straight walking is better, but what with the heat I haven't been doing that. I might try walking in the mall tomorrow.

Heather, I'm glad yesterday's math turned out in your favor :)

Have a great day 16 everybody!

Another day down! Didn't exercise as long as I'd liked to yesterday, but I did get some in. Eating was great though. Have a drs appt. today and want to discuss some various tendonitis (I think) issues with her.

Have another great day everyone.

Sail On!

Wow what a great day 15! I came in a bit low on calories today. Like Heather they were all fresh veggie calories for dinner. Lots of protien early in the day. Scales are going down slowly.
wont be exercising outside for a few days. Its too hot! Heat index was 115 yesterday and today is suppost to be even higher. Looks like I will be getting a 4 day weekend. TIme to tackle the house again.

Does anyone know if there is a ticker of a boat on water?? It would be perfect for us!!

Ticker Factory had a couple of designs... Here's an example:


http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;10730;128/st/20110920/e/100+Days+in+a+Lifeboat%21/k/6396/s-event.png
(http://www.TickerFactory.com/)

Edit: I'm looking around to see if there's one with specific DAYS... like "85 days until..." or even "15 Days complete..." type of thing. Still. Several boat on water images for tickers if you'd like.

And found this one which was kinda cute:

http://dvcf.daisypath.com/7mK3m4.png (http://daisypath.com)

Those were just examples without exact dates on them or anything... just for pictures and whatnot.

Day 15 did great! I was in training all day and didn't want to get a soda (miracle) and brought cherries to eat as a snack.

Protein was 98g!

Hugs,
Ratkity

I had a great day 15 too!! I went out for dinner with friends, had a small, lean steak, and grilled veggies! So good! Came home with lots of calories left over. And I have been exercising my little heart out!

I love the energy here! Staying POP - feeling strong.

Day 16 is in the books.

Doing fancy!

Drinking water, still have room for a late night snack, even! Could use a little protein so I'll check for something that will give me that boost.

Day 16 was not without challenge -- but I made it through just fine. Had to readjust partway through the day, and really wanted to eat more of a lot of things today. But I wanted to stay POP even more!

Unless I totally lose it tomorrow, it should be fine. I have everything I need to eat POP here in the house (and may not leave, given the weather!)

Day 16 wasn't pretty, but it was POP. I walked in the mall, and gosh, it was hot in there! Was craving sweets so allowed myself to have a little taste--stayed within my calorie limit, though. In fact, I guess that's a good thing; I really wanted to keep eating but stopped myself, so really I should be happy. I guess the disappointment is just that I still want to pig out on unhealthy foods. But I didn't!

Guess you could say I'm really hanging on today. :)

One day at a time....

Good morning lifeboaters!
Yesterday was a great day eating and exercising. Today is definitely going to be the same.
Have a wonderful one!

Sail On!

I'm out of my routine today and will be on the road - I have the day planned out and will come back to let you know day 17 was POP. I will have one of my morbidly obese employees with me - should be interesting - she never stops eating and we'll be in my car which is a food free zone.

thanks for the lifeboat ticker. I will try and find time to get on there today and make mine. I love it!!!
Tom is making his appearance so I know today and tomorrow he will try his best to throw me out of the boat. Im hanging on for dear life. LOL I love being POP!

Day 16 went well with 98g of protein, no vending candy or soda. It's getting easier to avoid the soda and candy.

I will be out of town until Monday. Going white water rafting with sister over the weekend. I will do my best to stay on plan!!!

Hugs to all - try to stay cool,
Ratkity

Another day POP! Hope everyone has a great friday!

Day 18...Im really excited to see the scales inch downward. TOM made his appearance yesterday and scales havent jumped up yet. Im going to show him I can do this without a gain or much of one.

Meeting our daughter in a town in the middle of us today to get my 31 stuff. Im super excited to see what all we got free or for half price. I love love love the cute bags and stuff. Challenge is that she wants to meet for dinner. I will just eat super light during the day to allow myself plenty of calories for dinner.

Was that Day 17? Went well!

