Aqua...I think the badge of honor is a great idea!! Now what do we wanna focus on our first week?

~melissa

Melissa, you made and excellent point about how we almost have to mourn the food. I think I will have to mourn the food and the habits.

I loved my old habits. They made me feel good. The food tasted good. The food was quick and cheap. I could go to any of the popular fast food places several times a week and eat for $5 or less every time. The newspaper is full of coupons for bad things from the grocery store than can be heated quickly in the microwave. And if it didn't taste good enough, I could simply load it up with shredded cheese. After and exhausting day at work, those things seemed like life savers.

Then there was my lack of exercise. I could go months without even thinking about it. I could sleep in every morning instead of getting up early popping in a Leslie Sansone video. I have to get up 40 or so minutes before I do it because I need time to wake up. And I can't exercise on cold muscles. It's easier to sleep in. It's easier to not exercise when I'm mentally tired or had some depressing news. I like laying on the couch and watching television. It feels good.

I'm giving up something that I love and am comforted by. I have to say goodbye to it. Let go of it. Somehow, in my mind, I have to literally funeralize it. As weird as it sounds, I think I'll actually have a ceremony of sorts. So when I start to slip back into my old ways, I'll remind myself that I'm having an unnatural relationship with something that has been dead and buried. A corpse.

Aqua, I feel sad too. You're right though. I think we are definitely having a breakthrough.

Amanda: I just did something crazy and lost everything I had wrote. But boy are you reading my mind today. I want this weight loss so much. We sit back and watch people eat whatever they what whenever they want and never gain an ounce. I know all about the different metabolism, PCOS, diabetes, genetics, and everything else that make us different. It feels like a diet to me versus a change of life right now. Which means lots of effort and control. I want to be able to walk to my pantry or frig and not frett about anything I pick up like its a chore. I want to feel comfortable with this change of life style. Like vegetarians do. You know what i'm saying? Don't get me wrong I'm not quitting are anything, no way! I'm just sharing how I feel. Yesterday I think Aqua said she was having veggies and her husband and children were having pizza. Hopefully at some point we can all eat the same thing our families do but within reason. 1 slice versus 3 and a salad. 1 piece of cake versus the whole cake. You know.

It seems like some of us are losing lately or is not as motivated as we were in the beginning. We're all exercising and trying to eat right but we don't all seem GUN HO about it. Lets get Gun Ho again and watch the pounds melt away. Maybe we need to do a roll call, found our were some of our Ladies are? Definitely some weekly challenges.

I guess I'm trying to keep myself fired up and everyone else.

Sorry for the soap box, today.

Trish - I think this is a good day for us. I'm glad your so enthusiastic because it has me thinking that just because we're putting our old lifestyle to rest doesn't mean that we can't celebrate the new one. The new one is going to be better to our families and us in the long run, right?

So let's kick around a few more ideas...

I like the idea Aqua had about having the dancing carrot for a week.

I like what you've been saying about relighting our flames.

Maybe we should all start logging our water consumption next to the daily exercise on our September thread.

Maybe we should share some other interests too. Like maybe we could have a book club as well. Maybe once a month we could read a funny, trashy novel and discuss it. Obviously we'd want to avoid religion, politics and something really preachy on social issues. And for goodness sakes, nothing about food addiction!!! Of course, I'm sure it would creep up eventually.
Part of our problem is obsession. We're obviously obsessed with food, or none of us would be here, right? Maybe a good distraction will help us balance things out some. Part of cultivating our new eating habits is developing interest in other things besides food.

Just sharing a few ideas...

I swear everything I type is getting lost today. Its actually getting quite comical. I feel great about today, now we're on to something.

Lets keep this weight party going with a little bit more pazzaazz. I love the book idea, I had just wrote that before my post disappeared. Except I had a weight loss book instead. But I love to read and I think the book club we be great. We discuss that along with our weight goals and challenges.

Some challenges

1. exercise 5 days or more days for week
2. drink 100oz minimum a day
3. no meat for 3 days that week

shoot some ideas.

