[redballoon]

Okay, everyone, as is the tradition, I start a new thread when I personally start a new challenge.

Below is a short explanation of how this challenge works so all you newcomers can take a look and decide if you're game or not! I hope you are! Hop aboard and enjoy the ride. We've got a great bunch of supportive people, so I hope you'll give us a try. A lot of people try for a while and then disappear.. I hope some of you will keep trying. There is NO shame in starting over. Remember, it's not over till you give up. And our motto around here is:

NEVER GIVE UP!!...Just start OVER!!

EXPLANATION AND RULES:

It works like this: you decide you'll do something for 21 days straight, every single day, so keep it doable. Then you count ....one through 21.....and if you flub it, you MUST go back to zero and start over again. Everyone will be on different days. You can start anytime. At the beginning of the challenge you declare what level it is -- Level 1, 2, or 3. Level 1 means you feel it's a relatively easy challenge for you and means you only give yourself ONE pause day (see explanation of pause days below). Level 2 would give you two pause days and so on...
And taking NO pause days is what I'm going to call "aceing a challenge," as in "I'm aiming on aceing this one!" Yowzah!!

With a pause day you pause in your counting and continue the next day with the number you left off with. Pause days are NOT substitutes for days, i.e. Day 12 -- Day 13 -- Pause Day -- Day 14..... I suggest taking a pause day late in the game (better to go back to Day 1 early on) if you need a break or screw up when you're well into the challenge, meaning, when you're on Day 15 or something like that.

In any case, the trick is to keep going. The momentum builds and it's great incentive to stick to your guns, cause if you don't.........back to START you go. And the really great thing about this challenge is that you are forming new habits that will wipe out the old! AND, you get to do it with a great bunch of really supportive people to whom you are accountable!

THREAD GUIDELINES:

In the interest of maintaining structure, a sense of solidarity and facilitating support I ask anyone who wishes to join this thread to please strive to follow the following guidelines while participating in this challenge and in posting.

1. Although this is a fabulous support group, the focus is to be on your CHALLENGE/S and/or other people's challenge/s AND weight loss, whether your challenge is about it or not. Please keep the challenge a priority, although we welcome chattiness! This means tell us what day you're on when you post and it's a good idea to make regular mention of just what your challenge is. This an action-based thread. Our members are ON a challenge, RESTARTING a challenge, or just in between and looking to start up again REAL SOON. We also welcome posts from admirers, encouragers, and old friends!

2. Please refrain from posting food logs or recipes, except where you are really looking for help and advice on your eating. If journaling is your challenge, please keep the journaling off the thread and in a notebook or blog and just tell us if you've done what you set out to do. We have ALL types of dieters here, low-carb, high-carb, low-fat, high-fat, vegetarians, meat-lovers...please use simple mentions if you have something you want to share and then links and/or private messages to do so.

3. Please do NOT go into glowing accounts of any slipups, food indulgences or binges, what we here call "food porn." Simple mentions are fine, but use of smilies etc. as substitutes where possible is encouraged.

4. Please keep this a secular thread. Of course, passing references to your beliefs, a bit of introduction about your beliefs, brief faith-related words of encouragement are fine.

5. Please show support, support, support! This is key. You can waffle on about yourself but please, at least occasionally,come up and look around at others and what they are doing and MENTION it with words of encouragement and/or praise or sympathy. We understand "busy," poor computer connections, and bouts of self-pity and life problems where the focus turns to "me" and dealing with those problems, but these should be temporary, not a habit! ('cept in the computer case.)

In conclusion, let me say, the above are just that, GUIDELINES. Please realize that these guidelines have been added in an attempt to keep this a supportive and beneficial thread, at the LEAST, to those who need it MOST, those for whom weight loss is the hardest and, more often than not, the most crucial as well as for those who still, perhaps despite great success, know all too well that the road they walk will always be a slippery one.

The guidelines are also meant to cultivate an atmosphere of consideration and concern for ALL, not individually, but AS A GROUP.

Well, all's said. Please join us!!

[redballoon]

Well, I figured it was about time to start a new thread up. Yeah, long, long about time! Everything stays the same. Don't restart your challenges. They just continue on from the last thread, which is here....if you need a reference...

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/supp...k-down-10.html

Oh, and I'm on that garble at the end of the thread name. Sorry. Should be fixed shortly....
Ok, going to head out to the gym soon...first time in a bit. wish me luck.

