[Snowbrocade]

Hi Elycia:

thanks for sharing and am glad you are planning on checking in every day--I think it really helps to affirm what we are doing each day and analyze where we have done well and where we need to improve.

Congrats on cutting out the junk food and sodas--I know that is hard!

Perhaps one of the things we can do to prepare for starting on Monday--tho I know we have all started already:

What are the big motivators to losing weight right now?

For me:

1. My knee problems would be much better if I were lighter
2. Overall mobility
3. Fitting into cute clothes--I want to shop at the Gap!
4. Overall health--I want to stay healthy!
5. Tight airplane seats--went on a trip this summer and it was very uncomfortable flying!
6. Thighs rubbing together
7. Cute clothes again!
8. Not obsessing about food--getting that priority straight.
9. Feeling lighter

[u2girl]

Hello everyone:

Just checking in...okay my motivations.

1) My daughters. I cannot stand the thought of my daughters eating so much junk food, like i DID. Plus I don't want them to see me this way. If I get this weight off in the next year or so, they will not even remember "fat mommy".

2) My Health. I know that I cannot keep this weight on and expect it not to have repurcussions in the next 10 years on so. The excess weight has to be putting unnecessary pressure on all of my joints, my heart, my lungs, everything. I need to be around a long time for my husband and daughters, so the weight has got to go.

3) Vanity. Like you Sno, I want to wear nice clothes. Form fitting clothes. Not the tents and sacks i wear now. I am so tired of rubber waisted pants and shorts. I am so tired of wearing the same thing over and over. I want to shop at The Limited again and Gap sounds great too!

I remember the days of just going to a store and buying something off the rack and it looked great on me! Not anymore. These days, I hate to pass a mirror. That will change though. My goal weight is 147, so I have a ways to go, but I plan on seeing it through and keeping the weight off this time. Even if I get pregnant again, I don't ever want to see the 200's again!

Well, that is my main motivations. I'll see you guys later on. BTW Sno, I think this check-in is a great idea. The Christmas one is too huge and besides, I love the thought of bringing in the new year with a new bod!

Ciao!

Elycia

[CH4Health]

Hi Ladies!!! I agree about checking daily - I will do my best. It's hard to check in at work sometimes, but if I can't do it first thing in the morning at work then I will at home that evening.

Motivations

1. Be healthier & more fit to keep up with my DD

2. Be more fit (and thin) to be able to keep up with my husband (he may be almost 40, but he has the drive of a 20 year old )

3. Be healthier so that my moods will be better - when I don't eat well & don't get exercise my moods are crap

4. Set a positive example for my DD. She's slightly overweight for her age, and I know it's because of her eating (I don't enforce veggies like I should ) and I get lazy and make things like chicken nuggets and hot dogs too much!

5. FIT INTO CUTE CLOTHES!!!! I miss so much shopping for clothes and actually liking the things that fit me. I'm not obese, I know, but my rear end is quite large and those low rise jeans just don't look good on me. (at least not yet )

6. Food - I also obsess about food. I'm an all or nothing kind of person, and I need to break that habit. I need to learn that 1 piece of cake does not give me license to eat half and a whole pint of Haagen-Dazs. I need to learn moderation and eating to live instead of living to eat.

I'm glad that we're doing this together. I'll check in later. Bye!!

[u2girl]

Wow, Sno and CH, I am so excited!! We all have very similar motivations and I think they are great motivations! We are going to be great examples and be in those CUTE CLOTHES before we know it. I think by mid summer of 07, I will be very happy with the way I look and feel.

Regarding my eating plan. I am suppose to be following points, but I am not doing it for some odd reason. For the past 1.5 weeks, I have just been religiously logging everything into Fitday.com. Everything that goes in my mouth. That along with my goal of working out a minimum of 5 days per week. I basically do indoor workouts. I have a nice collection of workouts and I love to do them. So that is how I get my activity. I think I will just keep doing that until it stops working. It has been working great for me so far.

There will probably be a few more of us as the new year draws closer. You know how people seem to wait until the last minute. On December 1st, everyone will realize that they want to lose 30 lbs by January.

Well, I will talk to you guys later.

Elycia

[CH4Health]

Today has been great - eating wise. I've been stressed though and it's causing me to 'think' about food too much. I don't feel hungry like I normally would whem I'm stressed, so that's a plus. I'm hoping that a nice productive weekend will get rid of this stress.

I've decided to modify my exercise goals alittle.

My exercise goals are

1. Walk 30 minutes everyday (at work either use 30 minutes of my lunch or use my two 15 minute breaks) and on the weekends go for a walk w/ DD or DH

2. Do 1 day a week of strength training - no more than 1 hour

3. Jog or jump rope 3 times a week (30 min for jogging and 15 min for jumping rope)

4. Do pilates 1 - 2 times per week (I have a great 20min pilates tape)

I just got my DD's soccer game schedule, and starting 9/9 she will be playing every Saturday until mid-November. I will have to plan and prepare my meals on those days ahead of time.

I'm about to leave work - I'll check in with you ladies tomorrow. Have a great Friday night!

[Snowbrocade]

Hi Ch and Elycia:

I had this weird day yesterday--but it ultimately worked out well so I cant complain. I was going to drop of my car to get it worked on and my friend was going to pick me up and we were going to hang out and go to lunch.

Well anyway it was a big communication fiasco so I ended up waiting while my car got fixed--3.5 hours. In our town the best thai food is in a donut shoppe right next to my car repair guy. so I went there and had a really nice chili and mint leaf chicken--try figuring the calories on that! And then I had a donut and a cup of tea.

Pros--I had exactly what I wanted--the food was delicious, I ate very very slowly.