And a little victory for me this morning. I'm making zucchini bread. Normally I do a little (or big) taste of the batter. I can easily make room for the calories but decided against it. I'm doing so well not eating sweets, so I skipped it. I know the batter looked right, so I'll assume it tastes right too. And when it's done, I'll freeze it.

So, let's go Day 18!!

Odd... I thought I posted last night about Day 17... Guess it disappeared!

Well. It went fine =)

Day 18 feels like it's just starting, but so far so good. Having some food. And in a short bit I'm getting up on the treadmill, and preparing for the weekend.

Day 17 a-ok. We're getting close to 25, when I said I would re-evaluate. At this point I'm thinking all that I'll officially change will be to add the yoga twice a week and maybe take my calorie limit down just a tad--not sure how much yet.

Today is a challenging day: DH and I always eat dinner out on Fridays, which I've been managing to adapt to and for, but in addition we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant for a friend's birthday, followed by ice cream cake (well, ice milk--it was DQ) at our dean's new house. I really wanted to schmooze with the dean and her hubby and oh boy was eating at the Chinese buffet challenging. In the past, I would get 2 or 3 egg rolls. Today I had 1, and overall managed to keep myself to about 500 calories for lunch so that I can still have my usual meal at our Friday night restaurant.

So thank you Carol, and thank you all for being here, because without the extra motivation of this challenge (saying that quietly), I probably would have decided to just go off plan today. And sure, one day off plan wouldn't kill me--but it wouldn't help me, either. Today's going down in the POP column, socializing or no socializing!

Learn: Cool ticker!

Heather: Good job keeping your fingers out of that bowl! My mom (an RN) would have scolded you, regardless of calories. Raw egg! Never eat batter! (Now butter cream frosting was a completely different matter.)

Angela -- First, I know about raw eggs, but do love batter. Now, to confess, when the 4 mini-loaves came out of the oven, a tiny corner was left in one pan... I did eat that, but that's it. I also recorded it.

And I'm glad you reminded me about Day 25, because I had stolen your idea. Right now I'm thinking of forcing myself to exercise (right now not doing ANYTHING) and of maybe letting myself zig-zag my calories a bit.

I am also VERY grateful for this lifeboat. Scale is slowly inching in the right direction and I'm feeling more in control than I have in ages.

You know this has been a challenge - one we've all embraced - one I so desperately needed. It's a personal challenge but one we all understand all too well. Looking at my ticker earlier today I realize how much better I feel than I did roughly 20 days ago.

My exercise has hit my 4 hours per week goal BUT the bulk of this week's was at the Relay for Life. My trainer has bailed on me 3 weeks in a row. Time for me to remember I'm doing this for ME not for her.

We're headed out to dinner tonight - it's DH's first day to eat without soft food restrictions so it's his choice. I'm low on calories for the day and each bite will be recorded - for me that is POP.

Done good.

Drinking water, grabbing a late night snack to round off my points for the day, and then going to unwind before bed. Hopefully I'll get a nice sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day =)

Wow, Day 18 done!

Having lots of veggies around definitely helps!

It sure is nice to read and feel all the good vibes going on here. Thank you Carol.

My day 18 went very well, a little too much sodium, so today I will drink, drink, drink. Water that is!
Took a day off from exercising to rest my tendonitis (achilles). Not sure it helped. It felt odd not exercising. That was my first day off in a very long time. Even on my vaca I tried to do something everyday, even while traveling. Walked a lot of rest stops.

Have a great saturday everyone.

Learn

Dinner out was a success - still ended on the low side of my calorie range! So long as DH doesn't want Mexican tonight I'm good to go.

EAting out didnt hurt me any.I made sure I was low on calories going to dinner. We ate early so that really helped. I never go the I ate too much feeling. IM loving the control I have now.
Yes thanks Carol for this challenge.I think its what we all needed. Cant wait to see our weight loss totals at the end. TOm is here and I still have control!! Thats a big plus for me!

I was up several hours in the night thanks to a big thunderstorm (I hate them). I was hungry and did have something small to eat. But I wrote it down and will account for it in my calories today!