[redballoon]

Here was my last post on the old thread....I knowy ou're all just dying to read it and would hate to have missed it and.. I weigh 125 lbs and, and, oh yes, back to reality....just had another tremor and I feel a tad shaken up...

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

Well, it's Friday and I had completely forgotten about it being my Clothes Check day. Here is the reading and last week's. I don't think there is much difference. I hadn't expected one, in light of the fact that this week has been...well, not the best. However, I have had a few days off sugar, which means some bloat will be down and I have been good about not eating late. In any case, it doesn't seem WORSE, which is GOOD.

**********

CLOTHES CHECK Friday reading

THIS WEEK
Sept. 4
I don't think there is much difference from last week but I do think I can get them buttoned and zipped without having to necessarily pull the fat and skin above the waistline. I can't be sure there is a difference but I think there is a slight one. I still think they are in grave danger of breaking. Weight was 72.8, which is 400 gms higher than last week.
This was on a very empty stomach.

(LAST WEEK --Aug. 28)
I can get them buttoned but only by pulling all the fat above the top and even then they are in extreme danger of breaking (I would think). This was done in the morning on an empty stomach. Weight was 72.4.

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

diyana -- I am thrilled that you are thrilled. It certainly sounds like a much-needed vacation for you. Wow, Labor Day already. Brings back memories, mostly of having to head back to school. I didn't hate it as there was still nothing to do. Here the school year starts in April, by the way, so there is none of that to remind me. There is a summer vacation, but the kids aren't changing school years.

Well, that was an irrelevant tangent....yes, diyana it sounds like you're doing well, thinking ahead of how you can make your vacation NOT sabotage your weight loss. Good for you.

Being able to wear the shirt was nice. I really wish people would comment on my weight. Most older Japanese men will, and I am glad for it, even if it is painful and annoying at times. I NEED to be reminded to stop porking up. But, these were youngish Brits and yeah, I guess they wouldn't say much. The one guy was proud of losing his beer gut and I was very complimentary about it, but the others weren't. They may not have noticed or, more likely, didn't care. The other guy, who certainly had noticed, was probably quiet because he is concerned about his own burgeoning gut. I've noticed that guys say less because they are actually really self-conscious about themselves, whereas women are more used to diets and such and can talk about it. I find that guys only talk when they are really losing quickly (usually leading up to a massive rebound).

And my sugar bingeing was inexcusable, but the night out was a conscious decision on my part. For my last post prior to that I wasn't sure, but sometime during the day I just decided to have some fun. Sitting in a bar (four of them actually) is NO fun when you have to drink tea or juice. I had had enough of the straight and narrow. I never intended (seriously) to give up alcohol totally. I think the smoking will peter out on its own. The drinking is too much of a social thing and I enjoy it. That said, it is no longer a habit and that is a HUGE difference. The days and months I have abstained from drinking over the past year have given me new habits, new insights and, in general, a freedom to choose, no matter where I go or whom I hang out with. That is major change for me.

diyana, have a great time out on the peninsula. I hope the weather is perfect! And goodbye, chins, eh?!!

Shad -- Was it a drop of kilos? If so, wow! You ARE losing weight. You're so understated, I can never tell what you're doing. In any case, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
And yes, my night out was just a blip. I'm back doing what I had been for the past month. Here's to another spurt of good stuff.

[diyana]

Crazy insane busy day today. I am hoping to get out of here when the office closes at noon...but I may end up working the whole day. Fires to put out and deadlines to meet. I'll try and post later.

[redballoon]

I'm proud to say I made it through another day on my challenges AND I may have turned a tiny corner in my mindset in general. I actually started doing something to make a difference in my living abode, the mess of it, that is. I think I have been quite depressed and it has shown! Yesterday I took steps to actually change something. It was SMALL, very small, but huge to me. I've got to pull out of whatever has me in its clutches...this general malaise.
These challenges are helping!!

No sugar -- Day 4 completed 0 pauses taken

No eating after (around) 6 p.m. -- Day 15 completed, 3 pauses taken

No alcohol (round 3, 1 pause on round 1, no pauses on round 2) --
Day 3 completed 1 pause taken

No smoking (round 3, 3 pauses on round 1, no pauses on round 2) -- Day 3 completed 1 pause taken

Caffeine Cut (Round 4, 2 pauses on round 3) --
Day 10 completed 1 pause taken


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

diyana -- Busy, eh? Well, thanks for thinking of us (me). I'm going to miss your posts while you're gone. How was weigh-in?

