[Poppyseed]

Hi everyone,
I'm new here, and it's been suggested that I drop by here and hang out, as everyone seems to be on the right track! How do I get involved in the challenges?
Poppy

[PheonixRising]

Hi Poppyseed-It's great to see you. Welcome to our thread. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we'd be pleased to have you join us.
We have our ups and downs like anyone in the weighloss battle, but we're trying to learn to manage the downs and come out victorious.
If you want to join our challenge system here is how it works-PM me with your personal goal for the week. Challenge weeks run from Saturday until Friday. We have just started a group challenge this week. To learn more go back a few posts. You also need to let us have an email address so that when you have a week when you are successful meeting your goals we can shower you with ecards. At the end of the week when you PM me with your next weeks goals let me know the results of last weeks goals. That's all there is to it. Since you joined us in the beginning of a challenge period you are welcome to set a challenge for our current week. It's that simple. If you have any further questions you can ask in a post or you can PM me if you want.
Once again-WELCOME

Amanda

[Mitchypoo]

Hello,
I too am new to this thread and would like to join your challenges.

I am doing Suzanne Somers diet plan, i do well with low carb because I'm a carb addict. I also started going to a circuit gym about a month ago and go 3-4 x a week and I also bowl 2 days a week for about 1.5 hrs because I'm taking bowling in college! (I needed a 1 unit class and it's fun too!)

I have had success with my latest attempts, I've lost 8 lbs. and 5 1/4 inches in one month since going to the gym and I've lost 14 lbs. total since after the holidays.

I still struggle staying away from carbs, sugar and caffeine. Tonight I had a cheat but I've decided to think positive and just go on.

My goal if I can join now still is to not have any more sugar this week and to have 80 oz. of water a day.

[losinginillinois]

Boy we are just growing! Welcome Michele and Poppy. It sounds like you are both in college. I remeber those good ol days. I actually had my first big weight loss my senior year of school. Which was not easy because of all the food available! But there was always someone working out! I used to do tapes in my room and I took areobics class for a credit. I would advise you do it now while you are young. I just turned 30 and I have two kids and it so much harder to lose now. Your metabolism goes south quickly! Just make sure you are doing it the right way! That is also a common thread in college to fall into the weight loss traps! Well I just wanted to say welcome and good luck. I am cutting this post short because the two kids I was talking about our messing with my post!

Beth

[Mitchypoo]

Beth,
Thanks for the welcome and don't I wish I was 20 something! But I am not. I am back in school because I lost my job and i'm in a dislocated worker's program. I'm finishing my degree and will graduate this May but I am really 30 something! I'm having a birthday in a few weeks and all i'll say is it's closer to 40 than it is to 30. You are right about the metabolism thing though.....I had always been thin, extremely thin until my mid 20's and then i started to change, along with my thyroid stopping too.

Have to get to school......Have a happy Tuesday!

[Poppyseed]

For all the encouragement. You're right, I am in college, and the food and lifestyle can be the devil. However, I'm going to learn how to take advantage of it with the campus gym, pool, etc... and make it work for me. My biggest thing is that I eat when I'm bored and usually fill up on carbs. I'm vegetarian and that makes it difficult sometimes to get all the protein/vitamins I need when I don't put some effort and planning into it.
My challenge for this week is to get in some yoga every day and to visit the gym 3 times. However, I will think up a more creative challenge for next week. Right now, I am in the habit breaking/habit forming stage - which is tough! However, I think I am hanging out in the right place.

Hope everyone is having a great week!
Poppy

[KimPet]

Welcome Michele and Poppy!

It's a great group here and everyone is very encouraging and inspiring in their battles to lose. Even though you really have to be responsible for your own choices it's nice to know that you have a whole group of 's willing to get you back on the right track.

Today my DH and I joined a local gym and had our first workout. Phew!! Did it feel good afterwards! We then went to the library and I got some books on making your own program for weight training and a 90-day plan for weight loss. I weighed myself at the gym and have a loss of 4lbs!! Whooo! I'm excited, of course since it's a different scale than the one I have used before there might be a problem or difference w/ the #'s...but shh I don't want to rain on my parade.

Gotta run some errands. I hope everyone is good!


Kim

[PheonixRising]

Welcome Michele and Poppy
We're so glad to have you here. We're a group committed to weight loss and lifestyle changes. We like to offer each other advice and cheer each other on. We've got a great group of ladies. When you PM me with your challenge results at the end of the week please let me know your email addresses so we can shower you with ecards when you meet your goals.

Attention-
Alert to all ladies: remember the group challenge this week. I think it's a step we all need to make in our lifestyle transformation. I also think it will be a great tool to keep us on track.

