Welcome to our newest thread "Boot Camp January 2003". We are a group of women who follow each other's progress with friendship, kindness and support of each other's challenges and successes with our weight loss journeys. All are welcome to this site. In 2003 we decided to take a more structured, no nonsense, boot camp approach to our goals.

We are following our own weight loss plans and generally include exercise and water to whatever plan we are following. Some of us are opting to add one small behavioral change per month into the mix of food, water, and exercise, for a four point approach each day to weight loss success and general increase of all over health and well being. However, this 4th behavioral change is optional, yet also encouraged.

My goals for this month's boot camp are:

Calories: 1900-2,000 calories a day with a fat content of no more than 25% total calories. I am also trying to keep my protein intake at 25-30%, and carbs at no more than 45%.

Exercise: At least 30 minutes a day and that will be cardio 3-4 times a week, and weight lifting 2-3 times a week.

Behavioral: Will try to eat only diet yogurt, or a small amount of cottage cheese, or a low calorie trail mix bar, if I get late night hunger pains, otherwise NO FOOD AFTER 8:00 PM

Day of Rest: with the option of having a free food day, only if my weekly weigh in shows progress. Hopefully I can lose 8 lbs. this month. My current weight is 262 as of this morning.

to all the previous members of our thread: Tiffany, Cafe, Dyan, Huntress, Jello, Tiger, Semo, Brighter, Jujubee, and Kayla, and Welcome to all new and prospective members.

Are you ready?...I say are you ready ...I can't he-e-a-a-r you!!

DNW: I'm here and I'm with you!!! HOORAA!
Here is my goals for this month:
I will limit myself to 1 pepsi per day.
I will get in 3-4 veggies & 1-2 fruits per day
8 glasses of water, more if I can.
Walk my dogs 2 miles, 3 times a week.
Gym twice a week for cardio & weights
I will try to make healthier low cal/fat choices for the rest of my food.

I know this doesn't sound like much of a commitment for my food and pepsi but trust me, these are huge steps for me. I'm trying to do only what I'm sure I can stick with.

No need to apologize for your goals...succeeding in the attainble often leads to greater challenges as we all have learned on the Doing Your Own Thing Challenges and Threads. Often when we try to attain goals that are not reachable we fail miserably. I know I did htat earlier last year trying to eat only 1,500-1,600 calories a day.

I think you are smart in knowing what your limitations are at this time. You will know when to challenge yourself further. Taking it off slow guarantees success, as your body will not fight the bigger losses by slowing down your metabolism.

Good luck and welcome back!!

Private Bright present and accounted for, ma'am!

Boot camp goals:

22-27 pts./day WW

No food after 8 pm.

Wt. lifting 2x/wk

Walk on TM or outside 3-5x/wk

water: 40+oz. per day

journal all foods/ feelings daily

take a rest day as a reward weekly(if have a good weigh-in)

take vitamin/calcium every day

post motivational messages EVERYWHERE in my house!

That's all I can think of.....

Huntress--way to go, girl! You sound ready to go (and you are 4 months earlier than last year!

JuJu---way to go on the baby steps! You also sound ready for the adventure. Glucophage is a medicine that helps your body process sugar---your doctor must think you have adult onset diabetes. It is a good medicine---I know several young women who are on it and trying to lose weight to control their blood sugars, etc. Your cholesterol and triglycerides definitely need work too---sounds like you inherited your dad's genetic tendencies, which unfortunately makes you more prone to the diabetes. Weight loss and watching what you eat will make a big difference! You are on the right track!

DNW---thanks for getting us started, sarge! I liked your goals and am ready to go!

Dyan---way to go on the new job! you sound so excited!

Cafe, Jello, SEMO, Kayla, Tigerlily, Tiff, and everyone else: Happy New Year!

I'm changing my sig: today--dropped another 3/4# over the holiday weeks. It is slowly coming off. I know it would have been more off if I had been doing my exercising consistently these last two weeks.....so I'm learning. Thought that snow shoveling would replace it but it just sorta kept me in the negative spot..which I'll take.

I'm so happy to have lost weight before Jan 1: this has been my jumpstart and now it's down to business, ladies....shall we?

This is the place to be in 2003,

"Bright"

195.2/187.5Current/176(10% goal)/135

{lost 7 3/4# and have to lose 11# to 10% goal}

Private Hunt reporting for duty Sarge!

Boot Camp goals:

Drink Water! Get off those colas I've been drinking during the holidays. See juju you're not the only one addicted.

Exercise! Will be joining the gym on Monday.

Food! Back to the basics. Since you all know I refuse to count calories or points I will simply stick to eating healthy small portions.

Question? Will we be posting here for everything now or using this thread like a challenge? Sorry to ask, you know I'm blonde.

Have any of you tried the Dole fruit & gel cups? I think I'm addicted. I love jello but rarely make it since I'm usually the only one who will eat it. Funny thing is since I bought them the kids have been eating them. Wonder if I just imagine they won't eat things that they really do.

