November Challenge maybe?
 

Hello! Do you guys remember me? I used to post a little a while ago, then had gone "low carb" , then kind of stopped......being that i'm trying to get serious about this all again, yet october is over, are you all thinkikng of starting a November challenge?

I would definitely be up to a November challenge!! Let's start it!!!!

Margie

Hi guys! I'm posting here a little early since I'm starting this new routine (8 minutes in the morning) on Monday.

I hate to give myself weight goals - it can backfire so easily. But… I REALLY want to weight 139 by Thanksgiving. I will be seeing my parents (haven't seen them since last Thanksgiving) and really want to wow them.

I want to wow myself as well. I have been very busy and used many reasons/excuses for not dropping more weight yet. But I know the truth - if I want it bad enough, I can do it.

I also plan to stop worrying about losing weight from Thanksgiving until 2003 - it's just too hard to lose weight during the holidays. I plan to concentrate on maintaining. So, I would like to get the biggest bang for my buck until then, and have my weight under 140.

So, that's kinda my November goal. But as we know, I can't just wish it to be true. So, these goals are to ensure I get there:

1) Follow the 8 minutes in the morning (6x a week)

2) Walk 30-60 minutes a day, 5x a week.

3) Take my vitamin every day.

4) Dink 8+ glasses (16oz.) water during the day, and at least 2 glasses at night. - I usually drink about 8 bottles of water at work. But the weekends are always tough, and I think making myself drink 2 glasses a night will help with the evening munchies.

5) Move! Wiggle in my seat at work, tap my (non-accelerator) foot to the music in the car. I can't think of a specific goal for this, just be more aware of my body and what I am doing to help lose weight.

6) Follow my eating plan with only one meal off a week.

Note: You can eat just about anything using a diet exchange. Example - 2 slices of cheese pizza from Domino's break down into 3 carbs, 1 protein, and 1 fat. (I can have 5 carb, 5 protein, and 3 fat on my 1400 calorie days).

When I started this, I tried very hard to fit pizza, take out, etc. into my daily exchange allowance. But lately that is not the case. I order things with out even thinking about what their exchange value might be. And that's stupid because I really can eat whatever I want with a little planning and portion control.

So, when I say, "Follow my eating plan with only one meal off a week." I am still going to have pizza, and my precious Thursday Boston Market. But I will have only 2 slices of pizza, and order veggie sides with no dessert. Then that one meal off can be something really special.

I'm psyched just re-reading this! November, here I come!

Can't wait for giving 100% to weight loss in November! I did really well in October, unfortunatly I got a nasty cough this week, so I took the week off from working out. Hopefully sunday will be a good day to start up again.

In october I kept with my 5 a week workouts, drank a lot of water, and did pretty well on meeting calorie levels and calcium, fruit and vegetable levels. I checked the scale, which I hadn't done since august, and it turned out I had lost 3 pounds! So that was encouraging, and once this cough is over I can't wait to do the same thing.

For November, I will continue the workouts, the water, the healthy diet, and try to deal with stress or boredom in other ways than eating. As long as my hands are busy (like writing in a journal, posting here, or whatever) I think I can be successful.

Good luck everyone!

HERE ARE MY NEW GOALS FOR NOVEMBER:

-CARDIO - 5X A WEEK
- WEIGHT TRAINING /RESISITANCE WORKOUT - 2-3X A WEEK
-DRINK WATER
- FOLLOW POINTS

FRISCO'S MOM - I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH - I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE FAST FOOD PHASE SEVERAL TIMES. A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO ORDERING PIZZA OUT IS TO BUY THAT PIZZA CRUST IN A CAN AND ROLL IT OUT THIN. THEN YOU CAN THROW A TON OF VEGGIES ON IT AND REDUCED FAT OR FAT FREE CHESE - IT TAKES MY CRAVINGS AWAY AND FILLS ME UP - PLUS YOU GET A LOT!!

JMUKATIE - GREAT JOB LAST MONTH!! SOUNDS LIKE YOU DID GREAT AND ARE FEELING GREAT! I AM FEELING LIKE THAT TOO! IT IS A NICE CHANGE!! CONGRATS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS TOO!!

WELL, I STILL HAVE ONE MORE WEEK FOR OCTOBER SO I AM HOPING TO FINISH MY MONTH OUT STRONG! I LOST 2.9 POUNDS AT MY WEIGH IN ON MONDAY AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MONDAY'S AS WELL. HOPEFULLY I WILL OBTAIN MY WEIGHT LOSS GOAL THIS MONTH!!

HERE'S TO A GREAT NEW MONTH!!

