"Emerging from Bubble Wrap" Challenge
 

Well come one come all, and join us in the journey to rid us of our Bubble Wrapping (that is how I describe my weight, "I have an awesome body, it's just being stored in Bubble Wrap for now)

RavenToy and I are going to use this thread to discuss our days, food, recipes, food obsticles, etc. we welcome any of you ladies to join us.

My new goal started on Sept 1 and the final outcome will be a 10lb loss by Oct. 1 Xcrossing fingersX. Raven is going for a different challenge, but I will let her express her own desires. :)

A promise to myself and you all....I vow to report every day, each day (times may vary) to give proper daily updates on my acheviement..or um, er failures. Of course this is something I am doing to promote my own need for accountability, but maybe it will help someone else who reads this too. And no doubt encouragement can make the fat just melt away. :) I am personally, going to try and lose in blocks of 10. This way I have mini-goals and the final amount I want to lose does not feel so daunting.

I only ask one thing from anyone else that joins the challenge, that you try to report in as often as possible, let us know your success and failure and provide your current weight and goal, what diet you are on and what exercise routine you are doing.

So let me go start the thread with my entry. Best wishes and hugs to everyone!!!!

:lol: I love the bubble wrap title.

Ok, well I'm off to a rocky start. I didn't plan well today, and so... it was a snickers bar for lunch. *sigh*

I guess I better get my brain wrapped around this and focus. I really need to get my eating under control again. That is by far the biggest issue right now.

I'm traveling to Alaska in three weeks, so I'd really like to hit the 179 mark before I fly. Whether I maintain that weight or gain a few pounds while I'm up there is relatively inconsequential. It's a psychological thing. I know when I get back anything I put on will come back off again.

Towards that goal, and towards reshaping my body and strengthening my core muscles for riding, I am going to commit to doing pilates at least 3 times a week. I will also try very hard to keep my calories in the 1400 a day range, and try not to skip meals. My water is good, that's gotten to be kind of a no brainer for me.

I think this will help me get through the weeks ahead without obsessing about *why* I'm going up there, which is to visit my father, who has been officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He isn't doing terribly well on the mental front, and whether he'll recognize me or the kids is anybody's guess. Life seems a little surreal sometimes. So... focus, plan, and off I go!!

Thank you, Tray!

Start date: September 1
1st 10lb Challenge deadline: October 1.
Start weight: 229
Minigoal: 219
My chosen weigh in day is: Fridays

Diet: Following a slightly modified Zone diet.
Supplements: TakeOff fat burner (at workout) Multivitamin, chromium picolinate
Exercise: Home gym workout 4 days a week; time not fixed yet, still having some surgery recovery issues. Just doing the best I can right now.

Today I am eating OP, but I am not getting in the water. Actually I am not hungry and finding that I could easily skip a meal. Not a good thing and I know this. I will have to find a new strategy to make myself keep drinking and remembering meals.

Overall I am feeling pretty good today, though I am a bit stressed over some financial issues (surgery set back), but other than that, I am feeling great and ready to do this!!!!!

Way to get motivated Rubensmuse and Raven Toy! :bravo:

I am currently involved in the Halloween Challenge but will pop in and see how you both are progressing :)

We have a sticky thread for recipes and one for tips and food finds- Ruben,I merged your previous food find thread with the tip thread just to make things easier - so if you want to post your recipes, finds and ideas on those threads that would be great but if you want to do your own thing that's great too :D

Good luck to you both :lucky:

P.S. Sorry to hear about your dad Raventoy, that must be very difficult to deal with :grouphug:

Bubblewrap! :lol: That's excellent, Rubens!
I'm doing the Halloween challenge (well, I'm pretending to, anyhow), but I'll drop in every now and then if I may. :D
Good luck, girls!! :lucky:

Oh... Raven... I missed that bit about your Dad. I'm so sorry, sweetie. I'll say prayers for you and your family. Hugs... :grouphug:

Hey Halloween is in October too so I consider you ladies in the challenge!!

I had a pretty good day today. I ate a protein bar for breakfast, tuna on a tortilla with a small salad for lunch, grilled chicken breast and blackeyed peas and pintos with Soyrizo <---- going to tell you all about that on the stickey!!!

