W.O.W. Easter Challenge Invitation~Week 1
 

Its time to start our new Women on WEED challenge. This challenge is an 8 week challenge. Any cute names for this one? I have no imagination.

For any newbies, the traditional copy and paste:

Women on... WHAT??

Okay, let me explain that "Women on WEED" is not what you might be thinking. During previous challenges, a group of us formed a great bond, and we've been challenge buddies ever since. We use the word "WEED" as a mnemonic device to set daily goals, an easy and very specific way to remind yourself during your day to take care of your body, and to nurture your Mind, Mouth and Muscles... it really does help. After all, we are all taking this a day at a time, right?

If you join this challenge, you will see it often - and you are encouraged to give it a try. Here's what it stands for:

W - Water intake. Set a daily goal for how much water you're going to drink. Although there is conflicting research as to how much to actually consume in a day, we all agree it is important to drink lots to stay healthy. So make it a goal!

E - Exercise. Efficient, healthy weight loss isn't going to happen unless you incorporate some kind of physical activity in your life. Everyone does it differently; some go to the gym, some work out at home, and some find ways to sneak in little bits of exercise all throughout the day. Set yourself a goal, even if it's small. Little bits done often WILL add up over time!

E - Eats. Being that we all have different eating plans and weight loss philosophies, this is sort of a wild card. Whatever plan you're on, set yourself a plan-appropriate daily eating goal for the day. Don't forget to make it specific!

D - Daily goal/Daily affirmation. This is another wild card. It doesn't even have to be weight-loss related! This is the spot where you list something you want to get accomplished. Or, you can use "D" for a a daily affirmation - it's an opportunity to say something good and positive about yourself. Sometimes, when we fall short - and we ALL do sometime - we are tempted to berate ourselves. Although it's good to recognize when we don't reach our goals, it's also good to remind ourselves of the awesome parts of ourselves. So go ahead and remind yourself of that in the "D" part of WEED.


Well here it is! Jump right in, tell us about yourselves, your goals, your home lives, your healthy plan, etc. We LOVE newbies! And we LOVE our regulars! Welcome back!

Morning everyone! Last night I went out to dinner as a Valentines day Treat for my family. I ate a not healthy disgustingly gross meal. I cant believe I ate the crud I did. I am paying for it today though. I havent had a greasy meal in so long my stomach is not happy with me today. Its terrible sunday at work. A mexican food potluck. I don't want to take anything, because I wont be eating anything, but I feel bad if I don't. But I am NOT eating at the potluck today. I feel naseaous enough.

Okay new Challenge so I should introduce myself. and my goals.

My name is Jeni. I am married and I have two kids, Makenna is 5 and Tommy is 3. I work a weird schedule: 12 hour shifts 6 days on one week, 6 days off the next. I have two different sets of WEED that I follow, One for my work days and one for when I am off.

Water. I normally drink 80 to 100 ounces of water a day.

Exercise. On my days off I workout hard. I usually do anywhere from 1-2 hours. I need to run during my workouts, the endorphine rush is GREAT!

Eats. In January I started with a salad only for dinner meal plan. Actually I just dont eat bread or pasta or anything really heavy. I Usually eat 1200 calories a day but I upped that to 1300 friday when I added in a morning protein shake before work.

Daily Goals/Affirmation. For me it usually centers around Sticking to my plan and doing housework.

My goal for this challenge is to lose 6 pounds. Take me to 142. I had really good luck with my diet and ended up losing 10 pounds during the last challenge. I think the best I can hope for is 6 pounds this time around (even that is pusing it since I will be on vacation March 15-21).

Okay Workday WEED today:

W 80 oz
E extra laps. Get to at least 8.5 miles on the ped
E 1300 cals
D DO NOT TOUCH the potluck food!

I would love to join!!!

My name is Debbie. This year my dh and I will be celebrating 11 years of marriage. We have two wonderful boys. Nate will be 10 in April and Ben turned 2 in late December. I work full-time as a teacher. Our family moved from FL to NC in August. My dh is a SAHD during the day. He just got a job 'thank you Lord' about 3 weeks ago. It's evenings and only 5 minutes away (if that). Oh, I turned 39 (gulp!) in January.