I want to join the challenge! I have been slacking and haven't lost any weight in awhile, but I haven't gained any either, so I guess it's not all bad. This challenge is exactly what I need. I have been planning a challenge with my friend, but I don't know if she will follow through, so I'm coming here for support as well. I don't necessarily want to lose a specific number of pounds, I just want to hold myself accountable for the actions that I KNOW will get my body in shape, who cares what number is on the scale. My challenge for November is:

Cardio: 30-60 minutes/day, 5 times/week
Strength: 2 times/week
Stop drinking Diet Coke
Drink More Water
Journal Everyday

Hi PURFECT!!
Glad you joined in!! I have noticed an unbelievable change in my body from working out these past 6-7 weeks. I have only lost about 8.5 pounds, but I feel and look like I have lost 30! So I think that your goals are great!! Stick to it and you'll be happy!!
Good Luck!
Margie

november challenge goals
 

Hey everyone,

This is my first time being in the challenge. In fact I am new to message board. I can't believe how helpful it is..i am just thanking everyone ahead of time...


my goals are to maintain my balanced 6 small meals a day.
I am going to stick to my exercise plan which includes at least 3 cardio days.
I am going to work harder on my abdominals.
I would like to lose 5 lbs this month.
I am not going to binge :devil: on my "day off"
I am going to work hard on my upper body.

one_sweetchick

good luck everyone ;)

hey girls! ok, here is my plan. i think i'm going to start counting my "points" again for WW, but if i decide not to join again, i am going to still stick to some sort of plan this month. also. need to drink MORE WATER.
also would like 5 days of some sort of exercise. I also want to not be totally obsessive but just try and "do it"
:)

princess Jihan - I know what you mean about counting those points!!!! Sometimes it is so easy...then there is the hard part of getting back on track!! You can do it!!

Margie

Hello everyone,
October has been a very good month. qNovember is going to be my improvement month.

Exercise everyday
Drink water on my off days(have no problem at work)

i would love to join the november challenge!

I'm with you Monique
 

Monique,
i think you have a great idea for november, focusing on health/fitness, being strong, not just losing pounds.

i am just making a few small goals for november, since it seems like the more goals i make, the more i don't do them! hehheheh

1. Exercise-
go back to the usual 30 min minimum cardio at least 5x a week (sometimes 40 minutes just takes too long)
go back to weight training 3x a week
TRY SPINNING! I know it is a scary prospect, but I am going to at least try it once in November.

2. continue drinking water, cut down on any caffeine drinks-regular soda, coffee, tea. replace w/decaf & water. (i really don't drink that much caffeine anyway, so this should be easy).

3. do something special for myself to relax-visit a friend or have a friend over, get a massage (maybe not a full body-too expensive, but maybe just a neck massage, or foot massage), my starbucks routine (decaf coffee though)

4. get a new pair of running shoes so i don't get any more blisters on my poor feet!

okay, those are my goals.

Jenn

Whew! Was I tested last night! And I am proud to say I passed with flying colors.

First, I get home (repeat of Tuesday, 10+ hour day) and I have about a ½ hour before I need to be at the sanctuary.

DH sees me making up sandwiches and informs me that there is supposed to be food out there.

Eek. So, I only eat half of what I had planned on. I figured if there was absolutely nothing I could eat out there, I could just wait until I got home to finish dinner.

There was BBQ. I can handle that: a tiny piece of chicken, a small piece of garlic bread (wasn't as good as mine, so wasn't too tempting!), and some green beans.

I leave the mashed potatoes and homemade doughnuts for everyone else. There are also of cupcakes. I LOOOVE cupcakes.

We also have tons of candy for all of our guests. I am so exhausted that I am bumping into people, dropping things, not completing sentences, etc. At the end I take two little bags of candy, thinking the sugar will give me the energy to do some house chores before bed.

But, as I am walking and looking at the candy, I think of how well I've done so far and that the day is almost over. I hand the candy bags to two friends.

DH has had some friends come out to the sanctuary, and he is talking about them coming back to our place. I'm not thrilled, but I am almost never social so I figured I should give these guys a shot.

I picked up 4 cupcakes (3 of them + DH) so I have something to offer them at the house. But once I got home, I realized that DH has decided to for coffee with them. I am in the house alone with 4 cupcakes. Yummy, vanilla with chocolate whipped icing cupcakes.

I threw them, icing first, in the trash.

I can't believe how much will power I found last night, when it has seemed impossible the last week. It is nights like that which I have to keep fresh in my mind when I am struggling.

So, yesterday was another perfect day. I don't think I will have too much problem with today either - it's so easy to want to stay on track when you've gotten your exercise out of the way first thing!

But the weekends are always my downfall. I am mapping out my plan of action so that I get my water, take my vitamin, and eat within my portion allotment.

It sounds like everyone has made some great November goals.

To everyone new, Welcome!

margie1 - you didn't get your massage last month, how come you didn't add it this months goals? You deserve it!

purrfekshun - I slacked off for most of October, so I can appreciate your desire to get back on track. Your goals sound very acheivable and like they will produce results.

one_sweetchick - I have done the Body For Life plan before, and while I like the food mover for it's flexibility, I LOVE the BLF exercise plan!

PreciousOne - I think you have a great idea - just a few goals that you can really concentrate on.

empress(ive) - Please, by all means, join us!

Monique - as you might imagine, (since Richard's plan is an exchange one), I love your goal of eating a more balanced diet. It has really made a good difference in my health.

Jenn - I'm glad you are buying new sneakers! And I would urge you to look around for good deals on massages - I get my full-body massages (1 hour) for $30. That's as much as we might spend going to eat at Chili's - and it definitely is better for my health!

Ok guys, have a great weekend!