As far as exercising, me and the Hub started on the Beginners Routine for the Home Gym (we bought a TotalGym system). Man, you really feel it. We researched long and hard before deciding on this one. I talked to the company and it has a guarantee, of course you have to follow the plan, which we are doing. They really helped with alot of questions, and they offered to purchase before/after endorsements if we stick it out and follow the plan exactly. We took before pics, so we shall see what develops over time.
The total beginners session lasts 20 minutes and at first you think...'i am not sweating enough or hurting enough'. Well after just 30 minutes of 'rest' time. My arms are shaky and my belly is aching. I am going to take it easy on the abs since I don't want to mess up any healing I did after the surgery.

So basically, so far so good. I am drinking some water now and getting ready to hit the shower and then a good nights rest. I want to start getting up earlier in the AM so I can do my workouts then. I am more of a morning person and think that I will see better results if I exercise when my energy levels are higher and my metabolism is more up.

Tomorrows goals: Get up earlier and drink more water. Did not drink no where near enough today.

Ok for the end of day 2.

Rubens-Sounds like you and hubby are doing GREAT!! Good for you!! My darling hubby is THIN, but he could benefit from the work outs. His stamina is almost worse than mine!!!

Raven-So sorry to hear about your Dad. Alzheimers is awful.

I'm doing the Halloween challenge too. Good to see you both posting again!! Missed you both!!!

Well poopie. The day did not go as planned, but I will not digress. I wanted to get up real early, but a 2am phone call..you know the kind that make you think an international incident has occured....bloody thing was a hang up. Well it woke me up and threw off the sleep pattern. Next thing I new I was waking up at 7:30. Blasted.

Anyway. I will try it again in the morning. why am i writing this now....beats me just wanted to. i will jump back on later to fill more in about my day.

HI!! Hate those calls in the middle of the night. i had a horrible night last night too, and am feeling WASTED this morning.

Hi, I will pop in too if I may - I'm doing the Halloween challenge as well.

Raven, so sorry about your dad - I am sending you a big hug, as my mom also had Alzheimer's (we think - not sure, but definitely dementia with Parkinsonian symptoms too) and I know how tough it is.

Lidian

Rubensmuse~ I also am in the halloween challenge but will drop in to cheer you all on :) and also report my progress.

Raven ~ So sorry about your Dad. DH's grandmother has it also. I know how hard it must be for you. Remember to keep a sense of humor...sometimes it's the only thing to do, to keep you from going mad. :)

I hate those middle of the night calls, I always think the worst.

Lidian~ Sorry about your Mom. That must have been very difficult for you.

No exercise for me yesterday :shrug: but will do it today...I promise. So far I have done good with eating & water.

Hi to Den, Ellis, Mauvais and everyone else.....Big hugs for us all :) :grouphug:

Helloooooo ladies!!! Well I have had a good day. I ate well and just got finished working out the upper body on the gym. My arms are shaky but boy does that feel good!!!! Last night was lower body, so tomorrow will be lower body again. I was told to to take two days off, so I chose the weekends, since we are usually busy doing stuff then anyway. The people at the company where we bought this are wonderful for advise and workout schedules. They are starting us out on the Starter and Beginners Sessions for two weeks, then we graduate to the Intermediate. The Beginner is good enough for now for sure! I am using muscles I haven't felt in years. I feel like I need to do more regards cardio though, so I am looking into the pilates route. I talked about that before, but never found DVD versions I liked. Walking would be the best, but it is raining every evening now or it is sweltering hot. So for now I will stick with inside activities. If we had a nice place to ride, I would love to bike. hmmm.

Anyway...todays food was as follows:
B: Soyrizo and egg beaters in a tortilla.
L: Power Crunch bar and Soy Crisps
Snacks: Power Crunch Bar and Soy crisps.
D: Lower fat version of Picadillo with broccoli sprinkled with butter buds and seasoned salt.
I drank a good amount of water today and had 2 diet Sprites.
I do not plan on anything further to eat tonight since the Picadillo will sit pretty solid anyway.