At ease----

My week is going ok. It's hard for me to do these exercise challenges. I haven't even made an effort. In my defense though I have been sick yet again. Eating wise I've done ok. I think I'll be ordering a scale next week so I'll finally be able to weigh myself. School is going reasonably well. I'm feeling more up today than yesterday, so this week can still be saved. I guess that's it for now. Talk to you later.



Amanda

[PheonixRising]

Way to go Kim and your DH for joining the gym. You have fewer excuses everyday. (Maybe you aren't the queen of excuses anymore. ) Love ya--bye again





Amanda

[Poppyseed]

Good morning everyone,
Do you ever wake up with a totally frustrated feeling. Some people where I work at part time wanted me to submit a proposal for a policy change that would affect all of us. I thought I had everyone's support, but now there is some dissent within the group. And I feel crappy!!!!! Liked I'm spramed if I do and spramed if I don't!!
So today I really don't feel like going the extra mile and being all chipper. That being said, I'm not about to fail on the challenge or resort to comfort food eating --- at least, not yet, but I would love to hear from you about things you can treat yourself with to pick yourself up without doing away with all your hard work.
Thank you!
Poppy

[losinginillinois]

Hello All! Where are some of you guys? Angel? Trawill? Roundy Bean? We want to hear from you no matter what you are doing!

Kim it sounds like you and you dh are really doing well! I wish my dh would try and exercise with me! He is very supportive but isn't interested! That is why I come here!

Amanda I hope you get to feeling better! But I bet you actually don't feel like eating much! I know the first time I ever lost weight I had been sick over christmas break. I was in college. I lost about 10 pds just from feeling like crap! Something just clicked inside of me and I thought why stop now. By the end of my christmas break I had lost 20lbs. You know what is really funny about it. A friend of mine and I are were reminiscing about that and she said " I remeber you told your mom not to even make you a bday cake and she didn't." I did not even remeber that! I thougt way to go mom!

Poppy I do envy you in some ways! I remeber my good ol college days! As far as work it doesn't get much better I hate to inform you! My best advice is to just do your job and stay out of everyone elses way! I adopted that philosophy because I can't stand my immediate supervisor! Which I only have to put up with her for a few hours because we work opposite shifts. My motto is to let her approach me! If I don't talk to her first then I don't have to listen to her! I know that probably didn't help much! LOL! But as far as trying to find something else to keep your mind preoccupied. You could go to that Yoga class you were talking about. Grab a friend and go for a walk. Maybe try to have good snacks on hand. Don't pig out but at least you won't totally blow it! I don't know what you have available to you as a student but if you have a fridge. Skinny Cow Ice Cream bars are heaven! and WOW chips by Lays are not bad at all! I think it would be good for you to find a buddy at school! I know when I went there were tons of people trying to lose! Just be careful not to get mixed up with the wackos taking diet pills or something!LOL! As far as needing protein cottage cheese is an excellent source! You can get low fat and put green onion. pepper and fat free cheese in it! I love it! Do you eat fish and chicken? One more thing and I will quit yammering on but I used to bring my own fat free of low fat dressing to the school cafeteria. It is great on potaotaes sanwhiches (for mayo) and salad! I even once took my own baked chips in a baggie to chichi 's to eat with the salsa! My friend thought it was great! You can't be afraid to be to creative.

Michelle, I hope you were flattered that I assumed you were twenty something! I bet you could pass for it! I had to buy cigs the other day for guy at work. (I don't smoke) The guy carded me! I asked him if I looked that young! He said no you just didn't act like you knew what you were doing! LOL!!!!

Well I have to run. I hope you all continue to have a good day! I exercised twice yesterday and once already today. We will see if it happens tonight! Of course I will be watching the Bachlorette! GO RYAN!!

Beth

[imlilbb]

Amanda - I think the first time I typed this up I clicked on "new thread" instead of "reply"... so I don't know how to fix it or if I can...

Anyway - here is "My Story" everyone - ENJOY!!!





I'm another "NEWBIE"....


Hello everyone!
My name is Bobbie... I am new to this group - thanks to some help from Amanda!

Amanda said to let y'all know my "story"... grab a cup of green tea, a bottle of water... or something that will last through the read... LOL...