Before I get to my November goals, I'll recap on how I did for October:

October goals:

1) Drink 100 oz water a day - did this probably 5 days/wk

2) Run outside at least 1 day per week to get ready for the Half on November 2 - didn't do this every week (did it the first 2 weeks)

3) keep calorie count to around 800 while at work - keep total calorie count to ~1500 calories/day - (it has been more like 1600-1700 cal/day except for my binge days ~approx. 6 binge days)

4) Weight/resistance training at least 2x/week - nope

5) Abdominal training 4x/week - nope

6) Lose 8 pounds this month/6 inches/3% bodyfat - probably not - will find out on Sunday when I get myself measured again

okay - I really need to decide what I want - do I want it badly enough or not??? Am I ready? I've been thinking really hard about November's goals this week and this is the list I came up with:

But I am ready to start anew - all the Halloween candy is gone, the Half Marathon is tomorrow, and my weigh-in is on Sunday


November Goals:

1) FINISH THE HALF MARATHON WITHOUT WALKING
2) DRINK 100 OZ WATER DAILY
3) CUT BACK ON CHOCOLATE (REPLACE WITH FRUIT)
4) ABDOMINAL TRAINING – 3X WEEK
5) WEIGHT TRAINING – 2 X WEEK
6) PILATES VIDEO – 2 X WEEK
7) LOSE MINIMUM OF 1 INCH IN ALL AREAS
8) EAT SENSIBLY DURING THANKSGIVING BREAK
9) BE IN THE 160'S BY THANKSGIVING

I have given myself more goals, as opposed to less, but I think these are a little bit more reasonable than before - plus, I have made out a weekly chart that will help me see when I am and am not making my goals. My problem has been that I don't review my goals during the month.

Would anyone be interested in a new thread that just posts results of the week in the monthly challenges? I don't know if it would be too redundant, since many people already do that (I'm probably the exception) - I think I just need to get in the habit of actually looking at and reposting my goals and charting my progress (i'm way too analytical)...

Anyway, things are going okay today - ready for the weekend

wish me luck in the Half tomorrow - it's going to be really cold (40's and possibly rainy) - I figure that the faster I run the faster I can get out of there and into some warmth!!

Have a great day everyone!

Emily

Goals..
 

1) Exercise 3x per week (cut back because I am limited on time). Journal
2) Eat right the whole month and enjoy myself on thanksgiving.
3) Get to 150!

I'm cutting back on my goals this month.. I am trying to be very simple so I can feel like I accomplished something. This month is going to be very stressful trying to finish up projects and what not.

So I am hoping I can pull this off :)

-Tanya

if anyone doesn't have objections, i'll start a thread toward the end of next week (around Nov. 6 or 7) - that way we can post our weekly progress towards our goals. personally, i think i would just post there one time a week as a check in to make sure i'm following what i sought out to do, but i would encourage anyone to post whenever they wanted

Monique, that's a great idea about posting your goals on your fridge - that would definitely help me - i'm going to steal that idea from you!! - i'm trying your oatmeal muffin recipe today - i've been in a muffin mood lately!

i like this post because i get to find out different things about a lot of different people and give them support, not just on their weight loss...:D

hope all is well with everyone on this Friday!

p.s. already did one session of pilates for the week - yea me!! :strong:

:lucky: i think this little guy is new- his name is lucky - like my screen name - maybe i'll start using him as my sign off - maybe something like:

:lucky:13

CHALLENGE SPREADSHEET
 

Hey everyone -

i made this spreadsheet today if anyone is interested in the format.

simply put your goals in the first column and then you can check the days that you complete goals

since a lot of my goals are 3 times a week, or 4 times a week, i will black in the unused boxes at the end of each week

i plan on coloring the boxes red, when i don't complete a goal for that certain day/week, etc...

feel free to use it or modify it!!

Emily

:lucky:13

wait a second, i don't think that worked -

if anyone would like a copy, please email me at:

[email protected] and I will be happy to send it

oh - now i see - attached files must be images....

I DID IT!!
 

Hello all

well, race day came here and now it is over - I accomplished my goal of not walking!!!:bravo:

I can't believe i ran 13.1 miles at one time without stopping - i never thought i would ever be able to do that!!

I ran it in 2 Hours, 15 minutes ( a little under 10:30 per mile):dance:

I am really proud of myself - i think in the future when i think i can't do something, i'll tell myself - hey you ran a half marathon - you can do just about anything!!:cloud9::cloud9:

bad side effect - my body is killing me!!

hope everyone is having a great weekend:balloons:

Tonic - congrats on your shopping escapade - i can't wait to do the same!

updated nov goals
 

Hey everyone,

I have decided to update my goals alittle for the month of november.

here goes:

1) drink my water (5 bottles a day)
2) go to the gym 6 days a week
3) work hard at the gym
4) spend more time on my abs
5) lose at least 10lbs if not 15lbs this month
6) and finish my christmas shopping by the end of the month :D

starting weight is 220lbs (i am pretty sure)

Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend?

I would categorize mine as a success. I ate more than I thought I would, but I think I was unrealistic as to how much I need to simply fuel my weekend activity level.

I drank my water, took my vitamins, and got my 8 minutes done Saturday morning.

