[Ashley103]

Calories - <1500, day 14, 2 pauses taken
Vege/fruit - at least 5 servings per day, day 14, 2 pauses taken
Food log every day, day 15, 1 pause taken
Exercise - 30 minutes per day, day 15, 1 pause taken

I leave tomorrow for a business trip, so won't be back to 3FC until Weds night at the earliest. I find it very difficult to stay with the challenges when traveling, but am going to try my best to keep on track. I'm going to Ft. Lauderdale, FL where the highs will be in the upper 70s, so at least the weather will be nice.

Red - it really can be an eye-opener when we start looking at when/how/why we eat. I believe eating is more about emotions than it is about hunger for most of us. Thank you for the link. That comment makes a lot more sense now.

DJ - happy birthday to your son. My son turns 30 this year. I cried and cried the year I turned 30. How could I possibly have a child turning 30 in a few months?

Apple - hard to believe it's getting close to shorts weather. I was packing for my trip and decided the shorts can stay home. I'm not putting my stark-white legs out there for co-workers to see in February.

Shad - how long will you be gone on your trip? Is the planning lots of fun?

Sushi - you made it through the weekend without xx! Good for you.

Everyone else - hope to hear from you soon. Keep truckin' with your challenges.

Be back on Weds.

[Joyfull]

What a good idea. Newbie here and I'm up for the 21 day challenge.
Day 0 - drinking 64 oz water
Day 0 - 15 min. on stationary bike (to burn off stress!)
Day 0 - 5 min (at least) stretching

I don't understand pauses but will read that over again.

I'm really good at planning what I should do - really bad at sticking to it - so here goes - lets do it together - we are worth the effort!

[Obsidianbbw]

I actually joined this challenge when I first joined 3fc, but never completed any of my challenges. Now I've gotten things down and finally losing weight...I would like to work on not eating as much beef as I do.

I'll going with 2 pauses days. One for the left over jambalaya I have about one serving of in the fridge. No beef for 21 days.

Also no applebees for 21 days. Eating there is in my plan, but don't like that I go so often. No Pause days.

[jollygirl]

Hi all. I am slinking back in yet again. Have patience with me - I really am trying to get back on the wagon. This last week some work issues came up, and i used that as an excuse to eat. Then, I gave myself food poisoning (oh, you shouldn't make a chef salad with chicken that had been thawing for a week???), and that threw things off as well. I do want to get healthy. I do want to make good choices. I do want to finish what I started.

So, again, my goals starting today, all at level 3, are:

1) Daily exercise

2) No unauthorized sweets.

3) Daily post on 3FC!

Honestly, I wonder if I am not going through a mild depression. I just haven't had the energy to do any of the things I enjoy doing. Hence the last goal - I need to make time for the important things.

Anyway, I am off to the gym and work. Have a good day all, and give me a kick in the butt as you go

[Shad]

Quote from Red's article:
As his personality gained depth at the hands of Warner Bros cartoons’ directors, the little black duck became more self-analytical, competitive, peevish, paranoid, and neurotic”.
Ha Ha ha Now if that doesn't describe the Aussie, I don't know what does. Okay, now I will have the wrath of the entire Aussie chicks thread plus the numerous other Aussies in here down on me - here comes some more exercise - ducking for cover!!!

Ashley, I am planning my tri-annual overseas jaunt. This year I am going to USA and Canada and I will be away around 5 weeks. This will be probably the 2nd to last big trip I will make. I want to go back to UK and Europe again as well but that is another 3 or 4 years away yet. I'm visiting Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee, (Florida as well????) New York, New Jersey, Toronto, possibly Ottawa, Banff, Lake Louise, Vancouver and BC and possibly San Francisco (this is probably going to be my entry and exit point). If any of you live in the path of Hurricane Shad on her travels and have time for coffee or a meal or just a plain ol' catchup, then I'd love to meet up. The full itinerary and dates won't be available for another couple of weeks. Gotta sort out the route and the funds.

Anyway - exercise done and dusted for another day. I just wish I could see the benefits of all this good eating and exercise. It's gotta come one day.

[redballoon]

No sugar -- Day 0 completed/3 pauses left
No alcohol -- Day 5 completed/2 pauses left
Fresh vegetable juice -- Day 7 completed/1 pause left
Food Journal -- Day 2 completed/3 pauses left
Crunches -- Day 7 completed/1 pause left

I had to start the sugar challenge over. I probably would have anyhow. I'll see if I get off the ground today. I may not, am not going to worry about it. I am proud of myself for keeping going on the other ones.

**************

Shad -- You're too funny! Yes, I thought that part in the black duck explanation could catch some flak. I don't know the Aussie personality, but from what I've seen of people here it may not be so far off the mark. Again, generalizations don't mean all that much. The culture does hit me as much, much more homogeneous than the States. I guess it is, being, what, largely Irish and English? Your trip sounds exciting. You may have to extend it after the Aussies find your comment and gang up on you! Good going on the exercise. You are seeing the results, maybe not in weight loss but think of what you are NOT seeing, such as you ballooning up beyond your wildest imagination!

jolly -- Patience with you is not a question. Of course, we have all the patience you want! Just glad to see you keep trying. Poor you with the food poisoning! Gosh, I know how awful that is. Good luck and stay strong!

Obsidian -- Good to see you back. Good luck!

Joy -- Welcome aboard! If you still don't understand pauses after reading the first post in the thread, just ask me.

