Aww thanks chickie.

It's posts and messages from people like you that put a smile on my face everyday.

I only read page one of this thread but I wondering, what if we did a "WBL Daily Dish" every day and we can post how we're doing, general chatter and questions that don't necessarily require Jillians attention? I know that it's done on other forums and this way nobody would need to go through pages to get to what's going on on any particular day?

I've read Jillian's book and am SO impressed. Like Jen, I'm a little daunted by the exercise. With holidays coming, I'm not really ready to get down to the nitty gritty but I have followed some suggestions in the book and as a fast oxidizer am upping my protien and trying to never eat carbs alone. I've not been to the gym in months but have packed my clothes to go after work. As I work until midnight, my plan is to do some light cardio. As my lifestyle is sedintary (second only to bed rest I'm sure!) I know at this point, ANY movement is something to cheer about. I'm also going to step on the scale and see if my trying to be good has shed any weight. I was 331 on the 7th and I'm certainly not expecting much if any. I am so ready for change and I know that it really will be an ounce at a time.

Kristin

I admit, I do get a bit overwhelmed with the threads here. One for a weigh in, one for a check in, one for food journals, one for exercise logs, and of course the infamous one for questions to Jillian herself.

The threads get to be too much for me to read sometimes. Even though the original reason Oz started this thread was to not "chat" in another thread specifically for questions... if you look at any of these threads they are all interspersed with random chit chat to see how one another is doing. I think that's just the nature of any message board. I agree with Suzanne that a thread just called "questions about winning by losing" would be nice, so everyone could add their two cents. Perhaps that will happen at some point soon.

Kristin - I have some suggestions. Really let it sink in that this is going to be a tough battle. I have to try and remind myself of that every day. Light aerobic exericse is good, but try maybe during the workout to up your heartrate to the suggested maximum for as long as you can, then go back down to what's comfortable. At least then you're getting some serious energy going. The exercises are TOUGH. Tough tough tough. But stay strong. I know Jillian's first video (that contains what seems to be the same exercises in the book at a VERY fast pace) made me want to sit down and cry because I couldn't keep up even a little. But thankfully I have a wonderful man, who sat down with me and said that there's no way anyone could be expected to do her full workout on the first try. He told me not to give up, because if I give up obviously I'll NEVER be able to do it. If I just do what I can for as long as I can, eventually I'll be able to do more and more. It's hard because I'm a perfectionist sometimes, and I want to be the BEST at what I do... and I actually have to admit that I'm going to be a big wuss for a while until I can build up to kicking butt.

On another note, the one thing that concerns me the most is when people say they are going to not take dieting seriously during the Holidays. But...this is the most important time! This is the time of over-indulgence, and it doesn't need to be! Think about it - why do people get this mindset like they have to pig out on a holiday as if food is going to disappear off the face of the earth the next day? I happen to know someone very close to me who uses every occasion, get-together and holiday as an excuse to eat way over her calorie limits. It makes me feel so frustrated. Now, if I hear my brain start to go "but, its so-and-so's birthday, I can eat a ton of food and a piece of cake if I WANT to!", I just let the other part of my brain say "Shut up, that's a stupid excuse and you know it."

My plan this year is to count the calories out beforehand of what I'm going to eat. Sure, I will be at parties where I have no idea what's going to be served, but I can take a wild guess while I'm there. I see overweight people like myself at these parties, piling on the food and giggling they're "off" their diet today, this week, etc. It's your LIFE. You don't go off your "life"!

When I planned out my Thanksgiving dinner, with appetizers, dessert and all, it turns out to be 1300 calories. That's an insane amount of calories for what I consider to be very small portions of food. (1/4 cup of this, 1/2 cup of that.) So my plan is to have the Weight control oatmeal for breakfast that day (160 calories), and an apple and some sprouted grain toast w/margarine for lunch (80 calories and 125 calories respectively). That will bring my total for the day to 1665. Since my AMR was somewhere in the 1750 range, I shouldn't *gain* any weight. I also made sure today and yesterday were 1200 calorie days (I never go under 1200), and I did some exercise the past two days as well. I've heard its also good to go for a walk Thanksgiving morning, but since we're hosting it, I'll be too busy.

So that's my 2 billion cents. I hope no one fell asleep. I put some smilies in to keep Oz entertained.

SmartButt, here I was all concerned that you were going to throw the towel in on the exercise when you're actually doing great. The point you made about the holidays etc was very valid. And the planning you're putting into it, preparing 2 days in advance by lowering your calories... I'm sooo impressed.

Also how wonderful that you have such a supportive husband, just great. Keep it up! Thanks for the smilies.

I agree with Smartbutt.....this is ONLY ONE DAY!!! PEOPLE.....most people focus on what they CAN'T have and then over induldge. Why not try focussing on what YOU CAN HAVE!! My day is already planned out as its just the 4 of us and since dh is home, and the gym is open for a few hours.....I'm heading for an early workout. Why wouldn't tommorow be a part of my workout week!!!

