Hello!

Wow! Looks like we have a great group here! I'm off to a pretty good start.....1500 calories today and 30 minutes WATP.......starting a new challenge seems to energize me!

Joy....I liked Elisha's questions too.....and thank you for reprinting them here on this challenge. If we just stop and think about our reasons for eating.....they should be for nourishment and not entertainment!

Elisha......I liked your thoughts on establishing new habits and 'breaking old ones'.....those are always the hardest! You ARE transferring some of your high energy to us just by posting here! I remember your quotes/questions were always thought-provoking, so, by all means, post them here! I hope we can all contribute to keep our spirits up and make this challenge a success!

Betani.....focusing on just one thing and conquering it before moving on is perfect. I started with focusing on water.....and now it is something so ingrained that I don't even have to think about it.

Rosie.....Welcome! You are going to love this challenge and this group! I have to start journalling my food too.....it is the one way to make myself aware of what actually goes into my mouth.

Time4achange.....Your name says it all! I think we all were kinda stuck for the past week or so and are ready to make this challenge work for us! Getting more active is a good goal......were you thinking exercising or maybe getting into some kind of sport?

TBJ.....Yes, the slump we were all in is hereby cancelled! We are all ready for success! Cutting down on the junk food is such a good idea! Start reading those ingredient labels......some are downright scary!

Scalechallenged.....Welcome! We love new faces! Ten pounds off by Christmas is very realistic.....you can do it! As for the water, I just grab a water bottle and keep it with me throughout the day. If you keep the water handy, you will be surprised at how much you actually drink!

Babs.....Yep, you did eveything right and your post is right where it should be! Don't worry about being a newbie....this is a great group! You can do anything you put your mind to....just do it!

When the last challenge began, I was so discouraged and on the verge of just giving up......so I had a major turnaround to accomplish! I began my re-establishing the positive habits....drinking water, exercising, eating OP.....it was a rocky start, full of backsliding, and it sure didn't happen overnight! Like Betani, I feel like I have a base of good habits started, but they just need to be 'cemented' in.

So what I said was

Extrinsic Rose, Scalechallenged, Time4achange & Babs.

on your recent successes Rosie. 12" WOW

Elisha & TBJ I the idea of discussions and topics.... the more we keep focused and see our options the better. I get lots of different tips and strategies from different sources that I will share too.

My ONE ITTY BITTY LITTLE THING will be journalling. I journal on Fitday if anyone can figure out how to read entries there let me know ....Help Elisha
(suttle aren;t I?)

MsRD... Thanks for setting up the new challenge. I'm so glad that you are seeing success and staying with the eating plan and getting your exercise in. So tell me ... how did you get rid of the "evil treat or treats". I still have some left... cookies too ... UGH they are calling my name but I'll resist.

Well .....hmmm .... that's all I can remember... it's getting past my bedtime... plus I'm old. and I got distracted by the thought of cookies .....

My day in summary:

Things I'm proud of:
-Did 52 minutes of exercise: 20 min of Hula for weight loss in the afternoon; 30 minutes of upper body strength training this evening
-Kept confidence in my efforts despite my mother's hurtful words (saying I'm not getting employed b/c I'm fat (I just graduated college so I'm out on the job hunt))
-Recording ALL food today

Things needing tweaking:
-Didn't have an agenda today nor did I relax much
-Underestimated the caloric value of my day's foods (didn't go to over but not in proper range either)
-Wasn't willing to listen to someone else's point of view during a discussion ( i have stubborn tendencies )

Rosie

OMG...I'm sorry for not posting yesterday. First of all...Welcome to all the new chickies! What a suprise to see so many new faces here! YEA!!!!

MsRD...Thanks for setting this up! Great job!

Elisha...I love your idea of the comittment bracelets and also doing the questions and quotes right here! I can help with that...it might give me some "purpose" this time around. I find that if I am involved more, I tend to be more accountable!

