Alright, I just got a slight brainstorm here...we can do this points thing as an ongoing thing and add another twist to it. Here's my idea:
We do the points on a weekly basis. Whoever gets the highest amount of points for the week gets to pick 2 challenge things for everyone else to do the next week. Challenge thing #1 is a food (or drink) that the winner for that week has a problem with (ice cream, white bread, regular soda, whatever that person's particular vice is), and Challenge thing #2 is a habit or activity (keeping a food journal, drinking water, weight training, etc.). Then, whoever can meet that person's challenges for the entire next week gets points for that, too. This way, it adds a little variety, and we each get to voice our major vices and attempt to oversome them (assuming we each have the highest number of points for the week at some point ). If this doesn't make any sense to you guys, then we can just throw it out. I was just thinking, but I may have been thinking a little too big

that sounds *great*! I love Washington. From time to time Rob and I take the train (3 hours) and stay a weekend -- which is never long enough.



I would like that. I think the scale numbers can drive me a little crazy sometimes, and I could use the extra focus in the habit zone.

Maybe something along the lines of 1) Water, 1 pt for day of on track; 2) Food, 1 pt per day on track; 3) exercise, 1 pt per day on track ??

and then have a habit challenge. I struggle with staying away from the candy. I used to give myself green stars on the calendar for each day I managed to not eat chocolate. Maybe 1 pt a day for making you habit challenge goal. Totally open to what people might want to do with this.

hey dragon woman, the fit ball squats are cool, don't know if you can picture this. You stand up with your back to the wall. The ball goes in the small of your back, sandwiched between you and the wall. With your legs fairly wide apart, you benz zee knees and go up again. So you can't fall really. I couldn't lie on a fitball and do sit ups or anything, I would definitely do myself an injury. I've lost 10 cm around the hips in eight weeks, so any embarrassment is well worth it!

The trampoline I actually jog on, I got myself a very good sports bra, the first time (before said purchase) I thought my boobs were going to fly over my shoulders!!!!

Oh, man, I admire you guys really going at the hard exercise. I'm just not at that point. Swimming's pretty much it for me, and I need to be more vigorous even with that, to challenge myself.

Howie and I had our treat night last night. Today, he suggested I cut my calories back 200 a day for at least a couple days, to make up for the dreaded Banana Bread Overage of Friday night. Sounds like a plan.

I'm game for points. Do we just post every day we do the various things? I've not really looked at the points threads before.

I actually joined 3fatchicks because I hated the though of exercise, it was whilst doing a google search for fatchicks + exercise that I found you guys!!! Basically I set myself a target of getting my food plan sorted out, and sticking to that for one month, then adding the exercise. I have a great trainer at my gym at work (and now another younger, fitter and cuter one at my local gym, not that I was looking of course ). My big thing is I'm not afraid to ask for help now. If I don't know how to do something, or something isn't working for me, I'll ask them.

I love my swimming, it's still my favourite exercise. I have noticed my asthma has improved in leaps and bounds since the beginning of the year, and I have lost no days at work from it over winter, which is quite an achievement for me.

well hi all. I'm Heather, Dianas friend. I am happy to be in a group with all of you . I am currently doing weight watchers, workout w/ tapes at home 4 days a week, and I have a fitness walking class at school twice a week. I've read a couple of threads, and this sounds like a really nice place to hang out and talk....about sucesses, failures, and just general.
I would love to do a challenge, but I"m not sure I read enough to understand what it is going to entail.
Well, I just got home, and I need to email a couple of people, so please have a wonderful evening, and I will be back later this evening

hey all sorry haven't been on today at all..Been busy sewing and trying to eat well. Finally done with cramps today, but always take Sundays off so back at exercise tomorrow. Yippeee!! Heather is here ...I am all for challenges, tell me what it entails and I will do it, this way it gives me something to really strive for, and I am pretty competitive. I will say that the only kind of exercise I am able to do is walking, biking, and some resistance due to my back and the rod I have. But I wil do the best that I can....I feel as though I must have lost something since I started all of this over a week ago...My granny panties are getting loose I normally don't like to weigh in but 2 times a month. I don't like the scale because I find that it can be very frustrating, especially on a daily basis. I will get on the scale Weds...HOPEFULLY have lost a few pounds. I will be adding another loop to my walk tomorrow...Looking forward to all of this. I think someone should be in charge of the challenges, even if it is a different person every week, easier to keep track this way...And we need to make a plan...I love plans...Well, gotta run for now...Keep me filled in

Hey Gals! The points challenge sounds like a plan... I haven't read too much on it, but will do that tomorrow (so tired now, nothing makes sense). I'm having issues these days with everything, heh. I can't seem to be able to say on plan for an entire day, I have no idea whats going on for me! Partly we don't have enough food in the house, and still need to go grocery shopping. I was doing SO good today, I had yogurt for breakfast (sugar free, fat free, aspartame free), pepperoni for a snack, a salad for lunch w/ pudding (low fat, no aspartame). And then for dinner? Burger King drive thru! I'm going to go to bed early tonight, and get a workout in tomorrow and try and stay on plan.. I don't know how people do it!