I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.

LJ

Ten Hut!!! Private Jello reporting in!

Hmm, "private jello" brings on all sorts of private, jello-wrestling images.....

And OK now we see where Jello's mind is at! Must be all the cold and flu medications I'm taking. Yes, Jello's sick. But hanging in there anyway.

Annnnyhooooo......

My goals:

Stick to and count WW points every day.

Drink 64 to 128 ounces of water a day.

Exercise daily at home (includes even 10-15 minutes on the treadmill or doing exercise video, etc.)

Go to the gym at least twice a week. Hopefully, that will change to 3 or more times a week but let's be realistic to start.

Plan menus and try new recipes and write down the points and nutritional info of new things I find that I like. Resort to these notes and information when I want something different or when I'm bored with what I'm eating, etc.

Think positive. No more beating myself up. I CAN do this!

Huntress, I must be blond too because I was going to ask the same question. Is this our new thread, Nurse? Works for me. I can't handle too many threads at once. I get all confooozed!

BTW, Huntress, what are those Dole fruit and gel cups? Never heard of them. Fruited jello? Sounds tasty!

Bright, congrats on the loss over the holidays!! I wish I could say the same. But I'm raring to go now!!!!

Happy new year to all of you!!

Reporting for duty, SIR!

I'm having a difficult time deciding on which one behavior I would like to change... I've decided to play it by ear, possibly I'll try a different thing each month.

For me, my bonus point for January will be self-care. When I feel good/look good, there's so much more incentive to make the effort. It's so easy to put everything ahead of caring for this tired bod, but it is all I have.

I did well yesterday. I did not get out for a walk, but I did run around inside my house quite a bit, getting everything spiffed up and ready for company. I cooked a vegetarian dish from Egypt with 4 parts you put together on your plate. Filling, and while I didn't do the MATH, I'm convinced based on the ingredients that it's lo-cal. I drank my water and I took the time before company to get myself ready - it was a great day. albeit without official exercise. I'd give myself 2/3 with +1 bonus for behavior change.

I'm so happy we're all going to work together to get healthy and ready for warm weather!

Today, I'm going to go for a long walk in the skyways during my lunch hour.

LJ- My understanding is that this is our new thread? The new title is just to scare us into some action, LOL!

~Cafe - if she was a cat she might purr this morning.

Hey, Hey, Hey......

1,000-1,400 calories a day
no eating after 7pm
64 oz of water a day
exercise 6 days a week, w/ Sunday off for good behavior!

Start mt new job today///will be training for the next 3 weeks! UGH...will try to stay up on what everyone's doing.

Ciao for now!

Good Morning Ladies and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I came to work prepared this morning with diet dinners for the freezer and low fat snacks for my desk drawer. Now, I can't use the excuse to run out and grab a burger at lunch and of course can't eat the burger without the fries and well, you see where this goes.

Here are my goals for Boot Camp Sarge.

1. Be kind to myself.
2. Exercise a minum of 30 min for five days per week. (you guys can still post on the January Exercise Challenge Post, it really helps.)
3. Eat smaller portions, and keep to low-fat and low calorie choices as much as possible. (no need to say I'm going to journal when I know I won't)
4. Weigh and measure once, and only once, on the first day of each month. (I'm an addicted scale hopper!)
5. Cut down on diet soda.
6. And for my behavior change I'm going to try this: When I think I just have to have something that I know I shouldn't eat, I'll set a timer for 15 minutes and then If I still really, really want it, I'll have it. (going to buy a timer that I can slip into my purse...just in case I'm out somewhere!)
7. I'll make changes or adjustments on this list, the first of each month.

I had a good day yesterday, did well on exercise, eating and water. WooHoo!

Recruits

I am thrilled so many of us are back for this Monthly Challenge for 2003. I think it will be fine to post points at this thread, if you wish. I will tally once a week if you can give me your points for that week. Let's say our week starts on Sunday and I will need your points on Saturday by 5 PM, OK?

However, because our friendly conversations make our threads the great success and support system we have come to depend on, I really believe we should continue to talk to each other here on this thread. Someone mentioned that too many threads would get confusing, and I agree.

Please note that Semo has an Exercise Challenge thread going each month, and it would probably be an additional booster to post our exercise there also. Her thread provides alot of feedback and motivation in that area.

Regarding Behavior points: Probably it would be best to just work on changing one behavior a month. Pyschologists say that it takes 21 DAYS to add a new behavior, eliminate a behavior, or to change a behavior, so giving ourselves a whole month should really enforce what we have set as this goal.

I am thrilled to start the new year with you all...and I know we are going to be fit, strong, and nuturing our bodies and souls into a bright and happy new year.

At Ease

Wow! Everybody IS ready! Good turn out, Sarge!

Had a good day today....staying within points and hopefully can get on the ole treadmill later tonight--have to squeeze in wts. tomorrow.

