This thread is a sub-set of the 300+ thread.

This group is for those dealing with the challenges of having a significant amount of weight to lose and being fit which becomes harder after age 40. If you're an old or new friend and not over 40 and feel this is the place to post, jump right in.

Happy Monday (trying to convince myself)!

Where is everyone? Was a great weekend - I survived both the no eating out and the exercise everyday challenge. What's this week's challenge?

I like the idea of a challenge for the week. I know it sure helped me over the weekend not to eat out and to get the exercise in.
So what kind of challenge are you we going to do?? I know for me Im looking for a PERFECTLY ON PLAN week. That will include daily exercise, water and proper food.

Whoo hoo no eating out this weekend either. Did not get as much exercise as I would have liked. But we did get in a nice walk Sunday.

I think maybe we could try no eating out at all this week. Or try a new veggie?

Morning! Yay for a weekly challenge.

Carol -- You commented on the last thread I seem to handle going out well. I laughed a little, cause it doesn't feel like that frequently! I do better when I sit down at a restaurant than at a walk-around kind of party where the food is in my face for hours. It takes a lot of mental energy. But when going out, the difficulty is planning the calories ahead of time as I have a hard time getting the leftovers to go -- I keep picking at them. So, graceful it's not!

My challenge this week is getting in my exercise now that the term is really starting. I have one meal out planned this week, but it's a restaurant I've been to a lot and feel I can handle it, but it's pizza, and those extra slices always call to me... But first, I have to make it through the first day of classes!!!

Heather_ hope you have a great 1st day of classes!!

julia_ way to go on the no eating out weekend and way to go on exercise part of it. Lets have a OP week filled with water and exercise!

I didn't go out all weekend, I just stayed home, got bored, tired of feeling sick, and made stupid choices all weekend. Today I'm feeling better, so I'm going to get back on track.

It's a cool day in Northern CA. Highs are supposed to be in the upper 70s. It rained lightly all night long, so the air smells really nice. The skies are clear right now.

I put some ingredients into my breadmaker last night and got nothing but dried lumps of dough this morning. I must not have pushed the right buttons. Anyways, since the weather is feeling right and it's putting me in a baking mood, I'm going to make bread with my own hands today. A couple of loaves. I got the breadmaker so I wouldn't have to buy bread any longer, but I got a one-pound loaf machine. The boys can go through those loaves in a couple of days, and since I always use whole wheat flour (plus I add a little gluten flour), they come out quite dense. So I decided to make a couple of larger loaves from scratch. That should hold us for at least a week or two for sandwiches.

I saw a salad being made on Barefoot Contessa over the weekend, Roasted Butternut Squash Salad. Yum! I'm going to make it for dinner tonight, along with Sole Meuniere. I was going to cook the sole last night, but as the afternoon progressed, I got lazy and opted for whatever we could get our hands on in the fridge that we didn't have to cook.

It's taekwando tonight for my son Rhyan, so I need to go buy that squash now and roast it ahead of time.

Have a great day!

Hi there,

It's the lost chick coming home to roost again. (I know ... a lot of you have heard me say that or it's equivalent a few times over the years.)

The small challenges you gals are doing, like the not eating out last weekend, really hit home. I thought, "Hey, I can do that", so here I am ... again.

My eating has gotten out of control and I'm so upset with myself for letting this happened. God knows how much weight I've put on. I know I have to be at my all time high. I'm getting myself back to WW on Thursday and I'm spending the beginning of the week clearing out the fridge and trying to identify the worst of my triggers. #1 is the drive thru. #2 is not eating lunch until I leave work - drive thru again.

Exercise is tough because of arthritis in both knees. I'd love to get them fixed but I need to lose quite a bit of weight first. I want so badly to be able to walk my dog and clean my apartment w/o sitting down a gazillion times.I want to be able to just get moving. I've promised myself to get back to aqua-jogging at the Y when I break 300!

I'll try to check in every day. If I don't someone please come looking for me.

Judy - you said so much. My first goal was NO DRIVE THRU - if I wanted fast food I have to go in and get it. Two years later I have not once had drive thru - there are few other commitments to myself I have kept so stringently.

So we'll come looking - but not at the drive thru.

judy_ your post made me smile...it feels good to know my little challenge helped someone other than me. Thanks for sharing that! I think we all need each other just to keep going!
I havent done my jumping on the minitramp today yet..I raked the yard after dinner but still have to jump. I think a new season of HOUSE starts at 8 guess that will give me a good new show to watch while I jump. I am starting to like the exercising daily feeling again! Im sore from lifting but its a good sore!! A few years ago I would have never believed such a thing was possible.
Food today has been easy. Water has been great,now time to exercise!

Hi all:

Still working, working, working...the Paris trip has had to be canceled for health reasons (not mine or my husband's -- long story), but we'll probably just pop into Paris on our way to Italy on our vacation next year

Haven't been eating well, haven't been exercising...feel pretty lousy. I have to finish this project SOON or I will just be done. So close, yet so far...

Hope you all are doing well!

I'm setting a personal challenge for myself, to go to bed by 10 p.m. every night for the rest of the week. My lack of sleep last night led to another day of overeating just to keep myself awake. Very bad old habit! It leads to overeating, stray thoughts that depress me, and I end up frustrated because I didn't get anything of meaning done.

I cooked the Sole Meuniere and Butternut Squash Salad. No one liked them, and I'm not sure I did either. Too much lemon for the fish, and my timing on the squash was all wrong and should have been served warm. When it's cold, it tastes weird! The boys ended up eating fruit, and I ate the dinner even though I didn't like it. Another bad habit.

Tomorrow is another day!

It's the kids! My boys will not go to bed unless I become a screaming ogre! I didn't get to sleep until just before 11 last night, and I'm dragging a little today. But I'm excited because it's my baby's 12th birthday and we're going to buy him a (used) guitar bass and practice amp today...and he doesn't know it yet! He was so cute this morning, coming down for breakfast with his sweetest face on (which means he wants something...like a good birthday present). I scrutinized his face and told him that he had suddenly aged overnight and perhaps he should go in for some Botox. Then he started quizzing me about what presents he was getting.

We're going out for Mexican food tonight. I've already planned ahead for the meal. I'm going to have some guacamole and chips, the tortilla soup and one tamale. (They're the specialty of the house and they only make them on Tuesdays. Real authentic Mexican food - the chef is from Mexico City.)

So, until dinner, I'm busy with buying the bass guitar from the new instructor (I'm getting a good deal!) and I'm about to take a nap so I can be awake for the festivities later today.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Hi Ladies,

I've made a "No Drive Thru" note to tape to the dash board. I know I'll need a reminder. Two years - no drive thrus. Be very PROUD ggg.

Walrus: Too bad you have to miss your vacation. At least you have a next time planned. Hope your feeling well enough today to get back OP.

Georgia,I can make it 'til 10 or 10:30 about one work night a week. Then the next night I'm gone at 8:30!

Feelin' really good about going back to WW in two days.

Will catch up tomorrow...just a note to let you know my eye surgery went well! I can see clearnly now....lol