Just one sweet after lunch and just one after dinner, and I will drink only water, tea, and green smoothies.

Day 8 - 4/29 Just One + Drink No Calories
Day 9 - 4/30 Just One + Drink No Calories. Nice to meet you, tyla, I hope your challenge goes really well. :goodvibes
Day 10 5/1 Just One + Drink No Calories
Day 11 5/2 Just One + Drink No Calories
Day 12 5/3 Just One + Drink No Calories. Doing pretty well in the second week of my challenge. Hoping to ingrain these habits strongly enough to make better choices next month when things are likely to be more difficult. Diana, I'm inspired by your attitude.
Day 13 5/4 Just One + Drink No Calories. I've been making decent choices of eating greens and limiting sweets when my schedule is so punishing that I have no other choice, but let's hope I will have solidified the habit by the time the safety net of routine is removed.
Day 14 5/5 Just One + Drink No Calories
Day 15 5/6 Just One + Drink No Calories Have avoided doughnuts waved under my nose twice in four days, which I will call a win. It helped to think to myself, "Are these doughnuts really worth one of my pause days? Nah."

5/7 Pause. It is illustrative of how mindless I've been that I ordered and drank a mug of hot chocolate with a friend at a coffee shop before I looked down and realized with a sinking feeling that I had just wasted one of my paused days without even thinking about it. :mad:
Day 16 5/8 Just One + Drink No Calories. Back on the horse, learning to be resilient.

Hi All,
This is day 3 with a pause in between. Already? At least, I'm back and got right back on the horse.

Have a great weekend!

tyla & Dr geri, Pause days happen, good to see both of you get right back on track. I'm almost done with this 21 days and think I need to address regularity in either my daily exercise or daily eating routines. I'm stressing and need help with focusing on healthy!

Gonna do another round of No pm snacking, this time with 3 pause days.
4/19 - Day 1 - No Snacking - although I ate all day long. Luckily tomorrow is a new day and a new week =New Beginning.
4/20 - Day 2 - No Snacking - still eating too much during the day(30 mins ex -am)
4/21 - Day 3 - No Snacking - gaining weight & starting to get mad =hoping this means better focus for both food and exerise, ugh!!(25 mins ex -am)
4/22 - Day 4 - No Snacking - Today I am mad - I can turn this bad slump around. Today I will eat healthy foods, drink water and will take a half hour walk with my dog. I will make me the first priority.
4/23 - Day 5 - No snacking, Back on program -
4/24 - Day 6 - No snacking, Challenging dinner tonight and potluck tomorrow - must choose wisely and remember to drink water. Bringing a dessert I can eat the middle of (whipped creme and fresh berries).
4/25 1st PAUSE Day.
4/26 - Day 7 - No Snacking, I am stuffed from potluck foods today. I have taken a probiotic and will ride my recumbent bike tonight.
4/27 - Day 8 - No Snacking -
4/28 - Day 9 - No Snacking - doing well at night, really just want to go to bed.
4/29 - pause Day #2
4/30 - Day 10 - No pm Snacking - Not drinking or writing foods down, this is where I need focus power!
5/1 - Day 11 - No Snacking
5/2 - Day 12 - No Snacking - still could improve overall but much improved eating, drinking water and writing down foods.
5/3 - Day 13 - No Snacking
5/4- Day 14 - No Snacking
5/5 - Day 15 - No Snacking
5/6 - Day 16 - No Snacking - I am hoping to be getting this habit down for good.
5/7 - Day 17 - No Snacking
5/8 - Day 18 - No Snacking -Surrender to the fact that this needs to be a lifetime habit!
5/9 - Day 19 - No Snacking - almost to day 21.
5/10 - Day 20 -
5/11 - Day 21 -

Day 4, which is great for a weekend!

working, best of luck to you! And please don't stress over this. (Easy for me to say. lol )

Day 5!