Gonna go back over the last posts to get ideas for my motivational notes. Everybody did so GOOD.....I'm gonna borrow again.

Are we doing 3 or 4 points? I think we talked about 1 pt. for food, 1 pt. for water, 1 pt. for exercise, and 1 pt. for changing that one behavior...???? Did I get this right? Sorry, I don't have much time to check the other thread....kids are lurking to get on the computer and I just sneaked in!

If we are on 4 pts., I'll keep track in my journal and update every few days.

Got the sniffles myself, Jello, so I know how ya feel, girl! Thanks for the congrats on the loss...I was really surprised.

Huntress: gonna try those gel cups---I was wondering about them. Thanks for the info... Cafe: Egyptian food? Sounds wonderful! SEMO: I take my lunch, also. It really helps hold down the calories during the day.

Dyan, DNW, JuJu, Tiff, Kayla,Tiger, and all I forgot...have a great Friday. How nice to get to the weekend so quickly this week!

"Bright"

Brighter and the rest of the recruits: If we want to make this a real boot camp effort, perhaps we need to make it a 4 point a day challenge, which would include that point for one behavioral change per month. Although that's not written in stone, I think it would be a good direction to go in, we are old hats at this weight loss stuff, and really need to challenge ourselves as much as we can this time around. I can't tell you ladies what to do, I can only suggest.

Remember it's not what we eat, but how eat, and when and where we eat, and lastly and most importantly, why we are eating!!

This will make all the difference and help us turn the corner if we change just one little eating behavior per month. Change 12 behaviors in 12 months, and who knows what we'll wind up with!!

OK, here's the deal. I want to go to boot camp. I want to be a good little soldier. But I've got to be honest. I'm getting overwhelmed. Let me explain.

I'm doing WW and it's all I can do to remember to count my points and write them down. I get on my treadmill every chance I get and plug in my exercise videos when I have a little more time and, well, energy. But I'm having a lot of trouble keeping count of minutes exercised and remembering to come in here to tally up my daily points. For those of you who are keeping track and keeping up with everything so well, I say More Power To You!!! But alas (did she really just say "alas"???) I just can't keep up.

I've got a lot of stress in my life. My job's just not getting better and I know I'll have to start looking for something new soon or I'll be insane but just the thought of it is causing even more stress. As I type this, I'm once again the only person on the phones here so I can't leave my desk for lunch or to pee or anything. Are any of the other "phone people" going to bother coming in today? Beats me. I hate this place soooooo much.

Meanwhile, these new pills my doctor put me on are simply not doing the trick. I'm still having long, irregular, painful periods. I have to schedule an appointment with him this month and I'm afraid of what he's going to tell me.

To add to my stress, we're in the middle of an ice storm here. I wanted to take the day off and stay home to nurse this stupid cold but figured there'd be no one at all to handle the phones so being the good little worker (aka doormat) that I am, I came in. Now I sit here looking out the window wondering if I'll get home in one piece.

Oooh, sorry. This wasn't supposed to become a "true confessions" post. All I wanted to say was that I want to come here and talk to you guys and get help and support and offer what I can but I'm hoping that you all won't mind if I don't post points or exercise minutes and just keep hanging by my fingernails like I've been doing.

My new year's resolutions still ring true. I'm going to stick to the WW plan as best I can, drink the water, exercise when I can, try to make wise choices, get my butt to the gym whenever reasonably possible, etc. It's all I can do at this point.

Hope this isn't grounds for a dishonorable discharge????

Jello, Jello, Jello........ If I could I'd give you a big 'ol hug. You take care of yourself first, and everything else will fall into place. All any of us can do is, do the best we can each and every day and right now you have enough to do without taking on more. It's no fun having a job that you dislike but for your own well being start looking for something else.

I got this e-mail this morning and thought you might enjoy it. In fact it sounds pretty much like something any one of us might say!

The Donkey Fable

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried
piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was
astonished at what he saw. As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of it is to shake it off and take a step up. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

OK, that's enough of the B.S. ... Later the donkey came back, caught the farmer out in the field and kicked the crap out of him. Then he went over to each of his neighbors farms and kicked the crap out of them too, for helping.

The REAL Moral:
If you don't do a good job of covering your a@@, it always comes back to get you.


Oh BTW..... It's the FRIDAY DANCE.

Jello: Just come to boot camp and don't worry about anything else..we love you and want you around a long time so take care of yourself first...do what you can, when you can, that's really what all of us are doing....you have so much on your plate. Yes, there are general guidelines for this challenge.

But that's all they are; just guidelines to give direction to those who want it; they are not written in stone and not here to exclude anyone

Just keep showing up when you can. We are here for you because we are your friends and want to support you in anyway we can! Darn it...you made the Sarge get all mushy.

Hit the deck and give me 50...just kidding

Semo: Loved your post about the donkey...I have lived most of my life that way...go ahead throw the dirt on me and I will use it to rise above it all...and I have! It's always been more important to me to keep trying and not give up.

Love to All!