[hikein2005]

OK, good morning chickies! I am feeling like today is going to be a productive day! I have my list in hand and am going through this house like a mad woman! I'm ashamed to say it hasn't been "cleaned" in months!!! OK, I do the day to day stuff and I don't live in a pig stye, but you know what I mean...the deep cleaning stuff...

Then later we are going to my sister's to take family pictures of them and then trick or treating with all the little ghosts and goblins. My DD (she's 5) is going to be a horse again this year! I made her a costume last year (well, I really only made the horse head) and so she wants to wear it again this year! I just need tof ind some black pants that fit her! Goodwill here I come! Maybe my sister has a pair I can borrow...hmmmm!

I have done rather poorly with my eating the last few days (no excuses, but Halloween stuff all around me at work is about driving me crazy...can't wait til next week when it's all gone!) and I didn't weigh myself this week because I was afraid of what I might see! I will weigh on Monday so I can get a better perspective for a beginning weight for this upcoming challenge! I only walked 3 days this week, I'm sorry to say but they were good walks. My miles have exceeded last months, which really was my little personal goal (although I would have like to have done closer to 50 instead of 25!) Of course my weight is still the same as it was at the beginning of the challenge (within those 3 nasty pounds which I don't seem to be able to shed!)

Elisha...Perhaps this is my problem, too...the metabolism thing! Can you shed some light on how to figure a metabolism? I'm thinking that maybe I need to drop the calories a bit, too! Maybe just adding more fruits and veggies and less carbs/fat will just do the trick. Yea! Easier said than done, right? Don't ya wish we had a nutritionist and chef following us around all day?? It would sure make things easier for me...or like Oprah with her coach Bob Greene (I see their photo right now as I type this)

MsRD...the campfire and hot dog roast sounds heavenly! My hubby falls asleep at 7:30 every night during the week because he's up at 3:30 for work every morning! Sometimes I think he should just work 2nd shift! I never see him during the week but for a few minutes at supper! It was a bit rainy here last night but a campfire sounds great! I miss camping! Our camper is already "winterized" for the season, but if I had my druthers, I'd still be camping until the snow flies!!! And thankfully we haven't had any of that yet this year!

Mary...I'll be trying to keep up with you during the NOvember walk challenge, but unless I count my miles walked during the day at work, there is no way I could get near 100 miles! I swear I walk 5 miles a day at work! OK, maybe 3! I don't know...I need a pedometer! Guess I should go get one, eh?

Jennifer...Glad you are back and ready for action in November! We need our fearless leader! The website looks good, but did we expect anything less than perfection from you? LOL!

Dill...There really isn't any place to put photos here (like on some other venues like yahoogroups) but maybe we can post some pictures of us somewhere if you'd like! I'd like to see what everyone looks like too! We have a business website (husband is a portrait photographer) but only pics of his customers and our DD are there! I'll see if maybe I can get him to put a couple of me/us on it!

Gabrielle...You keep up that pace, chickie! You are doing awesome! Good luck on your goal!

Lucy...Girl...you make me laugh! It's ok to get tongue tied with the CEO of your company! LOL! I can see me doing the same thing...or worse yet...saying something REALLY stupid!!! Glad you are taking care of that foot. And welcome back to the world of working out!

Donna...I'm glad you are back in action again! You have done so well this challenge and I'm proud of you! Keep up the good work and if you have any ideas for me to get past this "eat all the crap I want and think I can lose" stage, please pass them on!!!!! LOL!

Jaymi...Put down the Zebra cakes, girl!!! 340 calories! Gads! Way to go on the workouts! You are doing awesome!

OK chickies...I almost forgot to tell you!!!!! Starting Monday, I am going to TRY (once again...some of you know I've tried this several times before) to do the "No Sugar" thing! I'm taking it one day at at time, one hour at a time. There are a couple of girls at work doing it right now and I thought that would help me with motivation a little! I've got to kick this thing once and for all! Maybe hypnotism will cure me!

Gotta fly and start on my "list" for the day! Have a great weekend, all you chickies and Happy Halloween!