Total workout time: 20 minutes.

It feels like I am going in the right direction, so I take that as a good thing.

Ok well 2 more days till weigh in...I am not looking forward to it really, so I might just skip it till next week. I have not made up my mind on that yet.

Hugs to all!!!!!

Way to go on the exercise RubensMuse! :cp:

Woo hooo, Rubens!! :cb:

YAY RUBENS!!!!!!

Will post more from work (which has, incidentally, been kicking my butt these last couple days, hence my absence), but please Rubens keep it up!! You're making me feel twinges of guilt. Scheduling, planning - these are my friends and I keep allowing too many distractions pull me away from that.

WTG Girl!!

Alrighty...today was a good day. I was busy so food was not on my mind much. I drank good amounts of water and NO soda...not even a diet.

Food was as follows:
B: 2 pieces lowfat maple turkey sausage, egg beater omelete.
L: Left over picadillo, one slice light bread.
Snack: Power crunch bar
D: Blackeyed peas and soyrizo with tomatoes. One slice turkey breast.

I took my supplements and am about to go in and exercise on the gym for 20 minutes. Tonight is lower body. I plan on hitting the sack early tonight cause I MUSt get on a better morning routine for when my Pilates DVD gets here. I want to do them in the AM and then the machine at night.

Overall today was a good one, but it rained alot too and kept it steamy outside most of the day.

Ok off to my journal, then hitting the machine!!!!!

Well I felt the twinge of discouragment today. I weighed and have not lost a thing..... I am up a pound!!!! I really don't get it. How much less do I have to eat people!!!!! I mean this is really rediculous and I really do not understand it at all. The Hub lost three more pounds (total of 12 now) and is eating like a pig and drinking soda. I am pissed and baffled. Even IF I were building muscle, I cannot have gained that soon. I am perplexed and want to be depressed, but I am too mad!!!!! I need to step back and re-focus.....

Ok. I'm back. Mentally, too. These last couple weeks have felt like a waking dream, I'm afraid. I think my poor little psyche just went into major retreat when the tickets were purchased and the trip to AK became a reality. Of course it retreated into food. What else?

I feel a lot better today, though. Drinking my water, got my healthy choice lunches, brought my yogurt, oatmeal, and carrots. :) It never ceases to amaze me how totally crappy, old, achy, and decrepit I feel when I'm eating junk and not working out. Now I just need to get moving again, and I know I'll feel SO much better.

Thank you all for your kind words about my Dad. I appreciate it more than you know.

I'm faced with losing the weight I put on over the last couple weeks of being totally off plan. I put on 3 pounds, which is frustrating, but not devastating.

Stayed OP yesterday, didn't drink quite enough water, but it wasn't bad. Today, still OP and planning to work out tomorrow morning, even if it's just a small one. Not sure whether it will be cardio, pilates, or weights. Flip a coin??

Rubens - Girl, where did you go? Don't tell me you got so discouraged that you aren't posting! You said you needed to step back and refocus... have you re-evaluated what you're doing?

Ok babes. I have had a hades of a few days. Sunday was a bust as far as dieting or anything remotely positive about it.

As far as yesterday. I was OP and walked so I am back on track. We have had so much going on at work that things have been so hectic that by the end of the day I am wasted and find time to just wind down let alone jump online. I went to the doctor yesterday and had a good meeting. And we had a luncheon thing at my other job. I saw a couple of my friends there that are on Weight Watchers and are having good success with it.

I have also decided that I am not going to weigh again until 2 weeks. So I will not weigh in this Friday even though I will want to and the Hub will I am sure.

I am still feeling very frustrated and still cannot figure out what is going on. I spoke to the doctor about it and he said that he feels I should try something very different than what I have been doing to see if it kickstarts anything.

I am going for my walk now...since its the second night in a row where it is not raining. The only thing I can figure with not losing is that I need more cardio. I am off the fitness machine for these 'test' two weeks, since I want a loss of some kind and muscle weight can throw it off. I also measured everything incase there is a size loss and not a scale loss. My pilates DVD sould be here anyday, so I will let you all know how that goes too.

Well off to walk!!!!! I hope everyone else is doing great!!!