I made that garlic bread again last night at DH's request. I ate less than last time, but still too much. Part of the problem was that I didn't plan dinner until I was at the grocery store. I will remember this and either just take Sunday dinner off, or have better planning.

While grocery shopping, I went in search of the elusive angel food cake. I found a sugar free one in the bakery that was 100 calories for 1/5 of the cake. That was as close as I got. (By Richard's calculation, ½ should be around 180)

Perhaps I'll buy one next time. But I didn't feel like buying a large dessert which I knew I might overeat (already had the garlic bread!). So instead I bought 1 bar of really good dark chocolate and shared it with DH. I figure ½ the bar was less calories as ½ the cake, and I don't have the other half sitting around!

Today I am feeling tired and ready for a vacation. It is chilly in the office, and all I want to do is take a nap. But I am fired up over challenging myself to stay on track. I have almost lost all the weight I gained over the whole car accident/ankle fiasco and I'm really committed to looking my best for my parent's visit.

Rita Update: When we first met Rita, we thought she was deaf. Now we have come to the conclusion that she is just dumb.

I really think perhaps she has some mild brain damage. She just doesn't react to things quickly, or respond to situations in a normal cat behavior.

Of course this doesn't make us love her any less - perhaps just more so. And it might explain why she just sits under the bed all the time. Perhaps she just doesn't want to cope with outside stimulus.

I bought her a bed last weekend, and last night I dragged her out from under the bed, put her bed on our bed (confused yet?) and sat her in it. It took her some convincing, but she finally decided it passed inspection and settled down for a good bath while I watched Trading Spaces. (I am decorating-challenged and am addicted to this show. I am determined to have more than white walls when we finally buy a house!)

Emily - congrats on the 1/2 marathon. That's awesome! And I love the idea of weekly update thread, I want all the accountability I can get this month!

Monique - glad you enjoyed Halloween as well. Do they do anything different in Canada?

Tanya - good idea with fewer goals. You're only human. I make myself a daily to-do list, and I really try to keep the items to 10. It's just frustrating that there aren't more hours in the day! (Today's list is up to 13 so far, but 3 are phone calls so hopefully it will all get crossed off!)

one_swwetchick - great goal of working hard at the gym! It's so true that half the battle is getting there, but the other half is making it count!

Well guys, I've had another cup of coffee (I will drink an extra water to balance it out) and I think I might actually try to get something done today! Take care!

Hello everyone,

I better get my lazy butt in gear. Everyone has such sensible goals. And not just "I wanna lose pounds" but "I want to do strength training, etc." So I guess I'd better put my goals up there as well.

GOALS:

1) To continue the exercise regimen that I have been doing, aka go to the gym 5x a week.

2) To drink as much water as I have been drinking. I'm quite addicted to it now.

3) To DEFINITELY EAT BETTER. That is normally where I falter. I don't eat quality foods as of late.

4) To eat smaller meals more often. That's what my nutritionist told me so I'm gonna follow that.

5) Do Pilates twice a week.

*****6) Throw my scale against a wall and smash it into little itsy bitsy pieces while venting all my anger and frustration on it for all the misery and anguish it has caused me.

Yup... that's about it. Oh yeah... and to lose up to 10lbs! :D

~Sahvara

sahvara, i like your goal #6!

we should all do the same thing! it's funny how much the numbers on the scale mean to us, how much they can ruin or bring happiness to our day.

and the weird thing is, and the one thing i try to remind myself of,
is that you can have 10 people that weigh the same weight, but can look totally different from one another!

i have already accomplished one of my goals-i went & bought some new running shoes on saturday. i tried them out on Sunday, and am happy to report that i didn't get any blisters! :) :) :)

i also have been watching my caffeine intake, and didn't have any caffeinated drinks yesterday.

i had kind of rough weekend, relationship wise. my bf & i seemed be butting heads most of the weekend.

i am very insecure, and while that played a part in the "arguement (s)" it is not the only thing to blame.

anyway i don't want to bore anyone with all that, but i did have a question. Has anyone here tried therapy, and if so, did you find it effective? Please don't answer if you don't want to, because it's not my business, i just wondered if anyone tried it & it worked. a friend of mine went to like 3 different counselors & she didn't think it worked that much. i often think I need to talk to someone, but i am afraid of wasting my time.

anyway i better get going.

jenn

jenn,

it's interesting that you ask the question about therapy because i found myself thinking about it and writing about that very topic today. i'm really curious to hear from anyone that has gone to therapy for eating/weight issues. i wonder if it would have solved my problems if i had taken the time to talk to someone, but then i figure it could have also wasted my money and i'd be the same place i am today. not sure, but would love to hear what others have to think.

my november goals are:

1. journal everyday
2. eat more protein
3. eat healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains) and stay away from processed and refined foods.
4. cardio 5 times /week
5. strength/pilates 2-3 times/week
6. lots and lots of water
7. no more than one sprite/week

i'm excited about november and know i can meet all these goals. i'm going to check in here weekly, but i'll be posting to my journal everyday - the link is in my signature if you want to read it. does anyone else keep a journal?