I've been on a weight loss journey for adult life. I remember thinking I was so fat as a teenager (high school years). Looking back, I'd be thrilled if I weighed that again! College came, gained weight. I did loss weight my junior year. I looked great, felt great! Gained it back. Lost it a few years later...again, felt great. Then I met my husband. Slowly gained it back, got pregnant, and it's pitiful to say, I haven't lost it since.

I've gained about 50 lbs. in the past 10 years, but gained a total of over a 100. My goal is not a 'size' or a specific 'weight'. I want to feel good, be healthy and get me back. I weigh about 282. Blah!

My goal for Easter would be to lose 10lbs. by watching what I eat and exercising. Exercising is not my favorite thing to do...but I know that when I eat right, drink water and exercise I see success! I also know that I need to realistic with my WEED as I don't want to set it too high...it's been awhile since I dedicated myself to exercise/food/water, but I can't put it off any more!

Water-start off with at least 64; then increase to 100 oz. Weekends will be 100oz.

EXERCISE-walk at least 20 minutes 4 days a week. (increase as the weeks progress)

EATS-My biggest obstacle is not planning for food and eating out--especially breakfast. No more fast food. I will have a breakfast high in protein about 400 calories. I will stick to 1900-2000 calories.

DAILY GOALS/AFFIRMATION-stick to the WEE and remember that nothing tastes as good as 'skinny' will feel! Affirmation-I'm worth the effort to change my habits to get healthy!

Good morning everyone. Let me introduce myself. My name is Mindy and I live in Michigan. I teach 5th grade this year, YUCK!!! Wish I still had little kids. I have 2 college age children, both into theatre. We live on a small farm with an assortment of animals. My ex-hubbie lives with us. Kind of a wierd family thing going on. Long story. I gained lots of weight when I got my pregnant for my oldest, who is now 23. Never lost it, but did manage to gain some more.

I have been working on this for over a year now and have lost quite a bit. I lose slowly and have my share of frustrations. Sometimes I feel defeated and would like to give up, but I never do. We are a great group of women who support each other to the max. WELCOME!!!

Nothing here for V-Day. Stayed on plan, and worked out carefully last new, due to my aching back. It is feeling somewhat better today. I was 194.4 yesterday and today. I know it is mid-cycle gain time. I am hoping and praying that it isn't much this time.

Since I know my average loss is 2-3 pounds a month I am going to set my goal for 6 pounds. That is about the max I think I can lose. Wow!! That would put me solidly in the 180's. Sounds good to me.

Hi! My name is Carolyn and I live in Mississauga, Ontario with my DH of 13 years. We have a 10 year old son named Jack and a 10 month old shih tzu puppy named Daisy. My DH has a 27 year old daughter who is staying with us since January as she is going through a bout of depression. My DH also has a 22 year old son who is living with his Mom.

I am 44 years old and came back to 3FCs in December at my highest weight ever of 165 lbs. I will have reached my goal once I get down to 145 lbs. and have changed my eating lifestyle enough that I stay there.

I have no problem with exercise. I do a balance of exercise: weights 3 x week; swim laps 2 x week; treadmill 1 x week; and yoga 1 x week. I also have a dog now and I take her out at least once a day for a good walk. That has me working out every day and therefore gives me room to skip a day or two each week if life demands it.

Now, eating...that's another story. I fall off the wagon VERY EASILY food-wise. Like this weekend, I bought two bags of cookies and have scarfed down a ton of cookies already. I don't seem to be able to limit my intake of junk food. If it is around, I eat and eat and eat it until it is gone. So, don't buy any junk food right? That would be smart and that is where the first line of defence breaks down. I do like my fruits and vegetables though, but I LOVE sweets!

Last WEED Valentine's challenge I dropped 6 pounds, but I haven't done my last WI (which is tomorrow) and I am afraid I may have gained some of that back with my terrible eating habits this weekend. When I find out how I did I will make a goal for this one.

Hello Eveybody! Last challenge I ended back where I started. This time around I'm going to exercise 3-4 times per week and try to eat healthy.