This IS exactly what I needed! :D

YAY for all the planned eating out! I did what I planned as well, and Day 18 was high on sodium but still POP. All the more inspiration to get my water in the rest of the weekend.

day 19 was perfect, didnt touch any food at the party.

day 19 in the books for me too! this feels so good

Finished nicely. Got a lot of movement in due to some shopping and walking around.

Wow! Day 20 begins already! How amazing!

Here we are at day 20!

The scale is giving me fits the past few days but it is down 11.75 lbs from July 5.

Carol- My scale must be related to yours this week. Been rollercoastering up and down. Thought it might be TOM, but he's being funky himself, being 15 days late.

I'll just keep marching on and collecting POP days. I know I will win in the end.
This is my day 19 since I started a day late. So far so good!

Have a wonderful sunday everyone!

DAy 20 food is planned. Should be a good day. Stay cool everyone and drink extra water.
My scales are being good even with Tom here. I weigh in tomorrow.

Day 19 went great. Keeping track of my calories allowed me to enjoy some nice treats yesterday (like homemade jalapeno poppers) without going overboard.

Today's challenge is that we're making homemade pizza for the first time. But I'm not worried because I have complete control and will save plenty of room.

As for the scale, it's definitely down at least 8 pounds. But I feel like 3 of those are water weight that would have come off right away anyway... Still, I'm thrilled no matter how you count it.

Thank goodness the lifeboat was here - day 20 was rough but in the books POP.

Day 20 okay for me... I saved a lot of space for homemade pizza, and it was worth it!!!!

Interested to see what scale will say tomorrow.

I hope you have an easier day tomorrow, Carol!!

Day 20 was fine eating-wise, but I had to realllly force myself to exercise before bed tonight. Feels good to be able to say 20 days POP.

My day 19 was an OP one. Now on to day 20!

Have a good one everybody!

Day 20 was a little rough. I really had to do some planning and hold myself accountable so that I'd stick within my Daily Points. But, I did it.

Day 21 begins - Had a good night sleep and woke up to a nice 1.4 pound loss on the scale for this week. Planning out my weekly "to do" and food lists.

Happy Monday everyone!

I had a 2lb loss since day 10. Thats makes 11 total since starting on the lifeboat. Im thrilled since tom is here and I normally would post a gain. Feels so good to be in control!

I'm back from white water rafting!! We had an amazing adventure.

I didn't eat much on the day for rafting, but made up for it on the 11 hr trip home. I didn't have ANY candy, but did drink sugared coffee and energy drinks. I'm paying for it today, ugh.

Back on the no soda, no vending candy and high protein lifeboat!

Hugs,
Ratkity

PS.. will post the adventure story on monthly thread.

Great job, Debbie! I'm down 6 pounds since we started. For me that's major progress :)

Got everything done that I needed to today :)

Day 21 in the books, and I'm doing great.

I'm thinking about changes I want to make in the second 25 days... but on the other hand, I'm going really strong as is... hmmmm...

Wow 3 weeks! Just flew by...

Day 21 was meh. Could've been better, but I recognize that it could've been a lot worse, too.

The good: I got in a lot of water, fruit and vegetables. I also got in a nice burn of a workout.

The meh: The early evening got iffy. I ended up eating things I probably shouldn't have. While I'm still within my Points, I can do better.

Day 22 begins.

My day 20 was a good one. Mother Nature kept me out of the pool so I danced with the my vacuum cleaner instead.
Made a produce run and stocked up on all kinds of goodies.
I'm ready to tackle my day 21 with vim and vigor. I will hit the pool early today and try to out smart Ma Nature.

Have a super day all!

Learn

Wow its been a fast 3 weeks. I feel so much better than 21 days ago. My energy is so much better. I know my blood pressure is better already.
Cant wait till a cooler weather so I can get out and walk outside. Not ready for winter by any means but would love cool mornings and evenings.

My next phase has got to include exercise as one of my goals - Angela you're my inspiration!

Wow, isn't it AMAZING the difference 3 short weeks can make????!!!!

Outstanding.