[dilleight]

Hey peeps! I'm feeling a bit poorly this week I've not been great recently although I have noticed I've been snacking less. Which is always good. It means that even when I eat a few bad things it's not so bad. I bet the cookie monster I had last night involved ALL the calories though, 2 cookies and ice chocolate yogurt! I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment

Dill

[gabwill]

well I am doing pretty good. Didn't get to get on yesterday but that is alright. I got on the scale this morning and it said 146!!! I haven't been there in 2 years which is good. I wanted to be at 145 by tomorrow but I am not about to lose 1 lb in a day but since today is a taebo day that is going to help. Yesterday was a running/walking day. Have how far I did written down somewhere. It was almost 3 miles ran and 2 miles walked if I remeber correctly.

Yesterday my husband and I went to a presentation Trendwest and they had all sorts of goodies out there. My husband (he isn't a snack person) ate a few cookies and then went back for seconds. What surprised me is that I didn't even want any. I always want snacks and sometimes even would make a special trip to the store for them. I just didn't want it though. Last week I ate a sundae and since then my cravings have never come back. I am so proud of that. Now, they may later but I will deal with that then and the fact that we have halloween candy just in case it is too cold to bring Jasmine out tomorrow night for the other kids around here. I am hoping it isn't but it won't do any good to have the candy in the house with me all day. Other then that, everything is good.

[Hotcupojava]

Yep, looks great, Jennifer. Thank you muchly.

[**Jennifer**]

Evening, chicklettes!

Man, I am a hurting chickie tonight. PMS, cranky, crabby....just a miserable person to be around. Bleah.

Good news- got 100% on my final project, and now I just have 2 6-lesson classes left until I get my certificate. Woo Hoo!

I took a nap earlier, and I feel so out of sorts. I just prepped the Thanksgiving Challenge avatars...here's a sneak preview of them....

Click here for the preview...if you have anything you want altered...PM me & I can do it

Time to check on hubby, and maybe clear off my bike again...it is NOT a laundry rack!

Have a great night, chickies!

[hikein2005]

I wanted to get here this morning to let you all know how wonderful I think you all are! I've said it many times before, but I'll say it again...I would have given up a long, long, long time ago without this place! I really and truly appreciate all of you and your words of wisdom, your positive focus and your daily struggles. It's great to have a place to come for support for this journey that seems to be lasting a life time!

Some of you have been with these challenges from the beginning and some of you have joined us along the way. So some of you are aware that I have been struggling with this same weight (around 170) since Spring!!! There seems to be a pattern here with "plateaus" and this group. I am wondering what I need to do to get the weight to come off...be more focused? Eat less? Work out more? Stay on plan for more than a week? (LOL!) I suppose that all of these things are things I need to do. I have NO excuses for staying at this weight for so long! I make plans, I write them down, I put them in places I know I will see them, I put up inspirational quotes, pictures and even have a collage on my fridge! I plan my meals, I buy healthy foods, I cook healthy foods, I eat healthy foods (most of the time)...I have the best intentions! But something is missing!!!! I WANT TO GET THIS WEIGHT OFF AND I KNOW I WILL FEEL BETTER WHEN I DO!!!! What is missing? Consistency? Follow through? Dedication to myself?

So here are things I plan to do for the month of November so I can finally reach my goal of getting past this "plateau" and get to 159 and less!

*TO TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME.

*TO KEEP THIS WEIGHT LOSS AND MY DESIRE AT THE TOP OF MY FOCUS HOUR TO HOUR, DAY TO DAY.

*TO START THE WEIGHT LOSS AGAIN...AND CONTINUE EVEN WHEN I AM SEEING RESULTS.

*JOURNAL MY FOOD EATEN DAILY!

*CONTINUE TO DO ALL THE THINGS I MENTIONED ABOVE.

*REMOVE MYSELF FROM SWEETS AND ALL THINGS TEMPTING.

*BE HONEST WITH MYSELF ABOUT WHAT I AM REALLY DOING (OR NOT DOING) TO WORK AT THIS WEIGHT LOSS!!!!


Jennifer...thank you so much for the work you do on the Avatars!

Aren't they cool, everyone? Let's show our support to this challenge this month and use a "Thanksgiving Challenge" avatar!!!!

Let's get this thing started for the month of November so we can all meet our goals! Aren't we fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to "get healthy" once and for all??? I know that's my plan this month!!!!