Cons--I was way full when I finished. I also was kinda rewarding myself for the bummer of being stuck there. I want to stop rewarding myself with food.


One of the really good things I did yesterday was that night I didnt eat dinner--not because I was punishing but because I just wasnt hungry. When I did get a little hungry I had a can of tomato juice and some carrots and celery.

I figure if I can balance things out like that, then having a splashout every once in a while will not throw my whole plan off.

I notice we are all interested in clothes!

I have to say I dont wear tents etc even tho I am big. I recently bought two really cute pairs of jeans--one is by Baby Phat and the other at Lane Bryant. I got them altered to fit my shape--I am one of those wide hips,small waist types. Anyway I get lotsa compliments on both of these jeans.

Plus, I went shopping at Ross and Macys and found really cute stuff in my size last week. I find it motivating to look as good as possible even though I am not my goal weight--I am not getting tons of clothes because I know I will not be at this weight forever.

I guess what I am saying is that we should not "weight" to look cute--looking cute is motivating by itself!

Yes, I miss buying stuff at limited and gap but I still want to look nice!

Also I want to say how motivating I find reading both of your goals and your thoughtful posts.

I have a really good feeling about our little group. I think it is going to be very successful!

[Snowbrocade]

BTW--I didnt know there was an Xmas challenge--I almost made this one then I thought about the 18 weeks thing and also that some people dont celebrate Xmas etc. Oh well.

I want to add a new goal--I think I will repost all my goals on Monday when we have our official start date:

Eat at least 7 portions of veggies a day!

[Snowbrocade]

Hi Ch and Elycia:

Elycia suggested we extend the invite to those on the Chicks up for a Challenge forum, which I did not know existed!

Just letting you know I put the invite in over there. So we may, or may not get some more people coming in sooner or later.

Anyway--I am pumped and cant wait for my weigh-in on monday and re-affirming my goals.

Have a great week-end you two!

Sno

[u2girl]

Hello ladies:

Sno, I saw your invitation over at the Challenge board. That was great! I'm still doing pretty good with the goals I set out for this week. I joined a 7 day challenge in which I committed myself to drink 1 liter of water per day, no pop and no fast food. Today is day 6 and I have stuck to it all days so far. I am glad that I joined that challenge because today I was tempted to go get something from a restaurant, but since I don't want to spoil the challenge, I am not going to.

I hope that you guys are having a great day and I will see you guys tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I meant to comment on your day the other day. You know I think that alot of times we get so obsessed with "eating right" that we forget that it is okay to eat what we choose sometimes. But the point is we make a choice, not just randomly making poor food choices. Definitely don't beat yourself up about it. Just continue on as you have and make the next meal or day count.

Well, I gotta run!

Elycia

[trob]

hi girls, i think that i may just jump on board also. i am a 39 yr old mother of two (ds-14, dd-10) and wife. i never had a weight problem until i had my first child. when i got married i was a size 4-6 which at 5ft. 7in. was way too thin but i was very active. i would like to be 175 by the new year which would put me withing 15 lbs of my goal weight. that would mean that i would need to loose around 1.6 lbs a week.
i think that the monday weigh in is great. i can't wait to get started and cheer you guys on!!

[Snowbrocade]

" I joined a 7 day challenge in which I committed myself to drink 1 liter of water per day, no pop and no fast food. Today is day 6 and I have stuck to it all days so far."

Great Job Elycia--sometimes a lot of short term goals help form the long term ones!

"we get so obsessed with "eating right" that we forget that it is okay to eat what we choose sometimes."

Exactly--that is what I am working on--creating space for eating exactly what I want and just keeping it within reasonable bounds. The part that i critiqued was that I was too full when I finished--that is another habit I am working to break. But like you say--I made it up at the next meal. It was hard to figure my total calores but I was around 2000 which is not bad for a "free" day.

Trob--welcome, welcome! It was cool to hear your story. Being active definitely is key to your weight loss. Your goals sound fabulous. If you get a chance work on your goals for the next 18 weeks and post them on Monday--look forward to losing with you!

[Get n healthy]

I will join you all in this challenge. My personal goal is 238. 31 pounds...it will be tough but that is a good personal goal, that weight was a memorable one and i will be happy if i can reach it as a stepping stone to my longterm goal.
__________________

[Snowbrocade]

Hi Stacy:

what a pretty dragonfly and celtic icon. Look forward to losing with you--when you get a chance here's what we've done so far--told the history of our dieting, made lists of what motivates us to lose right now and we are working on our goals.

Monday we will all check in after weighing in--it is our official start day and hopefully we will all be able to make that our weigh-in day, and then we will affirm out goals. Some of us have made the committment to check in every monday and review how our week went. Actually checking in every day is even better to make sure we are thinking about our goals.

I just know we are going to have a great time reaching our goals and learning a lot about ourselves along the way--and making friends who are on the same path--it is much easier when you share the pain and the successes!

sno

[bopis21]

I want to join in on this challenge!!
I posted on the other thread first...where are we supposed to be posting.

OK so here are my goals:

1) I want to lose 30lbs over the next 18 weeks. I am starting at 187, so my goal weight is 157.

2) I would like to get my body fat% into the 20% range, currently my body fat % is 40.5%

My motivation is simply I want to get healthy BEFORE the New Year!! I am doing this for myself and no one else.

[Snowbrocade]

Welcome--yes you are supposed to post here--none of us really keep tabs on the other site--tho maybe I will check it a few times to herd people over here.

Great to hear from you--I love your focus on health--it is so important--losing weight can be an unhealthy process, both physically and mentally if you dont do it right!