1. What do you prefer we call you? Cuppa

2. What weightloss plan are you using? Nutrisystem
3. What is your favorite exercise? exercise bike/exercise videos/weights

4. What is one area that you struggle? Night time eating

5. What is one area of your weightloss journey that you excel at? Enthusiasm!

6. What is your short term goal? I want to lose 20 lbs. by the end of the challenge. That would put me at 120.

7. What will you reward yourself with when you reach that goal? Still thinking about that one!

8. Best weight loss tip? From Jillian: "Sweetheart--DON'T drink your calories!"

9. Bob or Jillian? Jillian!

10. Tell us about yourself : I WANT this BAAAAD!

Cuppajoe

I can't believe it is only Tuesday and we are already on page 11. We are one chatty group aren't we. Well I got my cardio in today. Pure cardio is something I have to force myself to do. I prefer cardio and weights mixed together. My eatting was ok today.

I am off to bed

Bev

OMG--(resisting the urge to pitch his cheeks). What a cutie!

Oh how cool a fellow hooper. How heavy is your hoop? I've made a bunch from irrigation pipping and colorful electrical tape for an American Cancer Society Walk-a-thon. I made up a poster called "Hoops for Hope" and raffled them off. It's a great work out, but I gotta try adding weight to the next one I make (maybe adding sand). You can definitely hoop on other parts of your body with a regular (non-weighted) adult hoop. I have managed to hoop on my neck and bring it down & hoop on my shoulders and then my waist. Still trying to work my way up from thighs to waist. Got a lot of 'lessons' from other hoopers on You Tube.

I've never knitted one of those! How big is your pooch? I'll research some patterns. Checked out your wedding pics---just beautiful! Congrats on your new home!

Just dropping by to say Hi...Was going to chat some but it is late now and I am getting sleepy. Did another 25 minutes of walking for a total of 75.

Night...

Hope everyone on the Blue team is doing great today! It was a busy day for me and I didn't get any exercise in I'm working half a day at home Wednesday, though, so that will definitely give me more opportunities to work out and catch up on posts.

Take care!

John

Hi everyone - I wanted to do personals but my son just went to bed with a temperature and I may be in for a rough night - so my plans are now for an early night, just in case I am up all through the night and hectic tomorrow! I managed to get in just under an hour "me" time today for exercise - and I feel great - It was hard to motivate myself to do housework and I am glad that I went to the gym cause my kitchen, bathroom are sparkling and the washing in finished, just got vacuuming and decluttering to do of the living areas, which is why I am going now! See you tomorrow!

Good morning, Blues! Everyone ready for a great on-plan day?

Vanessa, so sorry to hear that your son wasn't feeling well. Hope it wasn't too rough of a night for the two of you.

So, how about a question of the day?

On BL last night (no spoilers, please!) the following question came up, "Why are you fat?" Other than the most basic answers...overeating and not exercising...have you ever really given some thought to the reason you allowed yourself to get fat? For many of us, the reasons might be extremely personal and not something we want to share on an open forum...and that is perfectly understandable. But, for others, do you have some thoughts you wouldnt mind sharing with the team?

For me, I learned how to comfort myself with sugary carbs from my Mom. Not that I'm blaming her for my weight gain! As someone so wise recently said, I am an adult and must be accountable for my choices. But, Mom was frequently depressed and I inherited those tendencies from her. Cookies, cakes, doughnuts, candy all make me feel better....really, they do! In the book, You On a Diet, the doctors explain the reason why sugary carbs make a depressed person feel better. There really is a chemical reaction that takes place in our bodies...I won't bore everyone with the details.(Even thought I love the whole anatomy & physiology side of things!) Okay, so now I know why I head for those foods on very stressful days or days when I'm just feelilng very down, so it should be easy now, right? Wrong! Yesterday, I was stressed about one of my projects for work and I found myself wandering the kitchen and looking for something. Fortunately, I've made my kitchen a "safe zone" and there are no sugary snacks anywhere. My automatic tendency is to head for what I know will make me feel better. So, I have to build new habits.....like exercising to relieve my feelings. Not so easy. They say that exercise releases some of the same “feel good” hormones in our body that the sugary carbs release. Wouldn’t it be great to develop an exercise dependency? Have a tiff with Hubby?…run 5 miles. Kids whining and fighting…run 10 miles….etc etc etc. With all the stresses of life, I’d be thin in no time!