empressive,
i don't keep a journal online. occaisonally i write in mine, but it's not on a consistent basis. i did go read yours a little. you sound a lot like me in your eating/exercise habits. our goals are a little the same too. do you like Pilates? I signed up for a class that started in september, and i went about 5 times, but i really didn't like it. i think i am used to a fast-paced workout & it was just too slow for me, ya know? plus, some of it was stuff i already did on my own at the gym.

i don't remember what all i told you guys about my echocardiogram, so if i repeat myself, sorry. friday i went & had it done. the tech. didn't see anything major but it is reviewed by a cardiologist & then sent to my doctor. she did notice some irregular heartbeats. she also noticed that my heart rate is pretty low, and asked if I ran. :) that's always such a nice compliment!
anyway yesterday i called my doc. office but it was already 4:30 & i had to leave a message. i hope they call back today. i'd like to see what they say before i call a therapist.
i think (and my doc. confirmed that it is highly possible) this heart thing is from anxiety. remember a while ago i said i was worried about some personal stuff? i wonder if this is what brought on the latest "attack" (i call it attack for lack of a better word).

yesterday was another day w/o caffeine. i did have a starbucks in the morning, but i got a decaf. :)
although right now I am drinking a cup of tea...tea has less caffeine than coffee though.
i also had a nice workout yesterday. i did some quick weights, then a step class for about 35 min. i left the class, i just wasn't feeling it yesterday. but then i did 15 min on the elliptical. i wanted to run but all the treadmills were taken.

anyway i should go do some work.

ttyl
jenn

Happy Tuesday!

I'm still on track and loving it. Today I bought a chicken terriaki (sp?) sub from subway, but then I put the filling on my own low-cal bread. I am going to try and find some sauces that I like besides BBQ (I was so sad when subway said they don't sell their sweet onion sauce in a bottle!) to use with grilled chicken for yummy sandwiches.

I am feeling major burn-out from everything else in my life. I am positive about keeping it from effecting my health, but I cannot WAIT for Sunday (my 1 day off this month) when I can sleep in.

Monique - I'm glad your goals are going well. I had to run errands during lunch, but I got about 10 minutes of walking done through a strip mall. I plan to take a break later on and get the other 20.

Sahvara - your goals sound wonderful. Are you using any plan to modify your eating? When life is really hectic and I can't watch what I eat so well, I always try to get at least 3 veggies/2 fruit a day. It really makes a difference.

Jenn - I have been to a few therapists. I think they can be helpful. They also can harm. The best advice I can give is to be honest with how you feel about their personality/style. If they don't "click" with you, bail out and find someone who does.

BTW - I had an echocardiogram a few years back because of an extra beat in my heart. I have a slightly enlarged ventrical. I guess it's something pretty common because the doctor didn't say anything more about it.

empress(ive) - I don't keep a journal, but I am addicted to reading them. I noticed you are linked to dietchick - I read her daily. There are a bunch more I subscribe to. It is so inspiring to read about other struggles and triumphs.

Well, I have lab time now. Cross your fingers that the test doesn't blow up! Take care.

today is hard
 

Today is a hard day in the challenge....i haven't done to bad today but i thought was just going to cave and give up today...

Today:

20 min cardio
Today I ate:
small serving of peanuts and 1/4 cup of low fat yogurt
zone bar
2 whole wheat buns
chicken breast
some tomato
alfalfa sprouts
small amount of pasta
meat sauce with brocoli, green pepper and onion
10 cups of water...


i ate 6 tiny meals a day....that's why it seems like i so much...but they are tiny tiny amounts...

one_sweetchick

8 mins
 

HI FRISCO'S MOM-

CAN YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT 8MINUTES IS?

GOOD JOB ON NOT EATING THOSE CUPCAKES!!!

AMY

The scale flirted with 142.5, but settled back on 143. I am happy with that. I had put on about 5 lbs, and now it is gone.

My challenge now is to break my cycle of lose a little, gain, lose the gain, lose a little...

I am determined! That being said, I didn't get any more of a walk in yesterday. The tests weren't running very well and I ended up working an 11 hour day.

I will get my walk today, and plan an extra walk in on Sunday to make up for it! Now that it's written here, I have to do it, right??

Monique - Richard's plan follows a diabetic diet. For a 1200 calorie diet, I eat 5 portions of veggies, 4 carbs, 4 protein, 3 fat, 2 fruit, 2 dairy. For 1400, add another portion each of carb, protein, and fruit.

No matter what # of calories you follow, he always has two dairy portions. 1 cup of yogurt or skim milk is 1 portion and that is how I mainly get it. I have milk with cereal in the morning, and yogurt as a snack. I probably skimp on the yogurt - I buy the small individual size fat-free ones and they are probably not a whole cup.

On his plan, cheese can be considered a dairy or a protein. If the cheese has less than 55 calories/ 1oz., then it is one dairy/protein. Higher calorie counts start including fat portions as well.

The whole protein thing sounds confusing. For me some examples of 1 portion are 1 oz. of meat or cheese, 1/2 a veggie burger, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, or 1 tbsp. peanut butter (with 1 fat).

I hope that helps a little! One thing I've loved about this plan is that I don't have to give up cheese or peanut butter.

one_sweetchick - good going yesterday!

AMY75 - 8 minutes in the morning is a book by Jorge Cruise. He has a website and there is a thread with info in the Exercise! forum.

