Wow, new faces! Hi to everyone I haven't met yet!

Well, my winter break was quite successful, even if there was very little winter to speak of everywhere I went. I had a really great visit with both high school and college friends in Canada, and I had an awesome, long visit with my fiance (never long enough, miss him already). Everything went really well until I tried to leave, at which point I got to the airport only to be told that while I was in Canada, the airline I was booked on had stopped flying to anwhere near Washington DC. That wasn't fun to hear after having been up all night driving in freezing rain across a border!

Class starts tomorrow for me. I have class two days a week this term, and tomorrow is packed.... I have 7 hours of class! One thing it'll definitely make me do is plan ahead for meals, becuase I can't afford to eat on campus every week. Still not looking forward to going back. Sigh.

Everyone knows how hard it is to eat well when you're away from home because you just can't predict what your day will be like and it's hard to plan ahead... So I had to deal with that for a month. It's too bad, really, because I felt like the week before I left I was really getting into a groove with my eating and not even thinking about eating well. It'll come back, I'm sure... I can do it :) No weight lost, no weight gained. Considering we're talking about Christmas and New Year's and a bachelorette party consisting of many martinis, and the fact that I weighed myself during TOM, I'm satisfied!

Well, I got home yesterday and still have suitcases to unpack :dizzy: I'll catch up with you ladies later!

I think this work and going to class all day thing is going to work out better for me than having too much free time. Yesterday I skipped the gym because I was exhausted from getting no sleep the night before. Probably not a good excuse but I feel asleep when I got home at 8 last night. So today is the first day of work, school AND gym. And I'm ... dare I say it.. excited? I like having good things to do.

Also, it is easier for me not to eat junk when I have to plan it out in the morning. Yesterday I had some personally mini-sucesses. First is I didn't have any of the doughnuts they were giving out for the beginning of classes and I love doughnuts. Second, my friend took me out for ice cream to cheer me up and I got a small non-fat frozen yogurt instead of my regular cinnamon.

My main motivation right now is that I have to start wearing "professional" clothes to school everyday. I have some stuff, but it is all a size or two too small for me right now. I don`t mind buying a few peices to get me through, but I'd like to be able to wear the nice stuff that I already have too.

Tracy- I like the little round marshmellow dancer the best. :dance: Good for you for getting out there in the snow and walking. I hate the cold, and it is just starting to set in here.

Brooke- Wow @ not eating when your co-workers went out to dinner. I think I need to learn how to do that because eating out always gets me off track. I'm sorry that guy was a jerk, but just keep your head up!!

Lori- Excellent weight loss!! It's good to see hard work pay off.

Stacey- Ahh.. chili's is one of my weaknesses as well. I love love love my turbo kickboxing class. If you find out some good ways to be "good" on the weekends let me know.

ljd- Hmm... went to Vegas and only gained 2.5lbs doesn't seem so awful after a couple months of doing well. I manage to stay in town and drink my weight in alcohol.

Michelle- I was just reading about how most people who think they are eating very little but can't lose weight are usually eating more than they think. Good for you for being able to observe that. I know sometimes I've gotten frustrated because it feels like I am THINKING about weight loss all the time, but then when I actually consider my behavior I'm not always DOING what it takes to lose. And, I think that plan sounds pretty good. Try it for a week and see how you feel.

Stephie- I'm trying to calorie count too. Unfortunately, so far it has mostly just been in my head.

Jen- I'm surprisingly less boycrazy.. at least.. right now. Of course it has only been a few days and all my former possibilities are kind of acting like jerks lately. I'm hoping that if I resolve to stay single until graduation the universe will reward me with someone really great accidentally. :lol: Don't people say that's what always happens?

Jaime- Yuck @ 7 hours of class. I'm supposed to be in class 8 hours a day for the rest of the semester. Luckily it isnt class-class. It's more of a practicum type thing.

Today is starting as a terrible day...I went back to sleep after my hubby because I had a hard time going to sleep from a stomachache last night from eating too much, I was stressed and hungry so I ate fast, but luckily it was just my planned meal size so I didn't overdo calories, though I could have eaten less. Then this morning I woke up with cramps, so any exercising the rest of the week will have to be away from my abdomen...I hate this time of the month.

And then Tim called this morning to tell me awful news. A guy he had been talking to, that I've talked to and met his wife, was supposed to go sign up to be a Marine next month. His father in law called this morning, the guy was in a car accident last night and died. They don't know what happened, probably ice because no snow stuck but any moisture was freezing, and he went into an orchard and hit a tree. And it's even worse because he was more motivated to go because of the benefits for his wife, who found out last month that she's pregnant. Today is just...BLAH how can the world be so cruel...:( :mad:

Lizzie: Boys can be so.. UGH.

sgregg: Vile! But I bet tasty!