Ashley -- Congrats on more days notched! And have a safe trip!

dj -- No smoking is quite a victory!!

[jollygirl]

Hey all. Day one all 3 challenges met. Here's to day 1. Thanks Red, for the encouragement. I need all I can get. Shad - your travels sound awesome. Too bad I won't be in the path of Hurricane Shad!

I am off to bed. I am still needing lots of sleep. Hopefully, since I actually managed to eat SENSIBLY today, I won't be up with acid reflux tonight. Let's hope. And, since in my battle with the treadmill, the treadmill won, I am hoping it will be un-icy enough that I can run outside tomorrow. I am shooting for 2 miles. I am sure it will be a combo of running and walking, as i haven't been doing anything. But I am going to try.

Thanks again all of you! Have a good night.

[Sushi Penguin]

My sleep seems to have gone whacko again I'm so tired, yet can get a snooze. If it continues this way, I'll have to go back to coffee. But for now, another day notched...

Day 4 on NO coffee
Day 8 on no chxxxte

[jollygirl]

Good morning, and way to go, Sushi. i know how hard it is to give up the caffeine!

As for me . . . HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!

Despite slipping on ice right outside my door before I even took a running step, and all of the chest congestion I had from nights upon nights of acid reflux, I jogged 2 miles this morning and only had to walk about half of the last half mile.

I need to go stretch, then die

Have a great day all.

[djstorey]

Ok, I need to get back into things here.

So, here it is...

5 servings fruits/vegies per day, level 3
64 oz water per day - level 3
log all calories - level 1

I know I need to get those calories under control again, but I'm holding off for a bit. I ordered myself a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned and I really want to see what it says. I know it's not 100% accurate, but they're supposed to be pretty close most of the time so we'll see what it says and go from there.

Jolly - Great going on the jogging! That's something I've been wanting to do, but with the smoking, I just couldn't! Now that I've quit, I'm going to start working up to jogging as soon as the weather starts to cooperate!

Sushi - Good job on the no coffee or ch*&@^te. I don't know if I'll ever get that far myself with the coffee. I love that darn stuff and it's my last vice! Hope you got some sleep!

Red - You should be proud of the challenges you've been doing! Besides, you've done really well with the no sugar in the past so I know you'll get there again!

Shad - Wow, that is some trip you have planned! Sounds like a lot of fun.

Obsidian - Nice to see you back. Good luck with your challenges.

Joyfull - Glad to have you here! Good luck with your challenges.

Ashley - Hope your business trip was good. Isn't it funny that as your kids grow up, you really don't feel older until they have those darn birthdays!

Have a great day everyone!

[Obsidianbbw]

Nice to see everyone, well I had the left over beef for dinner last night so will call this day one, no pause days.

No cooking beef at home day 1
no applebees day 2

[redballoon]

It was a very stressful day and more are expected...but I notched three...am going to start anew on the other two...

No sugar -- Day 0 completed/3 pauses left
No alcohol -- Day 6 completed/2 pauses left
Fresh vegetable juice -- Day 8 completed/1 pause left
Food Journal -- Day 0 completed/3 pauses left
Crunches -- Day 8 completed/1 pause left

Talk to you all later....

[jollygirl]

Hey all. Day 2 all challenges met. Got to run, but here's to all of you

[Apple Blossom]

Day 14 no beer (Red, it's not a no alcohol challenge. I'm still finding other stuff to drink )
Day 6 for 1 cup of coffee (I took a pause day over the week end)
Day 5 for calves (60 is a more reasonable number)
Day 1 for steps, (1000 or 10 minutes, since counting is a pain)
I just had one of those ughh moments while looking at family photos. I have a long way to go...
Hey Jolly! You're going to do it this time!!!
Hi to everyone else!

[redballoon]

Well, I'm just not up to getting those other challenges started. It's not good but I'm going to take it. At least the other three are moving along and although they've become pretty ingrained, dare I say habits, they are still all too easily put off if I don't make them a challenge. But, they give me a boost of confidence and my confidence is rock bottom. Bootstraps, pull, heave, ho!


No alcohol -- Day 7 completed/2 pauses left
Fresh vegetable juice -- Day 9 completed/1 pause left
Crunches -- Day 9 completed/1 pause left

No sugar -- Day 0 completed/3 pauses left
Food Journal -- Day 0 completed/3 pauses left

**************

Apple -- Well, no beer. Good enough! You know, it had never occurred to me to make a no beer as opposed to no alcohol challenge, but it could be a good idea and one I would easily risk withOUT pause! Yes, I could do that and there is NO way I would drink as much if I was drinking, say, shochu (a type of rice vodka) instead of the brew. Hmm....thanks for the idea. In any case, you're doing well. Hands off the sherry! Sorry about the ughh moment. Just look at how far you've come. It's closer to your goal than it is to your starting point. Chin up!

jolly -- Good going, you! Stretching...OK...dying...NOT! Hang in there!

Obsidian -- A day notched! Good luck on the new one!

dj -- Thanks! I need all the encouragement I can get these days. A lot of the eating I'm doing these days has NOTHING to do with food and I hadn't been doing that in a long time. The scary thing is I'm allowing it, knowing full well what I'm doing and where it can, no, will, lead if I don't put a stop to it. I have one of those heart rate monitors...maybe I should use it and get motivated... good luck on your challenges!

Sushi -- Tough going, eh? Sounds like caffeine withdrawal to me. If you feel your really need some, maybe take something else to at least break you from the psychological part. Good going on the