Diana - I bet you did lose a few pounds, if you are exercising and eating properly, no way you couldn't be! My fingers are crossed for you, but I don't think they need to be! My thoughts on the scale are that if the number can discourage you, it's definitely a good idea not to weigh every day, or everyweek. For me, the numbers never really mean anything.. I don't know how or why.

Heather - Welcome! Sounds like you have a great plan! I look forward to getting to know you

Jill - are you trying to make me jealous? At 11am I was working my tushie off at work! I'm going to sleep in LATE tomorrow.. heh.. SO THERE

-Aimee

Nice to see you, Heather - Welcome! Nice to see the rest of ya, too, but Heather's new.

Mmmmm, I got the fixin's for fresh mango salsa. We'll have that with fish and chicken. Gotta make it fresh and eat it in a day or it's not so good. ** yawn ** We did some late-night grocery shopping and I'm just checking in and saying hi before crashing.

hey there Kimberley ( ? Hope that's right)...I would love your recipe for that salsa...My neighbor, b4 she moved, had brought over some Mango Salsa to our cook-out last Summer and it was to die for, then, she was supposed to give me the recipe and never did...I have tried a couple of different ones with no luck...That would be a hoot if yours was like hers...

Good thing I savored the sleping in/being lazy yesterday. Today has been off to a bumpy start. I was up and ready and out of the house by 5:30 this morning (as per usual). I was in the car on my way to work and had driven over halfway there when I noticed that it was still cold in my car. Even though I had the heat on, it was still blowing cold air, and my temperature guage was still all the way down (my car normally would have been warmed up by then). I kept an eyes on it, and soon, the temp guage started going up. I was happy at first, but then it didn't stop going up! I watched it go ALL the way up to the very top, and I pulled my car off to the side of the road. I turned it off for a minute and just sat there (noticed some steam coming out from the side the hood). After letting it sit for a few, I started it again--I once had a car overheat like crazy, but then when my father started it, it worked fine and he found nothing wrong with it, so I was hoping that would happen this time as well. No such luck. The car started, the temp guage went up, then it stalled, and the oil, battery, and engine warning lights on my dashboard all stayed lit up. Great.

So, I called AAA, and they sent a tow truck out. So there I am, sitting in my car with no heat on the side of the road at 6 in the morning--I was freezing! The tow truck finally got there about 6:50, and he towed the car to a nearby shop (AAA-approved, so they better not screw me over!). Then I called a coworker, and she was kind enough to come pick me up on her way in (even though she was still in her pajamas when I called her!). So, I sat around the auto shop reading old issues of Spin for a little over an hour till my friend came and got me. Now I'm at work and don't know how I'll get to the shop or to my apartment if my car isn't ready today. I'm sure I'll figure it all out. I'm not really worried about finding transportation. I am worried about the repair expenses, though. I got a second job so I could pay off the credit card debt I already have, not rack up even more! Ugh, I hate this feeling of helplessness, knowing there's nothing I could do to make the car work or not break down. It has over 160,000 miles on it, but it's a Toyota, so it should definitely last a whole lot longer! I absolutely cannot afford a car payment, so this repair job better be less than $1000. I'm thinking radiator hose, thermostat, even water pump...all less than a grand. But, I also know that mechanics are like doctors: you go in for one thing, and they find 10 things wrong. So...

Speaking of which, I was going to go to the doctor today after work, but I guess I'll have to wait and see how the car issue goes first. Also, I FINALLY got the info I needed from my old gym, so tomorrow, I am going to go to a gym that is close to my jobn here and sign up. It'll be so perfect once I get into the routine: work my full-time job from 6am-2pm, then be at the gym by 2:20, work out for an hour, shower, and be at the restaurant for work at 4pm-11pm. That way, I know I will exercise for those 4 days a week (Mon-Thurs). What else would I do for those 2 hours between jobs? If I tried to go all the way home, I would only be able to stay home for an hour before having to turn around and head to job #2, so that would be pretty pointless. Yes, I definitely have a good feling about this 2 jobs and a gym thing

Alright, sorry bout my little car-trouble rampage. I'm just frustrated. Time to spend more money I don't have. Better a few hundred bucks a few times a year on repairs than $300 a month for a new car, though, I suppose. Off to work now, since I'm almost 3 hours later than usual getting in. Hope everyone else's week gets off to a more pleasant start!