Gotta go, kids are crying

Thought I would come and share this with you guys. I was hit on today. It was so strange. This man said hello, then asked me if I had worked for the Dept. of Ed. Then he came back and said basically he had really wanted to just meet me and found me attractive. Wanted to know if I was married etc.
Gosh, I haven't been hit on since my 20's and I'm 48. I was flabbergasted. Nobody hit on me 55 pounds ago. Well, just thought you'd get a kick out of that.

Must go workout now.

Hi Girls
 

First off - WHOO HOO for getting some attention Mtiggie! That's fabulous. Now hold on sister, cuz once the world finds out how fabulous you are... you're gonna need cards printed up with your hotline on it!!!

Easter Challenge Opener - My name is Kris, I'm 37, have 1 DS (19, who lives with my parents -closer to his college), and 2 almost stepsons (7, 4) and one almost stepdaughter (9). OH and a live in boyfriend of 2 years whom I adore. He likes to cook, I love to eat., its serious trouble in weightloss land when we encounter simultaneous weak moments. We both recently quit smoking, and I have been trying to get serious on the weight loss gig. Our lives are busy, both work full time and our house goes from 2 of us to 6 of us depending on the day!

I work in Management for the City I live in. Quite an eye opening (and often disheartening experience) but it pays my bills, and I do love the people I work with. I do a lot of sitting on my blessed assurance and rubbing my forehead :D

I didn't even stay even last challenge. My tailbone ouchie really set me back. I am starting this challenge at 206 lbs. 8 weeks is our timeline huh. I would love to see 190 by the end of it. A big goal, but I will be in high gear this round.

Welcome aboard deb - Hello to all my favorite determined girls on my #1 favorite challenge thread. Gonna go get my game on! My goals for the challenge will be to get at least 6miles of walking in per week, stay under 1600 calories and Get my Water and vitamins in daily, and strength train at least 2 X per week.

For week 1:
W- 64minimum
E- 45 minutes M, W, F, Sun
E- 1600, drop the excuses, and the salt
D- I know that my body wants to do this! I can feel it!

Good Luck everyone!

Hi Ladies,

Started my period today, and I'm retaining a ton of water. I ate some goodies this weekend, and you know what? They weren't that good. :lol: I'm actually looking forward to getting back to healthy food tomorrow, and the way it makes me feel.

Anyway, I'm Sheryl. I live in Colorado. I've been married to my DH Aaron for 18 years. We have 3 kids, 2 girls and a boy ages 10, 8, and 6. I'm a stay at home mom, but this fall my youngest will be in school all day, so I am planning to go back to work teaching elementary school.

I don't really have a weight goal for Easter. Last challenge I lost 10 pounds, and I'm hoping to do at least that this time!

Water goal: About 2 liters a day
Eating goal: Most days I keep my calories at 1300-1400. I try to eat whole foods, a lot of fiber, and keep away from junk.
Exercise goal: 30 minutes 6 days a week
Daily Affirmation: Keeping on plan, doing my exercise, giving myself :kickbutt: and making each day count toward getting a little closer to goal.

Morning to all! Nice to see new and familiar faces!!

I am Mavis, I'm 42, married for over 20 years with two boys. One a Jr in college and one a Senior in high school. Just sat thru my last high school sporting event on Saturday when wrestling ended. A bit weirded out by that (yes, I cried) because that is what we have done since OS started pee-wee's and tee ball, seems odd to have it done. He's involved in other stuff too, but the sports are finished.

I have been bouncing around the same weight now for almost a year, time to put up or shut up and I've decided to put up. My goal for Easter, the 130's. I am gaining again right now, back to 153 this am, so is going to take some focus, but I can do it.

Jeni, I took turbo jam out of the box yesterday!!

W 100 oz, no beer
E Just did my crunches, stairs and then treadmill tonight
E OP
D one choice at a time

:welcome: Deb! This is an awsome group to be with.

So exciting stuff yesterday at work. Not good exciting either. Some one sent out a threatening e-mail mostly against the shift that follows mine but they hacked into another persons e-mail. You know the kind of thing. Talked about bringing in a gun and unloading it. . . The company didn't want to call the authorities and handle it internally but with 32 people telling them WE NEED to feel protected and this isn't about PR They ended up calling the sheriff and the shut the plant down for today. So I got a suprise workout! :carrot: crappy about missing work today I would have gotten paid double time and a half :( But I get to spend the day with my kids and that is worth so much more.