I'm still working on trying to figure out what I'm doing this month! But it will involve more exercise, and perhaps that is what I need to focus most on. Since walking is really not much of an option, I will focus on biking and toning! And I still keep thinking about hitting Weight Watchers to just get this first 10lbs back off! The thing is, I KNOW what I have to do, but for some reason, it just isn't happening! And since I came back from vacation (I was at 172 then), I have gained 7 lbs! HOw did that happen? Anyway...I will post my "real" goals tonight sometime

Yesterday I had a good day food wise, but no exercise which was actually in the plan for my day. My calories yesterday were wonderful until I was alone in the house on the couch in front of the TV last night...I heard the icecream was having a party and I was invited!!! YIKES!!! So I got up and ate some right from the carton! After such a great day caloricly...it was like pure sabbotage! I didn't have ANY sugar the rest of the day, either! Grrrrr!

OK...today is a new day! I am having some wierd cramps and stomach pain this morning, so I am having tea (which I should drink every day instead of coffee!) and a bagel (instead of my usual Slimfast with protein). Cold food did not sound good! I will have leftovers for lunch today. And I haven't figured out supper yet, but I'm thinking salad sounds good! I'm just wanting to get through the day, but when I get home, I will post more to each of you!

As I said, so great to see all of you here! I'm going to try to get Lisa to come back...and maybe Jennifer, but she's pretty busy with Hurricaine clean up and moving into their new house! Lisa did say she would check in, and that was a week ago, so...I'll be getting with her for sure!!

Hugs to all!

What do you most want to accomplish by losing weight?

The number on the scale isn't an end in itself. No matter what weight we're aiming for, there's always another reason we want to get there. Perhaps you want to get back down to your "fighting weight," or maybe you just want to get in better shape. Or maybe you just want to fit into a size 8 (or 10 or 4 or whatever it is). Maybe you're trying to get healthy. Maybe you're looking for some self-confidence (although on that score, losing weight is only half the battle, IMHO). So what is it you're after, and why?

Morning chickies!

Wow, we're off to a great start, aren't we? How lovely to have all of these new friends!

to babsisawinner and scale_challenged! It's wonderful to have you with us! You've both got some great goals set up, and we're all here to cheer you on!

Now let's get cracking!

Let's see, comments first, so I don't forget!

Julie: Something I've noticed with both of us--evenings are a problem. For me, it's not necessarily late night snacking that gets me, I just seem to have no willpower at dinner time (second helping? sure, why not!). Also, we've both been heading in the wrong direction for far too long, and I think it's high time we change that! So there was ice cream--that's over now. You didn't have any sugar the rest of the day, and that is an improvement, right? As for Lisa and Jennifer, it would be great to see them back! I hope they are doing well. Jennifer is moving into her new house already? How time flies! Anyway, try to drag them back if you can, but if not, send them my best.

Rosie: You had a good day! WTG on the exercise! Your mother actually said that to you?!? Finding a job is not easy, no matter what size you are. Besides, you're working to improve yourself, and that has to count for something. 12 inches?! That's amazing, no matter how many pounds it amounts to! You should be proud!

Joy: I'm afraid I don't use the journals in FitDay... haven't used FitDay at all in a while. But if I have some spare time at the office I will investigate and let you know what I figure out. In the meantime, I suggest finding a notebook and writing everything out on paper. Sometimes that helps me more anyway, since I am more likely to go back and read that.

MsRD: Woohoo! Sharing the love! hehe... Good job on the calories and the exercise! Kicking it off on the right food! No giving up for you--we'll tazer you!

Babs: You're doing fine! Are you liking the Jenny Craig program so far? Can I ask, what are some of the positive affirmation you are using (if you don't mind my asking)? Your goals look good, and just remember, WE are here to communicate with, and we're always here to help. All you have to do is ASK!

Scale_Challenged: Drinking water is a big help, probably more than you realize. I always notice a difference in how I feel if I don't drink enough water one day. It's not pretty. But I am probably THE water advocate/drinker of the group. I find, like MsRD said, if it's there, I just keep drinking. Water has that effect on me more than any other beverage--I can let a bottle of soda set for hours, but water? No way, that stuff is gone!

TBJ: How are you doing on your No Junk Food diet? I hope you're enjoying the island and settling in!

Betani: How did you do today? Get in your exercise?

Time4aChange: How did you do today? Did you drink your water? Exercise?

Question of the Day: What do I want to accomplish most by losing weight?
First and foremost in my mind is looking good. Perhaps that's shallow, but I never claimed not to be. I've got a cruise coming up, and a vacation, and eventually a wedding. I want to look good for the first time in my life. And, of course, I want to get fit and be in shape and prepared for when I have kids. I want my body to support me through an easy pregnancy, and I want to have the energy to chase my kids around and play games with them and do all the fun activities that parents should do with their kids. Most of all, I want to set a good example for my kids by showing them what a healthy life looks like.