Little bit about myself.. I am 32 years old, married with five children of my own (4 girls and 1 boy) and three step daughters. My step-daughters live with their mom, my two oldest daughters live with my husband and I and my three youngest I have joint custody with - with my ex and his new wife. I have struggled with my weight since I got pregnant when I was 19 up until .. well... now! I am 5'2" and topped out at the heaviest I have ever been in July 1998 at 207lbs just before my last baby was born. I quickly lost the weight from that pregnancy due to a HORRIBLE marriage which turned into a HORRIBLE divorce. I remarried in April of 2000 to a gem of a man. I stayed at about 135 lbs until last year... it seems that he and I both have gotten so "comfortable" with each other - that we just EAT... anyone know what I mean??? We live in Houston and he is currently stuck in Washington D.C. - where he went to start a new company with his best friend - and have managed to get snowed in and not able to work!!! (They own a construction company that installs underground fiber optic cable - obviously they can't install anything under the FROZEN ground... ) He left to go up there on Sunday - February 2nd. I have been on a "diet" or "Lifestyle Change" since that day.... I didn't weigh myself when he left but I KNOW I was easily over 150 maybe over 155lbs... which may not sound AWFUL - but I am so short and have a small frame so it looks really heavy. I have been doing exercise tapes everyday - even took my two oldest girls for a walk with me - but my 9 year old tuckered out too quickly. I got on the scale this morning and it says I am weighing in at 144....I can't decide if I am happy about this or not??? Part of me wanted it to be so much lower (Duh - who wouldn't?) and part of me was asking my 'inner' self.. good Lord - how much did you actually weigh when you started? The reason I asked myself this is because I can actually feel the weight is off... you know how when you walk into the gas station to pay for your gas and you can feel everything behind you (you know - the rear - hiney - hind-quarters...) Well - I don't feel that so much anymore and I FEEL lighter. I can fit into jeans I haven't fit into in over a year... My 12 year old said to me this past weekend... "Mom - Your butt is getting smaller... " You know you have done something right when your almost teenager notices!

It seems like I have just fallen into that track that so many women fall into (at least those that are married with kids)... work, laundry, cooking, taking care of your husband, taking care of the kids, taking the kids to and from all their extra-curricular activities... You know - taking care of everyone! I realized that I had stopped taking care of myself... had lost the things I liked doing for myself... So I have spent the past two weeks (since my husband left) taking care of myself. I had my nails done last week, got a new hairstyle along with highlights... and I made a CHORE list for my kids! I had to free up some time for me to work out - and I couldn't figure out how to do it - until my husband said let the kids help out too! I could go on and on and on and on.. .

Anyway - I have been keeping a food journal of the things that i eat... along with the amount of calories, fat and carbs... But I have a couple of questions that I hope some of you can help me with?

#1 - When is the best time of day to weigh myself?
#2 - How do I find out how much caloric intake I should have each day?
#3 - Carbs - what is a "healthy" level to have a day??
#4 - How do I tell how many calories I am burning off a day with my exercising?

I can't think of any other questions ... Yet! Just give me time - I am sure I will have TONS!

Okay - I think I am done for now. I think.... Thanks in advance for any help.... I have never been a part of anything like this forum and I think it is just wonderful!


Bobbie Lynne...

[Poppyseed]

Welcome Bobbie! I'm so glad to hear that you are taking good care of yourself and keeping a food journal! It sounds like you are taking care of the inside and and the outside too. I don't know a lot about carbs (but anxiously awaiting more responses) but I would argue that a healthy, sustainable eating plan would have everything in moderation and would try to have a good balance of most food elements. I am always suspicious of diet plans that prohibit all fats, or sugars, or carbs.

Beth, thank you for all your encouragment. I do eat fish on occasion, when I feel I need the protein, and I try to stay away from all the killers in college, both the diet pills, the freakish diets, and then all the Mr Noodles and the pop! I guess that is why I'm here - to hang out with all the smart folks! I had a Bachelorette party last night and I did snack a bit on cookies and koolaid, etc... but the good news is that I also went swimming yesterday and plan to go again today. The swimming felt so, so, so great, that it was just a physical relief to be in a pool again! I don't know if it was the exercise that led to the great sleep, or dreaming about hunky Ryan - wow! That scene where he was in the white boxers got us all going!

[losinginillinois]

Welcome Bobbie!
I don't know how you do it with so many kids! You should be nominated for sainthood. My two drive me crazy! I am sure you have learned the fine art of scheduling! As for your questions. I don't know the answers but I bet there are those on here that do. I read different posts from time to time and have learned a lot! Also there are websites like ifit.com. and of course now I can't think of the rest of them. But one person I have met that is very knowledgeable is Jackslady you could pm her. It sounds like you are off to a great start already!

Well I lost 2.5 lbs at TOPS today! The weird thing is I think I ate more this week. But I guess the main thing I am feeling is if I can eat what I ate this week and still lose. I can handle this! I know I can't go crazy but I don't have to watch every morsel. Somedays I exercise more just to be able to eat a little more of what i like! I can live with that!

I hope the rest of you will come back soon! Hope you are feeling better Amanda!

Beth

[Mitchypoo]

Hi all,

I had bad news today about the lump and they ended up taking more tissue and stitching me again. It's a type of skin cancer. I was a little shocked. If this next test comes back ok, she got it all but we'll see. Trying not to worry too much.

Haven't eaten well again today. Skipped breakfast, went out for lunch, although it was healthy, and need to do something for dinner still and I don't feel like eating..........Perhaps I'll just go to bed....