[Shad]

Day 2 and 3 are done. Didn't get here yesterday to post. I'm just waiting for the builder to arrive so don't have too much time today. I'll be back later to comment, enthuse and annoy

[diyana]

Red - I'm proud of you for starting to pull yourself out of malaise. I need to get my home decluttered too. That's this winter's project when we're stuck indoors.

Shad - The builder? What work are you having done? Good on ya' for sticking with the challenges!

***********

Today, I got some stuff done to prepare for the trip. Tomorrow I'm going to try and get to the gym in the morning, and then we're running errands and packing up. We'll probably leave before dawn on Sunday. I'll try and check in tomorrow, but no guarantees, and I won't be able to check in while away...so you may not hear from me 'till Thursday. But I'll stick with my challenges and do LOTS of walking!

Here's where I'm at so far (after today):
Journal and Stay Within Points, 2 pauses left - Day 13 completed
Drink 55 ounces of water a day, 2 pauses left - Day 13 completed

[redballoon]

Calling it clear on all fronts.
I have such trouble sleeping at night I always feel lousy in the morning, and just when I have to get up, I at last can sleep. What a life. Sigh.
I did force myself to go to the gym yesterday, but did very little, just a bit of weights. Still, it was better than not going.

No sugar -- Day 5 completed 0 pauses taken

No eating after (around) 6 p.m. -- Day 16 completed, 3 pauses taken

No alcohol (round 3, 1 pause on round 1, no pauses on round 2) --
Day 4 completed 1 pause taken

No smoking (round 3, 3 pauses on round 1, no pauses on round 2) -- Day 4 completed 1 pause taken

Caffeine Cut (Round 4, 2 pauses on round 3) --
Day 11 completed 1 pause taken


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

Shad -- Good for you. Please enthuse. You are such a rock. I wish I had your stoicism.

diyana -- I hope you can get to the gym, although it sounds tight with your schedule. Leaving on a trip always has me in a whirlwind of things that need to be done (half an hour ago!). I hate that. Don't know why it always happens. If I don't hear from you, then again I wish you a fun-filled and relaxing trip!

[Shad]

Day 4 is done - no pauses.

I haven't weighed in yet, but yesterday was up somewhat. Probably something to do with the Spanish Tortilla I made for dinner the night before. I'm eating garden fresh salads - as in take a knife, go out there and cut some leaves and herbs - so it's not that causing it. Still ups and downs are part of the puzzle. The garden shorts are not getting easier to get into. But that's my way of taking off weight. It starts in the face and chin and then moves slowly down. Its got a long way to go yet.

Doing well Red and Michelle. Keep it up. What happened to all the others? Guess we have frightened them off.

Back later

1300 (about) daily calorie limit
Exercise daily
Portion control
Water - 1 litre at least.
3 pause days for each.

Just bringing my goals over. Lest I forget what they were!

[Shad]

Okay - well I am officially calling a pause day on all challenges. Yesterday's good intentions went to **** in a hand cart early on when DS2 took me out to lunch and we got busy in the attic changing wires and cables about.

So we are still on Day 5 and pauses all around.

1300 (about) daily calorie limit
Exercise daily
Portion control
Water - 1 litre at least.
2 pause days for each.

[redballoon]

I took an intentional pause on sugar yesterday. That means I thought about it and decided to go for it. I didn't overdo it either, which is great for me!

It was a very exercise-full day. After riding (which involves a lot of walking) I came home, grabbed a bite and then cycled off to my new trampoline class. There, among a group of five other beginners we learned the basics for TWO hours! I was really tired, but then cycled home (about 30 mins each way). The trampoline was scary, yet fun and this morning I am only a bit stiff, nothing major. I think the weight training and riding are big helps. The instructor said I was "really good!" Perhaps, but I was scared too and we did nothing really scary like flips. Just going a little high was scary. I hope I get my nerve up and can really go high. But I was laughing constantly, more than I have in perhaps the past total year. That's the best thing about it!

So, this morning my weight was nice and low because I was on empty. I hadn't had any food since 4 p.m. the day before. I almost took a pause on the evening eating, but then, thought, no why. I can stand the hunger. I should just go to sleep and then I won't notice it. And that's what I did!


I'm going to start another journaling challenge. I WANT to see what I'm doing each day and be able to review it. Good change of mind!