OK, now that all that mandatory stuff is out of the way, it's time to say something about ME! hehe... (can you tell I'm feeling corny today?)

Well, yesterday... hmm... not the best of days. I felt hungry all freaking day. And not just "Oh, I could eat something," but literally tummy-growling hungry. So I was snacking all day yesterday. There was an incident with Halloween candy, although that was not extreme. But then there were the chicken wings, and the onion rings, and celery with lots of blue cheese. I did share the onion rings with my brother, so I guess it could have been worse. In any case, I felt gross afterwards, and guilty. I just shouldn't go out to eat at all, I never do well.

Bowling was fun though. I managed to match my best score ever, but I also managed to almost match my low score ever. And there was this guy who kept trying to give us advice, but really he was only being annoying and telling us all the things we were doing wrong. Umm.... yeah, I know I suck at bowling, you don't have to point it out to me. I'm perfectly aware that the ball is not supposed to end up in the gutter, thankyouverymuch.

Well, now that I've proclaimed I should never go out to eat, we're going out to eat again tonight. Steve offered to take me to the Chinese buffet, but luckily for my diet he asked me while I was in the midst of feeling guilty about eating all those wings, so I said no. I imagine we'll end up eating at Subway. I've actually been craving a turkey sandwich, so that would be a good thing, and healthy too (even though there will probably be some SunChips or Baked Doritos in there too). Then football game! Yay! So there will be some walking this evening, and lots of squats (in the form of stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down). I will try not to eat food at the stadium, but no promises. There's just something about sporting events that says you have to have a hot dog or a pretzel or *something.* I know, I know. BAD girl, Elisha. JUST SAY NO! Diet Coke is acceptable.

Let's see, what else? OH! We're taking a trip to Cincinnati this weekend. Steve's sister is having her very first art gallery show, so their whole family is going. I imagine his parents will put us up in a hotel, since Caroline's apartment is fairly small, but we'll see. Chances are food won't be great, but I will try to do my best, and I will try to exercise. I don't know what the schedule for the weekend is just yet, but I'll figure it out.

Also, we spoke to the realtor, who spoke to the listing agent of the house we're trying to buy, who said that we should hear something either today or tomorrow. I sure hope it's today. I'm tired of waiting! I just want my stinking house already!

OK, I think that's enough from me for the moment. I need to get some work done. Have a good one, chickies!
~Elisha

Hi everybody --

First day of the Very Little Junk Food Diet (I like the caps, Elisha ) went well. It was hard not to have a little piece of chocolate, or a small glass of soda, or "just one more dinner at a restaurant." But I managed to keep to my promise.

Yes, I am game for inspirational quotes and real-world stuff-sending. In fact, I bought craft string so that I could make some friendship bracelets for people back on the mainland. So I have the supplies all ready. How convenient.

QOTD -- I want to lose weight so that I can avoid Type II diabetes. My father has it now, after a lifetime of obesity and alcoholism. I rarely drink, but my weight crept up on me during college and the first years of law school, so I will learn from what happened to my dad. I need to concentrate on staying healthy through adulthood.

Also, I enjoy shopping for clothes and feeling confident about the way I look. I have a lot of tattoos, which bring attention to me (not why I have them, but I still get the attention). I feel like if everyone is looking at me, I should look better.

Will comment tomorrow. Happy day, everyone.

I want to be able to have the knowledge that I did this for me. I want to feel my age. Lately I look at myself and don't feel like I'm in my 20s...don't feel like I look like someone in their 20s. I want to be fearless. And I feel that one of the things to help that is accomplishing my goal. I'd know that I unmasked all my layers of pain, shame, vulnerability and sometimes disgust and that after all that, I'm still whole.

Rosie

Weighed in today: .6 lbs down, 5.4 to go

QOTD:

Yes, I would like to wear the smaller sizes and feel sexier, but I think the thing that presses me most to get to an ideal weight is that I have no access to my medical history. I am adopted and have absolutly no desire to find my birth parents. I have no idea if I have any family history risks for anything, so I just want to live as healthy as I possibly can, while not making myself miserable.