Wow, already 3 weeks!!

I warded off the fudge and donuts at the break table and had my protein bar.

Day 22 is going well.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Day 22 report: Awesome!

We went out for sushi for dinner, which is one of my favorite dinners out because I feel I can get a lot of flavor and goodness for my calorie buck. Plus, it's expensive enough that we limit what we order.

So, calorie wise, it was a great day. Plus, I ate great food! Blueberries in yogurt with a little kashi for lunch. A piece of bread with my homemade pesto and some mozzerella for snack (with a few cherry tomatoes). My homemade curried chick peas and green beans for lunch. Cherry tomatoes for a snack, and sushi for dinner! Oh, and another homegrown tomato for the night snack (we have to check out the new varieties as they ripen!)

And, I know what I need to change for the next 25 days. Exercise. I need to start adding that back in. I thought about tweaking the diet, but it's going so well and I'm feeling so strong, that I hate to change it. So, exercise it is. I think I will plan to average 30 min a day. That's a goal I used to meet with ease.

Wow, today is 22 days? Wow!

A friend asked me out for a drink this evening; I accounted for the calories for one drink ahead of time and did not allow myself to be lured by the possibility of food.

Carol, I can't believe I'm someone's exercise inspiration! It took me from April until July to build up to 30 minutes a day, and consistent exercise has always been a challenge for me.

I'm going to be challenged next week; DH and I are taking a short vacation. Exercise likely won't be a problem, but it will be difficult to plan eating, since it will be mostly restaurants. But... soup. salad. veggies. That will be my mantra. soup salad veggies, soup salad veggies...

I'll be traveling the week after, too. So I think I will NOT change my calorie limit for the second quarter, but I will increase my exercise to a minimum of 35 minutes a day and up my water to 40 ounces. Other than that, I'm leaving things as they are.

Here's to a POP day 23!

My eating is basically pretty clean - whole foods, very little processed. Yesterday my calories were on the low side for me and the scale popped back up - I know it's a normal fluctuation but I also know my body needs more than 1200 calories at this weight. That's still a tough one for me to get through my thick skull.

Its hard at times to get the calories high enough when eating clean. I know I came in less than 1200 yesterday. I had lots of healthy foods. I ended up counting out a serving of almonds to get the number close to 1200. Im staying between 1400-1500 most days.
We are having major bug issues in our town. I got so many bites last night when I was walking. I will use more bug spray tonight. Guess its from all the rain we had in the spring.

...was okay. I ate less, but had tummy troubles. Managed a good sleep last night, and just ate a healthy breakfast.

So here's to a great POP day 23!

Managed 113g of protein yesterday, w00t! Made goals of no soda or candy.

Today is starting off well.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Staying the course and winning. Today I started out feeling like skipping the exercise, but something pushed me on and into the pool. Got my 60 minutes in and feel better for it.
Have a great evening everyone.

Learn

Doesn't it feel great when you don't want to do something but you do it anyway. It's a huge victory !! Congrats !!

...Going fine =)

Got in a decent amount of NEAT around the apartment. More to do tomorrow, but happy with the progress I've made.

Breezed through the day... Day 23!! I'm definitely getting into a good groove here.

Day 23 felt pretty easy here too~~went out to dinner with friends and found it easy to order the only thing on the menu that could possibly fit into my calorie limit (other than the iceberg salad, lol).

I had a bit of a hectic day with schedules that just didn't hold together. Eating was a little hectic too but day 23 was POP!

I talked with one of the trainers and hope to find the fire in the belly for exercise I've misplaced. I'm blaming the heat - since the Relay for Life I haven't done squat!

I haven't been posting as much the last couple of days because I have been slammed with work. I have been on plan though the entire time.

I am trying to decide just how low carb I want to be. I added some carbs back into my diet a month or so ago, and now my weight loss is a bit slower than it used to be, but I am not as bored with my food as I was getting on the super low carb plan.

I am not letting my work stress trigger emotional eating so that is a victory for me.

I would love some feedback on how all of you decide how many carbs you will allow yourself, etc....