Hello Bonnie, and Melissa

hey guys a water challenge sounds great but right now i cant do more than 64oz because i was never a water drinker to begin with or maybe we can have like a meal rater kind of like how you ate that day and then grade it
i dont know im not really creative but let me know when something comes up
im so tired right now just got back from the dr with the baby i was there since 8am she had to get shots now she is going to be in pain all day my poor baby. im going to try to get some rest so i can get a workout in sometime today
oh yeah i messed up i got a double chez burger and fries from mcdonalds on the way home because i didnt eat anything all day and im famished
i should have ate breakfast anyway maybe i can do a challenge like that a stay away from fast food challenge or with fast food only 2x a month/ i dont know i think im a little dehydrated and crazy right now talk to you later
oh im getting pissed i havent recieved my workout dvds yet and i ordered them last thurs.

Melissa - Good Luck on your test today. I have no idea how you would study for theory and opinions. I'm going to rent some belly dance ones i thought that might look fun too.
Brat - I heard dancing is good, my nana said whens he was younger she lost her weight by dancing. If you like to dance go for it.
Aqua- HI How's everything coming along?
Amanda - Thanks for the recommendations! I'm going to have to try that out.
Trish - You do get up early! I get up at 6am, work from 7:30pm-4:00pm dont get home til about 5. it takes 30mins to get from my job to work and then we have to pick up my sister from her work before my dad drops me off at my apt (still no car) then 5pm I get ready for my powerwalking 6-7 I do that, then I take a shower eat I try to spend a little time with matt but i always end up falling asleep.

I'm getting really irritated with my other half. He wants to know how I'm doing then he critisizes me. He thinks that nothing works other than running. I'm sorry but this big girl cant run. I can jog but I like to powerwalk better. he told me last night I hope you dont feel bad when you dont loose any weight because you know that really doesnt work it's good just for fun but if you want to see results you need to run. I just wanted to tell him shut up and let me do what i want. I told him I wanted to try and get up early a few weeks ago and do my excersize videos in the morning and powerwalk at night. He told me that the videos will only be good to tone and strengthen not to loose weight and I should wait on doing them, and that if i excersized in the morning I'd be too tired for work. This coming from a twig with a high metabolism rate. sorry that wasnt very nice. Id just wish he'd stop bugging me about the running everytime i want to talk about my weight loss journey. It makes me not want to talk at all because I know what he's going to say next.

Hi all!!!

I've been seriously MIA from everything - eating well, exercising and 3FC...because ::drumroll::

We got our house!!! Pictures will be posted once we're finished.

We've been cleaning and paiting and moving. My meals have consisted of getting as many calories as possible because I can only eat twice a day and sleep 3 hours a night. Hehehe...

I didn't do an official weigh in this week, but I measured a few spots and I didn't backslide, so that's good IMO. I'm jumping back on the bandwagon today, watching what I eat and exercising. A friend suggested that I try low carb to get the weight loss jump started, so I'm going to be doing that. I also quit smoking - promised hubby I would once we got the house. Nic fitting and low carb...hmm...I'll be tons of fun.

It's good to see that everyone else is doing so well. After skimming through it seems like there's a lot of progress being made this week.

Mia, that's a great idea! I daily grading system. I love it!
Don't worry about the McDonald's lunch. Just move past it.
Give the little one an extra kiss today. Poor thing. I hope she feels better soon.

Congrats Altari. Good to see you!

Trish - I was just throwing out suggestions. Maybe every month someone could come up with a different book. Weight loss wouldn't be a bad topic. It's just that I would prefer trashy! But I'd wait till my month to choose. I'll go along with what the group decides. As I said, I think the only books we really should avoid are political and religious ones. To make things easier, I would also suggest that it be a book that is already being printed in paperback and we could buy from online if we wanted to. I never pay full price for my books.
Oh yeah, about the cancer... From what I understand some forms of cancer are being successfully treated with herbs in some of the European countries. Without chemo or radiation. But here, our pharmaceutical companies need to make their money. Our doctors usually don't learn much about prescribing herbs in med school. A lot of them only have maybe one or two nutrition classes. If any.
Speaking of meds, our doctors get kickbacks for writing prescriptions. It's really scary because patients need to become more and more educated about that sort of thing. We literally trust our doctors with our lives. I feel really privileged to be an American citizen. I'd rather live here than any place in the world. But I hate this dangerous relationship that our doctors have with the pharmaceutical companies here. But at the same time....
Most breakthroughs in medicine happen here. Needed medicine. Which is part of the whole gripe against people getting their meds from Canada. Most research is financed by the American companies. Ok, I'm babbling again....
Anyway, it's a very fine line.