TracyFAdams: I'm less likely to consume more calories if I plan. "Failing to plan is planning to fail," and all that jazz. But it only works for some, and can sometimes sabotage for others. Good luck with the rest of the week! And as for going somewhere else to eat, DF will usually get something vile like A&W, and I get mine. We always pick mine up, though, so I am less likely to be tempted. I haven't eaten fast food in... I can't remember :D And I am REALLY sorry to hear about your and your husband's friend. My heart aches for his wife :( I really hope she's alright.

Brooke: Good for you not eating that other stuff. I eat Subway maybe once every 2 weeks. I get the 6g subs, and I usually always just get Turkey on it, and I get the LF Honey Mustard dressing w/ no cheese. Seriously, the fat mostly lies in the sauces and some of the meats they prepare. and then I just load up on veggies, and I have not only lunch, but usually a snack for later, and very filling and tasty! And people can be horribly cruel. Karma, my friend. It's all about Karma. He'll get his. Jerk!

modkitten: Congrats on the loss! 4lbs, that's GREAT!

Stacey: I've often found that "being bad" or rewarding myself with edible things always triggers me to fall off the wagon. Next time, if you and your mom want to be bad, go rob a bank! I kid, but seriously, buy a tee that you normally wouldn't buy, or spend extra money on fabulous shoes! That's the way I roll, and it drives DF crazy because then we're broke! hahahahahahaha

ljd: I've never been to the states, let alone vegas! I have a very addictive personality, and I think it would spell disaster. I even overspend at BINGO! Hahaha. And I've never had a celebrity spotting because... Alberta has no celebrities lmao!

Michelle: I find if we don't keep track of the little bites here and there, they really add up. If we're not aware of how much of them we're consuming, we tend to rationalize that it "wasn't that much." I'm willing to bet that combined with your already fabulously low weight are huge contributors! Good luck with this next week :) And I'm not sure about that diet, but it makes sense. With myself, I go on a certain % of my daily/weekly intake being comprised of these things, so I imagine it's pretty much the same, and it works great for me!

Jen: DO IT! You know what would make it a blast with the drag queens in tow? Is having a masquerade party!! And congrats on getting in to the ensemble! I fellow classical musician, I am completely ENVIOUS!

Jamie: Sounds like a jam packed holiday! And I completely know about your woes with a busy schedule. It's hard for me to be in a work meeting and whip out a cup of yogurt, haha.

Woo, okay, personals are caught up. I will update on myself a bit later :D

I was MIA from the weekly chat thread throughout Christmas, but was still making some appearances with my challenge group. So all in all, I did well.

BBL!

-Mande

The Ladies Home Journal website LHJ.com, partnered with BHG.com Better Homes and Gardens, has a great chart you can print to help plan snacks. It's 200 snacks under 100 calories. It's really simple, just the food, serving size and calorie amount. I have it saved so if anyone is interested that doesn't want to sign up for either website (it's a members only thing) can send me a private message with their email address and I'll send it. It's an adobe file.

hi guys :)
happy hump day!! yesterday was day one of the new diet, and it went pretty well..except i went to dinner w/ my team and sampled some of the appetizers they ordered for the table. not horrible, but i need to watch EVERY bite if i want to lose this weight! otherwise, i got in my 4 servings of grains, 4 protein, 3 fruits, and 3 dairy and lots of veggies and definitely wasn't hungry all day...of course the 1/4 mac n cheese and a little bit of spinach dip definitely weren't party of the diet :( at least the day went pretty well and now i know that appetizers at dinner are something to look out for! this morning i had lots of carbs for breakfast (oat bran muffin and raisin bran..was at buffet in hotel due to being snowed in and those were the most fiber-y choices), so my two whole grain servings are done..but i've got the rest of the day figured out to fit in with my diet. unfortunately, i weighed myself this morning after boycotting the scale for a few days and i am up a pound to 146.5. i am going to update my ticker and be accountable..i know i can drop the last of this weight with a little more focus!!

tracy - i HATE when its that time of the month..exercise really helps cramps, so get on the treadmill and i promise you'll feel better!! i'm sorry about the accident..they will def be in my prayers

lizzie - way to go on passing up donuts AND ice cream!! you're on a roll :)

brito - congrats on maintaining..that's definitely more than i can say! quite an accomplishment :)

So, I decided last night to sign back up with Curves. I saw a lot of great results when I went there (got down to 187), and I am sure I can find the money to pay my monthly dues. I tried calling a bit ago, but they're closed right now..So when I get back from taking Dixie (My ADORABLE Pomeranian) to the vet I am going to go and sign up again and workout.

Question. Should I go there three times a week, and do the treadmill 5 times a week? or would that be too much? I don't want to overtrain...but I have seen a lot of ladies on here that do A LOT more exercise than that in a day. But, then again..some of them are a lot smaller than me. I dunno. Advice? :) Thanks in advance.

Brooke, try that and if you find yourself too tired or feeling a little too sore that doesn't go away after a hot shower, then you know you need to cut back. Or do the opposite and start , like the gym every other day and the treadmill in between and work your way up to doing the gym 3 times and treadmill 5 times. I'm slowly adding time to my workouts, 30 minutes last week and the next couple weeks 45 until I get up to 60 and a faster pace.