I am trying to decide just how low carb I want to be. I added some carbs back into my diet a month or so ago, and now my weight loss is a bit slower than it used to be, but I am not as bored with my food as I was getting on the super low carb plan.


My personal choice would be slower weight loss, but more variety in my foods.

I know that, for me, boredom would lead to frustration and unpleasantness. I'd rather have this journey be as comfortable as possible without feeling deprived.

That being said, were I using a lower carb plan I might switch it up to keep even that from getting boring. Do the super low carb for a month, then add in a few more carbs for two months, so on and so forth. :)

Just brushed my teeth, so that means day 24 is at an end. :yes: A good day with lots of cleaning activity.

Day 24 going great. I have several hundred calories left and have to decide if I'm going to eat anything else. Would like to get in some extra calcium... we'll see...

Day 24's done, POP... stayed up way too late.

Authentic: To answer your question, I'm a type 2 diabetic but with the added complication that when I was trying to up my protein last year, my kidneys started having difficulty processing it (doc checks kidney function every 6 months) so I basically have no choice but to eat a diet that's actually pretty high in carbs (unless I want to be on dialysis before I'm 50). If I eat too much protein, I'll damage my kidneys. So, in fact, I'm not really counting carbs at all. I am trying to make veggies, fruits, and whole grains almost my exclusive sources of carbs. And trying to stick to low-fat protein in controlled portions.

That said, my weight loss is slow. But, actually, relatively steady. And I'm finding it easier and easier to eat on plan; I'm pretty much never hungry except when it's about meal time, and my cravings for sweets and such have gone away, except for a day or two a month. So, though I know this is not the diet plan that is most in favor right now, I'm pretty sure it's the only one my body will tolerate.

Have a great Day 25 everyone! A quarter of the way to 100!!!!!!

OPPS! Missed a day, but it was POP.
Took the day off from the pool exercises and just relaxed. I had severe cramping in my lower back, so I just floated around and enjoyed the water.
TOM is now 20 days late :?:.

Today is back to the usual and then a little housecleaning. My car is out of commission until payday (thurs.), so I'm kinda stuck at home. It does keep me out of trouble though.

Have a great day everyone.

day 23 and 24 were pop for me! I had computer problems. I cant believe its day 25 already!

You are all amazing! Day 25 feels so good.

My next 25 days will include more exercise, other than that my food plan will stay the same - I know for me once I commit to recording each and every bite I stay POP.

I know it is too much to expect the same weight loss the next 25 days but it sure would be nice.

I'm afraid I was dragging body parts out of the boat yesterday. I had 4 mini chocolates. I counted them in daily intake, but I wasn't happy about it. Back inside the boat!!!!

I did get 96g of protein in and kept carbs down below an average person's intake yesterday.

Hugs to all!
Ratkity

...still in the boat. Although today it feels like barely.

The good: A LOT of cleaning and activity around the house.

The bad: I ate chocolate. That's not the problem... I ate TOO MUCH chocolate. That's the problem.

I'm still within my Points+, but I could've done without that much dessert tonight. Ah well. I shall drink some water, brush my teeth and stay away from anymore foodstuff tonight.

Dinner out was a great success!

Sixty minutes of hot sweaty exercise to boot!

Day 25 is in the books.

Tomorrow is the family reunion - my resolve is strong. DH is being very supportive with us not providing anything but healthy choices.

Strong resolve cannot be underestimated! I'm hanging onto this feeling for as long as I can!

We made homemade pizza for dinner tonight. I a lot then, but had plenty of calories for it.

Tomorrow I add in exercise!

Another day, another POP!

Next! :D

Day 25 was pop for me also. Its so easy right now its scary.

Yeah, if we could bottle this ability, this strength, or whathaveyou, we would all be rich and skinny!!

Well, I am new, but I am so in!! :)
No Soda, only water
No Sweets or Candy
20 Min. Walk (or other activity) at least every other day

I need to plug my calories in for the day - good choices and eating is done for the day. Read - good choices, not perfect choices. Soooo much better than ever in the past. Was a wonderful time - think we had about 50 - lots of exercise too.