As far as today goes, I did get 30 minutes of aerobics in this morning, but it was hard to drag my butt out of bed. I think I discovered part of the problem. One of the new meds my doctor has me on for my cough has codeine in it, and that probably makes me want to sleep much longer than usual. I don't know whether to get the one refill I have left and just live with this tiredness until I finish it, or to chuck the syrup (still taking the brain med, though) and get my sleep schedule back on track.

Rosie-- That is a great reason for losing weight. Doing it just for yourself is more effective motivation than anything else.

TBJ-- I know several people who have diabetes, and you're right. I want to learn from them so I never put myself at risk for it. Glad today is going well so far!

Elisha-- Unless wanting to look good is an all consuming passion, that's not all that shallow. Looking good = feeling good which leads to motivation to keep getting healthy.

Hikein-- Ice cream is a suicide hypnotist. It does everything in it's power to convince you to eat it. It's really good at it, too! Don't get down about it, though. You can always pick up right where you left off.

I've been challenging myself a lot lately, so I need some public/online challenging!

My plan:

mini goal: 10lbs down
how? 3 meals, 2 snacks a day via glycemic index.
I'm happy with my meal habits, I've been sticking to a healthy routine for 2 years now... but
I work at home, I don't go out much, and I don't move much...
I've only managed to lose and keep off a little over 50lbs in 2 years, by making eating less a perment habit.. but the real acheivement is that I feel a million times better! So, even though it doesnt show on the scale, I've really been working on feeling great and happy. So I feel totally successful in that aspect.
But I know I can pick up the pace through exercise.
so my challenge is,
fitness?
So my fitness goal is to exercise for 1 hour everyday and then hopefully I'll lose 10lbs this month. However, its not just about the pounds, I want to feel better on a constant basis. On the days I exercise, I glow for about 48 hours thereafter just from 1 exercise session. Exercise is pretty amazing...
I've done an average of 20 minutes aerobics and belly dancing most days in October. It resulted in a 5 lbs loss.
I'm glowing today, I did some aerobics to my favorite dvd, Fitness with Bliss Standing aerobics higher intensity.

Maybe I'm more forgetful than lazy. you know, the day winds down, and then I get sidetracked...
So thats another goal, stop forgetting. remember to exercise!

What do you most want to accomplish by losing weight?


Seriously, I want it to be something that doesnt harp on my mind anymore. I want to be free. I don't want to be obsessed for the rest of my life. I want to reach the goal, maintain, and then keep up with the habit like its not a big deal. One less stress, one less worry...
The most annoying part of it, is that it feels like a chore, something that I tell myself, you have to get this done, youre putting it off... so yeah, its not right to avoid it, and then it just follows me everywhere I go.
The whole issue gets on my nerves, like its an internal nag.
I want to be nag free!

Anthony Robbins says, discipline is a way of achieving freedom.
I totally think that NOT putting off exercise, will set me free... I have a HUGE internernal nag that I have to start listening to when it comes to fitness.

I really want to join this challenge so that I can help motivate...and feel motivated! It is November 2nd...so I'm a little late.

My goal is to drink 80 oz. of water daily....Log all foods into FitDay....and exercise even if it is only for 15 minutes daily.

Right now I am hit and miss. Consistancy is my issue....PLEASE HELP!

Elisha - You are sooooo right about sporting events. My husband would live there if he could, and eat cheesy everything. I completely understand. Your postings make me smile. It's okay to eat the bad things....periodically, and in small portions! You can do it!!!

Heiken - I am in the same place that you are. I work hard, try and try again...and the scale barely budges. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I guess stopping off at the Dairy Queen on the way home from the office probably doesn't help. The worst part of that is I stopped off at a gas station to get rid of the evidence so that my husband wouldn't notice!!! Shameful......He and I have our own version of "Biggest Loser" going on. So far he's winning by .6%. And with my slowdown....I can't catch up. The final weigh in day is December 31, 2005 at 8:00 AM. Winner takes $500.00 to spend selfishly! NO PRESSURE!!!


Rosie - Two words for you GREAT JOB!!! Don't allow anyone to bring you down. My mother says hurtful things about me, just to make herself feel better...so I can empathize!