Happy Mother's Day!

tyla & Dr geri, hope you both had a nice mother's day. My boys took me out to dinner, just nice not to have to cook!


5/10 - Day 20 - No snacking
5/11 - Day 21 - No snacking End of round!!


My next challenge will be to focus at starting the day right, 50 oz of water and 20mins of exercise.
May 12 Day 1 - wish me luck setting consistency in the fullness of summer.

Day 6! Starting to feel a lot better physically and mentally. Not weighing myself, which is so much better for my morale.

Working, I'm so glad you had a nice Mother's Day! Congrats on your great work of eating in control!

Tyla and Diane, you are killing it! Woo hoo!

I, on the other hand, descended into Fail last week. I have concluded that I can make these changes at home and in restaurants pretty successfully, but at work with all the stress I discard all commitments I've made to myself. I don't even know what kind of challenge to try next that will enable me to get through the next few months of reception season.

Habit 1: Drink a minimum of 24 oz water. Level 3. (Once I complete level 3, I will do level 2, and then level 1.) I have to do this.

Starting over

I can't believe this is day 7, since I was really spiraling out of control for weeks. Yesterday I went to a luncheon at The Cheesecake Factory. After lunch, all the other women had giant cheesecakes or other giant cakes. But I sipped my iced tea. I'm so proud of myself!!! Being with all of you on this thread has helped me. Thank you!!!

Dr. G, I had to start off slow. I've decided to take the edge off by not frantically counting calories like I usually do, but instead eat 3 healthy meals that are filling and eat a vegetable or fruit when hungry. Plus I'm trying to stay away from sugar. All of this is new for me. No pressure this way. And I had to stay off the scale. That was driving me crazy. (I wasn't losing weight fast enough or it gave me license to eat more.) It's only been 7 days, but I feel so much better about everything. All I'm trying to tell you is that you have to do something different. Make this some sort of game where you win. All the best to you!!!! :dust: By the way, I'm not claiming to be an expert at any of this. After all, t's only been 7 days. :lol:

Welcome back, Jazzy Peggy!

Hi Working!

Day 8 :)

Hi Everyone!

My next challenge - 50 oz of water and 20mins of exercise/day (3 pause days).
May 12 Day 1 - wish me luck setting consistency in the fullness of summer.
May 13 Day 2 - I really have to work at the water consumption and have to force myself to exercise - I did the exercise in the am, the best time for me.
May 14 Day 3 - Got the water going, have been in the kitchen since waking up(hummingbird water, crockpot roast, blueberry jam & choc chip cookies). Now I need to focus on exercise -after posting or the day will disappear.

tyla, you are doing it this time, :carrot: good on YOU!

Jazz, Make this a priority & you CAN do this. Thinking of your lovely state this morning& it's green rolling hills(former Cincinnatian). Walk a mile for me and tell me what you see. I live in Eastern Oregon now- arid - and we are turning brown. I see not so many trees but lots of lovely sky and Plateaus.

Dr Geri, continual receptions would be a huge challenge. Let me share my potluck experience which may be helpful.
1- Go gluten free as if your life depended on it(plus you can eat more fruit & vegies to fill up).
2-Put a maximum dessert limit, I do 2, small servings with NO seconds = because I love my body.
3- Eat totally clean and drink a lot of hot tea which will be in both hands at all times, no room for wiggle here.
Maybe your 21 day challenge should be on water to fill you up before you go to these receptions. Keep trying and keep in touch!

Thanks for all your advice after my failed challenge, tyla and other friends. Diana, that's a good suggestion to make the next one a water challenge. I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. That is doable. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time. So I will call this one my Full Glass Challenge.

Day 9:)

Dr. Geri, Diana, and Jazzy, wishing you the best today. :) :dust:

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 1 - 5/14 Full Glass, not giving up on my commitment to healthier habits

Day 10! I can't believe it! :)

Dr Geri, good strategy!

Day 11! :) Have a great weekend, everyone!

