Hi everyone

I am Kathy. I turned 40 this year, have a hubby of 20 years, 3 kids and 1 grandaughter. Was hoping that this would be the year that I could get into the exercise habit. Started out well, but I have been slacking lately. I don't think I have had a breakthrough moment yet. Trying to get there though.

1. What the one thing (or things) that has made you successfully complete 13 weeks of this challenge?
When I started this time my head was ready. I knew I was doing it this year. I have worked out a plan that I know I can do for the rest of my life. In the past I tried every fad diet that would come along and I would always fail. This time my weight loss is slow and sustainable and I am ok with that.

2. What are you going to do differently next challenge? Workout more

3. What advice would you give to someone looking to join the challenge for the first time, next season? Participate in the threads. That is what has kept me going. Every team member is counting on you to make the team supportive.

Happy Easter!! I recieved my Easter gift this morning. 189.4. I am very happy. I even have a hard time typing that number, I keep putting a 9. NO NO NO!!!

Well I have a 5K to run this morning and then need to cook some food for our family dinner. I will be very careful today. Don't want to blow that beautiful number.

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Now PUT the chocolate eggs DOWN!!! LOL

Have a great day xxxxxx

Happy Easter everyone.

Mindy - seeing that number must give you a motivational kick to keep up the great work that you have been doing. Good luck on your 5k run. I would like to do one sometime this year. I was hoping to do one in June for diabetes. Guess I had better get to work on that.

Hi purples!

My name is Marianne. I'm 23, living in Vancouver, BC with my fiance. We're getting married in October. I work for in the not-for-profit world, and volunteer a ton as well. I'm also in school part-time. In other words - I am busy and always trying to figure out how to fit myself into my life!

1. I think it was just the right time. I'm feeling calm and committed, instead of desperate and frantic about my lifestyle.
2. Now that my groin injury (oh yeah, forgot to mention that!) is healing, I'm going to get back at the gym.
3. Just keep going. Keep trying, keep posting, start every day fresh. And above all - be kind to yourself.

I love these moments! One of my moments was realizing how much better my mood is when I am exercising regularly. My all-time favourite moment was realising that for me, the KEY is to be nice to myself and not make anything off-limits.

Way to Go Mindy!! Isn't that a beautiful number?!? (don't forget to change your ticker..lol)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend OP!! Congrats to all who celebrate Easter and were able to abstain from all that chocolate. I can not say that that would include myself as there was an Easter party at work tonight and I made it till my 3 am coffee break before I gave in and ate about 400 extra calories of pure junk food. Oh well, a quick lashing for me, an extra 1/2 hr at the gym tomorrow and right back on track. I just hope it doesn't sabotage me on the scale tomorrow, I think I was on track for a good week.

Happy Monday everyone!!

Well done Mindy!

Morning all,

Hope you are all well. Just enjoying a rare day off work - thank goodness for the Easter Monday bank holiday.

I posted a gain of a pound this week but couldn't really expect anything different - after 6 and a half weeks of no chocolate, sweets or cakes for Lent, I went a bit mad yesterday. Found myself in chocolate heaven......mmmmmmmm!

Still, didn't like seeing that number on the scale today so here I am, feeling hugely re-energised about my weight loss journey and have just sat and wrote out a plan to ensure I have a week of healthy eating and a reasonable amount of exercise (I need to stop over-doing it on that score!) It feels positive and motivating even just committing plans to paper. Going to go to an Aerobics class tonight followed by an hour of Body Jam. Loving it!!!

I just read an article in a magazine about Food Psychology - it really explored the concept of emotional eating and I recognised so much of it! Bored? Reach for some chocolate! Tired? Chocolate again! Tearful? let's bury those tears in a cake! I know this is something I need to make more of a conscious effort to address and find other ways of "feeding" those emotions cause the junk food only does the trick for a moment and then I feel worse. Anyone else identify with this?

Good morning everyone. Hope you all had a GREAT weekend.

Hi Kathy, I too had been slacking on the exercise but got it together over the weekend. I have seriously fallen behind on my goal for the month but at least on back at it. I blame it on the fact that Hogan ate the TM power cord.

GREAT job on the new number Mindy. How did your 5K go?

Tanya - no worries.... IMHO I think indulging from time to time keeps us from feeling deprived. My life style has to be something I can live with and that if I don't allow for special occasions I would be setting myself up to fail.

Hi Lisa, yes I can definitely relate. Much of my eating is due to boredom and then quickly becomes guilt eating.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Don't forget to post your numbers.

1. What the one thing (or things) that has made you sucessfully complete 13 weeks of this challenge? I started off really badly this challenge, but partway through it I decided that I need to do something different and that helped me get through and finish.

2. What are you going to do differently next challenge? For the next challenge I want to start exercising.

3. What advice would you give to someone looking to join the challenge for the first time, next season? Like everyone else, get to know your team, don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, and don't be a fraid of hunger.