There goes SmartButt living up to her screen name....I agree completely with the peeve that people say - I'll start after this or that occasion. No time like the present, I say! I'm cooking tomorrow - but I'll fit a walk in somewhere in the morning while everything is baking. It's my workout rest day - but I always try to at least get a walk in...otherwise I have Dobie nose in my face until I do. As for what I'm cooking - turkey, roasted sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips, green salad, wheat rolls, lowfat pumpkin pie....it shouldn't be too out of control. (It's pretty easy with my parents - they are quite calorie conscious). I'm planning a light breakfast and very light late meal.

KristinJ - maybe try parts of the workout to start....split it up into two 1/2 hours...make your cardio just a brisk walk to start. You don't want to be so intimidated by it that you don't make a consistent habit of exercising. Because I think that is the most important thing. You can do it - you just have to start - the starting is the hard part, once you are moving it feels good and you're glad you did it. IMO of course.

As for what to do in different threads....I say whatevah....I'm up for anything.

I completely understand what you're saying about starting after the holidays but I assure you that I'm not using it as an excuse to over indulge. I just don't have the concentration to count calories. It's the counting that is waiting for the new year not the more healthy way of eating. For example, I didn't sign up for the bake exchange at work this year because I knew there was no reason to have sugary treats in the house when it's just me. I don't want to eat them and I certainly don't need to eat them. I currently have no junk food in my house. Those types of things.

As for the light aerobic activity, I always get up into my target heart rate -- it doesn't take much.

Hope everyone is having a good day and working hard.

Kristin

I was going to post this all seperately in the appropraite threads but I'm lazy so here it all is together.

Food : I've eaten 2L of full fat chocolate icecream over the last two days. Oh darn that's not right is it??

Exercise : I haven't been to the gym or done anything remotely physical since Tuesday. I don't think that's how it's suppose to work either.

Weight : Who knows, I'm not getting on the scale.

Right then looking on the positive side I am still harrassing the producers of the Oz BL show which is really tough for me. My mum can't believe my dedication.

And I bought a heart rate monitor this week and it has a little fitness test thing in it. I did the test last night (it's a lay down test so extremely strenuous) and the thing told me that I'm in elite physical condition. I thought I should send it back because it's broken then I decided I didn't care if it was broken it's nice to read.

Well that about completes week one of my 4 week downward spiral program.

You are showing the dedication to the show but not your current life? Come on, woman! No downward spirals for you. (By the way do the downward spirals in Australia swirl to the left or to the right?...hardy har).

I ate over what I'd planned out, but that was a combination of minor mistakes. I feel like I ate more than I needed to, I have that "overly full" feeling that i HATE and that always makes me feel guilty. But on the bright side, this is my first calorie-counting holiday, so I feel I am more equipped with strategies for the next one, which of course will be Christmas.

Does anyone else get pressure from relatives or friends to 'ease up' and just eat eat eat at the holidays? It seems like people try to push food on you even when you say you're fine. Why do they do this?

Oz, you gotta start Jillian's workouts with me. I can't be the only one who can barely move in the mornings out of sheer pain!

Okay Oz....."miss elite physical condition"....WHAT ARE YOU DOING?....Consider this an authorized Jillian's girls BUTT KICKING!!! Seriously though, I agree with Smartbutt.....stop the downward spiral now before the 2L turns into a gallon of icecream. Think of small steps....if a whole day OP is overwhelming. Don't put yourself in those kinds of situations.....STEP AWAY FROM THE ICECREAM!!! LOL...... You can do this!!!!

Hee Hee I yelled at Oz via PM ....Jillian's girls are the next best thing to Jillian herself...we should all get Bully TShirts! Well - maybe that will be my prize when I actually make it through one of her workouts without missing anything or cutting anything short.

KristenJ - it sounds like you are already moving, good for you!

It's finally raining here - I guess I'll hit the gym for my cardio today.

hahaha Chick... I was just about to type "hey its raining here too!" when I saw that you live in Sacramento, too.

Small world!

Too funny - what part of town is yer hood?

This is a tough crowd, you eat one itzy bitzy 2L bucket of icecream and you take cover from all the swinging rolling pins.

And yes our downward spirals spin in the opposite direction of yours.. smarty.

You know I was in Africa a year ago and crossed in the equator in Uganda and they had a little thing set up where you could watch water drain down a funel. A metre on one side of the equator and it drained one way, a metre on the other side and it drained the other way. When it was right on the equator it went straight down without spiralling at all. Very cool little experiment.

Have a successfully deflected the attention away from me??

c'mon oz! get up off of that thing and work with us!

don't make this be excuse to continue bad eating and exercise habits and just WORK IT! there is always something waiting in the wings to sabotage your goals, you just have to work around them and get on track.

if i can get up and move and breath - then you and anyone else can do it too. i am the most unmotivated person, but to think of a life after weight loss is a wonderful thing and something i want to be.

i keep thinking of jillian's comment on TBL the other night "your dreams are your dreams because they are your destiny".

BTW - are you as pissed as me that ten advertised last night TBL as the Grand Finale and then just . . . stopped! looks like the REAL final is on next Friday from looking at the ten site.

we are here for you - let's do this and be the hottest girls on our respective coasts.