Gotta run

W 100 oz
E 70 minutes done
E 1200 planned calories!
D keep to the plan enjoy my suprise day off!

Back again... I was on weed before and am back for more :D My name is Karen and I need to lose about 75 pounds... I had lost a pile of weight a few years ago and gained it all back... Back on track I am!

My big goal is to lose about 20 pounds over the next eight weeks. In general I plan to drink my 64 oz a day, exercise 6 days a week and keep track of my calorie intake.

Are we doing daily weed or weekly?

For now:
W: 64 oz
E: move it
E: Keep calories in check
D: I am doing this for me

Welcome Back Econ Nerd!!

MTig- You are smokin'!! WTG on being hit on!!!

Nix- Welcome back!

JL- Hugs to you

MM- Just finished my TJ workout

JCat- There are troubled people in the world. Hope you enjoyed the day with the kiddies.

Econ- Are you going C25king during this challenge? Welcome back!

This challenge, for me, is to get back into the exercise groove. I just put too much pressure on myself when I, dare I say,"diet". Yep, the old "all or nothing" thinking snuck its way back and I really began judging my week by what the scale said. Then, I got lazy and kept making excuses for being lazy Now it's time to think "E". My plan for this challenge is to work out 3-4 times per week.

Got a nice surprise today. Lost another .4. I was 194. This is definitely mid-cycle gain time, but I've yet to see it. I am hoping and praying it has decided not to show up this month.

Gotta go workout. Hey, I bought some size 14 pants today. OMG!!! I almost didn't recognize the person in the fitting room mirror.

*sneaking into the back of the room late again*
Hey girls, remember me?????? College gradumate with my edu-ma-cation? Thanx for all your support btw, I don't know how I could thank you enough.

I maintained for Valentine's day. That's better than I'd done all year. I'm gonna shoot for 20 lbs for easter, with workouts 5 days a week. I get 4 a week when I work out at the office. I really need to focus on walking though. That's how the fat fell off last time.

Welcome to newbies! And Hello to my girls.....congrats on losses and I'm glad to see you all again :)

Ok I gotta get my ab workout in for the day. It's better than nothing :)

I would like to join this challenge.

I am 48 and have been married to my DH for 23 years. We have 2 kids, my son is 19 and my daughter is 10. I work as a teaching assistant in a special ed preschool. I started my healthier lifestyle in September and have lost 40 pounds. I can now say that I am overweight and no longer obese! I count points but do not attend WW meetings.

Here's my WEED for this challenge

W 64 oz. a day
E Something everyday (Exercise bike, treadmill, wii fit)
E Stay within daily points
D I can eat whatever I want, as long as I plan for it and adjust the rest of my day accordingly.

I'd like to lose 10 pounds in the next 8 weeks.

Do I post a new WEED everyday?

On my way - daily is fine, I think most of us try to do daily, but can't always get here, but no pressure, what works for you. Come as often as you like.

HT welcome back!

MTiger, look at you, getting hit on, buying new clothes, rocking this thing! :carrot:

EconNerd, welcome back to you too!

Jeni, Scary stuff. Be safe.

Grazer, I am with ya, need to get rid of the all or nothing in my head.

Anywho got to get moving this morning.

W 100
E Crunches, Elliptical, stairs
E OP
D Making good choices for me. :D

Morning!

:welcome: Onmyway!

Glad to see you HolyT!

Grazer, I love the idea of exercise goals versus weight goals. I used to start the monthly exercise challenge. I was stuck for so long, at least I could say I did all I could exercise wise. This is all about being healthy right.

Mindy Alright! Size 14 and 194 that is so awsome!!!!!!! keep it up you know that even if you have that nasty mid cycle gain, if you keep OP it will come off when you get back to your losing weeks :)

MM~congrats on opening up your turbo jam video!

Hi Shari!! Ya the crackpots are great.


I did have a good day yesterday. My little sister was here to babysit, so DH took a half day off and we went to the movies. The only bummer was my knee. It hurt all day so I iced it last night, it still is sore today so my workout later on will be a low impact.