FOOD/EXERCISE JOURNAL -- Day 0 completed

NO SUGAR-- Day 5 completed 1 pause taken

NO EATING AFTER 6 P.M. -- Day 17 completed, 3 pauses taken

NO ALCOHOL (round 3, 1 pause on round 1, no pauses on round 2) --
Day 5 completed 1 pause taken

NO SMOKING (round 3, 3 pauses on round 1, no pauses on round 2) -- Day 5 completed 1 pause taken

CAFFEINE CUT (Round 4, 2 pauses on round 3) --
Day 12 completed 1 pause taken

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

Shad -- Good to see you still hanging tough with us (er...me) here. I don't worry about the others. People come and go, appear and disappear for days/weeks/months on end. If we were capable of "frightening" then off, well, then, maybe they just weren't up for the downs, so to speak.
It sounds like your pause was well used. Me too, that's the best kind, when you can enjoy them or make them special in a way. Christmas only comes once a year, but pauses can be relished regularly!

[redballoon]

The journaling had to be postponed. I did start writing things down, but was feeling too bad later in the day. I have to prepare for it, get the notebook all ready and stuff. My cold (only slight yet) was worse yesterday. Nose wouldn't stop running and that never happens as I'm always on antihistamines for my skin. Bummer. So far this morning, it feels better.
I scraped by on sugar and evening eating. With no pauses left on the latter, I am determined to make it through the remaining four days. I don't know if this is having any effect on my weight, but it has to be better than not doing it. I may be eating more right before "deadline," but still, that's OK for now. It's a first rounder and all...

FOOD/EXERCISE JOURNAL -- Day 0 completed

NO SUGAR-- Day 6 completed 1 pause taken

NO EATING AFTER 6 P.M. -- Day 18 completed, 3 pauses taken

NO ALCOHOL (round 3, 1 pause on round 1, no pauses on round 2) --
Day 6 completed 1 pause taken

NO SMOKING (round 3, 3 pauses on round 1, no pauses on round 2) -- Day 6 completed 1 pause taken

CAFFEINE CUT (Round 4, 2 pauses on round 3) --
Day 13 completed 1 pause taken

[Shad]

1300 (about) daily calorie limit
Exercise daily
Portion control
Water - 1 litre at least.
2 pause days for each.

Day 5 is done, but unfortunately I have eaten something that disagreed with me, so today will be a very light day for both food and exercise. I will attempt to do them however.

Red - you have a couple of challenges over the halfway mark. Keep on going. You will get there. Getting closer all the time.

So now I am going back to my chair and drinking some more tea and then I will consider getting on with the day. See you

[Shad]

Day 6 is done.

A really bad day for this body, but I think I am over it now. Yesterdays total food was 2 bananas, half a mango and 2 poached eggs with toast. Water and tea completed the day. Everytime I ate, I felt sick.

But it's all over now and another day dawns. What's new in your neck of the woods

[redballoon]

I cleared all challenges yesterday, though the journaling I only entered on the computer and it has to go into my notebook. I must be more vigilant about writing things down! I felt pretty bad from afternoon, but today things seem better. I am still coming out with different aches and such so I guess the repercussions from my bouncing around on the trampoline are showing up.

My weight is such an annoyance. It just seems permanently stuck around 73 kg. But, I realize that I am rarely really digging into the AMPLE stores of fat. At least I do not seem to be gaining and I can probably thank the not drinking for that. And, I must admit, although the actual changes are hard, I am not suffering due to lack of food nor do I feel terribly deprived. I would like to have a sugar fling, but am trying to hold off and think of a pause as a reward for doing so.

Well, it's only 8:30 a.m. but I reserved a seat for a film that I'm off to see, a German movie (with subtitles in Japanese!) on the Baader Meinhof group, Germany's Red Army terrorist group in its early stages back in the late '70s. Heavy way to start the day.

FOOD/EXERCISE JOURNAL -- Day 1 completed

NO SUGAR-- Day 7 completed 1 pause taken

NO EATING AFTER 6 P.M. -- Day 19 completed, 3 pauses taken

NO ALCOHOL (round 3, 1 pause on round 1, no pauses on round 2) --
Day 7 completed 1 pause taken

NO SMOKING (round 3, 3 pauses on round 1, no pauses on round 2) -- Day 7 completed 1 pause taken

CAFFEINE CUT (Round 4, 2 pauses on round 3) --
Day 14 completed 1 pause taken


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

Shad -- Wow, sounds like you mustn't have felt very good at all yesterday. Are you OK now? Sounds like it, eh? Here's to a productive, fulfilling kind of day!