If you've ever listened to Jillian's radio show, she often taks about metal/internal breakthrus that accompany getting into shape, particularlly when the person has been overweight for a long period of time. Have you had your "breakthru" moment yet?
I had my breakthrough moment recently when my dr told me that he was close to diagnosing me with diabetes. that was when I knew I had to do something to change and live healthier. I go back the end of May and want to shock the pants off of him. I've also learned that hunger is not something to be feared, and that fruit tastes better than candy. And my third breakthrough is that I can do anything for 40 days, and after that I can decide if I want to keep up or not. For the next 40 days I'm going to continue eating healthy.


Miss Vitality: I know exactly what you mean about the eating to fill emotions, could you let me know where that article is, I would love to read it.

Everyone Have a great week.
Bette K

Hi everyone! Sorry for not checking in sooner... (I have a lot of catching up to do in this thread) but I'm elise, 26, married to Tim, stay at home mom of 4. I'm currently losing to fit into a maid of honor dress at my cousin/best friend's wedding. I've already lost 18 and I don't think I'm going to lose that extra 22 before the end of may, but I'm still proud of myself. I just need to get out of this rut I've been in the last few weeks.


1. What the one thing (or things) that has made you successfully complete 13 weeks of this challenge? I've struggled the last few weeks, but until then having some accountability helped. And having a set goal and time frame to accomplish it in.

2. What are you going to do differently next challenge? I'm going to post more in the threads because I need the support of the community to push me and be there for me, but to my own detriment I don't post when I'm having a truly stressful time so I don't feel as close to everyone in my own team as they might be to each other.

3. What advice would you give to someone looking to join the challenge for the first time, next season? Just try and stick with it. Don't give up after one, two, three, however many setbacks. Your team doesn't just want to win, we want each person to lose. So just keep at it. Post as much as your life will allow. Give and get lots of positive reinforcement.

Bette - the article was in a UK based magazine and is not available online - I will try to summarise it for you:

• Those of us who are emotional eaters do so because psychologically, our mood is boosted (albeit temporarily) with every mouthful. We do it to temporarily diffuse stressful situations or ease emotional moments.

• Emotional eating is on the increase - in a recent study at Cornell University, boredom was found to be the biggest cause, followed by loneliness and then by depression. The current economic situation is seeing sales of chocolate go through the roof!

• We continue to emotionally eat even though we KNOW our waistlines and bank balances won't thank us for it! Why? Because food connections are subconsciously formed from past associations as a child. We may, for example, associate particular foods with being rewarded for achievements, connect them with happy summer vacations or with being consoled when we had an accident or being comforted when ill. Even if the memories of these times are vague, the feelings evoked during these times (e.g. love, happiness, appreciation) are what draw us back to these foods. These associations can stay with us throughout life.

• Although a little of what we fancy does us good, many of the foods we turn to in emotional eating give us a sugar high, followed by a low and leave us depleted, lethargic and craving more. This can trigger a vicious cycle that makes it difficult to stop leading to health implications and physchological damage in the form of feelings such as anger, guilt and shame.

What we need to do:

• Face up to the truth - remind ourselves that emotional eating causes weight gain which makes you feel upset and stops you doing x, y and z. This will help control your actions to avoid long-term pain rather than seek temporary pleasure. Do a "cost-benefit analysis" - weigh up the benefit of eating the trigger food with the regret of doing so.

• Ask yourselves what we really need - what emotion are we feeling? Once identified, take positive steps to overcome this feeling. Emotional eating is a form of self-protection - we don't have to front up to difficult issues in our live when we are eating! We need to develop new ways of dealing with difficult issues - for example, if you have a row with a loved one, talk to them openly and honestly about it rather than breaking open the cookie jar! It helps to keep a note of any negative emotions in your food journal as you can start to recognise your triggers.

• Write a "distraction" list - enjoyable activities you can do when tempted to emotionally eat - cinema, walk, manicure - whatever does it for you.

• Imagine your trigger food as tasting like something disgusting e.g. worms and imagine how you will feel biting into it! This could be enough to put you off it for life!

• Swap the type of "treats" you turn to in a crisis for healthier options! Keep a bowl of healthier snacks such as dried fruits and nuts handy.

Sorry, that's a bit long but I did find it very interesting!

I was up a little today, but only to 189.8. I jogged after school today with my friend. We are trying to prep for an upcoming 5K. She is at a beginner level, while I am a little more advaced. She is really giving it her all. i think I need to throw in maybe a 20 min. workout yet tonight.

I did my 5K yesterday and ran the WHOLE thing. I almost walked a few times but convinced myself to keep going. Mind over matter, right? 43 min. Not too shabby.

Lucky- C'mon. you can do it.

Practice- That's right. Just keep going.

Tsap- Get rid of that candy and Easter junk.

missv- A pound. Hey, that's great. It could have been 5 or something.

monte- Yay for buying clothes. I am rather addicted these days to shopping.

Cruise- I don't allow myself time to get bored. I am busy all the time. I have to be careful when summer comes though. Being a teacher I am off work.

Bette- Heck after 21 days things become habit, right?

Inkle- Right attitude. Never give up.

Are we only doing a combined thread now?

I only got to post a 1.1 loss this week because last week I used a freebie because i was up 2lbs(went WAY OFF plan for 2 weeks) so I actually lost 3.1 YAY...lol so close to 30lbs lost, I am excited.