Welcome SoDetermined!

Well, Ballgame #1 for the weekend is done. I stayed POP! Hubby and I split some very good ballpark nachos. I kept back a lot of calories for them, and I think I'm fine.

And I got in some exercise and walking today!!

Yay for Day 26! Where's that Day 27 to tackle??

YEAH Heather! You'll do great today too!

SoDetermined - glad you're here with us!

Well once I logged my calories I was 20 over for the day yesterday. Accountability is my biggest challenge so I'm calling it POP. The scales jumped up a few lbs - no worry - flush the sodium out with lots of water today.

day 26 was pop for me. Im ready to set new goals on day 30. I will be upping my calories a bit as long as its clean food. I will also be trying to up my daily exercise to 30 minutes as long as my knee can take it. I will exercise 5 days a week. Im also going to add in an extra 16 ounces of water a day. Im also so tempted to stay off the scales again. I get frustrated with the daily ups and downs.

Day 26 - Went fine! I was exhausted the whole day, so I'm really proud that I stuck within my Points, and I even forced myself up on the treadmill later at night. I didn't push myself to go quite as fast as I normally would have, but I still got in 20 minutes of walking. So I'm perfectly content.

Carol -- I've gone over calories a squidge a couple of times (best I can tell), but I'm with you: accountability is my biggest problem, so as long as it's not a lot of calories over (mine have been <100) and doesn't happen a lot, I'm calling it POP too! Yesterday might have been one of those days (hard to tell when you eat out).

Today is 27, is that right?

First day of vacation went A-OK. I was very conservative at lunch, knowing we'd probably go somewhere nice for dinner, and I ate only half my entree at dinner (except for the steamed broccoli, which I ate all of) so that I could share a dessert with DH. Probably not nice for me to INSIST that he eat his entire half.... but it was the best tiramisu I've ever had, and he had to take those last couple of bites for the team. He can afford it :) Came in 100 calories under my limit--go me! Plenty of walking, too.

Okay, I gotta get my clothes unpacked and plan what we're doing tomorrow. Have a great day 28 everybody.

Today was a spot on day. Was able to get in a balanced amount of fruits and vegetables. Took my daily walk. And I even cleaned a little for more activity. All-in-all one of those days where I wouldn't change a thing. :)

Wow, I made it, but the ballpark was tougher than I thought, because it was 95 degrees with the sun baking on us to start. I was SOOO hot. I wanted a lemon chill or ice cream. But I bought water and got a glass of ice and tried to keep cool that way.

I did not get in my exercise, however...

Day 27 went great! Cant believe my scales are stuck up 2lbs so Im expecting a whoosh soon. Im thinking of going back to only weighing in every 10days. It keeps my mind in a better place.

August started great! Exercise will find it's way in to my plan this month.

So inspiring to see everybody making the right choices day after day. WTG at the ballpark, Heather!

Had another successful day on vacation: Had a fabulous grilled salmon nicoise salad for lunch, and a yummy 2-bite cheesecake with blueberries after dinner, but came in well below my calorie limit. Walked so long that it was actually too much, but it means my exericse was fine. And had no problem getting in my water. I found a great non-caffeinated, sugar-free drink to count for water (yum). So, though I walked a little too much, still a great, POP day.

I'm truly amazed that I can be on vacation and stay OP. One more reason this challenge is PRIMO.

Another great day -- on plan, good activity, and did some laundry so I got in a couple walks up and down the stairs in the complex.

Lunch today was a pizza buffet. That could have been a disaster, but I got 2 tiny slices of pizza and a salad with no dressing. I had figured to go back for a little more, but never did!

But this evening... hmm... I'm having some people over for lunch tomorrow following what might be a tense meeting. So I prepped a lot of food to distract myself. I made 4 cold salads using a lot of things from the garden. I tried some, but they are all healthy, so that's fine.

But for dessert I made chocolate zucchini cupcakes. First time making this recipe. I had one and it was excellent. All within my calories, but the first real "sweet" I've had since this began. Hopefully I haven't jinxed myself!