I'm sorry Sara Weight loss and exercise works differently for everyone. The only thing that continues to hold true is that you have to be putting out more energy (calories) than you're consuming. Maybe try lovingly, but firmly, letting your guy know that sometimes what you need is a sounding board and a support system. Not criticism. You'll do what you feel is right when the time is right. When it comes down to it, this journey is yours. You have to do what you feel is most effective.

Congrats on the house Altari, glad to see you back. A new house is a lot of work. The best part is decorating to me.

You know if your going to quick smoking now is the best time while your trying to lose weight. That is so hard to do, I hope you succeed with that.

Sara: I hope you keep doing what your doing. Sometimes people mean well when they're trying to give us advice, but just don't know how to properly deliver it. Tough love or advice isn't always the right approach, if its not wanted or given the correct way. And nagging just doesn't cut it either. I bet if he did the exercise videos along with you he probably wouldn't last all the way through.

I am going to start jogging tonight on the treadmill. I did hear somewhere that you lose more weight jogging than running. Who Knows, but it will be a change up. I tried it once last week and it wasn't so bad. I did the coolrunning.com version the couch 5k. Its for people like me who has never jogged before or was a couch potatoe. It teaches you to how to start running in 2 months flat. Its pretty easy. You warm 5min with a walk then 60 sec of jogging, 90 sec walking, 60 sec jogging, etc for 20 minutes. I did the 5 minute warm up walk, 60 sec jogging, 3 min walk, 60 jogging, 3 min walk etc for 20 minutes.

what happens if you don't eat the right foods for the day or skip a meal? Are you don't try to eat at least every 3 hours?

My goodness, we really are sharing the same brain today. I've been thinking of jogging on the tread at the fitness center a few times a week. I thought I'd tackle the stairs in my building first early in the mornings, but it's so hot on the stairways that it's stifling.
When I do my shadow boxing, I shadow box for 2 minutes and jog in place for 5. Jogging in place doesn't compare to the tread though.
I think you may have motivated me to start today. When I get home I might grab my gym shorts, water bottle and brand new running shoes and do it.

Good Afternoon lovelies!!! First off I gotta say that I havent lost anything in pizzazz...why because I'm just starting! LOL!! Seriously today really is day 2 for me. You guys didnt know that did ya? Its like living a lie, oh I can give support up the wazoo but do it for myself...ppffft! Well thats a changin! I had some weak moments today especially at Costco, you know how they give samples, well they werent all set up so I was just a walking around and around and around the store waiting..mostly for the cheesecake because I love it so, and please one bite isnt gonna kill me right!! Well I was walking and walking and walking and my leg starts screaming so I ask myself...wft are you doing?! Get out of here, so I did! No bites, no tastes, no cheesecake! I came home and had a Slimfast shake and a pear instead! Yay me!!!! Ya know, if I keep this up I could possibly break the 240s this weighin!!!! *does a carrot dance* LOL!!

I gotta go back and read all these amazing posts today, I just skimmed through I was so excited to post my victory. But OMG girls!! Talk about some serious breakthroughs today! this is journal stuff!! I'm so proud of everyone!!

Mia...I'm set to do a water challenge if you are! I know I flaked on exercise with you but I just cant do it with this stinkin back/leg problem. Water I can do! I'm gonna set my water goal at 100 oz a day. I've been getting about 80oz lately. I challenge anyone to up that water for the next week!

I better get drinking I'm only at 20oz! LOL Cheers!

Did u guys realize we average about 13pages a week? sometimes more..

How many of us are there?