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 1 - 5/14 Full Glass. Not giving up on my commitment to healthier habits.
Day 2 - 5/16 Full Glass. Miserably stressful day replete with emotional eating, but at least I kept to the challenge.

Tyla, you are on fire! :flame: JazzyPeggy, hoping to hear an update from you soon.

Afternoon new habit chicks. tyla and Dr Geri, you are both doing well. I have been meeting my challenge but the results are not as significant as the bad things I have been doing. Stress eating, in between meal eating and pm snacking, UGH!!! Gonna have to go back to original challenge of NO PM snacking. That will be a step in the right direction. Thank you Ladies for being here to help me be accountable. Starting tonight

tyla, YA HOO!

Dr Geri, Hoping your weekend was less stressful, you can do it!

Jazz, How are you doing?

NO PM snacking
May 18th - Day 1 -

Okay, 21 days, here it goes.

I journal my calories and I want to write everything down for 21 days and stay under my limit. So here it goes!

Day 12 :) Well, I got on the scale this morning to see a significant drop, only to see a gain. I've been eating around 1300-1400 calories, and I've been doing Pilates everyday. Very frustrating. Wanted to eat everything in sight today. I don't know how I stopped. I want to eat now. (I must keep typing. lol)

Dr. Geri and Diana, thank you for the compliments. My clothes, however, don't reflect a change either.

Welcome, Jeannie!

Good luck to all of us! :goodluck:

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 1 - 5/14 Full Glass. Not giving up on my commitment to healthier habits.
Day 2 - 5/16 Full Glass. Miserably stressful day replete with emotional eating, but at least I kept to the challenge.
Day 3 - 5/17 Full Glass.
Day 4 - 5/18 Full Glass. I need to remember that I cannot drink caffeinated iced tea. I am so sensitive to caffeine that I haven't slept well in two days after having iced tea with lunch. Tea is a better choice for me than soda, lemonade, or horchata (good gracious, I love horchata), but it has to be herbal all the way.
Day 5 - 5/19 Full Glass. Sleep is also not helped by the fact that when I forget to drink my extra glass of water at work, I drink it afterwards at home, and then my bladder wakes me up two or three times a night. :o Doubling my resolve to drink the extra glass *at work.*

Hello Jeannie, welcome! :genie:

Hang in there, Tyla. Even if the scale hasn't budged lately, you are still making a good choice for your body by exercising. You are reaping benefits other ways, even if you might not be seeing it in the fit of your clothes yet. Don't give up!

Morning Ladies, town day - so a quick HELLO & :hug: Hope you are all persevering on your habit, you CAN do it.



NO PM snacking
May 18th - Day 1 -Back to a comforting restriction!
May 19th - Day 2 - Feels good
May 20th - Day 3 - Nice routine

I'm starting over. Counting my calories and exercising everyday. This is day one. :)

Thank you, Dr. Geri and Diana, for your support. :thanks:

Day 2 - counting cals and exercising. Getting on my jogging shoes and going for a walk now.

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 1 - 5/14 Full Glass. Not giving up on my commitment to healthier habits.
Day 2 - 5/16 Full Glass. Miserably stressful day replete with emotional eating, but at least I kept to the challenge.
Day 3 - 5/17 Full Glass.
Day 4 - 5/18 Full Glass. I need to remember that I cannot drink caffeinated iced tea.
Day 5 - 5/19 Full Glass.
Day 6 - 5/20 Full Glass.
Day 7 - 5/21 Full Glass. This challenge is probably too easy, but pretty much the only thing I can manage at the moment.

Tyla, I'm impressed with how quickly you started over and are already making progress on your new challenge.

Dr Geri, Boy can I relate to your comment on your current challenge, I feel the same way. One day at a time.

tyla, glad you started over, each small step towards heathier is a win.