Michelle, thanks for the prayers. I only got to meet them a couple times but he was such a great guy, and she was so proud of him for what he was doing and the way his life was turning around. And the exercise did help. I don't have a treadmill, so I did some quick 10 minute arm and leg exercises, then about 30 of cardio to get my blood flowing but nothing really targeting my abdomen.

Brooke,

WTG on joining curves again.. if it's something that's worked for you in the past then I'm sure it will again! I think everyone is different. I don't think you should let your size affect how much you exercise- go by how you feel during and after your workouts, and whether you have the time. I usually find that the more I exercise, the better I feel, and the less likely I am to "stray" from my plan. Also, when I'm first starting out a new routine, it helps me to do it as often as I can. That's just my experience though- just goes to show that we are all different and should listen to our bodies and do what's best for us :)

That sounds like a good idea, Tracy. Thanks. :)

Hey girls!

Well it has been 2 weeks since I posted... 2 weeks since I was walking home from dinner with my boyfriend and a random girl screamed out of a car "fat girlfriend". But the good news is it has been 2 weeks that I have followed my healthy eating/workout plan!!!

Like you Miss Michelle I am drastically cutting calories (mostly carbs). No bread with lunch or dinner (just protein and veggys) and no dessert. I feel good but I have been rather hungry around 3:00 and 8:00 (which are my usual snack/dessert times).

Hopefully I will keep going...

Thanks! Haven't actually joined back up yet, but I will around 4-4:30. lol. Then I plan on exercising there for the first time in months. 0_o I remember how to use all the machines, so I won't have to get a refresher course or anything.

I am like you in this area. If I don't do a new routine as often as possible I don't do it as often as I should. So, for the first week I am going to do the treadmill 5 times, and Curves on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If I am feeling too tired to do much of anything else, and I start to ache more than usual after a workout, I will cut down.

What's the right amount of carbs, protein, and fat that you should have in a day? I have been eating quite a bit of protein, but..it seems that I am having a lot of trouble with keeping my carbs down. I know you need carbs, but...what's too much? Mostly the problem I have with that is the snacks I choose. Those Quaker 90 Calorie bars, the 100 calorie snack packs...etc..when I really should be picking up a banana, an apple or any kind of fruit. I think I've asked this before, and my memory is horrible, so...what are some good snacks for morning, afternoon, and nighttime?

I read that it is suggested to consume approximately 55-60% of calories as carbohydrate, 15-20% as protein and 25-30% as fat, with no more than 10% of this from saturated fats. If you want to cut carbs, it just says to replace it with protein.

The USDA website has a chart of how much of each vitamin, mineral and fats, proteins, etc. you need each day. Just go to the website fnic.nal.usda.gov and search DRI Tables, click on the first result it brings up and the first link on that page. It will open a PDF grouped by gender and age. It goes over everything you would ever find on a food label.

:carrot: I don't even like eating carrots but this one rocks

I have a bit of time before my next class, so I thought I'd pop in and see how everyone is doing... I've had my first two classes today and I think they will go MUCH better than last term. I'm really looking forward to it. <English Student>My Renaissance drama class will be really cool, the prof is all about de-centralizing America and the West in our readings of the plays, as really in 1600 America was a piddly little thing with the ability to barely produce a pack of cigarettes for England :lol: but we always take our present experience and read it onto the past... So we're reading lots of neat stuff but with an emphasis on the Eastern elements and the clash between Islam and Christianity... Then my early 18th C lit class has only 8 people in it! Which I'm excited about, it'll be really intimate and I hope we get some good discussion in.</English Student> Ah, I'm a nerd :D

Lizzie: I'm with you on the planning thing. I eat worse when I'm at home all day, with no pressure to actually think about what I'm going to eat until it's a state of emergency! WTG on passing up those doughnuts, that's a big deal! :D I forget what you're studying... what's your practicum in?

TracyFAdams: sorry to hear about your friend. Life can really throw things at you sometimes. I hope your stomach feels better!

mande: ahem, where's the update you promised us? how are things? how were your holidays?

miss michelle: hoo boy, a bran muffin and raisin bran for breakfast? I like both those things but don't think I could handle them together! I hate hotel food, it's overpriced and crappy... but considering they probably had danishes and sausages and such, you did well :) I'm sure that lb will come off in no time!

muzik: WTG on signing back up for Curves. Sometimes all you need is a little extra motivation, as in "I'm paying for this now, I better do it!"

cookiemonster: I know you've heard it before but just watch that you don't restrict too much... I know you've come on here before with similar problems as me (bingeing), and I find that when I'm super-strict on myself, the urge to binge gets way worse. As for the idiot who screamed "fat girlfriend" at you, screw her. Period. Forget about it and move on, do what you need to do for YOURSELF, not because some idiot with such a low opinion of herself that she has to make herself feel better by insulting others yelled something stupid at you. Jeez, I hate people sometimes. I just can't figure out... who does that sort of crap to people? :/