Well, speaking of work....I better get to it. I hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

GO BLUE!

I'm not sure why I'm fat yet other than you know the physical reasons of overeating and not enough exercise. But a couple days ago I did find that little voice in my head saying I should be eating right now even though I wasn't hungry and it wasn't time for a small snack. I didn't eat. Yay.

"Why are you fat?"
Gosh the only reason I can really blame me being fat for is.

I love JUNK FOOD & I'M LAZY!

I do have alot of depression and I eat more durning those times. I got married at 19 to a man who was 12 years older than me. After losing two babies (one 4 weeks in to pregnancy the other 5 months) Depression hit me hard.

I just about had a nerves break down after the second miscarriage. I then was told I could never have children and things just got worse. I stayed in the marriage for 7 1/2 years and did not want to be there. I never loved this man, I liked him and I married only because I wanted to have a baby.

So durning the first year of that marriage I started to put on the weight. I got up to 298 pounds. Then I lost down to 200 and I got a DIVORCE

Then after meeting my now husband I got pregnant and went up to 273 then after having our daughter I only lost down to 226 The month after she turned one. I decided I wanted another baby and 9 months later we had our son. I only got down to 233 after having him. Then I went back and forth from the 230's and 260's

and I've never lost the weight. Well I've lost some only to go back to my bad habbits and gain it back.

Gosh sorry about the book. But I guess there is a reason for the weight gain other than I like the JUNK FOOD! and I'M LAZY!

I thought I was going to post a very short and fast reply but I guess I was wrong.

Oh well you asked for it

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Why did I get fat?

Honestly, because I got happy. That sounds SO stupid I know.

For years I never allowed myself to eat. Through high school my diet consisted of a Coke for breakfasst, water for lunch, come home after school to take a nap (gee can't imagine why I had no energy), and then some kind of dinner later on. That was it. I was probably eating under 1,000 calories per day. I was very thin. The only exercise I got was abs - I was obsessed with having rock hard, flat abs, and I did.

But I was miserable.

When I met my husband, I felt like I could finally be myself. I finally felt comfortable EATING IN FRONT OF A GUY (gasp?! can you imagine?!?!). But, within our first year of marriage, I'd gained 20 pounds. And it just kept coming.

Then the babies came... and the weight never left from each baby.

We're done with babies. I need to get healthy to be a better mom, to be a better wife, and to be a better person.

I need to learn I can be happy & comfortable eating around other people without needing to eat five brownies after dinner.

WHY I AM FAT:

I am fat because of love. I had some small weight gains through my 20s, but nothing serious, though it does add up.

The month I started to date my husband, several things happened. One, I started grad school at night. I had been walking 30 minutes each morning, but after going to class and doing homework, I did not want to get up early. Two, I knew DH would never date a smoker (though he had been married to a fat girl, so I knew that was OK). So I quit smoking. Three, you know how the beginning of a relationship is filled with yummy, frequent sex? We would celebrate sex with ice cream or a pizza or chips and dip. DH has a metabolism like a hummmingbird, so this did not change his weight.

Short version. Less exercise, no smokes, fast food on the way to class and lots of ice cream=30 pounds in three months.

As for personals, I want to support you all and to cheer your triumphs, but there is just no way I can get it all done. A big thanks to those of you who can.

Morning Ladies ... and John

Hope everyone had a great night and enjoyed their BL show. I got in 100 minutes of workout during the show and an additional 45 working the weights beforehand. Feel good this morning after all that, as well as the number I have been stuck at since the weekend has finally moved down.

I plan to get in at least another 40 on the elliptical tonight while my DS is doing his indoor soccer.

As for the "Why am I Fat?" ... probably alot of reasons. I am blessed with a family that loves me a supports me no matter my weight, BUT ... that being said, I need a kick sometimes to get me started, I am good to go and keep motivated once I start. I have realized something though.

I am addicted to some things, and just CANNOT have them. Sodas for example, I can't just have a Coke once in a while, it starts with 1 a day, then 2, then 6 then 8. I am a Coke addict and now know it. Like an alcoholic, I can't just have 1 of somethings, without having more.

I read somewhere that consider if you are addicted to food. That it is not like being addicted to drugs or alcohol. Those things you can give up and never have another again. Food though we have to eat. Imagine being addicted to something and having to have it every day.

I think about this then think about how truely strong we really are to be here.