NO PM snacking
May 18th - Day 1 -Back to a comforting restriction!
May 19th - Day 2 - Feels good
May 20th - Day 3 - Nice routine
May 21st - Day 4 - Doing well at night
May 22nd - Day 5 - Not hungry, but wanted to munch tonight - but didn't.

Thank you, guys, for your support!

Day 3 of counting calories and exercising. :)

Have a great weekend. :dust:

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 1 - 5/14 Full Glass. Not giving up on my commitment to healthier habits.
Day 2 - 5/16 Full Glass. Miserably stressful day replete with emotional eating, but at least I kept to the challenge.
Day 3 - 5/17 Full Glass.
Day 4 - 5/18 Full Glass. I need to remember that I cannot drink caffeinated iced tea.
Day 5 - 5/19 Full Glass.
Day 6 - 5/20 Full Glass.
Day 7 - 5/21 Full Glass. This challenge is probably too easy, but pretty much the only thing I can manage at the moment.

Day 8 - 5/22 Full Glass. Enjoying more hot decaffeinated green tea at work every day.
Day 9 -5/23 Full Glass. Proud I chose water at the restaurant at lunch.

Evening, I have finished all work for my June art show and look forward to taking paintings and paperwork into the gallery tomorrow. It is nice to get work done on two series but a relief to have the obligation done. Still planning what I want to achieve this summer, knowing it will be plein air(outside painting). I have a week and a half till my son graduates from hs, then my time will be a bit more mine. Not as stressed with one huge item now complete.

Dr. Geri, like the hot tea routine, sounds double good for this socially stressful time.

tyla, hope your weekend was good for you, holidays can be challenging.

NO PM snacking
May 18th - Day 1 -Back to a comforting restriction!
May 19th - Day 2 - Feels good
May 20th - Day 3 - Nice routine
May 21st - Day 4 - Doing well at night
May 22nd - Day 5 - Not hungry, but wanted to munch tonight - but didn't.
May 23rd - Day 6 -
May 24th - Day 7 -
May 25th - Day 8 -
May 26th - Day 9 - One day at a time.

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 1 - 5/14 Full Glass. Not giving up on my commitment to healthier habits.
Day 2 - 5/16 Full Glass. Miserably stressful day replete with emotional eating, but at least I kept to the challenge.
Day 3 - 5/17 Full Glass.
Day 4 - 5/18 Full Glass. I need to remember that I cannot drink caffeinated iced tea.
Day 5 - 5/19 Full Glass.
Day 6 - 5/20 Full Glass.
Day 7 - 5/21 Full Glass. This challenge is probably too easy, but pretty much the only thing I can manage at the moment.
Day 8 - 5/22 Full Glass. Enjoying more hot decaffeinated green tea at work every day.
Day 9 -5/23 Full Glass. Proud I chose water at the restaurant at lunch.

5/24 Pause. Crazy day. No question my good choices are reciprocally related to my level of stress.
Day 10 - 5/25 Full Glass.
Day 11 - 5/26 Full Glass.

Diana and tyla, you are rockin' it! Jeannie and Jazzy, I'm rooting for you and hoping to hear how you're doing.

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 7 - 5/21 Full Glass. This challenge is probably too easy, but pretty much the only thing I can manage at the moment.
Day 8 - 5/22 Full Glass. Enjoying more hot decaffeinated green tea at work every day.
Day 9 -5/23 Full Glass. Proud I chose water at the restaurant at lunch.
5/24 Pause. Crazy day. No question my good choices are reciprocally related to my level of stress.
Day 10 - 5/25 Full Glass.
Day 11 - 5/26 Full Glass.

Day 12 - 5/27 Full Glass.
Day 13 - 5/28 Full Glass. Liking this extra glass of water or mug of tea each day.
Day 14 - 5/29 Full Glass.
5/30 Pause. If at first you don't succeed, try again and fail better.