I am using his weight training plan of 2 moves, 6x a week. This is to slowly get my body back into weight training mode from a break/back injury. After I finish the month-long plan, I want to start over but double up on days (i.e. 4 moves a day). Hopefully this will get me back in the swing of things.

I am enjoying it because it fits into my lifestyle. I also know that it would be a lot harder for me to come up with my own plan that targeted each muscle group as evenly as his does.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Hey all! Just stopped in for a minute.

Jenn - I have not ever been to a therapist.. but when my boyfriend and I postponed our engagement (aka became unengaged but not broken up.. this is actually a long story.. happened 2 years ago..).. I probably should have gone to one. But then again.. I am not really sure how much they can help. It feels weird to me telling a stranger all my thoughts.. but I guess its better than keeping them in.

one_sweetchick: You are doing awesome on your goals.. keep up the good work!!!

Lucky13: I think I would die if I ran 13 miles without stopping? (is it possible to die from running to much??? ;) )

Monique: I'm sorry you are stressed out. Feel free to vent to us!

FM: Congrats on the loss! Perhaps the cycle of loss is water gain? Cause otherwise it sounds like you are doing all the right stuff.


As for me.. no working out yet.. I have a midterm tonight so its been study study study. Then.. since one of my projects deadlines has been delayed... I can finally get back to my workout schedule!!! I lost 1 1/2 pounds.. but I need to lose 5 more before I go to visit my family. Most of them have not seen me since I was 33 pounds heavier. Plus I had bangs.. now I don't. So.. this should be fun! So I hope to lose the weight.. but 5 pounds by Nov. 23 is pushing it!

-Tanya

Hello Ladies,

Jenn: It's cool that you go running. Are you one of those rain, sleet, snow runners who go no matter what the weather? I wish i could get back into running. But it's getting so cold here now.

I've never been in therapy, but then again, my fat butt has never been in a relationship. I'm 20, am I a loser? Eh... But I wouldn't knock the whole therapy thing. Maybe not for a long term thing, but I think it would help throw some issues on the floor. And maybe after finding out what is bugging you both the most you can figure out a solution on your own without a therapist.

OT but, I have an irregular heart beat and low BP. I thought I was gonna die from that, but my doc told me it was normal. I think I was like 90/50 at that time. It was weird, and I was nervous as heck at the time.

Frisco's Mom: How are those subway meals? I always wanted to try one of those "Jarodburgers" as I call them. But I figured that they they looked better than they tasted. As for food, I'm reading this book on how to eat. It works for me, so far. It's called "Intuitive Eating."

Monique: Do you work in a library? I do. In fact I'm typing this at work as I speak. You've really done great with your weight loss. I mean the numbers are shocking to me.

Tanya: Wazzup girl? I hope you do well on your midterm. I had a similar thingie on Monday. I didn't workout cuz I had a massive Cognitive Psych exam on Tuesday. But then again, I didn't work out tuesday cuz my knee fell out of the socket. It happens occasionally. I never went to the doctor about it cuz my mom called me a baby and a complainer if I mentioned that my knee ball was no longer in the socket. Anyway, I hope you can get closer to your goal. I'm sure you will shock your family. They totally aren't expecting your lack of bangs!! J/K :D I'm sure you'll be fine, even if you don't lose 5lbs by then. To me you're doing awesome work.

~Sahvara

Today was the first morning I haven't enjoyed the morning routine. Part of it was dips for triceps, and I always hurt my wrists during dips. Next time I will just use the triceps move the previous week.

I don't think I mentioned it here yet, but I have gone to strictly 1200 calories all through out the week, and between 1200-1400 over the weekend. Before, I had been mixing it up during the week, and I think it was sabotaging my 1200 calorie days. I would just want to eat more. This way, I feel like 1200 is the right amount every day.

At my present weight, the plan says I am supposed to only have 1200 calories/day to see a loss. I thought I was too active for that strict of an intake, but since I hadn't been making any progress I decided to trust the program. That is what I told myself when I started: if I don't follow the plan to the letter, then I can't blame anyone but myself if I'm not getting results.

I managed to walk about 45 minutes yesterday, and at quite a quick pace. Today it is even colder (55 degrees this morning, with a high of 72!) so hopefully I can burn a bit more without reducing my work clothes to sweat rags.

Jenn - Sounds like I'm the only one so far who has seen a therapist, so I thought I'd offer one more bit of information. Therapy is largely about solving problems. Sometimes that is solved through talking about issues, sometimes through learning behavior modification, and I'm sure there are many other ways. I mention it because if you are looking for just a listening ear, you will feel very at odds with a therapist when they start trying to dig around.

And as for it feeling odd to talk about personal things with a complete stranger, for me that was a plus. I tend to empathize too much with people and hold back on how I really feel. I found the therapist as someone I could be myself with.

Tanya - I have five pounds I want to lose before Thanksgiving as well. We can do this! My parents are flying in to my grandparents (2 hours from me) and I will get to see them for 4 days. I am very excited because it will just be the 5 of us. No brother and his fiancé, no DH. Don't get me wrong, I love big family gatherings, but I can't remember the last time I got my parents all to myself!