[dilleight]

Hey people

Jen- well done on the project that's fabtastic!
Julie- Sounds like a good plan and somehow you've just inspired me not to eat a cereal bar!
Gabrielle- well done on the loss

Well I've eaten some dodgy things today. We went to this new pretzel place, I know you lot have had them ages but I hadn't had a soft pretzel before. MMM yummy! I'm sure it contained ALL the calories though. Still, I'm seeing some friends tonight and there are going to be a lot of snacks. I am going to HAVE to resist. I will be so chuffed if I can.

Dill

[MsRD]

Happy Halloween !

Ok......I came in here feeling pretty lousy, a semi-failure, and discouraged.......and then I read Julie's post. You have saved my day! Thank you, thank you.....to you and everyone else who has guided me (tazered me?) into thinking and acting more healthy.

Now....the final tally.....I am down 4 pounds. I try not to dwell on the fact that that is the sum total of 2 months diligence. I know where I have let myself down.....I have fallen back into old eating habits.....too much diet cola, too much fat, too much salt. thank goodness the water consumption and exercise have been on track, or I could have chalked off the whole challenge!

Two months ago, I couldn't exercise for 3 minutes without resting.....now I am up to 30 minutes at a go.....I even RAN with the dog yesterday! Two months ago, my eating habits were horrible.....now, I am so much more aware of what is healthy. AND, 2 months ago, I was 4 pounds heavier! So.....I have turned things around! Baby steps sounds so cliche, but it seems to work here.

On to November........water is ok.......exercise needs improvement......but the main focus has to be my eating habits. I CAN DO THIS!!

[miss_elisha]

Morning ladies!

I know today is the last day of the Challenge, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow for my results. I actually think I'm right where I was at the beginning of the challenge, but that is ok considering how many times I went up and down. I'm just glad I didn't end up with a gain. And next month is going to be even better, I just know it. I'm back in the swing of thigs now, and all geared up for the Thanksgiving Challenge!

Julie, your plan sounds great! Hopefully we can all stick to those goals for the next month!

Jennifer, great job on the project! Keep up the good work!

Everyone else... great work on the Halloween Challenge! Let's step it up and make the Thanksgiving Challenge even better!
~Elisha

[hikein2005]

...and all the ghosts and goblins will soon be here Trick or Treating! There are 2 HUGE bowls full of all the stuff I love. I specifically told DH to get stuff that I DON'T like!!!! Grrrrr! Did he listen??? NOoooooo! But that's ok, because it's not up to him to watch what goes in my mouth, is it? I have that sole responsibility! So, I'm not going to give in just because they are there!

I went clothes shopping today!!! It was pure heaven to be able to shop for 4 hours without anyone bothering me!!! YES! And I got some great deals! For $120.00 I got a pair of Lee's Khacki's (size 16Petitie--NOT Women's), 4 new tops (knit) in XL (although I'm sure I could have gotten large, but I always wash and dry all my clothes so they will shrink a little!), a Playtex Bra and a Sports Bra (no smaller size there...gotta take care of those girls, ya know! ), a pair of thong underwear (my first ever...and would you beleive they weren't in the bag when I got home, so I had to humbly call the store...they said I could come in and get another pair!)...AND a 3 piece Suit! Now tell me, when was the last time you could get all of that AND a suit for under $200.00! Am I the Queen of Bargains...or what???? LOL!

OK, so I got a pedometer too and since I bought it at 3pm, I have put on almost 8000 steps. Now granted, it's not the most expensive one, but I did the 100 step test (that 3FC recommends) and it's fairly accurate! I'm pretty sure I'll have over 10,000 every day especially when I work!

Alright...the kiddos are here trick or treating. DD wanted to hand out candy...I guess she got her fill of GETTING candy last night!

Take care chickies...and I'm glad I could inspire some of you ! HUGS!

[dlzbth]

I will post more on our new challenge thread but wanted to input the last entry on this challenge as I lost 8.5 pounds. I hope I will see you ALL on the Thanksgiving challenge.


Donna

[miss_elisha]

Ok, so the results are in! I am exactly where I was at the beginning of the last challenge. Ugh! That just means I have to work a little harder, right?

Which means I'll see you on the Thanksgiving Challenge!
~Elisha

[**Jennifer**]

All rightie...the new thread is up & running. See everyone over there!

Thanksgiving Challenge Thread

[lisa girl]

I was thinking I didn't lose a thing on the October challenge. I didn't want to weigh, cause I thought I had gained instead. But, surprisingly, I lost 3 pounds!! Wow!! Gotta lose more though in the next challenge.