I didn't get up early this morning because I had too much wine last night. Two glasses and boy I was feeling good. I slept like I hadn't in a long time it was SO nice. :) When I got on the scale this morning it was 146.4 I was a bit shocked. I don't know if I quite believe it. but my scale is always lower when I get a good night sleep. I won't have another good night until Thursday but it was so nice seeing that number on the scale.

W 80 oz
E probably will do 60 minutes of low impact, Elliptical and recumbant bike.
E 1200 planned callories
D Stick to my plan, pick up the house, do some laundry, dishes, ice my knee cook some dinner.

Thanks for the welcome all :hug:

I plan to get back on the C25K - I was doing well with it in the fall but pulled a muscle in my back and that knocked me off the program... I was up to week 7 or 8... I plan to run on Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday mornings before work. I hit the gym Monday Wednesday and Friday (walk and eliptical)
I need to get a podcast I like going for C25K Week one so I can start on Thursday (or maybe even this afternoon!)

Tuesday WEED:
W: 64 oz
E: Get some exercise today (maybe C25K week 1 day 1 this evening??)
E: Keep calories under control
D: I am worth the effort

hi...i like the "WEED" challenge, can i join too?

i'm 27 and i am wholly on the exercise bandwagon. it still seems strange given that i have ALWAYS hated running (up til now). :) my weight loss plan is exercise heavy because (aside from the occasional junk) my eating is pretty good. right now i'm working extra hard to surprise my boyfriend (who is gone for a month). in the last 10 days i've lost 4 pounds--not a bad jumpstart. (can you tell i'm ecstatic?!?!)

so...anyway--my goals for tuesday:

W: 64 oz (this should not be the hard part, but it is)
E: 2 hours cardio, 20 floors stairs, arms/abs at home, stretching
E: make good choices when i go out to eat with a friend this evening
D:get going right now (and do the dishes before bed tonight!)

Thanks for the welcome :wave:!

I'm not doing very good with water.....I got more water in today than yesterday.

I'm within calorie range for Mon/Tues.

I'm determined to shed these pounds for good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the warm welcome. I think this will be a fun challenge! I have had a great day so far. I'm planning to ride my exer bike tonight while I watch Biggest Loser!

Goals for today:
W - 64 oz.
E- Exer bike - 40 minutes at least!
E - Stay within points
D - I'm really doing well!

Have a great evening!

:welcome2: e32!!!! Happy to have you aboard.

Got in my workout, but my knee still hurts so I am going to ice it some more. I got in 45 minutes today but kept it at a slow pace.

Jcat- Hope that knee is feeling better. I usually find my knees after doing TJ. Thanks for the encouragement!

On My Way- Welcome!

E32- Welcome to you too!

Econ- Glad to see you're back at C25K. I took a break and now I'm back at it again. It doesn't seem so bad the second time around. I only started back on Sunday.

MM- Let's get that stinkin' thinkin' out of our heads!

MTig- WTG on the size 14s!!

Holy- Or, should I say "Graduate"- Congrats!! I pretty much maintained last challenge too.

Today was so so eats wise. I had some sweets during a meeting, a piece of pizza, and then pigged out at dinner. I gotta accept days like this. No planned exercise for tonight because we had company. I'm going to try to get up early in the a.m to go on the tread.

Real quickie here. On plan, worked out, ate well, got hair colored. Have to have great hair to go with size 14's and new clothes. I was 193.8 today. OMG!!! Keep it coming while I can.

My shows are on, so I must run. BL AND American Idol. Conflict.

Hey girls,
I got a workout in at lunch but I'm planning on getting another Bean workout in....maybe treadmill time too. No rehearsal tonight thankfully, I'm pretty tired. I actually dozed at the office during my 2nd break. I discovered that my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred dvd is scratched up pretty badly. I'm gonna work with my disk repair kit to see if i can fix it.

be back later!

New Person
 

Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to 3fc and would love to join this challenge! This group and this format looks like the exact motivation I need to stick with my weight loss:D I always love a challenge!

I'm a college student who is currently studying abroad in Spain, thus I'll probably post at really weird hours...Anyway I've been struggling with body image issues for a long time and have done my fair share of fad diets...this time I want to pursue a healthy lifestyle I can maintain.