I get you with the ball. I'd just be worried about my knees. I do promise to keep my mind open about all exercise. re: trampoline. I'd have to do that too!

Hi, Heather, nice to see you here.

The challenge can be whatever each person wants it to be, even just (I should put just in quotes there!) losing a few pounds, or converting a habit.

Jill, I haven't owned a car in quite a few years since I live in the middle of the city. I've forgotten how much trouble those suckers can cause. Hope it doesn't turn out too bad for you. The gym sounds great, at least that situation is cleared up now.

I normally don't like to weigh in but 2 times a month. I don't like the scale because I find that it can be very frustrating, especially on a daily basis. I will get on the scale Weds...HOPEFULLY have lost a few pounds.

I kwym re: the scale. Seems to me that everyone has their own tolerance level how many times they can jump on in a given week. It was driving me a little so I am doing it once a week, in the future I'm going to space that even further apart. It doesn't help me mentally to do it more often. In fact it sabotages me. Good luck with your weigh in; I think biking and walking are great, btw.

I wanted to let you all know that I bought the Oprah magazine yesterday, O, and there's tons of good diet and exercise info in that issue. There's stuff about getting motivated to exercise; what to choose when eating out and ordering in (ethnic dishes); changing habits and thinking patterns.

I made ratatouille this weekend and it was yummy. Still have one more serving in the fridge.

Have a good day.

Got the bad news about my car: $735 Apparently, one side of the radiator was "about to fall off," plus radiator hoses, plus thermostat, plus antifreeze...
Bah. I just spent about $800 on it a few months ago. I can't keep spending these exorbitant repair prices, but I also know I can't afford a monthly car payment right now for a new one! Ahh, c'est la vie...

Jill - that really sucks I'm sorry! Car repairs are such a pain, and Iknow a lot about them! I used to have an old Toyota, it just stopped working one day on my way to the gym. Sept 11th infact, I had to pull over and find a tow truck (but had left my wallet at home), and the people who's driveway it was in wouldn't let me leave it there for more than 30 minutes. Grr people! I talked to my boyfriend about your car.. he dabbles in fixing cars here and there, and he seems to be of the mind that you are spending too much. Ask if it's possible to go to an autowrecker and get a used part, we did that for our bumper and it worked out fine. While the rad is expensive he doesn't think it should cost more than 150 bucks, and the other parts they need aren't too expensive either. Ask how much they charge for labour! I know you can't really afford to be without a car, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to ask if there is a cheaper way to do it. Lie if you have to! Tell them your dad/uncle is a mechanic in your hometown, and you want to check to see what they think you should do. Also, unfortunately a lot of mechanics take advantage of women. Pooheads! I wish you the best of luck with all of that!

On the topic of cars, I had bad luck with my car, it's been in 2 accidents and 10+ hit and runs! We had to replace the bumper because of all of the stupid hit and runs! People make me mad! I refuse to even drive the car anymore, it just feels so unsafe! We've had to replace the strut bushings, the struts, the brakes TWICE, the seats are all broken, the windshield wiper stick thingy is broken, and then there is the transmission, there is something not quite right with it. BTW, my car is a 2001 Cavalier z24, it's too soon to be having all these problems! We are going to patch it up and sell it (I'd rather return it to GM, can't sell a lemon car.. it feels wrong!). MY next car? Will never ever be a GM, I would go back to Toyota or to a Honda.

Alright! So I'm done babbling about cars!

Marge - I enjoy O magazine, I missed her issue around August, I believe it was all about weight loss... or it looked to be! I tried to go buy it, but the new one had come out so I completely missed it.

The kids woke me up REALLY early this morning.. not MY kids! We rent a basement suite, and our entire place is covered by the kids play room... it's some playroom, I've seen it. It's spring break.. for 2 weeks... and they are just going wild! I will be VERY glad to be gone from this place! I can't wait to live in a real place, this basement suite was the first in my lifetime.. and I now realize why I had avoided them..

I am off to do some much needed grocery shopping, and will be getting my teeth cleaned and see if I have a cavity!

-Aimee