As for my vicious cycle, I wish it was just water. However as I look over the past four months I have taken "breaks" just about every time the scale creeps lower. At the time the break always seems necessary. But the reality is that I have just chosen to lead my life in a way that IS busy. There is NEVER time. And I can't just use these excuses.

I also have been dinking around with my eating/exercise during this time. I really feel like I've found a regime that works for me now, so hopefully I am on my way down!

Sahvara - I have always loved Subway, and the new chicken teriyaki with sweet onion sauce is very tasty. And I think you get a pretty good choice of low-fat subs. The other sub shop I like (Quizno's) only has two low-fat subs on their menu right now.

I haven't heard of "Intuitive Eating". Are you enjoying it?

Monique - I'm sorry you're stressed right now. Can you guys plan a nice relaxing weekend, perhaps that tapers off on Sunday afternoon when you can send him off and have time to yourself to get organized for the week ahead?

*Off-topic*
I am an organizational freak (some might even say anal!) and I know I feel out of sorts if I am not on top of things. Recently, the idea of house-shopping had me stressed. We won't be moving for another year, but want to start looking soon because of our limited free time.

I hate working on such on long time schedule, it gives me too much time to worry. But then I realized something: DH has higher house standards, and knows more about construction than me! It was like a weight lifted off my chest.

When we get a realtor, I will have him scout out homes first. That will save precious time out of my schedule, and keep my organizational tizzies (what would the mortage be on *this* house? how much in loans will we have left if we bought *next* month? How long was that interest rate good for?) to a minimum.

*End off Topic*

I just looked at my weight chart. Since August 7th, I have lost a total of 3.5 lbs. But, if I count up all the weight I managed to "lose" (i.e. how many pounds I put on then took off again) it's over 13! I am sticking to it this time because if I am putting in that kind of effort, I want to see a total loss of 13 lbs!

Unlike most people, I like stepping on the scale. I find that I stay away from it while I know I'm not doing well and then I see these huge jumps. I've decided that I will weigh-in as much as I want for now, so that I can catch any additions before they become more than 1 lb or so. Perhaps I'm in denial, but I haven't noticed any destructive behavior following a bad weigh-in.

And on that 11-hour workday, I did take time out to call the salon and book a massage for tonight! I am definitely trying hard to take care of myself. I don't have any more sick time left, so it's kind of not an option - I have to stay well!

Well, I guess I can't put off work any longer. It is a 10-hour day today, but with a massage afterwards! That's the way to live! Take care everyone.

november challenge
 

So far so good...i have done all of the things that I said i would this month...

I have gone to the gym everyday ...but i am going to start taking one day off...
i have done great work outs, i am eating clean

and i have lost 5lbs so far!!! i am so excited....i know it is probably water weight or whatever...
but its still gone!


one_sweetchick;)

hi everyone!
for some reason i thought i posted something yesterday, but then today i realized I didn't.

thanks to eveyone for the advice about the therapy. i just wasn't really sure waht to expect. i would like a 3rd party's opinion/thoughts on several different topics. i think i'd really be able to open up to a therapist. i dunno, we'll see what happens.

i am doing pretty good this month, especially w/caffeine. yesterday i only had one cup of tea, and today i haven't had any caffeine. i had a decaf coffee & sprite at lunch time.
i am leaving work early today, at 2:30. my bf & i are going to visit a friend that lives about 2 hours away. i am kind of tired right now, i'd like to just leave now!!

monique-i can relate your problems. financially, i always seem to be low on $$. I am making more money now than ever but still can't seem to save any significant amount of money for a significant amount of time. i forced myself to put $500 in a CD for 6 months, just so i could have something saved. it has been hard lately, had to buy new tires, pay car insurance, and now it christmas shopping time. i don't know when i am ever supposed to save. i figured out that i should really be able to save at least $500 a month, but I never manage to do it. it just seems like something always comes up!

my bf & i have been kind of not getting along lately. except for tuesday & yesterday. every other day was kind of, ugh, crappy. yesterday was great though.

does anyone else here have a SO that likes to play Playstation 2, or any other games like that? my bf loves it. there is a new game out-Grand Theft Auto, Vice City. i think the game is neat, but there is so much violence, sex, gore, swearing in it! has anyone seen these games? even though it comes w/a Mature rating, I am sure people are buying them for their kids! I am not saying anything against the game, as long as it's adults playing it! anyone else see these games? my brothers also are really into these video games.

anyway i guess i better do some work.
everyone have a nice weekend!



Jenn

Hello, been havin' a rough couple of days. It's my own fault but oh well... I just gotta get back on and try again. I'm so self defeating. How do you all stay conscious 24 hrs a day of what you're doing. Sometimes I completely forget and order a meal I shouldn't be eating. Why is that?

Jenn: Yes, I have seen those video games. A friend of mine plays those and yes... they do have a lot of violence in it. And all he does in the game is steal cars to get around the city while people shoot at him.. well it's more complicated then that.. but anyways. They aren't that bad. But I could be biased. As long as it doesn't have big zombies, I'm okay with it. I hate zombies.

One: You're doing great. Actually you're doing fantastic. What's the name of the program you are doing again? I may wanna go on it with you.