I want to lose weight so that I can shift focus. Focus less on what I look like and more on what I have to offer. Free my mind so to say. I went clothes shopping recently and nearly passed out when I stood in the dressing room with all those mirrors. I didn't realize how big I was. That is what has driven me here.

We can do this! Together! I look forward to the friendships and the successes!

missgreen and wnnabthin!

Missgreen: I can SOOO relate to your wanting to be free. I have this constant dialogue going on in my head about food--what I can eat, when I get to eat it, how long it's going to be until my next food, etc... I want it to be gone. I don't want to have to worry about it so much. GREAT job on your progress so far! 50 pounds is amazing! And you're right--the best part is how much better you feel.

Wnnabthin: Glad I can make you smile! I must say, though, that I am feeling particularly energetic and corny these past few days. I assure you I am not always this goofy. Well, ok, maybe I am, but I don't always type all of my goofiness into my posts. I go through my phases, just like every other Gemini on the planet. As for dressing rooms... I honestly think they would sell WAY more clothes if they only put one small mirror in there.

It sounds like a lot of us are aiming for consistent exercise, even if it's only a few minutes a day, the whole point being just to do it (because you all know as well as I do, chances are if you start moving you will keep going--it's a law of physics!). So, is anyone up for an exercise minutes challenge to kick off the month?

Just post your goal minutes for the next 7 days (Wednesday 11-02 through Tuesday 11-08), then post how many minutes you actually complete. It's that simple! If you'd prefer, you can keep track of miles walked or biked, # of exercise sessions, or whatever else you want to track, just so you have a goal and stick to it!

I'm going to figure out my schedule for my weekend trip before I set a goal, as I want this goal to be realistic. If I'm stuck in a car or doing family activities with Steve's family from 6am Saturday to 10pm Sunday, exercise is not very realistic for me, and I know that. I don't think it will be that bad, but we'll see.

OK, time for me to get to the football game! Have a great evening, chickies!
~Elisha

Hi Chickies!

I just read your posts and you really have me pumped! Everyone is doing such a good job in setting goals and planning how you are going to achieve them! Today, I kept the calories down to 1300....and there will be 30 minutes w/Leslie after I finish here!

Joy.....Good idea on the food journalling.....I just have a little spiral notebook to scribble my daily food into and then just log on to a calorie-counter database to find what the damage is. As for the evil Halloween treats......I think I mentioned before that I ATE THEM! Not the best way to get rid of goodies, but certainly the most efficient.

Rosie....Wow! You are doing great! 52 minutes of exercise....you are one motivated chickie! It must be hard when you Mom criticizes you...and I am glad you are getting past that and can deal with it. Sometimes Moms just want so badly for their kids to have wonderful idealized lives that their 'encouragement' gets a little sharp. As for that 'stubborn' streak......if indeed it is true.....make it work for you in this challenge! We have to be a little more than a little stubborn to stick out a weight loss regmen!

Julie....So glad you checked in! When you can't get in the exercise you want, you have to be even more vigilant when it comes to food. Make your life easier by getting on that bike and going......or do I have to get that tazer out again?

Elisha....It is sooo tempting to go out to eat when you come home tired and don't feel like cooking....I never give DH an argument when he suggests it! Not only do you have to be mindful of the choices you make, but also the portion size!

TBJ.....Great first day on the Very Little Junk Food diet! The first day is always the hardest....so tomorrow should be a piece of cake (whoops....I mean carrot stick)

Betani.....Even though you didn't feel like it, you got your exercise in this morning! Good for you! Be careful with those meds, chicklet, as I would rather you were a little sleepy than risked a relapse at this point.

MissGreen.....Welcome! Looks like you have those healthy eating habits down like a pro! by adding daily exercise, you are sure to see positive results! "discipline is a way of achieving freedom".....how very true! Those naggy little voices will go completely away if we accomplish what we are supposed to!

Wnnabthin.....Wow! Another new face! We're glad you are here! You have all the essentials.....drink water, log food and exercise.....now, JUST DO IT!

What do I want to accomplish by losing weight? I think of adopting a healthy lifestyle as a kind of health insurance.....won't bore you with the details, but there are an abundance of chronic conditons and illnesses in my family tree....many of which are caused/aggravated by being overweight. I know that living healthy doesn't guarantee that I will live to be 100, but perhaps I can bypass the worst of it for awhile yet!