My overall goal is to lose ten pounds in eight weeks, putting me insanely close to my overall goal:D

I think I'm doing this right...

Water intake: 50 oz a day
Exercise! Stay with my plan of running five days a week, crosstraining one, yoga on Fridays and strength training four days a week
Eating: I'm a calorie counter who has recently realized that with my new level of exercising I need more calories...so my goal is to stay within a healthy range of 1800-2000, with some calorie cycling thrown in
Daily Affirmation: I'm taking positive and deliberate steps towards a healthy lifestyle, making this about me the person, not me as represented by a number on a scale

hi everyone...so today went well (even the dishes!) :)

tomorrow's goals

W: 64+oz (i'm feeling a little dehydrated)
E: 2 hours cardio, 20 flights stairs, arms/abs at home, stretching am/pm
E: anyone have some good ideas on how to work fruit into a busy schedule? i can't eat citrus b/c of some stomach issues. i usually eat a banana in the morning but that's about all the fruit i get in...
D: get up a bit earlier tomorrow so i can get right on my goals

thanks everyone for the welcome--glad to be here!

Hurray Mindy!

Holy T I hope that you are able to fix the dvd!

Grazer, today is a new day.

:welcome3: samandsunshine.

e32~ preslice some apples (ok I cheat and buy them already sliced) and when you feel snacky eat those. I eat 6 times a day and fruit is two of those. Always and apple and sometimes grapes, bananas, watermelon.

Morning all!

Welcome New friends!

I have got to get moving this am, still trying to get back under 150. Yesterday was an OK day, although I did have a small piece of DH's Birthday cake. Still showed down for the day!

MT, congrats on the new size. I need to get my hair done, thinking of doing something different this time, but not yet sure what that is!

W 100
E Crunches, elliptical, stairs and either TJ or dreadmill tonight, maybe I will restart the C25K w Grazer & Econ
E OP!!
D I am worth it!

Good morning!!!

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday. Keep plugging away, spring will be here before we know it and we will all be looking and feeling great!

MT, I can't wait til I am a 14. I'm at 195 and just got into 16 pants. I carry most of my weight in my butt and legs. It will be the last place I will lose from!

W - 64 oz.
E - Wii Fit - 40 minutes
E - Watch my carbs, stay within points
D - I CAN do this!

Hi all, so great to see all these new faces! Having my TOM, so of course having trouble not stuffing my face. Afternoons seem to be especially tough. Going to try to fill up on veggies so I'm too full to eat junk. I hope this weekend's weigh in shows a loss. Time will tell.

If you like cottage cheese I think canned peaches or pears are yummy with it. Fruit with protein powder, ice and splenda makes a great smoothie.

W 64 oz
E 30 min on treadmill
E no bites licks or tastes. Really need to do this today, or I'll end up grazing all afternoon.
D don't let TOM undo your hard work.

Morning ladies,
I have rehearsal tonight and workout at lunch. I made mini burgers with leanest beef possible. I've got apples for snacks and am gonna try mainly protein and veggies for dinner....as few carbs as possible. Might be burger salad tonight :) Jen are you still doin salad at dinner?

Snow day for me!! Workout- done, housework almost done, and dinner is taken care of. What a great day!

Grazer- Snow day??? I am so jealous. We were suposed to get snow but it didn't show up.

Thin- Tell TOM to take a hike.

Onmyway- It was nice to buy a size 14, but 16's still work sometimes too. Depends.

MM- Go get that hair done. you deserve it.

Sam- Welcome. Hey, cute guys.

I was up to 195.2 today. I knew that mid-cycle gain was coming. Hope it keeps to a dull roar. I got 2 compliments today. One about my new silouette and the other about my shapely "hourglass" figure. Look out Marilyn Monroe.

See ya all tomorrow.

Hi all,

Did OK, final calorie count 1500, which isn't bad considering I wanted to stuff my face all day. Which I pretty much did, just on healthy food. Gonna try to hit my 1300-1400 tomorrow. Got a lot of water in today. No exercise. Man, I suck at exercising. I wish I could take a pill instead ;)