FM: I know how you feel.. I've been gaining and losing for about a month and a half. It's frustrating... it's so very frustrating. But I'm very glad you are still hanging in there. And I'm sure that you will get a handle on things. You're organizational skills will find a lot of usage. You'll be fine. I think the fact that you care means that it will work out for your eventually. At the moment, you sould too stressed out.

Monique: Good luck in staying off the scale! It's hard, and I've given in. Which has been leading to many bad days. If I've gained... damn.. If I've lost.. I haven't lost enough. I'm way to critical of myself. I hope this isn't what's happening to you. I'm sure you'll even out over time. Thanks for tellin' me I'm not a loser. ;) And don't worry... I'm no where near that despirate.

~Sahvara

hello all

hope everyone is off to a great weekend

layoffs were announced this week at work - they will occur Jan/Feb of next year

needless to say, it will be hard to motivate people (myself included) until that time.

they're trying to get rid of people, but we're really busy right now - go figure...

ever since the race, my knee has been a little tender - it does this every once in a while - have been taking it easy this week because of it...

later,

em

hi everyone. hope everyone had a nice weekend! we went to visit a friend of mine. it was a good time, except the traffic going there was pretty bad. it took about an hour longer than usual to get there.

sahvara-my bf hates zombies too. he had a good game though that had zombies, Silent Hill 2. It was pretty scary, for a video game.


well better go do some work. bleh!

Jenn

Happy Monday everyone!

How was your weekend? Mine went rather well.

On Saturday I did a lot more physical work than I usually am able to out at the sanctuary. I attribute it to my new morning program. I feel really great about it.

I ate more than I had planned on Saturday night. Part of that is OK because I worked a lot harder than usual. But part of it I know is because I ate alone. I wanted pizza (no cooking!), but DH was heading out to loan a book to a friend. Without him there to make it actually "dinner", it just turned into "eating". Does that make sense?

But I still wasn't 100% stuffed when I went to bed, and that's progress.

Sunday was my day off, but I only managed to sleep until 7a.m. I had let my organizational streak run wild on Friday and had a huge list of projects I wanted to get done. (Organize closets, change the linens, etc.)

My MIL wasn't feeling up to breakfast, so I simply had a cappuccino and got to work. Before I knew it, it was almost time for lunch! Since DH and I wanted to eat out (and I planned on splurging), I decided it wouldn't kill me to just wait until he got home to eat.

We had a wonderful meal at this new BBQ joint around 3pm. I had something from every food group: Broiled Chicken, green beans, french fries, and apple cobbler a la mode (that's fruit and dairy - really!).

Then we ran to MIL's to drop off her late B-day present, and did a few more errands. We got home around 7pm. While DH felt a little hungry and started puttering around in the kitchen, I just really felt like I didn't need to eat anymore. I know that just having one big meal isn't the best for you, but that just didn't seem like a good enough reason to justify eating more.

I'm sure that one meal was around 1400 calories. And I wasn't in the mood to cook anything, so I was worried that if I started eating, mindless snacking would commence. Since I got to sleep no problem, I know I wasn't really hungry. I never can go to sleep on an empty stomach.

BTW - to go out on Sunday, I rummaged through my closet to find something that fit (i.e. was not 4 sizes too big) and came up with a medium T-shirt and an old pair of jean cut-offs fit like a glove. (DH was drooling!)

But I felt like I was wearing a bikini in public! I always used to enjoy showing off my body, but it has been 4+ years since that was possible. It felt very weird and intimidating to wear something so flattering, even if it was just grubby clothes. Has anyone had similar feelings?

one_sweetchick - glad your doing well. And 5 lbs is 5 lbs, so way to go!

Jenn - DH is not into games at all. I'm pretty happy, since he spends enough time searching the internet as it is.

I'm glad you had a nice weekend! I get so stuck in a rut with my schedule, I forget how nice it is to do something different, even if it is just organizing closets!

Sahvara - Are you feeling better now? Hang in there! I know all too well how frustrating this struggle can be at times. Thank you for your words of encouragement.

Emily - I'm sorry about the announcement. Be careful with that knee. Have you tried a nice hot soak? A hot bath is my solution to many of life's problems...

Monique - I'm glad you had a good weigh-in. This week will be make-it-or-beak-it time. This is the week that I would usually gain something back. I'm feeling pretty confident though. I think I get very nervous before weekends.

I looked at my yogurt cups and they were about 4-6 oz. So, I went and bought some with fruit on the bottom that were 8 oz. I use a trick a learned from a friend - I don't mix up the fruit. The yogurt gets a nice sweet flavor from just being stored with the fruit, and it saves about 100 calories (and 20+ grams of carbs!) from the serving (if you count the fruit as 2 tbsp. of jam).

I hope everyone has a good day!

I am proud to say that I got back on track today - weighed in (it was a painful 4.5 pounds). I woke up this morning as planned and did 30 minutes on my elliptical. When I got home from work I really didn't feel like working out but I made myself try out my new Firm tape - it is the Fat Blasting video. I really liked it - it is definitely going to motivate me to keep working out. I like how they have a little of everything...I couldn't do the whole thing but I was pretty close.

I have stayed within my points today - about time!!

Drinking my water...

Hope everyone is well!

Margie