Hugs to you gals!!!

Hey Rubens *hug* - I know how you feel about needing to see some kind of reflection of loss on the scale. I'm fighting that one myself. I think it's better to use the measuring tapes, though. Or at the very least, use them in conjunction with the scale. I know that when I was lifting regularly, I gained weight, and gained it fast. It was frustrating, to say the least. But I was also losing inches, and a lot of them.

But I was so determined to see a loss on the scale, that I stopped lifting. Alright - so I did see a pounds loss. Quite a large one, compared to what I'd been doing. BUT my pants started to be tighter, and honestly, I looked fatter. My belly stuck out more, my arms jiggled more, all over I was just looking flabbier. I think the thing about building muscle is that it takes time to see the offset of muscle gained to fat lost. Especially if you're like me, and build muscle quickly. I have decided I'm going to lift, and to heck with the numbers. Now, to be realistic, I did find that upping the intensity of my cardio really did help the numbers to move. So I think the consistent application of both is the key for me.

Now I just have to start getting to bed early enough to get up by 4:30 to have time to do it!!! I need more hours in the day!

Yesterday was a booger for me because it was my BFs birthday. It wasn't really too bad until we got to the yummy french bread with dinner and the cherry cheesecake pie for dessert. :o *sigh*

Today, back OP - but BF is taking me out to dinner on Saturday night and I will *not* be watching the calories, I can pretty much guarantee that. I know I'm eating my anxiety still - perhaps not to the same extent that I was, but ... when I get back from AK I'm really going to have to crack down or I'm going to end up gaining back all the weight I've lost!! :( Can't have that.

Thanks Raven for the persepctive. You are right about the muscle/fat thing and I KNOW that. I hate to admit it, but I think some of my frustration is stemmed from some jelousy issues with the Hub and cousin. I want quick results like they have (one is a man and is indeed working hard to lose) (the other had WLS). It is truly awful how the mind messes with us.

Anyway I know the feeling about getting up early. I am SWAMPED with work right now and it has me nuts. I have something like 20 hours of work left on some legal reports and half of them MUST be done by end of today. I am freaking just a little. <----- all this work is the ONLY reason I have not been able to be online. I have been eating OP. well until last night when we went to chinese. I was very picky though and feel I did ok, but I am feeling bloated today. Today is weigh day, but I am going to skip it. the last thing I need is to be frustrated with work AND POed at the same time.

I hope all goes well with everyone!!!! (((hugs)))

Well the 10th was a perfectly OP day, it went beautifully except that I was up WAY too late out at the stables helping Rosa with one of her pups who had blown out her stitches after her spay. This, of course, meant that yesterday I was totally exhausted. I was running on too little sleep before that, and yesterday I was zombie lady. I know that when I am miserably overtired, I make horrid food choices. Yesterday was no exception. I did better than I could have, but I have to credit that to the vending machine running out of Snickers bars, not to my own willpower. So I had one Snickers bar yesterday afternoon, then made a lovely chicken bruschetta for dinner - and followed it up with 2 slim-a-bears. Duh. I did, however, manage to get to bed at an almost reasonable time. I feel a lot better today, and hopefully that will be reflected in my eating.

I am not losing, but I am not gaining. At this point, until I get back from Alaska, that is my primary goal, I think. I thought I could get the focus before my trip, but my anxiety is very high, and I'm just not making it. So I need to be realistic about this, and just try to make each day as close to OP as possible, and maintain. That I believe I can do. I find myself far too close to tears every waking moment lately. And even joy and beauty can cause it. It's not depression, it's just an overflow of emotion. I feel blessed beyond words, and at the same time, filled with pain for my father. Ah, introspection.

I've noticed that chinese food just kills me sodium-wise. It's not bad on the calories, at least the stuff I eat, but I'm usually up in pounds for at least 2 days afterwards.

I hope you get caught up and have time to take a breather. We are all far too busy lately!!

Hey Raven and Ruben!

Sounds like the two of you are having a rough time this week.
Don't lose heart you can do this :cp:

I find that even when I am not losing I try to gage how I feel physically, sometimes it's a measuring tape and if I feel healthier rather than what the &%$# scale is saying that keeps me going.