Harder to focus on myself this time of year and hard not to pop something in my mouth before thinking. I will be lucky to make it to day 21 at this point. I must add that both snack nights were not eating all night, Two cookies on the 29th and can't remember Tues, but prob something I had bought early that day town shopping for the week. So I think habits have improved using this thread, thank you ladies for being here to support me.

Dr. Geri, Hoping the full glass challenge is helping you through this heavy reception time. Being more mindful is a great start. One day at a time.

tyla and jeannie, How are you doing?

NO PM snacking
May 18th - Day 1 -Back to a comforting restriction!
May 19th - Day 2 - Feels good
May 20th - Day 3 - Nice routine
May 21st - Day 4 - Doing well at night
May 22nd - Day 5 - Not hungry, but wanted to munch tonight - but didn't.
May 23rd - Day 6 -
May 24th - Day 7 -
May 25th - Day 8 -
May 26th - Day 9 - One day at a time.
May 27th Pause Day #1
May 28th - Day 10
May 29th Pause Day #2
May 30th - Day 11 -Had a nice big glass of ice water

I will drink a glass of water before each reception or other event at work where I know sweets will be served. On days when there are no reception events, I will just add an extra glass of water to drink at work at any time.

Day 9 -5/23 Full Glass. Proud I chose water at the restaurant at lunch.
5/24 Pause. Crazy day. No question my good choices are reciprocally related to my level of stress.
Day 10 - 5/25 Full Glass.
Day 11 - 5/26 Full Glass.
Day 12 - 5/27 Full Glass.
Day 13 - 5/28 Full Glass. Liking this extra glass of water or mug of tea each day.
Day 14 - 5/29 Full Glass.
5/30 Pause. If at first you don't succeed, try again and fail better.

Day 15 - 5/31 Full Glass. Thank goodness I am doing a water challenge and not a minimizing sweets challenge, because today I did not make good choices to nourish my body.

Diana, keep on truckin'!

Dr Geri, Finally recovered from art reception, hs graduation and reception and garden catch up. Trying to get back to normal for the summer. Wondering how you are doing and if you're almost done for the year? I am considering doing 21 days of some healthy habit and would really enjoy it more if you were to join me. Will check back to see if you are around.

Hi 3 fat chick bloggers, if this looks good to you, let me know and I would join in on the challenge - so will check back every few days, Thanks.

Have a great week everyone!

Diana, congratulations on surviving the receptions for graduation and art exhibition! It sounds like you've been as busy as I have. I am 90% done for the year, trying to gather my remaining energy for the final push. Then I am off for a three-state trip.

I'm so sorry I dropped off the challenge thread. The end of the season has been emotional, stressful, and full of terrible food choices for me.

I'm not sure what kind of challenge I can commit to given that I'm about to leave for several weeks, and I won't be able to check in every day with my progress. But I would like to get back on the horse. So I will go back to my Just One challenge. Just one sweet after lunch and one sweet after dinner. This remains a stumbling block for a permitter like me, and would be great if I could maintain while on my trip.

Diana and other TFC friends, what's your newest challenge going to be?

Day 1 - June 21st - minimum of 20 mins of exercise (completed)- With the stress this is the best challenge. I still have been getting extremely tired so will allow 3 cheat days. Both dog and son had to go to the Dr last Monday and have been on antibiotics. College trip and registration next week, trying to get organized and figure out what needs to get accomplished.

Dr. Geri, have you made it to the end of the term? Your three state tour sounds lovely and much needed. Something simple is all I can handle now also, so just do the best for your health and enjoy your well deserved vacation.

Hi chicks, what's your newest challenge going to be?

Have a good weekend!

My challenge: minimum of 20 mins of exercise - allow 3 cheat days

Day 2- June 22nd - started the day with 20 mins of aerobics, this is a nice way, a feel good afterwards, even with resistance to start. Glad to have this challenge!

Can I join or is it too late? I want to go to the gym 3 times a week every week no matter what
Day 1 was a fail I had to cover unexpectedly because we fired someone at work but I have it fixed for next week