Raven- I have decided to forego the Chinese food for a while- everytime I eat Chinese I gain 1 -2 lbs that week! :mad:

As you pointed out, it must be the sodium and for me it is also the carb overload of rice and noodles :p so that is it for me for a while until I start losing some of this wieght again.

Hope you both have a good weekend :D

I am tired...soooo pooping tired. I can't belive the amount of work I have staring me in the face. I need about 6 more hours in a day. I have had my nose in medical, path, and surgical manuals for 3 days and have typed over 50 reports. I am about typed out.

As far as dieting, I am not eating bad, but I am not eating well either. I have yet to crack open the Pilates DVD. I have another week of this workload and I will have time to refocus on the dieting again. I can't belive I am this overweight and so dang busy!!! It it almost like a joke of some kind!! I have no time to do much walking or weights or anything until i get the workload off my hands. One thing is for sure. I will NOT get myself into this load ever again. I allowed someone to shove their problems on me and this is what I get. Yes I am getting paid for it, but at a sacrifice for me. I keep thinking that it happened for a reason, maybe to get my drive back after being so ticked off the other week....I am not sure, but I want my time back for ME. I miss the focus.

Raven when are you going to Alaska?

well I hope all are doing well!!! tata for now. back to the grindstone..got another 80 reports to do.

This sounds like a great challenge!
Starting time---um,.....now?

Starting weight---166#
Goal---115# (don't yell---I'm very short)

Method---Walking 1 to 1-1/2 hrs. per day, and 1 hr. of yoga per day.

Eating ----pretty much vegetarian with a tiny bit of fish rarely. Trying to quit dairy and eggs. Sticking to nuts and beans for protein. Emphasis on eating MINDFULLY and slowly. :^:

Cool thing is, I can use the bubble wrap I shed to wrap things and send to my son at college! :lol:

North to Alaska

Today is the day. I just wanted to make a quick post.. take a few deep breaths and I'm gone. I'll be back in a little over a week, and hopefully I'll be ready to get my mind refocussed.

Thank you ladies for your caring and kindness. Rubens... Keep the faith, woman, and I'll be back soon!! *hug*

Hope you enjoy your trip Raventoy!!

Well, we have a wedding to go to today, and once again, I am trying to cram myself into something to wear to this thing. To make matters worse, it is my BIL's wedding ---second marriage to a girl (and I mean girl) ---she is in her 20's and he is in his 40's---and thin as a rail and drop-dead gorgeous, AND he left his first (fatter) wife for this baby-gal.
Luckily, my Hubby thinks he's pretty shallow, and doesn't seem to strive for the same thing (we've been married 25 years). I call BIL Shallow Hal (not to his face). I'm awfu, I know, but you should hear this guy. He makes no bones about WHY he's marrying this girl! Talks about her figure and all around anyone who will listen. Jerk. Tsk.

ANYWAY, having to cram myself into a dress for this thing has me more determined than ever to never have to go through this process again. But, my sons (17 and 19) are dressing up in their tuxes to be in the wedding, and the sight of them cheers me! And, we are having the grooms kids from his first marriage over to our house to spend the night and they are cute little buggers. It will be fun, we are going to 'camp out'. :D

Sorry to vent all over the place. Wedding is over, and I lived and actually found something to wear. Tsk. These family outings can be SO stressful! (Line from Guarding Tess)----I love to quote movies! Hubby and sons do it too. It's like we have a weird language of our own. After all, someone else's wedding is NOT about me, it's just that each 'dress-up' occasion is a new chance to feel crummy about my weight and size, ya know??

Thanks for letting me have a pity party on your bubble wrap thread! I just had a little too much bubble wrap on me today for my own good. :smug:

Have been walking ALL OVER THE PLACE. I am covering about 24-30 miles a week. The dog loves it. Am down 2 jeans sizes since end-of-May. Slow but steady. Not bad for peri-menopause.

Tried lifting weights again and immediately pulled that darn left hamstring again. When I do LOADS of yoga, I NEVER pull it. Think my body or some higher power is trying to tell me something? :^: